Heath Bar Cookies

I made these cookies last Saturday and they were a hit!  In fact, my nephew Tucker loved them and told me they were the best cookies.  And believe me, that says a lot!  He's not much of an eater.  I liked the dough better than the actual cookie but I'm a sucker for cookie dough.  By Saturday night, these cookies were gone.  Done and done.

Heath Bar Cookies


2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped Heath Bar pieces (Eight 1.4 ounce bars) or 1 (8-ounce) package of chocolate-covered or regular toffee bits


Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Next, add baking soda, salt and flour.  Pour in toffee bits.  Chill dough for 30 minutes in the fridge.  Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes.


Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Fantasy Fudge

Have you ever fantasized about fudge?

If not, then you probably haven't tried this fudge recipe before.

It is the recipe on the back of the Kraft marshmallow creme jar and it is the best fudge I have ever tasted.  

The first time I had it was when my friend, Julie, made it for book club.  I couldn't believe how good it was and I couldn't stop eating it.  She said that growing up, her mom always made this fudge and she always thought it was like a secret family recipe.  She didn't find out where the recipe really came from until she was older and asked her mom for it.  So funny.

Regardless of where the recipe came from, though, you must try it if you are a fan of fudge.

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 package chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)
1 jar (7 oz.) Jet-Puffed marshmallow creme
1 cup chopped walnuts (I left these out)
1 tsp. vanilla

*Place sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a saucepan.  Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil for 5 minutes (jar says 4 minutes but you need to do 5), stirring constantly to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate chips and marshmallow creme.  Stir until completely melted.  Add vanilla (and nuts if you want) and mix well.  Pour immediately into a 9x13 pan (the jar says 9x9 but I wanted them smaller) and spread to even it out.  Leave at room temperature for 4 hours or until completely cooled.  Cut into 1-inch squares.


*As you can see from the picture, my fudge didn't set up well and it was because I didn't boil it long enough.  It still tasted good but we had to use spoons to eat it.  If you have a candy thermometer, it needs to get to about 235.

Pesto Pasta

My sister-in-law, Carrie, made this for us a while back and I loved it.  Anything made with pesto is sure to win me over.  It was good when we first ate it warm and then it was good again out of the fridge the next day.  Win-win.

1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
Zucchini, diced (as much as you like)
16 oz. pasta, cooked
2 chicken breasts, grilled and cut up
Pesto

*Season the chicken with a little paprika, salt and pepper and then grill.  Cut into small cubes and set aside.  Saute the peppers for a minute or two in a little oil and then add the onion.  Saute until the onion starts to brown.  Add the zucchini and season with a little garlic powder and salt.  When the zucchini is done, add it to the cooked pasta and then add the chicken.  Pour on some pesto (as much as you like) and stir until it's all combined.

*Costco has some great pesto in a jar.  If you want to make it, here is a recipe. 

Banana Banana Bread

I have a few banana bread recipes that I really like, but I couldn't resist trying this one when I saw it on For the Love of Cooking.

I was intrigued by the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Plus, it uses one more banana than most recipes.  The more the merrier.

I have to say that this might just be my new favorite banana bread recipe.  I think it is the hint of cinnamon that does it for me.

1 cube butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour (I used wheat)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh nutmeg, grated (I left this out)

*Mix together butter and sugar until creamy.  Add the eggs, bananas, and vanilla and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Pour into greased loaf pan (or pans) and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.  I used 2 smaller pans and baked for 45 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.  Slice and enjoy!

Revelle Bars

I am posting this recipe for Jen, who has other things to keep her busy right now (packing up her house).  She made these for the Super Bowl party that she and Ryan so graciously hosted at their house.

The recipe came from our Aunt Annette and is a family favorite.

These are one of those treats that you can't stop eating once you start.

Cookie part:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats

Frosting part:
15 oz. can condensed milk
2 Tbs. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla
*Melt together on the stove, then take off heat and add vanilla.

*To make the cookie part, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Then add dry ingredients.  Spread 2/3 of the mixture on a cookie sheet.  Pour frosting over the top, and then crumble the remaining cookie mixture on the top of frosting.  Bake at 325 for 20 minutes.

Let me start by saying that taking a pretty picture of bean dip is harder than I thought.

I made this Pioneer Woman recipe for our Super Bowl gathering at Ryan and Jen's.  I love hot dips and this one was really good, except that I don't really love jalapenos and you can definitely taste them in this dip.

But it was a good crowd pleaser and easy to throw together.  You could easily double it if you have a big crowd because it doesn't make a huge amount.

1 can (14 oz.) black-eyed peas
1/4 whole onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup sour cream
8 slices jarred jalapenos
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
3 Tbs. salsa
Hot sauce, to taste (I used a little Tobasco)
Salt and pepper, to taste

*Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash them, leaving some whole.  Add all other ingredients and stir well to combine.  Spread into a casserole dish and bake for 20-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Layered Brownies

Holy richness.  On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being ultra chocolatey and rich, these brownies are like a 20.  I made them on Sunday and was so excited to sink my teeth into them that night.  Two bites later, I realized that was all I could handle.  And I am not afraid of rich desserts mind you.  I put them in the fridge that night and took a bite here and there throughout the day yesterday, and I realized what these brownies added to my life.  A bite of amazingness.

Brownies:
1 cube butter
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
1 tsp. vanilla

*Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan, stirring until smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and salt.  Mix with a hand mixer or a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes.  Add the chocolate mixture.  Mix well and then add flour and vanilla.  Mix until combined and then pour into a greased 9x13.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack for a couple of hours.

Browned butter frosting:
1 cube butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla

*Place the stick of butter in a saucepan on low heat and let it melt and bubble until it's a light brown color.  Once it's nice and caramel colored, remove from heat and pour into a bowl.  Immediately add powdered sugar, cream and vanilla.  Mix with a mixer until smooth and thick.  Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies.

Chocolate glaze:
3 Tbs. butter
4 oz. semisweet chocolate

*Melt butter and chocolate together in microwave for 1 minute and then stir well until there are no lumps.  Pour over the frosted brownies and tip pan from side to side until it's evenly spread.  Chill the brownies for a couple of hours before serving.  They taste best cold.

(Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)