Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I left off the Flaked Sea Salt and people loved them anyway!  I did not line my pan with foil because it was too hard to spread the bar base on the foil in the pan so I sprayed the dish with olive oil spray and then used my fingers to really mash down the base layer.  The bars came up easily and clean up was a breeze.

YIELD: 30 bars

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

10 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped

1 teaspoon flaked sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 X 13 inch baking dish with foil and liberally coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with both sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking soda. Mix well, then scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Turn the speed to low and add the flour. Beat to combine, then mix in the chocolate chips.

Press half of the cookie dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.

In a medium sauce pot, add the sweetened condensed milk and unwrapped caramels. Set over medium-low heat and stir until the caramels melt, making a smooth caramel filling. Pour the filling over the cookie dough base.

Drop the remaining cookie dough over the caramel filling in small teaspoons-sized clumps. Bake the bars for 25-30 minutes, until the center is just set.

Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and allow the bars to cool completely. Then lift the bars out of the pan by the edges of the foil and cut. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

NOTE: These bars freeze really well! We pulled 2-4 bars out of the freezer at a time and enjoyed them over the course of a month. Once thawed they taste just as good as freshly-baked.

https://www.aspicyperspective.com/salted-caramel-chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/

No Bean Chili (Texas Style Chili)

No Bean Chili (Texas Style Chili)

11 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 lb pork sausage, the bulk type spicy

1 lb lean ground beef

1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup sliced celery

2 -4 minced garlic cloves

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons chili powder

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes (This is your heat, modify according to your taste)

6 ounces tomato paste

1 (15 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Cook the ground beef and sausage.

Drain off fat.

When fully cooked, transfer to crock pot.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8-10hrs.

Top with grated cheese and sour cream.

Flourless chocolate cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This flourless cake, featuring both chocolate and cocoa, is rich, rich, RICH! A chocolate ganache glaze takes it over the top. And, since it contains neither flour nor leavening, it's perfect for Passover. And, of course, also ideal for those following a gluten-free diet.

Cake

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional

1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa preferred

Glaze

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. See "tips," below.

To make the cake: 

Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. I used 30 second intervals and mixed in between till it all melted.  You don't have to over do it, just do it till the chocolate melts.

 You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.

Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.

Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that's fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.

Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.  Before the ganache sets, stand the raspberries on end!  

Yield: 8" cake, 8 to 12 servings.

Tips from our bakers

Can you line your pan with wax paper instead of parchment? Yes. While wax paper shouldn't be exposed to direct oven heat, it's fine when used between cake batter and pan.

If desired, garnish cake with 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350°F oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Or, you can garnish with some whole raspberries standing on end around the edge.  Ice cream and whipped cream are great additions as well.

For cleanest slicing, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Repeat dipping knife in hot water and wiping dry for each slice.

https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/flourless-chocolate-cake-recipe

AUNT FANNIE'S LEMON PIE

Aunt Fannie was a dear family friend from Beaufort, NC.  My mother and her were great pals and every time we would come stateside for home leave, we would visit with her and often she would make this pie for us.  My sister Anita shared it with me from my other sister, Sue’s food blog. 

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Combine sugar, water add butter. Heat until sugar dissolves. Blend corn starch and cold water; add to hot mixture. Cook slowly until clear-about 8 minutes.

Beat egg yolks with milk. Slowly stir into cornstarch mixture.

Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and peel. Pour into baked shell.

Add meringue if wanted and brown.

Aunt Fannie Willis was a phenomenal cook...everything she made was wonderful and I'm so very happy to have her Lemon Pie recipe!!!

http://gammysuesewell.blogspot.com/2015/01/auntfannies-lemon-pie-1-cup-sugar-1-14.html

Tortellini Sausage Soup

I make this soup regularly in the winter.  It is filling and perfect for those cold rainy nights.  I rarely make it the same way twice because it is the kind of soup that you make with whatever you have on hand.  Let your taste buds drive you to your own perfect combination.

Ingredients

1 lb ground Italian Sausage

Olive oil as needed

1 onion, diced (use more if you like!)      

3 carrots, diced

4 celery ribs, sliced across rib

2 TBSP garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

2 quarts Stock (I tend to use chicken but Beef would be preferable)

¼ cup better than bouillon paste

2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (mixture of basil, oregano and Thyme)

2 TBSP tomato paste

9 ounces Cheese Tortellini (lately, I have been using Trader Joe’s)

Water as needed

Salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

In a medium hot pan, fry sausage until just cooked.

Remove Sausage to a plate and set aside.

If the pan is dry, add some olive oil to the pan. Add in chopped onion and sauté till slightly pink. Add salt to onions to help them sweat.

Add garlic and move around with onions for a minute.

Add the rest of the veggies to onion mixture and cook for a few minutes till onions are translucent.

Add sausage back in and deglaze with red wine. Make sure that you get up all the good stuff left in the bottom of the pan mixed into the wine.

Add in stock and bouillon and herbs and bring to a boil.

Add tomato paste and with the mixture boiling add in Tortellini.

Is there enough liquid to boil the pasta and still have the dish be a soup?  Then don’t add water, otherwise add water to cook the pasta and soup together.

Bring soup back to a boil and then reduce heat, pan covered till the pasta is done which is whatever your pasta box says for cooking time.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and more herbs as needed.

Add Parmesan cheese to the bowls of soup when you serve.

Notes:

I like to cook this in my cast iron cook pot that my children gave to me.  It makes it taste better.

I have thrown in crushed tomatoes to this, zucchini (at the very end to preserve their shape), kale, spinach, red bell peppers and even potatoes, whatever you have in your fridge. 

I have also used sausage links and just sliced them into rounds but I find the ground sausage easier to eat.

Sliced and toasted bread are nice to have this meal.

Okay, Chianti is also nice and tasty…

Samoan Coconut Bread Rolls (Pani Popo) *

 *

We made up 96 of these for a Church Dinner and the recipe doubled very easily.  We used dark brown sugar on top instead of raw sugar and they came out perfect.  We also made the dough and formed it into rolls the night before and let it sit in a refrigerator overnight, took them out a few hours before and then baked them with great success. 

Cook Time 25 minutes

Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoon) Active dry yeast

3 tablespoons Warm water 105F- 115 F

1 can coconut milk 14-15oz divided in half

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg

¼ cup powdered milk I used full fat milk

½ cup Sugar

½-1 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 cups to 3 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 -3 tablespoon brown sugar optional for the top

Instructions

In a standing mixer combine 3-tablespoon lukewarm water and yeast. Let it sit until dissolve for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a microwave safe medium bowl, combine 1 cup coconut milk, with the butter pieces, sugar, salt and microwave for about a minute. Stir until everything is melted. 

Lightly whisk in the egg and powdered milk to the butter mixture (if the mixture is too hot let it cool to a warm mixture to prevent eggs from curdling.)

Dump everything into the yeast mixture.

Mix for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add about 3 ½ cups of flour and continue mixing dough.

Add in enough additional flour (if needed) to make soft dough.

Turn dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 12 minutes or more if you want airy bread.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the dough Cover loosely with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled.

Punch the dough down.

At this point the dough maybe shaped into a grease loaf pan, and place seam side down in the pan or divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape into balls.

Place in greased 12 -inch round pan and bake. You may refrigerate before baking for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Add the remaining coconut milk in the pan. Brush the top of the loaf with coconut milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from the baking pan and let it cool. I like to eat mine when it is still warm.

Recipe Notes

 Make sure the water is not too hot. You don’t want it warmer than body temperature.

Divide the coconut milk in half 1 cup for the dough and the other cup to use for baking.

A soft dough will firm up as it rises the first time, so try not to add too much flour. It’s better to err on the side of not adding enough flour than adding too much–you can always add more flour, but you can’t take it away once it’s in the dough.

In order for your bread to be fluffy it has to double in size- be patient with it . This one took about 3 hours to really double in size. Sometimes even more . It depends on the weather.

If your bread does not rise in an hour, try turning on the oven to warm for 10 minutes. Then, turn it off and let the dough rise in the oven.

If all fails mix rapid rise yeast into the dough and knead.

 *   https://www.africanbites.com/samoan-coconut-bread-rolls-pani-popo/

Mr. Russell’s Rice

By Nadine Onstot

Prepare:

3 c. uncooked brown rice  -  cook in 6 cups of water about 50 minutes

Saute in oil or butter:

1 yellow or orange pepper

12 oz. sliced mushrooms

1 bunch green onions

4 cloves garlic (minced)

Combine sautéed veggies with cooked rice.

Heat in microwave and add:

2 cans of beans (black, kidney or pinto - any)  UNDRAINED

2 cans of diced tomatoes (Mexican or Italian)

Stir in:

2 Tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

Salt and Pepper

Serve.

This makes a large pot.  I’d guess 12 servings