Dulce de Leche Blondies

I found this recipe in the Cookie Bible over the weekend and knew I had to make it soon. Last night my brother in law and his girlfriend came over for dinner and I decided it was the perfect excuse to bake these up. On a scale of 1 - 10 I would give these an 8. Very good, (everyone LOVED them!) but kind of dry. I didn't bake these for the entire suggested time so I'm not sure why they were dry.

Dulce de Leche Blondies



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 baking pan Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl.

Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gradually stir in flour mixture Spread 1/2 to 2/3 of batter in prepared pan. (I used 2/3, next time I'll only do 1/2) Bake 7- 8 minutes; cool 5 minutes on wire rack.

Meanwhile, melt caramels and evaporated milk in nonstick saucepan over very low heat. Reserving 2 tablespoonfuls for drizzle, GENTLY SPOON remaining caramel mixture over baked layer in pan. Drop tablespoonfuls of remaining batter over caramel layer, swirl slightly with knife.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. Reheat reserved caramel, if necessary; drizzle over bars.

A Light Pasta Dish

Usually when I see a pasta dish with white sauce I skip right on by it. This recipe however, caught my eye because…. IT USES LAUGHING COW CHEESE! Woohoo! Laughing Cow has become one of my new favorite things to eat. So tasty and only 35 calories a wedge, can’t beat that.

I found the recipe last month on Culinary in the Country (or is it Desert?!) and it’s most definitely a winner! The sauce is light, very fitting for a warm spring evening. I just loved the flavor of the bacon in the dish. Next time I make this I think I’ll cook an extra strip of bacon to crumble on top for when this is served. This recipe is also good because it doesn’t make a ton like most of the pasta dishes I’ve made. Only 4 servings… which somehow ended up being only 2. :)

BLT Penne Pasta Toss
Found on: Culinary in the Country, adapted from Kraft



8 ounces dry whole wheat penne pasta
4 ounces Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese Wedges, cut into cubes. I like the Light Garlic and Herb.(use cream cheese, if desired)
1 cup milk
1 ounce fresh grated Parmesan cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg (used dry)


In a large pot of boiling salted water, add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, add Laughing Cow cheese, milk and Parmesan - heat over medium-high, whisking constantly, cheese melts and the mixture is well-blended, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in bacon, spinach, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and nutmeg - reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until thoroughly heated through, about 5 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat, add drained pasta and toss well to coat. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, if desired.

Chocolate Bliss

WOW! Is the first thought that came to my mind when I tried these. So rich, so chocolaty, the name of these bad boys says it all. This really is chocolate bliss. I planned on making dinner last night, but realized I was missing a key ingredient so my dinner plans went right out the window and I decided to bake.

I found a recipe for Chocolate Bliss Cookies in my Cookie Bible and decided to adapt it a bit. I changed a few of the ingredients and also decided to make bars instead of cookies. These would be perfect along with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream. They kind of remind me of a Blondie because you can substitute anything in for your mix-ins. Caramel or Toffee would be fabulous. These are really dangerous. I could probably polish off all of them in one sitting. I had the hubs take them to work and his coworkers absolutely loved them!

Chocolate Bliss Cookie Bars
Adapted from: The Cookie Bible



4oz Ghirardelli Bitter Sweet Chocolate Squares, chopped
4 oz Ghirardelli Semi Sweet Chocolate Bar, chopped
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
¾ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup coconut flakes + more for topping
½ cup rice krispies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Microwave semisweet and bittersweet chocolate bars in a microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min., stirring after 1 min. (I checked it every 30 seconds) Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla; stir until well blended. Add flour and baking powder; mix well. Stir in white and semi sweet chips, coconut flakes and rice krispies.

Spread dough in greased, foil-lined 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 for 22 – 24 minutes. Top with coconut flakes to taste. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 2 dozen

Better Late Than Never

Last year before I started going back to school I belonged to a Women's Group. I always enjoyed going to WG, but with class, I had no time to go. I made it to the December WG, but haven't been since. My friend Julia also belongs to WG and in December gave everyone "cookie in a jar" mixes. I'm ashamed to say I never made mine until yesterday. I'm not a huge fan of cranberries, so I was kind of nervous to make them. Surprisingly though, they are really good. Even for an anti-fruit-in-dessert type of girl. :) The dough is just delicious and I love the White Chocolate Chips in it!

Cranberry Hootycreeks
From: Julia
Originally From: allrecipes



Ingredients
1 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Layer the ingredients in a 1 quart or 1 liter jar, in the order listed.

Attach a tag with the following instructions:

Cranberry Hootycreeks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, beat together 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until fluffy.

Add the entire jar of ingredients, and mix together by hand until well blended (If dough is dry and crumbly, sprinkle with a bit of water so it sticks together better. I took Julia's advice and sprinkled some water and refrigerated the dough for a bit.)

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets, or remove to cool on wire racks.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Finally... Orzo!

In our quest to save a little money, the hubster and I have been shopping at a Wal*Mart Market store. While I love saving money, the selection of food is annoying. One item I have never seen at the store is Orzo. There are a few recipes I've passed over or adapted that are supposed to have Orzo. Imagine my excitement, when Mr. Hubster told me we had a coupon for 10% off at Hyvee. (Yes, I am lame and get excited over a trip to Hyvee and Yes, I realize the 10% off savings wasn't really worth it. Kudos to you Hyvee Marketing Department, you got us back in the door.)

Anywho, I saw this recipe for Orzo Pilaf with Green Onions and Parmesan Cheese in my google reader and starred it for the day I'd have Orzo. Well my friends, that day has come. I made it tonight, and it was delicious! I served it as a side to pork chops and also sauteed some veggies and garlic in a little bit of EVOO and white wine. This meal was very easy and tasted excellent. This may definitely became a weeknight staple... guess I need to go to Hyvee and stock up on Orzo!

Orzo Pilaf with Green Onions and Parmesan Cheese
found on: The Foodie Fashionista
originally from: Epicurious.com



I read the reviews on the website and quite a few people recommended browning the orzo before cooking it. I decided to go ahead and give it a shot. My adaptations in italics

3 1/4 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth (I used almost 4 cups)
1 pound orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
5 green onions, thinly sliced (I used 3 - 31/2)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste
*1/4 cup butter


Melt butter in large skillet, add Orzo and brown. While Orzo is browning, Bring 3 1/4 cups broth to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Mix in orzo and simmer uncovered until just tender but still firm to bite and some broth still remains, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add green onions and cheese and stir to blend. Season pilaf to taste with salt and pepper.

Rewarm over low heat, if necessary, and mix in more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if pilaf is dry. Transfer pilaf to large bowl and serve.

One more thing, next time I make this for just the two of us, I'm going to cut the recipe in half. It serves 6.

Easy Pork Chops

Last week we found a really good deal on pork chops. Since then, I've been on the hunt for a tasty marinade or rub. I found this Carolina Rub recipe and it really hit the spot. It's very flavorful without being super spicy (the hubster appreciates that). I know we'll use this again on pork and other types of meat.

Pork Chops with Carolina Rub
from: Culinary in the Desert (adapted from CL)


1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 center-cut pork loin chops
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Preheat Grill

In a small bowl, whisk together garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, paprika, chili powder, pepper, and salt. Rub spices all over pork chops and let sit 10-15 minutes.

Place pork on a lightly oiled grill rack. Grill 4 minutes on first side and then flip over to grill 2 minutes on the other side. Brush each chop with 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce, and grill 2 minutes or until desired degree of doneness.

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Honey Apple Cake

I saw this in the April issue of Cooking Light and knew I had to make it. I finally got the opportunity to yesterday and I can't believe I waited so long to make it. It was sooooo delicious. The cake is moist and just perfect. When my husband had a bite his first words were "mmmmmm you'll be making this again". (Except, with a mouthful of cake it sounded more like mmmmyulllbemakingisagain". )

I changed a few things from the original recipe. For the frosting, instead of almonds I used oats and I think it turned out great. When I was making the frosting, I wasn't paying attention and poured in regular sugar instead of brown sugar. I was stirring and stirring, and it just didn't look (or taste) like I thought it should. I read back over the recipe and sure enough it was supposed to have brown sugar. I added some brown sugar in and everything seemed fine.

When I poured the frosting over the cake, I didn't use all of it because I was afraid with double the sugar it would be too sweet. The frosting isn't really a regular frosting, it's sticky and caramelized. So, so, so good! The optional whipped topping and cinnamon mentioned at the end of the recipe is a must!

Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Honey Apple Cake
Adapted from: Cooking Light, April 2008



Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar object
3/4 cup chunky applesauce (Used regular, I don't like chunky applesauce)
1/3 cup honey
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds, toasted (I didn't have any almonds, so I used 1/2 cup oats)

Remaining ingredients:
1 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Ground cinnamon (optional)


Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, combine oats and 1 cup hot water in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Combine 1 1/3 cups sugar, applesauce, 1/3 cup honey, and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 1 minute. Add oat mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Add half of flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat well. Add remaining flour mixture; beat well. Spoon batter into an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Place dish on a wire rack.

4. To prepare frosting, melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir in almonds. Quickly pour frosting over cake; spread evenly using a rubber spatula.

5. Preheat broiler.

6. Broil cake 1 minute or until frosting is bubbly and golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Serve with whipped topping; sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired.


Yield
16 servings (serving size: 1 cake piece and 1 tablespoon topping)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 255(19% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 2.1g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 3.4g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 40mg; SODIUM 193mg; FIBER 1.5g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 48.9g