My Weblog

Day 10: Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

My critique partners and I had a holiday luncheon/cookie swap yesterday and I brought this rich, decadently delicious dessert to the party! Next time I make them, I think I'll use a 9x13 pan (rather than the 10x15 that the recipe calls for) so that there's more oatmeal crust to go with the chocolate. But either way, they're a treat. Enjoy!

 

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened, divided

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

4 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided

3 cups quick-cooking oats

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts   Directions: In a mixing bowl, cream one cup of butter with the brown sugar; beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla. In another bowl, combine the oats, flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and baking soda. Stir the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture. Press two thirds of the oat mixture into a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Set aside. In a sauce pan, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Spread the melted chocolate over the oatmeal crust in the pan. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixturea dn bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Cool and cut into squares.

Day 9: Bananas Foster

 
  

The holidays are a fabulous time to try a magnificent flambéed dessert like Bananas Foster. Created in 1951 by chef Paul Blangé at the legendary Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans, this luscious creation, traditionally prepared tableside, features sliced bananas flambéed with rum and banana liqueur.

Ingredients:

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 ripe but still firm bananas, peeled, halved
  crosswise and then lengthwise (into quarters)

1/4 cup dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

In a small cup, stir together the rum and vanilla. Turn off the burner, then add the rum mixture to the banana mixture. Using a long match or lighter, light the alcohol by placing the flame just inside the outer edge of the pan. Stand as far back from the pan as possible, keeping your face and hands away from the pan. The flame will be a faint blue but will be very hot. It should extinguish in 5 to 10 seconds. Holding the pan handle with an oven mitt, gently shake the pan from side to side to coat the bananas with the sauce.

Scoop vanilla ice cream into individual bowls. Spoon some of the bananas and sauce over the ice cream, dividing evenly. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Day 8: Cinnamon Scones

 

 

There's nothing like a good cinnamon scone paired with a hot mocha. The scone's not too sweet and it balances the chocolaty deliciousness of the coffee. Here’s a good recipe to try:

 

Ingredients

 

2/3 cup of buttermilk or sour cream

1 large egg

3 cups of flour

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp of salt

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 stick of butter

1/3 cup of cinnamon chips

2 tsp. Cinnamon (optional to mix in with dry ingredients or sprinkle on top before baking)

 

Preheat oven to 375

 

Combine the egg, sour cream and vanilla.  Set aside.

In another bowl, mix all dry ingredients, then add melted butter and mix until it looks like small peas.  Add the cinnamon chips to the sour cream mixture. Then add it to the flour mixture.  Stir by hand until blended.

 

Divide the dough in half. On floured waxed paper, form one portion into a circle about 1 ½ inches thick.  Cut the circle into six triangular wedges.  Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes.

Day 7: Old-fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

 

These soft, chewy cookies are lightly spiced and absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats (do not use instant or quick oats)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in large bowl until well blended, about 1 minute. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended, about 1 minute. On low speed, beat in dry ingredients just until blended (do not over beat). Stir in raisins.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing evenly apart and forming 6 mounds per sheet. Bake until cookies are pale golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 5 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Day 6: BASIC GINGERBREAD COOKIES

 

Makes about 16 large cookies

6 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

4 teaspoons ground ginger

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 large eggs

1 cup unsulfured molasses

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Add flour mixture; combine on low speed. Divide dough in thirds; wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 350°. On a floured work surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks, then decorate as desired.

Day 5: Sugar Cookies

 

 

There's nothing like good old-fashioned sugar cookies. Here's my favorite recipe (I usually make two batches – one using the lemon and the other using vanilla – because they’re both delicious):

Makes about 16 large cookies or thirty 2 1/2-inch cookies

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice and zest of 2 lemons

¼ cup fine sanding sugar, for decorating (optional)

In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs.

Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla or lemon juice and zest. Wrap dough in plastic; chill for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°.

On a floured surface, roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Transfer to ungreased baking sheets; refrigerate until firm, 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and decorate with sanding sugar, if desired. Bake until edges just start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. May be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Day Four: Holiday Biscotti with Cranberries and Pistachios

 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon whole aniseed

1 cup dried sweetened cranberries

3/4 cup shelled natural unsalted pistachios

6 ounces imported white chocolate, chopped

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 3 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Mix in lemon peel, vanilla, and aniseed. Beat in flour mixture just until blended. Stir in cranberries and pistachios (dough will be sticky). Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gather dough together; divide in half. Roll each half into 15-inch-long log (about 1 1/4 inches wide). Carefully transfer logs to 1 prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart.

 

Bake logs until almost firm to touch but still pale, about 28 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Carefully transfer logs still on parchment to cutting board. Using serrated knife and gentle sawing motion, cut logs crosswise into generous 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Place slices, 1 cut side down, on remaining 2 prepared sheets. Bake until firm and pale golden, about 9 minutes per side. Transfer cookies to racks and cool.

Line another baking sheet with waxed paper. Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water just until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 end of each cookie into melted chocolate, tilting pan if necessary; shake off excess chocolate. Place cookies on prepared sheet. Chill until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)

Day 3: Swirled Peppermint Bark

 

 

Peppermint Bark is festive-looking and delicious! It's also relatively simple to make.

Ingredients:

10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped or as chips

10 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped or as chips

4 ounces candy canes, crushed

Break the candy canes while they’re still in their wrappers by whacking them on a table several times. Afterwards, unwrap them, and place the pieces in a resealable one-gallon plastic bag. Close the bag, forcing out any air. Enclose this bag in another gallon bag and seal the second bag. Place bags on a table or flat work surface. Whack the candy cane chunks with a rolling pin until most pieces are no larger than pea-sized (you’ll have a few larger pieces and many smaller; you’ll also have some pink dust, you can use all of this).

Line a 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan with two lengths of aluminum foil; there should be enough foil so that the entire inside of the pan is lined. Fold any overhanging foil back against the outside of the pan. Place the semisweet chocolate in one medium microwaveable bowl and the white chocolate in another.

Heat the semisweet chocolate in the microwave at medium (50%) power for one minute. Remove from microwave; stir thoroughly (about one minute). Microwave at 50% (medium) power for additional shorter intervals, stirring thoroughly after each, just until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside at room temperature.  Pour the melted semisweet chocolate in a thin stream onto the bottom of the lined pan, moving the bowl around as you do so. Try to keep the chocolate about one-half inch away from all of the edges (if you can’t, it’s no big deal; doing so just makes handling the finished product a little bit easier). The melted semisweet chocolate won’t cover the entire bottom of the pan, but that’s OK; just get as large an area covered as you reasonably can.

Repeat the above melting instructions with the white chocolate and pour it over the semisweet chocolate. Using a toothpick or flat knife, marble the chocolates together, trying to fill in any gaps so that you have one layer of two types of chocolate that covers the bottom of the lined pan (except for that half-inch on all the edges). Don’t marble so much that the two chocolates become blended together, and don’t dig into the foil lining the pan! Sprinkle the crushed candy canes all over the layer of melted chocolate, as evenly as possible.

Tear off a single sheet of foil about the length of the 15 by 10 pan. Place it directly on top of the candy canes you’ve sprinkled on the chocolate. Gently press down on the foil sheet to embed the crushed candy canes in the chocolate. Leave the foil sheet on top of the bark, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. The top sheet of foil should easily peel off the bark. If it doesn’t, refrigerate the bark 10 minutes longer, then try again.

Once the top sheet of foil is peeled off, break the bark into small pieces (you might want to wear plastic gloves to do this, as the heat of your hands can melt the candy if you don’t work quickly enough). Place the bark pieces in an airtight storage container, and refrigerate until about 10 to 15 minutes before serving (or serve the bark cold from the fridge). Yield: 1-1/2 pounds

 

Day 2: Seven Layer Cookies

  

Seven layer cookies are an old family favorite. My grandma used to bake them for me during the holidays. So they always remind me of Christmas.

Seven Layer Cookies

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees 

1 stick of butter

1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs

12 oz. package of butterscotch chips

12 oz. package of chocolate chips

1 cup coconut

1 cup chopped nuts

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt the butter in a 9 by 13 pan.

Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the butter.   

Next add butterscotch chips; then add the chocolate chips. Over that sprinkle the coconut; and then add the nuts. Drizzle the can of condensed sweetened milk over the top.

 

Bake 25-30 minutes - until it bubbles and begins to brown a around the edge. Let cool, then cut into small squares. 

Twenty-four Days of Holiday Goodies

 

 

Happy holidays! I can’t believe it’s December 1...even though I’m already in the holiday spirit. I love this time of year.

I wanted to invite you over to Sisterhood of the Jaunty Quills, where I’m blogging today. That’s where I’m kicking off a special treat I have for you called “Twenty-four Days of Holiday Goodies.”

Tomorrow, and each day through December 24, be sure and check back here for a recipe for a festive holiday recipe. They're some of my favorites, and they’re my gift to you!

Right now, please pay a visit to the Quills http://jauntyquills.com and join in some gingerbread house building fun! I’ll meet you back here tomorrow!