Hand made Samoas Bars

These are my favorite girl scout cookie the recipe doesn't give the exact match, however, it is a good cookie the kids all liked them. I haven't bought girl scout cookies for a few years because I have little self control when it comes to this particular cookie.

Homemade Samoas Bars
Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

First, make the crust.
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.
Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled.
When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish.
Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 30 bar cookies.

Note: You can simply drizzle chocolate on top of the bars before slicing them up if you’re looking for yet an easier way to finish these off. You won’t need quite as much chocolate as noted above, and you won’t quite get the Samoas look, but the results will still be tasty.

Pasta salad

12 oz pasta
1/4 to 1/2 cup italian salad dressing (enough to coat pasta w/o pooling in bottom of bowl)
4 tbsp mayonaise
4 tbsp grated parmesean cheese
1/2 to 1 clove garlic minced
1/2 cup olives diced
1 stalk green onion chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard

cook and drain pasta then mix with all ingredients and chill until cold

Possible additions:

1 fresh cubed tomato
crumbled bacon as much as you prefer for flavor
1 Tbsp raspberry chipolte sauce (gives a subtle smokey flavor w/ a small kick)
Any cheese you want to cube up that can blend or contrast the parmesean cheese

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups flour
12 oz chocolate chips

Cream together wet ingredients then add dry ingredients. Make 1 inch balls place 2 inches apart Bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees.

Orange Chicken

1 1/2 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp orange juice
1/3 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp garlic minced
2 Tbsp chopped green onion

3 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp water

Mix all ingredients in sauce pan and cook until a light boil. Add cornstarch and remaining water. Place breaded chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 pan and pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 min. If sauce thickens too much during baking add some water.

Serve on a bed of white rice.

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 clove garlic minced
1 can tomato sauce
italian seasoning to taste
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups white rice

Mix hamburger, rice, seasonings and garlic with a little tomato sauce to help hold them together. Take cookie scoop and scoop meat into round balls into a glass 9 X 13 dish.

Mix BBQ sauce, jelly, tomato sauce and water. Pour over meatballs. You can add more water to have a runnier sauce since it condenses as it heats.

Bake 350 degrees 45 minutes.

Croque-Monsieur

This is a french dish I was introduced to by a friend. It sounded interresting so I decided to give it a try. The English translatioin is Crisy Mister which I found interresting and wonder why such a name. The sauce can either be put on the top of the bread or on the inside. I recommend the top, especially if you are a novice at the broiler like I am. The sauce prevents the bread from drying out and burning like my attempt did. I however did one with the sauce on the top just to try the difference and it faired just fine in the broiler where the others burned. I have included the chef's commments at the preface to his recipie.

A simple dish can be such an important dish -- both for diners and chefs. To me, that's the croque monsieur: bread, ham, cheese, and béchamel all toasted together to make the ultimate ham-and-cheese. I can remember my first one: It was 1996, and I was on my first trip to France to apprentice at the elegant Château Les Crayère in Reims. I bounded off the plane, ready to take on Paris. Good plan -- but I didn't speak much French and got lost. Then I realized I was missing a bag. Needless to say, I wasn't in the best mood. I wandered into a café and ordered a croque monsieur and a beer. That first bite was a wave of happiness. It hit all the right notes -- saltiness from the cheese, smokiness from the ham, the crunch of the toast offset by the creamy béchamel. You can't go wrong with the basics: a quality French- or Italian-style loaf of bread (not baguette), good Gruyère (the Franche-Comté is best), and a decent cured ham, like Black Forest. Sure, you can dress it up -- add peppered bacon or play around with different types of bread -- but I'm not so sure that any of that will make this classic any better. That's one of the secrets to being a good cook: You have to know when to leave well enough alone. --David Myers

Serves: 2

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes


1 tbsp butter, plus softened butter for bread
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup whole milk
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Coarse salt and ground black pepper
2 tbsp Parmigiano, grated
3 oz Gruyère cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup). If you can, get Franche-Comté.
4 slices French or Italian loaf bread
Dijon mustard
6 oz thinly sliced ham, about 6 slices. (We used a package of Applegate Farms organic uncured ham: 7 oz equals 7 slices.)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. To make béchamel sauce: In a small saucepan on low heat, melt butter until foamy. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a flat sauce whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously, and cook until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in Parmigiano and 2 tbsp grated Gruyère. Reserve.

3. Lightly and evenly butter bread slices on both sides and toast both sides in sauté pan over low heat until just golden brown.

4. Spread one side of each toasted slice with mustard. Evenly place the ham slices and about ½ cup Gruyère cheese on two of the bread slices. Top each with one of remaining bread slices, mustard-side down.

5. Spread béchamel sauce to cover the top of each sandwich (crusts, too). Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Place on oven-safe sheet pan and bake 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then place under lit broiler until cheese mixture on top is bubbling and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Tip: Cover the edges of the bread with the béchamel or they can get a little too crisp in contrast to the rest of the sandwich.

Oatmeal Banana Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas



DIRECTIONS
Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes.

This is a surprisingly light muffin for having oatmeal in it. Very good!

German Chocolate Carmel Brownies

Brownie mix:

1 package chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter melted
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Blend first 3 ingredients. Press half the dough into a glass 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 14 minutes. DO NOT overbake it is better to have a little underdone than overdone.

Filling:

60 carmel candies unwrapped
1/2 cup evaporated milk

While the bottom layer is cooking unwrap and melt the carmels in the milk stirring occasionally until smooth.

Pour carmel over the bottom layer and top with remaining layer by flattening out sections of the dough and placing as even as possible over the carmel layer. As it cooks it will melt together more and make an almost solid top layer.

Cook for 15 to 18 minutes longer and let cool before cutting at least 30 minutes.

Chocolate Double Delights

Cream until fluffy:

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shortning

Put dry ingredients together and add alternately with milk:

8 Tbsp cocoa
2 tsp soda
4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups milk

add:

2 tsp vanilla

Drop onto greased sheet. Bake 350 degrees for 10 to 12 min. When cool frost and top with another cookie.

Mint frosting:
1 box powdered sugar
4 Tbsp flour
1 cup butter
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
4 Tbsp milk
4 tsp vanilla
green food coloring drops

Buttermilk Doughnuts

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp whole milk
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water, warmed to 110 degrees F
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 packets)
3/4 cup plus 1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 cup flour
4-5 cups vegetable oil for frying

Glaze:
1 tbsp butter melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
milk enough to dilute glaze to desired thinness

Heat water and add yeast and 1/4 tsp sugar set aside to proof 5 min.

Gently heat the oil and the milk.

In mixer combine eggs, sugar, sour cream, salt and vanilla until creamy. Add warm milk and oil and mix in. Add yeast and water and mix in slowly add 1 cup flour at a time and use bread hook. This will make a soft sticky dough but for the most part it pulls away from the edges of the bowl. Beat 5 min and set aside to rise for 2 to 3 hours or until doubled in size in a warm place in a greased bowl. After the 1st rise punch down the dough and place in the refridgerator 2 to 8 hours. When ready to use roll out dough onto floured surface and cut into desired doughnuts. Place cut doughnuts onto greased cookie sheets and can chill for another 30 min or let sit out 30 min then fry.

Fry until golden on each side cool slightly then coat with glaze.

Mini Pies

A few years ago I bought this little pie maker and it is fun to do individual pies. Each person can have the type of pie they want instead of having to all have the same when you do a big pie.

1 Pie crust recipie.
after dough is rolled out cut with circular cutouts provided.

Small circle 2 1/2 inches and large circle 3 1/2 inches.

Cook time is aprox. 10 minutes.

Filling:
you can either use canned filling or make your own.

Blueberry or Raspberry:
1 cup blueberries or raspberries
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp almond flavor
2 to 3 Tbsp cornstarch

mash part of the blueberries/raspberries for a juicier pie and use the cornstarch to thicken to your preference. Mix all ingredients in a small saucepan until thickened. Place enough to fill the pie shell, place top crust on and shut lid.

Cheesecake:
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 cup sugar
1/8 cup lemon juice

Beat until smooth. Set aside.
crust:
1 pkg graham crackers
1/8 cup butter melted
1/8 cup sugar

mix and press into pie maker cook crust. Remove and cool crust, place filling into crust and put into refridgerator until set.

Terryaki Chicken

Desired amount of chicken breasts for your meal.

In ziplock bag mix equal parts water to Yoshita's Terryaki(Original Gourmet)Sauce.
add:
1 clove garlic minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp dried onion
Optional 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Best if marinated overnight, but a couple of hours works also.

Fill bottom of baking dish with white rice and place chicken over bed of rice. Add some water to marrinade if needed and pour over the rice till reaches top of rice. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or longer if breasts are thick.

Creamy Lemon Cake Roll

For Cake:

4 eggs separated
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon ext
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Beat in a small bowl egg yolks until light and lemon colored and gradually add 1/4 cup sugar beating constantly. Stir in lemon extract and oil and set aside.

Beat in a large bowl egg whites until foamy and gradually add 1/2 cup sugar beating until stiff. Fold yolk mixutre into whites.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt anf fold into egg mixture.

Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper and spray with cooking spray and dust with flour. Spread batter evenly over wax paper and Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

While cake is baking lay out a clean dish towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Once the cake comes out of the oven you will turn it out onto the towel and starting with the narrow side roll the cake up and place in fridge to cool.

For Filling:

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 to 2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 4 oz carton cool whip
1/3 cup lemon juice
5 drops yellow food color

Spread onto the cooled cake leaving the last edge to be rolled without filling as it will spread that way when you roll it up. Roll narrow side up again and place on seam then place in the fridge to set. 1 to 2 hours.

For Top:

Combine these in a plastic bag and shake until all is colored then sprinkle on top of the cake dusted with powdered sugar.

1/2 cup coconut
1/2 tsp water
1 to 2 drops yellow food coloring


For the pictured cake I added coconut and mandrin oranged to the filling which consisted of 1 small pkg vanilla pudidng, 8 oz cream cheese and heavy cream whipped since I was practicing for a dinner coming up and didn't have all of the filling ingredients, but wanted to practice the cake.

Nieman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour
5 cups blenderized oats (measure first then put in blender)
24 oz chocolate chips

Cream wet ingredients then add dry ingredients. Make 1 inch balls and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Use only quick oats.

Vanilla Pudding

2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp salt

Combine 1st 4 ingredients in microwave safe bowl and stir to prevent lumps cooking for aproximately 5 minutes. When it starts to thicken add:

3 egg yolks (beaten)

The best way to incorporate the eggs is to pour some of the hot milk mixture into the eggs whisking so they don't cook and have lumps of egg in your pudding. Then pour the egg mixture into the main milk mixture stirring constantly.

Heat for another minute or two until thickened to your preference.

Add:
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

When cooling this place a layer of plastic wrap right on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin forming as it cools.

This is by far my favorite to a boxed pudding, very creamy and smooth with a great flavor.

I use this for filling my eclairs!

French Bread

Ingredients:
Set aside to proof
1/4 cup water
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

In Bosche or comprable mixer combine:
1 cup tepid water
1 tsp kosher salt

add to this the yeast after it foamy with bubbles and mix together.

Attach the dough hook into your mixer and mix in:
3 1/2 cups flour (add 1/4 cup at a time)
until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

After dough rises you will need these two remaining ingredients
1 Tbsp corn meal
1 egg white

Let dough rise until doubled in a large bowl sprayed with pam about 1 hour.

Flour your rolling surface and punch down the dough and remove it from the bowl. Roll it into an 8 x 12 rectangle. roll the dough like a jelly roll from the long end down and pinch the ends together smoothly. Place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal seam side down.

Let dough rise again for another 45 minutes. Take knife and cut slits in the top and brush top with beaten egg white.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chicken Marsala

Chicken breasts coated in seasoned flour or cheater method Chicken Tenders
sliced mozzarella cheese

Spagetti sauce with these ingredients added:
1 clove garlic minced
1 1/2 tsp italian seasonings
1 Tbsp chopped onion

Place chicken in glass baking dish, top with a slice of cheese and cover with tomato sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If using chicken tenders follow baking directions on package.