White Chocolate Bars

6 ounces coarsely chopped white chocolate or 3/4 cup high-quality white chocolate chips
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the white chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove from the heat before it is completely melted and continue stirring until it is completely smooth. Set aside to cool.

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the white chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift together directly into the batter. Mix until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan with a spatula.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is light brown and cracked. Turn off the oven, leaving the pan inside for 8 more minutes. After that time, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with only crumbs, not batter on it.

Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

Makes 12 to 18 bars.

Toffee Bars

Crust
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup unbleached flour
3 Tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Topping
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust, cream together the butter and light brown sugar until smooth. Measure the flour and sift directly into the butter mixture, mixing gently until well combined. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until well blended.

Press the dough evenly in the prepared baking pan in a thin layer. Bake for 14 minutes or until the edges are starting to pull away from the sides fo the pan. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the crust is cooling, make the topping. Cream together the dark brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt and then sift together directly into the sugar mixture. Mix gently until well combined.

Using a spatula, spread the topping evenly over the cooled crust. bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for at least 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

Makes 12 to 18 bars.

Butterscotch Bars

8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Set aside to cool.

Cream the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the cooled butter and continue mixing until well blended.

Measure the flour, salt and baking powder and then sift together directly into the batter. Mix the batter gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains. Stir in the butterscotch and semisweet chips.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter, sticking to it.

Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

Makes 12 to 16 bars

Orange Sweet Rolls with Sour Cream Orange Glaze

Orange Sweet rolls

1 pkg yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream

½ cup butter, melted

3 ½ cups flour

3 tablespoons orange rind

3 tablespoons butter

Dissolve yeast, beat ¼ cup sugar, salt, eggs, ½ cup sour cream, 6 tablespoons butter, add yeast add 2 cups flour, add all flour knead, let rise until double. Roll ½ dough into 12” circle. Combine ¾ cups sugar and rind. Brush with ½ melted butter, sprinkle on ½ rind mixture cut into 12 wedges- roll up. Place in buttered pan, rise, about 1 hour. Brush with butter. Bake 30 minutes.

Sour Cream Orange Glaze

¾ cup sugar

½ cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons orange juice

½ cup butter

Bring to boil in saucepan 3 minutes or use cream cheese frosting.

Mother Lode Soup (Cheesy Vegetable)

¾ cup carrots, chopped finely

½ cup celery, chopped finely

¼ cup onion, chopped finely

Cook vegetables in small amount of water until transparent- about 10 minutes. Drain off water.

Stir in:

½ cup butter

1 cup bisquick

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon red pepper

4 dashes of paprika

Remove from heat and gradually add:

4 cans (10 ¾ oz) condensed chicken broth

heat til boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

Reduce heat and stir in:

2 cups half and half

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Heat until melted

Chicken Fajitas Indoors (Cooks Illustrated)

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--> Serves 4 to 6.   

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes)
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 jalapeño chile , seeds and ribs removed, chile minced (we often omit this)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed of fat, tenderloins removed, breasts pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
• 1 large red onion (about 14 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (do not separate rings) (we usually use a yellow onion)
• 1 large red bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
• 1 large green bell pepper (about 10 ounces), quartered, stemmed, and seeded
• 8 - 12 plain flour tortillas (6-inch)

1. In medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, 4 tablespoons oil, garlic, Worcestershire, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade in small bowl; set aside. Add another teaspoon salt to remaining marinade. Place chicken in marinade; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 15 minutes.

2. Adjust one oven rack to upper-middle position (about 8 inches from heating element) and second rack to lower-middle position; heat broiler.

3. Brush both sides of onion rounds and peppers with 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange onion rounds and peppers (skin sides up) in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Wrap tortillas securely in foil in two packets, each containing half of tortillas.

4. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels; discard marinade. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Swirl oil to coat skillet, then arrange chicken smooth side down in skillet in single layer; cook without moving chicken, until well browned, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken; continue to cook until second sides are well browned, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, turning chicken once or twice, until chicken is no longer pink when cut into with paring knife or instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part registers 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to large plate and let rest 5 minutes.

5. While chicken is cooking, place baking sheet with vegetables in oven on upper rack; place tortilla packets on lower rack. Broil vegetables until spottily charred and peppers are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer peppers to cutting board. Flip onion rounds and continue to broil until charred and tender, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Turn off broiler and remove vegetables, leaving tortillas in oven until needed.

6. Separate onions into rings and place in medium bowl; slice bell peppers lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips and place in bowl with onions. Add 2 tablespoons reserved unused marinade to vegetables and toss well to combine. Slice chicken into 1/4-inch strips and toss with remaining 2 tablespoons reserved marinade in separate bowl; arrange chicken and vegetables on large platter and serve with warmed tortillas.

Per Serving:

Cal 410; Fat 19 g; Sat fat 2.5 g; Chol 570 mg; Carb 31 g; Protein 31 g; Fiber 3 g; Sodium 570 mg

Grandma's Lime Slush

12 oz jello (4 small packages)
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Cook the jello, sugar and water until jello and sugar is dissolved.

Freeze the mixture.

Add:

One large can of pineapple juice
1 large can of orange juice
2 bottles of 7-Up (add last)

Note: You can use any type of jello to make it the color you want it.