Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

My dad took these brownies to work, and one of his coworkers said, “This is the best brownie I’ve ever eaten!” These Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts came from the February 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. We definitely agree with their quote that “these are some of the best brownies I’ve ever had — fudgy in the middle, and chewy on the outside with a shiny, crackly top. The browned butter adds a rich, nutty flavor.” In addition, these are super easy to make. The entire recipe is made in just one pan…very easy cleanup if you ask me! The only negative is that these brownies only make enough for an 8-inch square baking pan. If you want more, you’ll have to double the recipe! haha 🙂 Actually maybe this is a good thing…if you are trying to retain some self control in the sweets you eat! Enjoy!

P.S. My husband wants you all to know that these brownies make for a wonderful, on-the-go breakfast! haha 🙂

Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter and Walnuts

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

10 Tbsp. (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (spooned into cup to measure, then leveled)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs, chilled

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup walnut pieces

Directions

1. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a 8 x 8 x 2-inch metal baking pan lined with foil, pressing foil firmly against pan sides and leaving 2-inch overhang. Coat foil with nonstick spray.

2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking until butter stops foaming and browned bits form at bottom of pan, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately add sugar, cocoa, 2 teaspoons of water, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon (generous amount) of salt. Stir to blend. Let cool for 5 minutes (mixture will still be hot).

3. Add eggs to hot mixture 1 at a time, beating vigorously to blend after each addition. When mixture looks thick and shiny, add flour and stir until blended. Beat vigorously 60 strokes. Stir in nuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

4. Bake brownies until toothpick inserted into center comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs attached), about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on rack. Using foil overhang, lift brownies from pan. Cut into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 4 brownies.

Do ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Yield: 16 brownies

Bon Appetit, February 2011

Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Oh, my… I’ve found yet another mac and cheese recipe that is out of this world! It is called “Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni and Cheese” and I found it from the Brown Eyed Baker blog. Compared to the other two recipes I’ve made, (Cadillac Mac and Cheese and Alton Brown’s Macaroni and Cheese), this one is by far the creamiest! Unlike the other two, it does not have a bread crumb/Panko topping, but it does not need it. My husband, Matt, actually prefers not to have a crumb topping…he likes only the most creamy macaroni and cheese you can make! Therefore, this is Matt’s favorite recipe (and my favorite too)!

I love this recipe, and the flavors of red pepper and the three-cheese mix of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Parmesan and to die for. The original recipe calls for 6 ounces of Cheddar, and 2 ounces of Monterey Jack, but I used equal amounts (4 ounces) of each, and loved it that way! I also used shell pasta instead of elbow macaroni, so the type of pasts you buy is something you can experiment with as well!

From now on, this will be my go-to recipe for mac and cheese. Did I mention, it is the easiest macaroni and cheese recipe aside from making Easy Mac? It sure is… you only use the stove top to melt the butter and garlic. This is good news for me, because half of the time, I end up curdling my cheese because the milk mixture is way too hot for the cheese! In this Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni, all you do is beat the eggs, add the milk, salt and pepper, and cheese, and mix in the pasta-garlic mixture. Finally, get this… it only takes 10-12 minutes to bake! That’s it! Again, this is the easiest, fastest mac and cheese you’ll ever make! Enjoy, and try not to eat the whole thing like I almost did!

Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, milk and cheeses.

Stir in pasta.

Bake in a 475 degree F oven for 12 minutes, or until sauce bubbles around the edges.

Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Three-Cheese Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
1/2 pound elbow macaroni (I used shell pasta)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used red pepper)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the macaroni for 6 minutes (it will be cooked to al dente). Drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, remove the garlic to a medium bowl. Add the macaroni to the bowl and stir to combine.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and evaporated milk. Add the salt, cayenne pepper and cheeses; mix well. Add the macaroni mixture and stir well to combine.
4. Transfer mixture to an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish or 2-quart gratin dish. With a spoon, gently spread mixture to form an even layer. Bake just until sauce bubbles at edges, about 12 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Baked Shrimp in a Tomato Feta Sauce

Well, I absolutely loved this Baked Shrimp in a Tomato Feta Sauce recipe from Simply Recipes! Honestly, I felt like I was eating at a 5-star Italian food restaurant. The feta cheese, tomatoes, and herbs were a perfect combination of Italian flavors that made this dish wonderfully delicious. The sauce is light and makes for a healthy weeknight meal.

Unfortunately, my husband Matt hated it. I should have known, though, because for one, he does not like seafood. He is crazy and only likes the raw fish, like sushi and shrimp cocktail. Secondly, Matt told me for the first time ever (while he was eating this), that he does not like feta cheese. How was I supposed to know until now!!!! haha 🙂 Finally, he said he did not like the thin sauce.

I’m sorry I can’t please him every time with “man meals” like fried chicken and red meat every night! Since I am a girl, my husband, to his displeasure, is going to be served some chicken salad, popovers, dutch babies, scones, and shrimp in a tomato feta sauce once in a while (“girly dishes” as he refers to them as)!

So, if you are a big fan of shrimp, are looking for a healthy, light, yet delicious meal, please try this and let me know what you think! Also, serve it with crusty French or Italian bread to soak up the wonderful sauce. Pasta is also good with this, however, it does not soak up the sauce as well as the bread will. Enjoy!!

Heat olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds longer.

Add tomatoes, then simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until juices start to thicken.

Stir in shrimp, feta, herbs, salt and pepper.

Place skillet in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes, or until shrimp are cooked through. Serve over pasta, rice, or my favorite…. crusty bread.

Baked Shrimp in a Tomato Feta Sauce
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I added because I like spicy foods)
1 to 1 1/4 pounds medium sized raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, thaw if frozen
Pinch of salt, more to taste
Pinch of pepper, more to taste
3 ounces feta cheese (about 2/3 cup, crumbled)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Heat oil in a large, oven-proof skillet on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds more.
2. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the juices thicken a bit.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, red pepper flakes shrimp, feta cheese, and salt and pepper to taste. Place pan in oven and bake, uncovered, until shrimp are cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
4. Serve immediately. Serve with crusty French or Italian loaf bread, pasta, or rice. (I recommend crusty bread.)

Serves: 4
Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Ham-and-Cheese Croissant Casserole

Wow! This breakfast casserole is a keeper! Since I “poisoned” my husband with sausage one year ago, my mom and I were on the search for something sans (without) sausage!!! (My husband, Matt, had the worse case of food poisoning last January due to two-week old sausage, and lost 9 pounds in just 12 hours…wonderful New Years Resolution if you ask me! Haha, just kidding. Once Matt was feeling better, he said to me, “If there was an “easy” button I could press, where I could die and go to Heaven, I would have pressed it.” He was that miserable! With me being only 90 pounds, Matt said I probably would have had to go to the hospital if I had food poisoning like he did.)

Well, my mom and I succeeded in our mission, and found this Ham-and-Cheese Croissant Casserole out of the Southern Living Magazine from November 2009. Our entire family loved it! It tastes fancier than your typical breakfast casserole dish of cheddar, sausage, eggs, and French bread. By fancier, I mean, “French-like”. I really feel like I am eating at La Madeleine or sitting in the streets of Paris, France when I eat this casserole. The casserole is wonderful with the buttery, flakey croissants we bought from Main Street Bakery in Grapevine, Texas. In addition, the delicious flavors of honey, dried mustard, and nutmeg really add that “punch” and quiche-like flavor to this ham-and-cheese breakfast dish. You can substitute leftover baked ham for chopped ham in this dish. Nutmeg is optional, but adds a subtle touch of spice. Also, Gruyere cheese can be substituted for Swiss cheese. Gruyere is a cream-colored and firm cheese, like Swiss, however it is softer and smoother, and has smaller and infrequent “eyes” or holes. Both are great melting cheeses. Both have a rich, and somewhat nutty taste that is distinctive, yet not overpowering.

Make this for your next Sunday brunch and be sure to double the recipe if you are having more than 4 people. Between my mom, dad, husband, and me, we completely cleaned our plates, as well as the pie plate the casserole was in! Enjoy!

Cut croissants in half lengthwise, then cut each half into 4 or 5 pieces. Place croissant pieces in a buttered deep dish 10-inch pie plate.

Top with cooked, diced ham, and shredded swiss cheese. (We left 1/3 of the casserole “cheese free” because my dad hates cheese, unless it’s on pizza!)

Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, dry mustard, honey, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Pour egg mixture over croissants, ham, and cheese. Press down gently on the croissants to submerge them in the egg mixture.

Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 35 minutes, covered. Uncover, and bake an additional 25-30 minutes, or until browned and set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Slice and serve with fruit and an english muffin with jam, like we did!

Ham-and-Cheese Croissant Casserole
Ingredients
3 (5-inch) large croissants
1 (8-oz.) package chopped cooked ham
1 (5-oz.) package shredded Swiss cheese
6 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1 tbsp. dry mustard
2 tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions
1. Cut croissants in half lengthwise, and cut each half into 4 to 5 pieces. Place croissant pieces in a lightly greased 10-inch deep-dish pie plate. Top with ham and cheese.
2. Whisk together eggs, next 5 ingredients, and if desired, nutmeg in a large bowl.
3. Pour egg mixture over mixture in pie plate, pressing croissants down to submerge in egg mixture. Cover tightly, and chill 8 to 24 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake, covered 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4-6 servings
“Southern Living Magazine”, November 2009

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Because of the icy, blizzard conditions that have nearly shut down all of Dallas, Texas, I thought I would post my mom’s homemade hot chocolate mix. This hot chocolate mix is wonderfully delicious, chocolatey, and sweet! I will never buy a “Swiss Miss” or any other hot chocolate brand because they offer no comparison. In addition, this hot chocolate mix makes enough to probably last you a half of a year! Just take a 1/2 cup of hot chocolate mix, and add 1 cup of hot, boiling water. Stir. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired. For a “nutritional” boost of calcium, use skim milk instead of water.

The recipe comes from the Pigtails and Frog Legs: A Family Cookbook from Neiman Marcus. Enjoy and try to stay warm!

Hot Chocolate Mix
Ingredients
1 box (8 quarts) instant nonfat dry milk
16 ounces Nestle Quik
6 ounces non-dairy creamer
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
2. Take 1/2 cup of mix and place in a mug. Add 1 cup of hot water. Stir.

Pigtails and Frog Legs: A Family Cookbook from Neiman Marcus

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

THESE ARE THE BEST CINNAMON ROLLS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD!!! The recipe comes from Saveur.com. I think they beat out any specialty bakery store out there! The cream cheese part in these cinnamon rolls is not in the icing, like you may be expecting…. it’s actually kneaded into the dough! Spreading cream cheese into the layers of dough enhances the richness and moistness of these rolls. As you can see from the picture above, the gooey, buttery, cinnamon-sugar inside is one of the best parts of the cinnamon roll, and this recipe will not disappoint.

When you roll these out, you have two options depending on how big you want your cinnamon rolls. With the first option, you can tightly roll the dough logs “hamburger style” where the short-side of the rectangle is being rolled. This will yield 8 GIGANTIC cinnamon rolls (see the picture on Saveur.com). The second option is to roll the dough log “hot dog style” or long-ways, (what we did) to create “normal-sized” cinnamon rolls, yielding about 18 rolls.

The original recipe calls for a buttermilk icing, but since we did not have any buttermilk, and because we love our icing recipe so much, we just used ours. Our icing is your traditional cinnamon roll icing with powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.

This dough may be prepared a day in advance and left to rise in the refrigerator overnight. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Combine yeast, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and 1/4 cup water heated to 115 degrees F in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to combine and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.

Add the remaining sugar, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Turn mixer off and add the flour and salt. Beat on medium speed until dough just comes together. Then knead on high speed for 4 minutes. Add butter, then return to high speed for 6 minutes. The dough will be smooth and pull away from the side of the bowl. Cover and let dough rise for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

While the dough rises, make the filling: combine the sugar, brown sugar, pecans (optional), walnuts (optional), raisins (optional), cinnamon, salt, and cloves in a large bow; stir to combine. Stir in the maple syrup.

Beat cream cheese, and spread over the dough square.

Fold the dough into thirds.

Then fold the dough into thirds again!

Roll dough into a 10 x 20-inch rectangle. Brush the top with half of the butter, then top with the cinnamon mixture.

Tightly roll dough into a log. We rolled it long-ways to make about 18 rolls. If you want cinnamon rolls the size you would buy at a gourmet bakery, roll the dough short-ways and it will yield 8 HUGE rolls!

Slice rolls with a sharp knife, about 1 inch thick.

Slice and place into a buttered 9 x 13-inch pan.

Let rolls rise another 2 hours. Look at them! They almost puffed up over the pan!

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. They should be golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.

Make icing, and drizzle over the top of the rolls.

This is what was left after 10 minutes between the four of us (mom, dad, sis, and me!)

Mmmm…look at that gooey, cinnamon and icing center!

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH:
1 1/4-oz. package active dry yeast
1/2 tsp. plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted plus more for kneading
3/4 tsp. fine salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan

FOR THE FILLING:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar (we used light brown)
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (we omitted)
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (we omitted)
1/4 cup raisins (we omitted)
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2 tbsp. maple syrup
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

FOR THE ICING:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup buttermilk

(We mixed together 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, and a dash of salt for our icing).

Directions
1. Make the dough: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a hook, combine yeast, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and 1/4 cup water heated to 115 degrees F. Stir to combine and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar, milk, light brown sugar, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined, 1 minute. Turn mixer off and add the flour and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough just comes together. Turn mixer speed to high and knead dough for 4 minutes. Add the butter and continue kneading until dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from the mixer, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in a warm place. Let the dough rise for 1 1/2-2 hours, until it has doubled in size.

2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the sugar, dark brown sugar, pecans (optional), walnuts (optional), raisins (optional), cinnamon, salt, and cloves in a large bow; stir to combine. Stir in the maple syrup. Set filling aside.

3. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a heavily floured surface. Gently knead the dough until it’s no longer sticky, adding more flour as necessary, about 1 minute. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a 10 x 10 – inch square. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with a rubber spatula until it’s smooth and spreadable. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the dough square; then fold square into thirds as you would fold a letter to fit it into an envelope. Take the open ends of the resulting rectangle and fold into thirds again, to make a smaller dough square. Invert the dough so that the seam is face down, and using the rolling pin, gently roll into a 10 x 20 – inch rectangle.

4. Turn the dough so that the short sides are parallel to you. Brush the top of the dough with half of the melted butter. Drizzle the reserved filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border at the edge farthest away from you. Lightly press the filling into the dough. Using your hands, lift up the bottom edge of the dough and roll it forward into a tight cylinder. Place dough cylinder, seam side down, on a cutting board and, using a thin, sharp knife, trim off the ends; cut cylinder crosswise into 8 equal-size slices. Nestle the slices, cut sides up and evenly spaced from one another, into a buttered 9 x 13 – inch light colored metal baking pan. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place to let rise for 2 hours. (Alternatively, the rolls may be refrigerated overnight.)

5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Uncover the rolls. (If refrigerated, let them sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the rolls comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

6. Make the icing: While the rolls are baking, whisk together the sugar and buttermilk in a small bowl until smooth.

7. Transfer the pan of cinnamon rolls to a cooling rack; brush with remaining melted butter. Let cool for 5 minutes. Dip the tines (prongs) of a fork into the icing and drizzle over the rolls. Serve immediately.

Yield: one 9 x 13 – inch pan (8 or 18 rolls depending on how large you roll them)
Saveur.com

Overnight Pecan Pie

This is definitely not your normal “Pecan Pie” with the gooey filling you would expect. I would consider this Overnight Pecan Pie a lot healthier because of the egg-whites and graham cracker crumbs. In addition, there is NO butter and NO corn syrup in the ingredients.

If you want a quick and easy pecan pie where you do not have to make a crust, then this is the pie for you! There are only six ingredients in the entire pie, and the crust is naturally created as it is baked. The egg-whites form the thin, yet hard crust on the top that cracks beautifully as you cut into it. Top this pecan pie with a dollop of Cool Whip or Reddi-wip.

My father-in-law loved this pie and ate it for breakfast four days in a row! 🙂 Enjoy!

Overnight Pecan Pie
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped pecans
3 egg whites
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter pie plate bottom and sides well.
2. Beat egg whites until foamy. Add sugar and baking powder, gradually while beating. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla, fold in cracker crumbs and chopped pecans. Pile into pie plate just as though you were filling a pie shell with filling.
3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until lightly brown and firm to the touch. Chill overnight or several hours. Top with whipped cream, Cool Whip, or Reddi-wip.

Yield: 8 servings

Skillet Lasagna

Wow, it has been 8 days since my last post, and I’m so, so sorry about that! You wouldn’t believe how busy I’ve been this last week!

Well, I think this Skillet Lasagna recipe will definitely make up for my absence of posting! My husband absolutely loved this, and it happens to be healthy! You could actually call this “Vegetable Lasagna” because of the abundance of shredded carrots, zucchini, and spinach. Believe it or not, you can’t even really taste the vegetables because of the wonderful flavors of tomatoes, herbs, and cheese! I even bought fat free ricotta cheese to save about 10 grams of fat in this dish. I got this recipe off of the Food Network. I altered it just a little by adding a 1/2 pound of ground sirloin to please my husband with the red meat.

If you are searching for a healthy and delicious way to make lasagna, you’ve got to add this recipe to one of your weeknight meals. Plus, despite all of the sinful, yet delicious desserts on my blog, this lasagna won’t set you back on your New Year’s Resolution of losing weight! Enjoy!!

Brown ground sirloin in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. I added a jar of Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce and heated it until warm. Leave 1 cup in the skillet, and reserve the rest of the marinara mixture.

Meanwhile, make the ricotta cheese mixture. Combine 1 large egg, 1 cup ricotta, 2 tbsp parmesan cheese, 3 tbsp herbs, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.

Place 2 lasagna noodles over the marinara sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Cover with half of spinach, half of ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 3 tbsp of marinara sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese is melted.

Let rest for a few minutes, and then slice. Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs.

Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, diced
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil and/or parsley, plus more for garnish
1/2 pound ground sirloin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
6 sheets no-bake lasagna noodles
1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
1 zucchini, peeled into ribbons
3 1/2 cups baby spinach
1/3 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

* Optional – to save time, you can buy a jar of marinara sauce instead of making the one in this recipe. I used Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce)

Directions
1. Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic; cook until golden, 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook until saucy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree. Return 1 cup of the sauce to the skillet and reduce the heat to low; reserve the remaining sauce.
(For this step, I browned the ground sirloin in a skillet over medium heat, until no longer pink. I then added a jar of Newman’s Own Marinara Sauce to warm it).
2. Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, the remaining 3 tablespoons herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.
3. Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with half of the spinach, half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella.
4. Cover and simmer until lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes. Let rest a few minutes before slicing. Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs.

Yield: 4 servings
Food Network Magazine

Toffee Pecan Dreams

Here is yet another “Dream” cookie from my most favorite cookie cookbook ever, “400 Sensational Cookies” by Linda J. Amendt. If you forgot, or if you have never heard of a “Dream” cookie before, let me fill you in. The secret ingredient to these dreams in instant vanilla pudding mix. The pudding mix gives these cookies a cakey, and super soft, almost, dough-like center that is absolutely mouthwatering. Because of the instant pudding mix, you must make these cookies immediately; do not freeze or chill the dough because it will alter the texture and shape of these cookies and they will be ruined. If you want to freeze them, do so after baking.

I never knew how much I loved toffee until I had them in a cookie. My mom used to send me these wonderful “Christie Cookies“, a gourmet cookie company headquartered in Tennessee. All of their cookies and brownies have wonderful bits of toffee inside. Until now, Christie Cookies have been a yearly tradition that my mom sends me whenever I am stressed out at school or work.

Well, I have now found my “Christie Cookie” replacement: Toffee Pecan Dreams! These dream cookies are packed with 2 cups of toffee bits, and paired nicely with crunchy pecan pieces…a perfect combination. What I find ironic, is that I used to HATE nuts when I was little. I told my mom to make brownies, cookies, and cakes, with “No Nuts!!!” I am quite the opposite now. I believe that nuts, especially pecans, which are my favorite, add a nice crunch to the already sweet flavors in a dessert such as in chocolate chip or toffee cookies. Why wouldn’t you want nuts?

I made these Toffee Pecan Dreams for our small groups at church last Sunday night, and one of my friends told me: “I normally don’t like cookies, but these I really, really like”. Her husband even ate three cookies. I had a few leftover Toffee Pecan Dreams, so the next day I took them over to my in-laws. My mother-in-law, Paula, said “This is the best cookie I’ve ever put in my mouth!” Paula would never lie to me, she is too honest, so you have to believe her when she says these are amazing!

You’ve got to try these cookies soon! The original recipe calls for dark brown sugar, but I used light brown sugar. Let me know how they taste if you use the dark kind! Enjoy!!!

Toffee Pecan Dreams

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 package (3.4 oz or 102 g) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups toffee bits

1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper

2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, shortening, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Scrape sides down of bowl. On low speed or using a wooden spoon, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just blended. By hand, fold in toffee bits and pecans.

4. Using a cookie scoop or spoons, drop tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to turn lightly golden.

5. Immediately slide parchment paper onto a wire cooling rack. Cool cookies for 5 minutes, then transfer from parchment paper to cooling rack and cool completely.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies

Adapted from “400 Sensational Cookies” by Linda J. Amendt

Cranberry Blondes

My mom made these delectable Cranberry Blondes for me over the weekend. I know I say this every time I post something on my blog, but these are amazing! (Of course, if the recipe wasn’t amazing, why would I post it? I’d put it under the “Oopes and Mistakes” section of Dallas Duo).

These bars remind me of a cross between a buttery shortbread and a bar cookie or blondie. My mom said the batter is extremely sticky, much like shortbread, and that she had to use all her arm power to fold in the dried cranberries!

Unlike costly dried cherries, dried cranberries are inexpensive and easy to find. Right now if you shop at Central Market, you can buy their dried cranberries in bulk. Since they are in season, the dried cranberries are in chopped whole, rather than in small pieces like you would get with Ocean Spray Craisins. The whole pieces make these cranberries so juicy, plump, and delicious. They also add a pleasingly tart and zingy flavor to baked goods, especially paired with orange zest, as they are in these bars.

Make these soon…enjoy!

This recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, “Fat Witch Brownies” by Patricia Helding, owner of New York’s legendary Fat Witch Bakery.

Cranberry Blondes
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Directions
1. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with butter. Dust with flour and shake out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg yolks and mix until well combined.
3. Measure the flour and salt and then sift directly into the batter. Mix gently until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the cranberries, granulated sugar, and orange zest with a fork. Add to the batter and mix in by hand with a wooden spoon.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan, using your hands to press down lightly and evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only crumbs, not batter on it.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving.

Yield: 12 to 16 bars
“Fat Witch Brownies: Brownies, Blondies, and Bars From New York’s Legendary Fat Witch Bakery” by Patricia Helding