Butterfinger Blondies

Butterfinger Blondies

 Oh boy,  oh boy, oh boy these sure do look good. Let me tell you they are good but they have to be very fattening with all that butter and shortening. You better go for a long run before you try these because they are scrumlicious. That is a new word I made up just for these. I thought they were a little salty but it was pretty good that way. Its like a sweet and salty type of thing. I like it.

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coarse sea salt
2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 16 “Fun Size” bars)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl.
Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.
On low add your dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda) until just combined.
Stir in your chopped Butterfinger.
Spread in a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until center is JUST set.
Remove from oven and cool completely.

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 25 minute(s)

 

Butterfinger Buttercream:

Ingredients

1/2 cup room temp butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 1/2 – 3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger Bars (approx 4 “Fun Size” bars)

Instructions

Cream the butter and shortening together until smooth.
Add in you powdered sugar on low speed.  Turn speed up to medium and mix until smooth
Stir in your chopped Butterfinger. (I sprinkled mine on top rather than stirring them in!)
Spread on your cooled blondies

Preparation time: 5 minute(s)



Source:  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/08/butterfinger-blondies.html

Broccoli Chicken and Bacon Salad

Broccoli Chicken and Bacon Salad

I don't really know what to call this other than really damn good stuff. Its pretty much brocolli salad with a bunch of stuff I thought would sound yummy.  I made this for a friends birthday at work. I hope she likes it as much as I do. It is way yummy and I just want to eat it all up... I wish I would have bought red and yellow and or orange peppers to add to it. That would be a delight.

1 lb chicken breast (cooled)
1 tbls olive oil
1 1/2 ts McCormick perfect pinch salad supreme.
10 oz bacon cooked and crumbled (cooled)
4 hard boiled eggs sliced (cooled)
4 1/2 cups Brocolli
12 oz cherry tomatoes (halved)
1/2 red onion chopped (about a cup maybe a little less)
1/2 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raisens
3 large avacodos cut into small pieces
8 oz cheddar cheese cubed

1 cup olive oil mayonese
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup tbls red wine vinager

heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a pan. 

cut chicken in small cube like pieces.

season with about 1 1/2 ts McCormick perfect pinch salad supreme.

Cook chicken on med high heat until fully cooked

menwhile add broccoli, halved tomatoes, red onion, sunflower seeds, raisins , cheddar cheese, avocados and hard boiled eggs. Toss salad and add cubed chicken and crumbled  bacon

In a small bowl add olive oil mayo, sugar, and red wine vinegar.   Stir until well combined. Add dressing to salad and serve.

Turtle Smore Brownies

Turtle Smore Brownies

Oh my gosh. I do not like brownies but these brownies just changed my mind. They are so good. I am so glad that I made them. I can not wait to take them to work tomorrow. I hope everyone loves them. I found this recipe off of a blog called Joy of Baking. I did change it a bit but it is pretty much the same. I pretty much just added marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs and used less pecans and added walnuts. I think I like it the way I made it.

Turtle Smore Brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 inch (23 x  33 cm) rectangular baking pan. 

Brownies: 

Melt the chopped chocolate and butter. (i melted it in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals stiring in-between until it was all melted.)

 Remove from heat and set aside while you make the brownie batter.

Meanwhile, in the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugars until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and then the melted chocolate mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and, on low speed, beat in the flour and salt.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes.

 Remove from oven and place on a wire rack. 

Spread melted marshmallow on top  in even layer. . Be careful not to pull up our brownie while doing this. (you could add marshmallows and put it back in the oven for a few minutes to warm or melt the marshmallows.)

sprinkle graham cracker crumbs all over the top over the marshmallows.

Caramel: Place the unwrapped caramels and cream in a saucepan and melt, over low heat (stirring frequently), until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the toasted pecans and walnuts, making sure all the nuts are coated with caramel. Spread the caramel topping evenly over the still warm brownies and let cool to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate brownies for about an hour or until the brownies are firm.

Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat (alternatively, heat the cream in the microwave). Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a whisk until smooth. 

Remove the brownies from the refrigerator and, using a fork, drizzle the Ganache over the brownies in a zigzag pattern. Cover and refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Using a sharp knife, cut the brownies into 48 bars.

Store, covered, in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days, or in the freezer for longer storage.

Makes about 48 brownies. Preparation time 1 hour.

Note: To toast pecans - Bake in a 350 degree F (177 degree C) oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.

 

Turtle Brownies:

3 ounces (90 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3 large eggs

1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

 1/3 cup of marshmellow topping

1/3 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs

Caramel Topping:

40 Kraft caramels (10 ounces) (280 grams), unwrapped

1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream

1 cups (200 grams) pecan halves, toasted

1/2 cup walnuts.

Ganache Topping:

2 ounces (55 grams) semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream

Source adapted from Joy Of Baking

note: I changed the recipe slightly the original recipe can be found at
http://www.joyofbaking.com/barsandsquares/TurtleBrownies.html

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
Source: Annie's Eats
Makes 24 muffins
Print Recipe

Ingredients:
For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (see Note)
1¼ cups vegetable oil

For the topping:
½ cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Note: A standard sized can of pumpkin is 15 ounces, just shy of 2 cups (16 ounces). You could open another can if you want and freeze the extra or just use one can which is what I did. The amount is so little I don't think it makes a difference in the final product.

Directions:
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1½-inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours. The mixture will still be somewhat soft but firmer.

To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. I always get inpatient here and mix it together with my hands so that it looks like the texture of wet sand. I know you aren't supposed to do it this way but I'm impatient. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. You want to put the cream cheese lower than you think because it will rise a lot during the baking process. Divide the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving. I like them warm, cold, and room temperature. 

The best slow cooked pot roast ever

The best slow cooked pot roast ever

This was the best pot Roast I have ever made using my own recipe. Well actually it was the best I have made period. I loved it and will try to remember the recipe the best I can. I will be making it again because it was just that good. I was so proud of myself.


1  3 pound chuck pot roast
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
2 10 oz can stewed tomatoes
4 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chopped yellow onion
garlic salt to taste ( I probably used 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
season salt to taste ( I probably used 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
salt and pepper to taste

I didn't think think it was to salty but I am pretty much in love with salt so you may want to adjust the salt content if you think it might be a little much.



In small bowl mix cream of mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce. set aside.

Add salt and Pepper to pot roast as well as garlic salt and season salt.
Heat vegetable oil on medium high and brown pot roast on all sides. ( I probably let it brown for 2 to 3 minutes on each side just enough to sear it a little bit just on the outside)


Place your roast in a crock pot and pour the soup mix over the top of the roast.
Pour stewed tomatoes over  roast.
Add chopped onion
Cook in your crock pot on low for 6 hours.

Source: My head.

Crash Hot Potatoes

Crash Hot Potatoes

 Oh my these were heaven. You have to try them. They were the best potatoes ever. I will make these over and over and over again, They were so tasty. I could eat these over and over and over again. If I had to choose a last meal these would be one of the dishes. Please please try them. They are so great.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

• 12-15 baby red potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Boil red potatoes for about 15 minutes
drain and remove potatoes and transfer them to a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray
Use a fork or potato masher and break the potatoes open and mash them a little.
Drizzle with olive oil sea salt and pepper.
You can use your favorite herbs and spices.
I sprinkled some season salt and Mrs dash
I probably used more olive as well.
Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until crisp  and golden brown.
Eat plain or add sour cream and green onions or even ranch.
I loved them plain but I also liked them both ways.

enjoy


source  adapted from http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net

http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2008/08/crash-hot-potatoes.html

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Oh my these were so so so good. I couldn't stop eating them even after I was full. The great thing is they also have veggies in them and they are way better for you than the traditional cake. Don't let that scare you because I would eat this over a traditional cake any day. The lemon cream cheese frosting was so so so good as well. This is one recipe that is going in My favorite recipes box. I loved them, my mom loved them, and most importantly my little boy loved it. These are a must try.

Carrot and Zucchini Bars with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrot
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp baking soda

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 (8 oz) pkg reduced fat cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, oil, honey, and vanilla.  Don’t worry about clumps of the brown sugar, those will dissolve as it sits while you prepare the remaining ingredients.  Then fold in the carrot, zucchini, and walnuts
2. In another bowl combine add the flour, baking powder, ginger, and baking soda.  Whisk to blend together.
3. Add to flour mixture to the wet mixture. Stir just until combined. Spread batter into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
5. Once the cake is cooled prepare the frosting.   In a medium mixing bowl, beat the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Spread or pipe the frosting over the cooled bars.  Makes 36 bars.

source  http://realmomkitchen.com

http://realmomkitchen.com/7878/carrot-and-zucchini-bars-with-lemon-cream-cheese-frosting/