Chocolaty Peanut Clusters

 

Ingredients

1 jar (16 ounces) salted dry roasted peanuts
1 jar (16 ounces) unsalted dry roasted peanuts
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 package (10 ounces) peanut butter chips
3 packages (10 to 12 ounces each) white baking chips
2 packages (10 ounces each) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips

Directions

1.  In a 6-qt. slow cooker, combine peanuts. Layer with the remaining ingredients in order given (do not stir). Cover and cook on low for 2-2-1/2 hours or until chips are melted, stirring halfway through cooking.

2.  Stir to combine. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Oreo™ Cookie Bark

 

Ingredients

1 (20 ounce) package chocolate sandwich cookies with creme filling
2 (18.5 ounce) packages white chocolate

Directions

1.  Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with waxed paper. Coat paper with non-stick vegetable spray and set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, break half of the cookies into coarse pieces with fingers or the back of a wooden spoon.

3.  In a microwave safe glass or ceramic mixing bowl, melt one package of the white chocolate according to package directions. Remove from microwave and quickly fold in broken cookie pieces.   Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread to cover half the pan.

4.  Repeat process with remaining chocolate and cookies, spreading mixture into the other half of pan. Refrigerate until solid, about 1 hour.

5.  Remove bark from the pan and carefully peel off waxed paper. Place bark on a large cutting board and cut with a large chef's knife. Store in airtight container.

Footnotes 

Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.

Forgotten Jambalaya

 

Ingredients

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef or chicken broth
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
3 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound smoked sausage, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Hot cooked rice

Directions

1. In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, broth and tomato paste. Stir in the celery, green peppers, onion, garlic and seasonings. Stir in chicken and sausage.

2. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in shrimp. Cover and cook 15-30 minutes longer or until shrimp turn pink. Serve with rice.

Freeze option: Place individual portions of cooled stew in freezer containers and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

Pistachio Brownie Toffee Bars

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING

1 package fudge brownie mix (13x9-inch pan size)
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg, room temperature

TOPPING

1 package (11-1/2 ounces) milk chocolate chips, melted
3/4 cup chopped salted roasted pistachios

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour, mixing well. Press onto bottom of a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan.

2.  Bake until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil and egg until blended.

3.  Spread brownie batter over hot crust. Bake until center is set, 14-16 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

4.  Spread melted chocolate over top; sprinkle with pistachios. Let stand until set. Cut into 36 bars.

Cookbook Library Haul (Feb 22)

1.  Taste of Home: Make It, Freeze It
2.  Taste of Home: Baking

Cinnamon Sticky Buns

 

Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tubes (17.3 ounces each) large refrigerated biscuits

Directions

1.  In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the pecans. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan.

2.  In a shallow bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Cut each biscuit in half; dip in cinnamon-sugar. Place, cut side down, over brown sugar mixture.

3.  Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Invert onto a serving plate; serve warm.

Mint Brownies

 

Ingredients

1 package fudge brownie mix (13-inch x 9-inch size)
2 packages (4.67 ounces each) mint Andes candies

Directions

1.  Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions.

2.  Chop five candies; set aside. Arrange remaining candies in a single layer over warm brownies. Bake 20-25 seconds longer or until candy is softened; spread over top. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with chopped candies.

Peanutty Valentine Cookies

 

Ingredients

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. unsalted butter or margarine
1/2 c. Peanut Butter
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
36 chocolate candies

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2.  In large bowl with electric mixer, beat sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Beat in flour and baking soda.

3.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoons into ungreased mini-muffin cups. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven; gently press a chocolate heart into each cup. Cool in pans on wire racks for at least 10 minutes. Remove cookies from muffin cups with a butter knife. Serve warm or cool completely on wire racks.

Hot Spiced Lemon Drink

Ingredients

2-1/2 quarts water
2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

Directions 

1.  In a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the water, sugar and juices. Place cinnamon stick and cloves on a double thickness of cheesecloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with kitchen string to form a bag.

2.  Place in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours or until heated through. Discard spice bag.

Colorful Frozen Yogurt

 

Ingredients

3 pints low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt, softened, divided
1-1/2 cups frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed
1-1/4 cups frozen unsweetened blueberries, thawed
1-1/4 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
12 teaspoons honey

Directions

1.  Place one pint of frozen yogurt in a blender; add peaches. Cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a freezer-safe container; cover and freeze. Repeat twice, making a batch of blueberry frozen yogurt and a batch of strawberry frozen yogurt.

2.  Using a small scoop or melon baller, scoop each flavor of yogurt onto a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Freeze until firm.

3.  For each serving, place two scoops of each flavor in individual dessert dishes. Drizzle each with 1 teaspoon honey.

Note: We used a melon baller to make the small scoops of frozen yogurt.

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients

1 egg white
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a cookie sheet. Write fortunes on strips of paper about 4 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Generously grease 2 cookie sheets.

2.  Mix the egg white and vanilla until foamy but not stiff. Sift the flour, salt, and sugar and blend into the egg white mixture.

3.  Place teaspoonfuls of the batter at least 4 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. Tilt the sheet to move the batter into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Be careful to make batter as round and even as possible. Do not make too many, because the cookie have to be really hot to form them and once they cool it is too late. Start with 2 or 3 to a sheet and see how many you can do.

4.  Bake for 5 minutes or until cookie has turned a golden color 1/2 inch wide around the outer edge of the circle. The center will remain pale. While one sheet is baking, prepare the other.

5.  Remove from oven and quickly move cookie with a wide spatula and place upside down on a wooden board. Quickly place the fortune on the cookie, close to the middle and fold the cookie in half. Place the folded edge across the rim of a measuring cup and pull the pointed edges down, one on the inside of the cup and one on the outside. Place folded cookies into the cups of a muffin tin or egg carton to hold their shape until firm.