Toasted Pecan and Chocolate Bars

We hosted a cookie exchange this evening and a few hours before the event was set to begin, I realized that I had no cookies to exchange.  Oops!  Obviously, my only option was a bar cookie.  Quick and easy - a delicious shortbread layer topped with chocolate, nuts, and heath bar bits.  Yum.  

Ingredients for Shortbread Layer:

2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
2 cups flour

Ingredients for Topping:

1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1/3 to 1/2 cup Heath Bar bits

Directions:

Combine butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer and mix until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla extract.  Mix.  Add salt and flour (one cup at a time) and mix well.  Batter will be very thick.

Layer a 9 x 13 baking dish with parchment paper and spread (as best you can) the batter over the parchment paper.  Cook for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the cooked shortbread layer.  Put back in the oven for about 2 minutes.  Spread the melted chips evenly over the shortbread layer.  Sprinkle the melted chocolate with toasted pecans and Heath Bar bits.

(** To toast the pecans... I chopped them and then spread them in a pie pan and let them cook for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.)    

Let cool completely on the counter.  If you don't have time for it to cool completely sitting on the counter (I speak from experience), stick the pan in the fridge for a bit (just a bit) before you cut it.  After the cookie is cool to the touch, the parchment paper will easily separate from the bar, allowing you to cut it into small squares with a large knife.

This shortbread layer can be used as the base for a wide array of bar cookies!  I got this shortbread bar recipe years ago from a friend and I generally top it with whatever ingredients I can find in the pantry.  I like to use the mini chocolate chips because I think they melt quicker and are easier to spread but you could really use any chips you have in the house.  Happy Sharing!

Beef Stroganoff in a Crockpot

This recipe is super simple and very delicious.  Everyone in the house - kids included - had seconds.  Beef Stroganoff is great served over rice, egg noodles, or your favorite pasta.  Everyone ate it so quickly that I didn't have a chance to get a photo...

Ingredients: 

About 1 lb. beef sliced - I coincidentally had a flank steak thawing in my fridge so I used that. Since this is in a crock pot you can really use just about any cut you like - you could even use stew meat because it will tenderize as it cooks.

1 can cream of mushroom soup or golden mushroom soup (Amy's Organics and Health Valley make a gluten free version of cream of mushroom if you are making this recipe gluten free, but if you can't find them you can use a regular GF mushroom soup and simply add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to thicken it up.  Or make your own cream of whatever soup by heating 1 cup cold milk with 1 tablespoon of corn starch over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.)

1/2 to 1 whole package Lipton onion soup mix

8 ounces sliced mushrooms 

1 cup beef broth

1/2 cup (or more) sour cream (to be added at the very end)

Directions:

Combine first five ingredients in a crock pot.  Stir.  Heat on low 5 to 6 hours or high 3 to 4 hours.

Before serving, add 1/2 cup (or more) sour cream to make it creamy.  The sour cream is an absolute necessity - before adding the sour cream, it smells great but looks awful.  Stirring in the sour cream is like magic!  Voila!  Beef Stroganoff!  Enjoy it.

Quick and Easy Rolled Sugar Cookies

I generally don't have enough forethought to mix up cookie dough and let it chill for 2 - 3 hours before my children can roll it out and cut out fun shapes.  When the kiddos decide they want to make cookies, the process needs to be rather instantaneous.  This recipe requires just a few ingredients and it is ready immediately to roll out and cut.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a large stand mixer, cream softened butter and sugar together.  Add egg and vanilla.  Combine flour, salt, and baking soda and add to bowl and mix well.  (I don't dirty a second bowl - just toss it all into one big mixing bowl.)

Divide dough and roll it out!  Cut into shapes.  Bake at 375 on cookie sheet (lightly sprayed with cooking spray) for about 8 to 10 minutes.

This recipe made about 3 dozen Christmas cookies ready to be eaten or decorated!  Enjoy!

Baileys and Chocolate Flourless Cupcakes

I sense a trend ... ending November with Baileys and Chocolate and beginning December with Baileys and Chocolate... I see absolutely no problem with that!  What a great combination!

This Baileys and Chocolate Experiment began much like the previous post.  I couldn't find my double boiler so I ventured to the oft-neglected microwave to melt down squares of semi-sweet chocolate and butter.  I was only using half-power but the process was slow and, as I am often distracted by children and dogs, this process began at about 1pm but the cupcakes never actually made it into the oven until after dinner.

After heating and stirring and heating and stirring, I decided to add a little heavy cream - just because I had it and it was open - but I am sure that you could use skim milk.  The combination of six large squares (chopped) of semi-sweet chocolate and 1 stick of butter was simply too thick so it helped to thin it out with some milk.  At this point, it tastes too good not to taste test!  I used regular salted butter (unsalted would work just as well, if not better), large squares of Baker's chocolate, and less than 1/4 cup of cream.  I stirred it until it looked shiny and smooth and then I added in about a shot of Baileys.  Once again, taste test.

Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder.  Stir.  In a separate bowl, whisk together four eggs (room temperature).  After the eggs are lightly whisked, add them to the chocolate mixture - don't overstir.  By gently adding the four eggs at the end of the mixing process, you end up with more of a souffle like (yet still dense) cupcake.  

Lightly spray paper liners in cupcake tins with a nonstick spray.  Pour chocolate into cupcake tins with liners.  Cook at 300 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Let cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Delicious.  These taste delicious warmed up in the microwave for a few seconds with a little bit of ice cream on top.  

  
I rarely like to experiment with the same recipes over and over, but for some reason this recipe is calling out to me to try again!  I looked up flourless chocolate cupcakes and there were many ideas for me to try - this project might warrant a little bit more research!  This does not taste like your traditional cupcake.  It is very fudgy (is that a word?) and dense - a little sticky on your fingers - it is probably better eaten with a fork.  It tastes quite like the cake-like part of the molten chocolate cakes I have had the pleasure of eating many a time. My next iteration of this cupcake might have to include a way to make it have a molten center.  Rich and delicious.  I hope you enjoy!