Salted Nut Roll Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow box cake mix
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 12 oz. bag Reese's peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup white corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 cup Rice Krispies® cereal 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Mix together the yellow cake box mix, 1/3 cup of melted, and the eggs.  Press into a 9x13 inch pan sprayed pan. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cover with 3 cups of mini marshmallows. Put the pan back into the oven for 3 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed up.  Remove from the oven and let it cool.

Melt together Reese's peanut butter chips, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup butter.  Then add vanilla, peanuts, and rice kris pies.  Mix it all together then pour and spread it over the marshmallow layer.

Let it cool. Serve.

Myrtle's Note:  Well, I accidentally halved the butter in the Rice Krispies® mixture, so I had a hard time spreading it.  However, if you follow the link, what I turned out with does not match the chef's photo. The end result was tasty, but a bit strange.

Yield: 30

Source:  http://theugly13.blogspot.com/search/label/recipe%20with%20rice%20krispies (Sandra's favorite)

Piro Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 5 eggs 
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon rind
• 7-8 tablespoons lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Cream butter with powdered sugar.  Add in 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well, perhaps with either with a pastry cutter.  Mixture may be very firm or crumbly. Pat it into a 9x13 baking dish. If the mixture sticks to your fingers whilst patting, dust them with flour.  Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.

While the crust is baking, beat the eggs all and then add in the sugar, the rest of the flour, lemon rind, and lemon juice.

When crust is done, pour lemon mixture over it and return to oven.  Bake 20-40 minutes, until the top is lightly brown and a knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Dust generously with powdered sugar.

Let cool completely before cutting.

Myrtle's Note:  For some reason, I had to cook them twice as long as the members of the Piro family. Strange.  So, the key is to take them out with the top is nicely browned.

Yield: 15


Source:  Anna's mother!  

Myrtle's Medley Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle beer
• 1 bag black eyed peas
• 2 cups cubed smoked ham (generous cups)
• 1 onion
• 8 slices Wright's® thick cut applewood smoked bacon
• 6-8 large cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle chili pepper
• 2 bay leaves 
• 8 cups water

Directions:

Rinse, pick over, and soak black eyed peas in the bottle of beer for eight hours.  You might need to add some water if the container you use means they are not covered or if they soak up so much beer they become exposed on top.

Mince onions and garlic and set aside.  Measure out brown sugar, salt, both peppers, and thyme and set aside.  Cube the ham into small pieces and set aside.

Sliver the bacon slices into quarter inch strips and cook in a large stock pot. Scoop them out, let them dry on paper towel, and set aside.  

In the bacon drippings, cook the minced onions until they become translucent.  Then, add in the garlic and sauté until browned.  Add butter, peppercorn medley, cayenne pepper, salt, thyme, and brown sugar and simmer until the butter is melted and everything is mixed together.  Then add the cubed ham and bacon pieces.  Stir thoroughly and simmer a few minutes.

Drain and rinse black eyed peas.  Add water, bay leaf, and black eyed peas to the pot and cover.  Simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes to reduce down the liquid.

Myrtle's Note:  I thought I had settled on a recipe when I was searching for one and remembered the beer.  But when I actually looked up the recipe, I realized I had combined several in my mind.  Since I can be a picky eater (no onions for this gal), I picked the ingredients I liked best and used them.

Yield: 8

Medley recipe ingredients adapted from:

http://whatwillwedotoday.com/2012/01/05/recipe-the-best-black-eyed-pea-recipe-ever/

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/new-years-day-black-eyed-peas

http://www.food.com/recipe/best-ever-black-eyed-peas-50159

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/daves-georgia-black-eyed-peas/

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-eyed-peas-with-bacon

Lemon Garlic Basil Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 red potatoes, medium
• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon basil paste
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley 
• 1/8 cup mayonnaise (and a bit extra)
• 1/8 cup sour cream (and a bit extra)

Directions:

Cut up the red potatoes into small, even pieces.  Boil in non-salted water for 15 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.

In a bowl, zest lemon, squeeze the juice, and then add all the rest of the ingredients, mixing thoroughly.  Add potatoes and toss thoroughly.  Place in right-sized container and refrigerate until completely cold.


Yield:  2-3 servings

Adapted from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/06/creamy-lemon-basil-potato-salad/

Lemon Garlic Basil Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 red potatoes, medium 
• 1 lemon
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley 
• 1 tablespoon basil paste
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Directions:

Place pan in oven whilst preheating.

Cut the potatoes into small, even pieces.  Parboil for 3-4 minutes in salted water.  Drain and set aside for 5 minutes.

Place in a bowl and zest a lemon over them.  Next squeeze the juice.  Toss thoroughly.   Sprinkle salt and pepper.  Toss.  Add olive oil, garlic, and basil paste.  Toss thoroughly.

Place into hot pan and roast 70-75 minutes.  Stir after 10 minutes to ensure the potatoes are not sticking to the pan.  Turn every 20 minutes.


Yield: 2-3 servings


Adapted from:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=161592090662889&set=a.125463660942399.26579.123739824448116&type=1&theater

English Toffee Bits Blondies

Ingredients:

• 9 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup of tightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 and 2/3 cups purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Directions:

Butter a 9x9 baking pan and set aside.  Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy, approximately 3 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Lower the speed and slowly add flour mixture until completely blended, scraping the sides of the bowl as you work.

Put half of the batter into the pan and spread it to the edges.  Sprinkle the English toffee bits on top until covered.  Drop small dollops of the rest of the batter on top, about an inch apart.  Where possible, spread out the dollops to connect them, being careful not to disturb the layer of toffee bits as you work.

Bake 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean and the edges have pulled away from the sides.  Cool completely before cutting.


Myrtle's Note:  The first blondie recipe I tried was really a bar or cookie bar recipe.  This is what I would call a true blondie recipe.  The original recipe is probably wonderful, having a cream cheese filling, but I wanted a way to eat my English Toffee Bits in a blondie.

Yield:  9 bars


Source: adapted from http://www.marthastewart.com/312725/cream-cheese-swirl-blondies?czone=food/cookie-of-the-day

Butternut Squash Brunch Braid

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, seeded and cubed (1/2 inch or smaller pieces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley 
• 4 slices Wright's thick slab, applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled/chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1can Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet 
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, fresh grated or shaved
• 1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Reduce to 375 degrees after roasting the squash.

Directions:

Peel and cube the butternut squash into small pieces.  Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, peppercorn medley, and brown sugar.  Spread onto an edged baking stone and roast for approximately 30 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, cook the bacon to crispy, golden brown.  Place on paper towel and let cool.  Crumble or chop into small pieces and put into a small dish.  Thoroughly toss the thyme into the bacon bits and set aside.

Lay out the crescent roll dough.  If you have the perforated kind, place the four rectangles together into a larger rectangle and pinch the seams together.  Take kitchen shears and fringe the long edges, approximately 1.5 inches or so deep on each side.

Once the squash is finished, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Add the bacon bits to the squash still in the pan and toss well.  Then, line the middle of the dough (between the fringe cuts) with squash and bacon mixture.  Top with Parmesan cheese.

Two at a time, pull the fringe pieces up on each side and press together in the middle.  Once you are finished, there will be gaps along the top, almost as if you had braided the top of the dough. Brush the top with egg white.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until deep golden brown.  Let sit for five minutes before cutting.


Myrtle's Note:  The recipe called for onions, but I do not like onions. If you do, chop one small-medium onion into fine pieces.  Brown in the bacon grease.  Then mix the onions, bacon bits, and thyme together in a small bowl.  Then toss all three into the squash before loading it onto the dough.  I doubled the brown sugar because one tablespoon did not coat my cubes well.  I also changed the recipe from black pepper to the peppercorn medley and doubled the amount.  I also increased the parmesan cheese.  While I made it with fresh grated Parmesan, I plan to use fresh shaved Parmesan going forward.  Finally, the recipe called for layering the bacon (and omitted onions) on the bottom and topping them with the squash.  I believe tossing everything together made for a better filling, a better bite for each bite.


Yield: 4-6

Source:  http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/butternut-squash-brunch-braid/06955b57-4dba-4eb0-9040-95be19384c05

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (4 pieces)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons basil paste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; shaved
• 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium high heat and add butter.

Place 1/4 cup cream and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.  Dip the chicken in the cream and then coat with bread crumbs.

Cook the chicken until approximately 170-175 degrees, turning the chicken every five minutes or so.
Remove the breasts, stack them on a small plate, and cover with foil to keep them warm.

Add broth to skillet bring to boil over medium heat, until reduced by half.  Stir in cream and continue to boil until thickened.  Stir occasionally, but do not be afraid to let it really bubble so it will reduce down.  After the cream has started to thicken, add the basil paste and ground pepper.  Continue cooking until thickened.

Serve the chicken breast topped with a generous, heaping, near gluttonous serving of basil cream, i.e., drench the breast. 

Myrtle's Note:  The recipe called for pimientos, but I am not a pimiento fan.  The recipe also called for adding butter part way through the cooking of the chicken.  I forgot to do this, but clearly the extra butter was not needed. So, I adjusted the amount a little bit.  I used Italian bread crumbs since the sauce has basil in it.  And I also switched dipping the chicken into milk to using cream, since the recipe has lots of cream as well.  I increased the cream for the sauce.  And I used my beloved basil paste instead of fresh minced basil in a larger quantity.  Finally, I mucked about with the directions for making the sauce so it was a better reduction result.


Yield: 4


Source:  http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/192234/Chicken-in-Basil-Cream-(9)

English Toffee Bits Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 1 cup of tightly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

Lightly grease and flour an 8x8 baking pan and set aside.  Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

Whisk together melted butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla and whisk.  Slowly add in flour mixture until blended.  Fold in toffee bits.

Spread into pan and bake approximately 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.


Myrtle's Note:  When comparing blondie recipes, many that had added ingredients suggested 1/2 to 1 cup.  This original recipe called for 1/3 butterscotch chips, but I wanted to use English Toffee Bits.  I went with 1/2 cup based on the amount of batter in the bowl.  I do not know why the cooking time nearly doubled, but I finally took mine out at 36 minutes.  The edges were crispy, but the centers were incredibly soft.  Next time, I believe I would try to remain firm and leave them in longer, perhaps 40 minutes.  For reference, I baked them in my grandmother's old aluminum 8x8 pan.

Yield:  9 bars


Source: adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blondies/