Millionaire's Shortbread - Cook's Illustrated

Oh my goodness these little caramel cookie bars were just beyond delicious! I knew they would be since they are a Cook's Illustrated recipe (cannot go wrong with anything they put out!). I made these for a party and also gave out as gifts. The perfect holiday dessert to share.

You will need a candy thermometer to make the caramel filling. Do not try to make this without one.....getting the caramel to the exact temperature is very important!

I found this recipe on the blog Playing with Flour. The blogger does an amazing job with step-by-step photos, so I suggest you click HERE and read her post.

And here is the Cook's Illustrated recipe I found on the blog Playing with Flour.... Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For shortbread crust:
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For caramel filling:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup packed (7 ounces) brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup corn syrup
8 tablespoons unsalted butter1/2 teaspoon salt

For chocolate topping:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (6 ounces finely chopped, 2 ounces grated using the small holes on a box grater; Ghirardelli's 60% bittersweet chocolate bar recommended)

For crust:  Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make foil sling for a 13 x 9 inch baking pan for easy removal of bars later. Fold 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; the first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide.  Lay sheets in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges.  Push foil into corners and up the sides of the pan, smoothing foil flushed to the pan.

Combine flour, sugar and salt into a medium bowl.  Add melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula until flour is evenly moistened.  Crumble dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.  Use your fingertips and palm to press and smooth the dough into an even layer.  Using a fork, pierce the dough at 1-inch intervals.  Bake until light golden brown, 25-30 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack.  Take a sturdy metal spatula and use it to press on the entire surface of the crust to compact it (this is to help make the finished bars easier to cut).  Let crust cool until just warm, at least 20 minutes.  

For filling: Place all ingredients into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir together. Cook, over medium-heat, stirring frequently, until temperature reaches between 236 to 239 degrees (it will fluctuate), 16 to 20 minutes.  Carefully pour the mixture (it is very hot) over the crust and spread evenly using an offset spatula.  Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

For chocolate: Place chopped chocolate into a bowl and microwave it on 50% power for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval.  Continue until chocolate is just melted and not much warmer than body temperature (check by holding bowl in the palm of your hands), about 1-2 minutes in total.  Add the grated chocolate and stir together until smooth.  If necessary, return chocolate to the microwave for no longer than 5 seconds at a time (again, on 50% power) to finish melting.  Spread over the caramel layer and smooth it evenly using an offset spatula.  Refrigerate the pan until chocolate is just set, about 10 minutes.

Finish/slice the bars: Lift shortbread out of the pan using the foil overhang and remove the foil.  Place onto a cutting board.  Using a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion, slice bar in half crosswise so you have two 6 1/2 by 9 inch rectangles. Then slice each of these rectangles in half again crosswise so you have 4 strips.  Slice each strip crosswise into 10 equal pieces, for a total of 40 bars.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

This chili was delicious!!! I decided to roast the sweet potatoes and carrots instead of letting them cook solely in the broth and I'm so glad I did. They caramelized in the oven which gave this chili a unique flavor. The whole dish came together easily and made for a warm, hearty meal on a cold, rainy autumn evening. This made 5 servings. Enjoy! 

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 large carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
3 Tbl olive oil, divided
2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 a red onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 tsp chili powder, divided
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups of vegetable broth
28 oz of crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of COOKED quinoa*
1 Tbl pure maple syrup or honey, optional

Toppings to try:
sour cream
shredded cheddar
diced ripe avocado
chopped green onion
hot sauce
salsa
shredded cooked chicken

Preheat oven to 400F

On a lined baking sheet spread out sweet potato and carrots that have been cut into small, bite sized pieces. Drizzle with 1 Tbl olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp chili powder and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, stir. Continue roasting for another 5 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are starting to brown and cooked through.

sweet potatoes on the right, carrots on the left

While veggies are roasting, warm remaining 2 Tbl olive oil over medium low heat. Add onions and poblanos and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring now and then. Add garlic and cook for another minute, careful not to let the garlic burn. Sprinkle remaining 2 tsp chili powder, cumin and oregano over cooked onion mixture and stir. Add vegetable broth and tomatoes. Add the beans. Give a good stir.

If not using left over or pre-cooked quinoa, cook now in a separate pot, following the directions on the back of the bag. Set aside.

Once sweet potatoes and carrots are finished roasting, add them to the pot with onion and tomatoes. Let chili come to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Add maple syrup or honey, if using. Add cooked quinoa.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon chili into bowls and top with whatever extras you like. I added sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, and green onion to mine. My husband liked all of that, plus hot sauce. My son opted for the shredded chicken. All the kids loved the homemade biscuits I served with dinner. Cornbread would also be delicious. Everyone was happy! Hope you enjoy!

*You can sub brown rice, wild rice or farro for quinoa if you want to use another grain

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies

I cannot believe I have never blogged these cookies before! I used to make them for my husband ALL. THE. TIME. when we were first married. Today he said, "Why don't you ever make those cake mix cookies anymore? They are my favorite!" And so I just had to (it was his birthday a few days ago, after all).....

So, my daughter and I hurried off to the grocery and whipped these up in no time. I let the dough rest for a couple of hours in the fridge before rolling and baking them, and I think that resting time really enhanced the flavor and gave them a nice shape once cooked. One of my sons said, "Mom, I think these are my favorite cookies you have ever made!" That made me smile, but, it also felt like a bit of a burn since they aren't really "homemade" and I truly pride myself on making things from scratch! HA! I'm going to just say it was the Mini Reese's Cups that won him over because they are pretty much his favorite sweet in the world!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 box of chocolate cake mix (I like Pilsbury's Devil's Food)
1 stick of butter, melted
2 eggs
3/4 cup of peanut butter chips*
1/2 to 1 cup of MINI Reese's PB Cups (you buy them unwrapped and in a bag)**

Melt the butter completely in a microwave safe bowl.

Add half of the cake mix to the melted butter and use a hand mixer to blend. Add the rest of the cake mix and blend. The mix will be crumbly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and blend with the mixer until smooth. Add the peanut butter chips and blend. Add half of the mini Reese's cups and blend. If you have the time, put the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I chilled my dough today for about four hours.

Roll the dough into decent sized balls - like the size of a golf ball. Press one or two of the extra mini Reese's cups into the top of each cookie dough ball. Flatten slightly so the cookie is more of a disk than a ball.

Bake at 350F for 9 - 10 minutes. Don't overcook.

Let cool on the sheet then transfer them to a platter.

My husband reminded me that he likes to warm each cookie up in the microwave before he eats it - but only for 10 seconds, not longer....just enough to get it gooey. It's really good!

*If you do not want to use peanut butter chips, these would also taste good with chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or even mint chocolate chips (which you can find during the holidays). I think crushed Andes candies would be good, too (and they are allergy friendly).

**If you do not want to use the mini Reese's cups, omit and add an additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup PB chips.

Nourishing Pumpkin & Squash Soup

This healthy soup was super easy to throw together (thank you canned pumpkin and frozen butternut squash) and tasted delicious. What more can you ask for? Enjoy!

• 2 Tbl olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pound bag of frozen butternut squash
• 3 cups of canned pumpkin 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, optional
• 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
• ½ cup full fat coconut milk OR whole fat milk/heavy cream
• 1 Tbl maple syrup or honey
• 2 Tbl freshly squeeze orange juice, for brightness 
• 2 cups of cooked brown rice, optional
• ¼ cup toasted pepitas, for garnish
• salt & pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and frozen butternut squash stirring to combine and cook for another 6 minutes.

Add canned pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne and vegetable broth. Stir and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.  If you have the time, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let soup sit for an hour - #1. The flavors will meld as the soup sits and #2. It is safer to blend the soup when it is room temperature. If you must blend the soup when it is hot, please make sure to remove the plastic insert from the top of the blender lid and cover with a clean kitchen towel to let the steam escape.

Blend soup and return to pan. Add coconut milk and freshly squeezed orange juice and stir.  Add brown rice if using. Warm to desired temperature. Ladle into bowls. Top with a sprinkling of toasted pepitas. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve with a side salad and some good crusty bread. Enjoy!

Pineapple Fried Rice

This pineapple friend rice recipe from Carlsbad Cravings was absolutely delicious!! My only complaint was that I didn't double the recipe because everyone in my house was crying for second helpings - it was that yummy!!!! I made mine vegetarian, but she recommends using shrimp or chicken.

I really really love the blog Carlsbad Cravings and I go there often for recipes.  Everything I have ever tried has been delicious.  Please click HERE for her very detailed, in depth descriptions and photos explaining how to make this rice taste like you ordered it from your favorite Thai restaurant! It is definitely worth the read!!!!

Here is Carlsbad Cravings' recipe word for word:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
• 1 ripe pineapple chopped
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 12 oz. medium shrimp peeled and deveined, with tails
• 4-6 garlic cloves minced
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder or more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (or 1 ½ teaspoons fresh)
• 4 cups cooked CHILLED long grain rice like jasmine or basmati rice
• 1 cup raisins or craisins
• 1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews
• 2 Roma tomatoes seeded, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon pepper
• salt to taste I use 1/4 teaspoon
• 3 stalks green onions thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Melt butter with 1 tablespoon canola/vegetable oil in a large wok, cast iron skillet or non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Increase to medium high and add pineapple. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until the edges of the pineapple are caramelized. Remove to a plate using a slotted spoon.
2. Add 1 tablespoon canola/vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil to any juices/oil left in the pan. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook over medium-high heat for approximately 3 minutes per side, or until fully cooked. Transfer shrimp to the pineapple plate using a slotted spoon and set aside (leave oils/juices in pan). You can chop the tails once cool enough to handle if desired.
3. Add onions to remaining oil and cook 3 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the curry powder, ginger powder and garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Add rice to the pan, give it a good stir then pat the rice grains down with a spatula. Let rice cook for about 30 seconds, then fold the rice over. Repeat patting the rice down and folding over a few times until the rice grains have separated and the rice is fully coated with the curry powder.
5. Add the raisins/craisins, cashews, tomatoes, pineapple and shrimp to the pan (reserving some shrimp for garnish if desired) along with fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper etc. if needed.
6. Transfer to hollowed out pineapples or serving plate and garnish with green onions and any remaining shrimp. Serve with soy sauce and additional sesame oil if desired.

 

Broccoli & Avocado Salad

Yum! A unique, yet delicious, salad that makes a healthy side dish to any meal! Enjoy!

2 broccoli crowns, cut into pieces
1 perfectly ripe avocado, cut into chunks
3 Tbl extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp pure maple syrup (or honey)
1 Tbl black or white sesame seeds
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F

Drizzle 1 Tbl of olive oil over raw broccoli and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for only 8 minutes (you want the broccoli to still be firm/crisp). Let the broccoli cool for 5 minutes before tossing with dressing.

While the broccoli is roasting, cut the avocado and make the dressing. Add 2 Tbl olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup, and sesame seeds to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. 

Right before you are ready to serve, pour dressing over cooled broccoli and toss.  Add avocado and CAREFULLY incorporate it with the broccoli (you don't want it to get smooshy). Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Traditional Greek Salad

We recently got home from a wonderful European vacation. One of the countries we visited was Greece. Yes, the food was delicious! One of our favorite things to order at each restaurant we ate at was a Greek salad. We noticed right away that authentic Greek salad has no lettuce! We asked one of our servers about this and she said it is a very American thing to put lettuce in Greek salads and that that isn't Greek at all! Their traditional salads were bursting with flavor - tomatoes, cucumbers, Kalamata olives, green bell pepper, red onion, and feta.....oh, the feta!!! Feta was in abundance during all our Greek meals. And it was so creamy, not hard and overly salty like the feta we generally get in the States. 

**FETA TIP** 
So, one of our servers gave me an easy, yet highly effective tip on how to get American feta to taste more like Greek feta.....I did it, and it worked - it worked SO well!!!! She told me to ONLY buy feta in a block (never crumbled). She said to drain it and put it in a container full of milk and let it soak for at least one day. So that is exactly what I did! I soaked it in organic whole milk for two full days, drained it, and then used it in this salad. It was 100xs better after the milk bath! WOW!! I plan on doing this ALWAYS from here on out! 

I served this salad with falafels, tzatziki sauce, and warm pita bread. Enjoy!

• 4 medium sized tomatoes (I like tomatoes on the vine), sliced into wedges
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• Greek pitted Kalamata olives
• 3 Tbl capers, optional
• 4 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbl red wine vinegar
• block of Greek feta** (see note above on feta!)
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• optional choice of protein - falafels, sliced grilled chicken, or shrimp

In a large bowl combine tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, onion, Kalamata olives and capers, if using. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil and vinegar. Drizzle dressing onto vegetables and very gently toss. Dish onto plates. Top with blocks of feta cheese. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a bit of dried oregano. 

To make this more of a meal, I served this salad with falafels, pita bread and tzatziki sauce. Sliced chicken or shrimp would be another good addition.

Quinoa & Arugula Salad with Pepitas & Cojita Cheese

This is a copy cat recipe from one of my favorite local Mexican restaurants. I LOVE this salad so much - it is delicious, fresh and healthy! A great alternative to ordering the enchiladas or nachos.  The ingredients are simple, but the salad itself really wows - it's just a great combo of flavors that really come together. I think my copy cat recipe comes pretty close to the original! Enjoy!

This makes two dinner sized salads. I think cooked shrimp or salmon would make good protein additions for a heartier meal.

Salad:
3 cups cooked quinoa
2 handfuls of arugula
1/2 cup cucumber, chopped
2 radishes, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup pepitas
1/3 cup raisins
10 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup (or more if you love it) Cojita cheese, cubed (can sub feta cheese)
1 ripe avocado, sliced or cubed

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbl balsamic vinegar
1 Tbl honey
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt & pepper, each

Add the ingredients from quinoa to tomatoes into a large bowl; drizzle on prepared dressing and toss. Divide salad between two bowls. Top with avocados and cheese. Enjoy!

Dill Pickle Popcorn

We are such a popcorn family!  It's our #1 favorite treat!  I like to air pop it and add our own butter and seasonings because it's so much healthier than microwave popcorn. It is just so easy! And air-poppers are cheap! Check them out on Amazon!

We do love those popcorn stores that sell crazy flavors.....one of our favorite flavors is dill pickle. I thought I would give a shot at making it at home - free of all the food additives and flavorings. If you want to make it even healthier, omit the sugar! Hope you like this as much as we do!

~1/2 cup popcorn kernels, organic if you can (approx 10-12 cups of popcorn when popped)
 2-3 Tbl melted butter
2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white sugar
1 tsp salt, more to taste

Pop your popcorn! I use an air popper. I have also made popcorn in a giant pot with a touch of olive oil and a tight fitting lid (google that for step by step instructions).

Mix together dill, onion & garlic powders, sugar and salt.  Pour melted butter on top of popped popcorn and sprinkle dill mixture, use your hands to toss it well so popcorn is evenly coated. Enjoy!

Blue & White Pizza with Walnuts, Apples & Pomegranates

YUM! Delicious! My only complain is I wish I had made two pizzas instead of one! Enjoy!

1 pizza crust (homemade or store bought)
Olive oil
Good quality Himalayan or sea salt
Mozzarella, shredded
Blue cheese, cut into crumbles or chunks
Walnuts, chopped
Apple (Honeycrisp, Jazz or Pink Lady), thinly sliced
Fresh Pomegranate Seeds
Arugula
Balsamic Glaze

Turn oven to 400F

Par-bake the plain pizza crust for five minutes or so to ensure it is crispy after you have baked it with toppings on.

I'm not giving any specific measurements because this is a pizza and it's hard to mess it up! So just put on as much or as little as you like - it'll all taste good.  Put a tiny bit of olive oil on the par-baked crust (like 1/2 tsp) and spread it evenly over the crust. If you like put a little bit of good quality sea salt on top (and by a little, I mean a pinch and by good quality salt I mean Himalayan or sea salt.....  you still aren't using table salt are you? Oh I hope not! Yuck!).

Evenly distribute mozzarella cheese over crust, then blue cheese (maybe like 1/4 cup of blue cheese or more if you like the flavor). Place apple slices on top of the cheese and then sprinkle on walnuts. Bake in the oven for about 8 - 12 minutes - just check on it....when it's done you'll know.

Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and fresh arugula on top (I literally cover my pizza with arugula like it's an entire salad!) and drizzle with balsamic glaze. Enjoy!!

Brown Rice Breakfast Bowl

I made this delicious coconut milk and brown rice pudding (and it really does taste like dessert!) the other day when my mother in law was out visiting. Oh boy did she like it! I had some leftover rice in the fridge and decided whip this up like a warn oatmeal. Control how sweet you like it by adding more or less maple syrup.....and then go crazy with the toppings! I put strawberries, blueberries, fresh pomegranate seeds, hemp seeds and almonds on mine. It was very filling and satisfying. This makes enough for about 3 servings.

Brown Rice Pudding:
2 1/2 cup cooked brown rice (I used leftover rice)
1 14oz can of full fat coconut milk
1 Tbl to 2 Tbl pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)
5 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or almonds

Toppings Ideas:
Sliced bananas, chopped apples or pears, blueberries, strawberries, pomegranate seeds, hemp seeds, cocoa nibs, chia seeds, almond or peanut butter, honey, coconut

Place cooked brown rice and coconut milk in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir. Add maple syrup, chopped dates, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Let mixture come to a low boil, stirring constantly. Stir on this low-medium heat for about 10 minutes until the rice starts to stick to the pan and mixture has thickened. Remove pan from heat.  Stir in the oats and walnuts. Spoon pudding into bowls and top fruit, seeds and nuts. Enjoy!!