Tri-Level Brownies

These brownies are my favorite. My Mom made them when I was growing up. Her brownies still taste better than mine, of course. They're a bit of work, but they’re worth it!

For bottom layer:
½ cup sifted flour           1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
¼ tsp. soda                   ½ cup brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt                     ½ cup butter, melted
Sift dry ingredients. Combine with rolled oats & brown sugar.
Stir in melted butter. Pat mixture in bottom of 9” x 13” pan.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

For middle layer:
1 oz. chocolate square   ¼ tsp. baking powder
4 T. butter, melted         ¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup sugar                  ¼ cup milk
1 egg                             ½ tsp. vanilla

2/3 cup sifted flour

Combine melted chocolate, melted butter & sugar. Add egg and beat well.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with milk and vanilla

to chocolate mixture. Spread batter over baked layer. Return to oven and bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins. more.

For top layer:

1 oz. chocolate square, melted

2 T. butter, melted

1 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine chocolate and melted butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend in enough hot water (about 2 T.) to make almost pourable consistency. Spread over baked brownies.

Bar B Q Chicken Pizza

I found this recipe on the Pioneer Woman website.  It's a California Pizza Kitchen style recipe.  I was excited to try a chicken pizza recipe, and this one definitely didn't let me down.  Easy, but so delicious.  I was happy that the crust is made with olive oil, so it's got to be more healthy, right?  The red onions are sweet, so don't go too skimpy with them. We added fresh mushroom slices, that was very good, and pineapple chunks would also be good.

Basic Pizza Crust

It's best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days in the fridge is even better.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation

I threw all the ingredients in my bread maker and set it for pizza dough.  Works great.

Or

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt.  With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour.  Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball.  Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the tridge until you need it. 

Makes 2 crusts.

Now for the Good Stuff

Ingredients

1 whole batch of pizza crust (makes 2)

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

olive oil, for drizzling

salt for sprinkling

16 ounces fresh mozarella cheese, sliced thin

1/2 whole red onion, cut in half and sliced very thin

chopped fresh cilantro, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt chicken breasts on both sides, then place in an ovenproof dish.  Pour BBQ sauce over the breasts and turn them over to coat.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.  Remove from oven and cut into a fine dice. Set aside.

Increase oven to 500 degrees.

Stretch out one pizza crust .  Lay it on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil.  Drizzle a little olive oil on the crust, then sprinkle on a little salt. 

Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly.  Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. 

Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion.

Sprinkle again with a little salt, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro.  Cut into squares and serve immediately.  Repeat with other crust and other ingredients, or save for another time.

Hot Fudge Sauce...Yum!

A Favorite Hart Family Tradition

I still can't make this quite as good as my mom did,

but it's still amazing!  Splurge on the good ice cream, it's worth it!

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 square unsweetened bakers chocolate

4 tablespoons white corn syrup

dash salt

Cook over low heat til well blended.  Add 1/2 cup milk.  Bring to a boil, stir til smooth and thick.

It will thicken more as it cools.

Add 2 tsp. vanilla

Makes about 2 cups.

Cauliflower Soup

Just tried this recipe from the Pioneer Woman website

for dinner tonight.  Pretty tasty.  It is nice and chunky,

although it might be fun to try putting the veggies into

the blender and pureeing them after they had cooked.

1 stick butter

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

1 whole head of cauliflower, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons fresh or dried parsley, chopped

2 quarts low sodium chicken broth or stock

6 tablespoons flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 - 1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter.  Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.  Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional coule of minutes.  Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.  Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 munutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoon butter.  Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine.  Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half.  Add mixture to the simmering soup.  Allow to simmer 15-20 minutes.  Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl.  Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream.  Pour in remaining soup and stir.  Serve immediately.

Candied Yam Cupcakes

I discovered this recipe last night when looking for

something yummy made with yams.

Don't worry, it's an Honors English

extra credit thing.

They are actually pretty good!

Candied Yam Cupcakes

from Allrecipes.com

Makes 24

Ingredients:

1 pound yams, peeled and cubed

4 eggs

1 cup canola oil

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

1) Place a steamer insert into a large saucepan, and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the yams, recover, and steam until very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove yams from steamer and allow to cool slightly.

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

3) Place eggs, oil, sugar, vanilla and cooked yams in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, bakig powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir dry ingredients into yam mixture, mixing jut until combined. Spoon batter into paper liners, filling 2/3 full.

4) Bake 17- 20 minutes, check with a toothpick. Cool for 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5) Beat together cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar; mix until smooth. Frost cool cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms Recipe

Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms From The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  
• 3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces
  
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
  
• 1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
  
• 1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (OR Dry White Wine)
  
• 1 cup Half-and-half
  
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
  
• 3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
  
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
  
• ½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
  
• Salt To Taste
  
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
  
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti Or Angel Hair Pasta
  

Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Save the liquid.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.

Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.

Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and bacon, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and Parsley and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.

Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***

Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.

Serves 4