Goldrush Bars

I have Holly to thank for this recipe.  I tweaked it a little to get a bit more stability and increase the Oreo to filling ratio because I like it that way.

Ingredients:
1 pkg Golden Oreo Cookies (I don't really recommend double stuffed)
1/4 stick of butter, softened
1/2 a block of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 3/4 cup of milk
1 small box of cheesecake flavored instant pudding

Directions:
 Step one is to crush your Oreos.  There are two basic ways to do this: the first is to stick them in a blender and the second is to put them in a ziploc and beat them into bits.  I enjoy the second.

In a small bowl, mash together your butter and cream cheese with the back of a spoon.  Add the powdered sugar and squish together until it's all mixed.

In a larger bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix until the pudding starts to get firm.  Add in the cream cheese mix and whisk out the lumps.

In a 9x9 (or 8x8) brownie pan, cover the bottom with Oreo crumbs.  Cover with all of the filling and spread around so everything is covered.  Sprinkle the top with more Oreo crumbs, as much as you want.

Chill until firm (at least 2 hours)

Sasha's Third Try Zucchini Bread

Never have I finicked more over a recipe.  First it was too dry, then not enough spice...Finally I'm satisfied!

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce (no extra flavorings!)
1/2 cup butter (plus more for the pan)
2 1/4 cup sugar (plus more for the pan)
3 tsp vanilla
2 c zucchini, grated
2 c nuts (optional and of your choice.  I like pecans)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325.  Grease and sugar two bread loaf pans.

Sift all your dry ingredients into a bowl.

Beat eggs, butter, apple sauce, vanilla, and sugar.  Add in dry mix, scraping the bottom to make sure everything is mixed together: it will seem very stiff at this point.  Mix in zucchini and nuts if you want them.

Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake 40-60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out with some moist crumbs.  Keep in mind that sometimes one loaf will bake faster than the other, so test both loaves!

Cherry Butter Cookies

Those fall-apart crumbly butter cookies you get sometimes at Christmas plus sweet candied cherries equals a sweet little treat that's super easy, pretty, and tasty!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cake flour (you can use regular flour, but the cookies won't be as light)
1/2 cup chopped up candied cherries

Directions:
Cream together your butter and sugar, then mix in the vanilla.  Add the flour and mix thoroughly until everything starts to stick together in a paste.  Stir in the chopped cherries.  Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out pieces of the cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place on lined sheets.  There doesn't need to be much room between the cookies because they won't spread much.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly golden or you can gently press the top of one and it doesn't give.

Let cool and enjoy!

Happy Father's Day! Candied Bacon

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads, Step-Dads, and Granddads out there!  Hope you have a great one!

Now, for all of you who have perhaps fallen a little behind on the Father's Day shopping (or cooking, if you're like me) we have a quick fix.  Most, if not all, of the ingredients you probably already have in your house.

Ingredients:
1 package of your preferred bacon (I like brown sugar)
About 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a bowl
1 tbsp cayenne pepper, optional

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425.

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  If you have cookie racks, place them on top of parchment paper (if not, skip this step and your bacon will just be a little greasier).

Pull out the bacon and rub down each slice with brown sugar, coating thoroughly, and stretch them out on the racks.  When all of the slices are done, sprinkle with cayenne if desired.

Bake for 7 minutes to start, then start checking them every two minutes: the bacon should be crisp like the outside of a Honeybaked Ham.

Once you've pulled them out LET THEM COOL ON THE PAN OR RACK because they will stick together if you set them all on one plate before the sugar has cooled.

Enjoy!

Stepping it up: Cheddar Bread Chips

So you like the bread chips, but you think they could be better.  You're also a huge fan of Cheezits, Goldfish, or other cheese crackers and/or like both cheese and crackers in your soup.

These are absolutely (in my opinion) the most addicting of the Bread Chip formats.  Especially when hot out of the oven and wafting their deliciousness through the air.

Let's step it up a bit with some cheddar bread chips!

You already know the first few steps.  Take your Bread Chips Recipe and only bake chips for the first 5 minutes.  Then, take the chips out, spread them on the pan, and sprinkle SPARINGLY with about 1/2 a cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  Bake for about another 5 minutes: you're looking for the cheese to bubble in the center and brown at the edges.

Two things to keep in mind here:
1.  I say sparingly because if you use too much cheese on the chips and store them, they will get chewy and soggy.  Not so pleasant.  If you're eating them right then and there, go forth and load those suckers down!

2. Shredding the cheese yourself on the common household grater does seem to produce better results, possibly due to how thin the slivers of cheese are.  That said, no real damage is done with the stuff you buy in the bag.  (I've used both depending on how lazy I feel)

Bread Chips

This is for all the people out there (like me) who are passionately in love with the $6 a tiny bag Bagel Chips they sell at the store and can't see paying that much.  They taste so similar and so good, you'll be amazed!

Also great for: parties, snacking, dipping, soup eating, etc

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bake-and-serve french baguette (or other type of thin, not totally baked bread.  I LOVE sour dough)
1/2 stick melted butter
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste (optional)


Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.

(Here I have best knife to cut with to worst.)

With a serrated knife, slice your bread as thinly as possible.  The thinner the bread, the more "chip-like" your chips will be and the faster they will cook.

Lay out the slices on the pan.  Some overlap is fine at this stage, just make sure that enough of the bread is showing that each slice will get some of the butter/olive oil mixture.

Mix melted butter with olive oil and drizzle sparingly over the bread slices.  If you have any left over (I usually do) you can put it in a tupperware container and store it at room temperature for about two weeks.

Bake chips for about 5 minutes.  They should still look uncooked.  Spread them out and sprinkle with a bit of salt (WARNING: You won't be able to see the salt on the chips, so be careful how much you're using.  You can always add more, but you can't take it back off) and pepper if you're using it.  Return to the oven and bake in two minute increments, keeping an eye on them, until they're as brown as you want them.

Enjoy!

If you have any left overs, store them in a ziploc or airtight storage container.

A note: Everyone's oven is a little different.  The first time you make your chips, keep a close eye on them for the last bake or they may burn.

Quick and Tasty Lemon Zest Pasta

As we turn into the warmer months, I'm craving the lighter tastes of spring and summer.  One of my favorite "springtime" tastes is lemon zest.  Nothing quite brightens up a dish like that little shock of lemon flavor.

With that in mind, here's a super quick and easy recipe for a lemony pasta to make you think of spring.

Ingredients:
Two lemons, finely zested and juiced
15 oz (small container) of ricotta
Freshly ground pepper to taste
One pack of spaghetti, cooked and still warm

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients but spaghetti.  Toss in spaghetti until evenly coated.