Sunday, August 17, 2008

Pecan Tassies

A guy from work brought in some Pecan Tassies his wife made and I absolutely loved them. I found this recipe online at http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/32/Pecan_Tassies351.shtml and attempted to make them. I didn't even try them because they looked too crisp, but the dough was good and everyone loved them so I guess they couldn't have been that bad. When he gives me his wife's recipe, I will make them again and post the better one.

Ingredients:

3 ounces cream cheese -- softened
8 tablespoons butter -- softened
1 cup flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 large egg
2/3 cup pecans -- chopped
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. In small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat cream cheese with 7 tablespoons butter until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour and beat until well mixed.

With floured hands, divide dough into 24 equal pieces (dough will be very soft). With floured fingertips, gently press dough pieces evenly onto bottoms and up sides of twenty-four 1 3/4" by 3/4" ungreased miniature muffin-pan cups.

In medium bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix brown sugar, vanilla, salt, egg, and remaining 1 tablespoon margarine or butter until filling is blended. Place half of pecans in pastry-lined cups.

Spoon filling by heaping teaspoons into each pastry cup; sprinkle tops with remaining pecans.

Bake 30 minutes or until filling is set and edges of crust are golden. With tip of knife, gently loosen tassies from muffin-pan cups and place on wire rack to cool completely. Store tassies in tightly covered container up to 1 week.

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Irish Cream Fudge

I had a little Irish Cream left after making Erin's birthday cake so I decided to make this fudge. I've never made fudge before, and I'm not sure why you have to boil the sugar for 11 minutes, not 10. But it's pretty good and you can taste the Irish Cream. Other recipes I've came across use white chocolate, but I'm not a big fan of that so I used this recipe.

Bailey's Irish Cream Fudge Recipe
1. In a very large bowl, combine:

2 pkgs milk chocolate chips, 12 oz. EACH
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips
2 jars marshmallow cream, 7 oz. EACH
2 t. vanilla
2/3 c. Bailey's Irish Cream
2 c. chopped nuts -- optional

2. Set aside.
3. Line a 10x15" pan with foil and spread lightly with: butter

4. In a saucepan, combine:

4 1/2 c. sugar
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1/2 lb. butter

5. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
6. Cook slowly, stirring constantly for 11 minutes.
7. Pour milk mixture over the chocolate chip mixture.
8. Stir slowly by hand to blend. (Do not use a mixer.)
9. Pour into prepared pan.
10. Chill until set.

Makes about 5 pounds of fudge.

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Pittsburgh Pirates

I went to a Pirates game today at PNC Park. I had some pirogies, and took a pic, to be very Pittsburgh-like.

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Ocean City, Maryland

Last weekend I went to Ocean City, MD for a few days. The weather was nice and we had fun and I wanted to post about this awesome candy store we found on the boardwalk... Wockenfuss. Everything was handmade and I bought my mom some saltwater taffy (in individual flavors), my dogs each a treat shaped like a life saver, and I also bought these little potato-shaped candies that tasted like coconut. Sadly, I do not have a picture of the little potatoes, but the looked exactly like miniature of the real things! The were the right off-white color and rolled in cinnamon or something to look like the skins!! Here are pics of the dog treats and also of some awesome looking Gelato I saw in Dewey Beach, DE. They had a lot of flavors, including words I don't even know. Sadly, I've never tried Gelato, but maybe someday!!

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Thursday, August 14, 2008

Just Bunches!

I saw an ad in the paper for the new cereal from Honey Bunches of Oats: Just Bunches! And I had to buy it because I have always loved HBoO, though I usually buy the generic version because I think the corn flakes are sweeter in it, and because this was my idea; to have them just have bunches in the cereal, no flakes at all. I had a coupon for $1 off, and WalMart had the cereal on sale for 2.50, so I got a box for 1.50. It's a small box, but it should last a while because you don't want to do what I did; I filled my bowl up like normal, except the bunches are so big that it takes a while to chew... I've been eating this one bowl of cereal forever. But I definitely like it, and if I find more coupons I will buy it again. I think this cereal would be perfect in some time of struesel topping, trail mix, or cookie!!! Maybe I will even create a recipe!!

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Monday, August 4, 2008

Coconut Bars

After making the coconut-lime snowballs, I had lots of coconut leftover, so I made these bars from Bakingblonde at http://bakingblonde.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/coconut-dream-bars-2/
They were super simple and easy to make, and the guys at work (aside from the coconut-haters) really liked them. The brown sugar is very noticeable and these bars are quite sweet, although they are not much to look at and not my favorite type of snack. However, like I said, the guys liked them so they were worth making.

Coconut Dream Bars
adapted from Recipezaar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed (divided)
1/2 cup butter, softened slightly
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) or milk chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line a 9×13 pan with foil. Spray lightly with PAM.
Using low speed on mixer, combine flour, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and butter until mixture resembles sand.
Using lightly greased finger tips, press the mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
While crust is baking, mix together the remaining brown sugar with eggs until just blended.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Remove crust from oven when time is up and evenly spread coconut mixture over partially baked crust.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool completely and cut into squares. (Do this or they will be messy!!)


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Coconut Lime Thai Snowballs

Last week I made these cookies from a recipe I found in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette last year. I am still looking for the recipe online so that I don't have to type it up (Lazy, I know) but if I can't find it, I will get it up here soon. The dough for this cookie was so good, I probably ate 4 or 5 cookies worth, and there were no eggs involved, so it was safe! They turned out ok, but the topping was a waste, the coconut/powdered sugar/lime did not stick to the cookie at all, so if anything I would just sift some powdered sugar on top and be done with it. I think these would be perfect for a tea party or some form of ladies event.

Coconut-Lime Thai Snowballs
Thursday, November 30, 2006


Coconut-Lime Thai Snowballs
Click photo for larger image.

COCONUT-LIME THAI SNOWBALLS

PG TESTED BY DIANA NELSON JONES

Tester's note: This recipe gives you the option of using lime juice instead of the first preference, lime oil. I decided to use the juice instead. The oil may be more pungent and make the cookies snappier. Additional lime zest would make the cookie coating more colorful. Also, I suggest you make the coating ahead of time.

Roll the balls out to the same size to prevent potential overbaking and crumbling.

Cookie mix:

* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 1 teaspoon pure lime oil or 2 tablespoons lime juice
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, medium shred

Coating:

* 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, medium shred
* 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in lower and upper third of oven. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add lime oil or juice; beat to combine.

Gently fold in lime zest, salt, flour and coconut. Blend well.

Lightly flour hands and roll dough into small, approximately 1-inch balls and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake until puffy (not browned) and bottoms are just golden, about 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine coating ingredients in a large plastic bag. While cookies are still warm, toss them in the coating. Remove and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies



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