The Forbidden Fruit

It was my turn to bring dessert to last night's bookclub.  Since we were reviewing The Fortunate Fall, Dawn suggested I use apples.  I thought about it but had the ingredients for this instead (oh and by the way, the once-18-oz pkg of refrigerate chocolate chip cookie dough is now only 16 oz so make a smaller circle or whip up a small batch of your own).

1 pkg refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
2 squares (1 ounce each) white chocolate for baking
2 T milk
1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
12-16 strawberries, cut in half
1 can mandarin orange segments, well drained
some grapes halved (opt, i used)
peanuts (opt, i used)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 t. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Shape cookie dough into a ball and place in center of a round stone (or whatever you have).  Using lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough to a 12" circle, about 1/4" thick. Bake 12-15 minutes or til edges are set.  Cookie will be soft. Do not overbake. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Carefully loosen cookie from the stone; cool completely on baking stone (or surface of what you used).

Place white chocolate and milk in small bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir til chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Microwave an additional 10-20 seconds if necessary.  Cool slightly.

In another larger bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture;mix until smooth.  Fold in whipped topping. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cookie.

Arrange strawberries and mandarin oranges over cream cheese mixture. Place chocolate morsels and vegetable oil in microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 30 seconds or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle over fruit. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut into wedges

Yield:  16 servings...thanks and credit given to Pampered Chef

Chocolate Orange Peel

When I was in Provo, UT...there was Sweet's Candy and my favorite was a chocolate covered orange stick. I mean I REALLY loved that.  It's truly about the only candy of theirs that I did love.  Now I gather they only make it maybe during the holidays.  So I was delighted to discover the following recipe and submit it for your sweet enjoyment.

Peel 3 oranges.  Cut the rind into strips and boil in water for 15 minutes, then drain and rinse.

Simmer 3 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water.  Add the peel and cook until soft, at least 45 minutes ( Mine went for 1 hour).

Drain and toss in sugar.  Transfer to a rack to dry for about 8 hours.

  Dip in melted chocolate of your choice.  Allow to harden...and eat.

Scones...

Last night's Halloween Party was a HIT!  And...why do we wait so long between making these puppies??

Scones...German Scones...the Hatch Batch version

2 T. yeast
1/2 c warm water  ... dissolve  and add 1 T. sugar

In large bowl, pour 1 c. boiling water over 1/2 c. butter, 1/2 c. sugar. Stir to melt.  Add 2 t. salt, 3 beaten eggs, 2 c. flour.

Beat till smooth. Stir in 2 1/2 c. flour.

Let rise 1 hour.  Stir down. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Roll out 1/4 of dough into 8x12. Cut into 2 inch squares. Fry a few at a time in deep oil--350 degrees 1 min/side. Drain.

Serve warm with jam, honey, xxx sugar, butter, peanut butter. Store unused dough in fridge.

Contributor's notes:  Remember this makes A LOT of scones.  A double batch fed..what...30 party-goers last night? With enough for probably 10 more revelers!  The impromptu party grew pretty quickly. haha. And who can pass up hot fresh scones?? My personal favorite concoction: peanut butter, xxx sugar and honey.  Also, I just scoop up a hunk of dough, roll it out thin. Then, cut into strips...then cut into squares/rectangles.

Apple Crisp

I made this for our Friday Night party two weeks ago. Served with ice cream while hot, it was a hit!

For a large group, double the topping and fill 9x13 with peeled/sliced apples.

4 c. sliced apples (4 med)
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/3 c.  margarine

Place applies in pie pan.  Bake 375 degrees for 30 mins.  (My 9x13 pan took a little longer.)

Dawn's Top Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix together:
1/2 c. butter...real butter
1/2 c. shortening
Add 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar and mix again.
Then add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 eggs. Mix.

Then add 2 1/2 cups of flour sometimes more.  1 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt and mix again.

Try some of the dough...isn't it yummy?

Add 2 cups. semi sweet chocolate chips.  Try more dough...delicious.

Scoop out onto a tray.  Bake 400 degrees for 8 mins. At least that is how it works for our oven!

Enjoy.  Pass out to all the neighborhood kids so you can make more in 4 days!

Addendum:  For a festive cookie, try Adrienne Dial's trick.  Chop Andes mints into 1/8th instead of chocolate chips.  We used 54 pieces which equaled nearly 2 cups.  Yummy!!

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

the BEST pot pie...from Carol Marshall

Crust 2 crusts for 9" pie Filling 1/3 cup margarine or butter 1/3 cup chopped onions 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1-1/2 cup chicken broth 2/3 cup milk 2-1/2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 Heat oven to 425°. Prepare pie crust and place 1 crust in the bottom of a 9" pie pan. 2 Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking an dstirring until bubbly and thickened. 3 Add chicken and mixed vegetables. Mix well. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust and sel edges and flur Cut slits in top crust 4 Bake at 425° for 30-40 minute or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

the BEST pot pie...from Carol Marshall

Crust 2 crusts for 9" pie Filling 1/3 cup margarine or butter 1/3 cup chopped onions 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1-1/2 cup chicken broth 2/3 cup milk 2-1/2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1 Heat oven to 425°. Prepare pie crust and place 1 crust in the bottom of a 9" pie pan. 2 Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, cook 2 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt and pepper. Stir until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking an dstirring until bubbly and thickened. 3 Add chicken and mixed vegetables. Mix well. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust and sel edges and flur Cut slits in top crust 4 Bake at 425° for 30-40 minute or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Carolina Style BBQ Chix

from the FoodNetwork Mag. I had a pile of these that I had thought I'd throw away after collecting the recipes I wanted (ie...ripping them out of the mag). But Robert saw them, for the first time and said...hey, we need to keep these. So I set out 8 meals to make in order, shopped and this was first. and it was so delicious. Guess he's right...I'll keep the mags as cookbooks (his words) and we can have some fun meals.

½ cup yellow mustard

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1-1/2 T mustard powder

2 t. hot sauce

½ t. Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 T unsalted butter, melted

8 chix…whatever pieces you like.

Vegetable oil, for brushing

Preheat grill to med.

Whisk the yellow mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, hot sauce, Worchestershire sc, ½ t salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the butter

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then toss with about 1/3 of the mustard sauce in a large bowl until coated. Let sit at room temp for at least 10 minutes

Brush the grill with veg oil.. Put about ¼ cup of the remaining mustard sauce in a small bowl for basting and reserve the rest for topping. Grill the chicken, covered, basting occasionally with the sauce, until well marked and thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees…10-12 minutes per side.

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

A couple of years ago we spent a week with Barlows in PA...and discovered the joys of Browned Buttered Noodles and since then have extended the joy of Browned Buttered Everything..... Then this morning I stumbled upon this recipe...and naturally had to try it. Anything is better with browned butter on it. The dough worked up really well.....Personally, I think it's needs a little icing on the top when it's done. But that's me...all for sweets!

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread Recipe found on www.joythebaker.com Makes: one 9x5x3-inch loaf For the Dough: 2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 ounces unsalted butter 1/3 cup whole milk 1/4 cup water 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract For the Filling: 1 cup granulated sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Set aside. Whisk together eggs and set aside. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted. Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract. Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula. Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter. The eggs will feel soupy and it'll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together. Keep stirring. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes. The mixture will be sticky. That's just right. Place the dough is a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour. *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning. If you're using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below. While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling. Set aside. Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned. Set aside. Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set that aside too. Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out. The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long. If you can't get the dough to 20-inches long... that's okay. Just roll it as large as the dough will go. Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough. Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture. It might seem like a lot of sugar. Seriously? Just go for it. Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips. Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again. You'll have six stacks of six squares. Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book. Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown. The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw. A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto a clean board. Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it's right side up. Serve warm with coffee or tea. I think this bread is best served the day it's made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Pink Lemonade (or any other juice) Freezer Pie

This pie can be made in a deep dish pie pan or a springform pan. We nearly always use a springform pan, either a ten-inch or a nine-inch. (The one in the picture was made with a ten-inch pan.) With a nine-inch springform pan instead of a ten-inch or a deep dish pie pan, you will have a tall, mounded dessert. This pie is made in three parts: a graham cracker crust, a lemonade and cream cheese filling, and a whipped cream topping. If you prefer, you can use a commercial whipped topping or whipped cream from an aerosol can for the topping.

Crust 1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 4 T butter Filling 1 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk 3/4 cup lemonade concentrate, undiluted 2 T lemon juice food color drops as desired Topping whipped cream

1 For the Crust; Mix the crumbs, sugar, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform. Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Bake for eight to ten minutes at 350 degrees. (If it’s a hot July day, you can choose not to bake the crust. A baked crust holds together better because the heat melts the sugar to help hold the crumbs together.) 2 For the Filling: 3 Using the whip attachment and your stand-type mixer or with a handheld electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk together on medium high speed until the mixture is smooth. (If you place the sweetened condensed milk in the bowl first, the cream cheese will not stick to the bowl and you will have little need to scrape the sides.) Add the lemonade concentrate and lemon juice and continue beating. Color with red food coloring as desired. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and place it in the freezer. The topping can be anything you desire. Tint coconut to match if you desire. I was happy with just whipped topping.