I have some great pictures to go along with this post but for some reason the computer won’t let me upload them. I will add them later since so many of you have requested this recipe.  I’m sure since you just ate one, you know what they look like.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (I recommend Land O Lakes salted) Melted

1/2 cup olive oil (any old kind will do)

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 cup Nestles semi sweet chocolate chips

1 Hershey bar, chopped into chunks

1 cup Kraft caramel bits

Maldon salt, or Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bow, whisk together the dry ingredients, flour, soda, salt, powder. Set aside.  In a larger bowl, whisk together the melted butte, and olive oil.  Whisk eggs in one at a time.  Stir in vanilla.  With a wooden spoon, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet.  Mix well then add the chocolate chips, Hershey bar chunks and caramel bits.

Form into 2-3 Tbsp balls.  I used a cookie scoop.  Place the on the cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with the heel of your hand.  Sprinkle with Maldon salt or Kosher salt.

Bake for 9 min.  Don’t over bake.  They do not get very brown on top.  They will be lightly brown around the edges.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Enjoy.

If you don’t have a waffle maker, buy one.  They are as cheap as $10 at Target or Walmart.

Also you will need a torch.  Also not expensive but you can only find them online or at a kitchen store like Sur La Table or William Sonoma.

2 cups  waffle mix, prepare according to package directions

1 pound bacon, fried crisp and chopped into small pieces

1 jar Nutella

syrup

whip cream in a spray can

6 bananas

white sugar

waffle maker and a torch

Mix the bacon into the waffle batter.  Make waffles using your waffle iron.  Pour a little syrup on each plate,  top with a 1/2 waffle, spread about 1 TBSP of Nutella over top, top with Whipped Cream.

To caramelize the bananas.  It only takes a second so don’t be intimidated.  It does require a little practice though, so buy a few extra bananas the first time you try it.

Cut banana in half then cut each half lengthwise.  Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over each.  I put mine on my griddle pan because I about set the house on fire when I put it on a paper plate and tried to torch it!

Using the torch, about 2 inches away, torch until golden brown.  Keep the heat on it until it is bubbly.  Will be a little crunchier.  Garnish your plate with 2 pieces of banana.

Makes 6 waffles which will serve 12 people.  Pretty rich and filling.

Easy table decorations.  Candles from Target and $6 worth of flowers! Napkins from Target too.

I know………it has been a long time since I have posted anything.  I have had a lot going on in the past 2 years with my parents and their illnesses.  I hope you have been using my site for your cookbook of favorite recipes anyway.

I wanted to share with you a fun dish for summer.  We have an outdoor bar be cue place in town that has a menu item that we fell  in love with.  My neighbor Amy also makes it and she gave me the paper boats we use to serve them.  You can buy them at Sam’s.  There are 750 in a box so find a friend and split them with her.

So here is what you do……

1 bag of frozen mini Ore Ida tater tots.  Bake or fry according to package directions.  I baked.

1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar or monterey Jack cheese, sprinkle over tots after they are done and return to the oven until cheese is melted

Place about 15 tater tots in each paper boat.

Top with chopped moist brisket purchased at your favorite local joint. About a quarter pound per person.

Garnish with sour cream, bar be cue sauce and jalapeños and pickles. Serves about 6.

Add a little half and half or milk to this sour cream with a whisk and put it in one of these squirt bottles that you find at a kitchen store or sometimes at the grocery.  Cut the squeeze top off to allow the thicker liquid to come out.

Side dish serving ideas:

Apple cole slaw:

1 bag shredded cabbage or bag cole slaw mix

1 bunch green onions, green part diced

2 granny smith apples, chopped, sprinkled with sprite or lemon juice to keep from turning brown

1/4 cup roasted almonds, slivered or sliced

Purchased Cole Slaw dressing.

Mix together and refrigerate.  Keeps well.

Paula Deen’s Cucumber Salad

Fruit Salad in a Watermelon bowl

Your favorite baked bean recipe

Seems like a strange combination but they really compliment each other.

I just happened to have this loaf pan I had picked up at Home Goods.  Normally I would use a normal size loaf pan.  These are a nice size to share.  The pan makes loaves 2 1/2 by 3 1/2.  Recipe made 8 of the minis plus 3 of the little ones.  The little pans are 3 X6.  I will have to add med and large pan dimensions later.  Makes 3 medium or 2 large loaves.

Pumpkin Mocha Bread

 

Peach and Homemade Vanilla Blue Bell ice cream is back.  Great time to try this dessert.  If you are not in Texas and you can’t find peach ice cream you could use a can of peach pie filling and stir it into a gallon of softened vanilla ice cream.  OR there are other options at the end of the post.

This tastes like an oatmeal cookie ice cream sandwich.  So easy and you can make it days ahead and have it ready to go in the freezer.

Crust:

Mix flour, oats and brown sugar  together in a bowl then cut in 3/4  cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter until pea size crumbs form. Add 1 cup chopped pecans.

Pat into a 9X13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes and brown around the edges. Stir while still warm to crumble.  Return to oven and bake 5 minutes, stirring once,  until  browned and crumbly.  Leave it a little chunky.

Cool completely.

 

Spread half the crumbles in a 9X13 pan or dish.

Drizzle with caramel  ice cream topping.(about 1/2 cup) I like Mrs. Richardsons but you can’t always find it. Hershey’s Caramel will do.

Drop by larger spoonfuls onto the crust so you don’t disturb it.  After you have all the crust covered you can spread it out with a spatula.

 

Spoon softened ice cream over crust.

Drizzle with more caramel, (1/2 cup) then top with rest of crumbles. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours. Thaw 10 minutes before serving.  Serve with a little caramel drizzled on the plate.

Other variations:

Vanilla ice cream using hot fudge in place of the caramel.
Vanilla ice cream using hot fudge and caramel.
Blackberry Cobbler ice cream with Caramel.
Butter Pecan ice cream with Caramel and hot fudge.
Heart Healthy Frozen Yogurt with fat free caramel.

 

Those Lemon tarts on the front are awesome! Very fun to make.  I will post them some time. Or I’m sure you can find them online.

heres the recipe….

Crust and Topping

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)

Fruit Filling

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cups all purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 (16 oz) packages frozen blackberries, you can either defrost and drain and bake the bars for 60 minutes or use them frozen and bake for 80 min.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9X13 baking pan with butter or cooking spray.  Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of mixer fitted with a paddle.  A friend told me that she does not always understand the lingo in recipes because she is fairly new to cooking so I am going to post extra pictures to help out those who are still learning.  

This is the  mixer with a paddle.  There is also a whisk attachment that I only use when whipping cream.

There is also the option of using a food processor for the crust.  Process for about 45 seconds.  If using the mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium then add the flour and salt and mix just until crumbly.

Reserve 1 and 1/2 cups of the crust mixture to use later for the crumb topping.  Pour remaining crust into 9X13 pan and gently press.  Bake of 12-15 minutes or until edges are starting to brown.Cool for at least 10 minutes.  Set the timer!

To make the filling.

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Then add the sugar, sour cream, flour, and salt.  Gently fold in the blackberries.  Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust.  Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture evenly over the filling.  Bake for 60 minutes or 80 minutes if your blackberries were still frozen.

If they start getting too brown the last 20 minutes, gently lay a piece of foil on the top of the pan.

Dudelicious!

I think I like making cookies more than anything.  I almost always have some cookie dough in the frig just waiting to go into the oven.  If you think you don’t make good cookies, you probably don’t do things in the right order and you probably over beat them.  Also you have to use the right ingredients, no cheap margarine or cheap chocolate chips.  Cheap eggs are ok.  HaHa but Egglands best are really good.  Did you know Land O Lakes owns them?  My husband works for Land O Lakes but not on the butter side.

1 cup Land O Lakes salted butter (2 sticks)

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (do not dip your measuring cup in the flour,  it packs it down too much and is not an accurate cup.  fill measuring cup with a scoop.  then level off top)

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups Old Fashioned Quaker Oats (not instant)

1 cup toasted and chopped pecans (see photo below)

1 1/2 cups Nestles Chocolate Chips

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, beat butter until soft then add sugars just until combined.  Add eggs one at a time, beating 30 seconds in between.  Add salt and baking soda to the measuring cup and then put flour on top.  Dump into mixing bowl.  Add rest of flour.  Beat on low just until combined.  Scrape bowl down and beat on low a couple of more seconds. Add oats and beat a few seconds.  Then add Chips and pecans.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using an ice cream scoop, place cookies 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 for 16 minutes.

If you have a Trader Joes in your area, these toasted pecan pieces are great.  They also have half pecans that are in the same aisle that are roasted and salted.  I also use those a lot for baking.  Very reasonable too.  I only use Nestle semi sweet Chocolate Chips.  They are the best.

Remember, don’t beat them to death and your cookies will turn out better.

By the way, these cute little milk bottles are from Amazon.  I will post a link later.

Problem with this is the pretzel pecan crack that you make to put in this will not make it to the end.  It is soooooo good, you will be munching on it all day and you won’t be able to keep grubby little fingers out of it. I changed the original recipe  a little.  Her blog is amazing.  You should check it out!!!!  I wanted a little taste of strawberry Jello in there. http://www.thegunnysack.com/?s=strawberry+pretzel Told you I was still figuring it out.  I am too tired.  I will fix that tomorrow.

Here’s my version.

3/4 cup melted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup crushed pretzels (takes 2 cups of mini pretzel to equal 1 cup of crushed)

Preheat oven to 400.

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave for 1 min 15 seconds.  Add the brown sugar, pecans and pretzels.  Stir together.

Spread on a cookie sheet with a rim.  Bake for 7 minutes at 400 degrees. 375 if using a dark pan.

Allow to cool.  When cool, break up into small pieces.

Set aside to continue cooling.

8 oz cream cheese (regular or lite)

1/2 cup sugar or stevia

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. Strawberry Jello (regular or sugar free)

With an electric mixer, mix together until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Fold in 8 oz.  Cool Whip (regular, lite or sugar free)

Then fold in 2 cups fresh Strawberries.

Just before serving fold in the pretzel pecan crack if there is any left!  Serves 8-10.

If you need to make this ahead.  Cut the strawberries, whip the cream cheese mix and make the pretzel pecan crack the day before.  Just before serving fold it all together.  Make sure the pretzel crack is completely cool before putting it in an airtight container.

The pecan pretzel crack  is also wonderful on hot fudge and caramel sundaes or blueberry gelato ice cream!

Enjoy

I am also going to post a new recipe that my sister and niece found on Pinterest and made for Thanksgiving  that you will love.  It is a new version of the old Strawberry Pretzel Salad but is a little easier to throw together on the day you are hosting with the same great pretzel, jello and cream cheese flavors.

Also I will post my Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pecan Cookie recipe that I have been trying to perfect for years.  I think I am there.  Cookies are my favorite dessert.  I am making Pig Out Cake for dessert on Easter because it is light and everyone loves it.  It is very old fashioned.  Nothing wrong with that!

There are a couple of Brunch recipes and appetizers as well that go well with your ham.  I hope everything turns out Dudelicious!!!

Jesus came that we might  have life and have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Topping:

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

4 Tablespoons butter softened

1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans

( I love the toasted chopped pecans at Trader Joes)

Cake:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup whole buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

3/4 cup raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl whisk together topping ingredients, except the butter, in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the butter and beat on medium speed until crumbly.  Stir in pecans.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each. Beat in vanilla.

In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Gradually add flour mixture to the  butter mixture alternating with buttermilk, ending with flour.

Mash raspberries in a small bowl and then stir in raspberry preserves. Set aside.

Spread 3/4 the cake batter into the springform pan.  Spread raspberry mixture over batter.  Dot the top with the rest of the batter.  Spread to edges.  Sprinkle topping over top of cake.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan.