Honey Pecan Bars

My mom and I drove down to Alabama for a long weekend to visit my Grandmother for memorial day weekend.  I wanted to bake my Grandmother something but I had no idea what.  The only thing I had to go on is that she loves pecans and butter.  Initially I was going to make a pecan pie but I only had a deep dish plus I haven't mastered crust too well yet.  I searched and searched and finally found this recipe for Honey Pecan Triangles at Cookie Madness.  Honey, pecans, caramel on shortbread (of course made with LOTS of butter) were the main ingredients...perfect. 

My mom warned me that my grandmother doesn't like sweets so she told me not to get offended if she doesn't eat them...she could not have been more wrong.  Her and my Uncle were hoarding them on their plates! It was hilarious.  My mom ate 2 of them and then sneaked one for the car ride home!  Needless to say, these will be made time and time again.  My mom already decided they are going to be the new family tradition Christmas dessert. 

crust.
6 tablespoons softened butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (I cut down on the flour a little bit, I only used 1 cup) 

filling.
14 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ¾ cups toasted pecans and chopped (To toast pecans, just lay them out on a cookie sheet and bake for about 6 or 7 minutes at 375 degrees F)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square metal pan with non-stick foil or line with regular foil and spray with cooking spray.*
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
3. Beat in the egg, then add the flour and stir until mixed.
4. Press into bottom of baking pan and prick crust several times with a fork. Bake crust on center rack for 15 minutes, then let it cool for 20 minutes.
5. To make the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and honey and gently boil for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar, stirring once or twice.
6. Add the cream and boil for about 30 seconds.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans. Pour over crust and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
8. Let bars sit at room temperature for at least an hour before cutting.
9. Lift from pan, set on a cutting board, cut into 9 squares, then cut the squares diagonally into triangles. Makes 18

*I had a really hard time with the foil.  After it was done cooling I had to peel it off and it only came off in scrappings and took forever! I buttered the pan with butter instead of cooking spray so that may have been the problem although I don't see why.  I also cooled them in the fridge which maybe I shouldn't have done.  I feel like maybe parchment paper would work better, however; I'm not really sure that would lay in the pan nicely. The sides definitely need to be covered. 

The Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie Recipe...ever.

                                        

You know how in my last post I said that I was doing p90x and trying to eat healthier? Well, that's not working too well considering I ate 1/2 a peanut butter pie this week. Seriously, I couldn't help it.  I couldn't bring it into work because my supervisor has gestational diabetes and that would just be mean and there is no boy in my life at the moment, so what else was I supposed to do with it? I'm thinking maybe I should get rid of this 'Baked' cookbook because I can feel my ass growing exponentially with the number of recipes in the book that I conquer.  Here is yet another one.  The best peanut butter pie I ever had in my life.  And I'm not just saying that because I made it either.

Yep. Did that all on my own. Don't judge.

crust.

30 chocolate wafer cookies (about 6 ounces)*

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

*I used 1 sleeve of Oreo Cookies with the filling and all.  This was the best cookie crust I ever tasted.  

1. In a food processor, grind the cookies to a very fine powder. You should have about 1 1/2 cups.
2. Put the crumbs in a bowl and stir in the sugar (I didn't add sugar since there was cream in the Oreo's and I figured that was enough sugar).
3. Pour the butter over the crumb mixture and mix until well combined.  The mixture will feel wet.
4. Turn the crumb mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate and press it into the bottom and up the sides.  You can use the back of a large spoon to even out the crust.
5. Put the crust in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

peanut butter filling and chocolate bottom.

1/2 (3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup

8 oz cream cheese, at room temp*

1 cup creamy peanut butter*

2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

*I used l/3 less fat cream cheese and low fat peanut butter because that was all I had.  It was still the best peanut butter pie I've ever had in my life but I mean, I'd say, go for the full fat and it might be even better (if that's possible).  I mean, you're putting 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream (which I would not skimp on, don' think the texture would be the same if you used a lighter cream) so...there goes all hopes of a "lighter" pie. 

1. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave oven or in a double boiler (I just melted them in the microwave for about 2 minutes, checking every 30 seconds of course, and that worked just fine and much easier than a double boiler).
2. Add the corn sytrup and stir to combine (This was so weird, it stuck together like dough.  You could roll it out with a rolling pin.  I would recommend actually doing this before the next step.  Try to shape it a little bit to fit the bottom of the pie pan because if you spread when you get it in the pan, its really easy to break the crust). 
3. Use a spatula to spread the chocolate in a thin layer on the bottom of the chilled pie crust.  Put the crust back in the refrigerator while you make the peanut butter filling.
4. Put the cream cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and brown sugar in teh bolw of an electric mixture fitted iwth the paddle attachment.  
5. Beat on medium speed until well combined and completely smoooth.  Set aside.
6. In a clean bowl, use the mixture fitted with the whisk attachment to whip the cream until soft peaks form. 
7. Remove from the bowl from the mixer and with a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture until the mixture is uniform in color. 
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared curst and freeze for at least 4 hours. Once the pie is frozen, you can cover it with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 days. 

easy hot fudge sauce.*

6 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped

6 oz dark chocolate (64% cacao), finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

*I didn't make the hot fudge sauce but I put it in here since the Baked boys had it in the book and it sounds amazing. I'd love to know how it turns out though if anybody tries it.  I wasn't planning on serving this to anybody really and I REALLY didn't need hot fudge sauce sitting around my house.  I'm sure it tastes phenomenal though. 

1. Place both chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside. 
2. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat. Add the corn sytrup and stir to combine. 
3. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolates.  Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. 
4. Starting in the center of the bowl and working your way out to the edges, whisk the chocolate mixture in a circle until completely smooth.  
5. Cool to room temperature and cover tightly and this sauce will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator. 
6. Rewarm the sauce ina  microwave oven on medium heat for 30 seconds, stir, and repeat until the sauce is warm; or reheat it in a small saucepan over low heat. 
7. Place frozen piece of pie on a large serving plate and spoon 3 heaping tablespoons of the warm sauce directly over the top of the pie. Eat. Enjoy. 

Low Fat Sausage, Egg and Cheese Calzone

This was another Cooking Light recipe that I found in one of my older magazines.  My version probably wasn't so low-fat but the original recipe is actually really good for you. I used hot Italian sausage where they called for Chicken Sausage and I didn't use low-fat cheese, but in theory, you could make this really healthy can low fat. I've been doing p90x which is this extreme workout program where Tony Horton (the "trainer"), kicks my butt every night when I get home from work and NEVER shuts up.  They have a really strict diet that goes with the program and I'm pretty sure if you made this the low-fat way, it would be acceptable for the program.  It also called for pre-made pizza dough. I used Pillsbury Thick Crust pizza dough but I'm sure you could find a lower fat version? Maybe not.  Anyway, this was super amazing and definitely kept me full until well after lunch time.  Enjoy!

low-fat sausage, egg and cheese calzone.
1  (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
cooking spray
1  tablespoon  olive oil
1/4  cup  chopped onion
4  ounces  chicken sausage with jalapeño peppers, chopped (I used hot italian sausage)
2  large eggs, lightly beaten (substitute 4 egg whites for a lower fat version)
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4  cup  shredded cheddar cheese
1/4  cup  chopped seeded jalapeño peppers (I didn't have any jalapeno's..boo, so I used red and yellow sweet peppers)
1  large egg white, lightly beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Unroll dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; pat into a 15 x 10–inch rectangle.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sausage; cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in eggs; cook 1 1/2 minutes or until set. Remove from heat.
4. Sprinkle Monterey Jack lengthwise down center of dough, leaving about a 2 1/2-inch border on each side. Spoon egg mixture evenly over cheese. Sprinkle cheddar over egg mixture; top with jalapeño peppers.
5. Make 2-inch-long diagonal cuts about 1 inch apart on both sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Arrange strips over filling, alternating strips diagonally over filling. Press ends under to seal. Brush with egg white. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices.

Lemon Lemon Loaf or in my terms 'Lemon Glazed Pound Cake'

Yea, so this is another 'Baked' recipe.  I'm sorry.  I feel like most of my recipes have come from this book lately but I just can't help it.  The recipes are SO good.  Maybe I'll be like that girl in Julie and Julia and bake everything in their book, I mean, I'm well on my way.  The only difference is I don't have the dedication or the concentration to post everyday AND bake every day. I mean, that's a lot of work. 

Anyway, I'd give the recipe...ehhhh, a 7.  It was good but a little dry.  I'm not really sure after 8 eggs and 1 POUND of butter how it was dry, but it was.  They say that lemon glaze on the top is optional...not in my book.  That stuff was awesome.  I ended up eating the top of the cake everytime and leaving the rest of my slice on the plate. HAHA.

                                     
                                    


lemon cake.
1 1/2 cups cake flour.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour.
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
8 large eggs
1/4 cup grated lemon zest (about 4 lemons)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup sour cream (room temp)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

lemon syrup.
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar

lemon glaze. (they say optional, I say not)
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 to 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice

for the cake.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the sides and bottom of two 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a food processor (YAY, I could complete this step because I actually have one now), blend sugar, eggs, lemon rind and lemon juice. 
4. Slowly add melted butter and vanilla through the spout at the top and pulse until combined.
5. Fold flour mixture into lemon/sugar mixture until just combined.  Do not over mix.
6. Pour mixture into prepared loaf pans and cook for 20 minutes, rotating pans half way through cycle.
7. Turn temperature down to 325 degrees F. and continue to bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. While loaf is baking, prepare lemon syrup:
1. Heat lemon juice and sugar in saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved.  Continue cooking for 3 more minutes.
2. Remove mixture from heat and set aside.
9. Invert both loaves onto a cooling rack and poke with a toothpick over the top and sides of the loaves.
10. Brush glaze over the loaves and let soak for about 5 minutes.
11. If you are preparing the lemon glaze (which I strongly strongly recommend), combine the confectioners sugar and lemon juice.  Mix and add more lemon juice or confectioners sugar (to thin or thicken the mixture) until you have reached the desired consistency.
12. Drizzle mixture over the top of the loaves and let set for about 15 minutes.