Tuxedo Brownie Bites

Tuxedo Brownie Bites

Prepare a brownie mix or your favorite brownie recipe.  Mix according to directions (cake like).  Bake for 10-14 minutes at suggested temperature or until toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and indent with something (I use my pizza cutter blunt end).  Cool in pan 15 minutes and then remove and let completely cool on rack.  Fill with:

8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2 oz. white chocolate (melted)
1 c. cool whip.

Pipe filling into indentations.

Submitted by Celeste Knight

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Brownies:

1 1/2 c. melted butter

3/4 c. cocoa

3 c. sugar

6 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/4 c. sifted flour

Frosting:

3/4 c. butter, softened

3 T. milk

3 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

green food coloring, optional

Chocolate layer:

2 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 c. butter

Whisk together melted butter and cocoa. Add sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Mix well, then stir in flour by hand. Do not over-mix. Spread in greased 12x17-inch cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Cool and then put in the freezer for 20 min. For frosting, mix butter, milk, powdered sugar and extract. Can color with green (or red) food coloring if desired. Frost brownies and then put in freezer for another 20 min. Melt chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler and spread on top of the frosting layer. Freeze another 20 min to set.

Submitted by Leah Vance

Nutella Sliders

These are soooo "Sandra Lee Style". (If you don't know who Sandra Lee is, she's on the Food Network, and she's all about "Semi-home-made")

These are a great, tasty little snack I like to make sometimes. And they really couldn't be more simple:

Ritz Crackers (these where the whole grain/wheat version)

Nutella

Banana, sliced

Smear Nutella atop cracker, then add banana slice. Done. Tasty little pop in your mouth bite. Heck, I bet they aren't even that "unhealthy".... think after-school snack.... :)

Oreo Mint Truffles

1 pkg. Oreo cookies 
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 
1 lb semi-sweet or milk chocolate
1/2 lb white chocolate
Peppermint extract (optional)

1. Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie powder and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese). Blend in a few drops of mint extract (optional).
2. Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 45 minutes.
3. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. In double-boiler, melt chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet. Refridgerate until set.
4. In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool.
5. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Submitted by Katy Lorenc

Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles

• 4 (15-oz.) cans of whole green beans ~ not “cut”, not “french-style” (I used one bag of frozen beans)

• bacon strips, cut in half

• 1 cup melted butter

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

• 1 tsp. soy sauce

Gather 10 beans into a bundle. Wrap bacon around beans and secure with a toothpick. Arrange in a 9×13 pan.

Combine melted butter, brown sugar, garlic salt, and soy sauce in a bowl. Mix well. Pour over beans.

Chill overnight or for several hours. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes – 1 hour, or until bacon is cooked.

Bacon Apple Spinach Salad

5 slices bacon

¼ c. sliced almonds

2 TB sugar

8 c. spinach and romaine

1 Granny smith apple, unpeeled, cored, diced

Dressing:

1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil

3 TBsp White vinegar

¼ c. sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 red onion, sliced thin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In skillet, cook bacnon until crisp. Drain on paper towel. Crumble.

In small skillet heat 2 Tablespoons sugar with the almonds in saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir while sugar starts to melt and coat almonds. Stir constantly until almonds are light brown. Turn onto a glass plate and cool for 10 minutes.

Add dressings ingredients in jar, seal lid tightly and shake well. Keep refrigerated and shake again before serving.

In large salad bowl combine spinach, bacon, almonds, and apples. Toss with dressing. Serves 6-8.

Orange Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
¾ cup warm orange juice
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
3 to 3½ cups all-purpose flour (I used 1/2 c wheat flour as part of this)

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Orange Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 to 2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions:

Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine warm orange juice and yeast; stir and let sit until yeast is dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, egg, melted butter, salt, and orange zest; beat until mixture is smooth. Add 2 cups flour; stir until well mixed. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board; knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time if dough is too sticky.

Place dough in a well greased bowl; turn dough over once to grease the top. Cover bowl with a small kitchen towel and let dough rise is a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Prepare one 13x9x2 inch oblong pan; lightly grease the pan with shortening.

Punch dough down then turn onto a lightly floured pastry mat or pastry board; knead dough briefly, 4 to 5 times. Roll the dough into an 18 inch by 9 inch rectangle.

Filling:
Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with melted butter to within ½ inch of the edges.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle sugar cinnamon mixture evenly over buttered dough to within ½ inch of the edges. Roll-up dough jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch the seams together to seal. Slice dough into 1½ inch pieces and place about ½ inch apart in baking pan.

Cover and let rolls rise is a warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bake:
Bake rolls 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove rolls from oven. Place pan on a wire cooling rack to cool.

Orange Icing:
In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar, butter, vanilla, orange zest, and enough orange juice to make a good spreading consistency. Spread icing onto still warm rolls.

Makes 12 rolls.