Magic Cookie Bars RECIPE

Many years ago Eagle Brand

featured a recipe on its label for

Magic Cookie Bars

I have made them many times

replacing the butterscotch bits

with more chocolate

(can't have too much you know)

A couple of weeks ago

I needed a fast easy dessert

so I went back to this recipe

but I made another modification

replacing the butterscotch

with white chocolate

and adding craisins



these are absolutely yummy

to make them:

CRANBERRY MAGIC BARS

1. Evenly pour 1 stick melted butter into 13 x 9 baking dish.

2. Sprinkle 1 cup graham cracker crumbs evenly over butter. I usually press the crumbs into the butter a bit, but you do not have to.

Evenly layer the following:

3. One 6 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

4. One 6 oz bag of white chocolate chips

5. One cup dried cranberries

6. One can sweetened condensed milk

7. One cup shredded coconut

8. One cup chopped pecans

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20- 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. I usually get 20 pieces from a pan.

Be prepared to share this recipe; everyone wants to know how to make them.

Keeper Recipe

 

Muffaletta Calzone

image from myRecipes.com 

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen

For supper last night I made this recipe

from the December 2010 issue of Southern Living.

Aromas coming from the oven were mouthwatering.

Golden brown crustiness surrounding yummy cheesy spicy tangy goodness.

Mmmmm.

Hubby says this one is definitely a keeper.

My tastbuds shouted agreement.

On another note,

my blog has been a neglected stepchild in recent days.

My energy level has been as low as a snake's belly.

Evenings I've spent curled up with a bit of reading.

Anne Rivers Siddon has become a new favorite.

Her command of language is a thing of beauty.

She plays the words like a

maestro stroking the keyboard.

A smorgasbord or the English language.

Black and white that tickles the nose,

tintilates the tongue,

perks the ear,

and catches the eye.

A mental stroll through the heart of the South.

King's Oak

and Sweetwater Creek

already savoured,

Off Season awaiting my leisure.

But it will wait a bit.

One Thousand Gifts arrived Wednesday.

Beautiful, thought provoking, heartstrings strumming,

eye opening,

Anne Voskamp has something in this book.

Something we should all sit up and take notice of.

Each page provides new insight.

Wisdom and joy for the taking.

Nana's Banana Bread

I have used the same banana bread recipe for close to forty years, and it was a great recipe. So right before Christmas I went looking for a better one. Makes perfect sense. After  googling and searching through all my recipe books I found a recipe in the Southern Living Cookbook that I decided to try. But, when I went to the fridge, I was missing a couple of ingredients. No problem, I just improvised and modified like any self-respecting country cook would do. And this is the new recipe I came up with:

Nana's Banana Bread

2 cups self rising flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 (4 oz.) snack cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
• In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, and nuts
• In a second bowl lightly beat eggs. Add melted butter, bananas, applesauce and vanilla.
• Add banana mixture to dry ingredients, stirring only until moistened.
• Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Invert pans onto wire cooling racks. After 5 minutes, remove pans.
• Yield: 2 loaves.

Nothing warms up a cold day like a slice of warm from the oven bread and a cup of coffee. And, as an added bonus, the entire house SMELLS warm and inviting. When my daughter and the boys came the week after Christmas, I had warm banana bread waiting for them. Jesse was the first to try it, and with wide eyes he said "Nana, this is GOOD!". The other boys concurred. We think this recipe is much better than my old recipe. It is moist, but crusty. My husband says it is the best banana bread he has ever eaten.

Salty Peanut White Chocolate Fudge

Remember this from a few days ago?

I promised to post the recipe for this fudge once I had tweaked the ingredients. Everyone who has tried this fudge has loved the combination of sweet and salty. Try it and let me know what you think about it.