chocolate and coconut...

Many years ago a neighbor, Adeline, known for her baking skills introduced me to macaroon bars. The recipe was like a brownie with a middle macaroon layer and I made them often when we were first married. Soon macaroon mix became obsolete and no longer available in our local stores and I just forgot about the recipe until my last hair appt. You see my hairdresser, Danielle, is the granddaughter of Adeline, the neighbor who shared the recipe with me. Her Aunt Deb (Adeline's daughter) owns the salon and while we were talking about her parents who have both been gone for twenty plus years, I reminisced about Adeline's cooking and her bar recipe. Deb remembered them as well and said if I still had the recipe she would love a copy. For my appt today I did one better - I brought them the recipe along with some freshly made bars.I searched and found the original recipe as written here.

Adeline's Macaroon Bars (circa 1976)
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Filling:
1 pkg coconut macaroon mix
1/2 cup water

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, beating well. Add rest of ingredients. Spread 1/2 of this mixture in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Mix the macaroon mix with 1/2 cup water. Spread this over the brownie mixture. Then spread on the rest of the brownie mixture. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Since the packaged macaroon mix is no longer available I decided to try this bar recipe using my favorite recipe for Coconut Macaroons as the filling. Deb remembered her mom frosting the bars with the boiled 1 minute chocolate frosting but I used a chocolate ganache.

Coconut Macaroons
(Heart Healthy Living Magazine)

3 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 egg white
Dash salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine coconut, condensed milk, vanilla and lemon juice. In a medium bowl, beat egg white and salt with an electric mixer until it holds soft peaks. Fold into the coconut mixture. Using a teaspoon, drop small mounds of the mixture, measuring about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, about 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared sheet. with slightly wet fingertips, pinch the mounds to make them narrower and taller. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the sheet from front to back after 10 minutes. When done, slide the parchment off the cookie sheet onto a wire rack. After 10 minutes, remove the macaroons from the parchment using a thin metal spatula, and place them directly on the rack to cool. Note: Because we love the chocolate topped macaroons from a MN bakery I dip these in chocolate as pictured instead of leaving them plain.

Because these cookies are a favorite I made a second batch of the coconut mixture and actually made the cookies. It was dark by the time they were done so I used a photo of them from a few years ago.

Macaroon Bars & Cookies
Marsha - Thumbs UP
Jeff - Thumbs UP

Winter Whites...

Today, I am joining the White Christmas/Winter White blog party over at my friend, Kathleen's blog, Cuisine Kathleen. Please click HERE to visit her blog with the links to all the other bloggers participating. As you can see there is no shortage of the white cold stuff outside at my house, it will definitely be a White Christmas here in MN.I've participated in 2 of Kathleen's white events before but had to bend the rules a little since I didn't have any all white plates. This summer I purchased a full set of 9 (and there 12 of many of the pieces) of Mikasa French Countryside dinnerware at Goodwill for $29. Many of the pieces still had the original price tags on the bottom of the plates leaving me to wonder who would have donated them. A check tonight of the Mikasa website shows a single place setting selling for $39.99 so I think I got quite a bargain.
The white 60x120 tablecloth with silver snowflakes is another GW bargain at $6.99. The glittery silver placemats are from Kmart and were purchased for the black/white/red table I did for the tablesetting fair several weeks ago.
The centerpiece is composed of a rectangular mirror topped with a lighted arrangement in a mirror vase, silver beads, mirrored star ornaments, little white ceramic birds, silver glittered trees, candles and fresh flowers. The place card holders are also mirrored and I didn't realize until I downloaded my photos that I forgot to put name cards in them...oops.
At Christmas, I like to use ornaments for vases. The silver balls were purchased several years ago at GW and I removed the tops. I balance them on some crystal candle holders also purchased at GW just for this purpose. I love how the single gerber daisy reflects on the ornament.
In fact, I love how everything reflects in the ornaments and mirrors...well, except for the photographer :)
A closer look at the mirrored centerpiece...
and a mosaic showing how everything sparkled in the bright sunshine.
The main reason I like to use the mirror in a variety of centerpieces is because of candlelit dinners.
I prefer to set the coffee cups on the side until dessert, none of my guests drink coffee with their meal but like it with a rich dessert.
The white tree is a GW find and is lit with one of those round press on lights that are usually hung in closets.
The butterfly clip on in the centerpiece has special meaning and will be put on our Christmas tree for years to come. A butterfly is the symbol of infant loss from miscarriage or stillbirth and honors the memory of Ethan, our grandson born into heaven.
It sparkles with hope in the darkness.
Wishing all those who want one a white Christmas...me, I'd be happier with a warmer one - it's COLD here.

Tea & Cookies...

It's cold outside! I just got in from filling all my birdfeeders and in my opinion there is no better way to warm up freezing fingers than a hot cup of tea. In today's pot is jasmine blooming tea.
The cookies are courtesy of my sister, Laura, who visited last weekend from California and brought a container of her famous Lemon Cookies for the family potluck. She made the rounds and stayed at 2 of my sisters and finally my house last so I got to keep the leftovers :) I've been having tea & cookies all week and these cookies if stored in an airtight container stay crisp until the last crumb.

Laura's Lemon Cookies

2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large lemons
3/4 cup butter (do not substitute margarine or shortening)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Grate 1 tablespoon lemon peel from the lemons and squeeze two tablespoons juice. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and lemon peel together and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and powdered sugar together until creamy. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and stir to combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and add in the bowl of dry ingredients just until blended. Divide dough in half and shape each half into a 6" long log. This is easiest done in wax paper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut chilled log into 1/4 inch slices and put on a ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional sugar and bake approximately 12 minutes or until very slightly tan on the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet for about 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies stay crisp for weeks and freeze well also.

Marsha - Thumbs UP
Jeff - Thumbs UP

tablesetting fair...

I was honored to participate in a table setting event as part of a fundraiser for a group of local women raising money to walk in the Susan G Komen 3-Day Walk for the Cure on August 19-21, 2011 in Minneapolis. It was held in a local church and as soon as you walked in the door the first table was set all in pink for breast cancer awareness.The remaining tables were all set by a very creative bunch of women, I really enjoyed viewing all of them.

This patriotic one was set by my sister-in-law honoring her son with his combat boots from a recent tour in Iraq and her dad's flag and letters written home during his service.

I hope you enjoy seeing these tables as well.











This is the table I contributed, I took my photo before I added in all the battery operated candles so ignore those out of place on the table...
at least Jayme, remembered to take a photo once the candles were in place - Thanks Jayme!

GS or BS?

I had a fun family potluck gathering this weekend where we were asked to make a good old fashioned MN hotdish - I opted to make an old family favorite rather than a new recipe so there is no new recipe to share from me. Instead, I am sharing my brother's contribution which included the recipe he used for GS or Grilled Skunk.
Click on the photo to make it larger to read the attached recipe - sounds more like BS than GS to me :)

He is always good for a laugh - thanks Steve!

I didn't even try it so I can't give the thumbs up but I am sure it was good.

macaroni and cheese...

Let me start out this post by telling you that until Thanksgiving day I haven't had a spoonful of macaroni & cheese enter my mouth in over 40 years. Horrid memories of the baked crisp and dried out school lunch macaroni & cheese and the version my own mother made left me with an extreme dislike of the dish. But while looking at a blog called "Our Old Southern House", Natalie, the author, stated: "There is only one dish that I am “known” for. Everywhere I go people want the recipe. In fact, every family event we have I get automatically signed up for it–whether I want to do it or not." I figured this was a recipe I had to try while looking for a crowd pleasing recipe - you see last year, I hosted the first annual chili/soup cookoff for my extended family. We had so much fun showing our competitive sides while presenting and bragging up our soups in order to win the "crock pot" trophy that this year my sister is hosting the first annual Minnesota "hotdish" and blue ribbon bar competition next weekend. Hotdish is known as a casserole in most other states :) I made a taste testing 1/2 batch of Natalie's recipe for Carmelized Onion and Pecan Macaroni and Cheese on Thanksgiving and for a mac/cheese hater this dish was pretty darn good :)

Carmelized Onion and Pecan Macaroni and Cheese
as copied from Natalie's blog. Please click HERE for her full "Oh So Cheesy" post with the recipe.

Ingredients

1 (8-oz.) package large elbow macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 (16-oz.) block white Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
32 saltine crackers, finely crushed and divided
6 large eggs
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional sure, but I think they make the dish)

Preparation

1. Prepare macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.2. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and 1 tsp. sugar. Cook, stirring often, 15 to 20 minutes or until onions are caramel-colored.

3. Layer half each of macaroni, onions, cheeses, and cracker crumbs in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Layer with remaining macaroni, onions, and cheeses.

4. Whisk together eggs and next 3 ingredients; pour over macaroni mixture.

5. Stir together remaining cracker crumbs, melted butter, and, if desired, pecans. Sprinkle evenly over macaroni mixture.

6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until golden brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

While this dish is fantastic I am not sure it classifies as a "hotdish" which according to Wikipedia is a meat, starch, vegetable and a canned soup so I am undecided as to what I will bring for the competetion. I think Tater Tot Hotdish might be our state recipe and it is One Hot Dish according to this article in Relish Magazine. While it is a favorite I don't think it is a prize winner so if any readers have a "winning" recipe for a hot dish or a pan of bars that if entered in a fair would win a blue ribbon please send them on!

Of course, I could always call this dish a vegetarian hotdish :)

Marsha - Thumbs UP
Jeff - Thumbs UP

back in the kitchen...pumpkin turnovers

Thanks to some gentle prodding from my dear friend, Kathleen, I'm back to blogging from Marsha's Kitchen. Summer is just such a busy time for us and our business that it is hard to find time to prepare new recipes - usually we eat the quick tried and true old ones. I look forward to sharing many new recipes once again over the fall/winter/spring months. Besides, I need to be up and running so I can participate in her White Christmas/Winter White meme on Dec 15th! Look for more information in the coming weeks on her blog.

The new recipe I tried today was from the blog of a Minnesota food writer, Sue Doeden (All about Food). She also writes a weekly newspaper column in several newspapers. She calls these little bites of pleasure "Grab-and-Go Sweet Pumpkin Turnovers".
Since the oven was heated up I also made some banana bread (2 small loaves and some pumpkins & leaves in my silicone molds).
I always add chocolate chips to my banana bread and today since I had extra chopped walnuts from the turnovers they were tossed in as well.When the baking was done I made myself a cup of tea to go along with the "sampling" and also to have a little break before I tackled the pile of dishes.
One bite into the crispy pumpkin turnover and the leaf banana bread went back on the serving plate so I could "grab" a second turnover :)
The cinnamon sugared leaves and acorns made out of the scraps of walnut studded pie crust were pretty darn good as well :)
The recipe as copied from All About Food on this POST.
Grab-and-Go Sweet Pumpkin Turnovers

* 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking spice blend, pumpkin pie spice blend or your favorite baking spice
* 1 (14.1 ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
* 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
* Milk
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 egg white, lightly beaten with 1 teaspoon water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar and spices. Set aside.

Unroll one pie crust on work surface. Sprinkle with half of the chopped walnuts. Use a rolling pin to roll over dough, pressing the nuts into the dough.

With a 3 1/2- to 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 8 rounds from the dough.

Repeat with remaining pie crust in package.

Spoon one tablespoon of pumpkin mixture onto the center of each round. Moisten edges with milk, fold in half and press edges together to seal. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Brush turnovers with egg white. Sprinkle each with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated 450-degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 turnovers.

The first ones are sweet and crunchy with the cinn/sugar topping, Sue states in her notes that after being stored the pastry will be soft. I'm leaving these sit out for a while so that when Jeff comes home he gets to taste the crunch as well.

Marsha - Thumbs UP
Jeff - not home yet, but I'm confident it will be a 2nd thumbs up :)