Rocky Road Brownies

Orange Slice Cake

Homemade Tootsie Rolls

Ingredients

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon water, warm
• 1 3/4 teaspoon orange extract
• wax paper or colored foil for wrapping

Directions

Line a baking tray (with sides) with plastic wrap and set aside.
In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate. Stop to stir every 5-10 seconds so chocolate will not burn.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.  Scrap mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and press down with the back side of a spatula to a 1” thickness. (Paula’s Note: It will not completely cover the pan).

Cover mixture with another piece of plastic wrap and let it set overnight at room temperature.  The mixture will be stiff, but still moldable and flexible the next day.
Peel off the plastic wrap and cut into strips (about 1/2”-3/4” wide). Form each strip into a log and roll out the logs between your hands or on your work surface until they are about 1/2” in diameter. 

Cut into sections as long as you like and set aside for a few minutes to harden up again after you have heated them with your hands.  Wrap in waxed paper or colored foil squares.

S'more Nachos

Ingredients:

For the chips:

• 6-8 small (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 3 T. melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 T. cinnamon

For the Topping:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• chocolate syrup for drizzling (optional)
•  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.  Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a dish.  Using a pastry brush, spread melted butter onto both sides of the tortillas. Sprinkle 1 side of each tortilla with a covering of cinnamon-sugar mixture.  Using a kitchen scissors (or knife), cut each tortilla  into 8-10 triangles.  Without overlapping, place triangles sugar side up on a large baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the edges turn up.

Ultimate Banana Bread

 Ingredients

• 1¾ cups (8¾ ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 large very ripe bananas (2¼ pounds), peeled
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup packed (5¼ ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse (optional)
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Directions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8½ by 4½‐inch loaf pan with vegetable oil spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.

2. Place 5 bananas in separate bowl, cover, and microwave until bananas are soft and have released liquid, about 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to fine‐mesh strainer over medium bowl and allow to drain, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes (you should have ½ to ¾ cup liquid).

3. Transfer liquid to medium saucepan and cook over medium‐high heat until reduced to ¼ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, stir reduced liquid into bananas, and mash with potato masher until mostly smooth. Whisk in butter, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla.

4. Pour banana mixture into dry ingredients and stir until just combined, with some streaks of flour remaining. Gently fold in walnuts, if using. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Slice remaining banana diagonally into ¼‐inch‐thick slices. Shingle banana slices on top of loaf in 2 rows, leaving 1½‐inch‐wide space down center to ensure even rise. Sprinkle granulated sugar evenly over loaf.

5. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 55 to 75 minutes. Let loaf cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Smoked Bacon & Vidalia Onion Marmalade

Ingredients:

• 2 to 3 strips bacon
• 1 tablespoon mustard seed
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 pounds Vidalia onions, diced (about 5 onions)
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cane syrup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the bacon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until each strip is evenly crispy. Remove and chop the bacon into small pieces. Set aside.

Toast the mustard seeds in a dry pot over medium heat just until the seeds begin to dance and get slightly browned. Add the vinegar and remaining ingredients (including the bacon) to the pot. Cover and raise the temperature to medium-high.

Allow the onions to sweat on the heat for about 20 minutes, stirring the pot a few times throughout. After 20 minutes, remove the cover and continue to cook on medium heat until most of the liquid is reduced and the onions are dark in color, approximately 45 minutes to one hour.

Marmalade will last for 2 weeks in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer.
Makes 6 cups.

Classic Cobb Salad

Ingredients
Salad

• one large head of romaine or iceberg lettuce
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, grilled or cooked in leftover bacon grease and chopped
• 6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
• 1/2 lb bacon, chopped and cooked crisp
• 2 large avocados, chopped
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey and Colby cheese (or crumbled blue cheese)
• salt and pepper

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cook bacon until crisp. Reserve bacon fat to cook chicken in if desired. Salt and pepper chicken. Grill chicken or cook in bacon fat for extra flavor.

2. Add lettuce to a large bowl. Top with cooked and chopped chicken, crisp bacon, chopped hard boiled eggs, avocados, onion, tomatoes and cheese.

3. Combine lemon zest, red wine vinegar and agave syrup for salad dressing to a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Add salt and pepper.