Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies Week #7: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Bars

Last week Donna of My Tasty Treasures posted these sinful chocolate peanut butter cream cheese bars. Peanut butter and chocolate is a marriage made in heaven, so I had to try these.
I ran to the store and gathered up all the ingredients and got to work. You can find the recipe here on Donna's site.

The recipe starts with peanut butter cookie dough baked in a 9x13 inch baking pan to form the crust. You will also need to bake about 6 peanut butter cookies at the same time. These are reserved for crushing and sprinkling on top of the finished product. The recipe calls for the peanut butter cookie dough mix, but I used the frozen cookie dough. The second layer is a mixture of melted chocolate and butter that is spread over the peanut butter cookie dough. It hardens when it cools and ends up with a texture almost like a Hershey's chocolate bar. The third layer is the stuff that dreams are made of! It consists of peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, and cream cheese. It is sinful and addictive. These bars are decadent, creamy and delicious. You will not be able to stop at one! Thanks Donna!

I am thankful to receive two awards this week. An honest scrap award from Michelle at Ms. Enplace and a Kreativ Blogger award from Tina at Life in the Slow Lane at Squirrel Head Manor. Thank you to both of you! I always look forward to reading both of your blogs.



The rules of each awards are somewhat the same. The honest scrap award asks you to share 10 honest things about yourself and the Kreativ blogger award asks that you share 7 interesting things. I'm going to attempt and combine the two and share seven honest and hopefully interesting things.

1) I have a celebrity crush on Jimmy Fallon. He has such a boyish charm. I've always been a sucker for guys who make me laugh. His late night talk show is one of my favorites.

2) I'm feeling kind of sad that my little boy is turning three on Saturday. I wish he could be sweet and little forever.

3) One of my guilty pleasures is watching the new 90210. The scary thing is that I like it, but worry about all the young kids who are easily influenced by it.

4) My husband likes simple and easy food. The other day he asked me when we were going to eat normal again. Evidently cheeseburger soup is exotic to him :D

5) Ever since I was eight years old, Elton John's "That's Why They Call it The Blues" has been my most favorite song ever.

6) My daughter is like my new best friend. Who knew you could have such profound conversations with an eight year old? She's one smart cookie.

7) I wish we could all meet over lunch or dinner and bring our favorite dishes and recipes. Wouldn't that be fun? I feel thankful to finally meet people who share a love of cooking and baking.

Thanks again to Tina and Michelle for the awards!! I know I should pass these awards on, but it's so hard to pick and narrow it down.

Don't forget to head on over and see what the other ladies made for 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies!!

Megan of My Baking Adventures
Barbara of Barbara Bakes
April of Abby Sweets
Megan of Megan's Cookin
Denise of Keeper Worthy Recipes

Potato Gnocchi with Braised Swiss Chard and Pomegranate Brown Butter - Recipe #47 - Stirring the Pot

This recipe has a lot going on. In fact, you could almost say that this recipe is evil! Making the gnocchi was the easy part. The hardest part was making the pomegranate reduction, braising the swiss chard, making the brown butter, and sauteing the gnocchi in brown butter ALL AT THE SAME TIME! It's been forever since I've actively had every burner on my stovetop going all at once. And, every burner needed my attention. In addition to all these pots and pans, I was trying to open up a pomegranate and those little pesky seeds were flying all over my kitchen. I hardly ever cry, but I wanted to!! The dishes were piled up over the sink, there was flour and potato on the counter and on the floor, and there were little red-rubied pomegranate seeds everywhere. My kitchen looked like a war zone.

I quickly snapped some pictures and sat down to eat. I was still reeling with anger as I looked around my kitchen and surveyed the giant mess.

Do you think Tyler Florence does the dishes?



Potato Gnocchi with Braised Swiss Chard and Pomegranate Brown Butter-adapted from Stirring the Pot by Tyler Florence
Gnocchi:
2 pounds russet potatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
12 ounces fresh ricotta, drained
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick unsalted butter
Pomegranate Brown Butter Sauce
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 cups pomegranate juice, rendered
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Braised Swiss Chard
extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 small onions, diced
2 bunches swiss chard, roughly chopped
2 quarts vegetable broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For garnish:
1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings

For the gnocchi, preheat oven to 350F. Arrange potatoes on a roasting tray and prick all over with a fork to make holes. Roast potatoes for 45 to 50 minutes, until the flesh is tender enough to scoop out with a spoon. When cool enough to handle, scoop the warm flesh into a food processor and puree with the grated Parmigiano-Regianno. Refrigerate until completely cool.

In a large bowl fold together the potato puree, drained ricotta, and nutmeg. Fold in the flour, 1 cup at a time. Season with salt and pepper and mix until a soft dough forms. (Do not overwork dough or it will be tough). Flour a surface and roll dough into a rope 1 inch in diameter. Cut into small pillow shapes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add gnocchi and cook until they float. Drain well and transfer gnocchi to a sheet tray. Refrigerate until cool. When gnocchi are cool, melt the 1 stick butter in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add gnocchi and saute until brown, set aside.

For the pomegranate brown butter sauce, brown the 2 sticks butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until it turns a hazelnut color (the butter solids should be brown and aromatic). Meanwhile, in a large saucepan reduce pomegranate juice over medium-high heat until syrupy. Add pomegranate reduction to brown butter. Swirl pan to combine ingredients; season lightly with salt and pepper.

For the braised swiss chard, in a small stockpot heat a 2-count of olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) over medium heat. Add garlic and onions; saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Add swiss chard and toss a few times. Add vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper; simmer for 5-6 minutes, until Swiss chard is wilted and tender. Stir in vinegar and the 2 tablespoons butter. Toss well to combine.

Serve braised swiss chard with gnocchi and top with pomegranate brown butter sauce. If you like, garnish with pomegranate seeds and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings.

Notes/Results: Absolutely delicious!! Amazing combination of textures and flavors. A must make, especially if you are a vegetarian or happen to be hungry for a wonderful meat-free meal. The little gnocchi are so fluffy, the swiss chard is almost meaty and has a wonderful bite, the brown butter sauce is nutty and sweet, the shaved Parmigiano adds a salty bite, and those little pomegranate seeds are like big bursts of tart flavor. This is one lip-smacking dish!

I think you could do several things to make this recipe easier. First and foremost, just buy the gnocchi. Believe me, there is so much flavor going on in this dish that you won't miss the homemade gnocchi. I've made this recipe twice now and I bought a great whole wheat gnocchi for the second time around. Secondly, deal with your pomegranate ahead of time. And, maybe you can make either the swiss chard or the pomegranate brown butter sauce ahead of time. This is definitely a dish worth making and is beautiful with all the pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top! If you don't want to try the whole dish, at least try the preparation for the swiss chard and top it with the pomegranate brown butter sauce and pomegranate seeds. I'm thinking of serving the swiss chard as a side dish for Christmas because it is so pretty and reminds me of the holidays with those red rubied pomegranate seeds.

Man Food for I Heart Cooking Clubs: Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine

This week's theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs is "Man Food". Nigella's recipe for Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine might not sound manly, but it definitely is. The recipe begins by sauteeing up four slices of bacon until crisp. The bacon is removed and thin slices of chicken are cooked in the bacon fat. Once the chicken is cooked through, the bacon is crumbled and added back to the pan, and 1/3 cup of white wine is added to make a sauce. The bacony white wine sauce is poured over the chicken. The finished result is meat, cooked in meat juices, served with meat on the side. Does it get more manly than that?

My husband had to travel to North Carolina this week and wasn't home for the big "man feast". I went ahead and made the chicken schnitzel anyway, worried that I would end up eating it and that the kids wouldn't like it at all. You know how kids can be with eating. Mine seem to like things individually, but mix them together and you can bet they won't touch it.
My daughter wouldn't touch it, but my son loved it!! He kept asking for more and more. It ticked me that he was devouring this chicken. I guess even little two-year old boys love "man food" even if they eat it out of a little Winnie the Pooh bowl.

Chicken Schnitzel with Bacon and White Wine -Nigella Express by Nigella Lawson

Nigella says:

"A Chicken Schnitzel, or escalope, grilled plain is certainly fast fare, but it wouldn't make you skip to the dinner table. Bacon comes to the rescue here; nothing fancy, just sweet, salty ribbons courtesy of Oscar Mayer, which I always keep in the fridge for just such an eventuality."

1 teaspoon garlic-infused oil
4 strips bacon
4 (40z) chicken escalopes or boned and skinned breast halves
1/3 cup white wine (I used Marsala)

Put the garlic oil in a skillet and add the bacon. Fry till the bacon's crisp and the pan is full of bacony juices, remove the bacon to a piece of foil, wrap it, and set it aside for a moment. Fry the chicken for about 2 minutes a side, until there is no pinkness when you cut into a piece. Make sure the pan's hot so that the escalopes catch a little, turning beautifully bronze. Remove the chicken to a serving plate and quickly crumble in the bacon you've set aside, then pour the win in and let everything bubble up, and pour over the chicken pieces.

Notes/Results: Although this is not something that you can indulge in all the time, it is a quick and tasty dinner. I was worried that the chicken would be very greasy, but it wasn't. The white wine made a wonderful and glossy sauce for the chicken and the bacon. It sure was tasty to have a piece of chicken and a piece of bacon on the fork and dip it into the sauce. Nigella says that she likes to take the chicken leftovers, chop them up with a little cream and Parmesan to make a quick pasta sauce. I love the idea of using the leftovers in a creamy pasta dish, but my hips and thighs are telling me not to! This was a good solid dish, that I thought was tasty but that my son absolutely loved. I will be making it again.

Don't forget to head over to I Heart Cooking Clubs throughout the week to check out all the other "Man Food".

hop hop hop....

Cancel your appointments, mark your calender, get ready for the first official Dotty Divas Blog hop.

We are so excited and would love for you to join us all in a weekend of fun, a chance to win some amazing prizes on our main blog, Dotty Divas, as well as the DT's blogs! There will be tons of inspiration, prizes to be won, and wonderful people to meet.

Save the date now.....

Cheeseburger Soup and Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits

I was all set to post my Tyler recipe today, Potato Gnocchi with Braised Swiss Chard and Pomegranate Brown Butter, but there was a problem with the pictures and I need to replate it and take some more pictures. It was a delicious dish and it deserves a great picture. Instead, I am bringing you Cheeseburger Soup and Copycat Cheddar Bay Biscuits (you know, Red Lobster style).

Awhile back, I saw Teresa at A Blog about Food make a cheeseburger pasta, which I thought sounded delicious! Then a couple of days later Beth at The Seventh Level of Boredom made a cheeseburger soup. I had these recipes on my mind for days and couldn't shake them. I just knew both of them were people pleasers. I was debating which one to make when my mom called and said she was making these delicious Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I knew instantly that the soup would go perfect with the biscuits and headed over to mom's with all the soup ingredients.
I was not about to miss out on the copycat version of the Red Lobster biscuit. Let's just say this recipe for the copycat biscuits was right on. The recipe made 14 biscuits. Mom and I ate 10 of them! Yes, 10!!! The soup was delicious, but the biscuits were addictive. You can find the recipe for the biscuits here, on the food network. This recipe was also in their food network magazine under the "Copy That" section. On a personal note, this is my favorite page of the magazine and I have made each of the recipes. There have been some great finds such as, copy cat Auntie Anne's soft pretzels, Pinkberry frozen yogurt, Olive Garden's salad and breadsticks, and now these delicious, fluffy, cheesy, garlicky, scrumptious and lusciously addictive Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Can you tell I'm a carb queen? Make them as a treat one day, you will not be disappointed.

I am submitting the cheeseburger soup to my friend Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for Souper Sundays. This was an easy and delicious soup. It was even more delicious the next day and was happily gobbled up by all. This has become one of my favorite soups and will be made on a regular basis now. I loved that each person could customize their soup with their favorite burger topping. Ideas for toppings are: bacon(of course), tomato, chopped dill pickle or relish, red onion, and many more. I went ahead and put about a teaspoon of relish on my soup, which seemed to really brighten up the flavor of the soup. A delicious and comforting family favorite. I followed this recipe from the Recipezaar website. The recipe is packed with cheese, meat and potatoes, a total man pleaser, and anyone else for that matter! Head on over to Deb's site tomorrow to check out all the delicious soups, sammies, and salads!!


We are having our last couple days of great weather here in Kentucky. This weekend the temperatures will almost reach 70 degrees outside and then the weather is going to start turning for the winter. I raked up a huge pile of leaves the other day thinking that my toddler son would love jumping in the leaves. He had more interest in the rake than the leaves. Turns out that my daughter, Olivia, was the one who really enjoyed herself!!

how exciting....

How exciting to open this months Scrapbooking memories and not only find my KICK layout of Larsen in the baby gallery but it was also featured on the contents page as well, although I cant show it yet on my blog be sure to check out the magazine for Larsen's first published layout he was lagging behind Addison a bit LOL!

Twelve Weeks of Christmas Cookies Week #6: No-Bake Cookies

No-Bake Cookies have been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. They are also something that I have never made. While looking through cookie recipes, I found this one and I was so excited to give it a try. Who knew that they were so easy? In fact, they are so easy that they are actually dangerous! Just knowing that I can whip a cookie up in less than 10 minutes is certainly a dangerous thing for me. These are addictive and will definitely be on my cookie tray this year. I got the recipe from Recipezaar where it was rated five stars and had 167 reviews.

No-Bake Cookies - courtesy of Recipezaar (I halved the recipe and it worked great)
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or chunky)
3-31/2 cups dry quick-cooking oats *I used old-fashioned oats with great results*
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add the first four ingredients into a 4-quart sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil and hold for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Let cool until set.

Also, I wondered if anyone has ever tried Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey? For some reason, I did a search on Alton Brown's top ten recipes last night. I couldn't believe how many five star recipes he has listed on the food network. But, this recipe for his roast turkey really caught my attention. Are you ready for this??? Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey has received a five star review and has been reviewed 2234 times!! I have never seen so many reviews on a recipe before. I started reading the reviews and people were raving about it. So, I was curious if any of you have tried this recipe before? If you have, please share. If you haven't, maybe you should. I think this is the recipe I'm going to try this Thanksgiving. How can you go wrong with so many wonderful reviews?

Check the link out here:
Alton Brown's Good Eats Roast Turkey, rated five-stars by 2234 people

Head on over to see what these fellow cookie monsters baked up this week!
Megan of My Baking Adventures
Barbara of Barbara Bakes
April of Abby Sweets
Megan of Megan's Cookin
Denise of Keeper Worthy Recipes