Salted Caramel bars

Salted Caramel Butter bars

Crust:

2 cups salted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbls vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

For the Filling:

14 ounces soft caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped

1/3 cup milk or cream, I use half and half

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

optional – 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

To Make the Crust:

Preheat oven to 325°. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Press one-third of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are a pale golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.

Filling:

While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the milk or cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Once the caramel is melted add in your 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and stir until combined.

Pour the caramel filling over the cooled crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.

Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.

Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.

Let cool completely. Cut into squares.

Ooey, gooey lemon bars

1/2 cup softened butter

15 ounce box lemon cake mix

1 large egg

zest from one lemon

1/3 cup lemon curd  (recipe below)

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the cake mix, egg, and lemon zest until combined and a thick dough forms.

Press 2/3 of the cake mixture in the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the lemon curd evenly on top of the dough, but not completely to the edges. 

Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the lemon curd, then drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the chocolate.

Break up the remaining dough and crumble it over the top of the bars. Press lightly.

Bake for about 29-32 minutes, until slightly browned. Cool completely.

Slice and enjoy!

Lemon curd recipe

1 c sugar

3 large eggs

1 c fresh lemon juice

Zest from 3 lemons

1/2 cup butter , melted and slightly cooled

Instructions

In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter.

Cook in the microwave for 5 minutes, whisking well after each minute (toward the end, whisk every 15-30 seconds.) DO NOT let the mixture come to a boil or the eggs will curdle. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars (the curd will thicken the more it cools.

Caramel Apple Cake (easy)

 

1 box yellow cake mix 

1 21 oz can apple pie filling

2 eggs beaten

1 12 oz jar caramel ice cream topping divided

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish or grease and flour pan.

In a medium bowl, combine dry cake mix, pie filling, beaten eggs, cinnamon, and 1/4 cup caramel topping.

Mix on low speed for one to 2 minutes.

If you want larger pieces of apple in your cake, be careful not to mix too vigorously or the apples will break up fairly small. I mush prefer the smaller pieces throughout the cake rather than bigger pieces here and there.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Batter will be thick.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes.

Oven times do vary but your cake should be golden and bounce back to the touch.

Remove cake from oven and pour remaining caramel topping over warm cake.

Some of the caramel topping will go over the sides as you spread it out.

This is going to add to the moistness of this cake.

The warm cake is going to absorb most of the sauce as it begins to cool.

If you prefer a some sort of frosting on your cake, just combine a tub of whipped topping with the caramel sauce and spread it on the cake.

Caramel O's

 

• 12 cups Cheerios cereal

  1 cup packed brown sugar

  1/2 cup butter or margarine

  1/4 cup light corn syrup

  1/2 tsp salt

  1/2 tsp baking soda

  
  

  
  

  Heat oven to 250°F. Into large ungreased roasting pan, measure cereal; set aside. 

  In 1-quart saucepan, heat brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  Remove from heat; stir in soda until foamy. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Divide mixture between 2 ungreased 13x9-inch pans.

  Bake 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Store in airtight container.

Tips

• Add chopped salted peanuts or pecans to make this treat special.

Cheese steak sandwiches

Cheese steak sandwiches

1.5 lbs. of chuck roast or round steak (I prefer chuck roast)

1TBL oil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 onion sliced

1 bell pepper sliced (red,or green or both)

3 cups beef broth

6 French rolls (I use hamburger buns in a pinch)

12 slices Provolone American,(shredded cheddar and monterey jack blend works well too)

Rub the roast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. 

Brown roast on both sides in fry pan.

Place in crockpot.

Add onion, bell pepper and beef broth.

Stir to mix.

Cook on low for 6 hours on low or until meat is tender.

 Slice meat into thin strips or shred, place back in crockpot while preparing the buns.

Toast buttered open rolls for several minutes until slightly crusty.

Lay a piece of cheese on both sides of the roll.

Use tongs to remove meat, onions and bell pepper from slow cooker (letting juices drip off a bit) and pile on top of rolls.

Put some of the juice in a small bowl for dipping pleasure. Mmmm. 

Return to the oven to melt cheese. Serve hot!

Potato Latke's

1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons flour (or more) 

1 1/2 teaspoons salt and freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

In a food processor grate the potatoes. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and transfer potatoes to the sieve. Set sieve over a bowl, twist cheesecloth into a pouch, squeezing out some moisture. Let mixture drain for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour off liquid from the bowl but leave the white potato starch that settles in the bottom of the bowl.

To that starch add shallots, eggs, flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt and freshly ground pepper. Return drained potatoes to this mixture and toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking pan with paper towels. When you are ready to eat, in a large skillet heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium high heat until hot. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of potato mixture and cook for 3 to 4 minutes a side; latkes should be golden and crisp on both sides. Eat right away or keep warm in oven. Serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Cheeseburger meatloaf

Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan

3 slices Texas toast or any bread, cubed 

1/4 cup milk 

1 pound ground beef 

3 strips crisp cooked bacon, chopped 

1 large eggs 

1/4 c chopped onions (personal amount)

2 Tbls ketchup

1  tablespoon mustard 

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces Cheddar, cut into small cubes, plus 1/2 cup grated Cheddar

topping

4 Tbls grated  onion 

1/2 Ketchup

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dill pickle chips, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a broiler pan with nonstick spray.

Mix together the bread and milk in a bowl and set aside.

Add the ground beef, chopped  bacon, egg, onion, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 T ketchup, 1/2 tablespoon mustard to a large bowl. Add the soaked bread and mix with your hands, trying to keep the mixture light. Gently mix in the cubed Cheddar, making sure to distribute it evenly throughout the meat.

Form the meat mixture into a loaf. Place on broiler pan.

Mix the grated onion with the remaining 1/2 cup ketchup, 4 T  mustard  in another bowl. Spread half of the sauce on top of the meatloaf. Tent the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove the foil, add the rest of the sauce and continue baking until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F and the meatloaf is no longer pink in the middle, another 35 to 40 minutes. Sprinkle on the grated Cheddar and return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before removing to a platter.

Slice and serve with the sliced red onions and dill pickle chips.