Bruschetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola

Bruschetta with Peppers and Gorgonzola, by Jaime B.
Ina Garten

Serves: 18 bruschetta servings

Ingredients
Good olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon capers, drained
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Baguette
3 ounces creamy Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir in the capers and basil, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the baguette crosswise into 18 thin round slices. Brush the bread rounds lightly with olive oil on 1 side. Arrange them in rows, oil side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Top each toast round with a teaspoonful of the pepper mixture. Place 2 small pieces of Gorgonzola on top. Return the toast to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes and warm through. Serve immediately.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, by Lori S.
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home

Serves: 12 large pieces

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 cups milk
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra to grease the pan
8 ounces aged extra-sharp Cheddar, grated, divided
1/3 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts, plus extra for garnish, 3 scallions
3 tablespoons seeded and minced fresh jalapeno peppers

Directions
Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the dry until most of the lumps are dissolved. Don't overmix! Mix in 2 cups of the grated Cheddar, the scallions and jalapenos, and allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking pan.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated Cheddar and extra chopped scallions. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into large squares. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Chili

Chicken Chili, by Tracy W.
Recipe courtesy Barefoot Contessa Parties!
Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients
4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
Freshly ground black pepper

For serving:
Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream
Directions:
Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Barefoot Contessa Night!

We had a fabulous night enjoying yummy foods from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). It was such a fun night! I will get the recipes posted soon!
We had quinoa salad, chicken chili, jalapeno cheddar cornbread, creamy rosemary polenta, pepper bruschetta, coconut macaroons, cheese danish, chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, and sour cream coffee cake. So good!

Marble Bark

Marble Bark - Charlotte H.

INGREDIENTS
1. 6 (1 ounce) squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
2. 6 (1 ounce) squares Premium White Baking Chocolate
3. 1 cup Chopped Pecans, toasted

COOKING DIRECTIONS
1. Microwave semi-sweet and white chocolates in separate microwaveable bowls on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolates are almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolates are completely melted.
2. Stir 1/2 cup of the pecans into each bowl. Alternately spoon melted chocolates onto wax paper-covered baking sheet or tray. Swirl chocolates together with knife for marble effect.
3. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

White Chocolate Ghosts

White Chocolate Ghosts - Charlotte H.


INGREDIENTS
1. 12 ounces white chocolate chips
2. 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3. Lollipop sticks
4. Mini chocolate chips


1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2. Melt white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water; stir occasionally. Remove bowl; mix in oil. Drop 1 tablespoon of mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Use the back of a teaspoon to quickly spread into a ghost. Place a lollipop stick at the base, spinning to coat. Add chocolate chip eyes. Refrigerate ghosts 5 minutes, then peel off.

Game Day Dip

Game Day Dip - Jaime B.

1 package Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 package of cream cheese

Cook sausage completely in a pan. Breaking it up as you cook it. When it is done cooking, add tomatoes and cream cheese. Simmer together until the dip reaches the thickness you want.

Fall Recipe Club

Here's the yummy spread of food we had for our Fall Recipe club.

Microwave Caramels

Microwave Caramels - Cynthia R.



1/2 C butter
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C Karo syrup
1/2 C sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter in microwave in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Add sugars, syrup and milk. Microwave for 6 min. at 80% power. Stir. Microwave 3 more minutes at 80% power. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Let set, then cut into squares. Wrap in wax paper.

Spider Web Cookies

Spider Web Cookies - Lori S.
Recipe and pictures from: Spider Web Cookies

(Lori's disclaimer - these were harder than I thought they would be. Decorating the cookies with the glaze was tricky!)
Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Chill for 1 hour.

Roll dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and place them on a cookie sheet. Flatten the dough balls with your hands.

Then mix up the frosting glaze before you bake your cookies. The cookies will not work if you don't frost them right out of the oven.

For the glaze: (**I had to double this recipe**)
2 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. shortening
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients well. Separate about 3/4 cup of the glaze into another bowl and add desired food coloring(black). Put the colored glaze into a pastry bag with a small writing tip. (Be sure the glaze is not too runny. Add more powdered sugar if it is.)

Bake cookies in a 400 degree oven for approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Now, when your cookies are RIGHT out of the oven - and I mean piping hot - take a few off the tray and begin frosting them with the non-colored glaze (I leave the rest on the tray to keep them warm until I frost them). Pipe the colored glaze in a bulls eye like this:

Then take a toothpick (or BBQ skewer in my case) and start in the center of the bulls eye and lightly draw lines going to the edge of the cookie. Repeat all around for spiderweb effect. [Hint: I never put the next batch of cookies in the oven until I have decorated the first. You HAVE to do this when the cookies are warm, otherwise the glaze doesn't melt on the cookies and they will look dumb. Trust me. I learned that the hard way.]













Add a plastic spider to each spider web cookie.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake - Summer H.



18 peanut butter filled oreos
3 Tblsp. butter
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
2 Tblsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup half and half
approx. 12 peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
(plus 4 more for decorating)

Grind up oreos and mix with melted butter to create crust onto the bottom of a springform pan.

Mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk until well blended. Fold in half and half and peanut butter cup chunks. Pour batter into springform pan. Line the outside of the springform pan with tinfoil and place in a large baking pan. Pour boiling water into the baking pan until it comes 1/2 way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave oven door open until cheesecake is cool. Then refrigerate until cold before removing sides of springform pan.

Decorating the cake
- melt 1 cup milk chocolate chips with 1 tsp. of crisco and drizzle over top of cake. Put swirls of peanut butter frosting around top edge of cheesecake. Cut 4 peanut butter cups into quarters and decorate.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tblsp. half and half
Mix well with mixer.

Caramels

Caramels - Mindy H.



1 lb. butter
1 bag (2 lb.) brown sugar
1 bottle (16 oz.) corn syrup (lite)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt all ingredients together then bring to a boil stirring until sugar is blended well. Then boil medium high until 244 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

- To make caramels, pour into a large greased cookie sheet. Let cool completely, then cut into caramels.

- To make caramel apples, let caramel cool to 200 degrees, then dip apples - (make in a narrower deep pan if possible.) Makes about 16 large apples.

- Can also use for caramel popcorn, but it makes a ton