Easy Toffee Pretzel Bark

Ingredients:

18 ounces mini pretzels
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
18 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1-12 ounce bag and half of another)
Flaked sea salt

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cover evenly with the mini pretzels and set aside.

Heat the two sticks of butter and light brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

When the mixture comes to a rolling boil, set timer for 3 minutes, stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

When the timer goes off, pour the mixture evenly over the pretzels (it will not completely cover the pretzels, but this will all fill in when it cooks in the oven).

Place baking sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan to a cooling rack. Scatter the chocolate chips on top. Return the baking sheet to the oven for one minute (this will help the chocolate melt quickly).

Remove the pan back to the cooling rack and using a spatula, spread the melted chocolate evenly.

Sprinkle with flaked sea salt.

Allow to cool and set. This will take about an hour outside of the refrigerator.

Break in to pieces and serve.

Coconut Caramel Pie

**This recipe makes 2 pies

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup butter (optional)

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese softened

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1  (16 oz.) frozen whipped topping

1 jar caramel ice cream topping

2 graham cracker pie crusts (preferably homemade)

 In a skillet lightly brown the pecans and coconut in the butter.

Or you can toast the pecans and coconut in the oven without using butter.

Set aside to cool. 

With an electric mixer blend the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk and whipped topping. 

Layer 1/4 of coconut mixture evenly over each pie.  Repeat layer with remaining ingredients.  Cover and freeze until firm.  Let frozen pie stand at room temperature for 5 minutes before cutting.

I got this recipe from a wonderful friend, Barb Mitchell.  RIP Barb.  She made this along with other food one time after Blake's surgery and brought it to our home.  Miss her and think of her often.

Cinnamon Breakfast Cake

Filling and Cake:

1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 package plain yellow cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
3/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. water
4 large eggs
1 t. vanilla extract

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350.  Mist a Bundt pan with baking spray.  Dust with flour; shake out excess flour.

For the filling, place brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl and mix well.  Set aside.

Sprinkle pecans in bottom of pan.  Set aside.  Place cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla in large mixing bowl.  Blend with mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Scrape down sides of bowl.  Increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more.  Pour 1/3 of batter into pan; scatter 1/2 of filling over batter.  Pour another 1/3 of batter evenly over filling.  Scatter remaining filling over batter.  Pour remaining batter over top, smoothing it with rubber spatula.  Place pan in oven.

Bake until cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed with finger, 58-60 minutes.  Remover pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.  Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack.  Allow it to cool completely, around 30 minutes more.

Prepare the glaze.  Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in small bowl and stir until smooth.  Place the cooled cake on a serving platter and spoon the glaze over the top so that it drizzles down the sides and into the center of the cake.  Slice and serve.

Zucchini Casserole

2 medium zucchinis, sliced

1/2 -1 white onion, sliced thinly

1 green pepper, sliced thinly

Italian seasoning or oregano, to taste

8 oz. Mozarella cheese

Parmesan cheese

8 oz. tomato sauce

Brown onions and green pepper in olive oil.  Season with Italian seasoning or oregano to taste.  Add zucchini.  Cover and steam for 2-3 minutes.  While zucchini is still crisp add tomato sauce.  Cover & simmer for about 5-8 minutes until zucchini is tender.  Put half of the mixture in 8 X 8 baking dish.  Add a layer (1/2) of Mozarella cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan.   Repeat.

Bake at 400 or until cheese melts.  about 10 minutes.

Stuffed Zucchini

• 
  
  
  
  
  Olive oil, for brushing baking sheet
• 2 medium zucchini
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded, and diced small or sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
• 5 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into 1-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil. Halve zucchini lengthwise and scrape out seeds. Place, cut side up, on sheet and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, oregano, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Top zucchini with tomato mixture. Bake until zucchini is tender, about 20 minutes.

Heat broiler, with rack in top position. Top zucchini with mozzarella. Broil until cheese is brown and bubbling, 1 to 2 minutes; serve immediately.

Hot Apple Dumplings

 Ingredients
2 Granny Smith apples
1 lemon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 canned buttermilk biscuits
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Peel, core and slice the apples vertically into 8 slices each. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water and add the apple slices to keep from turning brown.

In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup water, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the butter and vanilla. Bring the sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat.

Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Wrap a biscuit layer around a slice of apple, stretching the biscuit slightly to overlap, and seal on the bottom. Place the wrapped slices, sealed-side down, in a 9- by 12- by 2-inch casserole dish. Pour the hot sugar mixture over the apple slices. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the tops of the wrapped apples. Bake until golden brown, 35 minutes.

Caramel Apple Sheet Cake with Caramel Frosting (13 X 9)

Ingredients:

Cake:
2 eggs
1 cup  Vegetable Oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups  Self-Rising Flour
3 cups apples, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation Directions:

1. Heat oven to 300º F. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add oil and sugar; stir until well blended. Stir in remaining cake ingredients; blend thoroughly. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 300º F. for 1 hour 10 minutes or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool.

Caramel Frosting

Ingredients

1/3	cup butter
2/3	cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/3	cup milk
3	cups powdered sugar
1	teaspoon vanilla extract
	Pecan halves (optional)

 

Preparation Directions

1.	MELT butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in brown sugar; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add milk, continue cooking until mixture boils, stirring constantly.
2.	REMOVE from heat; gradually stir in powdered sugar. Add vanilla; blend well. Spread over cooled cake. If frosting gets too thick, add a little more milk; blend well. Garnish with pecan halves, if desired.