Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie

I came across this recipe a couple of years ago when I was looking for a pecan pie recipe for our first Thanksgiving in our house. When I saw that it had chocolate chips, I knew it would be good. It has become one of our favs to make at Christmas and Thanksgiving...

3 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c flour
6 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 c corn syrup
1 1/2 c chocolate chips
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
9 in pie crust (deep dish.... I always have enough to make 1 full pie, and about 1/2 another)

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, flour, melted butter, salt, lemon juice and corn syrup. Mix thoroughly and add chocolate chips and pecans. Pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown.

***I reduced the heat to 300 and cook it for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. I was having trouble with the middle not being set and the top getting too dark.

Oreo Fudge Bars

I found these on another blog....they looked soooooo good!


Ingredients
1 18 oz. package of Oreo cookies
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I just used another 1/2 cup of regular sized semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. Set aside 6 Oreo cookies for the topping.

In a small food processor grind the rest of the cookies. If you don’t have a food processor, just pound with a rolling pin until the cookies are fine crumbs. Add the salt to the crumbs and stir to combine. Melt butter and gently stir together with the cookie crumb mixutre. Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Coarsely chop the remaining cookies into chunks and set aside.

Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt 3/4 cup semi-sweet and 1/2 cup milk chocoalte chips (or semi-sweet) together with the condensed milk and vanilla. Stir frequently until smooth. Spread evenly over the prepared cookie crust.

Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips (or semi-sweet) and the Oreo cookies chunks over the top of the filling. Press down gently into the chocolate topping. Bake for 20-22 minutes oven. Allow to cool on counter for 1 hour. Melt white chocolate in over a double boiler and drizzle over the bars. Chill in fridge until completely cold and set before cutting into bars. If the bars are not thoughroughly chilled they will make a mess.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

I was in the mood for something sweet, but didn't really want to bake anything. I remembered I saw this recipe on someones blog and since I had everything I decided to make it. Plus it gave me a reason to try out my new food processor I got for christmas! The recipe originated from Allrecipes.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1- In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Take a sheet of wax paper and tightly press it over the peanut butter mixture, pressing down to even out the mixture. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or more. Remove wax paper.

2-Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust. Allow to chill completely, then slice into pieces.

Happy Hour Sliders

Another recipe from Healthy Decadence on discovery health channel...they looked yummy! Another recipe I'm not sure how well we can eat since surgery, but I wanted to share.

Olive oil spray
11 ounce tube refrigerator crusty French loaf dough
18 ounces 96% lean ground beef
salt and pepper, to taste
Green leaf lettuce (optional)
12 1/8-inch thick plum tomato slices (optional)
24 dill pickle rounds (optional)
Ketchup or Dijon Mustard, to taste (optional)
3 slices (3/4 ounce each) 2 percent milk American cheese slices (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mist a 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish with spray.

Remove the dough from the tube and place it on a cutting board. Cut it into 12 equal rounds (about 1-inch thick each). Place the rounds side by side (cut sides should be on the top and bottom) on the baking dish leaving about 3/4-inch between them. Press each, to flatten it slightly to about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Transfer the sheet to the oven and bake the rolls for about 20-22 minutes until they are golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.

Place a sheet of waxed paper on a flat work surface. Divide the beef into 12 equal amounts. Roll each into a ball, packing the meat tightly, then press each into a 3-inch diameter patty. Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate the patties until the rolls are cooked.

Meanwhile, preheat a grill to high heat. Arrange the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup and/or mustard, if using, on a platter or in small bowls to accompany a platter big enough to hold 12 sliders. Cut the cheese slices in quarters, to make 4 even squares, if using.

Let the cooked rolls cool for about 2 minutes until warm. Cut each open to make a mini bun. Place the patties on the grill. Grill them about 45 seconds per side for medium rare or until desired doneness is reached. Add one cheese square to each durjng the last 20 seconds of cooking, if using.

Then place one patty on each bun. Transfer them to the serving platter. Serve immediately with optional ingredients, if desired.

Makes 12 sliders. Each slider has: 113 calories, 11 g protein, 12 g carbohydrates, 2 g fat, less than 1 g saturated fat, 23 mg cholesterol, 0 g fiber, 187 mg sodium

Traditional Slider (1 each) has: 173 calories, 8 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 9g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g fiber, 323 mg sodium

Mom's Banana Bread

I LOVE this recipe, always comes out so good. When we buy bananas, I don't eat them after they start getting the spots on them....so I save them for this recipe. Just made this last night. This is not my mom's recipe, it's actually called Mom's Banana Bread in my Cooking Light cookbook. That's right, it's light! So that means you can eat several pieces, right? Stephen and I can't stay out of it!

1 Cup sugar
1/4 cup light butter, softened
3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1/4 c low-fat sour cream (I always use the fat-free)
2 large egg whites
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
walnuts/pecans - optional (I always add nuts. I never measure them, just pour them in)
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until well-blended. Add banana, milk, egg whites, and sour cream. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and beat until blended. At this point, add in some nuts if you want to.

Spoon mixture into about 5 mini-loaf pans coated with cooking spray (the recipe actually says 4 (5 x 2 1/2 inch pans) but there is always enough to make a 5th. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

To make one 9 inch loaf, spoon batter in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 1 hour and 10 min. I've tried the big loaf, and I just like the mini loaves better. It didn't seem like the big loaf cooked as well for me, but I'm always afraid of over cooking or burning it.

4 servings per (mini) loaf, serving size 1 slice:
147 calories
2.2 g fat
2.5 g protein
30.2 g carbs
1.1 g fiber

Potato Skinnys

Ingredients:
4 medium (6-8 ounces) baking potatoes
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
Olive oil spray*
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 slices center cut bacon, chopped
1-1/2 ounces (about 3/4 cup) finely shredded, 75 percent light cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1/4 cup light or fat free sour cream (optional)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Scrub the potatoes very well with a vegetable brush. Using a fork, poke each 5 times. Rub the outside of each with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Place them directly on an oven rack and bake them for approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour or until tender through. Let them cool for 1-2 hours or refrigerate them in a re-sealable plastic bag for up to 1 day.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out the centers of the halves, leaving an even 1/2 inch thick potato shell in tact.

Spray a medium, non-stick baking sheet with olive oil spray. Arrange the potato shells on the baking sheet, so they barely touch. Lightly spray the tops with olive oil spray then sprinkle them evenly with the garlic, cayenne, and salt. Bake them for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place a small, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook it, stirring frequently until barely crisped, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a medium shallow bowl lined with a paper towel to drain.

Then sprinkle the cheese, bacon, then chives evenly over the baked shells. Bake them for an additional 15-18 minutes more or until the potatoes are lightly browned. Top with sour cream if using. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Cookie Crunch Frozen Yogurt Cake

Another recipe from discovery health channel, from the show Healthy Decadence

Ingredients:
56 ounce container plus 4 additional cups fat free vanilla or chocolate frozen yogurt
14 reduced-fat chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
Fat free frozen whipped topping (aerosol-type), optional

Remove the full container of frozen yogurt from freezer to soften slightly, about 10-20 minutes.

Place 10 of the sandwich cookies in a re-sealable bag. Using a meat mallet, crush the cookies until they are slightly larger than crumbs.

Cut a piece of aluminum foil big enough to cover the bottom of an 8-inch spring form pan and to extend at least one inch up the sides. Wrap the outside of the bottom of the pan with the foil, securing it on the sides.

Using a spoon and or spatula, spoon 3/4 of the container into the pan, creating a smooth layer as you do. When it is completely smooth, return the remaining yogurt to the refrigerator. Sprinkle the crushed cookies evenly over the top. Reserve the bag. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze it for about 30 minutes or until it is solid.

Crush the remaining cookies into fine crumbs. Reserve them. Remove the remaining yogurt from the freezer to soften, about 10-20 minutes. When soft, remove the pan from the freezer. Spoon small amounts of the remaining yogurt over the crumbs until a thin layer if formed, creating a barrier to keep the crumbs in tact. Then add the remaining yogurt to form an even layer with a smooth surface. Return the cake to the freezer for another 30 minutes or until solid.

Remove the cake from the freezer. Run a dishtowel under hot water and ring it out. Then wrap it around the sides of the cake pan to help the pan release. Repeat if necessary, squeezing the pan very gently as you to until you can see the cake pulling away ever so slightly. Then remove the rim. Remove the foil and place the cake on a plate or serving platter large enough to hold the cake, but small enough to fit in the freezer. Freeze the cake for another 15-30 minutes or until the edges are frozen solid again.

Sprinkle the remaining crumbs evenly over the top and sides of the cake to completely cover it. (You'll need to press them into the sides). Freeze it again for at least 30 minutes or until frozen solid. Cut the cake into 12 equal slices and serve immediately or return the leftovers to the freezer.