Friday, November 21, 2014
Parsnip & Potato Soup
There are a few people, places and things that I just always get confused. Like parsnips and rutabagas, those are two vegetables that I always have to read the labels for at the grocery store as I fear purchasing the wrong one. Yes, I know a parsnip looks like a white carrot and a rutabaga looks like a giant purple and white potato, but what can I say I just have a mental block. Kind of like Billy Joel and Elton John...no, don't worry, I don't think they look alike, but I can never guess their music correctly. In my mind their music is always interchangeable!! Yes, I know some of you are thinking that is just sacrilegious, but I am just being honest. And for the sake of full disclosure I must admit that I also always get Natalie Portman and Keira Knightly confused....now which one was in Star Wars again?
Anyway, back to the soup before I get myself in even more trouble. This soup was really good!! Seriously, how can you go wrong with any recipe that has bacon, butter, and cream in it? Maybe I should have thrown those 3 ingredients in my slow cooker bread the other day...hell, anything would have helped that hot mess of a recipe!! But seriously, this soup was so good! It was creamy and had great flavor from the salty fatty bacon, the hint of spice from the nutmeg and the hint of caramelization from the potatoes, parsnips, onions and garlic that were cooked in bacon fat and butter. Yum!!
This recipe also allowed me to use my new kitchen gadget...the immersion blender...and let me just say blending soup has never been so easy! I was that girl that would have full-on hot blender soup explosions ALL the time, up until I received my immersion blender as a gift. Nothing makes me happier now!!
 |
| I love bacon!! |
So to begin with, cook the bacon. The smell of bacon just makes me happy!
 |
| Yum! Good snack while cooking! |
Remove the bacon and most of the bacon fat. Next, add the butter and the potatoes, parsnips, onion, pasley and garlic and cook for approximately 20 minutes. For me, this mixture wanted to stick a bit to the bottom of the pan, so remember to stir it every once in awhile, but it was tasty and kind of reminded me of hash browns. One of the other great things about this recipe is the fact that you don't have to stress about knife cuts...you are going to be blending all of the veggies anyway so they don't have to be pretty. I, for one, hacked the hell out of them and I truly enjoyed getting my work day aggressions out on them...just sayin'.
 |
| This soup has a color scheme-white! |
Remove the parsley...I am not even sure what the parsley was for...seriously when you think about it, how much flavor does a few sprigs of parsley lend to an entire batch of soup? Hmmm...
 |
| This is the random parsley |
 |
| This mixture would be amazing with eggs and bacon in the morning. Just sayin' |
Now add the chicken broth and take your immersion blender to the pot. Yipee!! This is fun and so much less messy than trying to ladle soup into a blender, exploding said soup all over the cabinets in the blender and trying to pour what little soup you have left back in the pot. Oy!!
 |
| Immersion blenders are my new kitchen addition |
Next add the cream and bacon (that you cut into bite sized pieces...well if you didn't snack on all of it) back into the soup and warm slightly.
Top with chives and pepitas (pumpkin seeds). This is absolutely the most perfect comfort food!
I have to admit I was totally stressed when I was blending this soup as it was brown instead of white, like the picture, but once I added the cream all was right with the world. Serve this with a nice Sauvignon Blanc and you will have happiness. Cheers!!
Here is the actual recipe:
INGREDIENTS
6 slices bacon, cut into thirds (preferred brand, Oscar’s Smoke House)
2 tablespoons butter
2 large Russet potatoes, 1 1/4 pounds, peeled and diced
3 to 4 large or 6 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped (3 cups)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Black pepper
About 1/8 teaspoon grated or freshly grated nutmeg
1 bundle of parsley, tied with string
1 quart homemade or store-bought chicken stock
1/2 pint cream
Salt
Toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to garnish
Chives, chopped or snipped, to garnish
Sourdough rolls or English muffins and softened butter, to serve
PREPARATION
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and render until crisp. Remove, finely chop and reserve the bacon bits.
Spoon off all but a few tablespoons of the smoky drippings and add butter to melt. Reduce heat a bit, add potatoes and stir to coat. Add parsnips, onions, garlic, black pepper, nutmeg and parsley; partially cover and cook to soften 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The color of vegetables should be light golden. Remove parsley.
Puree potatoes and parsnips in batches if necessary in a food processor or blender with stock or just add stock to the soup pot and use an immersion blender. Stir in cream and reserved bacon bits, then, season the soup with salt to taste.
Serve in shallow bowls with pepitas and chives to garnish, sourdough rolls or English muffins toasted and buttered alongside for dunking.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Slow Cooker Bread...Not My Biggest Kitchen Success
I now know how hockey pucks are made. I saw a post
this week by another food blogger about how to make homemade bread in the slow
cooker and it peaked my interest. How could it not, right? I had visions of
coming home to the smell of freshly baked bread like the bread my Mom made when
I was a kid. I had visions of crusty fresh warm bread and melted butter dancing
through my head. And I was thrilled by the thought of all of this without hours
of slaving in the kitchen, without the patience required to watch bread rise
and without the agony of defeat. I, however, tend to be a tad bit of an
optimist and this just so happened to be one of those times.
Don't get me wrong, the recipe was easy enough.
What could be easier than throwing 5 ingredients in a bowl and stirring, right?
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 |
| Yes, I know this looks like a bad science experiment |
So I was pretty successful with this portion of the
recipe.
Now for the crock pot portion of the recipe:
Directions
Shape your loaf of bread: Shape your loaf into a
round or a loaf depending on the size of your slow cooker and/or what kind of
loaf you'd like to make. Set the shaped dough on a square of parchment paper.
(If you're baking the bread in a pan, there's no need to use parchment.) I was
pretty excited by the fact that I cut the parchment paper to match the size of
my crock pot, especially since as many of you know I hate parchment paper and
it is one of my kitchen enemies.
Lift it into the slow cooker: Lift the loaf by the
parchment and set it in the middle of the slow cooker. Try to arrange flatten
the parchment as much as possible against the sides of the slow cooker to
prevent it from getting caught in the bread as it rises. Cover the slow cooker
with its lid. →
Pre-Baking Rise?You do not need to let your bread rise before baking. However,
if your bread dough has been in the refrigerator, letting it warm a bit on the
counter can reduce the overall cooking time.
Set the slow cooker to HIGH: Turn on your slow
cooker to the highest heat setting (or quickest time setting). This step also
went pretty well and I was thrilled by the fact that I didn't have to watch my
bread rise and do other stuff to it in between.
Bake for 1 to 2 1/2 hours: Baking time will vary
depending on your slow cooker. If this is your first time baking bread in your
slow cooker, begin checking the loaf after 1 hour, then every 30 minutes, and
then more frequently as it nears finishing. Record this baking time for future
reference.
Checking the internal temperature of the loaf is
the best way to tell when it is done baking; a finished loaf will have an
internal temperature of 190°F to 200°F. The top will also feel soft but no
longer spongy, and the bottom will be hard and slightly golden. I also did
a good job of watching it cook in the crockpot or should I say watching reality
TV as it cooked.
Brown the loaf under the broiler: If a
darker-colored, crustier loaf is desired, set the loaf on a rack positioned in
the middle of the oven and turn on the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes. Check
frequently to avoid burning the loaf. And yes I even browned the top of bread
in the broiler because it was a little lackluster in color when I took it out
of the crockpot.
Cool and slice: Let the loaf cool completely on a
wire rack before slicing.
It was this step that I felt the wind come out of
my sales. My bread had grown slightly in size, but it was still flat. It had a
nice brown coloring to it, but dang it was dense. And the flavor was ok, but it
did kind of remind me a little bit of sucking on play dough as a kid, just a
little too salty and for once I didn't add extra salt and a slightly strange
consistency.
At the end of the day I just have to say it was a
cool idea, but it didn't give me the thrill of homemade bread or fresh
baguettes from Sicily or even the smell of bread coming out of the oven at
Albertsons. But if you are short on cash and you need some easy and cheap
hockey pucks, well, just fire up the slow cooker and this recipe is a winner,
as for bread, this was kind of an epic fail.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Paella in the Slow Cooker
Let me
start by going on a brief tirade about technology. It is a blessing and a
curse. However, I find that technology often leads me to feeling like I want to
have a temper tantrum, you know that feeling when you just can’t get something
to work and you don’t know why so you would rather throw yourself on the floor
with legs, feet and arms flailing instead of dealing with reality…yup, that is
what I feel like doing tonight.
However,
even though technology is not being cooperative my slow cooker is and my love
affair with this kitchen gadget continues to grow. Slow Cooker Paella being
just the most recent example. So, last night, after a long day of work, I
decided to put together this dish, with a little hesitation because we all know
that paella is supposed to be made in a large flat pan, full of tradition,
exotic spices and chutzpah.
But this
recipe was a really pleasant surprise. I do have to say that it is not exactly
reminiscent of traditional paella, however, it has really good flavor. The
texture is more reminiscent of risotto and not paella, but this could be due to
the fact that this recipe calls for Arborio rice. I love the flavor from the
smoked paprika and the saffron, love the spice from the Spanish chorizo and
this is just great easy comfort food.
So to
begin with brown the chicken thighs in olive oil with smoked paprika, salt and
pepper. Remove with a slotted spoon and put in the crockpot.
Next, add
the rice and brown. This is a common requirement of Arborio rice as it breaks
down the starch and also adds a nutty flavor to the grain.
Now add
the rice, tomatoes (the recipe calls for whole but I used diced to save time),
chicken broth, white wine (I drank the leftovers!!), Spanish, aka cured,
chorizo, onion, garlic, saffron and salt to the slow cooker.
On a side
note, Spanish or cured chorizo is different from Mexican chorizo as it is well
cured. It is more reminiscent of a salami type of meat versus the Mexican
chorizo which is more soupy and similar in style to an Italian sausage. Spanish
chorizo is a pork sausage and it is flavored with Smoked Paprika. It holds its
shape and can be sliced, which is perfect for a dish like this.
Turn on
the slow cooker to high and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of peas and let sit
for 10 minutes.
Yes, that
is it!! Doesn’t get much easier than this, right? Just so you know Arborio rice
is often served al dente and this dish definitely has al dente rice so if you
like your rice a little bit well done you may want to cook it for longer. Just
something to be aware of.
This dish
can be paired with red or white wine. I ate it with a red table wine and the
dry finish of the wine paired nicely with the dish, but I am sure a crisp
Sauvignon Blanc would also be heaven with this. Oh and by the way, this dish
makes the house smell amazing!! Cheers!!
Ingredients:
•
2
tablespoons EVOO
•
2
pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
•
3
teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
•
2
cups short-or medium-grain rice, such as Arborio
•
1
14 1/2 ounce can whole tomatoes, diced
•
1
cup low-sodium chicken broth
•
1/2
cup dry white wine
•
1
8 ounce package
cured chorizo, thinly sliced
•
1
onion, finely chopped
•
3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
•
A
pinch saffron (optional)
•
1
tablespoon salt
•
2
cups thawed frozen peas
•
1/2
cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 lemon, cut
into 8 wedges
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the EVOO over
medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp.
paprika; season with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, until light
golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a large
slow cooker.
Add the rice
to the skillet and cook, stirring, until light golden, 3 minutes. Add the rice,
tomatoes, broth, wine, chorizo, onion, garlic, saffron, if using, 1 tbsp. salt
and 1 1/2 tsp. paprika to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on
high heat until the rice is tender, about 1 3/4 to 2 hours. Stir in the peas;
cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Top with the parsley; serve with the lemon
wedges.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Soup and the Crazy Things We Do on Planes
Have you ever seriously contemplated the crazy things we do on planes or in preparation to get on planes? We do things that in every day life we would never consider ok, yet because we are in an airport all of a sudden it is completely normal. Let me give you a few examples and let's just examine this behavior for a second.
Things People Do on Airplanes That They Can't Do Anywhere Else:
1. Fall asleep on a strangers shoulder...we live in a society in which we are completely afraid to hug our neighbor, totally paranoid of germs and phobic of pretty much all human contact...however put us on a plane and we are practically sitting on the laps of strangers. Creepy!
2. Cram ourselves into furniture that is too small for our ass...is there anyway other than an airplane that we take body parts and shove them into a seat that is meant to fit a kindergartner? And we stay there wedged into that chair for hours on end...pretending to be comfortable. On a side note, have you ever noticed that the high school wrestler always gets the middle seat? WTH?
3. Get excited over peanuts and a 1/4 cup of Coca Cola...I don't drink Coke or eat peanuts anywhere except a plane, however you see peoples ears perk up and their eyes get wide as soon as they see the beverage cart. Come on sweetie it is tomato juice and not champagne and caviar.
4. Shove small animals under seats...in every day life this is called animal abuse...on a plane this activity is considered to be totally normal.
5. Play suitcase Jenga...every passenger takes the larges suitcase they own and calls it a "carry on," in order to save themselves $25 and then they try to shove it into a small compartment above their head, nearly knocking out the Grandma sitting underneath the luggage bin...and this is ok.
6. Tell strangers their life story...this is an airplane and not an AA meeting, however it never fails that if you make eye contact with the person sitting next to you, you fall victim to their life story. I know more about people I have traveled with than I do about my own family.
7. Pay $5 for the ickiest and smallest cocktail on the planet...I have had the world's most horrific cocktails on a plane, including the crappiest wine, yet it doesn't stop me from ordering them.
8. Think the Skymall is cool...why do we have to be on a plane to shop...for the strangest things on the planet? Why? I have nothing else to say on this topic
9. Fight over seats and boarding positions...we pay extra for seats...that are all on the exact same plane. We pay extra...for seats...that give us 6 extra inches. We sit on a computer and watch the seconds tick down...to get a boarding pass... with a letter and a #...to determine when we get to get on "said" plane. Really?
10. We pee in a closet...that smells disgusting...and is creepy...and gross...and did I mention gross?
Ok back to cooking...I am off my soap box...for now.
So I am on a slow cooker kick. Yesterday I made BBQ Chicken Soup in the slow cooker and it has good smokey flavor, but to be honest if I made this recipe again I may cut back on the bbq sauce...just a lil bit...cause it is pretty smokey. However, overall I really like the concept of this soup and I love the chicken. How can you beat putting chicken breasts in a crock pot for 6 hours only for it to shred with the slightest touch? I do have to say that the chicken does remind me a little bit of pulled pork and I honestly may actually like this soup better with less broth and just the chicken meat on a bun with bbq sauce...hmmm just a thought. Anyway I digress....
So to make the soup, throw the chicken breast, onion and garlic into the slow cooker.
Cover with canned corn and canned white beans.
In a bowl combine the chicken broth and bbq sauce. Cover the chicken mixture with the broth, salt and pepper and cook on low for 6 hours. Yeah, I know, doesn't get much easier than this, right?
Take the chicken out and shred with two forks...so easy it is scary!! Cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve the soup with shredded chicken. Voila! I do have to say that this soup makes the house smell absolutely incredible!!
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15.25 oz) Green Giant™ SteamCrisp™ Southwestern style corn (corn with peppers)
1 can (15.5 oz) white beans, drained, rinsed
5 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired
Directions
1.In 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken breast, onion, garlic, corn and white beans.
2.In large bowl, mix broth, barbecue sauce salt and pepper. Pour into slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 hours.
3.Remove chicken breast from slow cooker, and shred using two forks. Place back into slow cooker. Cover; cook 30 minutes.
4.Serve soup topped with shredded cheese.
Cheers my friends and I although I am totally bagging on plane travel I am back up in the air on Friday...to go wine tasting in Northern Michigan...stay tuned!!
Things People Do on Airplanes That They Can't Do Anywhere Else:
1. Fall asleep on a strangers shoulder...we live in a society in which we are completely afraid to hug our neighbor, totally paranoid of germs and phobic of pretty much all human contact...however put us on a plane and we are practically sitting on the laps of strangers. Creepy!
2. Cram ourselves into furniture that is too small for our ass...is there anyway other than an airplane that we take body parts and shove them into a seat that is meant to fit a kindergartner? And we stay there wedged into that chair for hours on end...pretending to be comfortable. On a side note, have you ever noticed that the high school wrestler always gets the middle seat? WTH?
3. Get excited over peanuts and a 1/4 cup of Coca Cola...I don't drink Coke or eat peanuts anywhere except a plane, however you see peoples ears perk up and their eyes get wide as soon as they see the beverage cart. Come on sweetie it is tomato juice and not champagne and caviar.
4. Shove small animals under seats...in every day life this is called animal abuse...on a plane this activity is considered to be totally normal.
5. Play suitcase Jenga...every passenger takes the larges suitcase they own and calls it a "carry on," in order to save themselves $25 and then they try to shove it into a small compartment above their head, nearly knocking out the Grandma sitting underneath the luggage bin...and this is ok.
6. Tell strangers their life story...this is an airplane and not an AA meeting, however it never fails that if you make eye contact with the person sitting next to you, you fall victim to their life story. I know more about people I have traveled with than I do about my own family.
7. Pay $5 for the ickiest and smallest cocktail on the planet...I have had the world's most horrific cocktails on a plane, including the crappiest wine, yet it doesn't stop me from ordering them.
8. Think the Skymall is cool...why do we have to be on a plane to shop...for the strangest things on the planet? Why? I have nothing else to say on this topic
9. Fight over seats and boarding positions...we pay extra for seats...that are all on the exact same plane. We pay extra...for seats...that give us 6 extra inches. We sit on a computer and watch the seconds tick down...to get a boarding pass... with a letter and a #...to determine when we get to get on "said" plane. Really?
10. We pee in a closet...that smells disgusting...and is creepy...and gross...and did I mention gross?
Ok back to cooking...I am off my soap box...for now.
So I am on a slow cooker kick. Yesterday I made BBQ Chicken Soup in the slow cooker and it has good smokey flavor, but to be honest if I made this recipe again I may cut back on the bbq sauce...just a lil bit...cause it is pretty smokey. However, overall I really like the concept of this soup and I love the chicken. How can you beat putting chicken breasts in a crock pot for 6 hours only for it to shred with the slightest touch? I do have to say that the chicken does remind me a little bit of pulled pork and I honestly may actually like this soup better with less broth and just the chicken meat on a bun with bbq sauce...hmmm just a thought. Anyway I digress....
So to make the soup, throw the chicken breast, onion and garlic into the slow cooker.
Cover with canned corn and canned white beans.
In a bowl combine the chicken broth and bbq sauce. Cover the chicken mixture with the broth, salt and pepper and cook on low for 6 hours. Yeah, I know, doesn't get much easier than this, right?
Take the chicken out and shred with two forks...so easy it is scary!! Cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve the soup with shredded chicken. Voila! I do have to say that this soup makes the house smell absolutely incredible!!
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1/3 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (15.25 oz) Green Giant™ SteamCrisp™ Southwestern style corn (corn with peppers)
1 can (15.5 oz) white beans, drained, rinsed
5 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese, if desired
Directions
1.In 6-quart slow cooker, add chicken breast, onion, garlic, corn and white beans.
2.In large bowl, mix broth, barbecue sauce salt and pepper. Pour into slow cooker. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 hours.
3.Remove chicken breast from slow cooker, and shred using two forks. Place back into slow cooker. Cover; cook 30 minutes.
4.Serve soup topped with shredded cheese.
Cheers my friends and I although I am totally bagging on plane travel I am back up in the air on Friday...to go wine tasting in Northern Michigan...stay tuned!!
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Mexican Magic Bars and Male Strippers
Let me start by saying I did not name this recipe-Mexican Magic Bars. If you are judging that, you have Rachael Ray to blame. However, the rest of this blog is all me. So the whole time I was making this delectable dessert I kept calling them Magic Mike Bars and all I could think about was the movie, Magic Mike, and the fact that they were filming a second one.
Let me also say I am not a huge fan of male strippers. I am just not one of those look, but don't touch kind of girls, in all areas of my life. I don't see the need to pay for eye candy, if I wanted to torture myself with good looking men that aren't mine, I would just go to a gay bar...for free. I also just don't understand the turn on of just looking at a scantily clad man, for me it is just so much more than that. And those dance moves are just downright cheesy...just my opinion. If my man tried to dance like that in the bedroom...or hell anywhere...the only thing he would get out of me would be laughter straight up with tears running down my face. With that being said, I do have to say that Magic Mike was one of the sexiest movies of all time and I was truly entertained by it. I don't know if it is a Channing Tatum thing or the fact that I have a weakness for 6 pack abs, but whatever it was I can't wait for #2.
This dessert, however, was truly magical. It is one of those super easy, everything but the kitchen sink recipes, that just makes you happy when it is done.
To begin with make a crust of graham cracker crumbs and butter, reminiscent of the crust on a cheesecake. Seriously can't go wrong there, right?
Next add a layer of chocolate chips, which will melt in the oven, and be a layer of heaven!
Sprinkle the chocolate chips with cinnamon, which is what provides the "Mexican" portion of the recipe title. Duh, cinnamon is obviously equivalent to a Mexican dessert. Again, I did not name this recipe, so don't kill the messenger.
Add a layer of pecans and then a layer of coconut.
Cover the entire dessert in a can of condensed milk, which adds the sweetness and holds the bars together.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Here is the actual recipe:
1 1/3 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
In 9x13-inch baking dish, mix crackers and butter; press onto bottom. Layer with remaining ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees until browned, 25 minutes.
Let me just warn you that these bars are really hard to get out of the pan, hence the lack of finished product pictures...believe me when I say they were just not pretty. However, what this dessert lacks in aesthetic out of the pan appeal, it makes up for in ease and taste. These bars are chewy, chocolatey, reminiscent of a coconut macaroon and just well Magical. Cheers!!
Let me also say I am not a huge fan of male strippers. I am just not one of those look, but don't touch kind of girls, in all areas of my life. I don't see the need to pay for eye candy, if I wanted to torture myself with good looking men that aren't mine, I would just go to a gay bar...for free. I also just don't understand the turn on of just looking at a scantily clad man, for me it is just so much more than that. And those dance moves are just downright cheesy...just my opinion. If my man tried to dance like that in the bedroom...or hell anywhere...the only thing he would get out of me would be laughter straight up with tears running down my face. With that being said, I do have to say that Magic Mike was one of the sexiest movies of all time and I was truly entertained by it. I don't know if it is a Channing Tatum thing or the fact that I have a weakness for 6 pack abs, but whatever it was I can't wait for #2.
This dessert, however, was truly magical. It is one of those super easy, everything but the kitchen sink recipes, that just makes you happy when it is done.
To begin with make a crust of graham cracker crumbs and butter, reminiscent of the crust on a cheesecake. Seriously can't go wrong there, right?
Next add a layer of chocolate chips, which will melt in the oven, and be a layer of heaven!
Sprinkle the chocolate chips with cinnamon, which is what provides the "Mexican" portion of the recipe title. Duh, cinnamon is obviously equivalent to a Mexican dessert. Again, I did not name this recipe, so don't kill the messenger.
Add a layer of pecans and then a layer of coconut.
Cover the entire dessert in a can of condensed milk, which adds the sweetness and holds the bars together.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Here is the actual recipe:
1 1/3 cups crushed graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
In 9x13-inch baking dish, mix crackers and butter; press onto bottom. Layer with remaining ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees until browned, 25 minutes.
Let me just warn you that these bars are really hard to get out of the pan, hence the lack of finished product pictures...believe me when I say they were just not pretty. However, what this dessert lacks in aesthetic out of the pan appeal, it makes up for in ease and taste. These bars are chewy, chocolatey, reminiscent of a coconut macaroon and just well Magical. Cheers!!
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