Magic Cookie Bars

Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 14-oz. can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated)
2 c. (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
1 1/3 c. flaked coconut
1 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350*; melt butter in 13x9 baking pan in oven

Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter; pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs; top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 30 min., until lightly browned. Cool; cut into bars.

Store at room temp.

~Enjoy~

Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Cherry Bars

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® chocolate fudge cake mix

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 bag (12-oz size) miniature semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped chocolate frosting

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch or 13x9-inch pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, gently mix dry cake mix, pie filling, eggs and chocolate chips with rubber scraper; break up any undissolved cake mix by pressing with scraper. Carefully spread in pan.

3. Bake 15x10x1-inch pan 25 to 30 minutes, 13x9-inch pan 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

German Chocolate Coconut Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) German chocolate cake mix
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut, divided
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet and white chocolate morsels, divided

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

POUR cake mix into large bowl; cut in butter and lightly beaten egg with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl; beat until well combined. Stir in 1 cup coconut, nuts and 1/2 cup Swirled Morsels. Spread mixture evenly over base; sprinkle with remaining coconut and Swirled Morsels. Lightly press down morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 32 minutes or until center is almost set. Center will firm when cool. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

about 8-10 oz. pasta (any will work; I used linquini)
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh muchrooms, chopped
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 Tblsp. butter
black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on box; for the last few minutes, add broccoli to water. Drain.
In large skillet, heat butter to saute' mushrooms and garlic; add chicken, and cook until browned.
Add milk, soup, cheese,and pasta mixture to heat through. Add basil before serving, and pepper to taste.

(We had this for the first time this week, and it will definately grace our table frequently in the future! I think next time, I will try it with shrimp instead of chicken, and perhaps add scallions to it as well)

Cheesy Chicken Manicotti

Ingredients

16 ounces Ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (leave one cup set aside)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 jar (26-32 oz. size) spaghetti sauce or Marinara
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 lbs cooked chicken breast, diced finely

Directions

Prepare manicotti according to package directions.
Drain.
In medium bowl, combine chicken, eggs, ricotta,parsley, 2 cups of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan, mix well.
Spoon chicken mixture into each manicotti shell.
In 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti/marinara sauce.
Lay mancotti in rows in sauce.
Spoon remaining sauce over mancotti.
Top with remaining mozarella.
Cover; bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese.

Mascarpone Buttercream

I made up some chocolate cupcakes for the kids, and then realized that I didn't have any frosting! So I decided to experiment and see if I could come up with a buttercream-type frosting that wasn't overly sweet like American Buttercream usually is.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
Using a hand mixer, beat buffer and cheese until light and creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until smooth.

This doesn't seem as thick as normal buttercreams do, but it's so yummy!! If you want to thicken it up some, you can add more powdered sugar until you find the right consistency for you.