Easy Caramel Corn

1 bag of microwaved popcorn - popped
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoons Karo Syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter

Bring to a boil
Boil until sugar is dissolved about 3 minutes

Pour over popped popcorn

Homemade Ranch

1 cup Mayo
2/3 cup buttermilk (or 2/3 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vinegar and let sit 5 min.)
1 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspons dried chives
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon dry mustard

Whisk together the mayo and the buttermilk until the mixture is lump free. Whisk in remaining ingredients.

Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for coating
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (I've used plain old Hersheys and they are still delicious)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp table salt plus 1/8 tsp table salt
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 large egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 Tbsp (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions
Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl. Whisk corn syrup, egg white, and vanilla together in small bowl.

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with a handheld beater), beat butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup granulated sugar at medium-high speed for about two minutes, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until mixed together, about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and chopped chocolate and mix on low until just incorporated. Give dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure no pockets of flour remain.

Chill dough 30 minutes to firm slightly (do not chill longer)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a shallow dish.

Divide the dough into 16 equal portions. Roll into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter. Drop dough balls into sugar and toss to coat. Set dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft. Do not overbake, the cookies will look raw between cracks. If you bake 2 sheets at the same time, reverse the position of hte baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back).  Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cafe Rio Pork Copy Cat

2 pounds Pork

3 cans coke

1/4 cup brown sugar

dash garlic salt

1/4 cup water

1 can slived green chilies

3/4 car red enchilada sauce

1 cup brown sugar

Add a can and a half of Coke and 1/4th cup brown sugar to a ziplock bag with pork. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 5-6 hours, or until shreds easily. Remove pork from crock pot and drain liquid. Shred Pork

In a blender blend 1/2 can coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and a cup of brown sugar. If its a bi think add more coke. Place the shredded pork and sauce back into the crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. 

Biscuits (I mainly use these for Strawberry Shortcake)

2 cups flour
2 T sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Fold all ingredients together with a pastry tool. Pour into 8x8 sprayed pan. Bake @ 450 for 15-20 minutes.

Southwest Chicken Pasta Salad

NOTE :I've never made the white sauce recipe. I just mix KC Master piece with mayo.



Grilled Chicken Pasta Salad
Serves 6 to 8

If you know that you’re going to make this chicken salad with leftover Alabama BBQ Chicken (see related recipe), prepare a double batch of the White BBQ Sauce before grilling the chicken and save half for this dish. You’ll also need 2 cups of leftover shredded chicken. To make the dish spicier, leave the seeds in the jalapeño.

Table salt
1 pound corkscrew pasta
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups shredded grilled chicken
1/2 cup canned black beans , drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper , chopped
1 yellow bell pepper , chopped
1 onion, red (small) , minced
1 jalapeno chile , seeded and minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 cup recipe White BBQ Sauce (see related recipe)
Ground black pepper

1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Add corn and cook 1 minute more. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and corn. Transfer pasta and corn to large bowl and refrigerate until completely cooled, at least 30 minutes.

2. Stir in chicken, beans, bell peppers, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, and sauce. Add reserved pasta cooking water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce is loose. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Salad can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 2 days. Check consistency and seasonings before serving.)

White BBQ Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Broccoli cheese soup

I use this soup base for pretty much any creamy soup. You can add whatever you want to it after the base is made.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup – Panera Style

• 2 T. Butter, melted
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 4 c. half and half
• 4 c. chicken broth
• 1 lb. fresh broccoli
• 2 cups, julienned carrots
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 16 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Saute onion in butter.  Set aside.   Whisk butter and flour over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  Stir constantly and slowly add half and half.  Add chicken stock, still whisking.

Simmer 20 minutes.

Add broccoli, carrots and onion.  Cook over low heat until veggies are tender – about 20-25 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  The soup will have thickened by now.

Carefully transfer soup mixture to blender and puree.  Return soup to pot (or crockpot) over low heat.  Add cheese.  Stir until well blended.  Add nutmeg right before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings.

S’mores Bars

• 1/2 cup butter , room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars (if you want a more subtle chocolate flavor use regular sized chocolate bars; enough to fit)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This part can be tricky. I made little disks with the dough and formed them into a sheet on some parchment paper then transferred it over. Spread it around gently. You can also roll the top dough layer in between two sheets of plastic wrap until it's in a square then placed it on top.
4. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Makes 16 cookie bars. These are great warmed up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
   
   

Samoa Bundt Cake

For the Brown Sugar Batter

• 1 stick of butter softened
• 1 cup of dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk

For the Chocolate Batter

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 T cocoa powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup boiling water

For the Frosting

• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk **Or substitute canned dulce de leche
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 2 T vanilla extract
• 2 sticks butter softened
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup toasted coconut

For the topping

• 1 1/2 cups toasted coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips melted

Instructions

Create the Dulce de leche frosting (if using canned dulce de leche skip this step)

1. Place the whole, unopened can of condensed milk in your crock pot and submerge in at least 3 inches of water.
2. Cook on medium for 10 hours or on high for 7.
3. *Alternatively, boil the whole, unopened can on the stove FULLY SUBMERGED AT ALL TIMES for 4 hours.
4. Let it cool.

To make brown sugar batter

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy
2. Add eggs, one a a time, beating well after each addition
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt
4. Alternate adding the flour mixture and whole milk to the butter mixture, one at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
5. Set batter aside

To make the chocolate batter

1. Cream sugar and oil together in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg, vanilla, and milk
3. In a medium bowl mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture until well combined.
5. Carefully stir in boiling water

Make the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. Grease and flour a bundt pan well.
3. This is a marble cake. Pour some of the brown sugar batter into the pan, then top it with some of the chocolate batter.
4. Alternate until both batter bowls are empty.
5. Tap bundt pan on the counter a couple times to remove bubbles.
6. Bake approximately 1 hour or until skewer inserted in center comes out clean. (Mine only took about 50 minutes)
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool entirely.

Make the frosting

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until desired color is reached (about 6 minutes)
3. Beat cooled cooked condensed milk (or dulce de leche), butter, confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt for 3 minutes.
4. Add in 1 cup toasted coconut.
5. Chill for 1 hour

Assemble the cake

1. Frost the cake with dulce de leche frosting
2. Toast remaining coconut and press into the sides and top of the frosted cake
3. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring frequently.
4. Place melted chocolate in a pastry bag with a small tip or ziploc bag with a corner cut out about 1/4 inch up from the corner, and drizzle stripes on the cake.