Aspen Snowflake Cookies

1pound butter, room temperature 

1 cup sugar

3 cups flour 

1 t vanilla

1 1/2 cup coarsely crushed smooth potato chips

Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325* Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add flour, then vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Gently stir in crushed potato chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons(walnut size) on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325* for 15-20 minutes, until edges are golden. Sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar. Remove from pan and cool. Makes about 6 dozen. 

And if you’ve never tried “non melting” powdered sugar, it’s a must for these as well as lemon bars. It never disappears or melts into the cookie. 

Veggie Pizza Squares

 Veggie pizza squares

These are quick, make ahead of time and so good. My only bit of advise is chop the veggies finely. Otherwise, it’s very difficult to eat. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 (8-oz.) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
• 2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise 

• 1 (1-oz.) package powdered Original Ranch dressing mix
• 1/2 cup grated broccoli
• 1/2 cup grated cauliflower
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup or more finely grated cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll crescent rolls onto a large baking sheet, separating dough and arranging in a single layer covering the baking sheet. Press together the perforations and prick with a fork. Bake until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool.  

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and ranch dressing mix. Using a hand mixer, blend together until smooth.  Spread mixture onto cooled crescent rolls.  Sprinkle broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, scallions, and cheese. Place a piece of wax paper on top and press down on the veggies,  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour prior to cutting.

Joe's Stone Crab Key Lime Pie

After eating this pie numerous times at Joe's Stone Crab restaurant in Las Vegas, I finally asked the waiter if they shared their recipe and he gladly gave it to me.  He said the secret of their recipe is freezing it!

Two 14-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk.

5 egg yolks.

1 cup fresh key lime (or lime) juice.

Zest of 1/2 key lime (or lime)

10 graham crackers, crushed.

1/4 cup sugar.

5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.

Whipped cream, for serving, optional.

Directions

Special equipment: 12-inch pie pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix the milk, yolks, lime juice and zest for filling. Mix the crackers, sugar and butter for crust. Form the crust in the pie pan and bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees F. Remove and cool. 

Pour the filling in the crust and bake another 8 minutes. Remove and cool. Once cool, place in the freezer at least 1 hour or until ready to use. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer and let thaw for 15 minutes. Top with whipped cream if desired. Enjoy.

Cranberry Chicken Salad

Someone asked me to give them this recipe and my reply was “look on my blog, it was most likely one of my first post”. Well, was I wrong. It’s been 18 years since the Invisible Chef and I never use a recipe for this, so it’s time.

SALAD
4 cups cooked diced chicken breast, about 4 breasts
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
4 ounces Craisins
1/2-3/4 cups mayonnaise
1/4-1/2 cup Sweet Hot Mustard, see recipe below
Mix chicken, celery, green onions, Craisins and chopped pecans. Mix desired amount mayonnaise with sweet hot mustard and add to chicken mixture and refrigerate.

Sweet Hot Mustard
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup Coleman’s Dry Mustard
2 eggs, beaten,
1cup white vinegar
1/4 cup honey
Mix sugar and dry mustard. Whisk in eggs and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes, until thickened and smooth. Add honey and cool. Refrigerate any leftover mustard for later use.

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

This may be my favorite cheesecake and I haven't made it.  Denise Morrison made it for Easter and shared a slice with me.  It was originally in some magazine, Issue 78 December 2009.  If you know Denise, you know that she may be the best recipe browser.. And don't let the many steps scare you away.

Pecan Pie cheesecake

For the Crust:

6 oz. chocolate wafer cookies (about 28)

½ cup toasted pecan halves

½ stick unsalted butter, melted

 For the Cheesecake:

3 pkgs cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

3 eggs

½ cup heavy cream

¼ bourbon (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

 For the Sauce:

1 ½ cups light brown sugar

½ cup heavy cream

½ stick butter

¼ cup bourbon

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cups toasted chopped pecans

 Preheat oven to 375; coat a 9 inch springform pan with nonstick spray and wrap outside of pan in foil and set aside

Process chocolate wafers and the ½ cup pecans for the crust in a food processor until fine.  With processor running, drizzle in the melted butter.  Press mixture into the bottom of the pan; bake 10 minutes.  Cool crust completely before filling.  Reduce oven to 325.

Beat cream cheese, 1 stick butter, ½ cup brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt until fluffy, periodically scraping sides of bowl.  Add eggs one at a time, fully beating to incorporate into batter. Add ½ cup cream, bourbon, vanilla; beat until ingredients are completely incorporated.

Pour filling over crust, smoothing top of filling.  Transfer cheesecake to a roasting pan; place in the oven.  Pour boiling water into roasting pan 1/3 way up the sides of the foil wrapped springform pan.

Bake cheesecake until it reaches 155 degrees and sides are set, but center still jiggles about and hour.  Turn off oven and leave in oven for 1 hour with inside with oven door closed.  Remove cheesecake from oven; cool to room temp.  Cover cheesecake with plastic wrap; chill 3-24 hours.  Remove cheesecake from fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Combine the 1 ½ cups brown sugar, ½ cup cream, ½ stick butter, bourbon and salt in saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium low heat. (Don’t stir toppine, but keep a close eye on it to it doesn’t boil over)  simmer topping 10 minutes.

Stir the 1 ½ cups pecans into caramel topping.  Let topping stand until thickened and cool to room temp.  To serve spoon sauce over cheesecake.

Makes one 9" cheesecake (12 generous slices)

New York Times Coconut Almond Cluster Granola

i love granola and typically buy it at Whole Foods, but Jamie saw this in the New York Times and handed it to me and said "this looks like something I would like". After making it once, we are now hooked.

1/2 cup coconut oil
2/3 cup pure maple syrup
2/3 cup light brown sugar or turbinado
2/3 cup almond milk or coconut milk
1 1/2 t fine sea salt
2 t vanilla extract
5 cups old fashioned rolled oats, divided 1 3/4 and 3 1/4
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes, divided, 1/4 c and 3/4 cup
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, coconut milk and salt and bring to a simmer,  when sugar has dissolved, stir in vanilla and let cool slightly.
In a food processor, grind 1 1/4 oats and 1/4 cup coconut into a flour. Transfer to a large bowl and stir  in remaining oats and coconut, the spices, and nuts. Pour maple syrup mixture over and stir to combine.
Spread oat mixture on the the prepares cookie sheets, pinching together into clumps. (Mine had a few clumps)
Bake 40 to 50 minutes, flipping the mixture (taking care not to break up clumps) every 15 minutes. The mixture is done when it's golden brown and starting to crisp. It will continue to crisp up agree it cools. Cool in pan and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Green Chili Squares

Always an easy appetizer or anytime snack.

1 stick butter
10 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 t. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 (4 oz.) cans green chilies
1 lb. Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 and melt butter in a 9x13 pyrex dish.  Beat eggs lightly; add flour, baking powder and salt to eggs, mixing well.  Add melted butter, green chilies and cheeses.  Pour into the butter baking dish.  Bake 400 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool and cut into small squares.  These may be made ahead, cut and covered with foil to reheat at 350.  These are great topped with your favorite salsa.