Buttermilk Syrup

1-1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan combine the first five ingredients and boil for 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

Keeps well in a jar in the fridge.

Source: Donna Shogren

Peanut Butter Brownies

This is becoming my go-to way of dressing up plain brownies. Adapted from this recipe, I just add the peanut butter filling to a 9 x 13 batch of brownies. A couple notes: 1) Making the PB filling as written gives you brownies that are at least half PB. If you don't want that much, use scant measurements or half it. 2) These seem to keep better than regular brownies, no doubt due to all the extra fat. They'd probably mail well.

Peanut butter mixture:

• ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix brownies as directed, pour into prepared pan.
2. Mix all peanut butter filling ingredients, then spoon it out on top of brownie batter.
3. Using a knife or spoon (or finger if you want, I guess), swirl them together.
4. Bake as directed on brownie mix.

Ski Country Pasta

I have no idea where the name comes from, but I found the basic recipe here, and made a few changes.

1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/2 lb. sliced bacon

2 chicken breasts, cubed
4 c. penne pasta (or something else of similar size)
2-4 cloves garlic
7-8 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
5 Tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

Splash of white wine
1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 c. fresh chopped basil

1. Toast almonds over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Set aside.

2. Cook bacon and chicken until done, and remove from pan and crumble bacon. Save bacon fat.

3. Cook pasta al dente (until it's done) in salted water.

4. Discard all but 6 Tbsp. bacon fat. Heat remaining bacon fat, and add garlic and chopped spinach. Stir over medium heat until tender (about a minute).

5. Whisk mustard, vinegar, and wine together in large bowl, and then mix in drained pasta, cheese, cooked spinach mixture, bacon, and basil. Serve warm, topped with toasted almonds.

Twix Bars

But so much more decadent than that.  Shortbread, vanilla bean caramel, bittersweet chocolate and grey sea salt all combined to make one of the most perfect and praised treats I've ever made.


Now I tweaked this rather significantly from Annie's Eats, most notably by replacing the caramel recipe entirely with a half batch of the caramel that I make at Christmas, after discovering that the original didn't work too well.  


Crust
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter


Caramel
1/2 lb. butter
1 lb. brown sugar
8 oz corn syrup
1 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp rum(optional)
1/2 tbsp vanilla paste
1/2 tsp salt


Chocolate
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick butter


To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.  In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.  Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.


In a large kettle melt butter, stir in brown sugar, rum and salt. Gradually add corn syrup and milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat until it reaches firm ball stage(245 to 250). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.  Pour over the crust and allow to cool until firm.


Melt the chocolate and butter together, stir until smooth.  Spread over the caramel and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.


Use the parchment to lift the bar out of the pan; cut into 1-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator.

Cinnamon Apple Pork Chops

Source: Taste of Home online

These were super easy, used one pan, and passed the Johnny test.

• 4 boneless pork loin chops
• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 medium tart apples, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans

Directions

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pork chops in 1 tablespoon butter for 4-5 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160° (I couldn't find my meat thermometer, so I just cooked them until they were done in the middle). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
• Remove chops and keep warm. Add the apples, pecans, brown sugar mixture and remaining butter to the pan; cook and stir until apples are tender. Serve with chops.
• Yield: 4 servings.

Aldi Tropical Fruit Salad

I only buy this product occasionally because it's typically pretty overpriced for canned fruit, but the Aldi version was a good alternative for a much more reasonable price. Light syrup and nice pieces of fruit.

Snickerdoodles

(From my recipe box)

1/2 c butter

1/2 c shortening

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

2 3/4 c flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

• Mix butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs.
• Blend in flour, cr. of tartar, soda, and salt. Shape into balls.
• Mix 2 tbls sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon together and roll the balls in this.
• Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.