Monster Cookie Bars (No Flour)

These are so chewy and yummy. I think the fact that they don't have flour in them helps them to not dry out so fast like regular bars do. I made these for a church youth camp and they were a hit so I wanted to share them on here. They come from Together as Family. Link is HERE. 

And the best part about these other than they are absolutely delicious is the recipe makes a cookie sheet full so you get lots! It's a beautiful thing :) 

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

3 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups quick oats

3 cups old-fashioned oats (large flake)

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup mini M&Ms (the rest can go on top)

1 cup mini chocolate chips (or the whole bag will do)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or spray well with cooking spray. 

2. In a large bowl, or stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter. Mix until fluffy and pale in colour. About 1-2 mins. 

3 Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix together

4. Add the oats and baking soda. Mix until combined.

5. Add in the M&Ms and chocolate chips reserving some from the bag for the top if you want. Stir together until combined. 

6. Dump dough onto the cookie sheet and spread out. Sprinkle reserved M&Ms and choc chips on top. Press down slightly into dough. 

7. Bake for 17-20 mins. The edges will be lightly browned and the middle will still look pale and underdone, but it will finish baking as it cools. Let cool for at least an hour so the bars can firm up and come together. You don't want to over bake these!

Bomboloni (Italian Doughnuts)

These are absolutely delicious. You will want to have more than one! I'm usually not a big doughnut fanatic. But I loved these. Sooo good! You can get the original recipe HERE from The Baking Fairy. They are a little more time consuming and you will want to make them early in the day and eat them the day you make them. The key is to not rush the rising process. The original calls for bread flour but I just used all-purpose for all of it. Bread flour has more gluten and makes a more chewy doughnut. I liked how they turned out without it. The recipe was also originally done in metric so there is a conversion with it. 

Ingredients

250g (2 cups) bread flour

250g (2 cups) all-purpose flour

75g (heaping 1/3 cup) granulated white sugar

100g (7 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

20g fresh cake yeast or 1 package (7g) dry instant yeast

7g (1 1/2 tsp) salt

150g (3) whole large eggs

40g (2) egg yolks

110g (1/2 cup) lukewarm water

zest of 1 orange (I didn't do this but I'm sure it's good)

1 tsp vanilla extract

granulated sugar, for coating

Instructions

1. First, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water, and allow it to sit until it blooms. (With instant you don't have to worry about this too much).

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all ingredients except for the whole eggs, and beat on medium speed for 5 mins, then high speed for 5 more mins. 

3. Add in the remaining egg, and beat on medium speed until a smooth and elastic dough forms (you may have to add some flour if it's too sticky) - you may have to beat it for awhile to combined together. 

4. Knead by hand for a couple of mins, then place the dough in a large, lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours until tripled in size. 

5. After the first rise, lightly knead the dough, roll it out to 1.5 cm/0.5 inch thickness, and cut out rounds. I found a regular water glass to be the perfect size. 

6. Transfer all your rounds to baking sheets lined with wax paper, spray lightly with water, and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel Allow the bomboloni to rise another hour and a half until they triple in size once more. 

7. When ready to fry, heat vegetable oil in a large, deep pan to a temperature between 170-180C (a frying thermometer comes in handy).

8.Fry the bomboloni a few at a time, making sure to not crowd the pan. Fry them for about 3 mins on each side, until they are golden brown, then drain off the excess oil, and set them on a wire rack to cool. 

9. While they are till warm, pour some granulated sugar in a small bowl, and roll the bomboloni around until completely coated in the sugar. 

10. Fill as desired. (I used a Bavarian cream)

*note - Apparently you can bake these at 350F for about 20 mins instead of frying but I haven't tried that. 

Fudgy Oatmeal Bars

These wonderful creations are super yummy and even better if you make them a day ahead allowing the chocolate to set into it's gooey deliciousness. This recipe comes from High Heels and Grills and you can see the original recipe HERE. Give them a try. You will NOT be disappointed!

Ingredients

Cookie:

1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened

2 cups light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup milk

2 1/2 cups flour

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Fudge:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 bag milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup salted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and eggs and mix well. Add the vanilla and milk and incorporate well. 

3. In a medium, separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Spread 2/3 of the mixture into the pan and set aside. 

4. In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the fudge and let melt completely over medium heat. Once melted, pour over the prepared cookie mixture. 

5. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining cookie dough over the top of the fudge. It won't cover it completely, but will make for a pretty top. 

6. Place in oven and bake for 25 mins. If the top is getting browned after 15 mins, cover with foil. Let cool completely, so the insides don't run everywhere. This is not a rushed square it needs setting time. 

Incredible Boneless Pork Roast With Vegetables

I usually do most of my meats in the crockpot...just seems easy and it's done at the end of the day when you want it. BUT this is definitely worth doing in the oven. The flavour is so yummy! I got this recipe from Food.com By Iron Chef Nicole you can find it Here. 

Ingredients

4-5 lbs boneless pork loin

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp rosemary (fresh or dried)

1 tbsp seasoning salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp black pepper

10 fresh garlic cloves, chopped

5-6 yukon gold potatoes, quartered

8-16 ounces baby carrots

1 large Spanish onion, quartered

1 (8 oz) can beef broth

Directions

1. Place pork loin fat side down in a 9x13 pan or roaster and arrange vegetables around it. 

2. In a small bowl mix garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt and black pepper until combined and rub it onto the port (top only, not the bottom)

3. Sprinkle the parsley and rosemary on top, and then the garlic. Drizzle the olive oil over top of the pork. I highly recommend using some of the seasoning on the vegetables as well. 

4. Add beef broth from the corner, do not pour over the pork. Place foil, over the pork leaving a tiny vent on the side. Cook on 325 for 2 1/2 hours. Midway through rotate the pork so it is fat side up and replace the foil so it is covered again. 

5. After its done take the foil off and put the broiler on HIGH (I used LOW setting and it was good). Flip the pork again to meat side up and broil for 10 mins. You will do this twice (meat side up , 10 mins, fat side up 10 mins, and then meat side up one last time for 10 mins) for a total of 30 mins. You many need a few mins longer depending on your oven. Just look to see how browned it's getting. 

6. let meat rest for 30 mins.

7. Enjoy! The vegetables will have an incredible flavour and so will the meat. 

8. You can add more veggies but you will need a bigger roaster. 

9. You can make gravy with the drippings to kick it up a notch. 

Favorite Chicken Potpie

So I'm sure there are not too many that does not like the wonderful comfort food of potpie. Even my very picky eater son loved this. It's great because the recipe has enough for 2 one for your family and one for your freezer for later and because I'm not the most accurate in measuring I did have some filling left over that we just ate and it was so yummy. This recipe comes from Taste of Home and you can find the original recipe HERE. 

Hope you enjoy it!

Ingredients

2 cups diced peeled potatoes

1-3/4 cups sliced carrots

1 cup butter, cubed

2/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth

1-1/2 cups milk

4 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

2 packages refrigerated pie pastry. (enough for 2 pies top and bottom)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 mins or until crisp-tender; drain. 

2. In a large skillet, heat butter over med-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 mins or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potatoe mixture; remove from heat. 

3. Unroll a pastry sheet into each of two 9-in (I had enough for a 10-in) pie plates; trim even with rims. Add potpie mixture. Top with remaining pastry. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits on top of each pie. 

4. Bake 35-40 mins or until crust is lightly browned. let stand 15 mins before cutting. 

Freeze option: Cover and freeze unbaked pies. To use, remove from freezer 30 mins before baking (do not thaw). Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place pies on baking sheets; cover edges loosely with foil. Bake 30 mins. Reduce oven setting to 350 degrees; bake 70-80 mins longer or until crust is golden brown and a thermometer inserted in centre reads 165.