Dream Bars from Gracious Goodness 

Yield about 4 dozen bars

Ingredients

Crumb Crust

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup pecans, chopped
• 1 cup dates, chopped

Directions

1. Lined a 13 x 9 inch pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix  ingredients for the crust, butter, flour and brown sugar until crumbly and pat into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  It will look like lacey candy.
4. Cool completely.
5. Mix brown sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla together.
6. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt then add to the sugar mixture.
7. Fold in coconut, nuts, and dates.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Do not overcook.
9. Cool in pan and cut into squares.
10. Enjoy!

• One year ago  Kale and Potato Soup
• Two years ago  Le Bete Noire

This is a quick way to make your house smell like the holidays in the blink of an eye. Well, almost. You do have to do a little work up front, but then you can float the rest of the way. I saved this recipe last December from Martha Stewart Living. It is one versatile cookie dough. The dough can be flavored vanilla, spice, chocolate, and citrus. The dough can then morph into thumbprint, spritz, slice and bake, or rolled cookies. To add even more variations there’s a ton of mix- ins. In other words one cookie done at least 30 ways!

We started this recipe in my classes on Monday and will finish on Friday. It will not take you that long. Our classes are 45 minutes so the recipe had to be broken into sections. It’s worked out great and my students have had a ball making these cookies. There have been entire cookbooks dedicated to just baking cookies so I could write an endless list of tips to follow, but I will limit it to just a few of the most important ones.

• Make sure that you use butter or margarine that is not whipped or has added water. It will not work when making cookies. Just be safe and use unsalted butter for the best results.
• Ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Measure accurately.
• Pay attention to baking times. Ovens and baking sheets can vary wildly!
• Cookies should be the same size to cook evenly.
• Enjoy!

Basic Vanilla Dough from Martha

In the July issue Martha’s Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites caught my eye so I made them as a dessert for my ALTA tennis team.  They loved them!  Leslie one of my tennis friends took some home and made mini ice cream sandwiches out of them.  What a great idea!  These brownie bites are a bit different because they use both dark brown sugar and honey as a sweetener.  I was not so crazy about the honey and in fact almost decided not to post them.  Leslie asked me about the recipe so I decided to make them again using a different type of honey.

Waldrop’s has the best honey in our area.  I didn’t use it in the first batch because GI Joe would then have had an empty jar.  I used another local variety that had a very strong flavor.  I went to Waldrop’s today and I should have had my camera.  I missed some great shots.  Allen was working in the bees.  He removed a fifty pound tray of honey.  I was awestruck!  I have never seen anything like it in my life.  Bees everywhere.  Allen said it was too hot to wear the protective gear.  One stung him on his lip and I’m sure it was because I distracted him with my 5,000 questions.  Because he had none left over from last year here is what he gave me for my recipe.  A pint of fresh honey with the wax.  Isn’t is gorgeous?

I drained it using a paper napkin.  I didn’t have any cheesecloth, but it worked well.

I had the perfect half cup of honey that made the best Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites anyone ever has had.

Here is the mixture ready to put in the refrigerator for about thirty minutes.

Roll a heaping teaspoon in granulated sugar to form a ball.  Then they are ready for the oven.

Bake at 325 for about 9 minutes.

Try them alone or use Leslie’s idea and make up some mini ice cream sandwiches.

Double-Chocolate Brownie Bites  from Martha

yield 6 dozen ( I made 78)

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Dutch -process cocoa powder  ( I used Hershey’s)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 7 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (1 1/2 cups)  I used a food processor the chop the chocolate.
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Beat butter and brown sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
4. Add honey and beat until fluffy.
5. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, and beat until combined.
6. Mix in chopped chocolate.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Drop heaping teaspoons of dough into granulated sugar.
8. Roll to coat, shaping into balls.
9. Transfer to parchment paper lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart.
10. Bake until tops are cracking and cookies are just set, about 9 minutes.
11. Cool for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
12. Store in airtight container for about 3 days.
13. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream or just alone.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

I tasted these little bars of goodness at a tennis match.  If you don’t know anything about ALTA tennis you might not know that the food served is sometimes more important than the score of the match.  I don’t remember if I won or lost the day I was introduced by my friend Betty to Pecan Turtle Bars, but their gooey texture, buttery shortbread layer, and chocolate top won me over for sure.  That next week my blogger friend Grace who wows me with her cooking as well as cracks me up with her humor had these bars posted.  It was fate!  I was destined to make them.

They are packed with all the good stuff we all love.  You know chocolate, pecans, caramel, butter.  You get the picture.  They are easy to make, but you have to be a little careful not to overbake these or they will be rocks instead of the gooey bars that will be loved by all.

First line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper.  Trust me you will be very glad you did.  It’s so easy to remove the bars.  Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup of room temperature butter.  I used my food processor.  You could use a mixer.  It should resemble crumbs.  Pat into the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle 1 cup of pecans on top.

In a small saucepan combine 2/3 cup of butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar.  Cook over medium heat until bubbly stirring constantly.  Cook for 1/2 – 1 minute.  Pour over the crust.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips.  Wait a minute and spread with the back of a spoon.

Pecan Turtle Bars  Land of Lakes by way of Grace

Yield about 48 bars

Crust                  

• 2 cups of flour  ( my friend’s recipe called for 1 1/2 cups of flour)  Both were good!
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1 cup pecan halves

Caramel layer

• 2/3 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Chocolate layer

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Combine 2 cups flour, 1 cup brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter.  Mix in a food processor until it resembles crumbs.  A mixer can be used with good results.
2. Pat into a 9 x 13 inch pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
3. Sprinkle with pecans.
4. In a small heavy saucepan, combine 2/3 cup butter with 1/2 cup brown sugar.
5. Cook over medium heat until bubbly.  Stirring constantly.  Cook for about 1 minute.
6. Pour over the crust.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with chocolate chips as soon as it is taken from the oven.  As they start to melt swirl them for the topping.
9. Cool.

Enjoy your summer,

This year GI Joe chose the candy to give out to all the neighbors for Halloween and you guessed it there were Reese’s cups.  We had so many of them left and I searched blogs to find some use for them.  It did not take long.  Real Mom Kitchen posted this great cookie recipe and when I saw it I just had to make it.  They are fabulous!  Especially right out of the oven.  Oh My!   I had to send them with GI Joe to work the next day for fear that I would eat all of them.  Without a doubt this is the best peanut butter cookie recipe that I have ever made.  I think that it is a rather renegade recipe.  Every ingredient is beaten together except for the dry ingredients.  Then you just stir them in.  Really simple, but really good.  I have made them three times this month so that should tell you that they are worth trying. Just get out your mixer and make someone smile!  

3/4 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup peanut butter, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix these ingredients together .  This is the view after mixing.

Ready to add dry ingredients.

Next stir in 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.  Forgot to take a photo.  Sorry!

Using a tablespoon drop mixture onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  I put a dozen on each baking sheet.  Take a fork and make crisscross indention in the cookie dough.

Criss cross with a fork

Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees.  Take out of the oven and  slightly press 4 or 5 pieces of Reese’s cup into the cookie.  Return to the oven for 2 minutes.  Cool on a cooling rack if you can refrain from stuffing them into your mouth.

Peanut Butter Cookies with Reese’s cups  adapted     from Real Mom Kitchen

yield 3 dozen great cookies

• 3/4 cup butter softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 32 miniature Reese’s  cups  cut in 4 pieces ( I have used the large size  cut into pieces)

1. Mix together the first 6 ingredients.
2. Stir in dry ingredients.
3. Using a tablespoon drop cookie dough on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees. 
5. Slightly press Reese’s cup into the cookie.
6. Return to the oven for about 2 minutes.
7. Refrain from eating the entire 3 dozen cookies and save some for your loved ones.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

In my recipe file are  recipes that I used in my food’s classes in high school and college as well as some that I have asked for from students. I found this recipe in that file.  I have never made it.  I did make it  out of necessity last week.  I hate looking through all the recipes that are out there on the internet.  There is something about the sheer numbers of recipes that just won’t let my brain function properly.  I have this same problem when I am shopping.  I don’t do well at sales where you have to go through rack after rack of clothes.  Big warehouse shopping is not my thing either.  The fewer choices I have the better I am at making a choice.  Just try googling meringue cookies and see what you get!  It is a massive number of  recipes, so after hours of trying to choose what I thought was the best one I gave up! And I’m glad I did because this one is good! Meringue can be tricky to make.  For the novice cook inexperience can lead to frustration.  After my students had such a hard time making their meringue a week ago I set out to try to make it easier to understand.  I also wrote a guest post for Dinner and Dreams  entitled “How to Make Meringue for Puddings and Pies“.  Check it out for the low down on meringue. 

For this meringue you are required to make a Swiss or hard meringue.  Here are some suggestions for making it a little easier:

• Use superfine sugar.  It is found in the same section as granulated sugar.  Trust me after making this recipe 4 times the superfine sugar dissolves much easier.
• Use cream of tartar as a stabilizer.
• Make on a clear, dry day. 
• Make them before you go to bed. 
• Check out my post here at Dinners and Dreams for more information

Cook While-You-Sleep Cookies  this recipe was given to me by T.C.  (let me know if you are T.C. because I don’t know who you are)  Thanks for the great recipe!

• 2 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2/3 cup superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 cup miniature chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat egg whites until foamy then add salt and cream of tartar.
3. Beat until stiff peaks.
4. Add sugar 1-2 tablespoons at a time and beat well after each addition.
5. Stir in vanilla, nuts and chocolate.
6. Drop by the teaspoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 
7. Place in the oven and set the timer for 1 minute.  After 1 minute turn the oven OFF.
8. Do not open the oven for at least 8 hours.
9. Give them to all your friends so that you will not eat all of them.  Even when you hide them they call out your name!

Yield 40 cookies   Store in an airtight container for up to one month.  

Ready to place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

After 8 hours in the oven.

One of the four recipes that I made in one day!

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

Other Meringue Recipes of interest

• Joy of Baking  Meringue Cookies
• Simply Recipes Pecan Meringue Cookies
• Martha Stewart Almond Meringue Cookies
• Cookin’ Canuck Chocolate Peanut Butter Meringue Cookies
• My Own Sweet Thyme Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

Twenty years ago an amazing woman shared this recipe with me.  It was enjoyed by many of my friends to celebrate the birth of a very special baby at a shower that I helped host.  Breast cancer took this special friend of mine on July 6, 2004.  I miss her now.  Every time that I make these Peanut Butter Bars I think of her. Every honor’s night I miss our talks of love, life and school.  At graduation I miss her pinning my hood along with most everyone elses to make sure it was straight.  Movelle Murdock was a wonderful person, a loving wife, a devoted mother of two, and one of the best teachers that I have ever known.   She was the head of the math department and she knew her stuff.  Movelle was funny, full of boundless energy, and she had a wonderful personality. Everyone respected her opinion.    She was a fabulous cook and an equally talented seamstress putting together costumes for the musical every year.   I will never be as strong as she was. She taught quite often the same day she received chemo.  I don’t know how she did it.   Movelle will always be my hero.  In May of 2004 Movelle decided that it would be her last year to teach.  She and her family  planned to move back to her husband’s hometown and enjoy the rest of her life.  She gave the baccalaureate speech to our senior class with her daughter part of the graduating class. Tears slid down the cheeks of those that knew what was happening.     On graduation night she walked out on the field with  our faculty wearing a clown wig because she had no hair.  She was celebrating the graduation of her daughter.  A little over a month later she was taken away from us.  She gave a great fight and lost. 

To honor Movelle each semester I make these Peanut Butter Bars and share my story of friendship with my students.  Now I am sharing it with you.  Enjoy!

Cream together 1/4 c. butter, 1/2 c. peanut butter & 1 c. sugar

Add to the mixture 1 egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup of milk

Mix well.

Stir in 1 cup plain flour ,1 teaspoon baking powder, & 1/2 teaspoon salt

The batter will look like this.

Batter is ready for a 9 x 13 in. pan lined with parchment paper.

Ready to frost after baking at 375 for about 15-20 minutes.

While hot let 6 oz. of semi sweet chocolate chips melt and spread over the bars.

 Cool a couple of hours or overnight before cutting.

Cool and ready to cut.

Movelle’s Peanut Butter Bars  Yield about 2 dozen bars

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup plain flour
• 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar.  Add egg, vanilla, and milk.  Stir in salt, flour, and baking powder.  Pour into a 13×9 in. pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.  Immediately put  chocolate chips on top of the bars.  Allow a few minutes for the chips to melt.  Spread melted chocolate over the bars.  Cool completely before cutting about 2 hours or overnight.  You could eat them right out of the pan with a spoon, but if you want a pretty bar cookie you need to be patient and let them cool. 

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

Here are the photos from 2nd block.  Sorry that 1st block did not get to make theirs.  Maybe another time!    Notice that the class did not have time to let the bars cool so the results were almost better eaten out of the pan instead of trying to make a clean cut.  Anyway they were really good and the class enjoyed them.

!st Block Kitchen 4

2nd Block Kitchen 1 Very good job!

2nd Block Kitchen 2 Using a little creativity!

2nd Block Kitchen 3 Hot and gooey goodness!

2nd Block Kitchen 4 Great Taste!

2nd Block Kitchen 5 Perfection!

2nd Block Kitchen 6 "loves" chocolate!

I had no intention of making these cookies.  For the last two months it has been torture around here trying to shed the ten pounds  I have gained since starting this food blog.  Five pounds have been lost, but Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies are not my friend!

I’m so ready to throw these mounds of melt in your mouth goodness in the trash because chocolate and peanut butter are my all time favorites!!  These little bites are just the same as eating this Best Ever Chocolate Sheet Cake frosting.   They are hard to resist.  Why did I even make them you ask?  My plans changed because our schedule last week at school was crazy.  First block was cut to sixty minutes on Wednesday so I had to find something quick.   Looking through files I found this cookie recipe that my friend Ann made last year for my class.  Why not try them?  These cookies seemed to be a perfect choice. They looked simple and easy enough to throw together and eat in less than an hour.   No problem!  Not so fast!

These little cookies are not really cookies.  They are candy and I have I told you that I am a very poor candy maker!!!  Twice I made them  and both times they were a gooey mess.  So back to the drawing board I went.  Thank goodness I found some help here .   The syrup has to come to a full boil.  My mistake was starting the timer as soon as the mixture started to simmer.  Don’t make the same mistake !  If you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do you’re going to love these.  It’s like eating the best fudge you have ever had without all the stress.  A few ingredients and a little of your time is all you need.  Head to the kitchen and get things rolling.  Your family will love you!   

The No Bake Cookies should NOT look like this:

This is all wrong!

Here are some tips:

1. Use quick cooking oats.
2. Stir together sugar, butter,and milk just until the mixture starts to bubble,  then STOP stirring.
3. Let the mixture come to a FULL boil.  Cook for 1 1/2 minutes.
4. Take mixture off the heat and stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and oats.
5. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper. 
6. Give away to your friends or you will eat them all.

No Bake Oatmeal and Peanut Butter Cookies

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup of butter or margarine
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups of quick cooking oats

1. In a 2 quart saucepan stir together sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa.  Stir just until butter melts and sugar is mixed in. Do not stir anymore.
2. When mixture comes to a Full boil cook for 1 1/2 minutes. 
3. Take off heat.
4. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and oats.
5. Drop by teaspoon on to wax paper.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

This Tuesday Winston Jones from the Douglasville Sentinel which is our local newspaper came to my second block class just to spend a little time and find out exactly what goes on in Nutrition and Wellness.  It just so happened to be the first episode of a short unit on cookies.  My students were excited about making cookies and were very attentive.  Winston took several pictures and lots of notes.  He left loaded down with cookies and me wondering what kind of impression I made. 

The next day my friend Syble met me at my room with a newspaper and kidding said, “Here sign this.” The article was on the front page! 

Why teach baking cookies you ask?  Cookies and cake are essentially made using the same method.  If you can make one you should be able to make the other.  Usually recipes have six or more ingredients.  So this means more can go wrong and it is hard to judge mixing times.  

I used a new piece of equipment to make cookies – The standing mixer.  Here’s the low down on mixers: 

1. If you buy a good hand mixer with a powerful motor it will work on almost every recipe.  You’ll spend less money, but you won’t be able to make pizza dough or other heavy dough with it.
2. A good stand mixer does not have to cost as much or more than a car payment.  I have an old Black and Decker mixer that has a digital control including a timer that I love.  I paid $100 for it.  Please spend time reading reviews on different models before choosing one.
3. When buying a higher end mixer first know that it will take you some time to get familiar with how to operate it.  These mixers are more powerful therefore  you will have a shorter mixing time.  I bought a large Kitchenaid four years ago and I’m still learning new things about it.

Check out these tips for baking cookies more successfully. 

Here’s what happened on lab day: 

1. I ate way too many cookies!!!
2. The back hall smelled like a bakery.
3. Everyone was busy.
4. Everyone was happy.
5. Only 3 out of 12 kitchen made mistakes.
6. One group left out granulated sugar when copying the recipe down so therefore left it out when preparing the cookies.
7. Another group added too much salt and overmixed the batter.
8. The third group overmixed the batter.
9. All kitchens were left clean.
10. Everyone got their sugar fix for the day.
11. It was a great day for learning!

Here is the link for the recipe.  When adding the oats add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. 

Here are some great photos of today’s bake-off.  

1st Block kitchen 1

1st Block Kitchen 2

1st block Kitchen 3

1st Block Kitchen 4

1st Block Kitchen 5

1st Block Kitchen 6

2nd Block Kitchen 1

2nd Block Kitchen 2

2nd Block Kitchen 3

2nd Block Kitchen 4

2nd Block Kitchen 5

2nd Block Kitchen 6

You might be interested in these recipes for Oatmeal Cookies:

Food Blogga Oatmeal Everything Cookies

Cucina Bella Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

A Canadian Foodie Oatmeal Pecan Blueberry Cranberry Cookies

Mele Cotte Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks

Now here is a recap of my Sugar Coma!    We met at Bradford’s on Bishop for lunch.  Our Sugar Momma was Run With Tweezers who has a great  blog . Check it out.

Note the bags in the back of the photo.  Yes, those were ours filled with all kinds of goodies.

Dessert was provided by Peachy Treats and Pink Cupcake Dreams.

These chocolate cupcakes filled with caramel and Yummy.

We were swept away by Atlantic LimoGa which meant having no worries about driving or parking.   We got to enjoy the drive and each other’s company.

1st stop Caryn’s Cakes

My favorite here were the Coconut Cupcakes with lemon.  They were sooo good.

2nd stop was CamiCakes

For those that are looking for a spa experience this is it. 29 Spa at  The Mansion on Peachtree.  They treated us like royality and no one wanted to leave.

4th Stop SIP the Experience

I loved this place.  Think coffee shop, but better.  They just made us feel at home and the food!  Oh my! My favorite was the Pear and Walnut Loaf.

Our last stop and to me one of the best !!! Wine Shoe featuring Melecotte and Flanboyanteats.  This was over the top.

This was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  Check out The Broke Socialite it will be a day you will never forget!