YUM YUM BARS

    This recipe goes back a long time.....My Mom introduced these one year at Christmas.   I don't know exactly when, but she specifically noted that "my husband loves these".....and he does!  

I chose to make them for his birthday.  They're a bar cookie and the recipe uses a 9x9 pan.  So, if you're like me and you really don't want a lot of cookies in the house, this one might be the one to reach for from time-to-time.  

It's a great combination of coconut, caramel sauce and chocolate.

TIP:  I make a parchment sling and place that in my pan....it makes it so much easier to remove them from the pan. 

INGREDIENTS:

Cookie:

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 cup flour (high altitude flour for us folks in the mountains)

¼ cup packed brown sugar

2 cups flaked coconut

½ cup caramel sundae sauce

2 Tbsp. milk

2 Tbsp. flour

2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

¼ cup powdered sugar

Frosting:

¼ cup chocolate chips

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. milk

¼ cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Cut butter into flour and sugar until particles are fine (with mixer, use low speed.  I find if I take it just to the point that the dough pulls together, it not only presses into the pan more easily, but they also come out of the pan beautifully.)   Press dough into bottom of ungreased 9x9, 10x8, or 11x7 pan. 

Combine remaining ingredients; using an offset spatula, spread the mixture carefully over crust.  Bake at 360 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Cool.    While the cookies cool, make the frosting by melting together the ingredients in the microwave or on the stovetop. 

Use a knife to loosen the edges of the cookie from the sides of the pan.  Then lift the sling from the pan.  I use the "fork" method to drizzle the chocolate over the top.    Slice into 3x1 inch bars. 

Enjoy!

recipe c/o:  Hungarian Flour cookbook (133 bar cookie recipes from the high country)

CREAMY SAUSAGE RIGATONI

 I was searching for a pasta recipe that was a little different than the typical red sauce variety and decided to try this one out.  Not only was the sauce delicious, but I loved the rigatoni....those thick ribbed noodles allowed the sauce to stick to them so nicely.  I made this for a recent dinner and everyone loved it.  I added a salad before dinner and freshly baked bread with dinner and it was delicious!

I will tell you that I doubled the sauce recipe, since I love an extra saucy pasta.   It even allowed us to enjoy a second dinner (we just had to make a little bit more pasta) later in the week. 

Serves 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz. rigatoni pasta (save 1 cup water)

3 Tbsp. olive oil

½ cup onion, chopped

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

3-4 cloves garlic, minced (we opt for less)

½ tsp. crushed fennel seeds

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes 

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

fresh chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the sausage.  Cook, breaking into small pieces, until no longer pink.  Drain grease.  

2.  Add garlic, fennel seed, red pepper and tomato paste and cook a few minutes more.  Stir in the broth and simmer until liquid is reduced by half.  

3,  Cook rigatoni according to package directions.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water

4.  Add the cream to the sauce and bring to a simmer.  Gradually add pasta water (I chose not to add any water since I liked the consistency just the way it was) until sauce reaches desired consistency.  Stir in ¼ cup parmesan cheese.

5.  Combine the sauce with the drained pasta.  Garnish with fresh parsley and more parmesan cheese.  

I served this family style in a large bowl, allowing each person to dish up their own bowl.   

recipe c/o:  www.letsdishrecipes.com