Magic Cookie Bars

Some things are so easy, they make me feel just a little bit guilty. Making Magic Cookie Bars is one of them. They look like something that should have taken a lot of effort to prepare .... but they're just so easy to make. The bad part is that my husband saw me throw them together last night, so I can't fool him anymore. He thought I was a master baker. Now he knows the truth.

1/2 cup butter
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12 ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9 x 13 inch pan melt the butter in the oven. Sprinkle crumbs over the butter. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the crumbs. Top with the remaining ingredients in layers. Press down. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool. Cut into squares.

My Christmas Wreaths

It's a little early to put up the Christmas Wreaths, but as those who craft know, you have to make them early in order to obtain all the supplies. Christmas supplies are in stock in October. If you wait until December to start putting together a wreath you'll find all the best materials are long gone. Every year I put together 2 Christmas Wreaths, but spend the whole year gathering the ornaments that I need to make them. There's not a month during the year that my mind isn't sliding over to Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse. Each year I've had a more and more difficult time finding the gold leaves and mini mirror ball ornaments that I need to complete the wreaths. I fear this may be my final year for the wreaths. Sad, because I find that children of all ages seem to enjoy these wreaths. Looking at the ornaments brings back memories. Memories of sitting on the floor, watching The Mickey Mouse Club. The joy of hearing a fairy tale or watching a Disney movie on a black and white TV. Saturday morning cartoons! Later, the joy of that first trip to Disneyland ... and how I still get that foolish happy grin on my face each time I wander down Main Street. Life is good!

In just a few weeks most will be gathering with family and friends to celebrate our fall and winter holidays. When I lived in New England, these holidays are what made the bitter cold bearable. Now I have sunshine most of the year. Still, I found that the holidays are still just as special as they were in my frost-bound years. I Hope you all have a blessed holiday season.

DULCE DE LECHE DUOS

Dulce De Leche Duos

Cookies for breakfast? For Dinner? Sure, why not! I'm eating one now, and I think any excuse will do just fine. Picture a cookie with the subtle taste of vanilla and a filling of Dulce De Leche. Okay, that's enough talking. Let's make them so we can get to the good part. Eating them!

Adapted from 'Baking From My Home To Yours', by Dorie Greenspan

350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 sticks of unsalted butter - room temperature
3/4 cup store-bought dulce de leche, plus 3/4 cup for filling (Or make your own like I did - recipe follows)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside

Working with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until soft. Add the 3/4 cup dulce de leche and both sugars and continue to beat until it's light and fluffy. (approximately 3 minutes) Add the eggs and beat for 1 minute. The mixture may look a little curdled, but it'll smooth out after the flour mixture goes in. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix only until they disappear into the batter.

I used a '1 level tablespoon cookie scoop', and baked the cookies for 14 minutes.
The cookies will be honey brown with a light crust, but they will still be soft. Remove the sheet from the oven, but leave them on the hot sheet for a couple of minutes. Then remove them onto a rack to continue cooling.

When the cookies are completely cool spread the flat bottoms of half the cookies with a small amount of dulce de leche, and sandwich the flat side sides of the remaining cookies


Homemade Dulce De Leche

I can never find Dulce De Leche, so I have to make my own. It's easy to do!

Empty 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl. I used a very large Pyrex mixing bowl. It will overflow in anything smaller than a large bowl.

Microwave on medium power for two minutes.

Remove from the microwave and stir with a wire whisk. Be very careful; the mixture and bowl will get very hot! Once it gets hot putting in the cool whisk may make it boil up a bit, so use a pot holder

Microwave on medium power for another two minutes. Remove and whisk again

Microwave on medium-low power for 16-24 minutes or until it turns thick and caramel color, stirring every two minutes.

Millionaires Shortbread Bars

Millionaires Shortbread. My first thought was that I couldn't afford to make something with that name ... but it turns out they're just made with the usual suspects that I always have on hand. Butter, Sugar, Chocolate, and so forth. They're made with a simple shortbread dough, with homemade caramel Dulce De Leche on top of it, and then another layer of bittersweet chocolate on top of that. Sounded like something I could get into.

Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with aluminum foil so edges are sticking over on all sides. Grease the pan with butter or non-stick spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3/4 cup of butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Beat the butter and sugar until it's fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour and mix until the dough just comes together. Press into the bottom of your prepared pan, and make several pricks with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes.



Caramelized Milk Layer, also called Dulce De Leche.
Empty 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave safe bowl. I used a very large Pyrex mixing bowl. It will overflow in anything smaller than a large bowl.

Microwave on medium power for two minutes.

Remove from the microwave and stir with a wire whisk. Be very careful; the mixture and bowl will get very hot! Once it gets hot putting in the cool whisk may make it boil up a bit, so use a pot holder

Microwave on medium power for another two minutes. Remove and whisk again

Microwave on medium-low power for 16-24 minutes or until it turns thick and caramel color, stirring every two minutes.

Chocolate topping

6 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon of butter

Melt them together and then pour the chocolate over the caramel layer.

Let the chocolate set before cutting with a sharp knife.

Here's the finished product, with it's rich ingredients and fancy name.