Pink Lemonade Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, rack in the middle position.

1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup frozen pink or regular lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 drops of liquid red food coloring
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Mix in the baking powder and the baking soda.  Beat until they are well combined.

Mix in the beaten egg and the lemonade concentrate.

Add 3 drops of red food coloring.

Add the flour a half-cup or so at a time, beating after each addition.

If the resulting cookie dough is too sticky to work with, refrigerate it for an hour or so.  Drop the cookies by teaspoonful, 2 inches apart, on an UNGREASED cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies at  350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Then use a metal spatula to remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Mini Macaroon Cookies

Preheat oven to325 degrees; rack in middle position.

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 7-ounce packages flaked coconut
2 cups mini chocolate chips (12 ounce package)

Chop coconut flakes finer in food processor with an on/off pulsing motion.

Prepare pans:
     Mini baking cups in mini muffin pans OR
     Mini muffin pans sprayed with PAM with flour OR
     Baking sheets lined with heavy duty foil and sprayed with PAM with flour

Empty sweetened condensed milk into a large mixing bowl. 
Add vanilla and stir in well.
Add coconut to bowl 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
Add mini chocolate chips.  Stir in thoroughly.

Baking cups -- drop some cookie dough inside with a teaspoon.  Press it down lightly with a wet fingertip.  Fill baking cups close to the top.

Baking sheet --  drop some cookie dough by rounded teaspoon onto cookie sheet. They'll look best if they're a little mounded on top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  (Mine took 20 minutes.)  They're done when the coconut is toasted to a nice golden color on top.  Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes then remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in layers of wax paper in a storage container.  Make sure the cookies don't touch each other if they are not in mini baking cups.  They can be frozen.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Toasted Pecans

1 cup pecan halves
1 T butter -- melted
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Toss pecans in butter to coat.
Spread pecans out in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Bake for 10 minutes.  Stir.  Bake another 10 minutes.  Watch carefully -- do not over brown.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt, and allow to cool.

FUDGY FROSTING

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (a 12-ounce package)

1/4 teaspoon salt
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons salted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fill the bottom part of a double boiler with water.  Make sure the water doesn't touch the under side of the top.

Put the chocolate chips and the salt in the top of the double boiler, set it over the bottom, and place the double boiler on the stove top at medium heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate chips are melted.

Stir in the can of sweetened condensed milk and cook approximately 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the frosting is shiny and of spreading consistency.

Shut off the heat, remove the top of the double boiler to a cold burner, and quickly stir in the vanilla.  (It may sputter a bit, so be careful.)  Then add the butter and stir it in until it melts.

Your frosting is ready to use.  Once it cools, it's just like fudge.

HOMEMADE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK

1/3 cup boiling water
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup powered milk

Using an electric mixer set on LOW, blend together the boiling water and butter; a 4 cup measuring cup works for the bowl.  You can also use a blender.

Add the sugar and let it run for a few seconds.

Add the pure vanilla extract and let it run for several additional seconds.

Shut off the mixer, pour in the powdered milk, and then mix on LOW until the resulting mixture is thick.

Use immediately, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  This homemade version of sweetened condensed milk will last for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Yield: This recipe makes the equivalent of one 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk that can be used in pies, cakes, cookie bars and flans.

Oven-Baked Brown Rice with Parmesan, Lemon, and Herbs

Avoid using dried herbs, as fresh herbs really make this dish.  To double the recipe, use a 13 by 9 inch baking dish; the baking time need not be increased.

1 ½ cups long-, medium-, or short-grain brown rice

1 small onion, minced (about ½ cup)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

2 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about ½ cup)

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

¼ cup minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1.     Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Spread the rice in an 8-inch-square glass baking dish.

2.     Combine the onion, oil, and salt in a medium saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium–low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  Stir in the broth and bring to a boil, covered.  Once the broth is boiling, immediately pour it over the rice.  Cover the baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil and bake until the rice is tender, about 1 hour.

3.     Remove the dish from the oven, uncover, and fluff the rice with a fork.  Stir in the Parmesan, parsley, basil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and pepper.  Cover the dish with a clean kitchen towel and let stand for 5 minutes.  Uncover and let the rice stand for 5 minutes longer before serving.

Sharon's Turtle Bars

Regular Batch                                       

1 bag Kraft Caramels  (about 48 caramels)                                          

½ cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)                                     

Crust

1 ½ cups flour                                                        
1 ½ cups quick oats                                              
¼ tsp. salt                                                                 
2/3 tsp. baking soda                                             
1 1/8 cups brown sugar                                      
2 cubes melted butter                                         

Large Batch

1 1/2 bags Kraft Caramels (about 72 caramels)
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 - 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 - 2 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Crust

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups quick oats
3/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 cubes melted butter

Melt caramels in milk.  Mix crust ingredients together.  Pat ½ crust mixture into 9” X 13” pan (for regular batch) or 11 ½” X 16 ½” jelly roll pan/cookie sheet with 1”sides (for large batch).  Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Pour caramel mixture over crust.  Sprinkle with pecans and chocolate chips.  Crumble rest of crust mixture over the top.  Lightly press toppings into caramel mixture with fingers. This will help hold the toppings on the cookie bars after they are baked.  Bake 15 minutes more. 

Cool.  Cut into bars.  Store in Tupperware- type container.