Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 package double stuffed Oreos or fudge sandwich cookies (larger pkg for larger batch)
• 1 or 2 cartons mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened
• 1-2 jars fudge sauce, at room temperature
• 1 (8 oz) or (12 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed in fridge

Directions

1. Crush cookies, reserve 1/2 to 3/4 cup crumbs.
2. Press remaining crumbs in either a 9"x13" pan or 10"x15" pan.
3. Put pan in freezer for 15 minutes.
4. Slice ice cream and spread over cookie crumbs; cover completely.
5. Put pan back in freezer until ice cream sets up.
6. Spread fudge sauce over ice cream, spreading as evenly as possible.
7. Return pan to freezer until fudge hardens.
8. Spread with Cool Whip, then sprinkle reserved crumbs on top.
9. Store in freezer; remove from freezer 15 minutes prior to serving. 

Olive Garden Copycat Zuppa Toscana

Prep Time:  20 min     Total Time:  1 hr 20 min     Servings:  4-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb mild Italian sausage
• 2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in fourths, and then in 1/4 inch slices
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 cups kale or swiss chard, chopped (pack it in)
• 1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
• 1 quart water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.
2. Brown sausage in your soup pot.
3. Add chicken broth and water to pot and stir.
4. Place onions, potatoes, and garlic in the pot.
5. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.
6. Add bacon and red pepper flakes.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.  (Instead of salt, I add 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules)
8. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
9. Turn to low heat.
10. Add kale and cream.
11. Heat through and serve.

Mexican Black Beans

1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large jalapeno seeded and chopped OR one 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp. cumin
2  15 oz. cans black beans drained and rinsed
1  14.5 oz. can chicken broth
fresh lime juice
salt
pepper
Monterey jack cheese, grated (opt.)
fresh cilantro (opt.)

Heat oil in heavy saucepan over med-hi heat.  Add garlic, cumin, and jalapeno and sauté 30 sec.
Add beans and broth.  Cook 5 min. stirring occasionally.  Coarsely mash beans with a potato masher.  Continue boiling until thick, about 20 min.  Season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a bowl.  Garnish with Monterey jack cheese and cilantro.

For a larger batch, double the first 5 ingredients.  1 can of chicken broth will suffice, you just won't have to cook it as long.

Apple Crisp

4 to 5 cups sliced apples, peeled and cored
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix together and put in a 7-inch by 11-inch pan.  Cover with topping.

Topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal


Mix all ingredients (except oatmeal) until crumbly (like coarse cornmeal).  Stir in oatmeal.  Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour, or at 375 degrees F.  for 45 minutes.

Easy Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream (evaporated milk works, too)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 and 1/2 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar (NOT sifted)

Combine the chips, cream and butter in a saucepan.  Melt them together over very low heat, stirring constantly.  When everything is melted, turn off the heat and move the pan to a cold burner.  Stir everything smooth with a wooden spoon or a heat-resistant spatula.  (Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate chips with the cream and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute on HIGH.  Stir to see if everything's melted and if it's not, heat it in 30-second increments until it is.)

Measure the powdered sugar, packing it down in the cup when you do so.  Place it in a bowl large enough to also hold the chocolate mixture.

Give the chocolate mixture in the saucepan a final stir and then pour it over the powdered sugar.  Do this fast and all at once.  Start stirring immediately and mix until the frosting is smooth.  This frosting will look "runny," but don't worry.  It'll harden up when the butter solidifies.  If it hardens too much, just heat it very gently over low heat on the stove top, or if you made it in the microwave,  heat it again on HIGH for 20 seconds or so.

Yield:  This frosting should frost 2 to 3 dozen cookies, or a small cake.

Raspberry Bar Cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middleposition.

1 cup cold butter (2 sticks)
2 cups flour (don't sift--pack it down in the cup when you measure it) 
1/2 cup powdered sugar (not sifted)
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4 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 cups granulated sugaar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup flour (don't sift--pack it down when you measure it)
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1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with PAM.

The Shortbread Crust:  Cut each stick of butter into eight pieces.  Process them with the flour and the powdered sugar in the food processor, using an on and off motion, with the steel blade until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal.  Spread it out in the bottom of the cake pan.  Pat the crumbly mixture down with your freshly washed hands.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges.  Remove the pan from the oven, set it on a wire rack or a cold stove top burner, BUT DON'T SHUT OFF THE OVEN.

While the crust is baking, make the filling so it's ready to pour on top of the crust when it comes out of the oven.

The Raspberry Filling:

With an electric hand mixer, mix the eggs with the sugar until they're nice and fluffy.

Melt the 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam in a microwave-safe cup on HIGH in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir the jam for another 30 seconds to cool it and then beat it into the egg and sugar mixture.

Add the salt and baking powder.  Mix them in thoroughly.

Mix in the flour and beat until everything is combined.  This filling will be runny.

When the crust comes out of the oven, pour the filling over the top.  Stick the pan back into the oven and bake it at 350 degrees F. for another 30 minutes.  Take the pan out of the oven and set it on a cold burner.  Let it cool for 10 minutes.  Then make the Raspberry Glaze.

The Raspberry Glaze:

Measure out 1/4 cup of seedless raspberry jam and heat it in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir it until it's smooth.  Using a pastry brush, brush the melted jam over the top of the bar cookies.  This very thin layer of jam will be the glaze.

Place the pan in the refrigerator so that the jam will cool and solidify--about 30 minutes.

The Chocolate Frosting:

Make the frosting by placing the butter, sugar, and cream into a medium-size saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil at MEDIUM-HIGH heat, stirring constantly.  Then lower the heat to MEDIUM and cook for exactly 2 minutes.

Add the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, stir them in until melted, and then remove the saucepan from the heat and slide it onto a cold burner.

Stir in the vanilla extract.  (Be careful--it may sputter.)

Pour the frosting over the cookie bars, grab the cake pan, and tip it so that the frosting covers the whole top.

Stick the pan back into the refrigerator for at least an hour before you attempt to cut and serve the cookie bars.

To serve, cut the cookie bars into brownie-sized pieces and place them on a pretty platter.

Raspberry Brownies

For the Brownies

Make a double batch of your own favorite brownie recipe in a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan OR use the shortcut below:

1 family size box of brownie mix (enough to make a 9-inch by 13-inch pan of brownies) and the rest of the ingredients listed on the box of brownie mix you bought

For the Glaze

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

For the Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cream (evaporated milk works)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to whatever it says on the box of brownie mix you bought.

Spray the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan with PAM or another non-stick cooking spray.  Alternatively, you can line the pan with aluminum foil and spray that.

Mix the brownies according to the package directions.

Bake the brownies 2 minutes longer than it says on the package directions.

After the brownies have baked, let them cool on a cold stovetop burner or on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

After the brownies have cooled for 10 minutes, put the jam in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it on HIGH for 30 to 45 seconds or until it liquifies.

Pour the jam over the top of the brownies and quickly spread it out with a rubber spatula.

Refrigerate the brownies and jam glaze for at least 30 minutes. An hour is even better.  Overnight is fine, too.

Take the pan out of the refrigerator and place it on the counter close to the stovetop.

Make the frosting by placing the butter, sugar, and cream into a medium-size saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil at MEDIUM HIGH heat, stirring constantly.  Then lower the heat to MEDIUM and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the half-cup chocolate chips, stir them in until melted, and then remove the saucepan from the heat and slide it onto a cold burner.

Stir in the vanilla extract.  (Be careful--it may sputter.)

Pour the frosting over the glaze, grab the cake pan, and tip it so that the frosting covers the whole top.

Stick the pan back into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before you attempt to cut and serve them.