Foley Four Fave Oatmeal Fudge Bars

A throwback recipe I made for the 2017 Bake Off competition recently at Kerry's house. While I didn't win, my kids remember having these bars when they came home from school.  I remember finding the recipe in a Junior League Cookbook and it's part of the original Foley Family Cookbook.  Once again, it was enjoyed by all the Foley kids.

2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened (divided)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (divided)
2 eggs
3 cups quick cooking oats
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (divided)
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a jelly roll pan, 8 x 12 x 1, with Baking Pam.  
Set aside.

Combine the brown sugar and 1 cup of the butter and beat until light and fluffy.  Add in 1 teaspoon of the vanilla and the eggs and beat until combined.  In another bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Stir the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture until combined.

Reserve about one-third of the mixture and press the remaining mixture into the prepared pan. 

In a small saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and remaining butter and place over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Spread the chocolate mixture over the oat mixture in the pan, then drop the remaining oat mixture by teaspoonfuls over the chocolate mixture.  (I form flat pancake type patties and place over chocolate fudge mixture).  

Bake in the preheated oven until golden, about 25 minutes.  Let cool slightly before cutting into bars.

Serves 24-48 depending on how big you cut them.  I cut them into very small squares for the Bake Off party.  

This photo was taken before cutting.  I had just scored the top row and was deciding how big to make them.  These are rich so they are best cut into small squares.

Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Slow Cooker Sunday returned last week with this easy recipe adapted from Cooking Classy. I used fresh pineapple and left out the onions and Sriracha hot sauce called for in the recipe.  Served over Jasmine Rice.  A tasty and healthier alternative to the breaded and deep fried sweet and sour recipes.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 pounds) cut into 1 - 1 1/2" pieces.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh)
3 tablespoons tomato paste (for this recipe I bought the tube of tomato paste)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce (optional)

1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup diced fresh pineapple (you could also used canned but fresh it best).
1/4 of an onion, diced into 1" pieces (optional)
1/2 of a green pepper, diced into 1" pieces.

Place diced chicken in a slow cooker.  In a mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup chicken broth, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, tomato paste, garlic powder, ginger and black pepper.  Add Sriracha hot sauce (optional).  

In a small mixing bowl, stir together 1/3 cup chicken broth and 1/3 cup cornstarch.  Whisk until well blended then gently fold mixture into chicken mixture.  Fold in diced pineapple, onion (optional) and green pepper.  Cover and cook mixture on low for an additional 30 minutes until sauce thickens and fruit and vegetables are slightly tender.  

Serve warm with white or brown rice.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Looking for a light recipe for a Sunday night I decided to make a salad that I haven't made in many years. The Waldorf Salad was created in 1893 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NYC.  This recipe was adapted from Southern Living and took only 20 minutes to put together.  Based on reviews I modified it slightly, as written below, by adding one more apple and cutting the honey mustard from 1/2 cup in the original recipe to 1/4 cup.  This ratio was perfect.  I packed a container for my work lunch tomorrow!

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 cups diced cooked chicken (I bought plain "Just Chicken" at Trader Joe's)
1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
2 large Gala apples, diced leaving skin on
1 cup diced celery
1/2 mayonnaise
1/4 cup honey mustard (Koop's brand) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake walnuts in a single layer in a shallow pan
6 - 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Stir together chicken, next 5 ingredients and walnuts.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Angel Food Cake

Homemade Angel Food Cake is so much better than the box and worth the effort to separate the dozen eggs.  It is especially when served with homemade whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries that are becoming so abundant as we are nearing spring!

1 cup Cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
12 large egg whites, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Do not grease or flour your angel food cake pan.  (I use the Fat Daddio Angel Food Cake pan, it's the best, no more old school inverting the pan over a bottle.  It stays balanced when inverting on a cookie sheet for proper cooling).



In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and 3/4 cup of the sugar.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, salt and vanilla extract.  Beat until the mixture is just frothy, then sprinkle the cream of tartar on top and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks.

Add the remaining sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, then gradually fold in the dry ingredients.

Spoon the batter into the pan and bake the cake for 40 - 45 minutes, or until it's golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched.

Remove the cake from the oven and set it upside down over a cookie sheet. This cooling process sets the structure and keeps the cake from collapsing.

Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and remove it from the pan. 

Store the cake, covered, on the counter for up to a week.  Freeze, well wrapped for up to 3 months.

Strawberry Banana Popsicles

Healthy, even for breakfast, popsicles made with only 3 ingredients.  My grandson Levi loved these. While taking care of him for a weekend, he thought it was great that I would let him eat them at breakfast.  

Ingredients:

1 large ripe banana, cut into chunks
12 large strawberries. slice in half
1/2 cup orange juice (or pineapple juice)

Special equipment:
Popsicle molds (I purchased these "rockets" at Crate and Barrel).

Blend all of the ingredients together on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes (Kerry has a Vitamix blender).  

Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.  

Run popsicle mold under warm water to easily remove.

Aunt Judy's Jumbo Sugar Cookies

My brother Rich's kids (Greg, Trudy, Tracy and Eric) loved this cookie when they were young.  When looking through my recipes the other day I found this one handwritten by my sister-in-law Loretto.   Omitted on this recipe is the vanilla so I am adding it here on the blog.  I modified the recipe directions slightly for ease and modernization.  

Christine visited us on Sunday and she thought they were delicious! 

2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

For topping:
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons sugar 

Beat together 2 cups sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.  Mix well.  

Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop form balls with dough and roll into sugar mixture.  

Place 3" apart on Silpat or parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake for exactly 12 minutes and let stand on baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to cooling racks.

Makes 3 dozen.  

Roquefort Pear Salad

I served this as a side to the Chicken Pot Pie.  I would make this over and over and serve it along with grilled salmon, chicken, shrimp or actually anything, it's that good!

1 head lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
3 pears - peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup crumbled Roquefort cheese (I used crumbled Gorgonzola, add more if you like alot of cheese)
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans.  Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans.  Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper.  Allow to cool and break into pieces.

For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, minced garlic, salt and pepper.  

In a serving bowl layer lettuce, pears, cheese, avocado.  Pour dressing over salad and sprinkle with pecans and serve.