Porcupine Cookies

Do you remember the movie, "Tortilla Soup", with Hector Elizondo? This movie was a cook's dream. I loved it. I had never heard of Porcupine Cookies until watching this film and I wondered what on earth they were. Well, quite by chance a few weeks later, in our local paper, I came across this recipe that I'm sharing today. These cookies are very unusual in that there is no flour; the sweetened condensed milk and coconut are the binding agents. They remind me of a cross between candy and a cookie. If you love coconut, you will love these cookies. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup pecan pieces
1 tbsp. butter
2-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chocolate chips
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use nonstick pans. Set aside.
2. Toss the pecans in the melted butter and spread in an ungreased rimmed baking pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and aromatic. Set aside to cool, and then roughly chop.
3. Place chopped pecans and remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until moistened.
4. Spoon about 2 tbsps. batter for each cookie onto cookie sheets and gently flatten to circles of about 2-1/4" in diameter. Bake 10 minutes or until coconut turns a very pale golden, being careful not to brown too much. Cool on pans for about 5 minutes to set before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Deep Chocolate Brownies

This delicious recipe was a reader-contributed recipe that won in the best brownie category in a Better Homes and Gardens contest back in 2005. The topping is like the topping on German chocolate cake, only butterscotch-flavored ice cream topping is used instead of corn syrup. These brownies are a chocolate-lovers delight. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 egg
1 cup butterscotch-flavor ice cream topping
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
2 cups flaked coconut
3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12-oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.
2. In a small mixing bowl beat the 1 egg with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy and light colored. Stir in ice cream topping. Fold in pecans and coconut; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in cooled chocolate, the 2 eggs, and vanilla.
4. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat or stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in chocolate pieces. Spread in prepared pan; spread nut mixture over batter.
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and set. Toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs on it. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 - 36 bars

German Chocolate Coconut Bars

If you like German chocolate cake, you might like these bar cookies that were created, it seems, with the original cake in mind. They also resemble the old Magic Cookie Bars using sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips on a cookie base. Whichever the case might be, they are a very easy cookie to make and very tasty. They are especially good served with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream. This recipe comes from an old Taste of Home Cooking School Recipe Collection Magazine. A friend and I use to love to go to Taste of Home's Cooking School presentations every fall. I have many fond memories of those times with Judy years ago in Modesto. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pkg. (18-1/4 oz.) German chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut, divided
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1. Pour cake mix into a large bowl; cut in butter and 1 lightly beaten egg with a pastry blender until crumbly. Press onto bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Combine sweetened condensed milk, remaining egg and vanilla in a medium bowl; beat until well combined.
3. Stir in 1 cup coconut, nuts and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread mixture evenly over base. Sprinkle with remaining coconut and chocolate chips. Lightly press down.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-32 minutes or until center is almost set. Center will firm when cool. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 bars
266 calories each
1.7 gms. fiber if using semisweet chocolate chips of good quality

Mississippi Mud Dessert

Mississippi Mud bars, cake or dessert was a very popular dessert back in the 1980's. This rich, decadent chocolate dessert came in many forms, but I found this one to be the best and my family seemed to agree because it never lasted long. This recipe came from a cookie shop in Lake Arrowhead, California called The Bear's Brown Bag of Cookies via Bon Appetit Magazine in 1985. The brownie layer is chock full chopped nuts and coconut, the second layer is marshmallow cream that melts on top of the hot brownie and gets all gooey, and the frosting is one of the richest butter creams ever. Perfect for dessert  anytime you're craving something delicious and want to put a twinkle in the eyes of your loved ones. This dessert is very kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe:  

Brownie

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
3 tbsps. unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped fine
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup evaporated milk

For brownie:

1. Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter with sugar in large bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated. Blend in vanilla.
4. Combine flour and cocoa powder. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture.
5. Fold in coconut and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
6. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
7. Immediately spoon marshmallow cream over brownie. As cream begins to melt, spread gently. Cool brownie completely on a wire rack.

For frosting:

1. Cream butter and vanilla in large bowl of electric mixer.
2. Combine sugar and cocoa powder. Gradually beat into butter mixture, alternating with milk.
3. Continue beating until frosting is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Spread frosting over brownie. Cut into squares to serve.

Yield: 12 servings

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French Vanilla Cream Pie Made Easy

I wanted to make a pie yesterday but, I didn't want to invest a great deal of time to a "project", I just wanted a piece of pie for dessert last evening. This little creation is the end result of using some of the ingredients I found in the pantry, along with some whipped topping from the freezer. It probably took all of 10 minutes to throw together and then sat in the refrigerator to set until dinner time. Rich and creamy pudding in a crust; simple and kid-friendly, to boot! Blessings...

Recipe:

1 6-oz. shortbread crust
1 3.4-oz. pkg. French vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1% milk or milk of choice
2-1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, plus extra for garnish, if desired

1. Place pudding mix in a large bowl. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
2. Fold in whipped topping until completely combined and no white streaks remain. Pour into crust and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Yield: 6-8 servings
calories per 1/6 pie = 336
calories per 1/8 pie = 252

Thought: Make it a banana cream pie by slicing 1 banana into crust before filling with pudding or a coconut cream pie by adding a handful of shredded coconut to the filling.

Coconut Brownies

Everyone seems to love chocolate, and if you share goodies with friends and family during the Christmas season, these brownies would be a good addition to the plate. They are very different from other brownies with the addition of a layer of coconut on top of a brownie base that comes from a box. Then wonderful chocolate chunks and nuts on top of the coconut layer. This is an easy recipe and the resulting brownies are moist and delicious. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 pkg. (19 - 21 oz.) fudge brownie mix (not supreme)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) sweetened flaked coconut
1 pkg. (11.5 oz.) dark chocolate chunks
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare brownie mix according to pkg directions
3. Pour into greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake for 16 - 18 minutes.
4. Layer coconut and chocolate chunks over brownie base. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over all.
5. Sprinkle with pecans. Bake another 20 - 23 minutes longer.
6. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Yield: 24 bars
Tip: If you like sweeter chocolate, use semi-sweet chocolate chunks.