December 2015 Rotation

Chunky Guacamole

Makes 2 1/2 to 3 cups

To minimize the risk of discoloration, prepare the minced ingredients first so they are ready to mix with the avocados as soon as they are cut.

INGREDIENTS

3 medium avocados, ripe, (preferably Hass)

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 medium clove garlic, minced

1 small jalapeño chile, minced (1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons)

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

2 tablespoons lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Mince onion, garlic, and jalapeno and place into a medium bowl.

   2. Halve one avocado, remove pit, and scoop flesh into the bowl. Mash flesh lightly with onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, salt, and cumin (if using) with tines of a fork until just combined.
   3. Halve and pit remaining two avocados, and prepare cutting into chunks.  Leaving the avocado in the shell, I make several thing slices running a knife longwise down the avocado being careful not to slice through the shell.  Then make several slices going the opposite direction, forming small cubes. Gently scoop out avocado into bowl with mashed avocado mixture.
   4. Sprinkle lime juice over diced avocado and mix entire contents of bowl lightly with fork until combined but still chunky. Adjust seasoning with salt, if necessary, and serve. (Can be covered with plastic wrap, pressed directly onto surface of mixture, and refrigerated up to one day. Return guacamole to room temperature, removing plastic wrap at the last moment, before serving.  This keeps the avocados from turning brown.)

Sept 2015 Rotation

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (plus box ingredients)
2 small boxes (3.4 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 cup Milk
1 container Chocolate Frosting

Instructions
Prepare cake in 13x9" pan according to box directions.
Use spoon handle to poke holes evenly across cake.
Combine milk and pudding mix and whisk until well blended.
Pour pudding over cake making sure it gets down into holes.
Refrigerate cake for several hours to allow pudding to settle and set up.

Open frosting container and remove foil seal.
Microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat this until frosting is pourable.
Pour over pudding layer and spread with spatula to cover completely.

**I made my chocolate topping with chocolate chips and heavy cream.**
Refrigerate for at least several more hours.



Recipe from:
http://cincyshopper.com/boston-cream-poke-cake/

August 2015 Rotation

July 2015 Rotation

Coconut Cream Fruit Dip

I found this recipe on the "Dessert Now, Dinner Later" blog here.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• One 15 ounce can of Cream of Coconut (this is in the drink mixers aisle--this is not coconut milk)
• 1 cup of whipping cream & 1/4 cup powdered sugar & vanilla to taste, whipped to stiff peaks (Or, to simplify, use 8 oz of Cool Whip, thawed)

Instructions:

1. Whip softened cream cheese until there are no lumps.
2. Whip in the whole can of cream of coconut until thoroughly blended.
3. Fold in the whipped cream (or cool whip) just until evenly mixed.
4. Serve with fruit, cookies, etc.  Refrigerate the leftovers.

This makes a LARGE bowl of this yummy dip!!  (You can half it, if you have something to do with the rest of that can of cream of coconut!)

June 2015 Rotation

Twix Caramelitas

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup of flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
5 milk chocolate bars (I used symphony bars)
24 caramels
1/4 cup evaporated milk
10 twix minis, chopped (I used bite sized, and chopped them in half-and did as many as would fit)

Instructions
1. In a glass bowl, unwrap the caramels and add the evaporated milk. Melt in the microwave in 30
second intervals, stirring between. Set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 350.
3. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, salt, and baking soda. Stir to
combine and press 1/3 into an 8x9" pan. (I put them in a 9" pie plate.) Bake for 8-10 minutes and remove from the oven.
4. Lay the chocolate down, top with caramel and twix and sprinkle the remaining crust mixture on
top. Bake an additional 15 minutes and set aside to cool before cutting. Or serve warm, which is
our favorite but more messy.  (I think it would have been yummier with vanilla ice cream!)

http://www.ohsweetbasil.com/twix-carmelitas-recipe.html

Peanut Butter Brownie Caramelitas

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted, then cooled
4 eggs
2 teaspoons McCormick® vanilla
2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup peanut butter morsels
1 eleven ounce bag of Kraft® Caramel Bits
1 teaspoon McCormick® vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I used whipping cream!) 

Instructions
1. Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Sift together all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla. Add into the dry ingredients and gently stir.
4. Pour the melted butter into brownie mixture and mix until just incorporated.
5. Spread 1/2 of the brownie batter (about 2 cups) into a prepared 9-inch square pan and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Caramel Sauce
6. Place caramel bits in a medium saucepan and turn heat to medium-low. Add in milk and stir until all caramel bits are melted (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and add in vanilla, stir to fully incorporate.
7. When time is up, remove brownie from oven and cover with 1 cup of peanut butter morsels. (I used more than 1 cup)
8. Pour caramel sauce over over peanut butter morsels.
9. Cover caramel sauce with remaining two cups of brownie batter.  (This didn't really "spread" over the caramel sauce for me--I just dropped it in about 9 dollops around the pan...)
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until edges start to get a little dark. (It took more like 30-35 min to bake.)
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, at least 4 hours.

http://iambaker.net/peanut-butter-brownie-caramelitas/

May 2015 Rotation

April 2015 Rotation

March 2015 Rotation

February 2015 Rotation

January 2015 Rotation