Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

So many things are running through my mind…LOL    This is the list:

1.  I am up way to early…airport run this morning! I should eat some breakfast.
2.  I had to google the word "hash" for this blog posting, only to learn it's not the word I wanted.
3.  I am so excited that our moving trailer will be here on Thursday. I can almost not contain my excitement. Only to be stressed because I am not sure when we will have time to unload it.
4.  I want to share my pictures of our beach visit from Sunday.
5.  I have to go to Food Network and collect a recipe for Rouladen before I forget.
6.  My son overslept while I was driving to the airport.
7.  I have a list a mile long of responses to email that I neglected yesterday.
8.  Grocery shopping needs to get done today, we are out of so much stuff.
9.  I have a photoshoot next week that I need to buy props for this week.
10.  My house looks like a bomb went off in it, thanks to a minimally supervised 4 yo yesterday…LOL

That's just the beginning!  Often times my brain thinks much faster than I have the ability to do.  In fact, sometimes my brain thinks so fast that my words and sentences are not complete…it's one big mess, goulash or stew.

So I will keep this simple and easy.  This is my style. I will start at the top and work my way down.  Do the best I can to accomplish what is on the list.  I won't stress about the things I did not get done, just be glad that I was able to do something today.

I will start with getting this yummy recipe up and posted to my "log".  This is what Isabella called it last night.  We were watching the food channel and she mentioned that I should make what was being made on TV and post it to my "log" for my friends to see and make too.  I thought it was cute.

As you know, on Saturday, I shot a band tournament.  This is a lot of work.  Once it starts you don't get a break.  They come onto the field every 15 minutes for 2-4 hours or longer.  It depends on the size of the tournament.  Ours happened to be a small one, only 6 bands and a performance by the younger kids in the area.  I was at the school from 10am to about 9pm.  I took 800 pictures.  You can imagine how tired I was.

When we finally crashed that night, the hubster and I both decided that going to the beach on Sunday was out of the question…it was a two-hour drive, hot and it would include lots of walking.  These old bones don't work like they used to….LOL

Sunday came and I woke up early and thought..Dang it, I am going to the beach.  I need a break.  I need to go.  I want to go.  I will go even if it is just me.  To my surprise, I went upstairs and announced I was still going to the beach, and my husband had decided the same thing.   I love it when we are so in tune with each other that this happens.  It was a great day!  Not only did we walk a lot but we also rented a surrey to ride around in for an hour.

 I hope you enjoy these pictures of Ocean City, MD.  It is nostalgic to go to a boardwalk with a huge Ferris wheel.  The day could not have been more beautiful, sunny and hot if we had planned it ourselves.  Time spent with those you love is amazing.

So how did I get to this recipe for breakfast?  I love sweet potato anything…fries, bread, mashed….etc.   You name it and I will try it.  Saturday night, we took Drake out to dinner and I ordered a basket of sweet potato fries.  Of course, they insist on ruining the fries with cinnamon sugar (I don't like this).   I order mine plain…just give me some salt and ranch and call it good.  I think I might have been too tired to eat and had to take my fries home.

Sunday morning while deciding to go to the beach, I knew I wanted to eat a big breakfast…something warm, filling and yummy.  I opened the fridge and my first thought was I would warm up the fries and then I thought,  "How about frying up the sweet potatoes like I do with my baked potatoes?"  It worked.  I grabbed a tart apple, some onion and garlic…fried it together and we had the best, tastiest sweet potato mixture with our eggs and toast.

Recipe:  Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

1 order of sweet potato fries, precooked
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 tart apple, cubed
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

You can make your own sweet potato fries by purchasing the sweet potatoes.  Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch thick disk (the long way of the sweet potato). Take each disk and cut into 1/4 inch strips.  Try to make them all the same size.  Heat oil in a pan and fry your sweet potatoes.  Drain the fries on paper towels.  Add salt.

With the freshly made fries or leftovers, cut them into 1 inch long pieces.  Cut your apple and onion.  Heat your oil in a frying pan.  Add the garlic, onion and sweet potatoes.  Fry until the onion starts to turn transparent.  Add the apple cubes and continue cooking.  I cooked mine for about 15 minutes total time.  This is pretty quick, you just don't want to overcook your apple and have it get too soft.  You want the crispness and flavor to not be lost.

This can be served for breakfast or as a side dish.  It has lots of fall colors and definitely can be changed to fit your taste buds.  Remember the combination of the sweet and tart are what makes the flavor so good.


If you would like to see Ocean City and how beautiful and unique it is, I have shared a few pictures below.  ENJOY!

You must know that I abhor bridges.  I get sweaty palms, anxiety out of this world and usually do not breath the whole time we are on them.  My biggest fear is drowning in a car going off of a bridge.  Now you know way too much information about me…LOL  But I do love this picture of the Bay Bridge that I took while driving.

The smell of a pier takes me back to my childhood of when we lived in San Diego.  I loved this picture too.  

The sand was so clean.  The beach was not crowded.  We are in off season and the weather was perfect…clear blue skies for as far as the eye could see.

This is down by the Ferris Wheel.  I honestly don't know how many miles the walk it, maybe 3 or 4 miles.

Clams Casino…this was fantastic!

We rented this surrey to drive up and down the boardwalk.  There is no way we could have walked it with Isabella and no stroller.  This was fun!

This lady showed up with her two great danes.  They were so beautiful!  I laughed because they really wanted her bucket of french fries.  LOL

This building is a mess, but in an artistic way.  Inside they sell posters, artwork and paintings.  

You can't go an amusement themed board walk and not get cotton candy.  She struggled with the wind and her hair.  They were both a sticky mess that night.  But, oh she had a good time being in the sand and at the beach.

Kraut and Brat Soup

I love Oktoberfest.  In every city we have lived in, we have always tried to attend these fun festivals, and not just for the beer.  In Oregon, the event was quite large in Mt. Angel and I have memories going back 30 years of attending.  It was a place to have great food, hear wonderful polka music, buy all the dried flowers you could imagine and spend time with my family.  We loved it!

Our kids have had a lot of opportunities to attend various festivals with our travels.  This is one that they always love to attend (and the greek and Japanese)…we just love diversity and traditions!  LOL

When we heard of this festival coming to Annapolis, we definitely wanted to attend.  It is our first one on the East coast.  I have to admit, it was different and smaller.  I was looking for more authentic artwork, crafts and a "feel" of the culture.   I realize that we may not have a large German community in our area and so we enjoyed what was offered.  The food was great, especially the red cabbage…OH, MY….very tasty.

I have listed below some tidbits of Oktoberfest and some word translations for the food items.

It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810.  Copied from Wikipedia.

Oktoberfest Bavarian hats (Tirolerhüte)

These drunk patrons are often called "Bierleichen" (German for "beer corpses")

Hendl- chicken

Schweinebraten-roasted pork

Schweinshaxe-grilled ham hock

Steckerlfisch-fish

Würstl-sausage

Brezn-pretzel

Knödel-potato noodle

Reiberdatschi-potato pancake

Rotekraut-red kraut

lederhosen-traditional Men's shorts

Dirndl -dresses worn by the women

In celebration of our attending this fest, I made one of our favorite soups: Kraut and Brat Potato Soup.  I have been making this soup for years.  I am sure it's not an original creation but my family loves it.  Over the years I have learned a few things to really enhance the flavors.  First, you must buy a really good sauerkraut.  I only use the stuff in bags.  If you can make your own even better.  If you want to have an excellent broth, you must add the kraut juice.  You get the tart flavor in every bite.  Secondly, you must fry the kraut before adding it to the soup and then you should add all the juices from the pan.  This again, adds a richness to the flavor.  Thirdly, it's always better the next day.  I don't know why it just is!

This was a booth of 100 different hot sauces.  Every bottle had a different name.  WOW

Isabella and Rye attended the festival and were able to enjoy themselves too.  Rye picked up this really cute owl hat and Isabella made a hedgehog.  Arts and Crafts are a sure way to ensure a 4-year-old has a good time.

I have never seen a raw oyster bar at an Oktoberfest before, but hey, we do live by the bay and people here love their seafood!  I had to pass on this. I could not bring myself to eat raw oysters from a street vendor…call me paranoid.  It just did not feel right.

Recipe:   Kraut and Brat Potato Soup

4 cup chicken broth

2 cups of water + kraut juice

1 large potato, cubed

1 c. onion, diced

½ cup of celery, diced

½ cup carrots, shredded or sliced

 1 T. oil  for sauteeing

salt and pepper

½  cube butter

 ½ cup flour

 1 ½ cups of milk

 1 cup cream

The amount of sauerkraut and sausage you add is a personal choice.  We like a lot so we would add the maximum listed.  If this dish is new or the flavors are new for you, you may want to add the minimum and taste.  You can always add more if you LOVE it.

1-2 cups of drained sauerkraut
2-3 Bratwurst sausages, remove casing  

In a large pot, add water and broth.  In a 2 cup glass measuring device, add the juice from your bag of kraut.  Fill the measuring cup to the 2 cup line with water.  You want an equivalent of 2 cups with the combination of the water and the kraut juice.  Keep in mind, the more kraut juice you use, the stronger and more intense your flavor will be.  You can also just use water for the whole two cups.  

Set your heat to medium high and bring water, broth and juice to a boil.  While this is heating up, add your diced potato and carrots to the pot.  

In a separate sauce pan, start your brats.  I remove the casing from the sausage and fry until well done.  I like to see a crispy edge to my brats. 

In another fry pan, saute your onion and celery in the oil.  Add the kraut and let it all get nice and fried, again, I like a little bit of color in my kraut to show that it has been cooked.  Combine your sausage to your veggies and set aside until you are ready to add to the potato/carrot mix.

In a small sauce pan, add your butter and melt.  Add the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add your milk and cream.  Cook until nice and thick.

Once your potatoes are soft and ready to go, add the veggie/meat mix and milk/cream/flour to your boiling water.

Reduce heat and stir.  If you want your soup thicker you can make more of the roue mixture.  I personally don't like chunky soup so for our family the thickness is perfect.

I have already stated above the flavor of this soup gets better the next day, but you can eat it right after making it too.  ENJOY!

Spider Eggs for Halloween

You will soon learn that I love the holidays.  ALL of them!  Give me a reason to dress-up, decorate and make fun food, and I am all in!  I am the one that goes to the Renaissance Festivals dressed up…I know you all have friends that do this and you laugh.  LOL

The year before this I was Martha Stewart in a jailbird costume and this year (2006)  I was a pregnant lady…REALLY, I was pregnant…LOL  Payback I guess…LOL

I guess it's the actress in me that never got a chance to shine.  I am a kid at heart and find that holidays make me happy and they remind me of the fun things that I did as a kid.  Over the years my family and I have hosted some very fun and large Halloween parties at our home.

 2008 I was a witch…my favorite costume!

Our fondest memory is the year we turned out basement into a haunted house and had kids from all over standing in line to go through….lots of fun!  The coolest part was my oldest daughter and her friends decorated and hosted the event for my son and his friends.

2009 I went as a fortune teller.   2010 I guess I went as a storm chaser.  We were in our trailer at the time and we had a huge tornado warning and thunderstorm. FUN TIMES, not!

I know these spiders are common to make but the kids still get a kick out of seeing them every year.

 Recipe:  Deviled Eggs with Spiders

1 can of large pitted black olives
6-8 eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. mustard
1/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar

Boil or steam your eggs like usual.  Peel the eggs and slice in half.  Remove the yolk and add this to a bowl with mayo, mustard, and vinegar.  This is all based on your taste buds.  I have given you the minimum measurements and you will have to taste your mix to see if it is where you like it.  I like ours tart with vinegar so I would naturally add more vinegar.  If it's not enough to fill your egg whites, then add more mayo and mustard to stretch your filling.

Once your filling is made, then place the filling in a piping bag or plastic baggie and fill each egg white.

Take an olive and slice in half.  If you want to use one olive per egg then you will need to be careful how you slice it.  It is possible but personally, it's a bit tedious.  I usually just cut them in half and then use another olive to make the legs.  Using a sharp knife cut slim slices from the olive half.

Easy peasy if you ask me and the kids love them!  Ok, so do the adults…LOL

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust

Yesterday was a fun day for my daughter and I.  Her preschool had their first field trip and it was to the pumpkin patch and farm.  She was so excited to see the animals but what she wanted the most, was a pumpkin.  She had it set in her mind that she was going to make a pumpkin pie.

While at the farm, we saw a piggy race, she milked a cow, went on a hayride, was chased by a chicken and picked out her pumpkin.  She talked about the pumpkin and "her pie" all the way home.

You know how it is when you get home after being gone for a few hours, you just want to sit and gather your thoughts for a minute;  NOT my child.   We had only been in the front door a few minutes and she was already planning out her next move.

I think she thought I had a magic wand and this pie would just appear.  She was so sad to find out that I had to actually make a crust, cook the pumpkin and then it had to sit in the fridge for a few hours.   I sometimes wish I had that wand too.

So yesterday was spent making this special pie (cheesecake) for her.  I will be honest and admit that I have not yet found the perfect gluten-free pie crust.  With this in mind, I was a bit nervous at ruining this special event for her.  I remembered that I had bought some gluten-free ginger snaps to make something fun with.  This would be the perfect thing to use those in.

I had to really stretch my brain and think if the ingredients in the cookie would work as a pie crust.  I was not convinced, but, they would work beautifully in a cheesecake.  I started pulling everything out that I thought would make a good crust and whipped it up…it turned out great! 

I then found a cheesecake recipe I liked and started the process of making the cheesecake.  I had to break it to Isabella that the pie (cheesecake) would be ready tomorrow or today (Monday).  I honestly think that I can fool a 4yo into believing that what she is having is pumpkin pie...terrible, I know!!   We shall see…LOL

I could not let this amazing recipe go to the "ball" undressed (so to speak)  she needed adornments and some bling.  What better way to do this than with some homemade caramel sauce and brown sugar whipped cream.  HELLO, sweet thing…YES!  It was really good, and yes I did have this for breakfast this morning…yummilicious to the extreme.  I am not quite sure how to tell if your cheesecake is a girl or a boy, but this one just spoke to me and she is all GIRL just like my 4 yo who will love her "pie".

Recipe:  Gingersnap Crust


2 cups of Gingersnap Cookies ( I used  a gluten-free version that I found at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup of flour ( For gluten-free, use 1/4 cup tapioca starch and a 1/4 cup white rice flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar (optional)
2 T. Crisco
4 T. Butter, cold and sliced
1/4 cup ice-cold water

Crush your cookies in a small bag using a rolling pin.  You want your gingersnaps to be very fine crumbs.

In a bowl,  combine flour, salt, gingersnaps, and sugar.

Add the Crisco and butter.  Using your favorite method, cut Crisco/butter into the flour mix.  I like to use a pastry knife.  You can also use two knives or a food processor.

You should have a crumbly mixture.  Add your water and mix.  Do not over mix.

Place the ball of dough on to a piece of plastic wrap and place in the fridge.  It is not necessary to fridge for very long, but it does help the dough to not be overly sticky when pushing it into your spring foam pan.

When ready to use remove crust from wrapper and push into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan.  I went up the sides of the walls about 1.5 inches.

Bake this crust for 8 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove from the oven and add filling below.

Recipe:  Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree or fresh pumpkin
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

I used fresh pumpkin for my filling. This is a very easy thing to make. Cut and clean your pumpkin. In a large pot, place a steaming basket. Add 2 inches of water. Place your cut pumpkin into the basket and set your heat to medium-high. The pumpkin should be ready in 15-20 minutes. Scrape the pumpkin away from the outer shell. My small pumpkin provided 3 cups of pumpkin puree. You can freeze the extra or use it in other recipes.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar and beat on high for a few minutes until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.

Add this filling to the prepared crust above. Return to the oven and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes. The center should not jiggle when shaken and the edges should start to crack slightly.

Remove cake and let cool on the counter for 20 minutes. Place cake in the fridge for at least 6 hours. Serve with warm caramel sauce and brown sugar whipped cream.

Recipe:  Caramel Sauce
adapted from Alice Tea Cup

Caramel glaze:

1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place the butter, brown sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk gently until the mixture is smooth. Just as the mixture comes to a light boil, add the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Whisk well for 2 minutes, or until the glaze is thickened and smooth; then remove the pan from the heat.


Recipe: Brown Sugar Whipped Cream 


2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 tsp of vanilla
2 T. brown sugar


In a medium-size bowl add the above ingredients.  With egg beaters, whip until thick.  I love the color the brown sugar gives the whipping cream, especially for this time of year.

Written by Sherron Watson

Broccoli Cheddar Bites

I started off my "working" career in the restaurant business. My Mom owned a restaurant in a very small town named Kernville in California. You may have heard of the Kern River, it is quite famous for kayakers, the windy road to the valley and its a beautiful drive.

I remember starting off washing dishes, then waitressing and then doing a little bit of cooking. I was very young, maybe 9 when I started. We moved and my Mom bought another restaurant, and then another and so on. She always had a key to a restaurant for as long as I could remember.

It was definitely a family affair. We all worked there: my Mom, my Sisters, my cousins, my Grandparents...you know the kind of place. One minute we were friends and family and the next you could hear us yelling in the background because someone forgot the right toast.

We loved it, we tired of it, we worked ourselves to the bone, we loved it some more and then we promised ourselves we would never work in a restaurant again...LOL AND start all over the next day with the same zeal and statements.

It's hard work. You never have a holiday off. Yet, this is the only thing you know. You miss it when you are away. You miss the people, our "regulars" became family. We knew everything about them...the good, the bad, the happy and the sad. In many cases, we were the only family.  They remembered our birthdays and we never forgot theirs.

I love the restaurant business but I know that I never want to own a restaurant. It's just too much work, When I left high school, got married and moved to Austin, TX I needed a part-time job. Oh, I tried the office thing...boring! I tried the stay at home thing....boring! YEP, you guessed it...I found a part-time job waiting tables and I felt like I had returned home. In a few short years, I was approached by a manager. I agreed and it was fun while it lasted. I did not have kids then and my hubby was in the military. He was gone a lot and so this kept me very, very busy. Some weeks we worked 80+ hours. It was crazy! It was fun! Bennigan's had a great menu and you may have remembered me talking about this before with the Monte Cristo Sandwiches.

This recipe is one that I found on the internet. Bennigan's used to sell these delicious Broccoli Bites. I tend to dwell on things for years and it never occurred to me until the other day to google for the recipe. I found this posting and had to try them and they were really good. In fact, I made a small batch (to test the recipe) and the next day made a double batch. YUM!

My only recommendation is that if you double the recipe, double everything…especially cheese. If the cheese is off then your bites will be dry and not cheesy.  We loved these little morsels of heaven…ENJOY!

Recipe: Bennigan's Broccoli Bites

 I found this recipe on Food.com and it's a keeper.  I try to put all of my notes in red.

About This Recipe, from the author (unknown)

"If you've ever been to Bennigan's, you may have enjoyed this wonderful appetizer. We go there quite often for them. They're basically a blend of broccoli, cheeses, bacon, and onion rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. They are then dipped in a special honey-mustard sauce. This is a copycat recipe from the website Recipe Goldmine and it's right on the money! They're very easy to make and if you want to WOW your party guests with something deliciously different, by gosh- that'll do it!"

Ingredients

Broccoli Bites

3 eggs
6 ounces shredded Colby cheese
6 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 (16 ounces) boxes frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained, and dried (I used fresh.  I just steamed it and cut it very finely and it worked great.)
2 1/2 ounces Hormel real bacon bits ( I fried up my own bacon and chopped it into small pieces.)
1/2 ounce diced yellow onions
1-ounce all-purpose flour (For GF, I used brown rice flour)
Italian breadcrumbs, as needed (For GF, I used Glutino Crackers, finely crushed)

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup hellman mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Drain thawed broccoli by pressing through a strainer.

Dry well with paper towels.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until well-blended.

In a large plastic container, place all ingredients except bread crumbs.

Add beaten eggs.

Stir together with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

Refrigerate for 1 hour{This will bind the mixture together}. ( I tried to skip this part and it worked but it was very difficult for them to stay together.  If you have the time, I would strongly recommend this step.)

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard.

With a whisk, blend the mixture thoroughly.

Slowly pour in honey and lemon juice and continue mixing until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat about 4 cups of oil in a deep fryer or deep pan at 350°F.

Pour bread crumbs into a shallow pan.

Remove mixture from fridge and form portions into 1 inch balls and coat well with bread crumbs.

Place Broccoli Bites into fry basket or pan.

Make sure they do not stick together.

Fry one minute, then remove and place on paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Serve hot with Honey-Mustard Dipping sauce.

Note; These are best kept warm so you may want to use a chafing dish or even a slow cooker set on"low" for serving.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Two weeks ago someone posted that they were making Nanaimo bars and this instantly sent me in search of what this could possibly be.  I found several recipes for this yummy treat and then I found a peanut butter version, well...the original was pushed aside for the peanut butter and the rest is history.


They were absolutely amazing!  My family and I ate the whole recipe in one sitting, which is not hard to do because once you start you cannot stop.

So what is this and where does it come from?  Here is a brief explanation.


Nanaimo ( /nəˈnaɪmoʊ/) (Canada 2006 Census population 78,692) is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown streets which form a "hub" pattern. It is also fondly known as the "Hub, Tub, and Pub City" because of its association with the bathtub racing and the numerous "watering holes" in Old Nanaimo.

So HOW do you pronounce it?  I found some interpretations while trying to figure it out...it's still a mystery to me..LOL


Nah-nye-moe


Nuh-nye-moe 


nan-ah-IM-m-o


I can tell you this, I will keep making this yummy treat regardless of the pronunciation...LOL 


I made my own gluten free graham crackers and they were awesome used in this recipe.  You can sometimes find GF graham crackers at Whole Foods or some specialty shops.  I will post the recipe and pictures I used next week but if you cannot wait until then to make these, use google and you will find several recipes posted.


Recipe: Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars


This recipe was found on the Food Network website. I put my personal notes in red.

Ingredients

Cookie:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used GF Graham Cracker crumbs...see note above) 
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds (I also tried a batch with pecans and they tasted just as good)

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Glaze:

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan or casserole with aluminum foil, with long flaps hanging over each edge. I used parchment paper and a circle cake pan and it works great too.

For the cookie: Put the butter in a heatproof medium bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer over medium-low heat. Set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and cocoa, and stir to combine. Add the egg and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until warm to the touch and slightly thickened (it should be about the consistency of hot fudge), about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in graham crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press the dough firmly into the prepared pan. (Save the pan of water for melting the chocolate.)

For the filling: Beat the butter, peanut butter and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl with an electricmixer until light. Spread over the cookie and freeze while you prepare the chocolate glaze.

For the glaze: Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl, and set over the barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.). When cool but still runny, pour the chocolate layer over the chilled peanut butter layer and carefully smooth out with an offsetspatula. Freeze 30 minutes.

To serve, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Pull out of the pan using the foil flaps and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Busy baker's tips: Finished bars can be wrapped in the pan in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.

Written by Sherron Watson

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