Christmas Bars

This is a slightly revised Mimi recipe called toffee bars. The twist is a topping of crushed candy cane rather than the original topping of toasted almonds. Toffee bars are delicious, but the nuts were an issue for a young lady from Port Chester, NY who banned them from the Favorite Dessert Poll at a recent family party. In a shameless attempt to reverse this decision, I thought peppermint candy would do the trick. So far, early results are very positive. I think Christmas Bars have a shot at a spot on the 2012 ballot.

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 bag chocolate chips (12 oz)
About 5 regular-sized candy canes, crushed*

Set oven to 350 degrees.

With a mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg yolk and beat until well combined.

To separate the yolk from the egg white, crack the egg firmly on the side of the bowl and pass the yolk back and forth, allowing the white to fall away into a bowl. If this seems daunting, crack the egg firmly on a bowl, place the entire egg into the bowl and with the smooth edge of one half of the shell, scoop out the yolk.

Add the flour and beat until batter holds together and looks crumbly. Place the batter into a PAM-ed 9 X12 baking pan. Pat the batter with your finger to get even coverage over the entire pan.

Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and pour chocolate chips evenly over the surface. Return to oven and bake for another 4 minutes. Remove and with gently spread the chocolate over the baked surface with a knife. Once the chocolate is completely spread, sprinkle the crushed candy cane (or toasted almonds) about and gently press into the chocolate.

Allow to cool fully so chocolate hardens.

* To crush the candy canes, place unwrapped candy in a sturdy zip lock bag, lay a dish towel or newspaper over the bag, and use a good heavy frying pan to whack the contents. Candy cane bits are sharp and will pierce the bag which is why the dish towel or newspaper is a good idea.

Retro Night: Sloppy Joe's

The 1970s: Love American Style, bell bottoms, and Sloppy Joe's for dinner. Ah, the days of yore. Sigh!

This recipe is adapted from a new cookbook I love by John Besh. These Joe's are definitely on the sweet side of the sweet & sour spectrum. So, if you want to tip the balance a bit, you could give them a blast of sriracha heat or swap the ketchup for tomato sauce. The only must here, is that the hamburger buns are toasted. Life is full of compromises, but toasted rolls for Sloppy Joes is not one of them. Always toast!

ps. I think this meal calls for some contrasting crunch to balance the soft Joe-ness. A salad of greens, sliced apple, and shaved parmesan seems just right.

Ingredients
2 lbs ground beef
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 onion diced
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup pepper jelly
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup chicken broth
pinch of salt & plenty of freshly ground pepper

Brown the ground beef slowly in a large saucepan. Once the meat loses its pinkness, drain the fat, and tip the meat on to a paper towel-lined plate while you make the sauce.

Wipe out your pan and add the canola oil. Turn heat to medium and add onion. Give onion time to brown. Once onion has reached a nice light brown color, add garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Then, add all your remaining ingredients, stirring constantly to allow them to combine and heat through.

Add ground beef to the sauce and cook at low simmer for 10 -15 minutes. If mixture seems too dry, add a bit more chicken broth. If too liquid, just heat until you reach the consistency you prefer. Enjoy!

Serves about 10