Raspberry Cheesecake Bars with White Chocolate Chips

On Sunday I prepared Brunch at St. John the Apostle MCC in Ft. Myers. I served an assortment of breakfast egg casseroles based on my previous post (Made four pans of the sausage version, three of the corned beef, and one vegetarian). I also served Raspberry Cheesecake Bars from a recipe that appears on the Krusteaz Raspberry Bar Mix. I  modified it by adding almond flavoring and white chocolate chips. It turned out great!

The dining room was decorated with dark green and light green tablecloths and tulips on both the buffet table and the individual round dining tables. I enjoy creating an atmosphere that feels special and inviting.

These tulips were on the Buffet Table at Brunch. I had individual yellow tulips in bud vases on the dining tables. 

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars with White Chocolate Chips

I couldn't find real white mini-chocolate chips so had to use regular size baking chips. I think the white chocolate would be better, but they are hard to find for my Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.

1 package Krusteaz Raspberry Bar Mix (1 pouch each crust mix and raspberry filling)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

16 oz (2 cups) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring

2/3 cup mini white chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13x9x2-inch pan.

For Crust: Place crust mix and melted butter in medium bowl. Stir with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Press crust mixture firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Set aside.

For Filling: Place cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla or almond flavoring. Continue to mix on low speed until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup mini white vanilla chips.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over baked crust. Cut corner of raspberry filling pouch. 

I poured the raspberry filling in to rows the long way, and then used a toothpick to draw lines crosswise.

Randomly squeeze raspberry filling over cream cheese mixture. Swirl with knife for marbled effect. Bake 28-32 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely and cut into squares. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Tater Tots and Corned Beef? Possible?

I've been thinking about this recipe for weeks now. I've been scouring the Internet and have been trying to come up with a recipe that includes both Tater Tots and corned beef. I am doing Sunday Brunch at church this weekend and am working with a St. Patrick's Day theme--table covers, napkins and flower arrangements all in an assortment of greens. I've settled on a Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Gorgonzola crumbles and toasted pecans lightly dressed with a honey balsamic vinagrette, but am still stumbling with the main dish. My intention is to use this recipe, which I've cobbled together from a number of recipes, and substitute diced corned beef in a couple of the casseroles (I am making 8--3 corned beef, 3 sausage, and 2 vegetarian).

If you've ever made this type of casserole and used corned beef I would love to hear from you!

Note from Sunday Brunch: Although I liked the corned beef version, the pork sausage recipe is much tastier!

Overnight Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

1 pound bulk pork sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

8 eggs

2 cups half and half

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 32 ounce package tater tots

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Baking spray

Brown sausage in olive oil until no longer pink. Add onion and green pepper and sauté until vegetables are wilted. Drain off extra oil.

Spray 9 x 13 casserole pan with olive oil baking spray. Spread sausage mixture in bottom of pan. Allow to cool.

Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar cheese. Spread tater tots over sausage and cheese and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Combine eggs, half and half, mustard and salt in blender. Blend until smooth about 1-2 minutes. 

Pour egg mixture over tater tots.*

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until eggs are set and tater tots have browned.

*If you are making this dish overnight, you may  cover the sausage, cheese and tater tot mixture with tin foil and store in the refrigerator overnight. Make the egg and milk mixture in the morning and pour over the casserole and bake as directed.

Chicken Crescent Rolls with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

“Getting old is not for sissies,” my partner, John, says, when the aches and pains of aging take their toll.  I recently stumbled on a comment by “Pastor Ryan” (Detzel), senior pastor at Vineyard Westside Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. On getting older he says:  "I don’t get it…when people struggle with getting older. This is a moment for us to be a little more experienced, a little more connected to what’s really going on, a little more thankful for what you’ve learned, and a little more excited about what you’ll do tomorrow."

Pastor Ryan is a young man, a fellow foodie, a photographer, a handsome man with a lot of tattoos, a spiritual man sharing God’s love. Nice. I stumbled upon him in my search for a recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara. I like his recipes and I like the bits of writing he has posted on the Internet. I wish there was more.  His busy physical life has supplanted his previously active “virtual” life.

What struck me, however, is how excited I am about where I am in my life today. For a long time I struggled with life. God was absent. It was all about me. And it wasn’t enough. Today, I am comfortable with myself, and I am comfortable with the idea of having a Higher Power, who I choose to call God, guiding me and loving me no matter what. It’s a nice feeling to have!

I look forward to the future. It’s a gift that I have only just begun to unwrap.

Today’s recipe is one I served at Second Sunday Brunch at St. John the Apostle, MCC, Church  in January, 2014. It’s very easy to prepare and looks very elegant if you are having company.

We did a taste test before I made the recipe for Second Sunday Brunch. 

Chicken Crescent Rolls with Cheddar Cheese Sauce

1 can Grands® Big and Flaky Crescent Rolls (8 crescent rolls)

1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

3/4 cup half and half

FILLING

4 ounces cream cheese (very soft)

4 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)

1/2 teaspoon Montreal Chicken spice

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/3 cup onion, finely chopped

2 cups cooked chicken breasts; finely chopped (I use rotisserie chicken from the Deli)

3/4 cup finely grated Italian blend cheese or cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 cup butter, melted

TOPPING

3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Set oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl whisk together the cream of chicken soup and the half and half till smooth. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, butter, and mayonnaise until very smooth.  Add in the chopped chicken, onion, cheddar cheese, Montreal Chicken spice, and garlic power. Mix well.  Season with additional salt or black pepper to taste.

Unroll the crescent rolls.

Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture (or a little more) on top of each crescent triangle, then roll up starting at the thicker end. Be sure to seal the filling inside the dough.

Spray a 9x13 baking pan with butter flavored spray. Drizzle a small amount of soup mixture on the bottom. Place the crescent rolls seam-side down in the casserole.

Lightly brush tops with melted butter.

Drizzle the remaining sauce on top and around crescent rolls.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle with 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

This dish just needs a simple salad to make a complete meal. For Second Sunday Brunch I combined apples, mandarin oranges, and broccoli florets with a dressing made from Marie’s Coleslaw dressing, mayonnaise, and a touch of curry powder and a sprinkling of toasted almonds.

Super Easy Date Nut Bars

When I was growing up, Date Nut Bars were a fixture on the cookie tray at Christmas. They came from a mix probably made by Betty Crocker. I don’t think it is made any more, but I found an excellent substitute. This is a quick and easy recipe that will amaze you if you have the same craving for Date Nut Bars that I have.

Super Easy Date Nut Bars

2 cups chopped pitted dates

3/4 cup water

1 package of Krusteaz Brand Raspberry Bars Mix (Set aside raspberry filling for another use—like over vanilla ice cream!)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Combine chopped dates and water in medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and stir continuously until dates begin to dissolve and mixture thickens. About 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8” square baking pan with baking spray.

Combine butter with pouch crust mix and stir with fork until mixture is crumbly.

Spoon 2/3 of crust mixture into prepared pan. Press firmly into bottom of pan.

Bake 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Remove from oven and spread date filling over hot crust.

Combine remaining crust mixture with chopped walnuts. Crumble nut mixture over date filling.

Bake for 25-28 minutes until top begins to brown.

Cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in sealed container. 

The last piece of Date Nut Bar from Christmas Cookie Baking 2013!

A Prize-Winning Cookie Recipe!

Yesterday, I hosted a Christmas Cookie Baking Party. It is the 3rd year that I have done this. We bake about 500 plus cookies in my kitchen. Most of the cookies go to a local senior citizen complex for their annual Christmas party. Everyone who comes also gets to take a box of cookies to take home with them.  I really enjoy doing this.

Let's see, We have classic sugar cookies, pecan tassies, chocolate fudge, lemon squares, magic seven layer bars, chocolate cookies with pistachios and candied orange peel and peanut butter cup cookies. Hmm. What am I missing? Working on jam thumb prints and then fruitcake cookies. Yummers! Had great helpers today! My own set of elves! What fun! And my partner,  John Rush, spent all day Saturday cleaning the house from top to bottom so I could concentrate on the kitchen. I am truly blessed!

Verna's scrumptious cookies!

About 8 years ago I tasted these cookies for the first time. I fell in love with them and have made them ever since. Verna is my sister Kay's mother-in-law. She is now 90 years old and still lives on her own. I hope she doesn't mind my sharing her wonderful recipe. Christmas is not Christmas without these cookies!! UPDATE 12/18/2013: These cookies won the Fort Myers News-Press Holiday Cookie Contest! Here's the link to the article.Not sure how long you will be able to access it. This is is a cached copy.: 

Verna's Apple Walnut Spice Cookies with Vanilla Glaze

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/3 cups brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup finely diced apple

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup milk

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

2-3 tablespoons milk

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions:

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves.

Cream shortening, sugar, and egg. Add 1/2 sifted dry ingredients. Blend in milk. Add nuts, apples, and raisins and mix well. Add remaining dry ingredients, mix well.

Drop by heaping teaspoon on greased baking sheet (I always use lightly greased parchment paper on my cookie sheet).

Bake at 400 degrees for 11-13 minutes. Brush on glaze while still warm.

Glaze:

Whisk together all ingredients as shown. If too dry to spread add a little more milk.

UPDATE 01/24/14: I found out Verna, who is 90 years old, was hospitalized over the Christmas holidays. It was pretty serious. I had sent her a clipping from the Ft. Myers News-Press about my winning the Christmas Cookie Baking Contest using the recipe she had shared with me several years ago. Her family told me that getting that clipping had made her day and that she was absolutely beaming. She was sharing the article with everyone who came to visit.

God works in mysterious ways, indeed.

Here is a pic of Verna with the newspaper clipping.

Thank you, Verna, for sharing that absolutely wonderful recipe with me. You deserve all the credit!