Author: Scott Torborg

Amish Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

Post author By Scott Torborg
Post date June 4, 2010
No Comments on Amish Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

I got this recipe from Jean my co-worker. She said she found the recipe in the Amish column in the Post Bulletin (Rochester, MN newspaper). These bars are thicker than your standard bars and each bite is packed with a fantastic peanut butter flavor. They will not disappoint.

1 C. creamy peanut butter
2/3 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
12 oz. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease 9 x 13″ pan. Cream peanut butter, butter, and sugars until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix til smooth. Add flour, baking powder, salt. Spoon into greased pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, swirl melted chips through the dough. Bake 40 more minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean (some chocolate may stick to the knife). Cool one hour. Cut.

Bars Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Chocolate Revel Bars

This recipe comes to us from Val Lochner, a co-worker of mine. I have had these before at various venues, but could never land the recipe until now. It is a soft chewy oatmeal bar mixed with a sweet, tasty chocolate filling. Just flat out AWESOME!! Val, when you bringing in more? Love it!

Oatmeal Mixture
1 C. shortening
2 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 l/2 C. flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 C. quick oatmeal

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Stir in oatmeal. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Set aside.

Chocolate Filling
15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
12 oz. package chocolate chips
2 T. butter
1 cup nuts
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla

To make filling, mix chips, condensed milk, butter, and salt; melt over low heat. When smooth, add nuts and vanilla.

Spread 2/3 of oatmeal mixture in a 10 x 15 (or half-sheet, 13 x 18) pan. Cover with chocolate filling. Dot with remaining 1/3 of oatmeal mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Bars Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Salted Peanut Bars

I got this recipe from a co-worker of mine, Val Lochner. She said they are simple to make! As a the official taste-tester in the office, all I can say is that they were simply delicious to eat. Val also indicated that they are, “not a low-calorie item, but hey” 🙂

1 jar of lightly salted Planter’s peanuts
1 pkg. peanut butter chips
3 T. butter
1 can condensed milk
10 oz. bag mini marshmallows

Sprinkle half a jar of peanuts into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Melt the chips and butter. Add the condensed milk, heat 1-2 minutes more, but do not boil. Add marshmallows. Spread over nuts in pan.

Top with remaining half jar of peanuts. Press together to get peanuts to “stick.”

Cookies Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Splendid Table

Post author By Scott Torborg
Post date February 22, 2010
No Comments on Chocolate Chip Cookies from the Splendid Table

This recipe came from my co-worker Don. He brought these in on his birthday and they were fabulous. Don found the recipe on the Splendid Table site, a radio program by Minnesota Public Radio. He also had a couple changes from the original recipe:

“I made smaller cookies than the recipe defines, and these were baked for 17 minutes at 350 degrees F. Next time I’ll try 16.5 minutes. A couple of good tricks are to use parchment paper or baking mats, to use thin silver cookie sheets rather than air-bake pans, and to make sure the baking powder is no older than nine months.”

2 C. minus 2 T. (8-1/2 ounces) cake flour
1-2/3 C. (8-1/2 ounces) bread flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 C.) unsalted butter
1-1/4 C. (10 oz.) light brown sugar
1 C. plus 2 tablespoons (8 oz.) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. natural vanilla extract
1-1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds.
3. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
5. Scoop 6 3-1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate (www.jacquestorres.com); Valrhona féves (oval-shaped chocolate pieces) are available at Whole Foods.
Makes 1-1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies
Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours for chilling

Beef Main Dishes Recipes with Pictures

Good Beef Burgers

Went down to Iowa to visit my father in-law with the family and he made this for lunch. It was so simple to make and yet so tasty. Certainly something we’ll be trying again at home. Thanks Rog!

1 1/2 lb. browned ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 can – chicken gumbo soup
1 1/2 T. mustard
1 T. ketchup

Simmer for 30 minutes and serve.

Chicken Recipes with Pictures Soups

Langs Wild Rice Soup

Wild Rice Soup recipe from the Bartholomew Buffet - bbuffet.com — Wild Rice Soup

I got this recipe from our neighbors, the Langs. The consistency is perfect, not too thick/pasty and not too watery . . . plus it’s packed with flavor.

3/4 C. uncooked wild rice
6 C. chicken broth
1 1/2 C. chopped carrots
1/2 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. chopped onion
3 T. butter
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 to 2 C. whipping cream or half and half
2 C. chopped cooked chicken

In a large pot, combine six cups chicken broth, wild rice, carrots, onion and celery. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer covered for one hour or until rice is tender. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Then add the four, salt and pepper. Stir until thickened, then add the whipping cream (or half and half if you are looking for less fat), and stir until thickened and all the lumps are out. Stir whipping cream mixture into rice mixture. Stir in chicken. Heat through, then serve.

Beef Casseroles Main Dishes Pasta Recipes with Pictures

Shaun’s Rigatoni

We got this recipe from our neighbors (the Langs) after the birth of our third kiddo. They brought over a big casserole dish and it had excellent flavor. Absolutely something we would make again, or accept from our neighbors if they are so inclined to deliver over another pan. Hint, hint!

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/4 C. chopped green pepper
1 pkg. Italian style spaghetti sauce mix (Shilling Brand)
1 – 16 oz. can whole tomatoes
1 – 6 oz. can tomato paste
3/4 C. water
Velveeta Cheese
3/4 box Rigatoni Noodles

Fry hamburger, onion and green peppers together.
Boil noodles.
Combine hamburger with paste, tomatoes, sauce mix and water.
Stir into noodles.
Layer with Velveeta in casserole pan.
Bake at 350º for approximately 35 minutes covered.

Miscellaneous Recipes with Pictures Snack

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I found this recipe on the Simply Recipes website. The flavor was fantastic, however we over baked them a tad so some of the seeds had a little burnt flavor. The picture shows a browned pumpkin seed, I would recommend watching them closely, especially if your oven runs hot.

One medium sized pumpkin
Salt
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.
In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way down before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed (a lot of work and in my opinion, unnecessary) or eat whole.

Cookies Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Snickerdoodles

I got this recipe from another online recipe blog Popular Cookie Recipes. The recipe is quite simple and the cookies are very tasty. Just the right amount of crispy and chewy. The recipe only makes about 24-30 cookies. So you may want to double it if you’re looking for more. Give it a try, it certainly won’t disappoint.

1/2 C. butter, softened
1 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. all purpose flour

4 T. granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 C. sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, and stir in remaining flour.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Combine the 4 T. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are beautifully golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Bars Desserts Recipes with Pictures

Kit Kat Bars

Got this recipe from my co-worker Debi. She always brings in great treats to share and this one is no different. I was instructed to take two right away because they were SO good. Regretfully I only took one, luckily there were a few left after I devoured the first.

75 Club crackers
1 C. butter
2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. whole milk
1/3 C. white sugar
2/3 C. creamy peanut butter
1/2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C. butterscotch chips

Line an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan with 1 layer of crackers, cutting to fit. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and pour half of the butter mixture over crackers. Place another layer of crackers evenly over butter mixture. Pour remaining butter mixture evenly over crackers. Top with remaining crackers.

In a small saucepan, combine peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch chips. Melt over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over crackers.

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in refrigerator.