Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

These were so good. These have both browned butter and butterscotch chips, making them quite tasty. The oatmeal gave them a light and chewy texture. They did not last long. Be careful--they are definitely addictive.

*Makes 18-24 bars

Bars:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil hang over the each short edge by one or two inches. Lightly grease the foil with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Place the 3/4 cup butterscotch chips in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and let the butter cook until golden brown in color, about 10 minutes, taking care not to burn. Pour the hot butter over the butterscotch chips and whisk together until melted and smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla. STir in the lfour mixture, just until incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top, spreading the batter evenly to the edges. Bake the bars until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, about 16-18 minutes.

While the bars bake, place the 1/4 cup butterscotch chips, brown sugar, water and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave the mixture until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes on 50% power. Whisk to combine well.

Drizzle the glaze over the warm bars. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhang and cut into squares. Serve.

Creamy Chocolate Blender Ganache

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (4 ounces) evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the chocolate chips in a small glass bowl and melt them in the microwave oven on high power for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir with a wooden spoon until all the chips have melted.

Place the warm chocolate in a blender along with the evaporated milk and vanilla. Blend on high speed until the frosting is thick and glossy. 2 minutes. Pour the frosting into a clean bowl and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes. It should thicken up enough for spreading.

Notes: To frost cupcakes easily, place 1 heaping tablespoon on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out over the cupcakes with the back of a soupspoon

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes (With A Creamy Chocolate Blender Ganache)

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)
2 milk-chocolate bars (1.55 ounces each)
1 package (18.5 ounces) plain butter recipe fudge cake mix
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Break the chocolate bars into quarters, stack them on top of each other, and slice down the short end of the stack with a sharp knife. You will have about 1 cup of 1/4-inch shavings. Set them aside. Fold in the slivers of milk chocolate for fun little bites of contrasting flavor and color.

Place the cake mix, cream cheese, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Bleand with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of a the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look thickened and smooth. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.) Place the pans in the oven.
Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger. 20 to 23 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcakes liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Bake at 350

Notes: It's important to soften the cram cheese thoroughly before beginning this recipe. This recipe. If the cream cheese is cold, it will lump up in the batter and no matter how much you blend won't be able to rid the batter of the those white lumps. Remove the cream cheese from the fridge and hour before.

Creamy Lemonade Frosting

This frosting is so good. Perfect for a summer treat.
I made white cupcakes. I will post that recipe for the cupcakes.


1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1. Place the butter and the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, lemonade concentrate, and zest. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.

I used pink lemonade.

Montana Whoppers

2/3 cup salted butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cups chunky peanut butter
3 eggs, beaten
5 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Butterscotch chips
6 ounces M&M Minis

Melt the butter in a small pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, pour it into the largest bowl you can find. With a large wooden spoon, blend in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter. When the temperature of the mixture has dropped enough so it won't cook the beaten eggs, add the eggs and stir until the batter is just mixed. Then, in order, stir in the baking soda, the semi-sweet chocolate chips, the Butterscotch chocolate chips, and the M&Ms. Add the oatmeal, one cup at a time, stirring after each addition. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least two hours.Preheat the oven to 350°F. Drop dough on parchment-lined baking sheets with a large spoon, making sure the dough is fairly well packed. Flatten slightly. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Watch the cookies carefully, as they have a tendency to burn easily.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

This chicken rivals Cafe Rio pork in deliciousness. Just ask Cory, Natalee, or Anthony. It has a sweet taste similar to Cafe Rio's Pork, and you can serve it in a burrito or a salad too. We served it with lime cilantro rice, avocadoes, cheese, lettuce, and creamy lime cilantro dressing, and everyone loved it. A-ma-zing. And chicken is cheaper than pork roast, so this is definitely a win-win meal.

Bajio Chicken Chile Salad

5 chicken breasts (or 4 large ones)

1/2 cup salsa

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste)

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.

Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.

If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.