#56 Butterscotch Confetti

This recipe comes from Jean Pare's Company's Coming: 150 Delicious Squares. Butterscotch and peanut butter? How can you go wrong!

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 small bag minature coloured marshmallows

Directions:

1. Melt butter and peanut butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir in the butterscotch chips until melted. Cool until you can hold your hand on the bottom of the pot. Add marshmallows and stir until all are coated.

2. Pack down into a 9x9 inch pan that has been lined with wax paper.

3. Refrigerate before cutting into squares.

NOTES

I do not let my melted butter, chips, and peanut butter cool too long. Sometimes I do not let them cool at all before adding the marshmallows. I like when the marshmallows are slightly melted in. I think this makes the squares look smoother and neater.

#55 Chocolate Confetti

This recipe comes from Jean Pare's Company's Coming: 159 Delicious Squares. Quick and tasty! If you love these, try butterscotch confetti.

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ½ cup peanut butter
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 small bag minature coloured marshmallows

Directions:

1. Melt butter with peanut butter in a large saucepan. Sitr in the chocolate chips until melted. Cool so that you can hold your hand on the bottom of the pan. Add marshmallows and stir until all are coated.

2. Pack in a 9x9 inch pan that has been lined with wax paper for easy removal to cut or freeze.

3. Refrigerate.

NOTES

I do not let my melted butter, chips, and peanut butter cool too long. Sometimes I do not let them cool at all before adding the marshmallows. I like when the marshmallows are slightly melted in. I think this makes the squares look smoother and neater.

#54 Double Brownies

These brownies come from Jean Pare's Company's Coming: 150 Delicious Squares. They are to die for so all the work it takes to make them is totally worth it. I remember my husband made them when I had all my wisdom teeth out. They even tasted good pureed through a straw!

Ingredients:

• CHOCOLATE LAYER
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• ½ cup walnuts
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• BUTTERSCOTCH LAYER
• ½ cup butter or margarine
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ICING
• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 ½ cups icing sugar
• DRIZZLE
• ⅔ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp butter or margarine

Directions:

1. Chocolate Layer: Beat 2 eggs until foamy. Add granulated sugar, flour, nuts, and salt. Melt cocoa and butter together in a saucepan over low heat. Add to egg mixutre and blend well. Spread in greased 9x13 inch pan. Set aside.

2. Butterscotch Layer: In a clean bowl cream butter with brown sugar. Add 2 eggs and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Add remaining ingredients. Sitr. Spoon over chocolate layer in small blobs. Spread as best you can. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool and frost.

3. Icing: Bring butter, brown sugar and milk to boil in saucepan. Simmer for 2 minutes. Cool. Stir in icing sugar, adding more sugar or milk if necessary to make consistency for easy spreading. Spread over cooled squares.

4. Drizzle: Melt together the chocolate chips and butter or margarine over hot water and drizzle over icing.

#54 Chili Cheese Ball

This is another tried and true T. Pechey recipe from one of his cooking classes. It is so easy to make and so tasty!

Ingredients:

• ½ 250g pkg cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1. Using a wooden spoon, stir the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl to soften.

2. Add all the other ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly.

3. With clean hands, form the mixture into a ball. Place the cheese ball on parchment or wax paper and place in the fridge.

4. Serve with crackers or a sliced baguette.

#53 Rustic Mushroom Lasagna

This is a T. Pechey recipe that I learned in his Winter 2010 cooking series. I must admit that when I saw the ingredients in this recipe and when I put it altogether, I was not convinced that this recipe would be a winner. I think it was all the cream that threw me off. But as per usual, T. Pechey came through and this recipe was delish!

Ingredients:

• 6 lasagna noodles
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 20 medium sized mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• ½ small red onion, minced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced or put through a garlic press
• 7 sun dried tomatoes, minced
• 1 tbsp thyme
• ½ cup white wine
• ⅓ cup pecans, chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 ½ cups 18% cream, (also calle table cream or coffe cream)
• 2 cups mozzarella or mozza/edam cheese
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• truffle oil, (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place about 4 quarts (16 cups) of water into a large pot. Add a tablespoon of salt. Cover and heat on high to boil.

3. Meanwhile - heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the mushrooms, onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and dried thyme. Cook stirring the odd time until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add wine, salt, and pepper. Increase heat to high to boil off the wine - the flavour will remain. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

4. When th pasta water comes to a boil - add the lasagna and cook for about 10 minutes.

5. Meanwhile - heat a small skillet over medium heat and add the chopped pecans...toast for only a few minutes (until you can smell the fragrance of the toasted nuts). DO NOT ALLOW TO BURN!

6. When the lasagna has finished cooking - drain through a colander.

7. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non stick spray. Place 3 of the lasagna noodles in the pan. Add 3/4 cup of the cream, HALF of the mushroom mixture, HALF of the pecans, HALF of the parmesan, and HALF of the mozza.

8. Place the other three lasagna noodles on top - then the rest of the cream, mushroom mixture, pecans, parmesan, and mozza.

9. Bake for 30 minutes.

10. Allow to rest and set for about 5 to 10 minutes. Just before serving spray top with truffle oil.

(Serves 6)

#52 Rice Pudding

My mom used to make this pudding at home. It is the ultimate comfort food. This recipe comes from "The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook" by Z. Coulson.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups milk
• 1 cup medium grained rice
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Add milk, rice, sugar, butter or margarine, and alt in a 3 quart saucepan.

2. Over medium heat, heat the milk mixture until tiny bubbles form around the edge, stirring mixture frequently.

3. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until rice is very tender. Stir occasionally.

4. Stir in vanilla. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled (about 3 hours).

5. To serve, spoon rice pudding into dessert dishes and sprinkle with nutmeg.

NOTES I like to eat this pudding hot or cold. I like to pour some milk over it and sprinkle it with cinnamon or nutmeg.

#51 Butterscotch Pecan Dessert

This recipe comes from Taste of Home October/November 1998, p33. I love it because it is light and tasty. This recipe along with a picture can be found online at http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Butterscotch-Pecan-Dessert

Ingredients:

• ½ cup cold butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup chopped pecans, divided
• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 3-½ cups milk
• 2 packages (3.4 or 3.5 ounces each) instant butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix

Directions:

1. In a bowl, cut the butter into the flour until crumbly; stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

2. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Fold in 1 cup whipped topping; spread over crust.

3. Combine milk and pudding mix until smooth; pour over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes or until set.

4. Top with remaining whipped topping and pecans. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours

(Serves 16)