"Payday" Bars

It was time for a party on Roy and Nancy's deck.  Two anniversaries, three retirements and three 60th birthdays among the group of us.  We decided a pitch in would be fun.  My assignment was an appetizer and a dessert.  I couldn't make my mind up.  Connie wanted me to make LaBrea Tar Pit chicken wings.  I was thinking about pickle dip and mexicorn dip.  Why not make all three?  Dessert was easy.  For months now I've had the "Payday Bars" from Melissa's Cuisine on the tippy top of my list.  Along with Butterfingers and Mounds Bars, Paydays are my three favorite candy bars.  I found the "Payday" Bars when I was assigned Melissa's Cuisine for The Secret Recipe Club.  That's the month I made the pickle dip which has become a staple of our appetizers. 

So, it was decided.  La Brea Tar Pit chicken wings.  Pickle Dip.  Mexicorn Dip.  And, "Payday" Bars.  We were due at Roy and Nancy's at 3:00 Saturday afternoon.  Friday night we chopped up two cups of hearty garlic kosher dill pickles.  We also shredded two cups of pepper jack cheese and a quarter of a cup of parmesan.  Otherwise, nothing was prepared in advance.  The Bruins had a playoff game Saturday at 12:30 so we headed home from the office about noon.  Connie chopped the tips off six pounds of wings while I started the sauce to cook them in.  Once the wings went in the oven, I started in on the pickle dip and the mexicorn dip.  Finally, fifteen minutes til time to leave and I was ready to start on the dessert.  Peanuts in a 9 x 13 pan.  Filling in the saucepan, melted.  Poured.  More peanuts.  Cover everything with foil and pop it in the car trunk and head out for our 30 mile drive. 

The highlight of the party was Janet imitating a race horse jockey and a race horse at the same time.  Alas, none of us got a photo of that.  I did, however, get a photo of Janet and her last minute Derby hat.  And, the paparazzi snapping photos. 

Nancy's brats and German potato salad were fabulous as always.  We also had baked beans and broccoli salad.  Then, it was time for dessert.  Turns out I was the only one who'd brought dessert.  It was a hit.  Actually, it was pretty much a homerun.  I brought a few home so I could take photos.  Ok, it really sounded like a good excuse.  Or, so I thought it did - lol. 

By now you've figured out we loved these bars.  They're super easy to put together.  As Al said yesterday, "They taste just like a Payday Bar, only fresh."  I think that pretty well sums it up!

"Payday" Bars

Ingredients

2 c peanut butter chips
2 1/2 T butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 c mini marshmallows
4 c roasted, salted peanuts (the recipe called for 3 c but I found it took 2 c to cover the bottom of the pan...)

Directions:

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Pour in 2 c of the peanuts. 

The bottom of the pan should be well covered.  In a large, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter chips.  Pour in the sweetened, condensed milk and the marshmallows.  Stir constantly until the marshmallows are melted. 

 

Slowly pour the filling over the peanuts.  Use an offset spatula to smooth it. 

 

Pour the other two cups of peanuts over the filling.  Very gently press them in with the palm of your hand.  Refrigerate the bars.

Many thanks to Melissa's Cuisine for another winning recipe!

Whirlwind

Three new restaurants in three days.  Company visiting for four days.  Tax day with the last contribution to a SIMPLE for about 10 employees arriving about 10 minutes before the cutoff time.  Perfect spring weather then a freeze warning.  A new computer for the family room that's almost ready to go.  A conference table computer that's on its way out.  All in all, it made for a wild week!


Saturday, as you'll recall, our dear friends Mary and Fred arrived for a visit.  Their daughter, Julie, was going to be in town to attend a conference and she was going to bring their grandson, Keaton.  You heard about Saturday evening's meal with Giada's asparagus soup.  We tried another new recipe that evening but I found it fussy to make and not my favorite way to eat asparagus so I'll not post it...


Sunday, we were lazy bums.  The intent was to get up in time to go have breakfast before they headed to the airport at 10:30 to pick up Julie and Keaton.  Not happening.  Connie and I headed to the office and they were off to the airport by the time we all got up and showered and turned into humans.  Connie needs coffee in the morning.  Just saying. 


That evening, dinner was at our house for the whole crew.  I'm totally crazy about my grandkids but have never been all that fond of other kids.  Never wanted any of my own and am so glad I didn't have any!  So, spending a bunch of time around Keaton wasn't something I was looking forward to.  Boy was I wrong.  That kid is one smart young man.  He's got great manners and a wonderful personality.  He and his mom were a total joy and delight to have at our home.  I just wish they lived closer so we could see them more!

(really and truly, Mary smiles a LOT - just not in these photos!)

I used my favorite pork marinade of 1/3 each spiced pear liqueur, brown sugar and Kikkoman teriyaki sauce for pork specials.  Those went with individual sweet potato gratins and Doris's green beans.  Those are the green beans that we had at Doris and Jeffrey's house and I thought about for four days after.  They were spectacular.


Doris' Green Beans

Ingredients:


 1 1/2 pounds haricots verts
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2" dice
3 T butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Lightly steam the haricot verts. 

You can use any slender green beans.  Take it from the voice of experience here... This doesn't taste nearly as good with big, clunky green beans.  Set the beans aside and prepar the toppinigs.  Saute the red bell peppers in the olive oil in a large skillet. 

When the peppers are just getting tender, add the butter and garlic.  Saute all of that for about a minute, being careful not to burn the garlic.  Finally, add the haricot verts and saute everything until the beans are heated through.  When I served this, I put the cooked beans on the plates then topped them with the pepper mixture followed by the toasted pine nuts.  It allowed for a more even distribution of the topping... 

adapted from Doris McKee, originally from Epicurious.com





Dessert was a new recipe.  I"ve talked a lot about what a wonderful baker my friend, Liz, is.  She wrote a post a bit ago about a favorite kidhood dessert she'd been unable to recreate to her satisfaction.  Then, she got a recipe from a friend and viola.  I'm here to tell you that if you love coconut, your eyes will roll back in your head.  I watched everyone else when they took their first bite of these fabulous bars.  Everyone leaned their head back and closed their eyes and went, "MMMMMMM."  This is my new favorite dessert.  And, it's easy.  It doesn't require measuring so many ounces of flour and mixing just until.  No, it prety much requires the dump it in method.  My kind of dessert to make and eat!  Please head over to Liz's blog to see a fantastic photo of these:  ThatSkinnyChickCanBake.


Liz's Mounds Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick), melted

1 can (14 ounces) Eagle Brand sweet and condensed milk

7 ounces coconut

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli bittersweet because I prefer that to semi- sweet)

2 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces

1/2 cup cream


Directions:


Preheat your oven to 325F.  Mix the graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and butter.
Pat them in the bottom of an 8x8 cake pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Mix the coconut with the condensed milk.  Liz's recipe called for warming the condensed milk.  Due to no available burners on the stove I skipped this step...  Pour this mixture over the baked crust.  Bake for another 15 minutes.  While the bars cool, make the frosting.  Put the chocolate, butter and cream into a microwave safe bowl.  As I noted above, I used bittersweet chocolate not only because I prefer dark bittersweet chocolate to milk or semi-sweet, but because the real Mounds bars are covered with dark chocolate.  Microwave on low in 30 second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds, until the chocolate is melted.  It'll look rather like a mell of a hess once it all melts.  Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir like crazy.  All of the sudden, you'll have this gorgeous ganache.  Pour that over the cooled bars and pop the pan into the refrigerator (if you've got a few hours until you serve them) or into the freezer (if you've only got an hour or so.)  Cut into squares and serve.  (And, hide some for yourself for later because you'll want some so badly!)

adapted from ThatSkinnyChickCanBake - Thank you Liz!

Our adventures will be continued...