FUN-TASTIC FRIDAY!! *SPECIAL POST*

Happy Friday my pretties!!! I wanted to drop a quick post in your laps in the name of all things St. Patrick-y and delicious. And what better way than with something BRIGHT GREEN!?! Oh, and it’s a dessert? With chocolate you say?! YES, YES, A MILLION TIMES YESSSSSSSSS!!!!

Now I have to admit, I was rushing so I didn’t use my “from scratch” go to recipe. I used a short cut and some of you may find it quite convenient. Yes…ladies clutch your pearls and gents, hold onto your suspenders because I, Pink Lady Gumbo, used a pre-packed, pre-mixed concoction of sorts. BUT it yielded theeeeeeeese….

Oh, how divine are these cute little rays of green sunshine?!?! I’ll tell ya! Divine enough for you to make them in less than 30 minutes from start to finish! So pay attention cuz this goes super fast!

Preheat your oven to 350 and get one packet of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix. Empty its contents into a large mixing bowl along with ½ c softened butter, ½ tsp PURE mint extract, 1 egg and some green food coloring. I used about 18-22 drops but you can adjust the GREENNESS of your dough. I wanted a super lush green effect but you can definitely lighten up and just add a few drops until you find your preferred shade. Just keep in mind that the color with fade/brown a bit as it cooks. Mix well to combine all ingredients.

I grabbed some Andes mint candies (about 14) and chopped them up. I added them to the dough along with about 1 c of dark chocolate chunks. Combine well into dough and scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I lined mine with parchment and used my little scoop). I also scooped some dough into my mini muffin molds.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, remove from sheet when done and cool on wire rack.

Now, I went a step further whipped up some fresh mint whipped cream and dug out the melted chocolate and started swirling things around! Oh…I’ma bad girl! I’ma bad, BAD girl!

Eat these immediately!!!!!! You can store in an air tight container, but I wouldn’t recommend storing them like that for too long. Have fun with these and enjoy your green treats!! LUCK BE A GREEN & TASTY COOKIE!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Could this green be any GREATER!!!???

What's better than a chocolatey chunky cookie? One that looks like THIS!

Wearing the best in drizzled chocolate and freshest of mint cream, this cookie muff is truly the bee's knees!

Ummm, yeah...you need this! NOW!

TASTY TUESDAY

Happy Tuesday shenanigans folks! I have to admit, I’m STILL very disappointed that I was basically robbed of a winter. Those cold months are so glorious, not only because of the fun cold weather fashion, but also because of all the heavy delicious comfort foods that we shovel into our pie holes. Without hat weather, it just doesn’t feel right making a bunch of soups and pastas, and meats with perfect gravies…ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!

BUT, I’m a stubborn little beaver and I still was holding onto a dish that I had yet to conquer in these weird cool/warm months of late. LASAGNA! But not the traditional lasagna…oh no! I remember this outstanding lasagna I had at a friend’s last year. It was vegetarian and made with SQUASH!! After melting at the table from the deliciousness, I begged her for the recipe and vowed to make it. She forewarned me about it calling for a béchamel sauce, but I was not deterred. And after 16 months a little while, I finally got a hankering for it again. But then I remembered, lasagna is sooooo heavy and I just did want that big block of pasta staring back at me for too long, especially in this 70 degree inferno! LIGHTBULB!!! Stuff some shells with the squash! That way, I get the pasta, the squash and the cheese without constructing the square pasta block that would go directly to my six pack abs of steel.

Whats crazy is, I was just in a squash-y mood in general because I kept going back and forth between this and this squash pasta salad that’s just divine! But this here won…simply because of the béchamel (white sauce). Yup! Nothing compares to a sauce...loaded with cheese…and other flavors….whisked to saucy goodness.

Either way, both of my squash recipe start off similarly. Get 3 cups of butternut squash and cube it up into evenly sized pieces as much as possible. In a bowl, toss the cubes with 3 tsp EVOO, ½ tsp Kosher salt, ½ tsp fresh black pepper and ½ tsp nutmeg. Toss to coat and roast in 400 degree preheated oven for abt 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Once removed, mash those squash babies up nice and lovely.

While squash is roasting, cook your shells as directed and set aside. Also, mince up 2 cloves of garlic and a small shallot. Sauté in abt 2 Tbsp of butter until soft then add to smashed squash and mix well. To this mixture, add 2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese and 1 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese. Again, mix well.

Now let me say, please do not be afraid of the béchamel. Can it be intimidating? I suppose. But truly, its no biggie. I don’t think I need to really make an announcement, but for the sake of argument, I state…I AM A FAN OF FLAVOR. That said, a lot of people leave béchamel in its simplest state…just being a sauce that’s white. However, I say, layer it up with some flaaaavors! Ok, moving on. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter and add 2 Tbsp AP flour and whisk around until it browns a bit. Add 2 cups of milk and whisk like a crazy person. Add 1/3 c grated parmesan cheese and continue to whisk as if your life depended on it. TRUST ME! These sauces thicken up like nobody’s business so keep a watchful eye! ALSO, SEASON TO TASTE! That means, do NOT be afraid of the salt AND pepper. Whiskety, whisk, whisk!

I also added more nutmeg and some garlic powder. Ohhhhhhhh baby! And keep whisking! Remove from heat when it can coat the back of a spoon.

Ok, go back and get your shells and begin to stuff them with the squash mixture.  This is enough to stuff a dozen shells. After you’ve stuffed them, pour the béchamel over the shells. Top with about ½ c shredded mozzarella (and I added some Asiago too) and some chopped fresh sage. Bake at 400 for about 10-12 minutes or until the top browns and the cheese is bubbling.

Look at that beautifully melted cheese!

Served with a salad, THIS is what good eatin' is alllll about!

YUMM-O!

Look at that wonderful golden center...

Beauty is her name!

TASTY TUESDAY

OH Sugar Snaps! I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I think its time to admit that someone (who shall remain nameless) may or may not have been persuaded by all that is sugary and righteous…to do a dessert this week. That same someone may or may not get back to posting lighter-calorie meals and/or snacks, however, until then sugar and butter and bacon it is!

What better way to dive headfirst into sugary bliss than with a recipe for cheesecake? I mean, its delicious and I actually had a dream about it. Well, the dream wasn’t very nice but I felt like it was only appropriate after the cheesecake invaded my involuntary thought. I was discussing what the next recipe should be and the cake just kept creeping up in convo. That night, I had a dream that a giant piece of devil-possessed cheesecake was chasing me. *I’m so NOT kidding* It was throwing pieces of its graham cracker crust at me, which was doubly scary because I HATE graham crackers and crusts made from it. And it was drooling that gosh-awful synthetic cherry glaze that graces a lot of cheesecake tops…which also looked like blood, suggestive of the other people he had devoured before setting out to gobble me up. CRAZY RIGHT!?! But I did find it highly inappropriate to do any other recipe after such a wild adventure…even if only in my wonky little head.

So Chocolate Malt Cheesecake Bars have descended upon us. (With or without Strawberry Bourbon Drizzle) #KABOOM

Let me just say that compared to making traditional cheesecake with a springform pan and all the mashugana that goes along with that, these are a breeeeeeze. Also, these are just a lot less formal but are uberly-cute! Just know that while they’re super easy to whip up, you must account for chilling time so don’t think you’re going make these and eat them in a reasonable amount of time. AT LEAST 4 HOURS CHILL TIME…BUT I PREFER THE OVERNIGHT!

Preheat your oven to 350. In a bowl, combine 1 ½ cups crumbled chocolate wafer cookies with 3 Tbsp sugar and ¼ cup melted unsalted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of a nonstick-foil lined 13x9 baking pan. Bake for 9 minutes or so or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar and 1 cup malted milk powder.

In another bowl, beat 3 (8 oz.) packages of softened cream cheese for about 4 minutes until its light and fluffy.

Beat in the sugar/malt mixture until well blended. Add 8 oz sour cream and 2 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in 3 large eggs, one at a time until combined.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate. Remove ½ cup of the batter and add to the melted chocolate, blend well. Pour remaining batter over the crust. Smooth it out as best you can. Plop Pour the chocolate over in whatever pattern you prefer, then get a skewer or stick or knife and swirl it around to make a super purty design.

Bake in over for 35-40 or until the top is set, then remove and let cool on a wire rack completely. 

Then cover and chill for at least 4 hours (or overnight like PLG does). When ready, lift by foil and cut into 24 bars. I, being the friggin’ fabulista that I am, decided that a twinge of liquor pop of color was needed. Soooo, I whipped up some fresh strawberries, sugar and bourbon to make a YUMTASTIC drizzle. Woot Woot!!!

I dare you to deny this!

With or without the drizzle....this is a wonder in bar form!

*Chomp, chomp*

Someone got a little heavy-handed with that Strawberry-Bourbon drizzle! Mmmmm!!

Get ready for edible bliss....oh yes!