CREAMY GARLIC HERB BUTTER SAUCE WITH SEASONED CHICKEN AND BOW TIE PASTA

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz.) package Bow Tie Pasta (I use the Vegetable Pasta)

4 thin boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

Mrs. Dash

Peppercorn Medley

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

4 teaspoons olive oil, or garlic olive oil

Ingredients for Creamy Butter Garlic Herb Sauce:

3/4 cup butter, melted

6 tablespoons heavy cream, warmed

½ teaspoon Garlic Herb Mrs. Dash

½ teaspoon Garlic Pepper  (I used Bill Baron’s Savory Secrets Garlic & Pepper Secret #6)

1 shake Peppercorn Medley (for butter sauce)

Top with shredded Parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Boil water for pasta, adding about 1 teaspoon salt and a drop of olive oil.  Peel and chop garlic.  Place chopped garlic and olive oil in a sauté pan.  Cook on medium heat until toasted.  Set aside.  Add pasta to boiling water.  Boil according to package directions.   In a large sauteusse pan, add chicken and season generously with garlic herb Mrs. Dash and Cracked peppercorn medley.  Cook on Medium High heat just until done and no longer pink in the middle.  Meanwhile melt the butter and warm the heavy whipping cream (about 15 seconds in microwave).  To the creamy butter sauce, Mix in the seasonings with a whisk and whisk until well blended.  Drain pasta.  Now combine all the components (pasta, toasted garlic and creamy butter sauce) into your large sauteusse pan.  Mix well over low heat for about 2 minutes – just to be sure it is hot all the way through.  Top with shredded Parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese.

Ingredients

Chopped Garlic in olive oil

Toasted Garlic

Creamy Garlic Herb Butter Sauce

Cubed Chicken

Mixing it together

All Mixed

EASY CHOCOLATE ALMOND TOFFEE

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped almonds

1 lb butter (frozen)

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons cold water

1 ½ cups chocolate chips (I like Ghirardelli or other premium chocolate)

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits, optional

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, extending it over edges of pan.

Chop almonds and evenly distribute over parchment paper.

In a 3 - 4 quart heavy saucepan combine  the frozen butter, sugar, and cold water. Cook over medium heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 290 degree F (soft-crack stage), about 15 minutes. Butter/ Sugar Mixture should boil at a steady rate over the entire surface.  The butter and sugar will change color when it is ready…it will be a light brown color. (Adjust heat as necessary so that mixture does not boil over.)

Remove from heat; remove thermometer.  Pour toffee (butter and sugar) over chopped almonds.  Wait a few minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee.  Wait about 3 minutes to let the chocolate melt, then ,using a spatula (I like to use an angled spatula), spread the melted chocolate chips over the toffee.  Add the sliced almonds and the Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits   and gently press into the chocolate. Carefully Lift the parchment from the baking sheet and set on a cooling rack to let it evenly cool.    Let sit overnight or up to 24 hours in a cool dry place.  Break into pieces (I used a multi pronged ice pick) and store any leftovers in an airtight container.

STRAWBERRY BUTTER

INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup fresh strawberries, hulled

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (brought to room temperature and cubed – DO NOT LET GET TOO SOFT)

4 tablespoons sugar (I used extra fine baker’s sugar)

1 teaspoon powdered vanilla (Cook’s Vanilla Powder)

1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, electric food chopper or blender, gently puree strawberries.  Add the sugar and mix into the puree. In a food processor or blender, cream the butter.  Add the salt and vanilla powder and mix into the creamed butter.  Slowly add the pureed strawberries to the creamed butter.  Mix until well blended. Remove from food processor and put into a tightly covered container.    If you would like to make it look elegant, pipe it into your serving container.  Store in the refrigerator…but let it soften for about 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with biscuits, bread, toast, Easy Sweet Rolls and Bread Dough , or anything else that sounds divine.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups strawberry butter

Ingredients

Strawberries

Strawberries - Puree

Butter, ready to cream

Creamed Butter

Mixing Puree In

Ready to put in a Ramekin

Ready to Serve

VANILLA BUTTER

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. butter (I used KerryGold Irish Butter)

1 tablespoon sugar (I used extra fine baker’s sugar)

2 teaspoons powdered vanilla (Cook’s Vanilla Powder)

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor or blender, cream the butter.  Add the sugar and vanilla powder and mix into the creamed butter. Mix until well blended. Remove from food processor and put into a tightly covered container.    If you would like to make it look elegant, pipe it into your serving container.  Store in the refrigerator…but let it soften for about 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with biscuits, bread, toast, EASY SWEET ROLLS AND BREAD DOUGH , or anything else that sounds divine.

Makes about 4 oz. vanilla butter

Ingredients

Creamed and Mixed

Ready to Serve

RASPBERRY BUTTER

INGREDIENTS:

1 (6 oz.) container fresh raspberries

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (brought to room temperature and cubed)

4 tablespoons sugar (I used extra fine baker’s sugar)

1/8  teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, electric food chopper or blender, and gently puree raspberries.  Add the sugar and mix into the puree. In a food processor or blender, cream the butter.  Add the salt and mix into the creamed butter.  Slowly add the pureed raspberries to the creamed butter.  Mix until well blended. Remove from food processor and put into a tightly covered container.    If you would like to make it look elegant, pipe it into your serving container.  Store in the refrigerator…but let it soften for about 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with biscuits, bread, toast, Easy Sweet Rolls and Bread Dough, or anything else that sounds divine.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups raspberry  butter

RASPBERRY LEMON BUTTER

INGREDIENTS:

1 (6 oz.) container fresh raspberries

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (brought to room temperature and cubed)

¼ - 1 teaspoon lemon zest (depending how lemony you want your butter)

4 tablespoons sugar (I used extra fine baker’s sugar)

1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, electric food chopper or blender, gently puree raspberries and lemon zest.  Add the sugar and mix into the puree. In a food processor or blender, cream the butter.  Add the salt and mix into the creamed butter.  Slowly add the pureed raspberries to the creamed butter.  Mix until well blended. Remove from food processor and put into a tightly covered container.    If you would like to make it look elegant, pipe it into your serving container.  Store in the refrigerator…but let it soften for about 30 minutes before serving.  Serve with biscuits, bread, toast, , Easy Sweet Rolls and Bread Dough , or anything else that sounds divine.

Makes about 1 ¼ cups raspberry lemon butter

Ingredients

Raspberries and Lemon Zest

Raspberry with Sugar

Raspberry Puree Mixture

Butter Ready to Cream

Creamed Butter

Ready to put in a serving dish

Spread on a Homemade Sweet Roll

STREUSEL CRUMBLE FOR PEACH DESSERTS

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, cubed

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup extra fine baker’s sugar (or granulated sugar)

¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg)

½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Mix sugars, flour and apple pie spice together in a medium sized mixing bowl.  With a fork or pastry blender, cut  in butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Add almond and mix well.  Transfer to a 9 X 9 inch baking pan.  In the preheated oven, bake for approximately 20 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes or so.  Bake until it is light brown and crumbles have been formed.  (When you stir it, it creates the crumbles).

Serve with peach desserts such as peach cobbler, peach pie, or white chocolate peach pie swirl cheesecake.

PEANUTTY & CHOCOLATELY PEANUT TOFFEE

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups dry roasted peanuts, divided

½ cup milk chocolate pieces

¼ cup white baking pieces

1 cup cups peanut butter chips

1 ½ cups butter (3 cubes), cubed

1 ½ cups sugar

4 ½ tablespoons water

Directions: 

1.Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil or parchment paper, extending it over edges of pan.  Lightly Spray with cooking spray. In a bowl combine ½ cup of the peanuts, milk chocolate pieces, peanut butter and white baking pieces. Set aside.

2. Pour 1 cup of the peanuts into a prep bowl.  Place near your range to have ready when the toffee mixture has reached 290 degrees. In a 2-quart heavy saucepan combine  the cubed butter, sugar, and water.

Cook over medium heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until thermometer registers 290 degree F (soft-crack stage), about 15 minutes.

Mixture should boil at a steady rate over the entire surface. (Adjust heat as necessary so that mixture does not boil over.)

3.Remove from heat; remove thermometer.  Pour toffee (butter and sugar) in baking dish. Sprinkle the toffee (butter & sugar) mixture with 1 cup of peanuts, then immediately sprinkle nut/chocolate piece mixture over toffee.  Using the bottom of a measuring cup or a clean flat utensil, gently press the chips and nuts into the hot toffee.  The chips will melt and it will make a nice swirl pattern on the toffee as you use the flat utensil.  Cool about 1 hour before breaking into pieces. If necessary, chill 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Makes about 2 pounds (36 servings)

If necessary, chill 15 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Makes about 2 pounds (36 servings)