Caramel Shortbread Square

Caramel Shortbread Square

Ingredients 

Original recipe makes 1 - 9x9 inch pan 

• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup butter

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  
  

  Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
• In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.
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Smashed Potatoes with Cheese

INGREDIENTS

• Small red potatoes ( many you’d like)
• Olive oil
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Cheese of your choice (cheddar, fontina, etc.)

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. Fill a pot with water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add as many potatoes as you’d like.
3. Cook the potatoes until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Drain and set aside.
4. Prepare a rimmed baking sheet by greasing it with olive oil.
5. Place each potato on the baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each potato.
6. Use a potato masher to gently smoosh the potato so that it is mostly flat. Don’t push too hard though, you don’t want to have to peel these potatoes off the pan.
7. Brush each potato with olive oil and liberally salt with kosher salt, and sprinkle with black pepper.
8. Bake the potatoes in the oven for 18 minutes.
9. Remove potatoes from the oven and sprinkle any cheese of your choice on top. I used a combination of cheddar and fontina because I had both on hand.
10. Return the potatoes back to the oven and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Mini Apple Pies

PIE INGREDIENTS

• 1 refrigerated pie crust 
• 2 cups Granny Smith Apples, finely chopped (about 2 cups apples)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

STREUSEL TOPPING INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar – packed
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Unroll 1 refrigerated pie crust onto work surface. Use a 3-inch cookie cutter to cut out 12 rounds.
3. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Place each round into the bottom of a muffin cup. The dough should just start to slightly go up the side of the muffin cup.
4. In a large bowl, combine finely chopped apples with 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Divide this apple mixture evenly among the 12 mini pies.
5. With your food processor, a fork, or using your fingers, combine all of the ingredients for the streusel topping until crumbly. Divide this mixture evenly among the 12 mini pies.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
7. Allow the mini pies to cool for 15-20 minutes before carefully removing them from the pan.
8. Topped with whipped cream if you wish and enjoy!

Honey Glazed Luncheon Meat

Ingredients

2 Cans Spam Luncheon Meat
1 Small Pineapple
½ tsp Cloves
2 tbsp Honey

Preparation

Place  Spam Luncheon Meat in a baking dish. Rub Cloves over Luncheon Meat. Place 2 Slices of Pineapple on top of Luncheon Meat. In a separate bowl, add dices Pineapple and Honey, mix and pour over Luncheon Meat. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake at 350◦ for 20 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
Serve with Rice and Beans and Potato Salad.

Note: You can use brown sugar instead of Honey, by melting it first.

Soft Vanilla Sugar Cookies

Makes About 3 Dozen
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups of All Purpose flour
½ tsp of Salt
¼ tsp of Baking Powder
¾ cup of Unsalted Butter at room temperature
1 cup of Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract

Process,

1) Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, add the eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk for about 1 minute.

3) Add the flour, salt and baking powder and mix it all in until its all combined.

4) Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough on to the parchment lined baking sheets making to sure to place them a few inches apart.

5) Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Make sure you rotate the baking sheets half way through cooking for even baking.

Camaron Rebusado 2

Ingredients

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 piece lemon
• 8 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 pieces raw eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh milk
• 3 cups cooking oil

1. Marinate the shrimp in lemon juice for 30 minutes.
2. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a mixing bowl then mix well.
3. Add the eggs and milk stir until all the ingredients are well distributed.
4. Heat a pan and pour-in the cooking oil.
5. When the oil is hot enough, dip a piece of shrimp in the batter (leave the tail uncovered) then deep-fry until the color of the outer part turns dark yellow and the texture becomes crispy.
6. Remove from the pan or fryer then place in a plate with paper towel (this will absorb excess oil).

Homemade Taho

Ingredients

• 22 ounces extra soft tofu
• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup uncooked tapioca pearls
• 4 1/2 cups water

1. Pour 4 cups of water in a cooking pot and bring to a boil.
2. Put-in the tapioca pearls and cook for 40 minutes in medium heat.
3. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and mix well.
4. Turn off the heat and let the tapioca pearls sit on the cooking pot until room temperature is achieved. Set aside.
5. Heat a saucepan then pour-in 1/2 cup of water.
6. Put-in 1 cup of brown sugar once the water starts to boil. Mix well and simmer for 1 minute. Set aside.
7. Transfer the extra soft tofu in a glass or mug then heat in a microwave oven for a minute.
8. Top the extra soft tofu with the cooked tapioca pearls and sweet syrup.