Chocolate-Coconut Bars

Chocolate-Coconut Bars

Chocolate-Coconut Bars

Ingredients

3 cups finely ground cookies (12 ounces), such as graham crackers or chocolate wafers, or a combination

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly splash a 15-by-10-inch rimmed baking sheet evenly with water, then line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter until combined. Evenly press onto bottom and up sides of prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until firm, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool, about 20 minutes.

Sprinkle cooled crust evenly with pecans and chocolate. Pour condensed milk over the top, spreading to cover completely (do not let it drip over the edges). Sprinkle with coconut.

Bake until coconut is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely. Trim edges, if desired, and cut into equal-size bars.

Cook's Note

Sweetened condensed milk is made by heating whole milk and sugar until much of the liquid has evaporated. Do not substitute evaporated milk, which is unsweetened.

Recipe from http://www.marthastewart.com/313038/chocolate-coconut-bars

Coconut Bars

Coconut Bars

Coconut Bars

Ingredients


Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 pound grated fresh coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut
2 3/4 cups sugar
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

Directions
Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Stir together remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until mixture thickens and forms a cohesive mass, about 30 minutes.
Pour mixture onto prepared sheet. With an offset spatula, spread 1/2 inch thick; shape into a 12-by-13-inch rectangle. Let cool completely, then cut into 1 1/2-by-2-inch rectangles.

Recipe from http://www.marthastewart.com/326813/coconut-bars

Quick Puff Pastry

Quick Puff Pastry

QUICK PUFF PASTRY

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold water

Directions

Cut 1 cup (2 sticks) butter into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in an even layer on a plate and transfer to refrigerator to chill.

Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Cut remaining 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter into thin slices and add to bowl. Rub in the butter, squeezing it with your fingertips, rubbing the butter and flour mixture between the palms of your hands and reaching down to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat process until flour and butter are evenly mixed; this should only take a couple of minutes and the mixture should remain cool and powdery. Alternatively, pulse flour, salt, and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter in the bowl of a food processor until no visible pieces of butter remain; transfer to a large bowl.

Add chilled butter cubes to bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold them into flour mixture.

Reserving 2 tablespoons of the cold water, pour remaining water into bowl. Using a spatula, fold water into flour mixture, scraping from the bottom of the bowl upward. If the mixture still has a lot of dry, unmoistened flour, add reserved water, 1 tablespoon at a time, repeating folding process.

Scrape dough from bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour dough and, using your hands, squeeze and shape dough into a cylinder. Press down to flatten into a rectangle.

 

Starting at the narrow end furthest away from you, use a rolling pin to press the dough firmly in parallel strokes close to one another. If there are sticky pieces of butter on the surface, cover with a large pinch of flour and press with the rolling pin to combine. Clean off the rolling pin as you go to make sure nothing sticks to the dough. Continue pressing with the rolling pin, working toward the narrow end closest to you.

 

Press the dough once along the width; it should now be a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Flour under and on top of the dough and roll dough away and back toward you in the length and once in the width, without rolling over the ends, to make a rectangle about 18 inches long and 8 inches wide.

 

Fold the two 8-inch ends in toward the middle of the rectangle, leaving a 1-inch space in the middle. Fold the bottom up to the top to form 4 layers of dough. Turn the dough so that the folded edge, which should resemble the spine on a book, is on your left.

 

Repeat rolling and folding process (steps 6, 7, and 8) two more times. Wrap dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 3 days, before using.

 

RECIPE FROM http://www.marthastewart.com/354948/quick-puff-pastry

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole By Martha Stewart

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 cups sliced mixed mushrooms (10 ounces)
2 shallots, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
4 cups shredded chicken, from a small rotisserie chicken
2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add mushrooms and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and browned, 10 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the flour. Stir to combine and cook 1 minute.

Add chicken broth, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil. Add chicken and rice and return to a simmer. Stir in peas, parsley, and sour cream; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs.

Bake until top is golden brown and mixture is warm throughout, 15 to 20 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes By Martha Stewart

Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
Easy White Icing
Sprinkles (optional)

Chocolate Cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper liners.

Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.

Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool in pan 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then spread with Easy White Icing using a table knife or small offset spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired.

Chocolate-Hazelnut and Banana Crepe

Chocolate-Hazelnut and Banana Crepe By Martha Stewart

Chocolate-Hazelnut and Banana Crepe

Ingredients

1 Simple Crepes

2 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella

1/2 banana, thinly sliced

Directions

After flipping a crepe in the skillet, top with chocolate-hazelnut spread and banana. Cook until spread melts, about 1 minute. Fold into quarters.

Basic Crepes

Basic Crepes By Martha Stewart

Basic Crepes

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

2 cups whole milk, room temperature, plus more if needed

3 large eggs, room temperature

2 1/2 ounces (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for skillet

Basic Crepes

Directions

Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whisking to combine. Whisk in butter. Strain mixture into a medium bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or up to 1 day). Batter should be the consistency of heavy cream; add more milk if needed.

Heat an 8- or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, and brush with butter. Ladle or pour 3 tablespoons batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 cup batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute.

Run a spatula around edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe, and gently flip in one swift gesture. (If it doesn't land quite right, that's okay; use the spatula to unfold or rearrange it.) Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown in spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate, and cover. (The first one will not be your finest.) Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed (every 2 or 3 crepes). Serve immediately.

Variations

Basic buckwheat variation: Substitute 3/4 cup buckwheat flour for 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, and add an additional 3/4 cup whole milk. (Makes 40 six-inch or 15 ten-inch crepes. )

Simple Crepes

Simple Crepes By Martha Stewart

Simple Crepes

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions

In a blender, combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs, and butter.

Puree until mixture is smooth and bubbles form on top, about 30 seconds. Let batter sit at least 15 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 1 day; whisk before using).

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium. Lightly coat with butter. Add 1/3 cup batter and swirl to completely cover bottom of skillet. Cook until underside of crepe is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.

Loosen edge of crepe with a rubber spatula, then with your fingertips, quickly flip. Cook 1 minute more. Slide crepe out of skillet and repeat with remaining batter. (Coat pan with butter as needed.)


Cook's Note

Using a blender ensures a smooth crepe batter that has the consistency of heavy cream.