Thursday, December 30, 2010

Mrs Fields Peanut Butter Cream -Filled Cookies



       Yield: 36 servings

    1 1/2 c  All-purpose flour
    1/2 ts    Baking soda
    1/2 ts    Ground cinnamon
      1 c     Quick oats (not instant)
      1 c     Light brown sugar, firmly - packed
    1/2 c    Salted butter, softened
      1 lg    Egg
      1 ts    Pure vanilla extract

                     ------------filling---- -- ¥
    3/4 c  Smooth peanut butter
    1/4 c  Salted butter, softened
     2 tb   Half-and-half
      1 ts  Pure vanilla extract
 1 1/2 c  Confectioners sugar

    Preheat overn to 325-degrees F.      In medium bowl combine flour, soda,
  cinnamon and oats.  Mix well with   a whire whisk.  Set aside.      Cream
  sugar and butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer set at   medium
  speed.  Add the flour-oat mixture, and blend at low speed   until just
  combined.  Do not overmix.      Separate dough into two balls, flatten
  them into disks, and wrap each   tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag.
   Chill 1 hour.      On floured board using a floured rolling pin, roll out
  one disk to   1/4 inch thickness.  Cut cookies with a 2-inch round fluted
  cookie   cutter dipped in flour.  Repeat procedure with the second disk,
  reworking scraps until all the dough is used.  Bake cookies on   ungreased
  baking sheets 1/2 inch aprt for 13-15 minutes or until   bottoms turn
  light brown.  Transfer immediately to a cool, flat   surface with a
  spatula.     
  When cookies are cool, spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
  filling   on the bottom side of a cookies.  Top with another cookie-bottom
  side   toward the filling-to make a sandwich.  Repeat with the remaining
  cookies and filling      :    

  Yield: 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

MRS FIELDS PECAN SUPREMES



       Yield: 36 servings

      2 c  FLOUR
    1/2 ts SODA
    1/4 ts SALT
    3/4 c  QUICK OATS
    3/4 c  DARK BROWN SUGAR, PACKED
    3/4 c  SUGAR
      1 c  BUTTER, SOFTENED
      2 lg EGGS
      2 ts VANILLA EXTRACT
      1 c  CHOPPED PECANS (4 OZ)
      1 c  SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS

       PREHEAT OVEN TO 300*F.  IN A MEDIUM BOWL COMBINE FLOUR, SODA,
  SALT, AND OATS. MIX WELL AND SET ASIDE. IN A LARGE BOWL BLEND SUGARS
  WITH AN ELECTRIC MIXER AT MEDIUM SPEED. ADD BUTTER AND MIX TO FORM A
  GRAINY PASTE. SCRAPE DOWN SIDES OF BOWL, THEN ADD EGGS AND VANILLA.
  BEAT AT MEDIUM SPEED UNTIL LIGHT AND FLUFFY. ADD THE FLOUR MIXTURE,
  PECANS AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND BLEND AT LOW SPEED JUST UNTIL
  COMBINED. DROP DOUGH BY ROUNDED TABLESPOONS ONTO UNGREASED COOKIE
  SHEETS, 1 1/2 INCHES APART. BAKE FOR 20-22 MINUTES. IMMEDIATELY
  TRANSFER COOKIES TO A COOL, FLAT SURFACE.

Mrs Fields Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars



 
      8 md Butter cookies
    1/4 c  Salted butter; melted
           Chocolate layers:
  2 1/2 c  Milk choc chips(15 oz)
           Peanut butter filling:
  1 1/2 c  Creamy peanut butter
    1/2 c  Salted butter; softened
      3 c  Confectioners' sugar
      2 ts Pure vanilla extract

     *Crush cookies until finely ground. Add butter & mix. Press crumb
  mixture into bottom of 8x8 baking pan & bake 10 mins. at 325 F. Cool to
  room temperature. *Melt chocolate. Pour half into pan & smooth evenly over
  crust. Place pan in refrigerator. Keep remaining choc. warm. *Blend peanut
  butter & butter together until smooth using electric mixer. Slowly beat in
  confectioners' sugar & vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread mixture over
  chilled chocolate layer. Pour remaining warm chocolate over top & spread
  smoothly. Chill in refrigerator one hour. Yields 24-36 bars.

Red Lobster Trout Vera Cruz





          Marinade:
    1/4 c  Black olives; slice
    1/4 c  Green olives; slice
    1/2 c  Olive oil
    1/2 c  White wine
      1 ts Oregan Trout fillets
    1/2 c  Onion; chop
    1/2 c  Green pepper; chop
    1/2 c  Tomatoes; chop

  Mix marinade and let sit 5 minutes. Brush fish with
  butter, salt and pepper and place in a baking pan.
  Pour marinade over and bake at 350~ for 20 to 25
  minutes.

Red Lobster® Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Shrimp



It's shrimp, it's bacon, it's cheese; what's not to like?
 It's one of the latest tasty appetizers on the Red Lobster
 menu, and now you can dupe it at home. Find some large shrimp,
a wooden skewer, and cook the bacon about halfway to done before
 you begin. Mix up a clone of Red Lobster's top secret seasoning
 and the cilantro-ranch dipping sauce, and you're minutes away
 from scarfing down a delectable dish that's meant to be a teaser
 for what's to come. Looks like you'd better make the main coarse
 a real doozy. 

Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
dash ground black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
dash allspice

Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup ranch dressing
1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
     (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh minced cilantro)

5 pieces bacon
5 large shrimp
3 slices fresh jalapeno
1 ounce pepper jack cheese
Open the shrimp, put a jalapeno slice in there, a chunk of
 cheese on top, and wrap it all up with bacon.

When skewering, be sure to face all the shrimp the right direction
 -- like a tight little Rockettes kick line.

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Make the seasoning blend by combining the ingredients in a small
 bowl. Set this aside.
3. Make the dipping sauce by combining the ranch dressing with
cilantro in a medium bowl.
4. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium/high heat, but don't
 cook it all the way to crispy. You want undercooked bacon that,
when cool, will easily wrap around the shrimp. Cook the bacon about
 3 minutes per side, and don't let it brown. When the bacon is done
 lay it on paper towels to drain and cool.
5. Shell the shrimp, leaving the last segment of the shell and the
tail. Remove the dark vein from the back of the shrimp, and then
cut down into the back of the shrimp, without cutting all the way
through, so that the shrimp is nearly butterflied open. This will
 make a pocket for the pepper and cheese.
6. Pour 1 cup of water into a small bowl. Add the shrimp and jalapeno
 peppers and microwave for 60 to 90 seconds. Shrimp should be starting to firm up and change color. Immediately pour the water out of the bowl, remove the jalapeno slices and pour cold water over the shrimp. Place the the shrimp and jalapeno pepper slices onto paper towels to drain off excess water.
7. Build the appetizer by cutting the jalapeno slices in half and
 removing the seeds. You should now have 6 jalapeno slices -- you'll
 need 5 of these. Place one slice into the slit on the back of a shrimp. Cut an inch-long chunk of cheese (about 1/4-inch thick), and place it on the jalapeno slice. Wrap a piece of bacon around the shrimp, starting where the cheese is. Start wrapping with the thinnest end of the bacon. Go 1 1/2 times around the shrimp and then cut of the excess bacon and slide a skewer through the shrimp, starting with the end where the cheese is and piercing the cut end of the bacon on the other side. Repeat with the remaining shrimp and slide them onto the skewer with the tails facing the same direction.  
8. Put the skewer onto a baking sheet or broiler pan and sprinkle
 a very light coating of the seasoning blend over the shrimp, then
 broil for 3 to 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown and
the cheese begins to ooze. Serve over a bed of rice if desired.
 Feed the left over bacon pieces to the dog while you scarf out
on the shrimp.
Serves 2 as an appetizer.

Red Lobster® Cheddar Bay Crab Bake®



Ahoy. Here's a cool clone for a pizza-shaped adaptation
 of Red Lobster's famous Cheddar Bay Biscuits, with a
little crab thrown in. If you like those tender, cheesy
 biscuits that come with every meal at Red Lobster, then
 you'll surely like this new recipe. Plus, it's a cinch
 to make. I suggest you use fresh crabmeat as they do in
 the restaurants, but if it's only the canned stuff you
have available, no problem. You'll still be able to enjoy
 the taste of Red Lobster's appetizer, without having to
leave a tip.

2 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 3/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
2/3 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted and divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fine parsley flakes
1/3 cup crab meat (fresh or canned lump)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Combine baking mix, 1 cup of the cheddar cheese, milk,
and 1 half of the melted butter in a medium bowl. Mix by
hand until well-combined.
3. Pat out the dough into circle approximately 8 inches in
diameter, with a slight lip around the edge, like a pizza crust.
4. Sprinkle the parsley over the top of the dough. Be sure
 the dried parsley flakes are crushed fine. You can easily
crush the flakes in a small bowl with your thumb and forefinger.
5. Sprinkle the crab over the top of the dough.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the crab. Don’t go all
 of the way to the edge of the dough – leave a margin of a
half-inch or so around the edge.
7. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the cheese on top begins
to slightly brown.
8. Combine the remaining butter with the garlic powder and
brush it over the top of the bake as soon as it comes out of
 the oven. Slice it like a pizza into 8 pieces and serve hot.
Makes 8 pieces

Red Robin® Seasoning



Give yourself some time to make a tough decision
because there are nearly two dozen gourmet burgers
on the Red Robin menu to pick from, not to mention
scores of other fantastic food choices. Red Robin
claims its steak fries are world-famous, and when
you get a burger your fries are served up on the
side in a "bottomless" portion. Want some more fries?
Just ask and you can have as many as your belly can
pack in. But we found out that the burgers and fries
have a very special secret ingredient in common that
makes them taste so good: It's the Red Robin seasoning
that's sprinkled on the food. Next time you make a burger,
sprinkle some our version of the seasoning blend over the
patty. Cook up some frozen steak fries or french fries and
sprinkle a little of this blend over the top. You'll all
sorts of uses for this versatile spice. And the recipe
makes a portion that should fit nicely in an empty spice bottle.

3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon instant tomato soup mix
     (Knorr tomato with basil works great)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.
Store in a covered container.
Makes 1/3 cup.

Reese's® Peanut Butter Cups



The first Top Secret Recipes book features a version of this
clone recipe for America's most beloved candy creation.
That recipe now sits in just about every collection of
"copycat" recipes passed around the Web. But since 1993,
I've learned a few things about the delicate science of
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup cloning. You know, stuff like:
"Never clone peanut butter cups while crossing a busy
intersection," and "Don't clone peanut butter cups while
under a tall tree in the rain." These are the sort of
handy tips that you don't find anywhere else on the Internet.
These are the things that come with experience, perseverance
and a long, complicated thought process. Over seven years have
 passed, and I figured perhaps it was time to share some of the
 more useful of these discoveries with all you great folks here
 on the site. Now when you make your Reese's clones, you'll know
 to use reduced-fat peanut butter for a better texture. Now when
 you're craving that delicate combination of flavors, you'll know
 to get out the scissors to trim muffin cups for the chocolate.
 This is the improved recipe right here, authorized, and in its
 entirety! Now you can forget all about that other Reese's clone
 formula.

Although, you might want to keep in mind the thing about
the busy intersection.  

12 paper muffin cups
One 12-ounce pkg. milk chocolate chips
1 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Paper muffin cups and chocolate -- what a glorious day!


1. Cut the top half off of the muffin cups so that they are
 shallower.
2. Pour the chocolate chips into a glass bowl and melt them
in the microwave: Microwave at 50% power for 2 minutes. Stir
 the chips gently, and let them sit for a minute or so. If the
chocolate needs more melting, microwave those chippies again at
 half power for 30 seconds. Stir gently. Continue the process,
stirring gently as you go. But be very careful not to overcook
the chocolate or it'll seize up on you like day old Carolina roof
 tar.
3. Using a teaspoon, spoon a portion of the chocolate into the
 middle of a muffin cup. Draw the chocolate up the edges of the
cup with the back of the spoon. Coat the entire inside of the
muffin cup with chocolate and place it into a muffin tin. Repeat
 with the remaining muffin cups and then put the whole muffin tin
 in the fridge so that the chocolate hardens.
4. Combine the reduced-fat peanut butter, powdered sugar and salt
in a medium bowl.
5. When the chocolate in the muffin cups has hardened, pop the
 sweetened peanut butter into the microwave oven on full power
 for 1 minute. This will soften up the peanut butter so that it
easily flows into the cups.
6. Spoon a small portion of peanut butter into each of the
chocolate-coated cups. Leave room at the top for an additional
layer of chocolate, which we'll add later. Pop the candy back
in the refrigerator to harden the peanut butter. This should
take an hour or so.
7. When the peanut butter filling has hardened, re-melt the
chocolate chips in the microwave on half power for 30 to 60
seconds. Use a teaspoon to spread a layer of chocolate over
the top of each candy. Chill the candy once again to set up
the chocolate.
8. Finally, remember to take the paper off the outside of the
peanut butter cups before eating them.

Makes 12 candies.

Seasoned Long Grain & Wild Rice Mix (Uncle Ben's)




  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        -----DRY MIX-----
   1      tablespoon    Chicken bouillon powder
   1      teaspoon      Dry chopped onion
     1/2  teaspoon      Dry minced parsley
     1/4  teaspoon      Garlic powder
     1/4  teaspoon      Onion powder
   1      teaspoon      Ground turmeric
     1/2  teaspoon      Ground cumin
     1/4  teaspoon      Ground ginger
     1/2  teaspoon      Black pepper
   1 1/2  teaspoons     Season salt -- to 2 ts
                        -----RICE MIXTURE-----
   2      cups          Water
   2      tablespoons   Butter or margarine
   1      cup           Premium Minute Rice
     1/3  cup           Dry wild rice

Combine all of the ingredients as listed in Dry Mix in medium saucepan.
Add to this water, butter, rice and dry wild rice. Bring to boil. Stir
once or twice just to combine. Cover pan with lid tightly. Simmer gently 8
to 10 minutes or until almost all liquid has been absorbed. Makes 3 cups
cooked rice.

Seven Seas® Free Viva Italian Fat-Free Dressing



Seven Seas dressings were first introduced by Anderson
 Clayton Foods back in 1964, when the trend toward fat-free
 foods was in its infancy. Kraft Foods later picked up the
 brand, and Seven Seas today ranks number four in sales of
 salad dressings in the United States. Here's our special
 technique to creating a delicious clone of Seven Seas
 spice-filled fat-free Italian dressing straight out of
 the latest TSR low-fat cookbook, using a secret combination
 of water, cornstarch and gelatin where the fat used to be.  

1 1/3 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon dried minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon finely minced red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon gelatin
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry nonfat buttermilk

1. Combine water, sugar, cornstarch, salt, onion, garlic,
 bell pepper, Italian seasoning, and gelatin in a small
saucepan. Whisk to dissolve cornstarch, then set pan over
 medium/low heat.
2. Heat mixture until boiling, stirring often. When mixture
 begins to boil, cook for 1 additional minute, stirring
constantly, then remove from heat.
3. Add vinegar and dry buttermilk to saucepan and stir.
Transfer dressing to a covered container and refrigerate--
preferably overnight--before serving.
Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size – 2 tablespoons
Total servings – 12
Fat (per serving) – 0g
Calories (per serving) – 10

Shoney's Tomato Florentine Soup





  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   2      cans          Clear chicken broth -- 14oz ea.
   1      Can           sliced stewed tomatoes -- (14 ounces)
  12      ounces        V-8 juice
  10      ounces        Cream of tomato soup
   1      tablespoon    Sugar
  10      ounces        Frozen chopped spinach

dash Nutmeg Salt and pepper  Combine broth, tomatoes, juice and soup in a
saucepan with a wire whisk over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients,
without even thawing spinach. Allow to heat gently 30 minutes on
medium-low until spinach is tender. Keep hot without letting it boil.
Freeze leftovers.

Sonic® Cherry Limeade



Here's the signature drink from the chain that's reviving
 the drive-up burger joint, just like a scene out of American
 Graffiti or Happy Days. It was in 1953 that Troy Smith obtained
 the parcel of land in Shawnee, Oklahoma that was big enough
 to fit the new steakhouse and root beer stand that was his
dream. Troy thought he'd make he steakhouse his primary operation,
 but as it turned out folks preferred the hot dogs and cold drinks
 over at the root beer stand. So Troy did the smart thing and
ditched the steakhouse to focus all his efforts on the other joint.
 At first he called the root beer stand "Top Hat," but when Troy
 found out later that name was already being used, he came up
"Sonic" to signify "service at the speed of sound." Today the
chain is the sixth largest hamburger outlet in the country.
This recipe makes a simple, old-fashioned drink by combining
Sprite with cherry juice and some lime wedges. Use cherry juice
 made by Libby under the brand-name Juicy Juice for the best home
 clone.

12 ounces Sprite (1 can)
3 lime wedges (1/8 of a lime each)
1/4 cup cherry juice (Libby's Juicy Juice is best)

1. Fill a 16-ounce glass 2/3 full with ice.
2. Pour Sprite over the ice.
3. Add the juice of three lime wedges and drop them into the drink.
4. Add the cherry juice and serve with a straw.
Makes 1 16-ounce drink (medium size).

Sonic® Ocean Water



Any Sonic Drive-In regular knows the three or four unique
 fountain drink favorites on the menu. There's the Limeade,
 the Diet Limeade, and, of course, the Cherry Limeade. But
 that bright blue stuff called Ocean Water has become a
recent favorite for anyone who digs the taste of coconut -
it's like a pina colda soda. The server simply squirts a
bit of blue coconut syrup into some cold Sprite. The big
secret to duplicating this one at home is re-creating that
syrup, so that's the first step. After that's done, you make
 the drink as they do at the restaurant in less time than it
 takes to say, "Does my blue tongue clash with what I'm wearing?"

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
2 drops blue food coloring
2 - 12-ounce cans cold Sprite ice

1. Combine the water and the sugar in a small bowl. Microwave
 for 30-45 seconds, then stir to dissolve all of the sugar.
 Allow this syrup to cool.
2. Add coconut extract and food coloring to the cooled syrup.
Stir well.
3. Combine the syrup with two 12-ounce cans of cold Sprite.
 Divide and pour over ice. Add straws and serve.
Makes two 12-ounce servings.

Spaghetti Factory Mizithra Cheese Sauce



  2      tablespoons   Flour
  4      tablespoons   Butter
  1      teaspoon      Olive Oil
10      milliliters   Garlic -- crush
  2      tablespoons   Parsley -- chopped
 1/2    cup           Half and Half
   1     cup           Milk
  3/4   cup           Romano Cheese
          White Pepper to taste

Make a light roux over a medium fire with olive oil and butter. Add flour
and cook flour out of raw state; add garlic. Pour milk and half and half
in the roux with pepper and parsley. At the last moment add the cheese.
Place over hot pasta.