Rocky Road meets the Black Forest Brownies

Save Room for Dessert and What Did you Bake Today are hosted over at ThE KraZy KitcHen. Stop by and join in. Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam . Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby and is being hosted by Cole for a while.

ROCKY ROAD MEETS THE BLACK FOREST BROWNIES
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup marshmallow cream
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla
1-2 teaspoons cherry extract
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 JUMBO eggs
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, chopped
1/3 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease (really well) a 9x9 baking pan. I like to use my stoneware for nice even baking.
• Melt butter and chopped unsweetened chocolate in a double boiler until smooth and consistent. Set aside to cool.
  
• Sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  
• Toss chocolate chip pieces and walnuts with a bit of the flour mixture and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs and vanilla until smooth and consistent.
• Add cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and blend well.
• By hand stir in the flour mixture just until well blended - DO NOT over mix!
• Fold in the chocolate pieces, cherry pieces and walnuts just until well blended.
  
• Warm the marshmallow cream for 15-20 seconds in the microwave (just enough to make it spreadable) and spread it over the chocolate batter in the mixing bowl.
• With a knife gently and slightly swirl it lightly into the chocolate batter. If you swirl too much it will just become part of the batter instead of clumps of marshmallow.
  
• Gently pour the batter into the prepared ban and bake 40-45 minutes or until edges pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Cool the cake in the pan until completely cooled.

♥♥ ♥♥

BLT Pasta Salad

BLT PASTA SALAD
2 cups prepared and chilled pasta (shell macaroni or bowtie looks best)
3/4 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (save out a bit for garnish)
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 medium firm tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups iceberg lettuce, chopped**
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise*
1 cup bleu cheese dressing*

• Whisk the mayonnaise and bleu cheese together.
• Pour over the prepared ingredients.
  
• Toss all together in a large bowl.
• Garnish top with bacon.
• Chill for several hours prior to serving.

*If you're in a hurry, you can substitute 1 1/2 cups Buttermilk Ranch dressing.

**If you plan to have leftovers, toss with lettuce just prior to serving each time.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby and is being hosted by Cole for a while. Trista over at Southern Fried Mama hosts Tasty Thursday and Joy of desserts hosts Vintage Recipe Thursday.

♥ ♥

French Onion & Tomato Soup with Baked Cheesy Croutons

This soup turned out sooooooooooooooooo good and tasted great even in the summer. I can't wait to have it on a cold winter's eve.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Trista over at Southern Fried Mama hosts Tasty Thursday
Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby. The button will take you to Andrea's site, but TATT is being hosted by Cole for a while.

FRENCH ONION & TOMATO SOUP
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 medium Vidalia onions, thinly sliced
3 medium hot house tomatoes
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
6 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon Better than Beef Bouillon
1 tablespoon kitchen bouquet
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 thin slices french or sourdough bread, toasted
4 slices Gruyere cheese*

• Melt butter in bottom of stock pot.
  
• Separate onions into rings and add to butter. Cook until tender and golden.
  
• Add flour and blend well with butter mixture and onions.
  
• Add broth, beef bouillon, kitchen bouquet, paprika, onion powder, celery salt, sea salt and pepper and stir well.
• Simmer 15-20 minutes.
• Toast bread and then butter it.
• Ladle soup into 4 oven proof bowls that have been put on a cookie sheet for easier handling.
  
• Place 1 slice of toast over top of soup.
  
• Lay 1 slice of cheese on top of toast.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Another great option is to use these cheesy baked croutons to top the soup. Both ways are super yummy!

BAKED CHEESY CROUTONS
6 slices thick sourdough bread
butter, melted, enough to coat bread
½ cup Fontina Cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place bread slices on oven rack and bake until dry and golden. Melt butter in flat bowl. Combine cheeses in flat bowl. Dip first in butter and the cheese mixture. Bake on cookie sheet 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted. Float croutons on top of soup bowls just before serving.

Yields: 6 BOWLS
Time to make: 1½ hr

*you'd think living close to Wisconsin, the cheese state, I could get all sorts of flavors of cheese, but alas I still can't find gruyere and have been substituting provolone.
♥ ♥

Tropic Thunder Bars & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

I didn't have much going on Tuesdays so I thought I'd join some new memes. These two look really good with fun participants and great recipes.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesdays at the Table is hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites

TROPIC THUNDER BARS

1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup apricot pineapple jam
1/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup walnuts, minced

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Add the brown sugar and oatmeal and mix well.
• Fold in the butter until well blended.
• Spread dough evenly into a well greased 9x9 baking pan.
• Stir together the jam, coconut and walnuts.
• Spread on top of the batter.
• Bake 20 minutes.

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS
1 cup + 2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup flour, sifted
1 cup oatmeal (not instant)
1/4 cup walnuts, minced
6 ounces Hershey's Milk chocolate bar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Cream 1 cup softened butter, vanilla and sugars together until well blended.
• Add egg yolks and beat well.
• Add flour and oatmeal alternately and mix until well blended.
• Spread batter into a well greased 13x9 pan for 20 minutes.
• Cool.
• Melt the Hershey bar chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter together.
• Spread over the bar layer.
  
• Sprinkle with the walnuts immediately.
• Cut into squares.
  

♥