PEANUT BUTTER COCONUT KRISPIE COOKIES, adapted

This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation. Cookie Madness adapted "Back to School Cookies" from an old issue of Taste of Home magazine. And I was searching for a recipe that would use up some of the peanut butter, coconut, oats and Rice Krispies in my pantry. The changes I made were to use what I had on hand rather than purchase new ingredients, but I did add cinnamon and creme de cocoa because the recipe looked like it needed some additional flavor. If I make these again, I'll add even more flavoring and the new amounts are noted below. (I wonder how they would taste with some cayenne pepper. hmmm.) I really, really liked these cookies. The texture is very different -- very crispy on the edges, with a nice crunch all the way through. I rate these an 8 out of 10 and would definitely make them again (that is, if I ever run out of new peanut butter cookie recipes; I have 8 waiting in the wings). The other matter worth mentioning is peanut butter brands. I'm not really into sweetened peanut butter. I use natural peanut butter, except when I bake cookies. Anna of Cookie Madness says she has tested Jif against other brands, and Jif always comes up the winner for taste. My cookies were made with the remainder of a jar of Skippy crunchy and some Jif creamy. One last note: No need to get the mixer out for these -- I've found that better results are obtained when cookie batters are mixed by hand, using a whisk and/or spatula.

Peanut Butter Coconut Krispie Cookies, half recipe, adapted
Rating: 8 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 +1/8 tsp. sea salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter + 2 Tbsp. Crisco (both softened)
3/4 cup peanut butter (I used part crunchy to empty a container, then part smooth)
1 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup white sugar+2 tsp. molasses+1-1/2 tsp. stevia)
1 large egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. creme de cocoa (or strong coffee or chocolate syrup)
1 cup crisp rice cereal
3/4 cup chopped salted peanuts
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup quick oats

Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in small mixing bowl; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the softened butter and shortening with the peanut butter and brown sugar until throughly combined and smooth. Add egg and flavorings and whisk again till very smooth. Stir in flour mixture with spatula, then the remaining ingredients.

Drop by generously rounded teaspoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased baking sheets. (I lined mine with parchment paper.) A small cookie scoop is perfect for this.
Flatten the dough balls with a fork, forming a criscoss pattern.
Bake 9-12 minutes, depending on how hot your oven runs and how big you make your dough balls. I used a toothpick inserted in center to test for doneness, just like for a cake. Two of my batches took 11 minutes, and one batch took 12 minutes. The batch that took 12 minutes had slightly larger cookies. My yield on the half batch was 40 cookies.

Here's the recipe as adapted by Cookie Madness:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt (original recipe had none)
8 oz butter flavored shortening
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups crisp rice cereal
1-1/2 cups chopped nuts or 1 ¼ cup chopped peanuts
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup quick-cooking oats

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.Cream the shortening, peanut butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg whites and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until mixed, then stir in the cereal, nuts, coconut and oats.
Drop by generously rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a fork, forming a crisscross pattern. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks.
Makes about 8 dozen

CAROLYN'S MORSELS (CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES) adapted half batch

Carolyn Hayes, Elba, New York, says this is her own cookie that she adapted from a secret recipe. It took her two weeks to perfect it -- and according to Carolyn, hers is better. This recipe is eerily like Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and the texture of the cookie is similar. I halved the recipe and made some changes. I don't know if the baking temperature listed in the recipe was a mistake, but 325F didn't work for me. I changed it to 350F and got better results. Most of my other changes reflect the sign of the times -- with the present price of groceries, I'm trying to bake with what's on hand instead of buying new ingredients. So, with that in mind, I finally used up the rest of my dried cherries that were soaking in creme de cocoa, along with some white chocolate chips and part of a Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar. I also got to use some more of the self-rising flour (it's now down to 1/2 bag), and some whole wheat flour. So thanks to American Profile for printing this recipe which I'm going to give a rating of 8 out 10. My cookies didn't come out as puffy as Carolyn's did in the magazine photo, (probably because I didn't chill the dough) but they still are sturdy and quite good, especially with those dried drunken cherries. hic

Carolyn's Morsels (Chocolate Chip Cookies) adapted half batch
Rating: 8 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup lite brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup white sugar + 1 tsp. molasses + 1/2 tsp. stevia)
1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp. coffee syrup (1 Tbsp.coffee powder dissolved in 3 Tbsp. coffee brandy; measure 1/2 tsp)
1/2 cup toasted chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
3/4 cup dried cherries soaked in creme de cocoa overnight or longer
1/2 cup white chocolate chips (Use Sam's Choice in Wal-Mart for good quality, low price)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or chunks (I used Hershey's bar with almonds)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flours, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. No need to get the mixer out -- in large bowl, whisk softened butter, brown sugar and vanilla by hand until smooth and well mixed. Add egg and coffee syrup and whisk again till very smooth. Stir in flour mixture and remaining ingredients, mixing only till just combined. Chill 1 hour or till dough is firm. (I would definitely not skip the chilling of the dough. I did for the first batch, and I saw a difference in the second batch that had been chilled about 20 minutes. The cookies were higher and more solid after chilling.) Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking pans. Bake 10-12 minutes, until just lightly browned on the edges. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 20 cookies

NEW YORK-STYLE CHEESECAKE WITH MASCARPONE and MACERATED STRAWBERRIES

This was the dessert I served on Father's Day for the 3 fathers who ate at our table. It was a success on a day when almost everything seemed to go wrong. I used several recipes for this cake and made changes to everything anyway, so it's pretty pointless to list a source. (But if you insist on knowing, I adapted a crust from a Food & Wine May 2003 recipe entitled "Lemon Ripple Cheesecake Bars," and I adapted a cheesecake filling from Suite101.com's Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe published Jan. 24, 2008.)

New York-Style Cheesecake with Mascarpone and Macerated Strawberries
Rating: 9 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
CRUST: 1 cup white whole wheat (or regular whole wheat) flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 packs True Lemon (or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" pieces and chilled

CHEESECAKE FILLING: 3 packages (8 oz. each) Neufchatel cheese, softened
1 container (8 oz.) Mascarpone cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups super-fine sugar
1 tsp. orange zest
2 packets True Lemon (or 1 Tbsp. lemon juice)
2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or regular vanilla extract)
2 large eggs
2 egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup lite sour cream
2 Tbsp. fat-free half and half

Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 325F and position a rack in the center. Butter a 9" springform pan. In a food processor, pulse all ingredients until a soft, crumbly dough forms. Press dough evenly over the bottom and a scant 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and firm. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Make the cheesecake filling: Preheat oven to 450F. Place pan of hot water in bottom of oven. In food processor, pulse the cheeses and sugar until smooth and fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. Add flavorings and eggs, one at a time, and process till smooth after each addition. Add cornstarch, sour cream and half and half and pulse just till combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Without opening oven door, reduce heat to 250F and bake an additional 35-45 minutes, or till cheesecake is just slightly jiggly in center. (Mine took 45 minutes, and my oven runs "true.") Remove to a wire rack away from drafts to finish cooling. Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight before cutting.

Make Macerated Strawberries: 15 minutes to 1 hour before serving, Slice 1 pint of strawberries into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4-1/3 cup Creme de Almond over the strawberries and stir to distribute. (In place of Creme de Almond, you can use any orange liqueur.) Grate some good-quality dark chocolate over each cheesecake slice and serve with macerated strawberries on the side.

This cheesecake will serve 10-12 people.

OVEN-ROASTED FIGS WITH RASPBERRIES

Better Homes & Gardens printed this recipe in their Summertime 2008 magazine, under the heading "Good and Healthy." I was intrigued. I love dried figs, but had never tasted a fresh one. Our local Harris Teeter had fresh figs. OK, I'm in. I bought 2 figs to experiment. (Sorry about the photos; I just can't get closeups with my camera, hard as I try.) This is a great recipe. The flavors of orange and honey with the thyme are unbelievable. I didn't have creme fraiche, so I subbed lite sour cream mixed with lite cream cheese, added a little honey, and it was perfect! If you want more fruit in your diet, here's your chance.

Oven-Roasted Figs with Raspberries
Rating: 9 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
12 medium-size ripe but firm figs
1 orange + zest (zest is my addition)
1/4 cup honey
2-1/2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme
2 Tbsp. butter, cut in very small pieces
1-1/2 cups fresh raspberries
Creme fraiche, or plain sour cream, or sour cream mixed with cream cheese and sweetened with a little honey


Preheat oven to 450F. Spray a large shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut figs in half and place them in the dish, cut side up, in a single layer Squeeze the juice of 1 orange over figs, drizzle them with honey, and sprinle with the sugar and thyme. Dot the top of each fig with just a bit of butter.

Bake for 8 minutes; baste the figs with any accumulated pan juice. Place pan back in oven and bake additional 5 minutes, till figs just start to caramelize. Add the raspberries to the pan and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, just to heat the raspberries through. Serve warm with creme fraiche. Serves 6 (These are also good cold.)

Ea. serving: 247 calories, 10 g fat (6 g sat. fat), 30 mg chol, 34 mg sodium, 42 g carbo, 5 g fiber, 1 g pro. Daily Values: 14% vit.A, 37% vit.C, 5% calcium, 4% iron

COMFORT FOOD: CHICKEN TORTELLONI

This is my week for tortelloni. In my fridge, I had chicken, broth and a package of tortelloni, and this recipe used it all and was delicious to boot. Fussy Guy had a second helping. This is really chicken tetrazzini in a slightly different format -- what's not to like? Serve it with a nice green salad and some corn on the cob.

Comfort Food: Chicken Tortelloni
Rating: 9 out of 10
INGREDIENTS:
9 oz. pkg. tortelloni, your favorite flavor
4 Tbsp. Smart Balance Buttery Spread (or extra-virgin olive oil), divided use
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced thin (or use white mushrooms if you prefer)
1/2 cup sweet onion, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup drinking-quality white wine (optional)
1/2 cup fat-free half and half (Land o' Lakes, only)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 1-1/2 to 2-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside. While pasta is cooking, heat a large, heavy fry pan or saute pan using medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 Tbsp. Smart Balance and the mushrooms and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or till veggies are wilted, turning down heat if necessary to keep from burning. Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Combine veggies with pasta. Melt remaining 3 Tbsp. Smart Balance in the pan that cooked the veggies. Stir in flour until smooth, then add the wine, whisking as it goes in, then the chicken broth slowly, whisking while you add it. Continue to stir and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the half and half, cheese, seasonings and chicken. Combine the pasta and veggies with the sauce and spoon into the prepared baking dish. Bake 25-30 minutes, or till top is lightly browned and bubbly. Yield: 3-4 servings

JUDY'S QUICK AND EASY CHICKEN-TORTELLONI SOUP

Here's an easy soup recipe when you want something homemade, delicious and comforting but don't want to spend a lot of time getting it. The refrigerated pastas are wonderful for this sort of thing. Buitoni and Monterey Pasta Company and others have done a good job of packaging filled pastas that can be used in so many different ways -- salads, soups, entrees and even appetizers.
This soup is so easy, you don't even need a recipe, but I'll attempt to write one for you.

Judy's Quick and Easy Chicken-Tortelloni Soup
Rating: 9 out of 10

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced or chopped celery
1/4 cup sliced or chopped carrot
2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
3/4 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1/2 tsp. sea salt
dash black pepper
1/2 of a 9-oz. package of tortelloni (use your favorite flavor)

Place all ingredients in a 2-quart heavy pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover pot and simmer for 10 minutes, or till everything is cooked through. Add additional seasonings, as desired. Garnish with fresh parsley and/or Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

GRILLED TUNA WITH LIME-ORANGE MARINADE

I know tuna has fallen out of favor recently because of mercury scares. I take chlorella every day to help with that, so I think I can enjoy this wonderful fish now and then. Our local Harris Teeter had beautiful, fresh sashimi-grade tuna and I grabbed a little one for dinner. Grilling tuna only to medium-rare makes for a flavorful, moist entree. The marinade, my concoction, was excellent.
Grilled Tuna with Lime-Orange Marinade
Rating: 10 out of 10
2 Tbsp. lime juice
2 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. finely chopped lime pulp and rind
2 Tbsp. finely chopped orange pulp and rind
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1/8 tsp. sea salt
dash black pepper
4 tuna steaks (about 4 oz. each)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
4 orange slices


In a plastic resealable bag, combine all ingredients; seal bag; massage to distribute ingredients. Refrigerate 1/2 hour or up to 8 hours. Grill tuna on a hot grill (400-425F) for about 3 minutes each side, or till medium rare. Sprinkle green onions over each tuna steak and garnish with orange slices. Yield: 4 servings