Butterscotch Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

 I know the title is a mouthful in and of itself, but how could I leave any of it out?! Butterscotch...Dark Chocolate...Peanut Butter....YUM!!

A few days ago I started craving something sweet, something with butterscotch in it. Craving something with butterscotch isn't anything new for me however, in fact it's been re-occurring often throughout my life. My love for butterscotch I'd say stems from early on in my childhood. My sisters, the other kids in my neighborhood, and I would ride our bikes down to a little hole in the wall grocery store/ truck stop, named the Chuck Wagon, that had a delicious milkshakes and malts. I'd always always get a butterscotch malt...one so thick that you could hold onto the shake with the straw in your teeth and bike with both hands on the handle bars if need be. It was delicious, and ALWAYS worth the 5 mile round trip bike ride!!

Sadly the Chuck Wagon is long gone, as is butterscotch from most menus at milkshake and malt shops. Other than the random Mom & Pop shops, or small town Dairy Queens, its hard pressed to find a butterscotch milkshake. Which means when I've got a butterscotch craving it's up to me to find a way to appease it.  Thus here we are back to present day and my recipe!

I decided that I was going to make some sort of bar with butterscotch in it but wanted more than just butterscotch once I started gathering the supplies to mix the bars together. I opened my fridge for the eggs saw the natural peanut butter and decided it'd be perfect as a substitute for part of my oil/butter; delicious & healthy to boot! Dark Chocolate, the good stuff, in my opinion needs no reason why it's on the recipe list other than it's dark chocolate. To finish the ingredients off I grabbed the quick oats and flour from the cupboard saw my jar of walnuts and decided they would be the perfect final touch. Needless to say I wasn't exactly sure what it'd turn out like but I decided it was worth the risk (how could it not be with those ingredients), and started mixing them all together.

Butterscotch Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Makes one 7" by 11" pan

Ingredients:
1/4 C Peanut Butter
1/4 C Unsalted Butter - Softened
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Organic Cane Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 C All Purpose Flour
1/2 C Quick Oats
2 tsp Baking Powder
Dash of Salt
1/2 C Butterscotch Chips
1/2 C Dark Chocolate Chips
1/2 C Chopped Nuts (I used walnuts)

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350F and spray an medium sized, (I used an 11x7), baking pan with Pam.
Mix dry ingredients, minus the nuts and chips in a mixing bowl. In a slightly larger bowl combine together all of the wet ingredients. Slowly stir the dry ingredients  in with the wet ingredients until completely mixed together. Fold in the butterscotch & dark chocolate chips along with the chopped nuts. Spread the mixture into the baking pan and place in hot oven. Bake for 25-30 min. Cool in pan & then cut into sm. squares to serve.   Enjoy!!

There's Nothing Like Your Own Kitchen. Pumpkin Curry & Baked Naan Bread

I know, I know, I know....it's been over two months since I've posted any recipes. Do I have a good excuse? Hmmmmmm....well I have lots of excuses that's for sure!

After spending the better part of the past two months in the states visiting family and friends I'm back in Korea and starting to settle in again. It's not like I didn't cook while I was away...it's just it isn't the same when your digging around in someone else's cooking space. There are never the same items in someone else's pantry, their spices, bowls, utensils...I could go on and on. Needless to say I am loving being back in my own cooking space; albeit be it a small one. After being gone for so long one of the very first dinners I made....something that is almost my "chicken soup for my soul" go to food lately, was Pumpkin Curry and Baked Naan.  The original recipe for the Curry came from Jula, a friend of mine from Thailand, and it's slowly morphed itself into what it is today. The original Naan recipe I found on Allrecipe.com and tweaked it until I found the consistency I fell in love with.  Mmmmmmm...it's so good to be home!!

Pumpkin Curry

2 Tbsp Red or Green Curry Paste

1 Can Coconut Milk (I use light if I can find it)

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Small Squash or Pumpkin, Chopped into inch sized pieces

1/2 lb to 1lb. Pre-Cooked Meat/Tofu of your choice (Duck, Chicken, Pork, Lamb, Shrimp & Tofu are all delicious)

1 Sm. Can Chopped Pineapple, drain before using

Optional: Additional Veggies - Eggplant, Green Beans, 1 Sm. Can Chopped Pineapple (drain before using)

2 to 3 Kaffir Lime Leaves, thinly sliced (use only if on hand, adds flair and a little extra flavor to dish when sprinkled on top when serving)

Directions

In a large stir fry pan mix curry paste with coconut milk & the tablespoon brown sugar. Mix in squash/pumpkin and any other vegetables. Cook at medium low heat until pumpkin is almost fully cooked. Add in pre-cooked meat or tofu.If you find the curry is too thick at any time add in water or broth a little at time until your desired consistency. Once pumpkin/squash is cooked add in can of chopped pineapple and allow curry to combine for a few more minutes. Serve on rice, barley or quinoa. Dish into bowls and sprinkle with the shredded kaffir lime leaves. Naan is also a delicious accompaniment. Enjoy!!

Naan

Time: 2hrs

1pkg. Active Dry Yeast

1 Cup Warm Water

1-2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

3 Tbsp. Milk or 1/2 & 1/2

1 Egg, beaten

2 tsp. Garlic Salt

3 Cups Bread Flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat/2 cups white flour)
1-2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. minced Garlic (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to Max Temp. or Grill to 500F.

In a large glass or plastic bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and add in sugar. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy. Stir in milk, egg, garlic salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Mix in minced Garlic. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a cloth and let rise for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in volume.

Punch down dough and then make dough into small balls. Cover and let rise for another 30 mins. Roll each of the balls out 1/4 in thick. Place bread onto baking sheet and put into MAX heated oven. Allow to cook for 3-5 min on each side. Place into large piece of tinfoil to keep warm while cooking others. ***Can also be cooked on a grill; Naan bread will cook much faster on grill, 1-2 min per side. Yum!!

Original Naan Recipe from Allrecipes.com