A Father's Day Treat...Chewy Butterscotch Bars With Walnuts

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Butterscotch bars, or brownies, are one of my all time favorites.  They were a favorite of my father's who, unfortunately, died many years ago when he was only fifty two and of my husband's who was only forty two when he passed away.

Lindaraxa's family hasn't celebrated Father's Day for many years but that doesn't mean we forget those we love on this special occasion... So we bake and we grill and toast them for the few happy years they shared with us. 

This is the original recipe from Nestle's and the one I have been making all these years.  As Madame Mere taught me, you can never go wrong with the recipe in back of a product.  

If you like butterscotch, these are definitely for you.  The only suggestion I have is halve the recipe and bake in a 9 x 11 pan... that is, unless you are baking for a crowd.  Also, I use walnuts, which counterbalances the sweetness of the butterscotch better than other nuts

This is a great dessert to take on picnics or on the boat.  They are a special treat to have around when you are entertaining guests for the weekend.   Come to think of it, they are great anytime!

I know, let's get a male Westie...problem solved!

Chewy Butterscotch Bars With Brownies

Makes 4 dozen brownies  


Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 cup butter, softened 

1 3/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed 

1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

2 eggs 

1 (11 ounce) package Nestle Toll House butterscotch-flavored morsels, divided 

1 cup walnuts, chopped 



Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. 

3. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl until creamy. 

4. Beat in eggs. 

5. Gradually beat in flour mixture. 

6. Stir in 1 cup morsels, and nuts. 

7. Spread into ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. 

8. Sprinkle with remaining morsels. 

9. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

10. Cool in pan on wire rack.

Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad With A Twist...Or Two

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First of all let me tell you that macaroni salad is not one of my favorites.  No, I am in the coleslaw camp. When it comes to fried chicken, ribs, or hamburgers and there's a choice between salads there is no question which one I pick.  Not so my daughter.  She is on the macaroni salad camp.  . The problem is that there's only two of us and when we order our favorite fried chicken (yes, Lindaraxa eats other people's food sometimes) it is kind of ridiculous to order both. So I have ceded sometimes and gotten to tolerate it.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed this salad on the Williams Sonoma blog and I immediately thought of her. It looked different and delicious, a different twist on the old favorite she was so fond of. Why not surprise her.

As I reread the recipe I felt something was not quite right.  The measurements in the dressing and the rest of the ingredients seemed very skimpy for the amount of pasta involved.  There was no way that 2/3 cup of dressing was going to cover three cups of uncooked macaroni.  Not being one to change a recipe until after I have tried it, I went ahead with it and, sure enough, I was right, it was blah.  I am not one to like salads overdressed, particularly pasta salads, but the results here were not the same as those pictured in the recipe.  Another thing that had appealed to me was what looked to be a fairly even distribution between pasta and "crunch" and again, it was not there.

After tasting the final product and playing around with it at the end, I have changed quantities a bit and added a thing or two, including 1 teaspoon of sweet pickle relish at the end.  You be the judge but do try it, the flavor is simply delicious.  The olives and pickles are a stroke of genius.  It would be a standout at any outdoor event, including next weekend's Father's day.  One thing you can do is cook the three cups of pasta and reserve one to mix at the end in case you feel it needs it.

A great pairing with pulled pork sandwiches!

Make the salad at least a day ahead to help the flavors meld.  It keeps well for a few days in the refrigerator and improves with time.

As a further endorsement, we have now found a macaroni salad we both enjoy and the recipe has gone into the keepers file.  We were still eating it four days after Labor Day!

Old-Fashioned Macaroni Salad With a Twist...Or Two

2 cups (10 1/2 oz./330 g.) elbow macaroni*(I used Barilla)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the dressing:

1/3 cup (3 fl. oz./80 ml.) mayonnaise

1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g.) sour cream

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1-2 tsp. sweet pickle juice

1/2 white onion, finely chopped

3 celery ribs, finely chopped, leaves reserved and finely chopped

3 sweet pickles, finely chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped (optional)

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g.) pimiento-stuffed green olives, chopped

1/2 bunch fresh chives, snipped

1 tsp. sweet pickle relish (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the macaroni, and cook until tender, according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water and set aside to drain.

To make the dressing, in a serving bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, pickle juice, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to mix well.

Add the onion, celery and pickles and stir to mix again. Add the macaroni and turn to coat. Add the hard-cooked eggs, green olives and celery leaves and turn once again. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed.  Add the teaspoon of sweet pickle relish if you want.  Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with the snipped chives, and serve. Serves 6.

*Original calls for 3 cups

Adapted from the original recipe, Old Fashioned Macaroni Salad With Sweet Pickles by Georgianne Brennan for Williams Sonoma

All photos Lindaraxa

  

Father's Day Menu

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Here's a Father's Day Menu everyone can enjoy.  Everything is on the grill or make ahead so when the big day comes the whole family can relax.  Why don't you get Dad a new apron and while you are at it, these might come in handy too. I think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread!

By the way, if you are a single Mom, this is your day too.  Heaven knows what it takes to raise kids without a Dad. Enjoy!

Father's Day Menu

Smoked Salmon Spread

Barbecue Chicken Drummettes

Shish Kebabs

White or Yellow Saffron Rice

S'mores Coffee and Fudge Ice Cream Cake

For last year's Father's Day Menu check here

For more gadgets for Dad check Diner's Journal, NYT

Photo courtesy Wilson Rothman, NYT

Give Dad a Break... Father's Day Menus!

Pin It Father's Day is a tough one for me. Both my father and my husband died at a very young age, 52 and 42, respectively, and its been a long time since we celebrated the day in my family. Regardless, I publish a blog on food and entertaining, so to skip it or ignore it would not be very professional. So what would I cook if I had a Dad around the house? The first thing that comes to mind is..his favorite dish. Absent that, I would think of something robust, meaty and chocolaty. Dads like grilled things but, in most cases, they are usually the ones who manage the grill. On this particular day, though, we want to give them a break. What comes to mind in this situation is a simple menu that involves minimum work on the grill or no grilling at all. Since I know that a lot of Dads will use this day to do their favorite activities, I also have a menu that can be taken on the boat, to the beach, hiking or camping. You can also pack it for him to take to the golf course!

Menu Suggestion #1

This is the portable Father's Day menu! If you are going to be spending the day at the beach, the lake or the pool, why don't you make the recently published Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe with Cole Slaw. You can also bring along some Gazpacho in the cooler and some Outrageous Chocolate Brownies for dessert.

Menu Suggestion #2

If you have a group of dads coming to your house, why don't you make what the Argentinians call an Asado and serve Skirt on the Grill with Saffron Rice, Tomatoes Provencal and a yummy chocolate dessert. You can start with grilled sausages , preferably Argentian from El Gaucho, served with mustard and chimichurri sauce on a baguette. A nice Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignion from Argentinian producer Luigi Bosca would complement the meal very nicely.

As to what to get Dad for a present, that is for you to answer. If he were my Dad, a big hug and a great bottle of wine, I think, would do the trick!

Click on the title to get the recipes.

Father's Day on the Boat!

Gazpacho

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cole Slaw

Outrageous Brownies

Beer!

Father's Day Barbecue

Grilled Sausages with Chimichurri Sauce on

Baguettes

Beef Skirt Steak with Mojo Criollo*

Saffron Onion Rice

Tomatoes Provencal

Brownie Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream

Luigi Bosca Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon

If it is a hot day or you are entertaining in the middle of the day, why not serve Tinto de Verano for cocktails? Your wine supply will go a long way.

Luigi Bosca's second wine, La Linda, is excellent. You can use it for the tinto de verano or serve with the main course as a less expensive alternative.

Cook's Note: *If you cant find Mojo Criollo, marinade with orange juice, lime juice, garlic and Worcestershire Sauce

The picture is of my son Ted and my granddaughter, Taylor Rose, at Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, where I'm sure they will be spending Father's Day!

Father's Day Barbecue...Brownie Pudding with Vanilla Ice Cream

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For Father's Day, if you are making the Grilled Skirt, I suggest Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding which she serves with vanilla ice cream. If you want to keep with the Argentinian theme, you can also serve with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream. Haagen Danz, of course, makes the best. When this flavor first came out, every time I bought some, I ended up eating the whole quart. After a while, I got so sick of it I couldnt even look at it. I'm just beginning to warm up to it again...not good.



Makes 6 Servings

Oven: 325 Degrees

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup good cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean

1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional

Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Father's Day on the Go...Outrageous Brownies

Pin It Brownies are loved by everyone, particularly Dads and kids but unlike kids, you can take them everywhere! Ina Garten has a wonderful recipe for them so why reinvent the wheel. Make them the day before so they can cool and harden a little. If you are taking them to the beach or on the boat, place them in a plastic container with tin foil or waxed paper in between the layers.,

yields :20 large brownies

Oven: 350 degrees, 30 min.

Ingredients

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons real vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 ¼ cups flour, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 by 18 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.


Melt together the butter, chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. Stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.

Stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and chocolate chips with flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not overbake! Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.