Peachy Cola Ribs

I can't believe that for the second month in a row, I almost missed a month of the the Improv Cooking Challenge. Last month I had difficulty getting my act together to just get on the computer and blog, and this month, though I'm more "together", the motherboard on my laptop died so I'm all out of sorts without my computer and I'm now blogging from my iPad mini with pictures from my iPhone. As far as cooking for this challenge, well that was done well in advance, so I'm not a total slacker. After 21 consecutive months of participating and posting with the Improv Cooking Challenge I would have hated to miss a month so I'm glad that I got I this post up, a little late but still within the time frame of the challenge.

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of peaches & herbs! It took me a little while to decide on the direction I wanted to go with the ingredients, sweet or savory and what exactly to make. I did do a bit of back and forth thinking of cobblers and drinks but in the end I decided to make ribs which I would be cook in a spice, herb & cola braising liquid and then slather with a peach & cola BBQ sauce.

The night that I made the ribs we had guests over for dinner and the ribs were a big hit all around. The flavors of the braising liquid really permeated the meat and the BBQ sauce was the perfect accompaniment. Because I braised the ribs I was able to get that part of the cooking done before our guests arrived and then it was a quick finish on the grill with the BBQ sauce right before serving. The ribs were fall off the bone tender and totally delicious! I hope that you'll give this recipe a try

Peachy Cola Ribs

• 1 rack pork ribs, cut into serving portions of 2-3 ribs each
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 10 large basil leaves, julienned
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 TBS. grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 can cola
• 1lb. frozen peaches, thawed
• 18 oz. Sweet Baby Ray's Cola-Q BBQ Sauce

In a medium sauce pan stir together the garlic, onion, basil, allspice, ginger, red pepper flakes, bay leaves & cola. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer until reduced by half.

Place the peaches & BBQ sauce into a blender and process until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Add the reduced braising liquid to the prepared pan and place the ribs curved side up on top of the liquid. Brush the ribs lightly with the peachy BBQ sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place into the preheated oven. Cook the ribs for 90 minutes and then check to see if they are fall off the bone tender. Cook an additional 20 minutes if needed. Remove from the oven and pour off fat & braising liquid.

Heat grill to medium high. Brush the BBQ sauce over all surfaces of the ribs. Place the ribs on the hot grill and cook until the BBQ sauce caramelizes, turning the ribs as needed. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

June 2013 Fish & Chips: Salt &Vinegar Crab Cakes
May 2013 Cinnamon & Sugar: Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars
April 2013 Bacon & Eggs: Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups
March 2013 Carrots & Peas: Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup
February 2013 Hearts & Flours: Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013 Bananas & Nutmeg: Baked Bananas
December 2012 Chocolate & Marshmallows: White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark
November 2012 Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp
October 2012 Oatmeal & Raisins: S’mores Granola Bars
September 2012 Zucchini & Brown Sugar: Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar
August 2012 Tomatoes & Peppers: French Fries Hash Browns
July 2012 Corn & Butter: Fritos Crusted Pollock
June 2012 Cherries & Almonds: Dried Cherry Almond Tart
May 2012 Strawberries & Cream: Strawberry Soup
April 2012 Peanut butter & Jelly: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars
March 2012 Potato & Cheese: Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole
February 2012 Ginger & Carrots: Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream: Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries: Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese: Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Andes Peppermint Snowball Cookies

It’s one of my favorite times of the month, it’s Secret Recipe Club time!  This month I was assigned a blog that I have been following F.O.R.E.V.E.R., Katrina’s Baking and the Boys!  Katrina bakes copious amounts of crazy delicious treats for her four boys and husband and everything, and I do mean everything, is delicious looking, drool worthy in fact.  Since Katrina is a baker, I just had to bake and let me tell you, choosing a recipe was beyond difficult because…like I said, everything is drool worthy so I wanted it all.  When I saw her recipes for Andes Peppermint Crunch Shortbread Cookies and Peppermint Snowball Cookies, I knew I had found my recipe.  Katrina made two different, but similar, cookies, both using a shortbread cookie recipe, like a Mexican wedding cookie.  I adore Mexican wedding cookies as they’re so buttery, tender and delicious and I also love mint so I knew this would be a winner.  In both of Katrina’s versions she stirred in Andes Peppermint Crunch Chips but it was how she finished the cookies that differed.  One version she topped the cookie with some of the melted peppermint candy and in the second “snowball” version. she rolled the cookies in powdered sugar.  Katrina stated that she liked the snowball cookies a little more but preferred the stronger mint flavor of the drizzle.  She suggested for a more minty flavor in the snowball cookies, to up the amount of chips so I listened to her and did just that.  Though I actually had both versions of Andes Baking Chips in the house, I chose to use the dark chocolate Andes Crème De Menthe Baking Chips in my cookies.  Also, because I was upping the amount of chips in the cookies, thus upping the sweetness, I changed Katrina’s cookie base somewhat, completely eliminating the sugar. 

The cookies were flakey, buttery, chocolate, minty two bite deliciousness and for us, leaving out the sugar in the cookie base made for a perfect amount of sweetness and balance.  Check out Katrina’s versions or make mine, all three versions make a perfect holiday or anytime cookie.      

Andes Peppermint Snowball Cookies (adapted from here)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 10-oz. bag Andes baking chips
• Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 375F.

Using a stand mixer cream together the butter, vanilla & salt until fluffy.  Blend in the flour until fully incorporated.  Stir in the Andes baking chips.  Using a small cookie scoop portion out the cookie batter (you can also roll the batter into walnut sized balls) and place onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets, placing cookies 1-inch apart.   Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool for a couple of minutes and then remove to a wire rack, placing the cookies close together.  While the cookies are still warm, dust with confectioners sugar. 

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp 
Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Easy White Corn Tortilla Pizza

Sometimes I make Maisie “safe” pizza dough and I try to keep some in the freezer but when I run out and time is short, I make “safe” gluten, egg & dairy free pizzas fast and easy using white corn tortillas.  Recently Maisie has said that she actually prefers these pizzas to when I make gluten-free dough so these may become her standard go-to pizza.  I’ll tell you, they are so simple, I’m happy not to make dough and the speed at which these can be made versus waiting for my dough to rise…well no comparison.

I lightly toast the tortillas in a dry cast iron skillet, on both sides, until they are just a bit crispy.  You can see the difference between the toasted and the uncooked tortilla. 

I then lay the tortillas on a baking sheet lined with either a Silpat, parchment paper or aluminum foil. 

I add Maisie’s favorite toppings and then it’s into the broiler to quickly bake the toppings on to the crust.

A delicious and “safe” pizza for my girl.

Easy White Corn Tortilla Pizza

• white corn tortillas (I used the 6-inch round)
• pizza sauce or tomato sauce
• Daiya cheese (for vegan) or mozzarella
• pepperoni minis

Heat a large cast iron skillet and lightly toast both sides of the tortilla.  Lay the toasted tortillas on a baking sheet lined with either a Silpat, parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Add light toppings* to the tortillas.  Place the pan of pizzas under the broiler and allow the cheese to melt, watch carefully as it only takes a couple of minutes.

* If you add meats and vegetables, they need to be fully cooked as they are really only warmed when the pizza is put under the broiler.

Servings:  Maisie generally eats 2-3 pizzas for a meal.  I layer the leftover pizzas with wax paper or plastic wrap between them, wrap and refrigerate.  To reheat, I arrange the slices on a plate and microwave just until hot.  The pizzas can also be reheated in a cast iron skillet, this re-crisps the bottom of the pizza.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Cauli Mashed “Potatoes”

Years ago I made cauliflower mashed “potatoes” all-the-time and adored them.  I remember making all sorts of varieties and I looked forward to trying all the variations and I always enjoyed them, but for some reason I just stopped making them and I haven’t had them in years.  A few months back I wasn’t feeling great, my stomach was bothering me and my doc recommended eating soft, pureed type foods and one of the suggestions was mashed potatoes.  Though they sounded good, I’ve been trying to avoid carbs so they just weren’t calling my name but then I remembered my Cauli-Mash of the past and instantly I had the craving and knew it would be perfect. 

Such wonderful memories and my Cauli Mash was just as delicious as I remembered.  The ones I made and photographed were pretty basic but at the bottom of the post are a few of the variations I used to make and now that I have “found” my recipe, I’ll be making these again and again. 

Cheesy Cauli Mashed “Potatoes”

• 1 recipe Cauli-Rice
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Prepare one recipe of Cauli-Rice and cool slightly.  Place the Cauli-Rice in a cloth tea towel (not paper towels as there is too much liquid and they are not strong enough) and wring out as much of the liquid as possible, pushing and twisting on the ball of Cauli-Rice.  In a small microwaveable bowl, heat the heavy cream and butter, until the butter is melted.  Add the warm butter/cream mixture, the wrung out Cauli-Rice and the shredded cheese  to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Variation 1:  Garlic Cauli-Rice  When preparing the Cauli-Rice, mince 4 cloves of garlic, mix it in with the cauliflower before microwaving and cook it in with the Cauli-Rice.

Variation 2:  Loaded Cauli-Mash.  Prepare Cheese Cauli Mashed “Potatoes” and top with crumbled bacon, diced green onions and extra cheese.

Variation 3:  Hot Wasabi Cauli Mash:  Replace the sharp white cheddar cheese with an equal amount of hot wasabi cheddar cheese…YUM!

Salt & Vinegar Chip Crab Cakes

I can’t believe that I almost missed this month of the Improv Cooking Challenge as I just have not been able to get my act together lately;  I just seem unable to sit down at the computer and actually blog.  Life has been busy and come night time, I just haven’t been in the mood to open up my laptop.  Not only have I been neglectful on this blog, but also on our family blog, Moments with Maisie.  I mean seriously, it took me a month and a half to post the pictures from our recent transatlantic cruise and time in Barcelona.  My posting was so slow that friends and family called and emailed to see if we were okay because it took so long to post!  Well today I’m making up for it… a bit.  A catch-up post on Moments with Maisie and finally, a new recipe here. 

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of fish & chips!  She actually opened the scope of the challenge quite a bit as items like Swedish fish and chocolate chips could be counted as valid challenge fish and chip ingredients.  I thought about going the sweet route but in the end decided to go savory, a bit more traditional fish & chips…but with a twist. 

Now if I made traditional English fish & chips, well Eammon would be all over that one considering that he’s from London and next to Chicken Tikka Masala, it’s his fave!  I enjoy a good fish & chips dinner once in (rare) while but Maisie with her allergies, well it’s not something that she ever eats because I don’t deep fry and when we’re out, it’s not Maisie “safe”.  I thought about topping a nice piece of fish with some potato chips but as I did something similar for the July challenge with my Fritos Crusted Pollock, I needed something a bit different. 

I was looking in the freezer and saw that I had crabmeat and Maisie’s been on a salt & vinegar potato chip kick lately, and it hit me… crab cakes made with salt & vinegar chips.  I knew that Maisie would love them as would Eammon, I mean fish, potato and vinegar…well yum!

And well YUM these were, and easy too!  They are Maisie “safe” as they don’t contain wheat, egg or dairy like traditional crab cakes but instead use a combination of chia seed and flax seed as the binders.  The crab cakes were simple and the flavor of the crab was the star with hints of the potato chips.  I served the crab cakes simply with fresh from the garden peppers and tomatoes and an extra serving of salt & vinegar chips.  A delicious and healthy fish & chips meal which was a huge hit with all of us in the Cook Lisa Cook home.

Salt & Vinegar Chip Crab Cakes

• 1 pound crabmeat, picked free of shells
• 3/4 cup crushed salt & vinegar potato chips
• 3 green onions, green and white parts finely chopped
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 TBS. chia seed 
• 3 TBS. golden flax seed 
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard 
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon sea salt 
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 
• corn starch, for dusting
• salt & pepper, to taste
• peanut oil or oil of your choice

In a large bowl mix together all ingredients except for the corn starch, salt & pepper (to taste) and peanut oil.  In a smaller bowl mix together the corn starch and season with the salt and pepper.   Using a large cookie scoop, portion out the crab mixture and shape into patties (I got 15 patties).  Dust each of the patties on all sides with the corn starch mixture. 

Over medium-high heat, heat a large cast iron skillet and add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.  When the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes, in batches, into the pan and fry until browned and then carefully flip the crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown.  Serve hot, plain, with some malt vinegar or sauce of your choice.

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

May 2013  Cinnamon & Sugar:  Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars  
April 2013  Bacon & Eggs:  Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups 
March 2013  Carrots & Peas:  Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup 
February 2013  Hearts & Flours:  Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013  Bananas & Nutmeg:  Baked Bananas 
December 2012  Chocolate & Marshmallows:  White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark    
November 2012  Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp 
October 2012  Oatmeal & Raisins:  S’mores Granola Bars   
September 2012  Zucchini & Brown Sugar:  Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar 
August 2012  Tomatoes & Peppers:  French Fries Hash Browns 
July 2012  Corn & Butter:  Fritos Crusted Pollock 
June 2012  Cherries & Almonds:  Dried Cherry Almond Tart 
May 2012  Strawberries & Cream:  Strawberry Soup 
April 2012  Peanut butter & Jelly:  Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars 
March 2012  Potato & Cheese:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing 
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp

It’s Secret Recipe Club time again and after missing last month because we were away for a few weeks on a transatlantic cruise, it’s great to be back!  This month I was assigned the Chef & the Lucky Wife’s blog, The Saturday Evening Pot.  As always I was excited to get my assignment and as usual, it was terribly difficult to pick a recipe to make and feature.  In the end it came down to Maisie and my wanting to make a meal that she would eat and love.  Maisie adores shrimp and rice so the Chef’s Paradise Shrimp over Jasmine Rice had all the makings of a meal that we all would enjoy and it was Maisie “safe”, no wheat, egg or dairy. 

I did of course make a few little changes to the Chef’s recipe because when do I ever make a recipe as written?  First off I changed the rice from Jasmine Rice to Saffron rice, just because that’s what Maisie requested.  In the Chef’s recipe he uses mango juice and mandarin oranges but I had some fresh mangoes in the house so I skipped the mandarin oranges and just used the fresh mango in its place.  I also decided to add a bit more spice to the recipe by upping the allspice and adding some hot Jamaican curry powder.  My final little ingredient change was that I used cilantro instead of parsley, because that’s what I had in the house, and I added a bit of toasted unsweetened coconut as a garnish. 

The meal was loved by all of us and even using the hot Jamaican curry powder, there was just the slightest kick, not too spicy for even Maisie.  For something even less spicy use regular Jamaican curry powder or, check out the original recipe over on the Chef & Lucky Wife’s blog.

Paradise Mango Curried Shrimp (adapted from here) 

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, raw, peeled and de-veined
• 2 TBS. olive oil 
• 1/8 cup finely minced onion
• 1 14-ounce can lite coconut milk 
• 1 1/2 cups 100% pure mango juice
• 1/2 tsp. allspice 
• 1 tsp. hot Jamaican curry powder (can substitute mild but use Jamaican curry powder)
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground black pepper 
• sea salt to taste
• 1 package Saffron rice, uncooked
• 2 TBS. unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 1 mango, diced
• (to garnish) cilantro, chopped

Cook rice according to package directions and set aside.

Peel and de-vein (if necessary) shrimp, keep cool, and set aside.   Heat a 10-inch covered, deep skillet over medium heat.   Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté lightly, until the onion is softened but not browned.  Add the allspice & curry powder and continue cooking for approximately one minute, stirring continuously, until fragrant.  Turn heat to low and add the coconut milk, mango juice, pepper & salt.  Stir to blend well and bring the poaching mixture to a simmer.  

Add the raw shrimp to the poaching liquid, cover tightly and immediately remove from the heat.  Allow the shrimp to poach for 15 minutes, until cooked through.  Once the shrimp is cooked, remove the shrimp from the poaching liquid, cover and set aside.  Turn the heat to high and allow the poaching liquid to reach a boil.  Stirring constantly, reduce the poaching liquid until it thickly covers the back of a spoon.  Add the shrimp back into the thickened poaching liquid and quickly toss to coat the shrimp. 

Portion the rice onto 4 plates and top with the shrimp.  Add the thickened poaching liquid, diced mango, cilantro & toasted coconut.

Enjoy!

My previous Secret Recipe Club Recipe Posts: 

Laura Goodenough’s Apple Coffee Cake 
Loaded Potato Soup
Lemon Almond Biscotti 
Creamy Mints 
Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken 
Baked Buffalo Chicken Wings 
Fried Green Tomatoes 
Chicken Satay Noodle Salad 
Double Chocolate Mousse Cake 
Candied Popcorn
Fruit, Nut & Poppy Seed Chicken Salad 
Broiled Sushi 
Health(ier) Peanut Brittle 
Crunchy Fudgy Heart Bites 
Texas Chicken with Lime Butter 
Pork Belly Soup with Collard Greens 
Thin Mint Irish Coffee 
Levain Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies 
Welsh Cakes 
Nutella Crêpes 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Holy Guacamole 
and
Home Style Chicken Curry

Honey Spiced Game Hens

Cornish Game Hens are a delicious alternative to everyday chicken.  When cooked properly they are tender, sweet and juicy and because they are small they cook quickly.  I know that it looks like a giant chicken half on the plate but it’s actually a salad plate in the picture.  Anyhow, this is a delicious one pan meal that has the perfect balance of spice, sweet and sour and from start to finish takes less than an hour .  Also, because it’s made in one aluminum foil lined pan, clean-up is just as quick and easy, a perfect weeknight, or any night meal.  This of course could also be made with chicken pieces if Game Hens aren’t your thing.

Honey Spiced Game Hens 

• 2 Cornish game hens, cut in half (or four pieces of chicken, breasts and/or thigh quarters)
• vegetable oil or oil of your choice
• 1 lb. baby carrots
• 20 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 lb. fresh button mushrooms 
• 2 tsp. granulated garlic powder 
• 2 tsp. dark chili powder 
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder 
• 1/2 tsp. coriander 
• 1 tsp. sea salt 
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder  
• 1/2 cup honey 
• 3 TBS apple cider vinegar 

Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  Add the carrots and whole garlic cloves to the pan.  Drizzle with one Tablespoon of oil and toss to coat well.  In a small bowl combine the garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, salt, cumin & chipotle chili powder and mix well.  Sprinkle one Tablespoon of the spice mixture onto the carrots and garlic and toss to coat well.  Place the roasting pan into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring once at the 10 minute mark. 

In a microwave safe measuring cup, heat the honey slightly, until runny, and stir in the apple cider vinegar, set aside.

Wash the game hen pieces and pat dry. Drizzle a small amount of oil over the game hens and rub it in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture over all sides of the game hens.  Once the carrots and garlic have cooked for 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and add the mushrooms, stir to mix all the vegetables.  Place the game hen pieces on top of the vegetables, skin side up and return the pan to the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes.  At the 10 and 20 minute marks, drizzle one Tablespoon of the honey mixture over each of the game hen pieces.  Once plated drizzle a little more of the honey mixture over each piece.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars

This month for the Improv Cooking Challenge our hostess Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker challenged the participating bloggers to make any recipe of their choosing using the specified ingredients of cinnamon and sugar!  I wanted to bake something sweet to share with some friends, so what better ingredients than cinnamon and sugar?  I thought about all my favorite cookie and bar recipes but realized that I tend to make the same cookies over and over again and I wanted to try something different.  So what did I do?  I checked out Pinterest of course and happened upon these cinnamon roll cookie bars from Blissful Whimsy.  

The bars sounded really good but I almost passed on making them because they use a box cake mix.  I don’t know what it is about me but I generally have this thing about using boxed mixes of any kind, thinking everything needs to be made from scratch…but something about these bars just allowed me to look past the whole cake mix thing and I’m so happy about that as these cookie bars are just wonderful.  There’s no trace of that cake mix flavor, in fact these cookie bars taste just like cinnamon buns.  Everyone really loved the crunchy edges and top and the chewy center and the glaze on top was the perfect amount of frosting.  Boxed cake mix and all, I hope that you’ll make these the next time you’re craving a sweet cinnamon treat.

Cinnamon Bun Cookie Bars (recipe from here)  

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 TBS. cinnamon
• 2-3 TBS. milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix the cake mix, butter, eggs, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and then spread into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Bake until the top is crispy and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit before piping on the icing.  To make the icing whisk the milk and powdered sugar together until smooth. 

Enjoy!

My previous Improv Cooking Challenge entries:

April 2013  Bacon & Eggs:  Mini Bacon & Swiss Quiche Cups 
March 2013  Carrots & Peas:  Mom’s Beef Vegetable Soup 
February 2013  Hearts & Flours:  Three Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Brownie Bites
January 2013  Bananas & Nutmeg:  Baked Bananas 
December 2012  Chocolate & Marshmallows:  White Chocolate Marshmallow Cranberry Cashew Bark    
November 2012  Sweet Potatoes & honey: Sweet Potato Glass Noodles with Honey Garlic Lime Shrimp 
October 2012  Oatmeal & Raisins:  S’mores Granola Bars   
September 2012  Zucchini & Brown Sugar:  Zucchini with Onion & Brown Sugar 
August 2012  Tomatoes & Peppers:  French Fries Hash Browns 
July 2012  Corn & Butter:  Fritos Crusted Pollock 
June 2012  Cherries & Almonds:  Dried Cherry Almond Tart 
May 2012  Strawberries & Cream:  Strawberry Soup 
April 2012  Peanut butter & Jelly:  Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars 
March 2012  Potato & Cheese:  Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken Casserole 
February 2012  Ginger & Carrots:  Shrimp & Avocado Salad with Carrot Ginger Dressing 
January 2012 Lemon & Sour Cream:  Ponderosa Lemon & Sour Cream Tart 
December 2011 Eggnog & Cranberries:  Eggnog Popovers with Cranberry Butter 
November 2011 Pumpkin & Cream Cheese:  Praline Pumpkin Cheesecake
October 2011 Caramel & Apples:  Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies