Well Hello There!....Tan Slice

Sometimes life is just so busy with so much going on that you hardly have time to breath.  But eventually....(hopefully) the skies clear and everything looks brighter, happier and more hopeful.  We are coming out (finally) of our very long winter here and Spring brings a change in outlook that makes one happy to be alive.....don't you think?

Since there has been a lot of low carbing going on in our household.....there has not been as much baking as there typically would be.  However, I did need to make some baking for a thank you tea put on by my son's Scouting group for one of their sponsors.  I decided to make Ginger Crunch....because I love it......and I also decided to try something new (well new for me)......and that was Tan Slice.  If you like caramel...this is a great one to try and it is super easy and quick too!  I am definitely adding this to the list of Easy Bakes.  It's handy for me as it is nut free.....so it's great for school lunches:)  In no time at all...this was all that remained of the two recipes.....  Both recipes are winners in my book.....I would recommend them both and love that they are both equally fast when you are in a pinch for baking and each call for very standard ingredients.  Try them both....and let me know which one is better!!

Tan Slice
(recipe from Chelsea Sugar company)

180 grams butter, softened
90 grams white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
300 grams flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Caramel
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
100 grams butter
2 Tsbp golden or corn syrup

Cream the butter and sugar and add vanilla.  Stir in the baking powder and then the flour until well combined.  Mixture should hold together when pinched.  Press 2/3 of the dough into a lined 23cm baking tin.  Mix chocolate chips into the remaining 1/3 of the dough and reserve to sprinkle over the caramel topping.

To make the caramel, mix all three Caramel ingredients into a heavy bottom saucepan.  Heat over medium heat while stirring until the mixture become thickened and golden.  You need to allow the golden colour to develop to have the flavour turn to tasting like caramel, and no longer tasting like condensed milk.  If in doubt....give it a taste (after cooling it...it will be hot!)  This took me about 15 minutes.  Once your caramel is ready, pour it over the pressed base and spread evenly into all corners.  Sprinkle reserved chocolate chips and dough evenly over the top and bake at 360F (180C) for 18-25 minutes or until the top has become golden in spots.  Let cool slightly before slicing, and leave in pan to cool completely.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Pork Ribs

Country Style Port Ribs were on sale at the grocery store last week.  I don't often buy that cut, but for a change I did. I decided that I wanted to try something with black bean sauce......and  a quick search brought me to this recipe.  I know Mary's recipes always look good so I was not at all hesitant to try it out.  I was out of fresh ginger and did substitute with powdered....and I was not disappointed at all.  It's a quick to prepare slowcooker recipe, and the results were tender and delicious.  I will most definitely be making this one again.....maybe even on a larger scale and with some fresh ginger too.  I would recommend it for a potluck dish to bring along.  It's simple to make and looks like more effort was involved than there actually was.  This dish was so easy....I think I may get my son to make it next time.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Pork Ribs

3-4 lbs country style pork ribs cut in bite size pieces
3 Tbsp black bean sauce
2 Tbsp Chinese soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ( I used 2 tsp ground ginger)
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 tsp szechuan pepper, ground
1 Tbsp tapioca starch
For after cooking to prepare the sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Place bite sized pieces of pork in you slow cooker.  Mix the next 8 ingredient in a bowl and pour over the meat in the slow cooker.  Cook on low setting for 5-6 hours....no more.  Remove meat after 6 hours (or when the meat is tender to your liking) and cover with foil to keep warm while you prepare the sauce.  Strain the sauce and transfer it to a pot.  now is a good opportunity to skim off any fat that has accumulated on top of the sauce and discard.  Bring sauce to a boil, and simmer about 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to nearly half the volume and begins to thicken.  Add in chopped green onion (reserving a few Tbsp to sprinkle on the top if you wish), and sesame oil to the sauce and pour over ribs in your serving dish.  Sprinkle with reserved onion greens and serve.

Bar Sugar Cookies

We had a nice time ice fishing with my son's scouting group last weekend.  Always wanting to bring along a little something to share....and always pressed for time.....I decided to give another bar cookie recipe a try.  They ended up being pretty nice and I would make them again.  Quite a few kids said they liked them.  Perhaps they are very polite.....or not very picky.....who knows.  In any case, I liked these.  Be careful to bake only long enough to have a bit of golden colour around the edges.  Then they will be chewy and not dry.  The recipe is very handy if you are in a rush like me:)

Sugar Cookies....Bar Type

1 cup butter softened
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream butter, and sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time until incorporated, and stir in vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients together and add to  wet until combined.  Press into a lined or greased 13"X 18" pan.  Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges for a chewy cookie...a few minutes longer if you don't like chewy.