Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip

Romancing The Chocolate: Cookies: Vanilla Rich Chocolate Chip: From Denny: This is basically your standard chocolate chip recipe but with the difference of lots of extra vanilla extract to punch up the intensity. They should probably rename these cookies to Intense Vanilla Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This recipe is from McCormick, the company we usually think of for spices. Turns out they have quite an extensive recipe collection!

These cookies use light brown sugar along with white sugar. We like dark brown sugar at our house and reduce the white sugar by half. But hey, we are living in Louisiana where we like the molasses taste of dark brown sugar.

We bake and cook a lot with the cane syrup produced here. Steen's cane syrup is a lot like black strap molasses in that it is an intense taste but much sweeter, just perfect for baking or making an awesome barbecue sauce. I find it a bit too strong to pour onto pancakes. Of course, my Cajun husband thinks it's awesome on pancakes and waffles. :)

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Tailgating Pancakes: Beer and Bacon Man Cakes

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Tailgating Pancakes: Beer and Bacon Man Cakes: From Denny: More ways to use beer and bacon in delicious recipes, two favorites men love. OK, if it uses dark beer even I'm intrigued. After all, many dark beers - like Boston's own Samuel Adams Cream Stout - have chocolate in the brew.

A favorite recipe from the Betty Crocker site is this one that includes bacon that is baked and candied with brown sugar. Then you crumble the bacon into the Bisquick mix, along with the eggs and beer. The result produces a large and fluffy pancake.

Talk about a cool recipe to use for tailgating. Can you imagine the smell of the bacon and brown sugar wafting through the RV parking lot outside of the stadium? You will have new best friends in no time! :)

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Muffuletta Sandwich

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Muffuletta Sandwich: From Denny: Do you love the New Orleans tradition of muffuletta sandwiches? They are popular throughout Louisiana, especially at carnival time. During the parades people are always looking for snacks that are easy to grab off a tray and run back into the crowd to catch those all important beads. :)

This recipe is for an appetizer version where you don't have to worry so much about the high calories, salt and preservatives since it is a smaller portion.

There is even a recipe to show you how to make your own olive salad which can be used for more than just this sandwich, like a dressing on a garden salad or as a spread on French bread. It was originally developed by the Sicilian immigrants that settled in New Orleans about 100 years ago.

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Winner Meatloaf and 3 Sauces

Comfort Food From Louisiana: Mardi Gras: Winner Meatloaf and 3 Sauces: From Denny: Looking for a healthier recipe for the Mardi Gras season? While the kids are busy jumping off and on to the porch to grab fistfuls of chips and quick sandwiches and then run back to the parades, the adults might enjoy taking a plate of this crowd pleaser.

This recipe is so easy to make it's kid friendly. The versatility of this meatloaf is that it can be topped with something as simple as a warmed can of cream of mushroom soup or any of the three sauce recipes that follow.

One is a tomato sauce with brown sugar and mustard. Another is a sweet and sour taste. The final one is an Asian flavor using hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger and ketchup.

Related articles

• Dennys Food and Recipes: Awesome Holiday Dessert: Baked Pear Parcels With Lemon Chamomile Sauce (dennysguestbloggers.blogspot.com)
• Comfort Food From Louisiana: Cajun Red Beans and Rice (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Comfort Food From Louisiana: Tailgating Pancakes: Beer and Bacon Man Cakes (dennysfoodandrecipes.blogspot.com)
• Chocolate Pudding In The Raw (unusual2tasty.blogspot.com)

Chocolate Pudding In The Raw

From Denny:  There are devoted fans of the raw food diet.  While not everyone can partake of this lifestyle there are many recipes anyone can enjoy.  This Raw Chocolate Pudding is one of them - and so easy and quick to make!

Who doesn't love the taste pairing of chocolate and coconut?  An added bonus is that in place of refined sugar the recipe uses agave nectar which is far superior on the glucose meter for diabetes and others sensitive to sugar.

The raw food diet, and this very simple and quick version of chocolate pudding, may seem unusual but it sure is tasty!