Fabulous Pecan Bars

2006 Golden Whisk Awards
(Our top 10 recipes of the year)

These incredibly delicious little cookies are like an American version of baklava, with pie dough instead of phyllo and pecans for the nuts.

Hands on time: 35 minutes  Total time: 3 hours  Serves: 60

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour Pinch salt 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, divided 1/4 cup ice-cold water 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup honey 1 pound pecan pieces 1/4 cup whipping cream

Instructions:

Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut 1/2 cup (1 stick) of chilled butter into 1-inch pieces and add to the flour. Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour. When the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, add the water and toss with a fork. (Alternative instructions: Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water all at once and pulse until just blended.) Gather the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to come up to the edges of two sides of the pan (for ease in handling the baked cookies). Grease the parchment paper.
Roll the chilled dough between 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper into a rectangle about 11 by 15 inches. Remove the top sheet of paper and then flip the rolled dough into the prepared pan. Remove the remaining sheet of paper. Adjust the dough as necessary to make sure it comes up about 1 inch on all sides of the pan. Pierce the dough with a fork; chill pan in the freezer while making the filling.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and honey. Stirring, bring the mixture to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook until it is thick and dark, about 4 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat; stir in the pecan pieces and whipping cream. Pour the mixture into the dough-lined pan, spreading it evenly. Bake the cookies for 25 minutes, checking at 15 minutes to make sure the cookies are not browning too much (if so, reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue baking). Cool the pan on a wire rack. When it's completely cool,

The tricky part is rolling out the dough, which is much simpler if it is rolled between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper. Be sure to let the baked bars cool completely before cutting them.

Per serving: 132 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 1 gram protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 10 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 14 milligrams cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.

Chocolate Bruschetta

2006 GOLDEN WHISK AWARDS
(Our top 10 recipes of the year)

Savory/sweet versions of this classic Italian meal starter are showing up in the best restaurants as a fun tapas dish, Meridith Ford noted in a February story about chocolate. What makes it even more fun is it's easy to produce at home.

Hands on time: 10 minutes  Total time: 15 minutes  Serves: 12

Ingredients:

12 ( 3/4-inch) slices baguette (about half a loaf) 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces high-quality bittersweet chocolate, melted 1 tablespoon fleur de sel (or other coarse-grained sea salt) Mint leaves for garnish

Brush bread with the olive oil. Toast on a grill or under a broiler until golden brown. Remove from heat and spread a generous amount of melted chocolate over each slice. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and garnish with a mint leaf.

Per serving: 160 calories (percent of calories from fat, 60), 4 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (6 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 583 milligrams sodium.i

Pasta With Tomato Cream Sauce

GOLDEN WHISK AWARDS
(Our top 10 recipes of the year)

5:30 Challenge

Ruth Finnegan of Powder Springs used the "5:30 Challenge" philosophy to adapt a cookbook recipe and came up with this winner. Finnegan writes: "I'm a registered dietitian and diabetes educator, so I'm always looking to make recipes healthier and less caloric. The original recipe sauteed tomatoes and garlic in olive oil before simmering them, plus had twice the amount of heavy cream. I cut out the oil and just simmered the tomatoes in the wine and reduced the amount of cream. Unfortunately, there's no substitute for heavy cream in a tomato cream sauce!"

Finnegan substituted grape tomatoes for Roma tomatoes, because their taste and quality are dependable year-round. She also eliminated extraneous ingredients to streamline the recipe.

The results are a fresh-tasting, vibrant sauce that can be served any season. She definitely knows her calling. She writes, "Call me a realistic dietitian who's in the field because I love food!"

Hands on time:   Total time: 30 minutes  Serves: 4

Ingredients:

8 ounces penne or other pasta 1 pint grape tomatoes 1/2 cup white wine 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the tomato skins begin to burst. Remove from heat and add chopped basil. Transfer tomato mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return sauce to the pan, add cream and season with salt and pepper. When sauce begins to simmer, add drained pasta and toss well to combine.

Notes:

Feel free to add minced garlic or crushed red pepper to the tomatoes and wine. For variety, you can top the pasta with shredded Parmesan cheese or, for special occasions, with grilled or pan-fried shrimp.

Nutrition:

Per serving: 349 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 8 grams protein, 47 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 12 grams fat (7 grams saturated), 41 milligrams cholesterol, 23 milligrams sodium.