Answer to reader's question

A reader phoned the other day to ask about where to buy lamb in the region. Honestly, I didn't know because I simply can't bear to eat lamb. I don't like the taste, and it's one of those things that simply grosses me out. However, when I browsed through Wal-Mart on Sunday for the weekly grocery run, I happened to pause by the meat case and noticed the store had lamb chops and other cuts of lamb.

I hope this helps the reader who wanted to find lamb or anyone else who likes that taste.

Sweet breakfast treat

A few years ago, I received "Best of the Best from Kentucky Cookbooks" in the mail at the office. The cookbook rounded up winning recipes from some of the state's best cookbooks. My mom immediately re-discovered a recipe from her past: Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs. Can you say ooey-gooey marshmallows wrapped in buttery, flaky crescent rolls? What can be wrong with that? Well, OK, the calorie count probably isn't good for the diet, but for a special weekend brunch treat on a cool fall Saturday morning, it's quite delectable.

Mom and I made them a couple of times that fall, including for Christmas brunch. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the book for nearly two years because I had to pack all the "clutter" on the bookshelves away because the real estate agent thought we needed to remove clutter before putting the house on the market. When we moved in the spring, I happily reclaimed all my "lost" cookbooks from a dusty storage unit. I'm still rediscovering old favorites like this one below.

Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs
1/4 cup sugar (could use Splenda or other sugar-substitute for baking)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 8-ounce cans of crescent rolls (I've used low-fat and they're OK)
16 large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans (I'd say these are optional if you don't like pecans)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar with cinnamon. Separate crescent dough into 16 triangles. Dip a marshmallow in melted butter, roll around in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Wrap a dough triangle around the marshmallow, squeezing the edges of the dough very tightly all around to seal. Sealing the dough edges is the secret of success, as otherwise you end up with a sticky mess! Dip a sealed roll in melted butter, and place buttered-side down in deep muffin cups. Repeat with remaining marshmallows.
Place muffin pans on cookie sheet to guard against sticky spillovers in the oven. Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with pecans. Serve warm. To reheat, wrap in foil and heat 5-10 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 teaspoons milk

Combine powdered sugar and vanilla with just enough milk to make a drizzle consistency. Drizzle over warm marshmallow crescent rolls before sprinkling with pecans.

From the Seasons of Taste in Best of the Best of Kentucky

Apologies

If you're a regular blog reader, you may have noticed that I have not posted nearly as much as I did previously. We've had a few changes around the Sun, and I'm now covering news in Marshall, Calloway, Caldwell, Crittenden and Trigg counties as well as education as a topic. Needless to say, I've been out of the office more some days than I've been in.

I do hope with the new assignment that I might discover new places to eat that I can pass along to the readers. Already, I have rediscovered Quarters, the new name for the old Ed's Coffee Shop just across from Wilson Hall on the Murray State University campus. In college, the Murray State News staffers kept Mr. Ed's in business on Thursdays with many to-go orders. His cheeseburgers and french fries are the best! And if you're wondering why the name Quarters, it's because drink refills are just a quarter. They even let you go behind the bar and get your own, plus you can add cherry flavoring. To me, there's nothing better on a hot summer afternoon than a Diet Cherry Coke.

Bear with me as I adjust to this new position and try to get back to a regular blogging schedule.

Chocolate Heaven in Marion

Chocolate lovers might want to road trip up to Marion, Ky., on Oct. 9 for the Marion Woman's Club's chocolate buffet. Desserts from some of the region's best cooks will be available, and of course, the dishes will have chocolate. Proceeds from the $10 tickets will benefit completion of Sam Koltinsky's documentary on Crittenden County. Tickets are available at Farmer's Bank, Quilting Tomorrow's Heirlooms or by calling Ethel Tucker, Marion's most famous cook, at 965-4055.

Apples

This week's cooler temperatures brought just a hint of fall to the region's waning days of summer. When the air starts to cool, I think of apples.

From what I'm hearing from local apple growers, this year's crop will be exceptional. Last year's apple and peach crops were obliterated, thanks to the Easter freeze. The growers told me that this year we've had an almost perfect mixture of rain and dry spells for a sweet and delicious crop. Yum!

I've found apple recipes and trivia that will be on the Sun's Taste page on Wednesday. I'll try to post a few other apple recipes here over the next few days as I have time. If you have favorites, please feel free to post here.

New recipes for fall

Doesn't this look sinful?

Thanks to the folks at Nestle, you can make these seasonal treats. I referenced these recipes in my column Wednesday on the Taste page of The Paducah Sun (www.paducahsun.com).


Chocolate Butterfinger Brownies
Topped with chopped candy bar pieces, this classic chocolate brownie adds a festive flair to fall celebrations. Try cutting each brownie into bite size pieces for a crunchy afternoon treat kids will love.
Estimated Time(s)
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 31 min
Cooling Time: 30 min
Servings: 24

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into pieces
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6 Fun Size NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER Candy Bars, chopped, divided
Instructions:

PREHEAT oven to 325° F. Line 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl; stir well.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 45 seconds; stir. Microwave an additional 30 seconds; stir until smooth and melted. Microwave at additional 15-second intervals as needed. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Whisk in vanilla extract. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Stir in half of chopped Butterfinger. Spoon into prepared pan.

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes; sprinkle top with remaining chopped Butterfinger. Cool completely before cutting into 2-inch squares.

Or try these:

Monster Claws
reparation Time: 30 min
Servings: 24

Ingredients:
1 package (16.5 ounces) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Bar Dough, prepared according to package directions
3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, melted according to package directions
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted if desired
3 Fun Size NESTLÉ BUTTERFINGER or NESTLÉ CRUNCH Candy Bars, chopped
Instructions:

COMBINE melted morsels and peanut butter in small bowl; stir until smooth. Spread mixture evenly onto cookies in an approximate kidney bean shape (foot shape).

PLACE 4 almond slivers halfway into the wide end (top of the foot) of the chocolate. The almonds should stick out from the cookie.

SPRINKLE about 1 teaspoon chopped candy bar over the chocolate. Enjoy!