Pistachio Cream Cheese Fingers

These cute little pastel green fingers taste amazing.

These Pistachio Cream Cheese Fingers are rich and moist with cream cheese and chocolate. They are a fun shape and are a hit at parties. Best of all, they are easy to make.

This is another delicious dessert I served at my beauty salon's Customer Appreciation Nights. These events were full of food and fun, I tell ya. See my previous post for my yummy Apple Strudel Bars, which were also served at these beauty events.


Pistachio Cream Cheese Fingers Recipe:

1 c. sugar
1 c. real butter, softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 t. real vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 1/4 c. flour
 3 3/4-ounce box Instant Pistachio flavored Pudding & Pie Filling Mix
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. sea salt
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 t. deodorized coconut oil


Method:

In a large bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese until fluffy.
Add the vanilla and egg;beat well. Set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off and pour into a medium bowl.
Add the dry pudding mix, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture; mix well.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour for easier handling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
Shape teaspoonfuls of chilled dough into 1 1/2-inch fingers.
Place on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 9 to 12 minutes, or until set. Cool completely.
In a small sauce pan, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, with stirring until well blended.
Drizzle a small amount of chocolate over each cookie and let set up completely before transferring.

Enjoy,

Leila.

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Banana Nugget Cookies (With Chocolate & Oats)

Here is a yummy way to use up your old over-ripe bananas. 

These cookies are very moist, with a pleasant touch of spice and just the right amount of chocolate to make them truly delicious!

These cookies are very quick to mix up and bake. They store well for a few days, and are great to pack into school lunches or take along on picnics. kids, as well as adults, really like them too.

You can even freeze your old bananas and then thaw them out later to use in this cookie recipe.


Banana Nugget Cookies Recipe:

3/4 c. real butter or deodorized coconut oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 c. sifted flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. sea salt or BioSalt
1/4 t. fresh grated nutmeg
3/4 t. cinnamon
1 c. ripe mashed bananas (about 2 large)
1 3/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips


Method:

Cream fat, sugars and egg.
Sift together dry ingredients.
Add dry ingredients alternately to creamed mixture with bananas.
Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven, for 13 minutes.


Enjoy, 

Leila.

La France Spinach Salad - A REAL French Restaurant recipe

La France Spinach Salad

There used to be a fabulous French restaurant called La France on University Ave. in Provo, Utah, that we loved. This is their salad recipe. We would order this yummy salad all the time. My mom has a way of talking with people, and they give her recipes that they won't normally give out. The restaurant has been gone for many years, so I feel good about sharing this recipe now.

The tarragon vinegar is excellent in this dressing, and is worth seeking out. The flavors and textures in this salad harmonize beautifully, I think you will love it too.

This salad is a delicious meal all by itself.



La France Spinach Salad Recipe:

Dressing:

2/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. Best Foods mayonnaise (or healthy diet mayonnaise)
1 T. tarragon vinegar
onion salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Salad:

2 to 3 large bunches of fresh spinach, washed, stemmed, and dried in a salad spinner
3 slices crisp diced bacon, crumbled
sliced avocado
sliced tomato
3 to 4 hard boiled eggs


Method:

Mix the dressing ingredients together, seasoning to taste with the onion salt and pepper.

Put the prepared spinach into a large mixing bowl.

Toss the spinach with the dressing.

Immediately portion spinach mixture onto 3 individual shallow soup bowls.

Top each salad with an equal portion of bacon.

Top each salad with an avocado slice and a tomato slice.

Top each salad with an equal portion of hard boiled eggs pressed through a ricer.

Serve immediately.


Note: This is the restaurant's representation of this salad. personally, I load up on the sliced avocado and ripe tomato (if the tomatoes are not ripe and juicy, 1 slice as a garnish works fine).

Potato Ricer

Enjoy, 

Leila