Breanne's Visit

Brea and Ben came and stayed with us over the weekend and I made both of these for them. Brea requested that I post the recipes.

The first is a really easy and different way to use pancake mix. The second is also a super easy cookie recipe that you use store bought sugar cookie dough but they are so good no one would ever know.

Ricotta Pancakes

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

2 cups water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup honey

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups pancake and waffle mix (recommended: Krusteaz)

1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

2/3 cup frozen blueberries

Melted butter

Directions

Stir 1/3 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stir in the honey. Set aside and keep the honey syrup warm.

Using a rubber spatula, stir the remaining 1 2/3 cups of water and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the pancake mix and stir just until moistened but still lumpy. Stir in the ricotta into the pancake mixture, then stir gently to incorporate the ricotta but maintain a lumpy batter. Fold in the blueberries.

Heat a griddle over medium heat. Brush with the melted butter. Working in batches, spoon 1/4 cup of batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with the honey syrup.

Dulce De Leche Bars

INGREDIENTS

2rolls (16.5 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies

1 3/4cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

2/3cup packed brown sugar

2teaspoons vanilla

1bag (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped

1/2cup butter

1can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up 1 roll of cookie dough. Stir or knead in 3/4 cup of the oats, 1/3 cup of the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla until well blended. With floured fingers, press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan to form crust.

2 Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown.

3 Meanwhile, in same bowl, break up remaining roll of cookie dough. Stir or knead in remaining 1 cup oats, 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until well blended. In large heavy saucepan, heat caramels, butter and condensed milk over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.

4 Spread caramel mixture evenly over crust. Crumble remaining dough mixture evenly over caramel. Bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen bars. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows. Store in refrigerator