Saturday, July 11, 2009

My favorite Chicken Salad,Sugar Cookie Bars and awards

First things, first. I have amazingly received another award. I never thought anyone would even look at my blog, let alone give me for an award for it and it is very rewarding for me. This Kreativ Blogger award comes from Teresa over at A blog about food. Her blog is wonderful, she has great recipes, so if you haven't visited her, please do so today. You won't be disappointed.





I am giving you 2 recipes today, just because I feel like it. My kids are quiet, the husbands sleeping, so in between cutting out paper hands for the girls , I am posting my absolute favorite cranberry-walnut chicken salad and sugar cookiebars. First the chicken salad. This recipe comes from smitten kitchen. I am sure most of you know about her blog. It is amazing. There are so many recipes and they all look so good. Go see, if you haven't already seen. You will be so happy you did. I love this salad because it has so many different textures, creamy and crunchy and just so good. I tweaked it a little to suit me. My changes will be in parenthesis.







Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Salad


4 cups cubed cooked chicken


1 cup walnuts,chopped and toasted

1 cup dried cranberries

1 celery rib,diced into small bits

2 tbsp chopped shallots

2/3 -3/4 cup mayo ( i didn't measure, just put what looked right)

3 tbsp Tarragon vinegar ( used white vinegar, its fine)

2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon or herb of your choice( I used dill)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper















The way I prepared my chicken, was The Barefoot Contessa way. I took 2 chicken breasts on the bone and drizzled them with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.



Roast at 425, for 40-45 minutes, or until they look like this:


I know my picture is upside down. So dumb. Let the chicken rest and when it is cool enough to handle, shred it into large bowl.


Then comes the hard part. Add all ingredients to the bowl with the chicken and mix well.


Refrigerate and enjoy on bread, english muffins, put it in wraps or enjoy it on toast. I am going to share one of my favorite appetizer s with you. Have you seen these little shells in the supermarket. When you see them, buy them. They are so versatile. Sweet or savory.



I take a teasoonful of chicken salad and put it in a prepared shell and serve it as an appetizer. People love it.

And why wouldn't you? They are adorable and really tasty. Try it, you'll like it.

Next up are sugar cookie bars, that's right you heard correctly. Sugar cookies as bar cookies. This recipe comes from stylish cuisine, this blog is full of goodies you have to see to believe. So when you have a minute , go check it out. I'm sure you will like it. You will find things like this on there:

These sugar cookie bars are so easy and it makes a huge amount. They are perfect for a school bake sale or a big holiday party. The original version called for buttercream frosting, but I used a cream cheese frosting instead, I didn't want them overly sweet. I even cut down on the amount of sugar used. I only used 1 2/2 cups and it is just perfect to me.
Sugar Cookie Bars
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar ( i used 1 1/2)
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream butter and sugar, until fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add vanilla and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine flour,salt and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Spread into a greased jelly roll pan (13x18)





Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Cool completely and frost with your favorite icing. Cut into as many bars as you can. This makes alot!





I used cream cheese icing. I also doubled the icing , you can never have too much. Here is the recipe:
Cream cheese icing
1/2 cup butter ,softened
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Beat together butter and cream cheese, add vanilla and then add powdered sugar. Beat until you reach the consistency you want.






Aren't they lovely? And the best thing about these cookies, think about the holidays. For Valentines day add a little red food coloring to the icing, St Patricks Day, add some green, how about Halloween add some orange food coloring and you will have a huge tray of the most festive cookies, at whatever party you are at.










I hope you try them, you will like them. They are a keeper.

























28 comments:

  1. My kids would totally love your cookie bars! What a neat idea!

    The chicken salad is amazing too! Nice job! :0)

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  2. congrats on the award the cake is a keeper

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  3. Definitely bookmarking this post because those cookie bars look totally wicked!

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  4. The chicken salad looks so cute in the little pastry cups...so dainty!

    And I love your sugar cookie bars. I've been seeing those float around the food blogs lately and they're so enticing. great job!

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  5. Congrats on that award! If iwas there I'm sure I would've loved that chicken salad..

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  6. Your chicken salad sounds very, very good! What a kick to see them in little cups. Absolutely delightful idea.

    Sugar cookie bars ~ clever and so pretty!

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  7. Oh, congratulations on your award! You have a fun blog with delicious recipes. It's a pleasure coming here to visit with you and see what you're cooking.

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  8. LOVE the bars!! They are so adorable. Nice choice with the cream cheese frosting. The chicken salad sounds delicious and so pretty in those cups!!

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  9. Congrats on the award and I love the salad recipe! I'll be making it soon!

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  10. I love chicken salad...I have a rotisserie chicken just waiting to be used!

    The sugar cookie bars have me ready to bake right now. Thank you for the recipe!

    ;) amy

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  11. Congrats on your award!

    I love that you don't measure the mayo when you make chicken salad. I don't either. I just scoop, stir, scoop, stir until it looks like the right consistency. Some recipes call for such a small amount of mayo that they would be dry if you didn't add more.

    The bars are so cute! I love having bar cookie recipes for the times you don't want to spend the whole day baking cookies one sheet at a time.

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  12. Those little chicken salad cups are so tasty looking. My kids will love the sugar cookie bars. Thanks for sharing the recipes.

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  13. The cookie bars look scrumptious especially with cream cheese icing! Chicken salad looks great too.

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  14. Looks like a perfect little lunch & dessert to me!! My tummy's growling...it's almost lunch time and I haven't even eaten breakfast...see what you've done!! ;)

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  15. I've made the bar cookies a few times and my kiddos (& their classmates) loved them! Like you I cut back on the sugar and topped them with a cream cheese frosting.
    ~ingrid

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  16. love the chicken salad recipe! i have been looking for one for my sister's bridal shower.. i think this might be it!

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  17. I love them both! I have never heard of sugar cookies in bar form, I love it!

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  18. This is so funny because I just promised my friend to make him something with cream cheese icing for his birthday! I think I've found it. I am addicted to smitten kitchen as well. All of her food looks so good.

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  19. The chicken salad is grand - I adore chicken salad in every way, shape and form! And love the bars - your kids must be very happy! Congrats on the award - it is all so sweet.

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  20. Mmmm. Both sound so good! I love the idea of chicken salad in little puff pastry cups for an appetizer. Thanks for the recipes!

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  21. oth recipes are fantastic! What a great appetizer that chicken salad would make! And the bars....OH THE BARS!!!

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  22. Love that this recipe doesn't use canned chicken. I'll have to give it a try!

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  23. This is too weird a coincidence not to comment on! I made chicken salad, primarily for sandwiches yesterday.. Your usual chicken, onion, celery, mayo, mustard, lemon pepper mix.. Today I'm planning on making oatmeal cookies with some of the ingredients you used for salad! Cranberries(sweetened and dried) and walnuts....

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  24. Now that's a perfect lunch...tasty sandwich with yummy sugar cookie bars. Mmmm good.

    Congrats on your award.

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  25. Congrats on your award! You deserve it. I've made similar chicken salad but without tarragon vinegar...I happen to have tarragon vinegar that I bought for a recipe and haven't used it for anything else so I will try this chicken salad with it. Those sugar cookie bars are my kind of cookie!!!

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  26. These cookies are lovely. They sound easy to make also. That is a bonus. This is a keeper.

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I'd be so happy to hear your thoughts, answer questions, or exchange ideas.