Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad - Applebee's Copycat Recipe

I haven't been to Applebee's in a very long time, but when I did go, this salad is what I would order. I found this recipe recently in a Taste of Home magazine. The recipe can be found online, here. I made it recently, and it is very good. I candied the almonds using the method from another salad recipe on here, which adds a little more crunch to the salad; but you could skip that step, and leave them, as is. 

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Base Salad Mixture

4 frozen breaded chicken tenders (about 8 oz) - I used Tyson crispy chicken breast strips

1 (14-oz) package hearts of romaine salad mix, or just romaine lettuce

1 (14-oz) package coleslaw mix

Dressing  

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon sesame oil (I did not have any, so I left it out)

Sprinkle on Top

1/4 cup crispy chow mein noodles (may be called hard chow mein noodles)

1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (I candied - see recipe below)

1. Cook the chicken according to package directions, and let cool. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. You want the chicken nice and crispy. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the romaine and coleslaw mixes and toss together well. 

3. Prepare the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients together, until smooth. 

4. To serve, dish the salad mixes into individual bowls, and top with the cut up chicken. Drizzle with the dressing, and sprinkle on the chow mein noodles and almonds. 

Candied Almonds 

2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds

In a dry skillet, combine the sugar and almonds and turn burner onto medium to medium-low. Stir until the sugar is melted, and caramelizes and browns the almonds. Stir frequently. You want to have the burner on high enough that it will melt the sugar. Once it starts melting, the almonds will brown quickly, so keep a close eye on them. You may want to turn the burner down a little as they begin to caramelize. Place on a wax paper-lined plate and allow to cool. Break apart.

Peanut Butter-Filled Brownie Cups with White Chocolate Icing

I don't recall where I got this recipe. I actually found this as a draft in my posts, and decided to publish it. Sounds good, though. 

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3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1  1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons hot water
1  1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare the filling (see the recipe below).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a small saucepan over very low heat. Let cool. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and butter until light. Add the eggs, water and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt  and stir into the chocolate mixture until just blended.

Line 20 mini muffin cups with paper liners and spoon enough batter into each muffin cup to fill one-fourth full. Evenly divide the filling between all the muffin cups. Fill with the remaining brownie batter. Bake 350 degrees for about 18 minutes, or until brownies are just set when pressed with your finger tip. Cool. Frost the tops of the brownie cups (see the recipe below).

Filling
6 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour

Mix together until smooth.

White Chocolate Icing
4 oz white chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1  1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
hot water, enough to reach desired spreading consistency

Melt together the white chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and hot water, stirring until smooth. Spread icing over cooled brownie cups. Let set.

Coconut Joy Candy Bars

 I collect cooking magazines, and my favorite time of year to do so, is in the fall and around Christmas time. I came across this recipe in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine for Christmas cookies, and it can be found online, here. 

Recipe is courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

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Nonstick cooking spray
3/4 cup salted butter, melted

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided (1 teaspoon for the base, and 1 teaspoon for the filling)

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups sweetened flaked coconut

1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted (instructions below)

Milk Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13" baking pan with heavy-duty foil, extending the foil over the edges so the cooled bars can be lifted out of the pan, Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract. Stir until combined. Now, stir in the beaten eggs and stir again, until incorporated.

2. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until combined. Spread half of this mixture into your prepared pan. Bake 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

3. While the bars are cooling, for the filling, in a large bowl, add the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, and the almond extract. Stir until combined. 

4. Carefully spread the coconut filling mixture over the chocolate layer and sprinkle with the toasted, chopped almonds. Bake 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes, until set. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. 

5. Spread the Milk Chocolate Ganache evenly over the cooled bars. Chill until the ganache is firm, at least one hour. Use the foil to lift the uncut bars out of the pan; then cut unto bars. 

6. Store the bars in an airtight container for up to three days. 

To toast the almonds

Spread the chopped almonds evenly in a shallow pan and bake 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes, stirring them once or twice during baking. Be sure to set a timer and watch them closely, so as to not burn. 

Milk Chocolate Ganache  

Pour one (11.5-oz) package of milk chocolate chips in a medium bowl, set aside. In a small saucepan bring 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream just to boiling. (Watch carefully) Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in the bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, without stirring. After the 5 minutes, stir until smooth.