Whiskey Caramel Marshmallow Bacon Bark

16 oz of semi-sweet chocolate
4 cups of mini marshmallows
1/4 cup whiskey

1 cup caramel (recipe follows)
8-10 slices spiced bacon crumble (recipe follows)

1) Place chocolate in a bain marie or in a heat-proof bowl above simmering water. Heat on low until chocolate is melted. Pour half of melted chocolate into parchement-lined pan. Then using an offset spatula, spread chocolate until smooth. Transfer pan to freezer to chill for about 5 minutes or until melted chocolate becomes solid.

2) Place marshmallows in a large saucepan and heat until marshmallows starts to just melt and forms web-like strands when stirred. (See picture). Remove from heat and add in 5 tablespoons of whiskey; stir to combine. Spread marshmallow mixture over solid chocolate layer. (To easily spread the marshmallow to an even layer, spray offset spatula with non-stick spray.)

3) Pour caramel on top of marshmallow layer. Then, using an offset spatula, spread caramel until smooth. Transfer pan to freezer to chill for about 5 minutes or until caramel becomes slightly hardened. Pour remaining half of chocolate over caramel layer and, using an offset spatula, spread chocolate until smooth. Sprinkle and gently press bacon crumble into chocolate, Return fully assembled bark to refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes or until bark becomes solid. Bring bark to almost room temperature before cutting.

BACON CRUMBLE:
8-10 slices bacon
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoon water
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1) Cook bacon and set aside to cool completely. Once cooled, coarsely crumble bacon with hand; set aside and heat oven to 300 degrees F.

2) Place sugar and water in a pot and heat until sugar is dissolved. Toss crumbled bacon in sugar syrup to coat. Pass coated bacon through a strainer to drain excess sugar syrup.

3) Add egg white to a bowl and beat until fluffy and foamy. Add in black pepper and cayenne. Whisk to combine. Add in crumbled bacon and toss to coat.

4) Spread coated, crumbled bacon on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, then crumble bacon one last time.

CARAMEL FILLING:
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoon butter
7 tablespoon heavy cream

Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle, give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and heavy cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.

Makes 1 8×8 pan | Preparation: Line pan with parchment or wax paper with a one-inch overhang on each side.

Autumn Brittle

1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

2/3 cup dried cranberries
2 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. butter

1) Heat the sugars, honey, water and salt in a large pot over a low-medium flame. Use a pot that is larger than you would think necessary because when the mixture begins to boil it will foam up and increase in size. Stir every five minutes or so. Using a candy thermometer, continue to heat the mixture until it reaches a temperature of exactly 302 degrees Fahrenheit. This is very important because this is the temperature at which sugar hardens into a rock-like state after it cools. Pay close attention not to go very far above 302, otherwise you will burn the sugar. It can take up to an hour for the mixture to reach that high of a temperature, so don't get too worried if 15 minutes go by and the thermometer is still at 175.

2) While the sugar mixture is boiling, place a sheet of parchment paper on top of a shallow pan, about 9 x 13 inches in width and length, and grease the parchment paper. Set aside. Once the sugar mixture reaches 302, immediately remove it from heat and stir in the butter, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries until they're coated in the mixture.

3) Immediately pour the mixture onto the parchment paper and spread it out into a large rectangle using a rubber spatula. Try to keep the surface relatively even and about 1 inch in height. Place the pan in the refrigerator and allow the brittle to cool for one hour.

4) Once it has finished cooling, remove the sheet of brittle from the parchment paper and break the brittle into pieces using a meat tenderizer or clean hammer. Arrange the pieces on a serving platter and serve. Store excess brittle in a cool dry place.

Greek Quesadillas

Makes 4 Inspired by Better Homes and Gardens

Notes: Feel free to use whatever quantities desired of the ingredients below, and substitute or omit ingredients according to your own preferences!

What You Need 8 whole wheat tortillas
Fresh spinach (about 2 cups)
One red onion
Jarred red peppers or sundried tomatoes
Black olives
Mozzarella cheese, shredded (a handful or so per serving)
Feta cheese (a few tablespoons per serving)
Oregano (dried or fresh)
Red pepper flakes (optional)

What To Do

1  Chiffonade the spinach. Thinly slice the red onion, red peppers, and black olives.

2  On a plate, place a tortilla. Sprinkle with your desired quantities of spinach, red onion, red pepper, black olives, mozzarella, feta, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Be careful not to overload.

3  Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Place the loaded tortilla on the griddle and place another tortilla on top. Cook until browned on the bottom, then flip and cook until browned on the other side (a few minutes per side).

Remove the tortilla and cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. If making several quesadillas at once, you can keep them warm in a 300°F oven.

Note: Chiffonade (French pronunciation: [ʃi.fɔ.nad]) is a cooking technique in which herbs or leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and basil) are cut into long, thin strips. This is generally accomplished by stacking leaves, rolling them tightly, then cutting across the rolled leaves with a sharp knife, producing fine ribbons.

"Chiffon" is French for "rag" referring to the fabric-like strips that result from this technique. To chiffonade simply means to turn into rag-like strips.

This technique is unsuited to small, narrow, or irregularly-shaped herb leaves such as parsley, thyme or rosemary due to there being less surface area for the knife to do a practical job.