Linda’s Tips and Travel Notes

I interviewed radio host, columnist and cookbook author, Dolores Kostelni, about her latest book, 51 Fast and Fun Packaged Dough Recipes.  Here are her tips and a recipe for Chocolate Chip Caramel-filled Bars.

 Keep refrigerated packaged doughs cold.  If doughs become warm, they’ll be sticky.

Preheat  oven as directions suggest.  The hot oven encourages the most rise in your breads and muffins and crisps up the crusts.

Flash freezing is a great way to freeze baked goods for later use.  Place the thoroughly cooled items - cookies, scones, cupcakes, muffins, even frosted cakes - on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until rock hard. Then place them in an air-tight freezer container, storage bag, or cake saver until needed.

Chocolate Chip Caramel-Filled Bars

2 (18-ounce) packaged refrigerated dough for Big Deluxe Classic Chocolate Chip cookies

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

10 (1.3-ounce) or 5 (4.5-ounce) caramel-filled milk chocolate bars

Position the rack in the lower third of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray.  Spread 1 package of the dough to fit the pan.  Use a smooth jar, glass, or your fingers to roll out the dough evenly into the corners.  Bake the dough for 15 minutes.  Break the second package of dough into pieces and place in the food processor.  Add 2 tablespoons flour.  Pulse on/off to mix the dough with the flour and make crumbles of different sizes.  Remove the pan from the oven.  Place the candy bars side by side over the hot dough — in some instances, breaking the ars to fit the space.  Sprinkle the crumbles evenly over the candy.  Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Allow the bars to cool completely, then  lift up the foil and remove the bars from the pan.  Cut into small squares.

51 Fast and Fun Packaged Dough Recipes by Dolores Kostelni, Collectors Press, $7.95