Recipe Double Up

Since I failed to post on Tuesday here are two yummy recipes I have tried recently:

Christmas Rocky Road

Makes 48 bars
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate, chopped or chips
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup light corn syrup
4 cups small amaretti cookies (not the soft ones)
1 cup shelled whole Brazil nuts
2 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows
2/3 cup candied cherries
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

PREPARATION

Melt chocolate and butter with corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed pan over low heat. Put cookies in a freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin to get a mix of big crumbs and sandy rubble. Set cookies aside in a bowl, then crush nuts in same bag. Take pot off heat and add cookies, nuts, marshmallows and cherries. Turn carefully to coat everything with chocolate. Pour mixture into a 9" x 12" pan lined with foil, smoothing top with a spatula. (Surface will remain bumpy.) Refrigerate until firm, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Transfer block of Rocky Road from pan to a cutting board. Use a strainer to dust top of block with sugar. Cut block into 48 almost-squares.
The skinny
137 calories per piece, 9 g fat (4 g saturated), 15 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup white wine
1/3 cup clam juice
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.
Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

Enjoy!