Forgotten Cookies

350° - overnight. Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Directions:

Toast pecans in skillet until lightly golden, remove from heat to cool.

Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually add in sugar and beat until extremely stiff.  Add vanilla, cooled pecans and chocolate chips, fold in, carefully.

Line cookie sheet with foil, and dollop 1 tsp cookies 1 inch apart.  Put in oven and turn off heat.  Leave overnight or at least 4 hours.

Notes:



source: Newlyweds

Butterhorn Rolls

400° - 10-12 minutes. Serves 6 dz

Ingredients:

• 2 cups milk, scalded
• 2 packages yeast -dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (This would be for traditional yeast. Since I use instant yeast, I do not proof the yeast first.)
• 1 cup butter (oil and shortening are also options)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 6 beaten eggs
• 9 cups flour

Directions:

1. Soften the active dry yeast in warm water.
2. Combine hot milk, butter, sugar and salt: cool to lukewarm.
3. Add 1 cup of the flour.
4. Add yeast mixture and eggs. Beat well.
5. Stir in remaining flour or enough to make a very soft dough.
6. Turn out on lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 5 to 8 minutes.
7. Place dough in bowl and let rise until double – about 1-2 hours (but will vary based on home temp).
8. Divide into 6 equal parts. Roll each part on lightly floured board to a 9 inch circle.
9. Brush with melted butter.
10. Cut each circle into 12 wedges (like a pizza): roll each wedge, starting with wide end and rolling to point.
11. Arrange rolls, poin down, on greased cookie sheet: brush with melted butter.
12. Cover and let rise till very light (about 45 minutes).
13. Bake in hot oven (400 degrees) 10-12 minutes. Makes six dozen rolls. 

Notes:

You may halve the recipe if that is too many, but they are great to freeze in Ziplock bag.

source: Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

image courtesy Morgue File

Cherry Butter Cookies

325° - 12-18 minutes. Serves 2 dz

Ingredients:

1 C butter
10 - 12 T powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2 c flour
cherry pie filling

Directions:

Cream 1 cup of butter or margarine.
Add 10-12 TBSP. of powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla. Add 2 cups of flour and mix.

Test the dough by forming a small ball- think bouncy ball. If it cracks, add water until the dough doesn't crack, just little bits at a time.

Form small balls, depress the center with your thumb. Spoon one cherry from a can of cherry pie filling into the depression.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 325 for 12-18 minutes. Mine cook in 12, but my oven cooks fast. I would cook for 10 and check every minute to figure out. They are done when they are lightly lightly brown on the edges.

These cookies are soft, and delicious- and also vegan if you go with margarine. Make 2 1/2 to 3 dozen. I can fit 20 of them on a big cookie sheet.

Notes:



source: Friend

Cinnamon and Vanilla Candied Nuts

300° - 20 minutes. Serves many

Ingredients:
 
1 egg white
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of rapadura, sucanat, maple sugar, or palm/coconut sugar
2 1/2 cups of walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees (the rack should be in the middle of the oven). And either lightly coat a cookie pan with coconut oil or butter or cover with parchment paper.

1)Lightly beat the egg white with a whisk (just until a bit foamy). Add the cinnamon, vanilla, salt and sugar. Stir in the walnuts, coat the walnuts well.

2) Remove the walnuts with a slotted spoon (allowing extra coating to drip out), and place on the cookie sheet. Spread out on the cookie sheet so that the nuts aren’t touching for the most part. Place in the oven for 25 minutes.

3) Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Notes from source:

Of course, if you wanted a sweeter version, you can easily up the sweetener, up to double. Other variations I’ve thought of include doubling the vanilla, and trying it with different nuts (I think this combo would be delicious with cashews!).
source: The Nourishing Gourmet

Cream Cheese and Nut Fudge

2 hours to set. Serves many

Ingredients:

2 packages (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons cold milk
4 cups confectioner's sugar
4 squares (4 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 cups peanuts, chopped

Directions:
 
Beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then blend in the melted chocolate. Stir in the rest of ingredients. Press into a lightly greased pan. Chill until firm and then cut into squares.

Notes:

I am not excited by peanuts. I wonder what pecans or almonds would taste like here?

source: Creative Homemaking

Old Fashioned Rice Krispies Bars

Stovetop. Prep: 10 minutes.  Serves 24  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 10 oz package large marshmallows or 3 cups mini
6 cups rice krispies
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Melt butter then add marshmallows.  Cook until gooey.  Remove from heat and splash in vanilla.  Combine with krispies, stir, and spread in well greased pan.

Notes:

Easy recipe to add anything: chocolate chips, sprinkles, fancy bits of whatever.

source: Kelloggs

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients: 

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
4 T peanut butter
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Mix all but peanut butter and vanilla.  Cook to soft ball stage.

Remove from heat, add PB and vanilla.  Beat and put on buttered plate.

Notes:

This recipe was on a lined bit of spiral notebook paper from someone in my family.  The writing looks like my father's, but the buttered plate info makes me wonder if it wasn't someone older.  Not gramma's handwriting

source:

Sugar Free Pumpkin Fluff

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 packages vanilla or cheesecake sugar free instant pudding
2 1/4 cups milk
16 ounce can of pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
8 ounce tub of sugar-free cool whip (or make your own)

Directions:

1. Whisk together vanilla pudding and milk until thick (about a minute or so).
2. Add (to the pudding/milk mixture) pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and fold in cool whip.

Notes:

source: Menu Mom

Perfect Turkey

How To Cook The Perfect Turkey

The turkey is the central element of any good Thanksgiving meal. An otherwise perfect meal can be ruined by a dry, overcooked turkey. Since this isn’t something we cook on a weekly basis, it’s not easy to pull off the perfect turkey… unless you follow these tips and the recipe below. 

Notes:

Read the entire article at the source: The Frustrated Moms

Start with a quality turkey.

Thaw the turkey slowly in the fridge

When you are ready to cook your turkey, remove the neck, giblets and anything else that may be stuffed in the chest cavity of your bird.

Set it in a large roasting pan.

Cut up vegetables just for flavor. Stick them in the body cavity. They will infuse the bird with flavor as it cooks. 

Melt a cup of butter in the microwave.

Cook the turkey in a 325 degree oven. Baste it every 30 – 45 minutes with the juices that collect in the bottom of the roasting pan. 

Here are some general guidelines for how long your bird should cook:

8 to 12 lbs. 2 ¾ to 3 hrs.
12 to 14 lbs. 3 to 3 ¾ hrs.
14 to 18 lbs. 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hrs.
18 to 20 lbs. 4 ¼ to 4 ½ hrs.
20 to 24 lbs. 4 ½ to 5 hrs.

A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.  Don't overcook or it will be dry, but do make sure it is done.

 
My Notes:


I like to salt my turkey and then slice up butter and place under the skin before roasting.  I also make a foil tent or use a large roaster with lid to keep the moisture in with the bird.  I remove the foil/lid from the pan at the end of cooking just to brown up the skin for a great crunchy taste.


source: The Frustrated Moms

Homemade Cool Whip

A Healthy Homemade Alternative

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of cold milk
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 3 T of sucanat (or another natural sweetener)
• 1 tsp of Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, pour in the milk and vanilla.  Turn on the mixer to a low to medium speed and slowly add in the dry ingredients.  You want to make sure that they don’t clump, so don’t just drop it all in there at once.

Once everything has mixed well for a minute or two, turn up the mixer to a medium to high speed.  Do this for about 6-8 minutes or until you have a nice whipped and thick consistency. 

Notes:

If you find that your cool whip isn’t sweet enough, don’t be afraid to add in a little more sweetener.

Optional add ons for nice holiday flavors:

• 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp of cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

Or you can do smaller amounts of all three into your batch.  Want a little kick?  Try  a few pinches of chili powder with your cacao and add a dollop of  the whipped topping onto your homemade hot chocolate.
 

source: The Thrifty Mama

Pumpkin Cream Pie

350 -400° - 1 hr 20 minutes. Serves 10

Ingredients:

# 1 Pie Crust, rolled and fitted into a 9-inch pie plate
# 1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
# 2 large eggs
# 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
# 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
# 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
# 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
# 1/2 teaspoon salt
# 1 cup heavy cream


Directions:

# Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press a sheet of aluminum foil onto crust, draping over rim of pie plate. To blind-bake: Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until edge of crust is firm, about 20 minutes. Remove beans and foil; let crust cool completely, and set aside.

# Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Make filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, pie spice, vanilla, and salt; whisk in cream. Pour mixture into cooled crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until filling is set, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack, 1 hour; refrigerate to cool completely, about 2 hours.

Notes:

I made this last year instead of the traditional pumpkin pie with great results! Since I wasn't bright enough to keep the recipe handy (duh), this one will have to do. Looks very similar.

source: Martha Stewart Everyday Food

Caramel Apple Cider

Stove Top. Serves 4

Ingredients:

Cider:
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup brown sugar
3 cups apple cider
½ cup water

Caramel Whipped Cream:
½ cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar


Directions:

1.Bring the cream and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cider and the water and raise the heat to medium high, heating just until the cider begins to steam, about 4 minutes.
2.Divide among 4 mugs.
3.In a small chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with the brown sugar until soft peaks form.
4.Add 2 tablespoons of whipped cream to each mug.
5.ENJOY!

Notes:

Sprinkle cinnamon over the whipped cream and add a cinnamon stick for a bit of extra flavor and a twist!
Add ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce instead of making the whipped cream

source: Family Fun

Carmel Apple Cider

Stovetop - 50 minutes. Serves 4

Ingredients:

Cider
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups apple cider
1/2 cup water

Caramel whipped cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon brown sugar


Directions:

Step 1
First, bring the cream and brown sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the cider and the water and raise the heat to medium high, heating just until the cider begins to steam, about 4 minutes.

Step 2
Divide among 4 mugs, top each one with 2 tablespoons of caramel whipped cream (recipe follows) and serve immediately.

Step 3
Caramel Whipped Cream: In a small chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with the brown sugar until soft peaks form.

Notes:

Going to use this to teach my Home Ec students some fun holiday drinks!

source: Family Fun

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

375° - 30 minutes. Serves 10

Ingredients:

CAKE
* 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2/3 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
* 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

FILLING
* 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
* 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions:

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.


Notes:

Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

source: Nestle

Chocolate Balls

Stovetop. Serves 6-8 dz

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
18 oz peanut butter
1 lb powdered sugar
3-1/2 c crispy rice cereal

melted chocolate almond bark

Directions:

Mix 1st four together well. The mix may seem dry, but can be carefully packed into balls. Make into small balls and refrigerate until cool.

Dip balls into melted chocolate almond bark. Place on wax paper to harden. Let set until chocolate is hard.

source: Danielle Bean - recipe not found?

Homemade Colored Sugar

INGREDIENTS:

• granulated sugar
• food coloring

PREPARATION:

To make the colored sugar, put a drop or two of food coloring in a container with a tight lid and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar and shake hard! Spread on a plate or wax paper to dry, and shake again if it clumps. You can sift if you have problems. Store in an airtight container.

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