Christmas 2013

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas with their family and friends, and all the

Lords Blessings in 2014.

 

Links to my Christmas baking and appetizers:

Creamy Christmas Truffles
Candy Cane Cookies
Chocolate Filled Shortbread
Molasses-Spice Cookies
Cranberry Bliss Bars
Oatmeal Shortbread
Aunt Roses Fantastic Butter Toffee
Mixed Nut Bars

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls
Mexican Spirals
Mushroom Turnovers

Mushroom Turnovers

This one is defiantly a bit more time-consuming, but they are delicious! I couldn't stop licking my fingers while I was filling them :) The process also went faster when Little A would put a spoonful of filling on each circle for me.

 

Mushroom Turnovers

1 - 250g. pkg. cream cheese
1/3 c. butter
1 c. flour
2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb. mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch thyme
2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 c. sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten

Cream together cream cheese and 1/3 c. butter, add 1 c. flour, mixing until smooth, cover and chill. Sauté onion and mushrooms in 2 tbsp. melted butter until tender. Stir in salt, thyme, 2 Tbsp. flour and sour cream. Cook until thickened, cool. Roll out 1/2 of the dough very thin (1/8 inch), and cut out 3-inch rounds with cookie cutter (or glass if you don't have a round cookie cutter). Drop 1 tsp. filling in each circle, brush edges with egg, fold dough over filling and press together with finger of fork to seal edges. Repeat with remaining dough, then brush tops with egg and prick with fork or cut small slits to vent air. Freeze unbaked. Bake on parchment lined baking sheet, 425 for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Dutch Apple Tart

Our families version of a Dutch classic...

 

Dutch Apple Tart

1 c. butter (or margarine)
2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten (saving a little to brush on top)
sliced apples
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine butter, flour, sugar, and egg (remembering to save a little for the top), mix till it just starts to come together. Save 1/4 for the lattice and press the rest into the bottom of a 9" springform pan going 1" up the sides. Fill with sliced apples, topping with remaining ingredients. Roll out remaining dough and make a lattice for the top (Cut long thin slices and lay in lattice pattern). Brush with extra egg. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, turn off oven and let cool in oven (the secret to a softer crust, thanks mom:)).

Mexican Spirals

This was a new appie this year. But they are super easy to make and freeze great. The spicy flavor is also a nice way to offset all the sweets this time of year :)

 

Mexican Spirals

1 pkg. cream cheese
1 c. finely chopped cooked chicken
1 c. grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used cheddar)
1/3 c. finely chopped red pepper
1/4 c. chopped cilantro or parsley
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh hot jalapeno pepper (I used cayenne, and adjusted it to our spice tastes)
2 tsp. cumin
4 - 10" tortillas

Combine all filling ingredients. Divide mixture between tortillas, spread evenly and roll up tightly. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Cut into 1/2 inch slices. (unbaked slices freeze well). Bake at 350 for 12-20 minutes, until you can see the cream cheese bubble slightly on top. Can serve with salsa or just by themselves.
When I took them out of the freezer I defrosted them and I baked them frozen, both ways turned out great :)

Mixed Nut Bars

This is a recipe I got from my mom, that I have been making every Christmas season since I got married.

 

Mixed Nut Bars

1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. margarine
11 1/2 ounces mixed nuts (sometimes I just use peanuts)
1 c. butterscotch chips
1/2 c. light corn syrup
2 Tbsp. margarine

Mix first 3 ingredients and 1/2 cup of margarine. Press into parchment paper lined (or well greased) 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with nuts. Melt remaining ingredients in a saucepan and pour over nuts. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting into bars. 

Aunt Rose's Fantastic Butter Toffee

This is my absolute favorite holiday candy! It is so addictive, I'll even go to the bottom of my freezer to have a piece. It's not hard to make, and people will be asking you for more (if you decide to share it :))

Aunt Rose's Fantastic Butter Toffee
adapted from taste of home

1 1/2 c. sliced almonds
200 g. milk chocolate (I get 2 bars of Co-op Fine Swiss Chocolate)
1 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cold water

Toast almonds in 350 oven for  5-10 minutes, shaking pan occasionally and watching closely till they just start to golden. Can give the nuts a rough chop if you like, I usually just leave them as is. Grind chocolate in a food processor until fine (I grate my chocolate bars, with my cheese grater). Sprinkle 1 c. nuts over the bottom of a well greased (or parchment-lined) jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet). Sprinkle 1 c. of ground chocolate over the nuts and set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine butter, sugar and water, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches 280-290 (soft-crack stage), I stop at 280 otherwise I find it hard to pour. Very quickly pour mixture over nuts and chocolate. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate and the remaining nuts. Chill and break into pieces.

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls



If I'm organized enough, I like to have ready-made appetizers in my freezer this time of year, so when we have company over they are ready to just pop into the oven. Here is a savory pastry that freezes well. 

 

Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls

2 eggs
250g. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1/4 c. bread crumbs, toasted
1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced
1/4 c. onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 450g. pkg. frozen all-butter pastry, thawed and chilled
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

Line baking sheet with wax paper. In a bowl, beat 1 egg until frothy, blend in next 5 ingredients. Unroll pastry; cut into 3- 10x31/2 inch strips (some frozen pastries will need to be rolled out with a rolling pin). Brush each strip with the mustard; spoon 1/3 of the filling down the centre of each strip. Fold the long sides over, press the edge to seal. Arrange seam side down on lined baking sheet and freeze ~15 min. Cut into 1-inch pieces (~8 per roll). In a bowl whisk second egg with 1 Tbsp water till frothy, brush over rolls and freeze until ready to use.
When ready to use put directly into pre-heated oven (no thawing). Bake at 425 for 30-35 min.

If wanting to use right away, after brushing with egg you can bake at 425 for 20 min.

Oatmeal Shortbread

These are a bit different than your traditional holiday shortbread, but are easy and quick to make. (I think they are just as addictive without the chocolate tips!)

 

Oatmeal Shortbread

1 1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. oatmeal
1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. fine unsweetened coconut (I've used sweetened too)

Mix dry ingredients and then work in the butter until dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 1/2 x 2 inch rectangles, and transfer to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 275 for 20 minutes (until cookies are set). Let cool.

Chocolate tips: Slowly melt 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips with 3 Tbsp. milk or cream over low heat, stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie so about 1/4 of the cookie is chocolate covered, and let cool on waxed paper until chocolate is set (the fridge works best).

Cranberry Bliss Bar

This was a new recipe this year (I've seen some of you have pinned it too), that will definitely become a holiday tradition around here! I love the combination of warm ginger, cranberries and white chocolate, add some icing and how could you go wrong? Lyndon said, I have to save the whole batch for him, no sharing these bars ;)

 

Cranberry Bliss Bars

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. dried cranberries, diced
6 oz. white chocolate, cut into chunks (I used the wafers you find in the bulk section and put them through my food processor for a few seconds)

Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, ginger and salt, beat well. Gradually mix in the flour until smooth. Stir in cranberries and chocolate. Spread evenly into a well-greased 9x13 and bake at 350 for 35 minutes (until lightly browned at the edges). Allow to cool then ice:

4 oz. cream cheese (half a brick)
3 c. icing sugar
4 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. dried cranberries, diced

Cream cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon juice and vanilla until smooth. Frost cooled cake and sprinkle with cranberries. Then drizzle with glaze:

1/2 c. icing sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. shortening

Whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over cranberries. I found the easiest way to do this was to put the glaze in a sandwich bag and cut the corner off, then drizzle over the cranberries. Allow the bars to sit for several hours before cutting, they look really pretty when you cut them in triangles, enjoy :)

Molasses-Spice Cookies

No Christmas baking is complete without a spice cookie, and this is my favorite recipe that I have found so far. They always disappear fast from my freezer, I'll go to grab some and the pail will be empty??? (Didn't take the kids long to figure out where mom hides her treats :))

 

Molasses-Spice Cookies

2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar (plus some for rolling cookies in)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. cooking molasses

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices, set aside. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and molasses, beat until combined. Make sure you scrape the bowl so everything gets evenly distributed. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Roll about 2 tablespoons into a 1 3/4-inch ball and dip just the tops into sugar (I find it easier and it cuts down on the sugar in each cookie), then place onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes, allowing to cool 3 minutes before removing from sheet.

Chocolate-Filled Shortbread

This is the one cookie in our home that gets made EVERY Christmas, no matter what! It's my husbands favorite and even the youngest kids can help make them (after those little hands are done with them they might look a little scary but they always look good after they come out of the oven :)) My mom has made these as long as I can remember and with only 5 ingredients they whip up in a snap and are a fun twist on traditional shortbread. 

 

Chocolate-Filled Shortbread

1 lb. butter (454g.)
1 c. icing sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
chocolate wafers (the kind you find in the bulk section for melting)

Cream the butter and sugar. Add flour and cornstarch, combine till stiff dough forms.
Place 2 chocolate wafers in the middle of each 1" ball. (I like to make them flatter than a ball.)

(Hope the pictures help)

 

Then bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 325 for 20 minutes. (Until they start to get very lightly golden at the edges). Easy Peezy, enjoy!

 

Candy Cane Cookies

These are one of my personal favorite Christmas cookies (they're also the most labor intensive ones I do, so don't worry it's all downhill from here :)). I think they just look so festive, and the kids love to help with these.

 

Candy Cane Cookies

1 c. margarine, softened
1 c. icing sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. peppermint flavoring
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid red food coloring (instead I like to use a squirt of my gel food coloring)

Beat first 6 ingredients in a bowl until light and creamy. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, then add to margarine mixture. Stir until stiff dough forms. Divide into 2 equal portions.
Knead food coloring into 1 portion of the dough until evenly tinted.
Roll about 1 tsp. of each color of dough into a 5 1/2 cm rope.

Lay side by side. Pinch ends together, twist and form into candy cane shape.

Arrange on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until just golden. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cool completely.

Rolls Royce Cinnamon Buns

I know I said I'd be posting Christmas type baking, but I just HAD to share these with you. My regular cinnamon bun recipe http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/caramel-pecan-rolls is amazing (and I'll still be making them on occasion). But this new slightly healthier version of the cinnamon bun is out-of-the-ballpark good!

 

Rolls Royce Cinnamon Buns

2 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. ground flaxseed
2 1/4 tsp. (1 pkg.) quick-rising yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter (margarine)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten

***Combine flours, flaxseed, yeast and salt, mix well and set aside. In a small saucepan warm butter, milk and sugar over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, don't boil. Pour into large bowl and add 1/2 of flour and the egg, stir until well blended, add remaining flour, stir until soft ball forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic (a minute or two). Place in an oiled bowl and let rise in a warm place for 30 min. to an hour.***
Now... cheater me, just puts my liquids and sugar in my bread maker and layers the dry ingredients on top, puts it on the dough cycle and comes bake an hour later :)

Filling:
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. margarine, at room temp.

Combine sugar and cinnamon and set aside. Roll out dough into ~12x14-inch rectangle (~1/4inch thick), spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon mixture, then roll put jelly-roll style, should end up with a log about 12 inches long. Slice into 12 equal pieces and arrange in a greased 9x13 pan. Let rise in a warm place for about 30-45 minutes (I turn my oven on for 2 or so minutes then turn it off, and use it as my 'warm' place). Then bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Glaze:
2 Tbsp. light cream cheese, room temp.
1 Tbsp. butter, room temp.
1/2 c. icing sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk

Beat together until creamy and drizzle over warm buns, enjoy :)

Note: I doubled the glaze recipe when I made the batch for the picture.
Adapted from the Looneyspoons Cookbook.

Creamy Christmas Truffles

It is that time of year again ... Christmas baking time! Anyone who knows me knows this is my absolute favorite baking event of the year! I thought I'd give you a little taster of the things I like to whip up this time of year, I hope to post a number of family favorite treats and make ahead appetizers over the coming weeks. These truffles are melt-in-your-mouth perfection, I have always been nervous to try homemade truffles, but they are actually not that hard and if you follow the instructions you should have no problems.

 

 

Creamy Christmas Truffles

 

2/3 c. whipping cream

1/4 c. butter (no substitutions this time)

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

8 squares semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I use Baker's that you buy in a box in the baking isle)

 

Coatings:

1 1/4 c. finely ground nuts (I used walnuts this time) or chocolate wafer crumbs

 

In a saucepan combine whipping cream, butter and sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted. Refrigerate mixture for 5 hours, or until it is firm enough to roll into balls. Drop chocolate mixture by tablespoon into coating and roll into balls. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.   Makes 36 pieces.

 

Note: you can change the flavour by substituting the vanilla with a liqueur of your choice.

Peach Muffins

Sunday mornings are muffin mornings for us. I clipped this recipe out of a newspaper when we were first married and on mornings when I don't have any fresh or frozen fruit out and don't feel like waiting for my bran to soak, this is a perfect quick choice.

 

Peach Muffins

2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 small eggs (or 1 large)
2/3 c. milk
1/3 c. canola oil
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 -398ml can peaches, patted dry and chopped

Combine dry ingredients, set aside. Lightly beat eggs, add milk, oil and extracts. Add to flour mixture until just blended. Fold in peaches. Spoon into lined or lightly greased muffin tins. Optional: top with streusel. Bake at 400 for 18 minutes. Store leftovers in fridge.

Optional Streusel:
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. oil
Combine in a small bowl.

The original recipe was larger and called for fresh or frozen peaches, but living were we do, canned works for me so I adapted the recipe. So if you live were peaches are readily available, feel free to substitute them.

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

This is our favorite use of leftover turkey, and it makes a second one for the freezer, perfect:)

 

 



Turkey Pot Pie

 

1 c. each: cubed potatoes, peas, carrots and green beans

1/2 c. celery, sliced

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. onion, chopped

2/3 c. flour

1 tsp. each: salt & pepper

1/2 tsp. each: celery seed, onion powder & Italian seasoning

1 3/4 c. chicken broth

1 c. milk

4 c. cooked turkey, cubed

2 double pie crusts

 

Boil potatoes, peas, carrots, beans and celery for 8 minutes. Meanwhile sauté butter and onion for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to get tender. Whisk in flour and seasonings, slowly whisk in liquids, cook until thickened. Stir in turkey and vegetables. Put into 2 pie shells, top with a layer of dough, seal edges and cut slits on top to vent. Bake at 425 for 35 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Butter Tart Squares

My husband LOVES butter tarts, and after trying a few versions of the squares I have finally found one that I am happy with! I like the texture, it actually sets so its not so messy to eat and it makes a huge batch, awesome for when you have to bring baking to an event.

 

Butter Tart Squares

2 c. flour
1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar

Cut together flour, sugar and butter. Press into jelly roll pan (large cookie sheet). Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
4 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch salt
1 1/2 c. raisins
3/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar. Blend in the eggs, add flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Mix until well combined. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour over hot base, bake for another 20-25 minutes or until top springs back. Cool before slicing.

Pumpkin Streusel Pancakes

Now that Halloween and Thanksgiving are done (at least in Canada), we can process those pumpkins and let our creative juices out! My boys love pumpkin so every year I look forward to experimenting with some new recipes, and this year I came across this one. If you only try one pumpkin recipe this year, this is the one...    (so so worth the extra effort)

 

Pumpkin Streusel Pancakes

Streusel:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
6 Tbsp. cold butter

Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon together and cut in the butter until crumbly. Set aside.

3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 c. milk
1/2 c. pumpkin
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry ingredients until just combined. Drop 1/3 cup of batter onto pre-heated grill, sprinkle with 2 tsp. streusel mixture and cook until bubbles form about 2-3 minutes. Flip, sprinkle with another few tsp. streusel and cook another 2-3 minutes. Can serve with butter and syrup, but I thought they tasted good just the way they were. (Of coure my boys had to make them float though :))

Beef Stir Fry



A while back I was asked if I had a good stir fry recipe, and while my regular recipe is ok I have had this one in my To Try Book for a while. Well we finally got around to trying it and mm, mm, mmm, it was good :)

 

Beef Stir Fry

Marinade:
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. red wine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Montreal Steak Spice

Mix marinade ingredients and marinate meat at least 1 hour, but not more than 3 hours. The original recipe never gave an amount of meat, I sliced up about 1 1/2 lbs. and it seemed the right amount of sauce).
Drain meat, reserving the marinade, and sauté meat in 1 Tbsp. hot oil until the meat is just browned. Remove from pan and set aside. Add another Tbsp. of oil to the pan and sauté vegetables:

Stir Fry: use a combination of whatever you have, but you should have an onion in there:
sliced mushrooms
sliced onions
red, yellow or orange pepper strips
sliced carrots
broccoli florets
zucchini, cut into strips (discard the soft centre)

When sautéing numerous vegetables remember to add the quicker cooking ones (broccoli-mid way through, and zucchini-very end) later in the cooking process. Saute till almost tender, add the meat, and sauce ingredients:

1 1/2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. orange juice
reserved marinade

And as much of the marinade as needed to make the amount of sauce you prefer. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Mix 2 tsp. cornstarch with a little more cold water and stir into the sauce in the pan. Cook until sauce thickens. (If needed you can add more cornstarch if you like it even thicker). Serve immediately over rice or thin noodles.

Best Garlic Strips and Pizza Dough

In our house we LOVE homemade pizza! This is my favorite dough recipe, and since it makes two round crusts I usually make a garlic pizza out of the second one, this is our favorite recipe...

 

 

Basic Pizza Dough

 

1 c. warm water

1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. oil

3 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (I use instant yeast)

 

I layer liquids, then flour, then yeast and salt in my bread machine, turn it onto dough cycle and walk away for an hour.

 

-If you don't have a bread maker: In a large mixing bowl stir yeast and honey into warm water, let sit for 5-10 minutes, until bubbles start to form and it starts to foam. Pour in salt, oil and 1/2 of flour and mix. Once incorporated, start adding flour bit by bit until you get a slightly tacky but doesn't stick to your hands consistency. Knead ~6 minutes, then put in lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let stand 1-2 hours.-

 

Roll out dough into 2-12 inch circles, top with desired toppings. Bake at 500 for ~10 minutes.

 

Garlic Bread Sticks

 

1/2 recipe Basic Pizza Dough

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

2 cloves garlic, minced (or less depending on your garlic tastes)

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

salt & pepper to taste, optional (I just sprinkle with pepper)

 

(If you have a pizza stone: heat with oven). Mix butter and garlic in a bowl. Spread butter mixture over rolled out dough, top with cheeses and sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired. Bake 9-10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to sit a minute or two before slicing, enjoy!

 



 Regular Pizza

(My pictures are backwards)

Cranberry Muffins

These are by far the best way to use leftover cranberry sauce, in fact they are so good it is worth buying the sauce just to make them.

 

 

Cranberry Muffins



1 c. flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. cranberry sauce

Mix together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt, set aside. Mix egg, oil, milk, vanilla and cranberry sauce. Add dry ingredients until just blended. Fill lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Peanut Brittle Cookies

Love the crunch to these... They're a fun twist to my cookie routine, you can even drizzle them with Peanut Butter chocolate, mmm:)

 

Peanut Brittle Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. peanut butter chips
1 c. Skor toffee bits
3/4 c. peanuts

Beat shortening, sugars and vanilla until creamy, beat in egg. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chips, Skor bits and peanuts. Drop onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Optional: Melt 1/2 c. peanut butter chips in microwave for 45 seconds and drizzle over cookies.

Greek Potatoes

This is my brothers favorite! If I ever have the oven on for a longer period of time (ex. cooking a roast or chicken) this is the side dish I make. It is an awesome way to shake-up the potato routine and disappears every time:)

 

Greek Potatoes

6 medium potatoes, cubed
1/2 c. lemon juice
1/3 c. oil
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 c. hot water
chopped parsley, optional

Toss together potatoes, lemon juice, oils, spices and garlic in 9 x 13. Add water. Bake, uncovered at 475 for 1 1/2 hours. Stir every 20 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Allow water to evaporate and garnish with parsley.

Caramel Chocolate Sheet Cake

The caramel layer on this traditional sheet cake makes this cake out-of-this-world! Makes a big batch for a big crowd.

 

Caramel Chocolate Sheet Cake

1 c. margarine
6 Tbsp. cocoa
1 c. hot water
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream

Boil together margarine, cocoa and water, remove from heat and put into mixing bowl. Add sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and flour, beat until smooth. Add eggs and sour cream. Spread into jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until done. Meanwhile prepare caramel sauce:

3/4 c. margarine
3/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil sauce ingredients for 2 minutes, watch carefully as it scorches easily.

Remove cake from oven, let sit for 5 minutes, poke holes in cake with meat fork about 1/2 inch apart. Spoon some of sauce over the cake, filling all the holes. Let remaining sauce cool till spreading consistency. Then spread remainder of sauce over cake.
When cake is no longer warm, whip:

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Spread over caramel layer and top with:

2-3 Skor bars, crumbled

Store in fridge until serving, enjoy:)

Chesse-sauced Broccoli

Best way to serve broccoli to my little munchkins, covered in cheese:)

 

Cheese-sauced Broccoli

One and half pounds broccoli
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. cheese
dash paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Steam broccoli for 10 minutes. In another small saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour till smooth, slowly whisk in milk and cook till thickened, whisking continuously. Remove from heat and stir in seasoning and cheese until melted, pour over steamed broccoli and enjoy.

Potato and Sausage Supper

It may not look fancy but this is a delicious comfort food, perfect for the cooler days.

 

Potato and Sausage Supper

5 medium potatoes, thinly sliced (peeling is optional if they have thin skins)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. butter
2 c. fresh sliced mushrooms
1 link garlic sausage, skin removed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped (I use 1 tsp. dried and grind it in my pestle)
1 1/2 c. grated cheese

Butter a 9x13. Saute onions and mushrooms in butter till onions caramelized and mushrooms are tender (I do the onions for a few minutes before I add the mushrooms). To make white sauce: melt butter, add flour, blend well, slowly whisk in milk till smooth, continue cooking till thickened, add rosemary, salt and pepper, stir well.
Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into 9x13, top with all of the onion/mushroom mixture, cover with a layer of 1/2 the sliced sausage, ladle 1/2 the sauce over. Top with the rest of the potatoes and arrange remaining sausage on top. Cover with the rest of the sauce and top with grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 1 hour, until potatoes are done.

Cheddar Ham Chowder

My mom has made this recipe for as long as I can remember, and it is soo good. Perfect for a chilly fall day (and even better served in a bread bowl ;))

Cheddar Ham Chowder

2 c. water
2 c. cubed, peeled potatoes
1/2 c. sliced carrots
1/2 c. sliced celery
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2-1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter (or margarine)
1/4 c. flour
2 c. milk
2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can (or 1 cup frozen) corn
1 1/2 c. cubed ham

Boil water, first 4 veggies, and seasoning for 10 minutes. Meanwhile melt butter in saucepan, whisk in flour until smooth, slowly whisk in milk, cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Remove from heat, stir in cheese until melted. Add to vegetables, add corn and ham, heat through, stirring occasionally.

This recipe also freezes well.

M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies a delicious. Period.

 Mmm, my mouth is watering already ;)

M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter flavored M&M's (I use regular)
3/4 c. chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the peanut butter, vanilla and eggs, beat. Sift together pudding mix, salt, baking soda, and flour. Slowly add to butter mixture. Stir in chips and m&m's by hand. Chill the dough at least 30 minutes. Roll the dough into 1 1/inch balls. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Hawaiian Meatball Kabobs

We love to use our BBQ, and these are a super nummy way to use ground beef on the BBQ. Grilled pineapple, enough said.

Hawaiian Meatball Kabobs

1/3 c. your favorite BBQ sauce
5 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. grated gingerroot
2 tsp. liquid honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
32 precooked meatballs
32 1-inch chunks fresh pineapple
16 1-inch chunks red pepper
16 1-inch chunks green pepper
8 skewers

Sauce: whisk BBQ sauce, soy sauce, gingerroot, honey and sesame oil in a small bowl, set aside.

Preheat grill or BBQ to medium-high heat. For each skewer thread meatball, pineapple, red pepper, meatball, pineapple, green pepper, repeat. Grill for 12 minutes, turning and basting generously with sauce every 2 minutes, serve hot.

Vink Family Potatoes

These are a family favorite, and requested for every big family meal! They are make ahead and once you start bringing these to gatherings you can be sure they'll be requested again.

Vink Family Potatoes

5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
250g. cream cheese
1/4 c. margarine
2 tsp. onion salt
1-2 c. sour cream
salt
pepper
paprika

Boil potatoes till tender, drain and mash. Add cream cheese in cubes, also add margarine and onion salt and mash well. Add sour cream to desired consistency, add pepper and salt to taste and beat on low until smooth. Put into buttered 9 x 13 dish, sprinkle with paprika. Cover and put in fridge at least 6 hours or overnight. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Last week was Hubby's Birthday, and he LOVES chocolate! I've had this recipe for a few years and finally remembered to make it on his Birthday.  I wish I started making it earlier, it's nummy, chocolaty and rich but not overly so, it also takes a bit of extra work, but since I like to make Birthdays special, it is worth it once a year. Hope you enjoy;)

 

Chocolate Truffle Cake

2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. butter, cubed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chocolate chips)
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 2/3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Filling:
6 Tbsp. butter, cubed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 c. icing sugar
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Ganache:
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (once again, choc. chips)
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream

In large saucepan, cook milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from heat; let stand for 10 minutes.
In large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla, stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into mixture. Transfer to 3 greased 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans, let cool completely on wire racks before icing.
For filling, in a saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in icing sugar and cream until smooth.
For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk till smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache is spreading consistency. (This took a really long time for me so next time I think I will make this step when I make the cakes and let it sit on the counter).
Set aside 1/2 cup filling for garnish. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the remaining filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Decorate with reserved filling. Store in fridge.