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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

No Bake Cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake

 

A light airy pie, you can make with little effort.










  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  •  8 ounce container of Cool Whip
  • 1 graham cracker crust
Beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Gradually beat in sugar.
Blend in vanilla extract and sour cream.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Pour filling in graham cracker crust.
Chill at least 4 hours

Slice and top with favorite canned pie filling

Printable Recipe

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Coconut Joys

Quick and easy confections.







 

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
  • 3 cups flaked coconut
  • 1/3 cup milk chocolate morsels

Mix melted butter, sugar, and coconut together.
Shape into 1 inch balls.
Chill until firm.
Melt chocolate.
Drizzle chilled coconut balls with chocolate.
Store in refrigerator.
Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:




















Confectioner's sugar, coconut, butter, and chocolate morsels.

 
 
Mix sugar, coconut, and butter together until well blended.
 
 
Roll in 1 inch balls.
 
 
Melt chocolate in zip-top bag in hot water.
 
 
 
Drizzle chocolate over candy.
 
 
Store in refrigerator.
 
 
 
 



Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Pepperidge Swiss Chicken Breasts

Pepperidge Swiss Chicken Breasts


















  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 4 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 cups Pepperidge Farm Cornbread Stuffing

Place chicken in baking dish.
Spread cream of chicken soup on chicken.
Sprinkle on shredded Swiss cheese.
Toss melted butter with stuffing.
Top casserole with buttered stuffing.
Cover and bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:




Chicken, cream of chicken soup, Swiss cheese, butter, and Pepperidge Farm Stuffing.



Layer chicken, soup, and shredded cheese.



Toss melted butter with stuffing.


Top with buttered stuffing.
















I first had this dish at a friend's home.  Donna was  gracious enough to share the recipe with me.











Friday, December 13, 2013

Mississippi Mud Cake

Mississippi Mud Cake

A classic Southern sheet cake. It is a decadent dessert yet simple to make.



















  • 2 sticks butter or margarine
  • 1/2 cup cocoa
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 bag miniature marshmallows
  • 1 recipe chocolate frosting
Melt butter and cocoa over medium heat.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add flour, salt and vanilla, stirring well.
Pour into a greased and floured 13"x 9"x 2" pan.
Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.
Test after 30 minutes for doneness.
As soon as cake is removed from oven, sprinkle top with marshmallows.
Spread with chocolate frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
  • 1/3 cup cocoa
  • 1 pound confectioner's sugar
  • 1/2 stick butter or margarine, soften
  • 1/2 cup milk
Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Printable Recipe


 
Top cake with marshmallows directly out of the oven.
 
 
Spread frosting over marshmallows.  Cool completely before serving.
 
 
 
Luscious chocolate, crunchy pecan, and gooey marshmallows
 


Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Spiced Pear Paste

Pear paste is ideal for adding to cheese platters. A great counterpoint to any cheese with a touch of acidity.  It is very refreshing and flavorful.

 
4 pounds pears
4 granny smith apples
1/2 cup water
1 cinnamon stick
2 lemons
5 cups sugar
1 box of powdered pectin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and core pears and apples.
Cook peels and cores in 1/2 cup of water until mushy.
Put in food mill and extract pulp.  Return to pot.
Place pears and apples in sauce pot with the pulp, Simmer until soft.
Place this mixture through food mill.  Return to pot.
Add the zest and juice of lemons.
Mix pectin and fruit and bring to rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.
Add sugar all at one time, bring to rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.
Pour fruit mixture into a heated crock pot.
Add cinnamon stick.
Cook on high 6 hours, stirring  every 30 minutes.
Stir in vanilla and remove cinnamon stick.
Ladle paste into sterile 4 ounce jelly jars.
Top with lids and bands and process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:


















Pears, apples, lemons, pectin, sugar, cinnamon stick, and vanilla

 
Use a food mill to extract pulp.  Do not use a food processor or blender.  It will breakdown the natural pectin in the fruit.
 
 
 
Warm crock pot before you pour the fruit into it.  Heat on high with water in it.   
 


Pears are a low pectin fruit.  Additional pectin is required to make them jell  Pear paste is a concentrated jam.  By using a crock pot it eliminates constant watching and stirring. Yield is about 6 pints. 


Friday, December 6, 2013

How to Make Canadian Bacon

Apple-Wood Smoked Canadian Bacon



















  • Pork Loin, trimmed of all fat
  • 1 tablespoon of Morton Sugar Cure per pound of meat
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar per pound of meat
Mix sugar and sugar cure together.
Rub seasoning into meat.
Place in food grade bag.
Place in refrigerator  3 to 5 days, turning occasionally.
Remove from bag and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
Smoke over indirect heat at 200 degrees until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

Printable Recipe

















Mix sugar and sugar cure together.
This is 5 pounds of pork loin, so 5 teaspoons sugar and 5 tablespoons Morton Sugar Cure.
















Rub cure into pork.


Place in food grade bag. Store in refrigerator 3 to 5 days.


Rinse off salt, pat dry, and place in refrigerator 24 hours uncovered.  As the meat dries it will develop a pellicule. This will give a surface for the smoke to adhere to.


Grill over indirect at 200 degrees for 4 hours or until internal temperature is 160 degrees.


Make a foil packet of wood chips and place over heat source.  Poke holes in top of packet. You will need to replace packets during smoking. 


Morton Sugar Cure is a product for home curing.  It can be found it most grocery stores. It contains salt, sugar, propylene glycol, and sodium nitrite.


Tips:
  • Slice a small piece from end after curing 3 to 5 days.  Fry in skillet and taste for saltiness.  If it is too salty soak in clear water for 30 minutes.
  • Do not use more sugar cure than recipe calls for. 
  • Loin can be cooked in oven if you prefer.
















Sunday, December 1, 2013

Peanut Butter Fudge



 

  • 1 cup of peanut butter
  • 1 cup of corn syrup
  • 1 1/4 cups nonfat powdered milk
  • 1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling candy
Mix all ingredients together until well blended. 
Knead. 
Shape into balls.
Roll candy in 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar.
Makes about 2 pounds of candy.
  • 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
Place morsels in a heavy-duty zip-top bag. 
Submerge in hot water until melted.
Snip a tiny hole in corner of bag and drizzle over candy. 
Place in freezer for 5 minutes to harden chocolate

Printable Recipe

What you will need:



Corn syrup, peanut butter, dry milk, and confectioner's sugar
 
 
Mix together, peanut butter, corn syrup, powdered milk, and confectioner's sugar.
 
 
Mix until well blended.  Candy will be stiff.
 
 
Knead candy.
 
 
Roll into balls. Roll in confectioner's sugar.
 
 
Place 1/3 cup of semi-sweet chocolate in zip-lock bag.
 

Submerge in hot water until melted.  Snip a tiny hole in corner.
 
 
Drizzle over candy. To harden chocolate place in freezer for about 5 minutes.
 
 
Goodies without the hassle.  This is a great candy recipe that children can help with.
 
 
 


Saturday, November 30, 2013

Pecan Pie Muffins


 
 
 
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together flour, sugar, and pecans.
Beat eggs until foamy and stir in melted butter. Stir in vanilla.
Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients.
Stir until just moistened.
Line muffin tin with paper liners.
Spray liners with Baker's Joy.
Fill muffin tins with batter until almost full.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350* degrees for 30 minutes.
Makes about 10 regular sized muffins.

Printable Recipe

What you will need:


Flour, brown sugar, pecans, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract


Mix together flour, brown sugar, and pecans.


Beat eggs until foamy.


Stir butter and vanilla into eggs.



Stir dry ingredients with wet ingredients until just moistened.


Line muffin tins with liners and spray with Baker's Joy.


Fill muffin tins almost full.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 350* degrees for 30 minutes

 
Spray liners with Baker's Joy to prevent sticking.