Snickerdoodle Creme Cookies

Ingredients

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

5 tablespoons butter, melted

1 egg

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir sugar cookie mix, butter, egg and cream of tartar until soft dough forms.


In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Coat balls with the cinnamon-sugar mixture; place on cookie sheet.


Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until cookies are just set. Watch them closely! You don’t want them crispy, browned, and over baked.


Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.


For each sandwich cookie, spread frosting on bottom of 1 cooled cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; gently press cookies together.




Source:  Betty Crocker


I'm sharing this recipe at Talking Dollars and Cents 

Cherry Cordials

One of my favorite chocolate candies :)

Makes: 2 1/2 dozen

Cooking Time: 5 min

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup (stick) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 (10 ounces) jar stemmed maraschino cherries, well drained
• 1 (11 ounces) package milk chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

Instructions

1. Line baking sheet with waxed paper.
    
2. In small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, and milk; mix until stiff dough forms. Shape dough evenly around each cherry and place on baking sheet. Freeze 15 minutes, or until firm.
    
3. In small saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening over low heat until smooth. Remove coated cherries from freezer and dip each into the chocolate mixture, coating completely.
    
4. Return to baking sheet and chill for 1 hour, or until chocolate is firm. Serve, or cover and chill until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

The Golden Box from Chocolate.com would make

an excellent gift for your favorite chocoholic!

Brownie Bonbons

Great idea for gifts or entertaining!

Quick and easy semi-homemade . . . 

my favorite kind of recipe :)

A variation I would try is a chocolate

coating instead of  candy canes.

Ingredients

• 1 (19.8-ounce) package brownie mix, batter prepared according to package directions
• 1/2 cup finely crushed candy canes
• 
  

Instructions

1. Bake brownies according to package directions.
    
2. Place crushed candy canes in a shallow dish. Remove brownies from oven and allow to sit 5 minutes. While brownies are still warm, use a small ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop them out; roll into 1-inch balls.
    
3. Immediately roll in crushed candy canes, coating completely. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Source:  Mr. Food

No time for baking? 

Bakery in a Box from 

Chocolates.com is a great choice!

Four-Layer Pecan Pie

I would have never thought adding cream cheese

to a pecan pie recipe, but it sounds delicious!

Can't wait to make this pie :)

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated rolled pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/2 cup sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 ¹/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, pressing crust firmly into plate.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg. Beat at low speed until smooth; set aside.
    
3. In another medium bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add remaining sugar, the corn syrup, and remaining vanilla; mix well.
    
4. Spread cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Sprinkle with pecans and slowly pour corn syrup mixture over pecans.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Let cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies are

one of my favorites!

Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes; let cool.
2. In a food processor, pulse ½ cup of the almonds with ½ cup of the brown sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and the remaining ½ cup brown sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat to combine. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually mix in the flour-nut mixture just until combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in the remaining ½ cup almonds.
4. Form the dough into two 12-by-1½-inch logs. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until firm, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.
5. Heat oven to 350° F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 log at a time (keep the other chilled), cut it into ¼-inch slices and place the slices on 2 baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Storage suggestion: Keep the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source:  Real Simple

By Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez,  December 2011

Stuffed Chicken Rolls

This is one of those recipes that can be varied in so many ways, depending on what you have on hand or what you like.  Of course the one ingredient that I find missing from the recipe is hot peppers and I will definitely add them when I try it out.  How about some mushrooms?

The first thing that came to mind when I found this recipe is to try it out as something different for one of my favorite meals . . . Chicken Parmesan.  Change the cheese to mozzarella and you're good to go!

I'm going to have fun varying the ingredients with this recipe :)

Ingredients

• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ¹/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• ¹/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ¹/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/4 cup pesto
• ³/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¹/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and black pepper; set aside.
    
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir together sundried tomatoes, cream cheese, and pesto. Spread cheese mixture evenly over chicken breasts. Roll up jellyroll fashion; secure with wooden toothpicks.
    
3. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and paprika. Dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased 7- x 11-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, 26 to 28 minutes; let stand 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks, and slice each roll into 6 rounds.

Source:  Mr. Food

Thanksgiving

The holiday season is upon us!  Seems like the other day our family got together for the yearly feast and here it is again.  The years have scattered family members all over the place, but we all come together for Thanksgiving to give thanks for everything we have been blessed with.

This year, The Captain and I will celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple.  My wonderful husband is what I am most thankful for this year.  After spending way too many years alone as a grieving widow after being a wife for 20-something years, the good Lord so blessed me with the most perfect man for me.  He was worth waiting for and I am enjoying life once again!

As I've compiled the following list of Thanksgiving links, my hunger grows for turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes and a number of delicious desserts that we typically eat on Thanksgiving.  The search goes on for something new and different for an appetizer.  Going through all these recipes is a form of torture!

Here's a list of some awesome Thanksgiving links to help you plan your family feast:

Fine Cooking Magazine's Thanksgiving section

Thanksgiving 911 from Real Simple

How to get it all done . . . from Yahoo

Deep South Southern Thanksgiving Recipes

Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Cookbook

Happy Thanksgiving!

Traditional Herb Dressing

Countdown to Thanksgiving!

Here is a basic dressing recipe from Mr. Food.

Spice it up with your favorite ingredients . . .

When making this recipe, I add italian sausage

and never make any dressing recipe without

green onions!

Serves: 6

Cooking Time: 45 min

Ingredients

• ¹/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• ¹/2 cup chopped onion
• ¹/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 ¹/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups cubed herb-seasoned stuffing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Add broth and stuffing cubes, and mix gently until well combined.
    
3. Spoon stuffing into prepared casserole dish. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until heated through

Source:  Mr. Food

Potato Puffs

Makes: 24 large or 72 small puffs

Preparation Time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 min

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup cracker crumbs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¹/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
    
2. Place potatoes in a soup pot and add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to medium and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain off water, mash the potatoes, and allow to cool.
    
3. In a small saucepan, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add sauteed onion, the cracker crumbs, salt, and pepper to mashed potatoes; mash mixture.
    
4. With your hands, roll mixture into balls and place potato balls on prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden and crusty.

Source:  Mr. Food

Rocky Road Chocolate Cake

Doesn't this look sinful?

This is one of those semi-homemade desserts!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-oz.) package German chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.9-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 1/3 cup butter, melted 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups milk, divided 
• 1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• 
  

Preparation

• 1. Beat cake mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.
• 2. Cook remaining 2 cups milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.
• 3. Sprinkle cook-and-serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.
• 4. Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
• 5. Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with pecans, marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted. Spoon into dessert dishes, and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Southern Living
OCTOBER 2008

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Trick or Treat Bars

Makes: 24 bars

Cooking Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• ¹/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 ¹/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter chips
• ¹/2 cup candy corn

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
    
2. Place butter in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and place in oven just until butter melts.
    
3. Remove dish from oven and distribute melted butter evenly over bottom. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over melted butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; press down firmly.
    
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with candy corn and gently press candies into uncut bars. Cool then cut into bars.

Source:  Mr. Food

Enchilada Crescents

You can't get much easier than this recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
• 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each)Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (5 oz)

Directions

• In 2-quart saucepan, mix chicken and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Separate or cut dough into 8 long rectangles (if using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal). Spoon chicken mixture and 1 tablespoon of the cheese onto 1 long side of each rectangle. Roll up; pinch edges to seal. Place seam side down in 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 375°F 15 to 20 minutes. Yield: 8 servings. 
  
  2010 © and ®/™ of General Mills
• 
  

Source:  Taste of Home