Pecan Tassies

PASTRY:

· 1 Cup all-purpose flour

· 1 Tablespoon(s) granulated sugar

· dash salt

· 1/4 Cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese -- softened

· 2 Tablespoon(s) butter or stick margarine -- softened

· 2 Tablespoon(s) fat-free milk

· Cooking spray

FILLING:

· 1/3 Cup finely chopped pecans

· 1/2 Cup packed brown sugar

· 1/3 Cup light-colored corn syrup

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/8 teaspoon salt

· 1 large egg

· 1 large egg white

 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°. To prepare pastry, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and dash of salt in a small bowl. Combine cream cheese, butter, and milk in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until blended (mixture will be crumbly). Press flour mixture into a ball.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 3 to 4 times. Divide dough into 24 portions. Place 1 dough portion into each of 24 miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Press dough into bottom and up sides of cups, using lightly floured fingers.

 

To prepare filling, divide pecans evenly among muffin cups. Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients; spoon about 2 teaspoons filling over pecans in each muffin cup.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned and filling is puffy. Cool in cups for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around outside edge of each tassie; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2000

Zucchini Bread

Yield: Makes 4 large or 8 small loaves

 

6 eggs

1-½ cups brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1-¾ cup olive oil

5 cups unpeeled zucchini, grated

5 teaspoons vanilla

6 cups flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

6 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups walnuts, chopped

¼ cup walnut oil

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or spray 4 large loaf pans (9 x 5 inches) or 8 small (7-¼ x 3-¾).

Beat the eggs until light. Add the sugars, mixing well. Add the oil, zucchini and vanilla and mix well.

Sift the dry ingredients together. Add to the egg mixture by the cupful. Stir until blended. Do not over mix. Add the nuts and walnut oil, fold in until just incorporated.

Fill the loaf pans 2/3 full. Bake approximately 60 minutes for large loaves and 45 minutes for small loaves. Allow to cool on rack for 20 minutes before removing from pan.

 

Notes:

• You can use all white sugar if you prefer.

• Any light vegetable oil may be substituted for the olive oil.

• Zucchini bread freezes very well.

• Recipe can be halved without any ill effects.

• The walnut oil can be left out. It does give the bread an special enhanced flavor. The samples at Cooking Group did not have the walnut oil because I thought I had it but it was rancid. :~(

Candy Treat

1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Special K cereal
1/2 package chocolate chips
1/2 package butterscotch chips

Add sugar and corn syrup to a pot and bring to a good boil.  Add peanut butter and stir until it melts.  Pour over cereal and lightly press into a greased 10x13 pan.
Mix and melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together and spread over the top of the cereal mixture and allow to set.   Cut into squares and serve.

** Don’t put this into the refrigerator or it will be VERY hard to cut into squares.

Ultimate Strawberry Shortcake

1 pound fresh strawberries

1/4 sugar (or however much you want)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (8 ounce) containers frozen whipped topping softened

1 (14 ounce) angel food cake, cut into cubes or broken into chunks ( I buy the cake already made)

Directions

Wash, stem, and cut strawberries in half.

Add sugar; toss to mix well.

Chill.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar well.

Fold in whipped topping and cake cubes.  This works best when cream cheese and whipped topping are softened enough.

Spread cake into an ungreased 13x9 dish.

Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

Cut cake into squares; top with strawberries.

Also works best if you don't double it and just 'double' it in single batches.

Bacon Tomato Cups

From: Colleen Ursenbach

Yield: about 30 appetizers.

 

8 slices of bacon, crisply cooked

1 medium tomato

1/2 small onion

3 ounces Swiss cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon basil

1 can (10 ounces) refrigerated flaky biscuits

Preheat oven to 375°. Coarsely chop bacon, tomato, and onion. Grate cheese. Mix all ingredients except biscuits. Set aside. Separate each biscuit into 3 thinner biscuits. Lay each thin biscuit over a mini-muffin pan cup and press into the cup. (I greased the muffin pans.) Fill each cup with the bacon mixture. Bake 10-12 minutes, until golden brown.

Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

From: Barefoot Contessa Family Stule

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

 

1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta 

Kosher salt

Olive oil

1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced (Plum Tomatoes)

3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced ***(I used regular olives)

1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced

6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

 

For the dressing:

5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ***(I used a little less)

6 tablespoons good olive oil ***(I used a little less)

1 garlic clove, diced

1 teaspoon capers, drained*** (I used a little more)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned  ***(Didn't have at the time)

 

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. For the dressing, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.

Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and toss well.

Raspberry Apricot Syrup

5 cups pureed apricots

7 cups sugar

10 ounces frozen raspberries

6 ounces raspberry Jell-o

 

Mix apricots, sugar and raspberries well and boil for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add Jell-O and stir well.  Pour into jars (makes almost 6 pints) and water bath for 10 minutes

Dinner Rolls (or Cinnamon Rolls)

2 cups scalded milk

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

6 cups flour

2 Tablespoons yeast

 

Pour scalded milk over the butter and sugar and mix.  Add eggs and mix.  Add flour until as thick as pancake dough (about 2 c. flour).  Add yeast and mix.

Let raise until twice the size (about 30 minutes).

Add flour to make soft dough (about 4 c.).  Let raise until size is doubled.

Shape as desired.  Let raise 30 minutes.

Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

13.25 ounce box Barilla Whole Grain Pasta (shells, penne or rotini)
1 pound cooked chicken,  cut into bite-sized pieces
2 small bell peppers, red and yellow, seeded and diced
1 bunch chopped green onions, divided
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup GOOD blue cheese dressing
1/2 - 3/4 cup Buffalo Hot Wing Sauce
3 cups shredded cheese, divided (cheddar, mozzarella or a blend)
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350° F
Boil the pasta in salted water according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Add the cooked chicken, chopped bell peppers, 3/4 of the green onions, and 2-1/4 cups of shredded cheese to the baking dish. Mix well.
Place the garlic, cream cheese, blue cheese dressing and 1/2 cup hot wing sauce in a food processor. Puree until smooth. taste and add another 1/3 cup hot wing sauce if needed. Pour over the pasta and toss.
Mix the remaining 3/4 cup cheese and the Panko together. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the remaining green onions.
Bake until golden, approximately 30-40 minutes.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
8 servings

Jell-O Cottage Cheese Dessert

16 ounces Cool Whip
24 ounces cottage cheese
small can of crushed pineapple
2 small boxes of Jell-O gelatin (or 1 large box) of any flavor

Mix the Cool Whip and Jell-O very will in a large bowl. Add the cottage cheese to the mixture. Add the drained crushed pineapple and refrigerate the mixture for at least 2 hours before serving

Taffy

2-1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup corn syrup
1-1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1-6 gram package Kool-Aid
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Butter cookie sheet and sides
In saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add corn syrup,water, butter and salt. Stir until butter is melted. Bring to boil (and quit stirring). Heat to 250°. Immediately remove from heat and stir in vanilla and Kool-Aid. Stir well. Pour onto buttered pan and let cool about 15 minutes. Start pulling until opaque and light in color. About 10-15 minutes.