Caramel Pecan Cookies

Caramel Pecan Cookies

These might seem a little involved to make but they are worth it.

Crust:
Ingredients for Basic Butter Cookies, recipe follows
Caramel pecan topping:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecans (1/2 pound), toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped (I bought pecans that were already chopped and roasted at Trader Joes)

To make the crust: Grease a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends, and grease foil.
Follow recipe for basic butter cookies to make dough (do not chill), then press dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap on top to prevent dough from sticking to your fingers, and chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
While crust chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)

Basic Butter Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 minutes with a hand held mixer. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

To make topping while crust cools: Cook sugar in a 2 1/2 to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.
Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours.

Run a heavy knife under hot water, then wipe dry and cut confection into 2-inch triangles, diamonds, or squares. Caramel pecan cookies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Ooey Gooey Good!! Enjoy…

Tortilla Chicken Bake

This is a wonderful way to use up leftover chicken. I can assure you there will be no leftovers with this one!

Ingredients:

• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups cubed, cooked chicken breast or leftover roasted chicken
• 1 284 ml can (10 oz) cream of chicken soup
• 1 284 ml can (10 oz) cream of celery soup
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons undrained green chilies, diced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 6 plain tortillas (9") cut into 1 inch strips
• 2 cups Tex Mex cheese or your choice of cheese

Method:

1. In a large frying pan or wok saute celery and peppers in oil until tender.
2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Stir in chicken, soups, tomatoes, green chilies and chili powder.
4. Line bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan with half of the tortilla strips.
5. Top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese.
6. Repeat these layers.
7. Bake uncovered at 350º for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
8. Serve with a salad.

Slow Cooked Brisket

Barbecue Brisket

This is a great recipe for a crowd!

1 (5-pound) brisket
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 (10-ounce) bottle of beer
Fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Wash and dry the brisket, cutting away most of visible fat.
Sprinkle the brisket with salt, pepper and paprika.
Place the brisket, fat side up, in a heavy baking pan. Surround with the onions, celery and garlic.
Pour chili sauce on top of the brisket.
Slowly pour the water into the pan around the brisket. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and pour the beer over the brisket.
Do this slowly so it doesn’t wash off the chili sauce.
Cover the brisket and cook 3 hours longer or until tender.
Cool to room temperature. Place in refrigerator.
Remove any accumulated fat from the top.
Slice and reheat in the sauce.
Garnish with a sprinkling of fresh minced parsley.

Yield: 10 servings.

This recipe is from That’s My Home Free Recipes – Cattleman’s Barbecue Sauce

We served ours after baking it for 5 hours without refrigerating it. We cut it across the grain and shred it before serving also. We served it along with Cattleman's BBQ Sauce.

We also provided Potato Rolls for anyone who wanted to make it into a BBQ Sandwich. Yummy!

This is my big turkey roaster I cooked 2 – 5# briskets in here and all the extras fit in around them well for the baking time.

So the next party you have invite a crowd and let them bring the extras to go with the brisket. It will make for an easy breezy fun party for the hostess and guests!

Simple Shrimp Cocktail

Shrimp Cocktail served in a pretty stemmed dish is a classic first course for a festive dinner party. This one is easy to make and proves popular with my guests. I'm posting this recipe at the request of several of the "Mennonite Girls" to whom I served it back in September.

• Shredded lettuce
• fresh or frozen cooked Shrimp and/or prawns*
• Lemon slices (optional - for garnish)
• fresh chopped parsley

* It's nice to have the large prawns as a garnish but you can use whatever size shrimp or prawns you have access to for the body of the cocktail. I only had the larger ones in my freezer when I made this but I often use the smaller ones. How many shrimp you need depends on their size.

For the cocktail sauce:

• 1/2 cup bottled Chili Sauce (I use Heinz)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind (if desired)
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• A dash or two Tabasco or other hot sauce

1. In a small bowl, mix all cocktail sauce ingredients.
2. Set aside.

Assemble shrimp cocktails:

1. Fill the bottom 1/3 of each dish with shredded lettuce.
2. Add smaller prawns or shrimp so that the dish is 3/4 full
3. Spoon a generous tablespoon of cocktail sauce in to the centre of the shrimp.
4. Drape 3 large prawns with the tail on over the edge of each dish
5. Garnish with a lemon wedge or slice and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
6. This amount of sauce would be enough for 6 shrimp cocktails.

Toffee Almond Sandies

This is an easy, large recipe that can be cut in half but, left complete, it is a great one for a cookie exchange or to be packaged up as gifts. These cookies have a bit of a biscotti texture, with the special addition of toffee bits and almonds.

Ingredients

1 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 c icing (confectioners) sugar
1 c oil
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
3 ½ cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
2 cups chopped almonds
1 pkg. (6 oz) English toffee bits

additional sugar and whole almonds

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add oil, eggs and extracts. Mix well.
2. Combine dry ingredients then gradually add to creamed mixture.
3. Stir in chopped almonds and toffee bits.
4. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.
5. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and press a whole almond in the center of each cookie. Bake for 12 min in 350 F oven, till slightly golden. Yield: 11 - 12 doz.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

I owe Judy credit for this recipe.  I wanted to make her Jello Sugar Cookies and had the butter and sugar mixed together before I realized I did not have 2 packages of jelly powder.

What I did have was one package of Lemon Pie Filling Mix  so I used that and these cookies have received rave reviews from guests.

• 3- 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup softened butter (use the real thing)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 package Lemon Pie Filling Mix (the kind that needs sugar added)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 375 F
2. Mix together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and add the Lemon Pie Filling Mix.
4. Add the egg and Vanilla and beat until combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients and stir until combined.
6. Chill the dough one hour at least.
7. Roll the dough out on a pastry mat using a bit of flour to sprinkle on the counter.
8. Using a pastry wheel with a scalloped edge. .measure and mark your dough at equal intervals and then cut the dough into squares or rectangles. 
9. Sprinkle. .colored sugar or sprinkles over the dough and carefully place the cookie rectangles on a cookie sheet that is parchment paper lined.
10. Bake 8 - 10 mintues or until golden browned.
11. Remove to wire racks and drizzle with a simple sugar icing.  Let dry and then store in a airtight container in the freezer.

These cookies will make a perfect little stack to wrap in cellophane to give as hostess gifts.

Cranberry Waldorf Jello

This jello salad can replace the cranberry sauce that goes with your turkey. It does not run all over your plate like some jello salads do and adds appealing flavor with the apple tidbits and walnuts.

Ingredients:

1 can (14 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 large (6 oz) pkg cranberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 diced Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apple
1 - 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 small (3 oz) pkg cranberry Jello (optional)

Method:

1. Empty cranberry sauce into 5 or 6 cup serving bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, dissolve Jello in boiling water. Stir well. Add cold water.
3. Stir dissolved jello into cranberries.
4. Add apple, celery and walnuts.
5. Refrigerate several hours until firm.

Note: Once jelled, I like to top it off with a thin layer of jello - since the fruit tends to float to the top and stick out slightly. This jello salad layers itself.

Gingerbread Cake with Lemon Sauce

Baking gingerbread fills the home with the aromas of the season.  Topped with warm lemon sauce and whipped cream...this cake is a favorite at this time of the year.

Gingerbread Cake

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and molasses and mix.
3. Add remaining ingredients and beat at medium speed until smooth.
4. Spread batter in a greased 9" square pan (or 9" x 12").
5. Bake at 350°F until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (about 40 minutes in a 9" square pan and 30 minutes in a 9" x 12" pan).  
6. Serve warm with lemon sauce and whipped cream.

Lemon Sauce

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon butter

1. In saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.   Gradually stir in water.  
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring the whole time, until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, juice and butter.
4. Spoon warm lemon sauce over cake.

Cheese Puffs

These tender little savory puffs are a tasty addition to your party menu. They are quick and easy to make and can be served hot or cold.

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups shredded cheese..this time I used cheddar and mozzarella, you can use any favorite blends of cheese
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1. In a saucepan bring water, butter, salt and cayenne pepper to a boil.
2. Add flour all at once, stirring until a ball forms, remove from heat.
3. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition until mixture is smooth.
4. Stir in cheese and dijon mustard.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on parchment lined baking sheets 2 inches apart.
6. Bake at 425º for 20 minutes or until golden in color.
7. Yield: 3 dozen

Cherry Squares

I got this recipe more than 25 years ago from a sweet elderly neighbor and it has become a yearly must for our family . . . a favorite of one of our kids. The texture is somewhat like a butter tart and I cut the pieces quite small, so it' s like eating a little candy bar.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 c flour
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
½ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup shredded coconut
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 c maraschino cherries


Method:

1. With pastry blender, cut butter into flour and brown sugar until well mixed. It will be moist and crumbly.
2. Press into ungreased 9x13 pan. (one that has a lid, makes it easy for storage later)
3. Bake at 350F for about 12 min.
4. In the meantime, beat eggs slightly, add combined sugar, flour and baking powder,
   then the rest of the ingredients.
5. Spread over baked layer.
6. Return to oven and bake for 20 - 25 min., until golden brown.

Icing:
2 c icing sugar
2 Tbsp soft butter or margarine
½ tsp vanilla
4 – 6 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice

Beat together in small bowl to make a smooth spreadable frosting. Spread over cooled cake. Cut into 36 - 48 squares. I cut them up before freezing and then I can lift out what I need for a cookie platter.

Cover with lid or slip into plastic bag and freeze.

Seafood Salsa

Here's another take on chips and salsa just in time for all those holiday parties.

• 2 cups salsa - purchased or home made
• 1/2 cup imitation crab, chopped
• 1/2 cup small shrimp
• 1/2 cup diced fresh sweet peppers
• several dashes tabasco sauce or other hot sauce

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Serve with your choice of tortilla chips.