Snickerdoodles

from: Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, 1975

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 6 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

HEAT oven to 400 degrees.

MIX butter, sugar and eggs thoroughly.

BLEND flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

SHAPE dough into 1 inch balls and roll in mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

PLACE on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. bake for 8-10 minutes

Note: Dough may be chilled before rolling in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Also, these cookies puff up at first, then flatten out.

Chocolate Cheescake Candy Cane Bars

from: Food Network.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Makes about 16 (2 inch) squares




Crust:

20 chocolate wafer cookies
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground coffee beans
1/4 tsp. fine salt

Filling:

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Glaze:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. light or dark corn syrup
2 tbsp. sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup crushed candy canes (see note at end)

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch baking dish with foil.

FOR the crust: Process the chocolate wafers in a food processor with the butter, sugar, coffee and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, about 15 minutes.

TO make the filling: Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl; heat at 75 percent power until softened, about two minutes. Stir and continue to microwave until completely melted, up to two minutes more.

BLEND the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream together in the food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides as need. Add the eggs and pulse until just incorporated. With the food processor running, pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.

POUR the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until filling puffs slightly around the edges but is still a bit wobbly in the center, about 25-30 minutes. Cook on a rack.

FOR the glaze: Put the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in microwave safe bowl. Heat glaze in the microwave at 75 percent power until melted, about two minutes. Stir the ingredients together until smooth; add the sour cream. Spread glaze evenly over the warm cake and scatter the crushed candy canes over top.

COOL completely, then refrigerate overnight.

CUT into small bars or squares. Serve chilled or room temperature. Store cookies covered in the refrigerator for up to five days.

NOTE: To crush the candy canes, remove wrappers and place in a resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to roll and break the candy up into small pieces, about 1/4 inch or so.

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies No-bake

from: Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Desserts, Mirimax Books, 2003

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Refrigeration Time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 dozen

1 16 oz. container dark chocolate frosting
1/2 stick butter, softened
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
48 chocolate kiss candies

PULSE almonds in a food processor until very finely ground. Pour ground almonds into a pie pan or other shallow bowl and set aside.

BEAT chocolate frosting and butter in large bowl with a hand mixer until well blended. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and almond extract.

SHAPE chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in almonds to coat. Place balls on cookie sheet.

USING your finger, make a deep indentation in the center of each ball. Fill the indentations with chocolate kiss candies.

REFRIGERATE for 30 minutes or until cold.

Banana-Blueberry Smoothie

from: www.marthastewart.com, Food Everyday, February 2008

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 servings

1 ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

IN a blender, combine banana, blueberries and yogurt.

BLEND on high speed until smooth. Pour into two glasses; serve immediately.

NOTE: You can substitute any frozen fruit.

My son made a couple of these last night. He substituted blueberry yogurt for the frozen blueberries and plain yogurt. They were yummy!

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

from: Swanson

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes 6 servings

2 cans Swanson's seasoned chicken broth with roasted garlic
5 large potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

PLACE potatoes and broth in a saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil.

COVER and cook over medium heat 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

DRAIN, reserving broth. Mash potatoes with 1 1/4 cup broth. If needed, add additional broth to reach desired consistency.

Smothered Pork Chops

from: Swanson

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Makes 6 servings

2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) beef broth
1/8 tsp. pepper
cooking spray
6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick
1 medium onion, sliced

MIX cornstarch, broth and pepper until smooth. Set aside.

SPRAY skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Cook pork chops in 2 batches for 10 minutes or until browned. Set pork chops aside.

REMOVE pan from heat. Spray with cooking spray. Add onion and cook over medium heat until tender but crispy.

STIR cornstarch mixture and add. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Return the pork chops to pan. Cover and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until pork chops are done.

Sugar

Raw Sugar - Unrefined sugar processed into crystals. Types are Turbinado, Demerara and Dark Muscovado (or Barbados).Granulated Sugar - Derived from the juice of sugar cane and sugar beets then processed. Excellent for baking. Colored Sugars - Perfect for decorating cookies and breads. To make, place a desired amount of sugar in a resealable bag. Add a drop of paste or 2 drops of liquid color. Seal, shake and knead until evenly distributed. Vanilla Sugar - Add 1 vanilla bean to 1 cup of granulated sugar in an airtight container for about 1 week and stir occasionally. Powdered/Confectioners' Sugar - Pulverized to the consistency of talc. Similar in taste to granulated sugar.
Dark Brown Sugar - Semi-refined white sugar with molasses. Dark brown sugar has more molasses than light. It has a subtle caramel flavor, good for all-purpose baking. Light Brown Sugar - Semi-refined white sugar with molasses. Light brown sugar has less molasses than dark. It has a subtle caramel flavor, good for all-purpose baking.These are just the basic sugars that are used most in cooking & baking. There are many more out there!

* Combine brown and white sugar to make cookies chewier. Using granulated by itself will make the cookies crisper.

* Brown sugar must be packed when measured.

* Store sugar in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. For added measure, you can store in a plastic bag in an airtight container. If stored properly, sugar can keep for several years.

* If brown sugar gets clumped up, you can soften it by adding a slice of bread or an apple wedge to the container and let it sit for 1-2 days. If you need it softened quickly, microwave on high for 30 seconds.

Peanut Butter Pudding

from: kraftfoods.com

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Makes 4 servings, 1/2 cup each

2 cups cold milk

1 package (4 serving size) Jello chocolate instant pudding

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup cool whip whipped topping, thawed

POUR milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended.

SPOON evenly into four microwaveable dessert dishes. Top each with 1 tbsp. peanut butter.

MIRCOWAVE on HIGH for 30 seconds or until peanut butter begins to melt and pudding is heated through. Top each serving with 1 tbsp. of the whipped topping.

Pizza Breadsticks

from: kraftfoods.com

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 16 sticks

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Brush edges of pizza crust lightly with oil. Drizzle remaining oil evenly over pizza.

MIX 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese and the pepper; sprinkle evenly over pizza. Place pizza directly on center oven rack.

BAKE 20 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese. Cut pizza into quarters; cut each quarter into eight thin sticks. Serve as dippers with salsa or other dip as desired.

Super Gooey Chocolate Drops

from: foodnetwork.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Makes about 24 large cookies






1 stick unsalted butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 tbsp. buttermilk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
11 oz. (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chunks
1 cup dried cherries (optional)

POSITION racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

PUT butter and unsweetened and semisweet chocolates in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power until soft, about two minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to two minutes more.

STIR light brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.

IN another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, cinnamon and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks and dried cherries.

DROP the batter in heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets. Space about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside. 12-15 minutes.

COOL cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

STORE cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.

Double Chocolate Sable Cookies

from: foodnetwork.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes 3 dozen cookies

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, frozen 10 minutes
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
5 1/4 oz. (11 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk

GRATE the chilled chocolate with a fine grater or rasp and set aside.

WHISK together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt.

BEAT the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until just combined. Mix in the yolk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and beat lightly together until just combined but still crumbly. Fold in grated chocolate with a spatula. Bring the dough together by lightly squeezing in your hands; but don't knead or overwork, as the secret to these cookies is their delicate, sandy texture.

DIVIDE the dough in half. Lay half the dough on a long sheet of waxed paper and shape into a log along the width of the waxed paper, leaving some space at each end. Pull the paper over the top of the log. Grip the edge of the top piece of paper, and use a straight, firm edge, like a ruler or the edge of a pan, to press gently against the edge of the dough where the papers come together to create a solid, firm round log. Repeat with remaining dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (To keep logs round store inside an empty paper towel roll.)

PREHEAT the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

SLICE logs into 1/2 inch thick rounds with a sharp, thin knife. Divide rounds onto the prepared sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

BAKE until cookies smell fragrant with a full cocoa aroma and set on the outside, about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans, about 5 minutes.

TRANSFER cookies to a rack to cool completely. Serve.

Note: Dough can be made and frozen for up to 2 weeks. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Curly Pasta with Spinach and Chickpeas

from: Food & Wine Magazine, October 1998

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed and washed well or three 8 oz. packages frozen whole-leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 1/2 oz. pancetta, cut into thin strips
4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 lb. curly spaghetti or fusilli col buco, broken in half
1 19 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and freshly ground pepper

HEAT a large skillet. Gradually add the fresh spinach and cook over moderately high heat, stirring between additions, until wilted. Transfer the spinach to a colander and rinse under cold water, then gently squeeze fairly dry. Coarsely chop the fresh or frozen spinach.

IN the same skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

IN a large pot of boiling salt water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 3/4 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a large bowl.

RETURN the spinach to the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring until heated through. Add the chickpeas and reserved pasta water and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss well. Season with salt and pepper. Serve at once.

Double Cranberry Muffins

from: kraftfoods.com

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Makes 16 muffins




1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar, divided
4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups cranberry almond crunch cereal, divided
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/3 cup orange juice
2 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. oil, divided
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped

PREHEAT oven to 375. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix 1 cup cereal and milk in a medium bowl; let stand 3 minutes. Add egg, orange peel, orange juice and 2 tbsp. oil. Mix well. Add flour mixture and stir until just moistened. (Batter will be lumpy). Gently stir in cranberries.

CRUSH remaining 1 cup of cereal; mix with remaining 1 tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. oil. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups. Top with cereal mixture.

BAKE for 22 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

COOL in pan for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Serve warm or cool.

Asian Crab Cakes

from: landolakes.com

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 5 minutes

Makes 42 cakes

Sauce Ingredients

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tbsp. horseradish

1 1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Crab Cakes Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/3 cup sour cream or mayonnaise
2 tsp. finely chopped gingerroot
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 lb. lump crabmeat or 4 (6 oz) cans of white crab meat, drained well
2 cups finely crushed saltine crackers
3 tbsp. butter
6 tbsp. olive oil

HEAT oven to 400°F. Combine all sauce ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

COMBINE green onion, sour cream, gingerroot, garlic, soy sauce and egg in medium bowl. Stir in crabmeat and 1 cup cracker crumbs until well mixed. Shape level tablespoons of mixture into 1 1/2-inch patties; flatten slightly. Place remaining 1 cup crushed crackers in shallow dish. Coat both sides of each patty in crackers.

MELT 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place one-third of crab cakes in pan. Cook, turning once, until golden brown on each side (4 to 6 minutes). Repeat two more times with remaining butter, olive oil and crab cakes. Place browned crab cakes onto baking sheets. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through.

SERVE immediately with sour cream sauce.

Note: Patties can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Prepare crab mixture, make patties and coat each in crushed crackers. Place in resealable plastic food container between sheets of waxed paper. Cover tightly; refrigerate. Just before serving, cook and bake crab cakes as directed above.

Macaroni and Cheese

from: marthastewart.com

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes 8 servings

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 lb. elbow pasta (or your favorite)
4 tbsp. butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup flour (spooned and leveled)
4 cups milk
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 1/4 cups shredded yellow cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
1 1/4 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (5 ounces)
8 oz. ham, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
2 slices white sandwich bread

PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain and reserve. Meanwhile, in a 5-quart heavy pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in flour to coat onion. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps.

COOK, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne (OPTIONAL) and 1 cup each yellow and white cheddar cheese. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

TOSS pasta with cheese mixture; fold in ham. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual dishes. Set aside.

IN a food processor, pulse bread until large crumbs form. Toss together with remaining 1/4 cup each white and yellow cheddar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Top pasta with breadcrumb mixture. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

French Onion Soup

from: marthastewart.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Makes 8 servings

10 medium yellow onions (about 4 1/2 lbs), halved, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cans (14 1/4 oz each) chicken broth
3/4 cup dry red wine

For Cheese Toast (Optional)

4 slices toasted multigrain bread
4 oz. sliced swiss cheese

PREHEAT oven to 450 degrees. In a large roasting pan, toss together onions, oil, sugar, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover tightly with foil; cook until steamed, about 30 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring every 30 minutes, until onions are golden brown and caramelized, 1 to 1 1/4 hours more.

TRANSFER onion mixture to a large saucepan (reserve roasting pan); stir in broth and 6 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until liquid has darkened, about 20 minutes.

DEGLAZE the roasting pan with wine: Place the pan over medium heat; add wine. Scrape bottom of pan with a wooden spoon or scraper to loosen any browned bits. Simmer until reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Pour liquid (and browned bits) into soup. Season with salt and pepper. (If freezing, let cool completely before transferring to airtight containers, leaving 1 inch at top.)

MAKE the cheese toast: Heat broiler. Place bread on a baking sheet; top with Swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Cut each slice into four triangles.

TO serve, divide soup among bowls; garnish each with two triangles of cheese toast, if desired.

THIS soup can be frozen for up to three months; to serve, defrost, and warm on the stove, over low heat. The soup gets its rich taste from caramelized onions.

Sour Cream Cherry Scones

from: landolakes.com

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 25 minutes
Makes 16 scones

Toppings:

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 tbsp. sugar

Scone Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2/3 cup dried cherries (or sweetened dried cranberries)

HEAT oven to 375 degrees. Combine all topping ingredients in small bowl; mix well. Set aside.

COMBINE flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

COMBINE sour cream, egg and almond extract in small bowl until smooth. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Stir in cherries.

TURN dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 8 to 10 times until smooth, adding small amount of flour, if necessary.

DIVIDE dough in half. Pat each half into a 7-inch circle. Place 2 inches apart onto large ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle topping evenly over dough. Score each half into 8 wedges; do not separate.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until scones are lightly browned. Cool 15 minutes; separate scones.

STORE leftover scones in airtight container at room temperature.

Oyster Liquor

The natural juice from freshly opened oysters. It should always be clear with a clean and briny aroma. Discard oysters with cloudy liquor. If there are pieces of shell or other grit inside the oyster, rinse it before cooking. The shell will refill with juice.

Marzipan

A pliable mixture of finely ground almonds, sugar and egg white. It is used as a filling and to make confections and decorations. It can be tinted, rolled into sheets, cut into strips or molded into various shapes. It is available at supermarkets in tubes or plastic-wrapped logs.

Gnocchi

Pronounced: NYOH-kee

Small Italian dumplings made of potatoes or semolina. Eggs or cheese can be added to the dough. It is shaped by hand, cooked in boiling water and served, like pasta, with several different types of sauces.

Dragees

Pronounced: dra-ZHAY

These are hard candies, originally almonds with a hard sugar coating. The name is from the Greek for honey-coated almonds.