Snack

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

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  • 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons seasoned salt

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

Rinse the pumpkin seeds and pat dry. Place them in a bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, melted butter and seasoned salt; stir until evenly coated. Spread out in an even layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 1 hour in the preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until crisp, dry and golden brown.

Easiest Holiday Cookies EVER

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Submitted by Debbie Tenzer

 

  • 1 roll of store-bought refrigerated sugar cookie dough, including the kind with holiday designs already in the dough
  • 1 box of store-bought chocolate wafers – any brand

Slice sugar cookie dough according to package directions, or use the pre-sliced ones. Place half of the cookies on a cookie sheet. Leave two inches spaces around each cookie, because cookies are going to expand.

On top of each sugar cookie, place a chocolate wafer. Then cover with another sugar cookie.

Bake per package directions. Keep an eye on your cookies so they don’t overcook.

Enjoy watching your guests faces when they discover the chocolate surprise inside each cookie

Bonfire Toffee

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Submitted by Robert Crowe, who got it from http://britishfood.about.com/od/festivecooking/r/parkin.htm.  The website includes this description:  “Bonfire toffee is the absolute treat on Bonfire night in the UK. The Treacle Toffee Recipe for Bonfire Toffee is simple, quick and easy to make but must be approached with caution; toffee gets very, very hot (up to 140 °C/ 270°) as it is boils. Treacle Toffee keeps very well stored in an airtight tin so make enough for Bonfire night and extra toffee for Christmas.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

  • 1lb/450g dark brown sugar
  • ¼ pint/120ml water
  • ¼ level tsp cream of tartar
  • ½cup/115g black treacle/molasses
  • ½cup/115g golden syrup/corn syrup

Butter a 12″ x 4″/30cm x 10cm or 7″/18cm square tin.

In a heavy based 4-pint sauce pan dissolve the sugar and water over a low heat. Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to the boil. Using a sugar or toffee thermometer boil to 270°/140°C (soft crack). If you do not have a sugar or toffee thermometer – when you drop a bit of the syrup into cold water, it will solidify into threads that, when removed from the water, are flexible, not brittle. The toffee strands will bend slightly before breaking.

Once this stage is reached (about 10 minutes maximum) pour the toffee into the prepared tin and leave to cool.

Once the toffee is cold remove it from the tin and break with a toffee hammer or solid sharp object, and the toffee will crack into pieces.

Store in an airtight tin if you can resist it long enough!

 

Makes 1¼lb/500g toffee

Steep and Brew Scones

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “This recipe is from one of our favorite coffee houses in Madison, Wisconsin.”

  • 5 cup flour
  • 6 cups oats
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup currants
  • 11 ounces melted butter
  • 1 1/3 cups half and half
  • 4 eggs

Combine dry ingredients and currants. Melt butter in oven, remove and mix in half and half. Return to oven until mixture is warmed. Crack eggs into a separate bowl and mix to a uniform consistency. Add to warmed butter and milk mixture, whisking continuously. Add to dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Do not overwork. Turn onto very lightly floured surface, and, with floured hands, flatten dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 15 pieces. Place on parchment paper or lightly greased baking trays and bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn trays and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 385 degrees.

 

Makes 15 scones.

Holiday Muffins

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “On the first day of school each year my quilting group “The Material Girls” and I would bake 6 different types of muffins and drop them off at the teachers’ lounges at all the schools in the district (Granted there is only one high school/middle school and two elementary schools). This was by far the teachers’ favorite!”

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup coconut
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 large apple finely chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup pecans chopped
  • 1 cup oil

Mix it all together.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 full
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Monster (Big) Cookies

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “[My daughter] Maggie and her best friend, Anna Ruhland, are cookie nuts! Anna gave this recipe to Maggie when she was 10 years old.  I know what your thinking…why would you want such a MONSTER recipe? Well if you have to do some serious bake sale baking or a project with a bunch of Brownie Girl Scouts it is a great recipe! Maggie thinks it’s the best!”

  • 6 Eggs
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 pound butter softened
  • 9 cups of oatmeal
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 pound chunky peanut butter
  • 12 ounces chocolate chips
  • 1 pound plain M & M’s

Mix the ingredients in the order given.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes

Makes 12 Dozen

Note: you do not have to bake the whole batch at one time. Place extra cookie dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It will be good in the refrigerator for a week.

Conversions:
2 pounds = 4 2/3 cups
1 pound = 2 1/3 cups
1/2 pound = 1 1/6 cups

Banana bread

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Submitted by Nathalie Padilla, who got it from Cooking Light magazine.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/3 cup plain low-fat yoghurt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups. Level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yoghurt and vanilla, and beat until blended. Add flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter in an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 – inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10  minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Fruit Drops

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Submitted by Joyce Bayer, who writes:  “This is a recipe from my grandmother (my mother’s mother). She used to make them for us, and I loved them. Several years after she passed away, I asked my mother about making them. She helped me find the recipe among my grandmother’s belongings. That recipe was indicative of the way Grandma cooked—sugar, butter, flour, eggs—ingredients listed without any quantities. I worked on the recipe for several years before I got it the way I think I remembered these cookies tasting. It is very important to use whole milk, otherwise the cookies are like hard tack as soon as they cool. When storing them, I usually put a piece of waxed paper between layers of cookies, since they tend to stick together.”

  • 2 cups Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Butter or Margarine
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 cup Sour whole milk (do not used reduced fat milk)
  • 1 cup Chopped nuts
  • 1 cup Chopped dates or raisins
  • 1 teaspoon Baking soda
  • 1-2 teaspoons Cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon Cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 4 cups Flour

Combine all ingredients. Drop by spoonfuls in baking tine or on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes, depending on softness desired. Store in tightly covered container.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

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Submitted by Rob Anning.  I don’t know if he planned to coin the term, “cobeat”, but I like it!

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup softened butter
  • 2 mashed ripe bananas
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup miniature chocolate chips
  • ½ cup nuts

Heat oven to 350’. Grease and flour bottom only of loaf pan. In large bowl, cobeat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add bananas, sour cream, and eggs; blend well. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt; blend well. Fold in chips and nuts. Pour into pan.

Bake at 350’ for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely.

Store in refrigerator wrapped tightly.

Note: I sprinkle the top very lightly with cinnamon sugar before baking.

ANZAC Cookies

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Submitted by Rob Anning, who writes: “History has it that ANZAC biscuits, or cookies to Americans, were baked by women during WW1 for their sons/husbands/brothers/fiances etc overseas on deployment.  Basically they are a rolled oat biscuit made without eggs in order that they keep longer.  The golden syrup is the binding agent, golden syrup is basically a light treacle.”

  • 1 cup flour
  • pinch salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup coconut
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 Tablespoon golden syrup
  • 2 Tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar, coconut, and rolled oats Melt the butter, golden syrup and vanilla together. Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and mix into the flour with the melted butter, stirring until all the ingredients are combined. Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on greased trays. (Flatten lightly with a fork.) Bake at 350’ for about 12-15 minutes until the biscuits have flattened out and have become a reddish brown. Transfer to a cake rack to cool. They will crispen as they cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 dozen.

From my Australian Nurse friend

Mix together:

  • 1 c coconut
  • 1 c flour
  • 1 c oats
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 Tablespoon boiling water
  • 1 Tablespoon golden syrup
  • 1 stick butter

In medium saucepan melt butter and syrup. Mix soda and water. Add soda water to butter mix. Add butter mix to flour mix.

Shape into balls.

Bake at 300’ to 325’ for 20 min.