October challenge

Man I love these Apricot Bars!

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Submitted by Leslie Eldh Jaquez, who says:  “Great balance of sweet and salty and crunchy sides!”

  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 cup apricot jam

Cream butter until soft. Gradually add sugar and blend. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Blend. Gradually add flour. Blend. Divide dough into two sections, about 1/3 and 2/3. Take the 2/3 section and with your hands press into the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan that has been buttered. Spread the jam onto the dough, leaving about 1/4 space around the edges. If you like more jam, that’s cool!

Take remaining 1/3 section and tear off small chunks and slightly flatten with your fingers and very haphazardly lay them on top of the jam. It will not cover completely just ‘here and there’.

Next, sprinkle nuts on top and gently press them in .

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes or until very lightly browned, they seem to brown up a little more once out of the oven.

my friend michelle’s stuffed mushrooms

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Submitted by Carol Greig

  • 8 oz. of cream cheese (I softened it in the microwave just a tad.)
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 3-4 slices bacon crumbled
  • Cumbled blue cheese – to taste – I just used a little bit
  • Garlic salt, just a shake or so
  • Mushrooms  – I used 2 packages of 12 with a bit of filling left over

Wash mushrooms and pop off stems.  Combine the rest of the ingredients and fill mushrooms; I really pile it on.  Put under broiler until cheese is melted, about 7 minutes.  I found it easy to put them in muffin pans so they don’t roll around.

Apple Pudding Cake

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Submitted by Rob Anning, from Pillsbury Classic Cookbooks – Down-Home Cooking and Baking – November, 1993 –

  • 1 cup  firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup  butter or margarine; softened
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup all purpose or unbleached flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cup  chopped apples

Cinnamon Butter Sauce

  • 1/3 cup  butter
  • 2/3 cup  sugar
  • 1/3 cup  half-and half
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8-inch square pan.

In large bowl, beat brown sugar and margarine until light and fluffy; beat in egg. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; mix well. Stir in  apples.  Spread batter in greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients in small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts and sauce is hot, stirring frequently. Serve warm sauce over warm cake. 9 servings.

High Altitude: Above 3500 feet: Increase flour to 1-1/4 cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

330 calories, 14 g fat, 45 mg cholesterol and 330 mg

Cindy’s Coleslaw

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 1 bag coleslaw
  • 1 package Oriental flavor Ramen Noodles (crunch up noodles)
  • 6 Tablespoon vinegar
  • 4 Tablespoon sugar
  • Slivered almonds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • ¾ cup oil (I use ½ cup)

Mix oil, flavor packet from noodles, vinegar, and sugar. Mix in other ingredients. Let sit over night (so noodles will soften).

I make it in a Tupperware bowl and tumble it whenever I go by the fridge to be sure the noodles saturate well.

Cranberry Sauce

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 2 1/2 cups cranberry juice cocktail
  • 2 cups tart dried cherries
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 package (12 oz.) fresh cranberries
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Bring cranberry juice to a simmer in heavy, large saucepan. Remove from heat. Add dried cherries and let stand 10 minutes. Mix in sugar, cranberries and cloves. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries pop – about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Chill until cold. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Makes About 4 Cups

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.

Gingerbread Martini Bars

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 3 sticks butter

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks 1/3 cup + 3 teaspoons Gingerbread Martini (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line a 10½ by 16 baking pan with parchment paper. Butter the lining, too.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; add sugar and whisk until combined and sugar is melted, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the eggs and gingerbread martini until combined. Add the flour and whisk until just incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan.

Bake for 24 to 27 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with moist pieces clinging to it. Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. Remove the bars from the pan and frost with Gingerbread Martini Frosting. Cut into 2-inch squares.

Drink leftover martini. Yum!

Gingerbread Martini Frosting

  • 1 stick softened butter
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • 7 Tablespoons Gingerbread Martini (maybe 8.)

Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Slowly incorporate gingerbread martini.

Gingerbread Martini

  • 2 ounces Irish Cream
  • 1 ounce Kahlúa
  • 1 ounce Vanilla Vodka
  • 1½ ounces Gingerbread Syrup

Combine.

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.

Rob’s Walnut Date Bars

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Submitted by Rob Anning

  • 1 1/4 cups flour, sifted
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup coconut flakes
  • 1 ½ pounds toasted walnuts
  • 1 8oz package of date pieces
  • 3/4 cup coconut flakes
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350’.
Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter.  Mix to fine crumbs.  Stir in ½ cup coconut flakes.  Press into bottom of 10X14 pan.  ( 9X13 should work, too.)  Bake for 12 – 15 minutes (until edges start to brown).  Combine walnuts, dates, remaining coconut, and sweetened condensed milk.  Spread on crust.  Bake 20 minutes (until golden brown).
Let cool.

Notes

  • I use a 10X14 stoneware pan.  9X13 should not alter the recipe.  A glass or metal pan should be fine also – but I would grease it first.
  • I find they’re easiest to cut with a pizza cutter.