Pumpkin Bread

 This is a Christmas favorite from Amy G.

Butter Toffee with Roasted Almonds

 A Christmas treat recipe From Natalie S. from her blogpost found on doodlecraftblog.com

You can find additional pictures and instructions on her blogpost.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) Real Butter

1 1/3 cups of Granulated Sugar

4 Tablespoons of Corn Syrup

4 Tablespoons of Water

Roasted Almonds to line the tray

(spread on baking sheet...about 275* for 30 minutes or so, turning every 10) 

And a silicone baking sheet...or aluminum foil lined baking sheet

You also need a thick bottomed pan.

(not a copper bottom...they burn too fast)

Instructions

Line a jelly roll pan with a silicone baking sheet or aluminum foil.  Chop almonds.  Put a single layer of chopped almonds on the baking sheet.

Place butter, corn syrup, sugar and the water in your thick bottomed pan.  Turn the heat on high.  Stir it gently as it melts together...stay close because this is a very quick process.  

It will begin to foam and bubble...it will rise high in the pan.  Stir it continuously.  

Then it will begin to thicken and pull back inside the pan.  

Let it rapid boil and stir it continuously.  Then, almost all at the same time...it will get quite thick, turn tan color and begin to smoke!  It's done!!!  Remove from heat immediately!   

Pour directly on top of the chopped almonds.  Or just on a baking sheet if you don't want nuts.  You can dip in chocolate if desired, but we love those roasted almonds.  Toffee is actually best if left overnight.  It's so hard to wait until the next day to even taste a sample...but it's tastier if you do.  

Pistachio Pie

 From Hilary P.

Ice Cream Rice Krispie Dessert

From Hilary P.

Crust

1 C. Butter

 1 C. Brown Sugar

3 C. Rice Krispies

1 C. Shredded Coconut

1 C. Chopped Walnuts or Pecans

1 (12 oz) Package Frozen Raspberries

Middle Layer

1 (2 qt) Carton Vanilla Icecream

Topping

1 box Raspberry Danish Dessert (or Strawberry)

Crust Instructions

Melt butter and stir in brown sugar.  Mix in the remainder of the crust ingredients.  Press 1/2 of the mixture into a 9X13 pan.

Middle Layer Instructions

Cut the container from around the ice cream.  Take the block of ice cream and slice into sections. Press ice cream into the pan to cover the crust.  Pour remaining crust mixture on top of the ice cream.  Place in freezer for 30 min.

Topping Instructions

Prepare danish dessert as directed on package.  Use as garnish on dessert.  Chocolate or carmel are also great toppings.

 

Spritz Cookies

 This is Ashley B.'s favorite Christmas treat.  She says that she always makes them with almond extract and not vanilla.  You will also need a cookie press.  Ashley says, "Of all the treats my Mom made every year, spritz cookies are the ones I long for and make."

Makes: 5 dozen cookies

1 C. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 C. sugar

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour (DO NOT use self-rising flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 400.  Cream butter and sugar.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Fill cookie press with 1/4 of dough at a time.  Form desired shapes on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6-9 minutes or until set but not brown.

Basic Vanilla Homemade Icecream Recipe Mix

Recipe taken from Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Book and Modified by Mikael's Dad

Makes 1 qt mix (which fits in a 2 qt ice cream maker)

Eggs (2-8...see below)
3/4 C. White Sugar
2 C. Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream)
Whole milk (Possibly...see below)
Imitation Vanilla (2 tsp-3 T....see below)

In a mixing bowl whisk eggs

The original recipe calls for 2 whole eggs, but you can do 3-4 whole eggs for more creaminess or my Dad prefers 6-8 egg YOLKS...any work

Whisk eggs until light and fluffy or you are tired of mixing.

Add sugar to eggs slowly, whisking as you go.

Add cream slowly, whisking as you go.

Add enough milk so that the total mixture is 1 quart.  Sometimes depending on the size of your eggs you will not need to add any milk.

Add vanilla (even if adding other flavors or fruit).  A minimum of 1 capful (2 tsp).  If doing a straight vanilla icecream add 2 caps (1 T) up to 3 T. for a lot of vanilla taste.

Transfer mix to a pot.  Heat while stirring constantly with a whisk.

Use a thermometer to heat to anywhere between 140-160 F.  (Remember to stir constantly)

Remove from heat so the eggs stop cooking.  Allow to cool in pot in fridge (set pot on a hotpad) until it is cool enough to pour into a glass quart jar.

Pour mixture into quart jar.

Continue cooling using one of the following methods depending on how much time you have.  You must cool it to below 40 F degrees.  35-37 F is ideal:
Cool in the fridge overnight
Put in the freezer (but you must shake it every 20 minutes or it starts freezing and make ice crystals)
Put quart jar in an ice bath (ice and water in a big bowl...set the quart jar in the ice and water bath)

Once it is cooled you can put in your icecream maker and let it freeze.

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Note as a time saver:   Harmons sells a 1 gallon jug of Vanilla ready made icecream mix that you can pour right into your icecream maker.  It is good.  It tastes like Arctic Circle Soft Serve Icecream.

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Notes from Mikael:
I didn't follow directions very well and it turned out awesome.  Here is what I did...
Combine 2 whole eggs and 3/4 C. sugar in an electric mixer on medium high for 10 minutes. (Could probably do less).  In a pan combine that mixture with 2 C. cream and 1 capful imitation vanilla.  I did not add any extra whole milk.  Heat on Medium high until between 140-160 F.  I measured with an instant read meat thermometer.  Put pan in fridge to cool a bit.  Pour into 2 quart jars with lids (mine wouldn't fit in 1 quart jar).  Place jars in ice bath until mixture reads below 40 F.  Place jars in fridge until ready to use.

Amy's Fruit Dip

Amy G. made this wonderful fruit dip for the Progressive Dinner Appetizer 2018.

1 C. Brown Sugar
8 Oz softened cream cheese

Mix and serve.

Christianne's Lemon Cake

This recipe is one of Christianne F's recipes, so you know it has to be good.

1 lemon cake mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 C. water
1 small lemon jello (4 serving size)
3/4 C. oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients.  Pour into a greased cake pan (metal is better than glass because it is slightly larger so cake will be a little thinner).  Bake at 350 for 30-40 min.  Cool slightly.  Pour glaze over while still a little warm.

Glaze
Mix about 3 C. powdered sugar with lemon juice until you reach the desired consistency and amount.
(About 7 T. lemon juice).  Mix glaze really well before pouring over cake.

If you make glaze thin it will soak into the cake and it is sooooo yummy.

Serve small pieces, it is really sweet.

Swig Sugar Cookies

From Sister Shannon A. (From the Oct 2015 RS Newsletter)

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons water

2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

1 t salt

5 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar, water, eggs. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add buttered mix to dry. Mix well. Roll into a golf sized ball and place on a cookie sheet.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Get glass cup. Put bottom of glass cup in sugar/salt mix and then press on cookie-this creates the signature “Swig” cookie.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until barely brown on the bottom.

Swig Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened

3/4 cup sour cream

2 lbs powdered sugar

1 t salt

1/4 cup milk

Red food coloring

Cream together butter, sour cream and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar. When it gets so thick that it’s not frosting- add a splash of milk. Alternate this process until your frosting is desired consistency. Add 1 drop of red food coloring and mix well.

GOAL- Cookies cold, Frosting warm!

Easy/Healthy Pumpkin Cake/Cookies/Brownies

15 oz. Pumpkin (you can use pumpkin pie if desired...but just pumpkin is healthier and tastes great)
1 cake mix (Spice cake is really good...but you can use others)

Do not add the oil/eggs/water called for in the cake.  Just mix the above 2 ingredients together.  Spread in a pan for brownies/cake or drop by spoonfuls for cookies, or put in muffin papers for muffins.  Bake according to cake box directions until toothpick comes out clean.  You can also add chocolate chips to the batter if desired.  It is good plain, or you can top with coolwhip or applesauce.

Yummm!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

Last year we bought a BlendTec blender and we love it! This smoothie is really good and easy to make:) I usually double it and add more honey.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
by BlendTec

1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 banana
1 cup ice cubes
Add ingredients to jar in order listed and secure lid. Select "Sauces" and serve.

Coconut Chex Mix

I made this for my New Years Eve Party. I got the recipe from my Mom. She had two different neighbors bring it over to her for Christmas Neighbor gifts.

1 medium box golden grahams

1/2 box rice chex

1 large jar of unsalted nuts

1 C. butter (I used real)

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. Karo syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Bring butter, sugar, karo to a boil. Boil for 30 sec. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Pour over cereal or popcorn.

That is the "real" recipe.

This is the way my Mom's friends made it and I made it...

Same as above except no golden grahams, just 1 box of rice chex. No salted nuts. After making the sugar mix pour it over cereal, 1 package slivered almonds and 1/2 bag of coconut.

I loved it, I love anything with coconut in it.

Peanut Clusters

This is another one from Alayna that I got last year.

1 1/2 bags choco chips (she did 2 full bags)

2 or 3 C. peanuts (spanish or cocktail) (She did 4 C.)

melt choco chips (stove or micro). Add peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls. Proportions of choco and peanuts really don't matter. Good refrigerated.

English Toffee

Alayna M. brought this to me last Christmas and I asked her for the recipe.

2 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. karo

1 1/2 C. blanched slivered almonds

1 lb. butter

1/2 C. water

1 lb. dipping chocolate (or hersheys bars)

3/4 lb. chopped walnuts (she uses a little less)

Boil sugar, water, karo, almonds and butter. Stir constantly. Cook until nuts are brown. Similar to the color of almond skins. This can take around 30 min. Spread on ungreased cookie sheet. Melt choco immediately after spreading toffee. Spread choco and sprinkle with walnuts. Pound walnuts into choco with the back of a spoon. Allow to cool overnight. Tap the bottom of the pan with a knife or hammer until it cracks. break up remaining toffee.