Candy is Dandy

The Christmas Season is a sweet season, including the treats of candy that we buy and make for sharing with family and friends. Christmas is the 3rd biggest candy holiday, after Halloween and Easter. There are lots of recipes for family favorites and traditional candies of the perfect fudge, peanut brittle, chocolate covered taffy, etc. I've done these in years past and like most people, struggled with the many ingredients called for, varying degrees of heat, boiling syrup, soft or hard boil stages, caramelization or crystallization. Often we found we liked Hershey's just as well!

So this year, my new favorite combines two of our favorite candies - Hershey's Hugs and M&Ms! And it couldn't be simpler. Spread mini pretzels (I especially liked it with the small square pretzels) on a foil covered baking sheet, top each with a Hug, heat in a 350 degree oven for 3 - 5 minutes. Remove when the Hugs start to look glossy. Remember chocolate melts quickly, if you wait until you think its melted, its too late! Top each with a M&M while still soft and warm. The hardest parts? Unwrapping that many Hugs without eating every other one, and waiting for the finished candies to become firm (putting them in the freezer helps speed up this process)!

Here's the finished candies - you can leave off the M&M's like those on the right if you want - but why would you?

The other favorite and quick candy that I always do at Christmas time is Peanut Clusters. It is extra easy and extra quick. I use 8 ounces (half of the 16 oz package) of chocolate almond bark or candy coating, melt in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes (again, remember it holds it's shape so it won't look melted), stir to completely melt. Add about 1/2 jar (8 ounces) of lightly salted peanuts and stir together. Drop by spoonfuls on foil or parchment paper to harden. You can make the full 16 ounces of each if you like, I only make a 'half recipe' at once - a form of portion control! If you want to make any more, its better to do it in batches instead of trying to melt a large quantity of chocolate at once in the microwave.

Caring with Cookies

Cookies are a universal symbol of sweetness and family customs at Christmas. Whether your tradition is sugar cut-out cookies, gingerbread men, spice cookies, or chocolate chip, cookies are always popular at a holiday gathering or on a cold winter afternoon. Sharing cookies with others is a way to show that you care.  Recently our church circle put together cookie plates (with fruit) to take to shut-ins. The warmth and love of those cookie plates is the meaning of Christmas. 


Ginger Spice Cookies are a good winter cookie, similar to Snickerdoodles (which I think are a summer cookie, good with lemonade and Independence Day parades). These Ginger Spice cookies are tasty with a cup of hot tea. Use Saigon or Vietnam cinnamon, it is sweeter with a slight spicy tang, but not bitter. 
I discovered this recipe a couple of years ago while doing a program on spices. It is a good sample of holiday tastes. 
The recipe calls for both all-purpose and whole wheat flours. I keep my flour canister filled with a blend of half all-purpose/half  whole wheat, so that's what I used - (2 cups plus about 3 Tbs.)


Ginger Spice Cookies
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup softened margarine or butter
1/4 cup mild-flavored molasses
1 egg
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar with margarine or butter, molasses and egg until light and fluffy. Add flours, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Mix well. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; dip one side in sugar. Place sugar side up two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes, until cookies are set and begin to crack. Cool one minutes; remove from cookie sheets. 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
This is the other all-time-forever favorite at our house, one I make a couple of times a month. Again, I use the all-purpose flour/whole wheat blend. 
1 cup butter, softened (I use 1 stick butter and 1 stick margarine)
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 3/4 cups flour
1 package (3/4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix (for a variety of flavors, use other favors of pudding mix. Chocolate is especially yummy!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips


In a large mixing bowl, cream butter/margarine and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. 
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minute or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. 

Pour yourself a cup of tea, or better yet, have a friend in to share tea and cookies with you. Or (as my family hopes) send a couple dozen to family members in another state to share the warmth and love of the holiday season.

Tis the Season to Party!

This month our calendars are filled with pot luck dinners, finger food snacks, and other holiday cooking and sharing events. The first one last week was the quilting/sewing group I belong to. There was a good variety of mini-sandwiches, veggie pizza, cookies, breads, and even fruit.

I took Vegetable Mousse - a family favorite from my sister-in-law. The original recipe is named "Tomato Soup Salad", but that doesn't sound very classy, so we've renamed it! We like it served with Ritz toasted chips.

Vegetable Mousse

1 can tomato soup

¼ cup water

3 oz. package lemon jello

8 oz cream cheese

2 Tbs. chopped onion

¼ cup diced green pepper

1 cup diced celery

1 cup mayonnaise

1 small jar chopped pimiento

Heat tomato soup and water. Pour in jello and stir. Cool. Add softened cream cheese, onion, and stir to dissolve. Add other ingredients and mix well. Mold. To serve turn out on serving dish and serve with crackers. 

One of the things I like about this recipe, besides it's taste, is that I usually have the ingredients on hand! But, this night I had to serve it with Ritz Holiday crackers, not the yummy toasted chips, but still good. 

Mini Thanksgiving Dinner

After the big, traditional Thanksgiving dinner with my husband's brothers and families we were missing our own adult kids who didn't make it back to Kansas for the Turkey Dinner Day. So, we traveled to Texas to spend the weekend with our daughter and son-in-law in their new home. The kitchen wasn't quite put together yet, and there were lots of things to do besides cook, so we chose a simple Mini Thanksgiving dinner.

The recipe for turkey meatballs included many Thanksgiving favorites - turkey, cranberries, and stuffing/croutons. It was from Good Morning America and quick and easy to make. We added fresh green beans with scallions, sweet potato casserole, tossed salad, and pumpkin bread dinner rolls to the menu.


Oh, and pie - more on the pie later.

Gobble Gobble Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds ground turkey

2 cups garlic croutons or stuffing cubes

1 cup dried cranberries

2 large eggs

¼ cup breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

2 teaspoons salt

Pinch of ground cinnamon

For the garlic croutons:

1 large loaf stale country bread, crusts removed

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup fresh oregano, finely chopped

¼ cup olive oil

salt

Directions for croutons: Tear bread into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add garlic and oregano and drizzle with olive oil. Toss gently and season with salt.

Place croutons in a large rimmed baking pan, bake for 20 minutes. Stir and bake until brown and crunchy. 

Directions for Turkey balls: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle the olive oil into a 9x13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside. Combine the ground turkey, croutons, cranberries, eggs, bread crumbs, sage, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.

 Roll the mixture into round, golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 ½ inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. The meatballs should be touching one another. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. The temperature should be 165 degrees on a meat thermometer. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

And the pie - a friend shared a wonderfully rich pie recipe with me and I found it was similar to a recipe I'd had for years and been wanting to try. Its surprisingly easy also, and just as easy to eat (and will add many yummy calories to the day!)


KENTUCKY DERBY PIE

1 cup sugar

½ cup flour

1 stick oleo, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup English walnuts

6 ounces chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons bourbon (optional)

1 unbaked pie shell

    Mix all with a spoon. Put into pie shell and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until firm on top. Serve plain or with whipped topping or ice cream.

It was a great Thanksgiving. We were grateful to spend it with family and friends. 

Meaty Monday

There's a movement in popular media and other groups that my Cattlewomen friends and I don't like - it's Meatless Monday. The theory is that skipping meat on one day will help make you healthier and control weight. We disagree! So, Meaty Monday is our motto. I often choose meatloaf for Mondays because it is so easy and bakes in the oven while I work on my many other Monday to-do's lists.

Beef, of course, is our choice of meat. It is an excellent source of protein; a 3 ounce serving will provide more than half the protein most people need in one day. That protein contains the building blocks needed for healthy maintenance and repair of body tissues. Lean beef is a naturally nutrient-rich source of several essential vitamins and minerals we need to live well and prevent chronic disease. A three-ounce serving of lean beef is also an excellent source of  zinc, vitamin B12, selenium and phosphorus; and a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, iron and riboflavin. Muscles made healthy with this protein also form hormones and enzymes, and increase resistance to infection and disease. A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that eating more protein can benefit weight loss, muscle mass maintenance, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and satiety.


Here's our family's favorite Meat Loaf recipe for Meaty Monday: 

2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1 cup oats (quick cooking)
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 can (6 oz) tomato sauce


Mix ingredients together, form into loaf pan and top with garnishes of catsup and french-fried onion rings. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Let set 10 minutes before cutting. 

For a 'fancy' meat loaf, I put one-half of the meat mixture in the loaf pan, spread sour cream and sliced mushrooms over the meat, and top with the other half of the meat mixture. 


The next best thing about Meatloaf Monday, is Sandwich Tuesday! A slice of cold meatloaf fits a sandwich just right, add mustard and pretzels for my favorite lunch. 

Home Made Bread Day

Yesterday, November 17, was HomeMade Bread Day - not at my house, I was too busy elsewhere. But this month has been a time of baking as the weather turns cooler and we think of cozy warm kitchens. Yeast breads can be a challenge, taking both skill and time, but I've found a great way to make the most of both - the bread machine.

Several of my favorite bread recipes use the bread machine. It had been delegated to the store room, but now comes out regularly. Using the bread machine for dough, as this cinnamon roll recipe does, doesn't speed up the process (my bread machine takes 2 hours and 45 minutes for dough cycle) but I can do several other things while the machine does the mixing and kneading for me.

Usually I don't put brand names in my recipes, but King Arthur Flour is so good, it does make a difference! This company was one of the sponsors of the National Festival of Breads, coordinated by the Kansas Wheat Commission last summer, and they have a good website (where I got this recipe) and great products.

So here's our family's new favorite for Cinnamon Rolls:

Dough:

1 packet “highly active” active dry yeast; or 2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast

7/8 – 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water (I use 1 cup. If the humidity is high use the lesser amount, if it is dry, use the greater amount)

3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

½ cup instant mashed potato flakes

1) Make the dough. If you’re using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons of the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you’re using instant yeast, you can skip this step.

2) Combine the dissolved yeast (or instant yeast) with the remainder or the dough ingredients. Mix and knead everything together – by hand, mixer or bread machine set on the dough cycle – until you’ve made a smooth dough. If you’re kneading in a stand mixer, it should take about 7 minutes at second speed, and the dough should barely clean the sides of the bowl, perhaps sticking a bit at the bottom. In a bread machine (or by hand), it should form a smooth ball.

3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, till its nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 – 2 hours. Rising may take longer especially if you’ve kneaded by hand.  Give it enough time to become quite puffy.

4) While the dough is rising, lightly grease pans (Two 9” round cake pans or a large jelly-roll pan)

5) Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16” x 12” rectangle. (Greasing the work surface and your hands for this soft dough works great - and doesn't add any extra raw flour to the dough.)

6) Brush dough lightly with milk. Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and flour and sprinkle evenly over the dough, covering the entire surface. Sprinkle on crasins.

7) Roll the dough into a log the long way, stretching to about 20” in length as you roll.

8) Using a serrated knife, or strong thread, slice the log into slices about 1 inch thick. (I like to use a quilting thread to wrap around the dough to slice evenly and neatly) Place rolls in prepared pan and flatten gently.

9) Cover the pan and let the rolls rise until they’re noticeably puffy, about 1 ½ - 2 hours. They should spread out and start to crowd one another.

10) While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake rolls till they’re brown around the edges and beginning to turn gold brown across the center, about 20 minutes.

10) Remove the rolls from the oven and drizzle icing over them. For icing, I mix 1 cup powdered sugar with enough (1 tablespoons or so) liquid flavored coffee creamer to make a glaze. Some people like a soft spreadable icing that is thicker – use more powdered sugar.

Now, make Home Made Bread day happen often at your house and enjoy! 

Pumped for Pumpkins

Pumpkins are such a fall favorite that I've collected lots of recipes. The fact that son and son-in-law are pumpkin-flavor fans has us making everything pumpkin from morning oatmeal and lattes to pumpkin roll desserts, with lots of experiments in between.
This week I tried pumpkin with my morning oatmeal. I discovered stone-ground oatmeal a couple of years ago and make it in batches for 4 or 5 days at a time. This pumpkin oatmeal can be done the same way. The recipe is for 2 servings, but they are generous servings, I divided mine into 3. Since its made in the oven, no watching the pan on the stove for boil overs! Just stir together and set the timer.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup skim milk
     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in a bowl and stir. Put into baking dish sprayed   with nonstick spray. You could bake this in individual dishes as it will be served. Bake 10 minutes. Combine topping (2 tablespoons slivered almonds, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 1 teaspoon butter) and sprinkle over top. Return to the oven and cook an additional 10 minutes.
   I prepare extras for future mornings, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. An easy breakfast - just add a splash of milk and pop in the microwave for a couple of minutes.

With the holiday baking season we will be using lots of spices, so it is a good time to check supplies and make sure the spices in the cabinet are fresh. I've been guilty of having spices older than my kids! While they will still be safe, they may not be as tasty. Many fall recipes call for pumpkin pie spice, a simply substitution is 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon ginger + 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/8 teaspoon allspice. I've also discovered that Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon has a better flavor than regular cinnamon, less bitter and more citrus. The K-State fact sheet that I did while working is on the K-State Research & Extension website:   http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/library/fntr2/mf2920.pdf

Another favorite is Pumpkin Spice Latte, an expensive treat from the coffeeshop, and not available in my town. So my home 'brew' is: microwave a cup (or less) of skim milk, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice coffee creamer, and (optional) about 1/4 cup bottled vanilla frappuccino in a large mug; when heated, whisk the milk (there are handheld electric mini-whisks just for this) to froth and increase the volume. Carefully pour hot, strong coffee (about 1/4 cup) into the side of the frothy milk mixture. (I use reheated leftover-from-the-morning coffee). Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon. Now charge yourself $4.25 for a grande size.

Three weeks until Thanksgiving. How many more pumpkin recipes can I make for the guys?

Pumpkin Bumpkin

The fall is surely pumpkin time, one of our favorite flavors. Pumpkins have been American favorites for centuries, and connected with history and folklore through the ages. The Indians roasted strips of pumpkin for food. Colonists sliced off the top, removed the seeds and filled the center with milk, spices and honey which they baked in hot ashes; probably the beginning of pumpkin pie. Folklore is filled with pumpkins in stories and fairy tales. Cinderella rode to her dream-of-a-lifetime ball in a pumpkin-turned-coach. She just had to remember to be home by midnight (have you heard someone say they'll turn into a pumpkin if they don't go home early?).  Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater kept his wife in a pumpkin (not an appealing adobe). And, on Halloween, let's not forget The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with Ichabod Crane disappearing after meeting the headless horseman, leaving behind his horse, his hat, and a pumpkin.

Today, I haven't heard any modern pumpkin stories, just good pumpkin recipes. And its a food you can enjoy for the taste and for the nutrition. The orange color of pumpkin is a sign of the rich antioxidant beta carotene, and Vitamin A. This nutrient may help reduce the risks of certain cancers and protect against heart disease as well as some degenerative aspects of aging. And, if you're worried about freckles or snakebite, Indian legends claim that pumpkins are good for curing both!

Most of the pumpkin supply is available in October and the fall is my favorite time for baking with pumpkin. I recently visited son Clint in Iowa and did a 'pumpkin weekend', making pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin pie.  Here's my recipe for pumpkin muffins, quick and easy, and extra good!

WHOLE WHEAT PUMPKIN APPLESAUCE MUFFINS

2 cups whole wheat flour (or blend)

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

⅓ cup white sugar

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup applesauce

½ cup canned pumpkin

⅓ cup buttermilk (or 1 tsp lemon juice + milk = ⅓ cup)

2 eggs, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl; set aside.

Beat eggs. Combine brown sugar, white sugar, oil, applesauce,, pumpkin, buttermilk, and eggs in a medium bowl. Mix until well blended. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in raisins and pecans, if desired (1/4 cup each)

Divide the batter evenly in 12 muffin tins. Bake 15 – 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack and remove from pan. 

another favorite, and quick-to-do recipe, is this one for pumpkin bars: I made this for church coffee time earlier in the fall. 

Pumpkin Spice Frosted Snack Bars

1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

1 cup Miracle Whip dressing

3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, beat cake mix, pumpkin, dressing and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Pour into greased 15x10x1-inch pan.

 Bake 20-22 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.

 Frosting:  (or if you're in a hurry, use a can of ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting)

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg (16 oz) powdered sugar (about 4 cups)

Beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add sugar beating after each addition until well blended. Spread over cooled cake. Cut in to bars to serve. Store any leftover bars in tightly covered container in refrigerator.