Anna's Caramels

Want to make candy this Christmas? My longtime friend, Anna Mason, taught me how to make these (what seems like) a hundred years ago.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 t. vanilla
3/4 cup corn syrup
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup nuts (if desired)

Combine sugar, syrup, butter 1/2 cup cream and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add remaining 1/2 cup cream and cook slowly to hard boil stage (260 degrees). Remove from heat, add nuts and vanilla and pour into greased 8 x 8 inch square pan. Cut when cold, wrap each piece in a square of waxed paper. Keep in airtight container. Makes 36 pieces or 1.5 lbs.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
3. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Snicker Cookies

This recipe comes from a Christmas cookie contest for the Las Vegas Review Journal. They are now a family favorite.

1 cup soft butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2.5 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
20 Snickers bars

Wrap cookie dough around each snicker bar. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Martha Stewart's Almond Crescent Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter
2/3 cup confectioners sugar (plus more for rolling)
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract
1 cup coarsely chopped almonds
2 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1. Heat oven to 350 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream together butter and 2/3 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in extracts, then add almonds. Stir in flour and beat until well mixed.

2. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log 1 inch in diameter. Cut each log into 3/4-inch pieces, and roll each piece into a cylinder 2 inches long. Place cylinders 1 to 2 inches apart on baking sheets, and form into crescents.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let crescents cool, then roll in additional sugar.

Chicken Empanadas

8 oz. skinless boneless chicken breasts (cut into 1/2" cubes)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 cup water
2 T. raisins
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. chopped pimento stuffed green olives
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 t. ground cumin
2 T. dry breadcrumbs

36 potsticker wrappers
1 large egg

2 cup oil

Combine and cook first 6 ingredients. Transfer to food processor and add remaining ingredients. Wrap with potstick wrappers and use egg to seal. Fry till golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with various dipping sauces

Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Torte

My friend (hi Robyn) was just visiting from Boise and mentioned how much she loves this recipe. It's another great holiday dip that can be made ahead of time. Take this to your Christmas party . . . it's delicious.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 oz.)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I like more than 2 cloves)
1 T. milk
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley sprigs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. olive oil
2 T. pine nuts
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
french bread slices

In food processor bowl combine cream cheese, feta cheese, 2 cloves garlic and milk. Cover and process or beat with electric mixer on medium speed till almost smooth.

For pesto combine basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup nuts, 2 cloves garlic and olive oil. Cover and process or blend till almost smooth.

Line 4 cup mold with plastic wrap and sprinkle the 2 T. roasted nuts over bottom of mold. Spoon 1/4 cheese mixture atop nuts, spreading evenly. Carefully spread with half the pesto. Add another one-fourth of cheese mixture.

Sprinkle tomatoes atop cheese in mold Add another 1/4 cheese mixture and remaining pesto. Spread remaining cheese mixture atop and cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, unmold onto platter and serve with French bread.

O Henry Bars

4 cups oats
2/3 cup butter
1/2 Karo syrup
1 cup brown sugar
3 t. vanilla

6 oz. chocolate chips
2/3 cup peanut butter

Pat dough in 9 x 13 pan and bake at 35 for 15 minutes only.

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips. Spread on dough and let set before cutting.

Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 4 eggs
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2/3 cup water
* 3 cups white sugar
* 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Egg Rolls

1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp
1 lb. uncooked bonless lean pork
4 oz. fresh mushrooms
8 green onions
1 red pepper, seeded
8 oz. Chinese cabbage
1 can water chestnuts
3 T. sherry
1 1/2 T. soy sauce
2 t. grated pared fresh ginger root
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 T. cornstarch
24 spring roll or egg roll wrappers
3 cups vegetable oil

Finely chop shrimp, pork, mushrooms, onions, pepper, cabbage and water chestnuts using cleaver or food processor. Add sherry, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and salt and mix well.

Mix water and cornstarch in small bowl until blended. Place 1/4 cup filling evenly across corner of each wrapper and brush cornstarch mixture evenly over all edges of wrappers. Carefully roll wrappers around filling folding in the corners.

Heat oil in wok over high heat until it reaches 375 and fry 3 to 4 rolls at a time until golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper.

P.S. I frequently use only chicken in these egg rolls. I posted the recipe the way I learned it . . . I mostly make chicken only egg rolls.

Starbucks Pumpkin Scone

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
6 tablespoons cold butter

Glaze

1 cup plus 1 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Icing

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ginger in a large bowl.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half-and-half, and eggs.
4. Cut butter into cubes then add it to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry knife or a fork to combine butter with dry ingredients. Continue mixing until no chunks of butter are visible. You can also use a food processor: Pulse butter into dry ingredients until it is the texture of cornmeal or coarse sand.
5. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1 -inch thick rectangle that is about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide. Use a large knife or a pizza wheel to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough.
6. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes on a baking sheet that has been lightly oiled or lined with parchment paper. Scones should begin to turn light brown.
7. While scones cool, prepare plain glaze by combining ingredients in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until smooth.
8.When scones are cool, use a brush to paint a coating of the glaze over the top of each scone.
9. As that white glaze firms up, prepare spiced icing by combining ingredients in another medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk. Makes 6 scones.

Just Chicken Pie

A chicken pie with no peas or carrots - by Deena Stovall, as printed in America's Best Lost Recipes. I didn't trust, so I skipped the cheese in this recipe. I'm just traditional when it comes to some recipes. I will make this over and over again.

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, with skin and bone
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 celery rib, chopped fine
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

* 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
* 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* 3 scallions, chopped
* 2 refrigerated pie crusts, 9-inch
* 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1 large egg, beaten

Directions

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Place on the prepared baking sheet, skin-side up, and roast 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, remove and discard the skin, and cut the meat from the bone and shred the chicken into 2-inch pieces. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the celery until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute. Stir in the milk, broth, and zest and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Strain the sauce into a large bowl, discarding the vegetables. Stir in the chicken and scallions, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the filling cool until just warm, about 30 minutes.

4. Spoon the chicken mixture into the pie shell and sprinkle with the cheese. Top with the remaining circle of dough. Trim all but 1/2 inch of the dough overhanging the edge of the pie, using your fingers.

5. Cut four 2-inch slits in the top of the dough, brush with the beaten egg, and bake until the crust is deep golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve.

Want to make this easier? Just buy that roast chicken at Costco.

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio.

Bailey's Hot Fudge

Bailey's of Boston might be long gone but their hot fudge recipe lives on. Their silver bowls just made the hot fudge sundae taste that much better.

* 1/2 cup butter
* 2 unsweetened chocolate squares
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
* 3/4 cup evaporated milk

Slowly melt butter and chocolate in a saucepan. Remove from heat. Alternately add the sugar and evaporated milk. Stir till smooth. Return to heat. Simmer 8-10 mins. Makes 2 cups.

Thank you, Betsy, for lighting a fire under me to get my hands on the recipe. I owe you.

Caramel Corn

1 lb. brown sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 stick butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Cook brown sugar and Karo together until lightly boils. Add 1 stick butter and 1 can sweetened condensed milk and continue to cook until edges simmer. Pour over prepared popcorn.

Pound Cake

Oh a good pound cake . . . especially one with a crunchy, buttery crust. This recipe is a keeper.

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 cups softened butter
1/2 cup milk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract
6 eggs

350 for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Kitchen Aid recipe.

Elegant Bars

1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup melted peanut butter
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 12 oz. package milk chocolate chips

Mix powdered sugar, melted butter, melted peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs together and place in 8 x 10 glass dish. Press into dish. Melt chocolate chips and spread over peanut butter mixture. Refrigerate and cut into squares.

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting . . .

I've been making this cake for many years, albeit usually only once a year - it's rich. And great. "We" prefer no fruit or nuts in our version, but add what you will.

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups finely grated peeled carrots (about 1 pound)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. confectioners sugar
1 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Lightly grease waxed paper. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and vegetable oil in bowl until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into sugar and oil mixture. Stir in carrots.

Pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans, about 45 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)

For frosting:

Using electric mixer, beat all ingredients in medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Serve cake cold or at room temperature.

Almond Danish Puff

A pate choux on top of an almond flavored crust. I've been making this for years . . . it's yummy.

Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 t. almond extract
2 tablespoons water

Topping

1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
3 eggs

Glaze

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 to 2 tablespoons warm milk or heavy cream
Chopped toasted almonds

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place 1 cup flour in medium bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup softened butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles are size of coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water and the almond extract over mixture; toss with fork.

2. Gather pastry into a ball; divide in half. Pat each half into 12x3-inch rectangle, about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. In 2-quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil; remove from heat. Quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Spread half of the topping over each rectangle.

4. Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely.

5. In medium bowl, mix all glaze ingredients except nuts until smooth and spreadable. Spread over top of pastry; sprinkle with nuts.

"The Best Shortbread" from Cook's Illustrated

We love a rich buttery shortbread in my house. That Walker's tin they sell at Costco . . . we can't have it in the house. Self-control issues. It's a very simple thing to create, typically with just four basic ingredients. My November/December Cook's Illustrated talked about a baking technique using a springform pan. I decided to give it a try. If you're like me and you want the demonstration, look here. I made the basic recipe as follows:

1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 t. table salt
14 T. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/8" thick slices

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Pulse oats in spice grinder or blender until reduced to fine powder, about ten 5-second pulses (you should have ¼ to 1/3 cup oat flour). In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix oat flour, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. Add butter to dry ingredients and continue to mix on low speed until dough just forms and pulls away from sides of bowl, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Place upside-down (grooved edge should be at top) collar of 9- or 9 1/2-inch springform pan on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (do not use springform pan bottom). Press dough into collar in even 1/2-inch-thick layer, smoothing top of dough with back of spoon. Place 2-inch biscuit cutter in center of dough and cut out center. Place extracted round alongside springform collar on baking sheet and replace cutter in center of dough. Open springform collar, but leave it in place.

3. Bake shortbread 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Continue to bake until edges turn pale golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Remove baking sheet from oven; turn off oven. Remove springform pan collar; use chef’s knife to score surface of shortbread into 16 even wedges, cutting halfway through shortbread. Using wooden skewer, poke 8 to 10 holes in each wedge. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over surface of shortbread, then return it to oven and prop door open with handle of wooden spoon, leaving 1-inch gap at top. Allow shortbread to dry in turned-off oven until pale golden in center (shortbread should be firm but giving to touch), about 1 hour.

4. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool shortbread to room temperature, at least 2 hours. Cut shortbread at scored marks to separate and serve.

The technique is to allow the shortbread to expand as it bakes - otherwise it loses its shape as the edges flatten out. I've seen evidence of this, even when using a shortbread mold. The barrier the springform collar makes it the perfect solution.

Anna Mason's Apple Cake

This is a light cake (lots of oil) that forms a slight crunch on the top . . . I like it best with some fresh whipped cream on top, but vanilla ice cream will suffice.

2 cups sugar
1.5 cups oil
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 t. cinnamon
5 cups diced apples

Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add creamed mixture. Add apples. Bake at 325 in 9 x 13 pan for 60 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve with whipped cream.

Apple Crisp

Oh this is good. It isn't your typical oatmeal sort of apple crisp . . . it's more like a lazy apple pie. I can't have this around without wanting to eat the entire yummy dish.

8 apples
1 cup brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup water

Pare and quarter apples and cut lengthwise into four slices. Put sliced apples in bottom of buttered dish. Add water. Combine sugar, cinnamon and flour and rub in butter to make crumbs. Spread crumbs over apples evenly and bake at 375 for 40 minutes.

Previously blogged about here, but worth posting again.