Monday, April 26, 2010

Squash Ribbons

3 Yellow Squash
3 Zucchini
½ stick margarine, melted
4 oz of chive & onion Cream Cheese (spreadable)
Cilantro, grn onions, or parsley
1.5 fresh limes
Kosher Salt
Coarse Ground Pepper

Cut squash & zucchini into thin long ribbons. Melt margarine in skillet over low heat. Add cream cheese & juice of one lime. Add squash and cover. Steam over low heat for 5 - 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Squash should not go limp. Pour into serving dish. Top with cilantro, onions, or parsley. Squeeze ½ fresh lime over top. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Spicy Chicken Tenders

2 cups buttermilk
Tony Chachere’s Seasoning
3 cups self-rising flour Oil

Sprinkle chicken tenders with seasoning. Dredge chicken in flour, dip into buttermilk and back into flour. Preheat oil to 350 degrees. Fry fingers in deep hot oil 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

4 eggs, beaten
2-1/4 cups sugar
5 cups milk
4 cups whipping cream
4-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl gradually add sugar to eggs, beating until stiff. Add milk, cream, vanilla and salt and mix well. Refrigerate. Melt butter add pecans and sauté over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until melted. Cool well. Add to ice cream mixture and freeze in ice cream freezer as directed on freezer. Yield 1 Gallon

Monday, April 19, 2010

Easy Apple Dumplings

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoons vanilla
cinnamon
1 12 oz can Mountain Dew

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Butterfinger Cake

1 box marble cake mix
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar prepared caramel topping
1 bag snack size Butterfinger candies
1 cup prepared chocolate syrup
Whipped Topping (recipe follows)

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Bake cake as directed in a 9x13 pan. Let cool. Poke holes all over cake. In a medium-mixing bowl mix condensed milk and caramel topping. Pour over cake. Break Butterfinger candy and sprinkle half all over cake. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with remaining candy. Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Whipped Topping

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup confectioners sugar

Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Mix in confectioners sugar.

Lemon Poppyseed Mini Cheesecakes

Yield: 18 mini cheesecakes

Gingersnap Crust Ingredients:
3 teaspoons brown sugar
1 ½ cups crushed gingersnaps
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Gingersnap Crust Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until they begin to stick together.
Divide the mixture evenly between 18 cupcake liners, pressing down to make sure it is smooth and solidly packed. Bake for 10 minutes.

Cheesecake Ingredients:
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
Zest from 4 small lemons (approximately 2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

Cheesecake Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F.

Mix cream cheese and sugar until integrated. Mix in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream. Add zest, ginger, and poppy seeds. Spoon mixture over pre-baked crusts.Bake for 30 minutes.Remove cheesecakes from oven and allow to come to room temperature. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Ginger Whipped Cream Frosting Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Colored sugar (optional)
Gingersnap cookies (optional)

Ginger Whipped Cream Frosting Directions:
Whip heavy whipping cream and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in ginger. Spread or pipe frosting onto the chilled cheesecakes. Optionally, decorate with colored sugar and a gingersnap cookie

Blueberry Cream Cheese Tarts

12 vanilla wafers
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2(8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1(21-ounce) can blueberry filling, or other pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a paper cupcake liner in each cup of a muffin pan.

Beat cream cheese with a handheld electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Place a vanilla wafer, flat side down, in each muffin cup. Spoon cream cheese mixture over wafers. Bake for 20 minutes. Allow tarts to cool completely. Serve with blueberry filling on top, or pie filling of your choice.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Oh Henry Bars

3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
2 cups regular rolled oats
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15-1/2 x 10-1/2" jelly roll pan with heavy duty foil and spray with nonstick baking spray using flour; set aside.

In large saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Cook over low heat until smooth, stirring frequently.

Combine quick cooking oatmeal and rolled oats in large bowl. Stir vanilla into butter mixture and pour over oat mixture. Stir to coat. Spoon into prepared pan and pat down with back of spoon until even.

Bake for 10-12 minutes only; do not over bake. Let cool 10 minutes, then place in freezer for 1 hour.

When base is cold, combine semisweet and milk chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 cup peanut butter and microwave for 1 minute. Remove from microwave; stir. Continue microwaving for 1 minute intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over bars.

Refrigerate bars until firm, then cut into squares to serve. Store covered in refrigerator. Makes about 48 bar cookies

Monday, April 12, 2010

Baked French Toast Casserole

dash salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk
8 large eggs
2 cup half-and-half
Butter, for pan
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
Praline Topping, recipe follows

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9X13 casserole dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with syrup.

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Corn Casserole

15 1/4-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
14 3/4-ounce can cream-style corn
8-ounce package corn muffin mix (recommended Jiffy)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese

In a large bowl, stir together the two cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and butter. Pour into a greased casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Top with generous amount of cheddar cheese and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.