No-Bake Nut Goodie Bar

1/2 cup butter
1 pkg. butterscotch chips
1 pkg. Chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 pkg. peanuts
Melt butter, add chips and peanut butter.  Pour mixture over a layer of miniature marshmallows and nuts in 13x9 pan. Keep Refrigerated.

Almond Cake With Cardamom and Pistchio

 

• 1/2 Cup Vegetable oil, plus additional for pan
• 7 Large eggs, separated
• 3 cups almonds
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon matzo meal
• 2 teaspoons ground Cardamom
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• Confectioners sugar (kosher for passover), for dusting finally chopped pistachio nuts, far garnish.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a 9 inch bundt pan or a 9-inch square pan and set aside.  Using a  stand mixer, whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry, and set aside.
2.  Using a large food processor, pulse almonds until very finely ground, stirring once or twice to prevent them from turning into a paste.  In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar, and whisk to blend.  Add ground almonds, matzo meal and cardamom.  Add almond extract and 1/2 cup oil.  Gently fold in egg whites.
3.  Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on a rack.  To decorate, dust with confectioners sugar and chopped pistachios.

Yield: One 9-inch cake (10 to 12 servings).   

Recipe Quest

In light of how poorly I've done in maintaining the original reason for this post, I've decided to attack mom's recipe box while over for the traditional fanfare feast!  Given that time and distance have made the concept of tradition foggy if not non-existent, food is the final bastion!  I simply must get the recipes for the following tomorrow!!

1. Nut Goodie Bars (Ryan's favorite)
2. Jim Jams - can't remember the last time I've had these yum yums!
3. Sandbakkels - not just any recipe!  It has to be grandma's or bust!
4. Rosettes - ditto!
5. My new favorite - Date Balls 
6. English Toffee!!    Don't know if mom has one, but it's one that must become tradition!

I'm sure, nay, I'm counting on the idea, that there will be more to add once I'm actually in the depths of the recipes cards...we shall see!!

"Best Rolled Sugar Cookies"

Well, I had high hopes for the Cut-Out Cookies until I realized I didn't have the cream cheese or the lemon...so I decided to try this one now and that one later.

• 1 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 C white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 5 C AP flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1 t salt

Cream sugar and butter until smooth.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt.  Cover and chill dough for at least an hour - or overnight

Preheat oven to 400º.  Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.  Cut into shapes and place 1 inch apart - they do rise and if close, will connect

Bake 6 - 8 minutes.  Cool completely

*Note: I used a 360º oven and went 10 minutes because I wanted to avoid burn potential as I made the next pan...with 5 year-old hands in the mix it took me a little longer to fill the pan

"Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies"

I've been looking for the ultimate in roll cookies.  I found this one and am going to try it today.  It's from Faith Durand's site: "The kitchn, inspiring cooks, nourishing homes".  I'm copying the huge batch here, but I am going to make the smaller batch to see how it goes.  

• 3 C unsalted butter, softened for an hour
• 3 C granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 oz cream cheese (3/4 of standard package)
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 t almond extract
• 2 t lemon zest
• 9 C flour
• 4 1/2 t baking powder
• 1 1/2 t salt

Cream the butter and add sugar.  Cream until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until golden.  Add the cream cheese and again, beat until well incorporated.  Add the flavorings and lemon zest.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then add, bit by bit to the butter/sugar mix until fully incorporated.  (You will need a very large bowl for this!)

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour - best overnight.

Heat the oven to 350º.  divide the dought into smaller balls and roll out 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out cookies.  

Suggestion:  Cut the dough directly on parchment paper and just slide onto baking sheet ~ much easier transition!

Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes, depending on thickness.    Let cool before icing. 

Enchilada Casserole

Yum! Not much else to say - we all enjoyed this one. As a size reference, we have a 4 qt cooker, this was perfect for it.

• 2 C cubed cooked chicken
• 1 28 oz enchilada sauce (mild was our choice)
• 6 - 8 corn tortillas ( I used small size)
• 1 orange bell pepper - cubed
• 1 yellow bell pepper - cubed
• 1 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1/2 C + black olives, sliced
• 2 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• Garnish/Toppings to taste: Sour cream, avocado

Combine chicken, sauce, and set aside. Mix together the peppers, beans, and olives. Start with corn tortillas on bottom of crockpot. (I used 3 on bottom.) Then layer as follows:

• chicken/sauce,
  
• peppers/beans/olives mix
• cheese

Repeat and finish with cheese and add 1 T of water over the top of it. Cook low 4-6 hours.

Outside-In Turkey Tamale Pie

Still trying to find the best proportions of corn meal for this - but want to get it somewhere more permanent.

• 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey - I use Sweet Italian seasoned
• 3/4 C corn meal
• 1 C chicken broth
  
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with chilies
  
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3/4 C sweet corn - drained
• 1/2 C kidney beans
• 1/2 C black olives, sliced
• 2 t chili powder
• 1 t cumin
• optional - diced fresh red, green, or yellow peppers
  

Brown sausage with cumin and chili powder, add onion, peppers, corn, beans, black olives to sauté 2 - 4 minutes. Add diced tomatoes. In separate bowl, add chicken broth and cornmeal, let stand 5 minutes. Stir all together, add to crockpot. Cook 3-4 hours high or 7-8 hours low.

I think the next time I make this, I will prop open the cover to let a little steam out or add more cornmeal. It was a little on the mush side last time.