Hot Cranberry Bake

Hot Cranberry Bake

4 cups peeled Granny Smith apples (or other cooking apples)
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Layer fruits in a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar and set aside.
Mix oats and next 3 ingredients until dry ingredients are moistened and crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit.
Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 1 hour. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

Serves 10 to 12

Maxine's Cookies

I got this recipe from my friend Beth.  Love at first bite!!!

Maxine's Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup Rice Krispies®
1 cup quick oats, not cooked
1/2 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix sugars, oil, butter, egg, and vanilla until evenly blended. Stir in flour, salt and baking soda; mix well. Add Rice Krispies, oatmeal, and coconut; stir until well combined.

Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake approximately 11 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are golden.

Makes 4 to 5 dozen

Note: I made mine smaller and got 7 dozen

Old Fashioned Glazed Sugar Cookies

Old Fashioned Glazed Sugar Cookies

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 large egg, slightly beaten
3 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Sift dry ingredients, cut in butter and add other ingredients. Blend thoroughly; chill. Roll out on floured board or between wax paper. Cut out and put on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 5 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool on wire racks.

Glaze: Whisk together the confectioner's sugar, milk and almond extract. Dip cooled cookies in the glaze and let drip over bowl. Place on wax paper to dry. You may tint the glaze as desired, and use a tiny paintbrush to decorate the cookies. While the glaze is still wet, you may also sprinkle with colored sugars and other cookie toppings.

Makes about 5 dozen

Rocky Road Fudge

Rocky Road Fudge

3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
More butter for the thermometer and pan, softened
3 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/3 cups toasted pecan pieces

Lightly butter the face of a candy thermometer and set aside.

Put the sugar, cream, chocolate, corn syrup, and salt in a large (4-quart) heavy-duty saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon or heat proof spatula until moistened and combined. Stirring gently and constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, 7 to 12 minutes. Cover the saucepan and let the steam clean the sides of the pan for 2 minutes.

Clip the candy thermometer to the pot, being careful not to let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pot, or you might get a false reading. Let the mixture boil without stirring until it reaches 236 to 238 degrees F, 2 to 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add the butter, but DO NOT stir it into the mixture. Set the pan on a rack in a cool part of the kitchen. Don't disturb the pan in any way until the mixture has cooled to 110 degrees F, 1 to 1/1/2 hours.

Meanwhile, line the bottom and sides of an 8x8-inch baking pan with foil leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides of the pan. Butter the foil. Set the pan aside.

Remove the thermometer from the fudge mixture. Add the vanilla. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on high speed until it is a few shades lighter in color and thickens enough that the beaters form trails that beiefly expose the bottom of the pan as they pass through, 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in the marshmallows and pecans. Pour the fudge into the prepared pan, using a rubber spatula to help nudge it out of the pot. You can scrape the bottom of the pot but NOT the sides; any crystals that stick to the pot stay in the pot. Smooth the top of the fudge with the spatula. Set the pan on a rack and let the fudge cool completely, about 2 hours. The fudge will be slightly soft the day it is made, but will firm up overnight.

Turn the fudge out onto a clean cutting board and peel off the foil. Turn the slab of fudge right side up and cut it into 36 equal pieces.

The fudge will keep for a week to 10 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Don't want to make rocky road? Leave out the marshmallows and pecans...make plain and simple fudge. Or add your own stir ins.

Peanut Sitting Pretties

Peanut Sitting Pretties

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugarmilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup peanut M&M's

Cream 1/2 cup butter with brown sugar. Stir in egg yolk and teaspoon of vanilla. Stir together flour and salt and stir into butter mixture well; chill one hour. Make 1" balls, dip into egg white, then roll in chopped pecans. Place on cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and press thumb quickly into each cookie to make an indentation, then bake 5 minutes longer. Cool completely on wire racks.

Mix together 1/4 cup butter with confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a spreadable icing. This can be tinted if you'd like. Ice the center of each cookie, and press an M&M into each.

Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen

Meringue Kisses

Meringue Kisses

3 egg whites, room temp.
3/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually add sugar and beat well until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form. Add vanilla, then stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto foil covered cookie sheets. Put into a preheated 350 degree oven then TURN IT OFF and leave overnight. Store in an airtight container.

Jam Filled Cookies

Jam Filled Cookies

3/4 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup good raspberry preservesconfectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/4" thick and cut with 2-3/4" rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped (or round if that is all you have) cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners' sugar on top.

Homemade Caramels

Homemade Caramels

1 cup butter
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 dash salt
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can Condensed milk, sweetened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter in a heavy 3 quart saucepan. Add sugar and salt; mix well. Add corn syrup; mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until firm ball stage (243 degrees). (This takes a while.) Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour into a well buttered 9 inch square pan. COOL COMPLETELY before cutting into small pieces. Wrap each piece in a small piece of wax paper.

Makes 2 1/2 pounds.

Note: The easiest way to cut these is to turn the candy onto a cool hard surface, and place buttered side down. Cut the whole square in half and set half aside on a plate while you work with the first half. Cut that half into 20 strips, then each strip into 10. Wrap those pieces, then do the other half of the candy.

Granny's Shortbread Cookies

Granny's Shortbread Cookies

1 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup rice flour
pinch salt

Mix all ingredients well. Form into rolls; wrap with waxed paper and refridgerate. Cut 1/4" thick, place on a cookie sheet and prick with the tines of a fork...about 3 times. Bake at 300 degrees and check often, about 30 minutes. Don't let brown too much!

Fudge Cookies

Fudge Cookies

1 tablespoon butter
2 bars Baker's German Sweet Chocolate
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Melt chocolate with butter and cool (not cold though).
Slightly beat eggs until foamy, add sugar two tablespoons at a time beating until thickened (aprox. 5 minutes).
Blend in melted chocolate.
Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon, then add vanilla.
Stir in nuts.
Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes (cookie may look cracked -- that is normal).
Cool and store in air tight container. These do not hold up but a couple of days.

Boiled Chocolate Cookies

Boiled Chocolate Cookies

1 stick butter

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

Bring butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk to a boil and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter, stirring till melted. Add the oats and vanilla; stir until well blended, then drop by spoonfulls onto parchment or waxed paper. Let cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen