Apple-Pie Cider

Apple-Pie Cider from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1 1/4 quarts apple cider
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed light-brown sugar
• 7 whole cinnamon sticks, (6 sticks for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Ground cloves
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt
• 1/2 cup Calvados, or other brandy (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together cider, sugar, spices, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Remove from heat; pour in brandy, if desired. Strain into a pitcher; discard solids. Serve in mugs, garnished with cinnamon sticks.

From Martha Stewart Living, November 2003

Pear Chocolate Pie

Pear Chocolate Pie - from Jamie of Elephants Never Forget, origin unknown

(serves 8)
Dough:
2/3 c butter
2/3 c sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp water

4 pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I use Bosc)
3/4 c chocolate chips

Melt butter and mix into the flour and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, and water and knead quickly into the dough. Chill for one hour. Part the dough into two halves and roll these out into two circles to fit a 7-10" pie pan. Place one dough circle in a greased pie pan. Place pears on top and sprinkle with chocolate chips over pears. Cover with second dough circle, brush with water and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 40 mins at 400 degrees. Serve pie warm with vanilla ice cream, whipping cream or sour cream. (Can substitute apples for pears too!)

Jamie's notes: Pear Chocolate Pie sounds so strange, and is so delicious. I got the recipe from Kristen, who got it from Jen who got it from Bibi, or something like that. Confession: I used D'Anjou pears but as noted in the recipe, I think Bosc would have been better. Also, next time I'd like to try layering the chocolate with the pears rather than just sprinkling it on top. In any case, this is a TASTY pie!

Corn Casserole (Paula Deen)

Corn Casserole -

From Paula Deen, as seen on FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients

• 1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8-ounce) package corn muffin mix (recommended: Jiffy)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar (optional)
  

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 cans of corn, corn muffin mix, sour cream, and melted butter. Pour into a greased 9 by 13-inch casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and top with Cheddar. Return to oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let stand for at least 5 minutes and then serve warm.

Julie's note - I like it without the cheese.

Sweet Corn Bread Pudding

Sweet Corn Bread Pudding - as seen on Food Network.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, diced fine
• 1 ounce unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 (15-ounce) can creamed style sweet corn
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal, whole grain, stone ground
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• 2 cups cubed French bread

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sweat onions with butter and herbs in an oven safe skillet until translucent.

Combine corn, cream, eggs, baking powder, cornmeal, Parmesan, salt, and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add cubed bread and fold to combine. Pour batter into skillet, right on top of the onion mixture. Bake 50 minutes, or until set. Cool slightly before serving.

Aunt Marsha's Carrot Stuff

Aunt Marsha's "carrot stuff"- from Cara of Cara's Cravings

• 2 lbs Ritz Crackers
• 3 lbs carrots
• 5 med onions
• 1/4 lb butter
• 6 eggs
• 1 1/2 t pepper
  
• 1 1/4 t garlic
  
• salt
• poultry seasoning

Cook carrots (boil/steam) until tender, Crush crackers to crumbs,

Using food processor, process carrots,onions (raw) & eggs together in several batches.

Melt butter (in microwave), and mix together carrot mixture, cracker crumbs and butter.

Bake in 9X13" pan at 350* for about an hour, or until done

Chocolate Mint Cookies

Chocolate Mint Cookies I -

from allrecipes.com

Also seen on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 36 chocolate mint wafer candies (Andes mints, broken in half)
  

Directions

1. In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
2. At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes. While cookies are baking unwrap mints and divide each in half. When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 1/2 mint on top of each cookie. Let the mint sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!

JIF Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut Butter Blossoms - from the JIF website

Ingredients:

•	1/2 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening
•	1/2 cup Jif® Creamy Peanut Butter
•	1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
•	1/2 cup granulated sugar
•	1 large egg
•	2 tablespoons milk
•	1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•	1 3/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour
•	1 teaspoon baking soda
•	1/2 teaspoon salt
•	Sugar
•	48 foil-wrapped milk chocolate pieces, unwrapped (like Hersheys Kisses)

Directions:

1.	HEAT oven to 375°F.
2.	CREAM together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
3.	STIR together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms.
4.	SHAPE into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
5.	BAKE 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
6.	TOP each cookie immediately with an unwrapped chocolate piece, pressing down firmly so that cookie cracks around edge. Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

Chicken Scaloppine with Spinach and Linguine

Chicken Scaloppine with Spinach and Linguine - from Southern Living

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh asparagus
• 1 (16-oz.) package linguine
• 1 (9-oz.) package fresh spinach, thoroughly washed
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, divided
• 6 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 lb.)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; cut asparagus in half crosswise.

2. Prepare linguine according to package directions, adding asparagus during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain; return to pan. Stir in spinach; cover and keep warm over low heat.

3. Combine 3/4 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken cutlets; seal bag, and shake to lightly coat.

4. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook 3 cutlets in skillet 2 to 3 minutes; turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned and done. Remove from skillet. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, 1 Tbsp. oil, and 3 cutlets. (Chicken may be kept warm in a 250° oven on a wire rack.)

5. Whisk 2 Tbsp. flour into skillet, and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in chicken broth, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until slightly thickened, whisking to loosen particles from bottom of skillet. Pour over warm pasta mixture; toss to combine. Transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with tomatoes. Serve immediately with chicken and Parmesan cheese.

Worth the Splurge: Use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Allow your guests to grate the cheese tableside right onto their plates.

Southern Living, APRIL 2008

Better Than Takeout Sesame Noodles

Better Than Takeout Sesame Noodles - as seen in Parade Oct 18, 2009 (page 19)

For the sauce:

• 6 Tbsp peanut butter
• 5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp warm water
• 1 Tbsp Asian sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup chopped ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Other ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. thin spaghetti
• 1 Tbsp Asian sesame oil
• 1/2 lb. cooked and finely shredded chicken
• 1/4 English cucumber, peeled and cut in slivers
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 10 snow peas, thinly sliced across
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts

1. Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender of mini food processor, and whir until smooth.
2. Cook the spaghetti following package directions. Drain, rinse, and toss with the sesame oil and chicken. Add the sauce and mix until evenly combined.
3. Top with the crunchy vegetables and serve immediately.