Christmas 2015

I am so very busy...getting married on the 26th of December. So here I am on Sunday evening baking Christmas cookies for the reception. Magic bars and fruitcake cookies are done. The last batch of chocolate chip cookies are in the oven. Tomorrow I will make mocha crackle cookies and lemon squares and Reece's peanut butter cookie cups if I have the time. Should have started last weekend!

One cookie I will have to make this year is a new cookie that is quickly becoming a favorite--it's a play on jam thumbprint cookies, but with a Florida twist. I use orange marmalade for the jam and add minced rosemary to the shortbread. The cookies have a touch of sliced almonds and are dusted with powdered sugar--a cookie that says this is Christmas.

P.S. It's a prize winner!! My recipe won the prize for being the best Holiday Cookie in the Fort Myers News-Press Holiday Cookie Baking Contest!

Photo from the Fort Myers News Press.

Florida’s Finest Orange Marmalade Thumbprints with Fresh Rosemary

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 egg white, beaten

1 cup sliced almonds, roughly chopped

1/4 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl stir together flour, cornstarch, and salt; set aside.

Beat butter until fluffy. 

Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar, minced rosemary and almond extract. Beat until combined.

Stir in flour until just combined.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.

Dip into beaten egg white.

Roll ball in chopped almonds.

Indent each cookie with thumb or back of 1/2 inch measuring spoon.

Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon marmalade into center of each cookie.

Arrange 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake about 14-17 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.

Cool on rack. When completely cool, sift powdered sugar lightly over cookies.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Caramel, Coconut, Chocolate, and Pecans—Oh My, What a Brownie!

I like to take a standard brownie mix and jazz it up and make it my own. The recipe that follows is one of my best!

Caramel, Coconut, Chocolate, and Pecans

Oh My, What a Brownie!

Ingredients

1 egg

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon coconut flavoring

1 box Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup coconut

1/2 cup chocolate chips

25 Rolo Minis chocolate covered caramels

25 pecan halves

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 9” baking pan with baking spray.

Whisk together egg, water, oil, and coconut flavoring. Add brownie mix and stir until well blended. Add chopped pecans, coconut and chocolate chips and stir until mixed in with brownie batter. Pour into baking pan and spread evenly. Bake 39-43 minutes. Do not over-bake.

Turn oven off. Place Rolo Minis upside-down in a 5 x 5 grid pattern over the baked brownies, pressing each one about half way into the brownie. Return to oven for about 3 minutes to allow caramel to melt. Remove from oven and place a pecan half on top of each Rolo.

Makes 25 scrumptious brownies!

Happy Easter!

Wesolego Alleluja! is Happy Easter in Polish.

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars with White Chocolate Chips

On Sunday I prepared Brunch at St. John the Apostle MCC in Ft. Myers. I served an assortment of breakfast egg casseroles based on my previous post (Made four pans of the sausage version, three of the corned beef, and one vegetarian). I also served Raspberry Cheesecake Bars from a recipe that appears on the Krusteaz Raspberry Bar Mix. I  modified it by adding almond flavoring and white chocolate chips. It turned out great!

The dining room was decorated with dark green and light green tablecloths and tulips on both the buffet table and the individual round dining tables. I enjoy creating an atmosphere that feels special and inviting.

These tulips were on the Buffet Table at Brunch. I had individual yellow tulips in bud vases on the dining tables. 

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars with White Chocolate Chips

I couldn't find real white mini-chocolate chips so had to use regular size baking chips. I think the white chocolate would be better, but they are hard to find for my Raspberry Cheesecake Bars.

1 package Krusteaz Raspberry Bar Mix (1 pouch each crust mix and raspberry filling)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

16 oz (2 cups) cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring

2/3 cup mini white chocolate chips, divided

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13x9x2-inch pan.

For Crust: Place crust mix and melted butter in medium bowl. Stir with a fork until mixture is crumbly. Press crust mixture firmly into bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Set aside.

For Filling: Place cream cheese and sugar in medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix on low speed until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla or almond flavoring. Continue to mix on low speed until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup mini white vanilla chips.

Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over baked crust. Cut corner of raspberry filling pouch. 

I poured the raspberry filling in to rows the long way, and then used a toothpick to draw lines crosswise.

Randomly squeeze raspberry filling over cream cheese mixture. Swirl with knife for marbled effect. Bake 28-32 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely and cut into squares. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Tater Tots and Corned Beef? Possible?

I've been thinking about this recipe for weeks now. I've been scouring the Internet and have been trying to come up with a recipe that includes both Tater Tots and corned beef. I am doing Sunday Brunch at church this weekend and am working with a St. Patrick's Day theme--table covers, napkins and flower arrangements all in an assortment of greens. I've settled on a Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Gorgonzola crumbles and toasted pecans lightly dressed with a honey balsamic vinagrette, but am still stumbling with the main dish. My intention is to use this recipe, which I've cobbled together from a number of recipes, and substitute diced corned beef in a couple of the casseroles (I am making 8--3 corned beef, 3 sausage, and 2 vegetarian).

If you've ever made this type of casserole and used corned beef I would love to hear from you!

Note from Sunday Brunch: Although I liked the corned beef version, the pork sausage recipe is much tastier!

Overnight Breakfast Tater Tot Casserole

1 pound bulk pork sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped green pepper

8 eggs

2 cups half and half

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1 32 ounce package tater tots

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Baking spray

Brown sausage in olive oil until no longer pink. Add onion and green pepper and sauté until vegetables are wilted. Drain off extra oil.

Spray 9 x 13 casserole pan with olive oil baking spray. Spread sausage mixture in bottom of pan. Allow to cool.

Sprinkle with 1 cup cheddar cheese. Spread tater tots over sausage and cheese and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese.

Combine eggs, half and half, mustard and salt in blender. Blend until smooth about 1-2 minutes. 

Pour egg mixture over tater tots.*

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until eggs are set and tater tots have browned.

*If you are making this dish overnight, you may  cover the sausage, cheese and tater tot mixture with tin foil and store in the refrigerator overnight. Make the egg and milk mixture in the morning and pour over the casserole and bake as directed.