M&M Cookies

........................................................
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups flour
1tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. salt
one cup butter
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups m & m chocolate candies
........................................................

DIRECTIONS
In a small mixing bowl, combine the first three ingredients and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat well.

Sift the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture and mix well. Add the m & m chocolate candies and stir them well into the dough .

Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Put it onto an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat for the other cookies allowing 2 inches between them on the baking sheet. Bake them eight to ten minutes in a preheated 375F oven.

Remove the cookies from the oven and cool them on a baking rack. Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

.....................................................................

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems peels and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, florets chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese shredded, plus extra for garnish
Salt
Cayenne
.....................................................................

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broccoli stems and cook until bright green and just beginning to soften, about 5 mins. Stir in broth, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until stems are tender, about 5 mins. Add florets, cream, and nutmeg and simmer until florets are tender, about 5 mins.

2. Puree soup in two batches in blender or with an immersion blender until smooth, return to pot, and bring to simmer over medium heat. Stir in cheddar until melted and season with salt and cayenne pepper. Serve, garnished with extra cheese. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat over med heat until hot, but do not boil or cheese will separate.)

Caramel Bread Pudding

..............................................................................
INGREDIENTS:
8 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dark rum or brandy
1 baguette (1 pound), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

..............................................................................
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until combined. Whisk in milk, cream, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla bean, salt, and rum. Add bread and let soak 45 minutes to 1 hour, pushing bread down occasionally until most of liquid has been absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over high heat, stir together remaining 1 cup sugar, vinegar, and 1/2 cup water until sugar has dissolved. Cook, without stirring, until sugar is dark amber in color, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and carefully add 1/4 cup water (mixture will sputter); swirl pot until combined.

3. Working quickly, pour caramel into a 9-inch round baking pan, carefully rotating the pan so caramel covers the bottom and some of the sides; set aside until cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a kettle of water on to boil. Rub cooled pan with butter and spoon in bread mixture packing bread tightly to fit. Cover with a parchment round.

5. Place pan in a roasting pan and pour hot water to come halfway up the side of the pan. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until a knife inserted in the center comes out barely clean. Do not overbake. Let stand 5 minutes then run a metal spatula around the edges and invert the pudding onto a large rimmed plate.

Fettuchine with Tomato Cream Sauce

...................................................
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or canned, drained of juice)
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 cup small shrimp (optional)
...................................................

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and stir. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and turn to high heat. Sauté until the tomatoes break down. Add the wine and reduce slightly. Finally, add the cream and parsley. Cook another 2 minutes or so, until desired consistency. Gently crush the tomatoes with the back of a spoon to release additional juices.

Shrimp in Cream Sauce with Sun-Dried tomatoes

INGREDIENTS:
About 25 small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp curry powder
Butter or Olive Oil
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
4 cups fresh spinach, or 1 package frozen

DIRECTIONS:
1. Prepare white or brown rice according to directions, and fluff in whatever spices you'd like when it's done.

2. Meanwhile, toss shrimp with 1/2 tbsp of the curry and some salt and pepper, then saute the shrimp in butter or olive oil for about 1 minute. Add in the cream, the remaining 1/2 tbsp curry, and the sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes more.

3. When shrimp is done, remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Add spinach to a skillet with olive oil and saute for about 3 minutes until heated through.

4. Serve shrimp and sauce over rice with spinach on the side.

Maple Mustard Pork Loin

.........................................................................................

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary plus 6 sprigs
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
One 4-pound boneless pork loin (about 12 inches long)
One 8-ounce package lean sliced bacon
6 small baking potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), quartered
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. In a resealable plastic bag, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the mustard, maple syrup, chopped rosemary and garlic. Add the pork and turn in the mixture to coat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the rosemary sprigs in the center of a roasting pan. Arrange six 14-inch lengths of kitchen string crosswise, about 2 inches apart, in the pan. Place the marinated pork on top of the strings and rosemary. Lay the bacon slices, on an angle, over the pork loin. Tie each string around the meat to secure the bacon, then trim the loose ends.
3. Scatter the potatoes around the pork and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil; toss to mix. Season the pork and potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 150°, about 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with the potatoes.
.........................................................................................

Annie's Buffalo Chicken Dip

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless chicken breasts, boiled & shredded
(or 4-6 cans of chicken)
12 ounces Franks Red Hot Sauce
2, 8-ounce packages cream cheese
16 ounces ranch or blue cheese dressing
2 cups monteray jack cheese, shredded
Celery sticks or Fritos for dipping

DIRECTIONS
Mix the chicken and hot sauce in a 13x9" baking dish. Mix and heat the cream cheese and dressing in a saucepan till smooth. Pour over chicken mixture. Top with shredded Monteray Jack cheese. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with nachos, fritos, celery or carrot sticks.

Mint Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients (makes 16)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
25 small (1 1/2 inch) peppermint patties

..........................................................................
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides; butter foil. Set aside.

2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally just until melted, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth; whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour and cocoa powder just until smooth (do not overmix).

4. Spread 1/3 of batter in prepared pan. Arrange peppermint patties on batter in a single layer, leaving a narrow border on all sides. Top with remaining batter, and smooth surface.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 45 to 55 minutes.

6. Cool completely in pan. Use foil to lift from pan; peel off foil and discard. Cut into 16 squares (4 rows by 4 rows).

Two Holiday Drinks

..........................................................................

HOT APPLE PIE

Ingredients
2 oz Tuaca
hot apple cider
whipped cream
cinnamon stick for garnish

Directions
Pour the Tuaca in an Irish coffee glass.
Fill with hot apple cider.
Top with whipped cream.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

..........................................................................

PEPPERMINT PATTY

Ingredients
1 oz. peppermint schnapps
½ oz. créme de cacao
1 tsp. créme de menthe
5 to 8 oz. hot chocolate
About 1 oz. whipped cream
Shaved chocolate

Directions
Pour liqueurs into a glass mug, fill with hot chocolate and top
with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Linzer Cookies

..............................................................

Ingredients
(makes about 30 small-size cookies)
1 cup blanched or sliced almonds
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2large egg yolks
Zest of 1 lemon
Powdered sugar for dusting
1 cup seedless Raspberry Preserves

Directions
Place almonds in a food processor and process with 1/4 cup of the sugar from the recipe until finely ground. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy (approximately 3 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Beat in the ground nuts. Add the flour mixture beating just until incorporated. Divide the dough in half and fill large freezer bags with it. Then roll it out in the bags. Refrigerate until firm (at least one hour and up to several days).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Remove one rectangle of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, cut the bags and roll out the dough between the plastic (this is only necessary if it is not yet only 1/4 inch thick). Using a cookie cutter (round, square, heart, etc.) cut out half the dough. Place the cookies about 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Use a smaller cookie cutter to cut out the the centers of half of the other half of the cookies. (You will be sandwiching two cookies together and there will be a small ‘window or cut out’ in the top cookie so you can see the jam underneath.)

Re-roll/refrigerate/cut any scraps of dough. Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes or until they are very lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

While the cookies are cooling place the raspberry jam in a small saucepan and heat gently until it has thickened slightly. Strain if there are any lumps in the jam. Let cool.

To Assemble Cookies: Place the cookies with the cut-outs on a wire rack and lightly dust the tops with the confectioners’ (powdered or icing) sugar.

On the bottom surface of the full cookie (top of cookie will face out) spread with about a 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place the cut-out cookie on top and gently sandwich them together.

Note: You can store the unassembled cookies in the refrigerator for several days in an airtight container. It is best, though, to assemble the cookies the same day as serving in order to keep the cookies crisp.

Chicken Pot Pie

IF YOU'RE MAKING THE CRUST:

Ingredients
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 stick butter
4 tbsp ice water

Directions
Combine flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Cut butter into cubes and add to the processor and pulse until just combined. Slowly add the ice water in while pulsing. Gather the dough into a ball and refrigerate until you're ready to roll it out and use it.

..........................................................................

POT PIE FILLING:

Ingredients
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
(the following can be substituted with cream of mushroom soup,
if you'd like to save time)
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
Add a frozen pie crust and pastry for the top to your list if you are skipping the dough-making process


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

3. For homemade sauce vs cream of mushroom: In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture (or cr. of mush) over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Add an egg wash if you would like more of a "golden" crust look.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Apple-Cheese-Lager Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle Sam Adams lager, or a similar lager-style beer
2 tablespoons melted butter

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Shred the apple, discarding the core. Squeeze the excess juice from the shredded apple so that it is barely moist.

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and shredded apple to the pan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the pepper and garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, thyme, and cayenne. Make a well in the center of the flour and add the shallot mixture, cheese, and lager to the bowl, stirring until just combined.

Transfer the batter to a 9X5-inch loaf pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle the melted butter over the loaf and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the loaf is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Cool the loaf in the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Feel free to substitute or get creative with this recipe - you could swap out the cheese for one you'd like better, omit the cayenne, or change up the beer to hard cider for example. Store your bread at room temperature, tightly wrapped, for up to two days.

Bacon and Corn Gougeres

INGREDIENTS
4 hickory-smoked bacon slices (1/4 pound)
3/4 cup corn (from 2 medium ears)
1 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 to 5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp Cheddar (5 ounces)
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in upper and lower thirds.

Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then finely chop.

Pour off fat from skillet, then wipe clean. Add corn and pan-roast over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until kernels are mostly golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring water to a boil with butter and salt in a heavy medium saucepan, stirring until butter is melted. Add flour all at once and cook over medium heat, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon, until mixture pulls away from side of pan, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. (Batter will appear to separate at first but will then become smooth.) Mixture should be glossy and just stiff enough to hold soft peaks and fall softly from a spoon. If batter is too stiff, beat remaining egg in a small bowl and add to batter 1 teaspoon at a time, beating and then testing batter until it reaches proper consistency.

Stir in bacon, corn, cheeses, chives, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly butter sheets. Fill a pastry bag fitted with 1/2-inch plain tip with batter and pipe about 35 (3/4-inch-diameter) mounds, or spoon mounded teaspoons, 1/4 inch apart, onto each sheet. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until puffed, golden, and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes total. Transfer to a rack (still on parchment if using). Make more puffs on cooled baking sheets. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Potato Soup

INGREDIENTS
6 slices bacon, baked or fried and crumbled
2 medium onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (if desired)
2 stalks celery, chopped (if desired)
1 cup corn (if desired)
3 pound (about 5 large) potatoes
3 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream + 2 cup whole milk
(I didn't have sour cream on-had so ended up using 2 cups heavy cream and some extra milk to thin it out)
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
4 scallions, thinly sliced (if you have them)
3/4 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (for garnish)


DIRECTIONS
I started with a basic recipe for potato soup and then improvised and changed it to what I wanted - you can change it up however you want.

Start by browning your onions, in the bottom of a large pot. Then add the celery and carrots and heat through. I peeled and cut half of the potatoes into thirds, and chopped up the second half into smaller pieces, leaving the skins on. Place all the potatoes in a large pot with water to cover, add 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the smaller potatoes are cooked but not too soft. I then separated the smaller potato chunks out to go into the pot (if you can think of a better way of doing this, let me know!). I cooked the remaining potatoes until they were very soft -- about 45 minutes. Drain the potatoes, discarding all but a tablespoon or two of the water, and return them to the pot. Mash them with a potato masher until smooth. Add the sour cream and butter and stir until melted. Add the mashed potatoes to the large pot with the milk, pepper, bacon, corn, and remaining salt and smoked paprika and bring the soup back to a simmer. Divide among 8 bowls and serve the soup hot, garnished with scallions, cheese, and bacon.

Apple and Cinnamon "Pouding Chomeur"

I'm skeptical about this one but it looks amazing! Original recipe posted via Yum Sugar.


INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1 or 2 apples, cored and peeled, finely chopped

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, mix the butter and the sugar together. Add the egg and mix until you get a smooth texture. In another bowl, mix the flour, the baking powder and the cinnamon together.Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well. Then add the milk and mix well. Add the rest of the flour and mix well. Add the apples to the mixture. Pour the batter into a small baking dish.n a small saucepan, bring to a boil the water and the brown sugar. As soon as it boils, pour the syrup all over the cake. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a fork inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Top with heavy cream and raisins if desired.

Meatloaf with Bacon

INGREDIENTS
1 lb Italian pork sausage
2 or more lbs ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg Knorr Vegetable Soup
1 pkg home-style gravy (any brand)
1 pkg mushroom soup
½ can mushroom soup (use more if needed)
1 egg
1 C bread crumbs
Worchestershire Sauce
Ketchup
Bacon

DIRECTIONS
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2) Mix everything except ketchup and bacon.

3) Put in loaf pan or round baking pan. Leave room for grease because it will cook out of mixture.

4) Frost top with ketchup

5) Top with bacon slices.

6) Bake at 325 fro 1 ½ hours.

Apple Crisp

INGREDIENTS
8 cups (about 9-10 medium) cored, peeled, and sliced cooking apples
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2/3 cup flour
1 1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats
2/3 cup butter, softened

DIRECTIONS
1. Spread apple slices in a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Sprinkle with lemon juice. (Skip lemon juice if apples are extremely tart.)

2. Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Top with sunflower seeds if desired.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and apples test done.

Makes about 12 Servings.

The Best Chili Ever

Makes 10 servings, and will fill a large slow-cooker.

INGREDIENTS
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green and red peppers
1/2 - 2 cups corn
1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 pound spicy sausage
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 (32 ounce) bottle hickory smoke barbeque sauce
1/4 cup chili powder
2 (15.25 ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
1 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate, chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large slow-cooker on the "low" setting, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, onion, peppers, corn and Italian seasoning.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until slightly crisp. Drain and stir into the slow-cooker.

3. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until brown. Drain and stir into the slow-cooker.

4. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until brown. Drain and stir into the pot.

5. Stir the barbeque sauce and chili powder into the pot; taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in the kidney beans and chocolate and cook on desired slow-cooker setting until flavors are well blended and you are ready to serve.

Apple Cider Pork with Squash and Golden Raisins

INGREDIENTS
Four 1-inch thick boneless pork loin chops
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, coarsely choped
1 cup apple juice or cider
1 butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tbsp chopped fresh sage

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large skillet or pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches if necessary, add the pork chops and 1 more tbsp olive oil between batches. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Transfer to an ovenproof dish and tent with foil; place in oven.
2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the apple cider, squash, raisins and sage; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Using as slotted spoon, transfer the squash mixture to a bowl. Cook the remaining liquid until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Serve the pork with the squash and pan sauce.

Chorizo and Mussels

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/2 lb chorizo, chopped
2 carrots, peeled ad chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
24 mussels, scrubbed
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Crusty bread, for mopping

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat one tbsp olive oild in a large cast iron pot or skillet. Cook the chorizo, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 7 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Stir in the chicken broth and scatter the mussels around the skillet. Cover the pan and cook until the mussels open, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid, sprinkle the parslety on top and serve immediately with bread.