Wednesday, November 24, 2010

sweets & sides

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just wanting to share with you some of my favorite recipes for sweets and sides perfect for serving this time of year. these particular recipes have been marked favorites in my cookbooks for more than 10 years now! i hope you enjoy them as much as we do. happy baking & happy holidays!


Raw Apple Cake
3 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 c sugar
3 c chopped apples (approx 2 large apples)
1 1/2 c chopped nuts of choice
3 eggs beaten
1 1/4 c vegetable/canola oil
2 T vanilla

preheat oven to 350. grease and flour your cake pan. in large bowl, mix dry ingredients together with apples and nuts. in separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients. pour wet mixture over dry apple mixture. mix well. spoon batter into greased and floured cake pan. bake 350 for 1 hour.



Eryn*oodle SnickerDoodles
1 c butter
3/4 c brown sugar
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
2 t cinnamon
1 t salt
2 c old fashioned oats
sprinkle mixture: 2 t sugar mixed with 1 t cinnamon

preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
in a medium bowl cream together butter, brown sugar, and 3/4  sugar until light and fluffy. in a smaller bowl, beat eggs and vanilla, then mix into the butter mixture. in a separate medium bowl whisk together flour, 2 t cinnamon, baking soda and salt. blend flour mixture into butter mixture and stir in oats. drop teaspoonfuls of the batter onto prepared cookie sheets. sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over the tops of cookies before baking. bake 10-12 minutes at 375. cool on cookie sheets, serve & enjoy.



Dream Salad
1 lg box orange Jell-o
1 lg carton Cool Whip
1 lg carton cottage cheese
1 can chunk pineapple drained
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

mix all ingredients together in a bowl for a delicious dessert "salad." serve & enjoy.




Square Sweet Potato Biscuits
2-3 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 c unsalted butter cut into chunks
2 T packed light brown sugar
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
1 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 t baking powder

preheat oven to 400. grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. prepare a floured surface for the dough. wash and prick sweet potatoes and microwave for 10 minutes or until tender. carefully slice potatoes in half, scoop out the hot flesh from the skins, and add to a mixing bowl with the butter. using an electric mixer, whip together potatoes and butter until well combined. beat in sugars, salt, and spices. let the mixture cool 15 minutes.
meanwhile, stir together flour and baking powder in a medium bowl with a fork. add the flour mixture to potato mixture and use the fork to combine well. you may have to knead the dough by hand a bit at the end. on a floured surface, roll out or pat the dough into an 8x8" square about 3/4" thick. with a sharp knife or biscuit cutter dipped in flour, cut out 2" square* biscuits. place the dough squares 2" apart on prepared baking sheet. bake about 15-20 minutes at 400 or until they're golden brown on the bottom and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. enjoy! *making square biscuits uses all the dough without having to re-roll! brilliant!



Homemade Smashed Potatoes
4-5 medium Russet or Yukon gold potatoes
1 t salt
3/4 c milk
3/4 c butter
optional: pepper, fresh herbs, shredded cheese, sour cream

wash potatoes. peel if desired (i like the peel on!) cut potatoes into quarters. place them in a large pot filled with water. turn on medium-high heat. add salt. let boil until potatoes are very tender. this may take up to 30 minutes or more. using a colander, drain potatoes. return to pot on stove. reduce heat to low. add milk and butter. using a meat tenderizer or large fork, smash potatoes until milk and butter are well mixed in. turn off heat. smash to desired consistency. add salt, pepper, cheese, herbs, and sour cream to taste. yum!


Stuffed Mushrooms
1 lb Half Dollar mushrooms
1 c bread crumbs
2 T butter
2 slices chopped ham

preheat oven to 350 and grease or line an oven-safe casserole dish. wash mushrooms well. remove stems and insides of mushrooms- but do not discard! chop up the stems. in a medium bowl, mix together the chopped mushroom stems, bread crumbs, butter and ham. stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture. place the mushrooms stuffing-up in the casserole dish. bake at 350 for 15 minutes. serve & enjoy!

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i would love to hear about your favorite holiday recipes- sides or sweets or anything! what are some of your favorite recipes specially set aside for this time of year?