Pages

Start Saving Today!

Nov 21, 2009

Holiday fruitcakes

Makes 2 tube cakes

1 (14-ounce) jar mincemeat
2 cups golden raisins
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten until well-blended, but not stiff
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups sifted flour
1 pound walnuts
6 cups pecans, cut or broken into pieces (reserve several pecan halves to
decorate the tops of the cakes)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda mixed 1 1/2 tablespoons boiling water
2 1/2 pounds mixed candied fruit
3 tablespoons flour
4 slices pineapple (for decorating tops of cakes)
1/2 pound candied cherries (for decorating tops of cakes)
2 jiggers (1/4 cup) of whiskey or rum, or to taste

Grease two tube pans generously with shortening, being sure to coat bottoms,
sides and central tubes. Line the bottoms with brown paper that has been
greased on both sides.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a very large bowl or pot, stir together
mincemeat, raisins, butter and eggs until well-blended.

Add sugar, then sifted flour, stirring well after each addition to blend
thoroughly. Stir in walnuts and pecans. Mix the baking soda with the boiling
water until smooth; stir into batter.

Toss the mixed candied fruit with the three tablespoons of flour (so it
won't sink to the bottom of the pan when baking). Stir into batter.

Divide the batter between the two prepared tube pans. Decorate the tops of
the cakes with the reserved pecan halves, the pineapple slices and candied
cherries. Bake for two hours and 45 minutes, or until done. (Cakes are done
when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.) Cool cakes in
pans. Pour whiskey or rum over the top of each cake and allow to soak in.
Remove the cakes from the pans, discarding the brown-paper liners. Wrap
airtight in plastic wrap, then in heavy aluminum foil.

Buttermint Twists

Buttermint Twists

These easy-to-make buttery mints are best made ahead and
stored in your refrigerator.

Prep: 1 hr - Stand: 6 hrs

1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
5 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream or half & half
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops red food color
1 to 2 drops green food color


Place butter in large bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl
often, until creamy. Add powdered sugar, whipping cream and
peppermint extract. Continue beating until mixture forms a soft
dough (2 to 5 minutes).

Divide dough in half. Beat red food color into one-half of
dough. Continue beating until dough is pink. Beat green food
color into other half of dough; beat until dough is light green.

Knead each tinted dough on surface lightly sprinkled with
powdered sugar until smooth. (Keep doughs covered with plastic
food wrap to prevent drying out.) Roll 1 tablespoonful of each
tinted dough into 4-inch rope. Gently twist green and pink ropes
together. Carefully continue rolling and twisting rope to a 10-inch
rope. Add more powdered sugar when rolling, if necessary. Cut
diagonally into 1-inch pieces.

Place twists on waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Let stand
uncovered at room temperature until surface is dry (6 to 8 hours).
Layer mints between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container.
Refrigerate up to 1 month. For longer storage, store in freezer
up to 2 months.

Hot turkey salad with sage biscuits

Hot turkey salad with sage biscuits
Makes 6 servings

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Original Bisquick
2 cups cut-up cooked turkey
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 medium celery ribs, sliced
2 medium green onions, sliced
2 1/4 cups Original Bisquick
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried sage leaves

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix mayonnaise and two tablespoons Bisquick in
medium bowl until well-blended. Stir in turkey, cheese, celery and onions.
Set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients just until soft dough forms. Place on surface
sprinkled with Bisquick; roll in Bisquick to coat. Shape into a ball; knead
10 times. Roll dough one-half inch thick. Cut with 1 1/2-inch round cutter
dipped in Bisquick. Place close together around edge of ungreased two-quart
casserole.

Spoon turkey mixture into mound in center of biscuits. Bake uncovered for 18
to 20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown and turkey mixture is hot.

Totally Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Totally Chocolate Christmas Cookies

2 cups self-rising soft wheat flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

In one-quart cellophane bag, layer ingredients in order listed.

Gift tag:

To make Totally Chocolate Christmas Cookies: In large bowl or mixer bowl,
beat ¾ cup softened butter until creamy; add one large egg and one teaspoon
vanilla.

Beat until smooth. Add contents of bag; stir or beat on low speed until well
combined.

Chill dough for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spoon tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets that have been coated with
cooking spray. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until just beginning to set.

Garlic Herb Chicken and Potatoes

Garlic Herb Chicken and Potatoes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package (about 1 pound) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups water
1 envelope savory herb and garlic dry soup seasoning mix
1 package Simply Potatoes® Red Potato Wedges

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook,
turning once, until chicken is golden brown.

2. In small bowl combine water and dry soup mix; mix well. Add Simply Potatoes
and dry soup mixture to skillet. Cover; cook 13 to 15 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink and potatoes are tender.


Serves 4

Potato-Mushroom Pie

Potato-Mushroom Pie
Serves 10 to 12

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for dish
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 pounds assorted wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, oyster, or black trumpet,
coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese (about 4 ounces)
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, about 3 1/2 ounces
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; set aside. Melt
butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring
occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add half of the mushrooms; cook
until they are slightly softened. Add remaining mushrooms; cook, stirring
occasionally, until mushrooms have released their juices and most of the liquid
has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until
liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and
pepper.

Combine cheeses in a small bowl; set aside. Cover bottom of prepared dish with
potato slices, slightly overlapping them. Sprinkle with half of the thyme and a
pinch each of salt and pepper. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese and half of the
mushroom mixture. Repeat layering process, using all but 2 tablespoons cheese.
Arrange remaining potato slices, slightly overlapping, around the edge of the
dish. Stir together milk and cream in a bowl, and pour over top. At this point,
dish can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 day; let stand at room temperature 30
minutes before baking.

Cover loosely with foil, and bake until bubbling, about 1 hour. Remove foil, and
sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake until top is golden, 20 to 30 minutes more.
Transfer dish to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Chocolate-Gingerbread Drops

Chocolate-Gingerbread Drops

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 cup dried tart red cherries
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, allspice, and salt. Beat until well combined. Beat in the molasses and the egg until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour using a wooden spoon. Stir in the cherries and the chocolate. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto the ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.
Makes 36 cookies

Jerk Pork Sandwiches

Jerk Pork Sandwiches

1 pound boneless pork-loin chops
1 cup Caribbean jerk marinade
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 club rolls

Combine pork, marinade and water in the crock of a slow-cooker. Cook on high heat 2 hours or until pork is cooked through. Reserve 1/4 cup of the sauce in crock. Remove and shred pork and mix with 3 tablespoons reserved sauce. Combine mayonnaise with 1 tablespoon reserved sauce and spread on rolls. Spoon pork onto rolls to serve.

Shrimp Salad Sandwich

Shrimp Salad Sandwich


Shrimp Salad Sandwich

1 pound cooked, peeled shrimp
1/4 cup light cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups mixed salad greens
4 sandwich rolls

Finely chop shrimp. Mix with cream cheese, mayonnaise, zest and pepper. Divide greens among rolls; spoon shrimp mixture on top.

Turkey-Broccoli Twists

Serves: 5

Ingredients:
3 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
2 cups broccoli flowerets
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 3/4 cup Swanson® Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups cubed cooked turkey
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions in a 3-quart saucepan, without salt. Add the broccoli and carrots for the last 5 minutes of the cooking time. Drain the pasta mixture well in a colander. Return the pasta mixture to the saucepan.

Stir the soup, stock, garlic powder, black pepper and turkey in the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Ginger Peach Chicken

Ginger Peach Chicken
Serves 4

prep 5 min.
cooking 15 min.

4 (5 oz.) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2/3 cup peach preserves
1/3 cup FRENCH'S Classic Yellow Mustard or FRENCH'S Honey Mustard
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. grated peeled ginger root or 1 tsp. ground ginger

HEAT a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Cook chicken about 5 min. per side until browned and cooked through. Remove to plate; keep warm.
STIR remaining ingredients into skillet. Boil about 5 min. until slightly thickened.
ADD chicken to skillet. Heat through.

Turkey Stuffing Bake

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup Swanson® Chicken Stock
Generous dash ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 small onion, coarsely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
4 cups Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing
12 ounces sliced cooked turkey
1 jar (12 ounces) Campbell's® Slow Roast Turkey Gravy

Directions:

Heat the stock, black pepper, celery and onion in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the stuffing to the saucepan and mix lightly.

Spoon the stuffing mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Arrange the turkey over the stuffing. Pour the gravy over the turkey.

Bake at 350°F. for 30 minutes or until the turkey and stuffing are hot.