Aunt Sister’s Peppermint Pattie Brownies

 

Bag of York Peppermint Patties

1 ½ c of butter (melted)

3 c sugar

1 teas vanilla

5 eggs

1 c Hershey Coco

1 T baking powder

1 teas salt

2 c four

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Stir together sugar, butter, and vanilla. Beat eggs well. Fold in, and add flour, coco, baking powder, and salt. Blend well. Reserve 2 cups of batter and set aside. Pour remaining batter in pan. Place peppermint patties on top. Pour rest of batter on top. Bake 55 minutes.

Makes 26 brownies.

Lemon Squares

½ c butter, softened

¼ c confectioner sugar

1 c sifted flour

Mix these ingredients together. Put into 9 inch square pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

1 c sugar

2 T four

½ t baking soda

2 eggs, slightly beaten

3 T lemon juice

Mix top layer ingredients and pour over baked bottom layer. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. While warm, sprinkle with confectioner sugar.

Paula Deen’s Almond Joy Chocolate Balls

2 16 oz boxes confectioners’ sugar

½ cup butter, softened

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 (14oz) package shredded coconut

1 ½ cup chopped nuts

1 (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ bar paraffin.

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl. Add milk, stir in almond extract, coconuts, and nuts mix well. Form candy into 1 inch balls. Place on wax paper and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Melt paraffin and chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring frequently. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute to thin). With a toothpick, drop each ball in chocolate and place on wax paper until set. Makes 75-100 balls.

Neiman-Marcus $250 Cookie Recipe

 Neiman-Marcus $250 Cookie Recipe

2 c butter

2 c sugar

2 c brown sugar

4 eggs

2 t vanilla

4 c flour

5 c blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder)

1 t salt

2 t baking powder

2 t soda

24 oz chocolate chips

1 8 oz Hershey bar, grated

3 c chopped nuts

Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and soda. Add chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375. Makes 112 cookies. May be halved.

Snickerdoodles

 

1 c shortening (half margarine)

1 ½ c sugar

2 eggs

2 ¾ c flour

2 t cream tartar

1 t baking soda

¼ t salt

2 T sugar

2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400. Mix shortening, 1 ½ c sugar and eggs thoroughly. Blend flour, tartar, soda and salt and stir in shortening mix. Shape into 1-inch balls and roll in sugar and cinnamon. Put 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Tiramisu Trifle

2 packages lady fingers

Brush each lady finger with  espresso coffee mixed with 1/2 cup hot water plus 3 tablespoons Kahlua

Lay on the sides and bottom of a trifle bowl

Mix Mascarpone Cheese:  1 cup +

2 Tablespoons Rum or Marsala wine

beat until smooth.

Beat about 3 cups heavy cream add 1/4  teaspoon vanilla until stiff.

 

Add the cheese on top of the lady fingers  then the whipping cream, lady fingers,

continue layers until you get on top of bowl.

Christmas Butter Cookie

- Mrs. Hartmann

1 ½ c sugar

¾ lb (3 sticks) butter, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 ½ c flour

2 ½ tsp baking powder

Cream butter with wooden spoon. Add sugar, vanilla, egg. Mix flour and baking powder together. Add to butter mixture. Put in cookie press. Press cookies out. Bake at 325-350º for 12 minutes. Can decorate.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Filling

1 cup unsweetened pumpkin, preferably Libby’s

1 cup sugar, preferably unrefined

2 cups heavy cream

2 (8-oz) cream cheese packages

2 large eggs

2 large yolks

Garnish: pecan halves

(*) If desired, use an additional 1/2 cup 1.75 ounces/50 grams of coarsely broken pecans for the center

 

Equipment: One 9-inch by 2 1/2-inch or higher spring-form pan, greased, outside of the pan wrapped with a triple layer of heavy-duty foil to prevent seepage. One 12-inch by 2-inch cake pan or roasting pan to serve as a water bath.

CRUST:

12 3/4 oz. gingersnaps, broken (preferably Swedish brand)

6 oz. pecans, toasted,

3T sugar

6 pinches salt

6 oz. butter, melted.

 

Process cookies and pecans, sugar, salt until it is fine crumbs (app 20 secs.) Add melted butter and pulse 10 times until just incorporated. Press into pan and up the sides.  Do not cook in oven until the cheesecake portion is in.

In a small, heavy sauce pan, stir together the pumpkin and sugar. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputtering simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick and shiny.

Scrape the mixture into a large food processor, fitted with the metal blade and process for 1 minute with the feed tube open. With the motor running, add the cold cream. Add the cream cheese in several pieces and process for 30 seconds, scraping the sides two or three times, or until smoothly incorporated. Add the eggs and yolks and process for about 5 seconds or just until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in the larger pan and surround it with 1 inch of very hot water. Bake the cake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven without opening the door and let the cake cool for 1 hour. Remove it to a rack and cool to room temperature (about 1 hour). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. To unmold, wipe sides of pan with towel run under hot water and wrung out. The cake will be 1 3/4-inches high.

Easy Weeknight Caprese Salad

 This one has surpassed our go-to buffalo chicken cobb salad for an easy weeknight option. 

1 rotisserie chicken, pulled and chopped

bib / butter  / leafy romaine lettuce / arugula

pearl mozzarella balls

2-3 scallions, chopped

1 pint heirloom or small yellow/orange/red tomatoes

pancetta cubes - air fried til crispy

for the dressing: 

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tbsp mustard of choice

chopped shallot

garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt and pepper each

1 tbsp dried rosemary

1 tsp sugar

Golden Beets

 Found these as a side once fresh in farmer's market, and haven't gone back to red beets!

Ingredients:

3-4 big golden beets, trimmed, peeled, large chunks

1 bag shishito peppers, cut into thirds for large chunks

white onion, roughly chopped

pistachios, a handful, maybe cut once or left whole

goat cheese crumbles

In oven around 400-450 degrees, put sheetpan in with beets tossed in olive oil, S&P.  Roast for about 10 minutes.

Bring sheetpan out and put the chopped shishitos and onion in, tossing to coat with olive oil.  Return to oven for about 10-15 more minutes.

Add pistachios in for about last 5 minutes of cooking.

Toss with goat cheese before serving.  Good spritz of lemon juice on top is nice too.

Low Carb Sausage mushroom "pasta"

 This is one to hit those savory notes and skip on the gluten.

Ingredients:

2 cans hearts of palm noodles - lasagna cut into small rectangles like papperdelle 

2 pints various mushrooms - rough chop

1-2 packs of Italian spicy ground sausage - casings removed (or sausage of choice)

1 bunch kale, rough chopped

1 yellow onion, rough chopped

garlic cloves, rough chopped

White wine - about a cup

4 oz butter or more

grated fresh parmesan

goat cheese crumbles

Brown sausage in pan. Remove, leaving fond behind.  
Add onion and stir in remnants for about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic, stir 1 minute.  Then add mushrooms and toss around to coat, then leave alone without disturbing til browned slightly.  Deglaze with white wine and add butter and kale.  Stir back in sausage and the precut hearts of palm noodles.  Stir until combined.  

Serve with fresh parmesan and goat cheese crumbles.

Salmon Bite / Poke Bowl

 Salmon Bite / Poke Bowl 

I made this mashup between the viral TikTok salmon bowl and salmon bites; threw some extra fresh raw tuna :)   Jimmy isn't a huge fan of raw salmon so I used my air fryer to crisp up tender little bites. 

For 2 generous servings

1 salmon filet, take off skin and cut into large bite size pieces

1 width-of-the-knife tuna steak, cut into large bite size pieces

white rice or cauliflower rice

rice vinegar

sugar / salt

edamame

scallions - slice thinly

carrots - shave / sliced thinly

fresh jalapeno - sliced thinly

Pickled red onions

1 hothouse cucumber - peeled and coarse dice

avocado - sliced

Kewpie / Japanese mayo

Siracha

Soy sauce

sesame seeds

fried onions

salmon marinade:

soy sauce

rice vinegar

sesame oil

honey

ginger and garlic powders

For the rice, reheat in bowl with ice cube on top, remove them after rewarmed.  Add splash of rice vinegar, about 1/2 tsp sugar and salt to taste.  If using cauliflower rice, prepare same way for flavor.

Put the bites of the salmon in the marinade for at least 30 minutes.  I spooned a small amount of the marinade onto the tuna.

Mix mayonnaise, siracha, and soy sauce until desired consistency and flavor to make the sauce for drizzling on top.

Cook salmon in air fryer around 300 degrees for 5 minutes, then turn pieces and cook other side until crispy, probably another 5-10 minutes.  Could do this step on stove or under broiler.  Toss salmon back into leftover marinade when done.

Scoop ingredients over rice in bowl.  Serve with general portion of fish.  Top with sesame seeds, fried onions, and drizzle the sauce on top.  Enjoy!

Jalapeño Cheddar Sweet Potato Au Gratin

 JW & KATHRYN’S WORLD FAMOUS JALAPENO CHEDDAR SWEET POTATO ES AU GRATIN

Sweet potato jalapeno & cheddar au gratin

 

Idaho potatoes ​​1 ½ pound

Sweet potatoes​​1 ½ pound 

Heavy cream​​2 cups 

Garlic-chopped​​1 teaspoon for cream mixture

Garlic-chopped ​​1 teaspoon for baking dish

Kosher salt​​2 teaspoon 

Nutmeg​​½ teaspoon

Sharp cheddar cheese​2 cups 

Pickled jalapenos​2 tablespoons 

Bread crumbs ​​½ cup 

Butter whole unsalted​½ cup 

 

• Pour the cold heavy cream into the heavy deep sauce pot

• Slice the potatoes on a mandoline approximately ¼ inch thick straight into a heavy deep sauce pot. 

• Once the potatoes are sliced add the kosher salt, chopped pickled jalapenos, and chopped garlic

• Place the sauce pot over low to medium heat. Slowly heat up the mixture to a slow simmer. Be sure to taste the cream mixture, the flavor should have a good balance of seasoned cream with hints of garlic, jalapeno and seasoned cream.

• This mixture will simmer approximately 15-20 minutes.  Once the cream becomes thick and the potatoes are slightly fork tender, remove from the heat. 

• Prepare a heavy duty baking pan by coating the bottom and side surfaces with softened butter. Add the second raw garlic. 

• Transfer the heavy cream, potato mixture to the prepared baking pan. 

• Top with cheddar cheese and bread crumb

• Cover with plastic wrap, then with foil. 

• Place in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

• After the 20 minutes remove the plastic wrap and foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the top of the au gratin is golden brown

• Ready to eat!! Let me know how it goes

Moroccan Chicken

Hard to beat this one :) I served it with cauliflower rice that I sauted with white onions, and the spices from the chicken. Adapted and modified from this wonderful recipe: https://www.daringgourmet.com/moroccan-tagine/ 

Ingredients: 

8-10 boneless skinless chicken thighs 

1 tablespoon garlic, minced 

1 tablespoon ginger, grated 

2 teaspoons ground turmeric 

2 teaspoons ground cumin 

2 teaspoons ground coriander 

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1 small onion, diced 

1 tablespoon harissa (or less if you prefer less spicy) (or other red chile paste) 

⅓ cup dried apricots, chopped 

⅓ cup white raisins, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced 

⅓ cup slivered almonds 

4 cups + chicken stock 

lots of lemon juice 

1 cup english peas, fresh if you can find. 

Salt to taste 

Extra slivered almonds for garnishing 

Cauliflower rice and 1/2 white onion, chopped (for the base if you'd like)

I started by trimming about 8-10 boneless chicken thighs. Heat up my Dutch Oven with some olive oil. I made my spice rub for the chicken with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon (you can double if you want to hold on to some of it for the cauliflower rice). Rub generously onto the chicken, then brown each piece on both sides and set aside. In the same Dutch oven add a little more olive oil, then saute the onions for 3 minutes. Add the harissa and stir in. Then add the apricots, white raisins and garlic. Add the chicken back to the pot and stir. Add about 4 cups of chicken broth and at least 2 Tbs of lemon juice. Put in about one cup of english peas. Let cook for several hours until chicken pulls apart. Serve over the flavorful cauliflower rice (doctor it with the onion, olive oil, and spices from the mixture used to rub the chicken).

Bourbon balls

Another Christmas Eve staple - I will adjust this if I find the original recipe we used to use. This is from https://www.savingdessert.com/bourbon-balls/ and I think looks pretty similar. 

3 cups vanilla wafers, crushed (11oz box) 

1 cup ground pecans 

1 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 cups for rolling 

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder 

3 tablespoons light corn syrup, or Lyle’s Golden Syrup 

1/2 cup bourbon or rum 

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the crushed vanilla wafers, ground pecans, 1 cup of the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder. Whisk to combine. In a 1-cup measuring cup, whisk together the corn syrup and bourbon. Add the bourbon mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together using a spatula until all ingredients are combined. It may seem dry at first, but keep mixing, it will all come together. Place 1 to 2 cups of powdered sugar in a flat bowl or rimmed plate. Roll the dough (firmly) into 1-inch balls (or use a small cookie scoop), then immediately roll in the powdered sugar. Place the cookies on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling until all cookies are coated in powdered sugar. Set the cookies aside for 1 hour, then roll again in the powdered sugar. Store the bourbon balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Orange Balls

Originally in an old family cookbook, this one looks pretty similar and was one of the first things I learned to make on my own to help out with cooking for the Christmas Eve party. 

 3 c. vanilla wafer crumbs {a 12 oz. box, crushed ... a food processor makes quick work of the crushing!} 

1 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans or walnuts 

3/4 c. (6 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 

4 c. confectioners sugar {1 lb.} 

2 T. butter, melted 

Approximately 2 c. shredded coconut 

 In a large mixing bowl, combine vanilla wafer crumbs, nuts, confectioners sugar, orange juice concentrate, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.* Roll into small balls, approximately 1-inch in diameter. Immediately roll each ball in coconut. Place in an airtight container and chill. Recent source: https://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2016/04/orange-coconut-balls.html

Oysters bienville

Oysters in the halfshell 

 1 Dozen Oysters, shucked and on the halfshell 

 6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter 

1/2 Cup Onion, finely chopped 

4 Green Onions, finely sliced 

2 Garlic Cloves, minced 

6 Tbsp All Purpose Flour 

2 Cups Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped 

1/2 Cup White Mushrooms, finely chopped 

1/4 Cup Dry White Wine 

1/4 Cup Heavy Cream 

Oyster Liquor, reserved 

2 Tbsp Italian Parsley, minced 

2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice

 A few dashes Hot Sauce (I use Crystal) 

Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, and Cayenne, to taste 

4 Egg Yolks, beaten 

 Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. For the sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, saute until the onions turn slightly golden. Add the flour, stirring well to incorporate. Cook for a few minutes until it gets just a bit of color. Stir in the shrimp, mushrooms, and a bit more salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the shrimp start to turn pink. 

Add the white wine and the cream, cook for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, parsley, and hot sauce. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, and cayenne; remove from the heat. When the sauce is slightly cooled, stir in the egg yolks, moving quickly to incorporate and keep them from curdling. 

 Top each Oyster with about 2 Tbsp of the prepared sauce. Place them in a pan that has a thin layer of rock salt in the bottom, this is to keep the oysters steady. Bake for 10-12 Minutes then turn on the broiler to slightly brown the tops, for 1-2 minutes. The Oysters are finished when the sauce is heated through and the edges of the oysters start to curl. Source: http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/12/09/oysters-bienville-recipe/

Deb's breakfast casserole

Such a great one to make ahead and serve for big groups. 

 2 containers of the pillsbury crescent roll dough that lays flat 

sausage 

cream cheese 

 Cook sausage and mix with 8 oz cream cheese. Layer in a 9x13 pyrex dish, after Pam, the first dough roll layer Spread the sausage mixture Layer on top the second dough roll layer Cook in oven til done.

Jezebel Sauce

Also from Some Like it South from Pensacola's Junior League. 

 Ingredients: 

1 1.2 oz can dry mustard 

1 4 oz jar horseradish 

1 16 oz jar pineapple preserves 

1 16 oz jar apple jelly 

2 tbs coarsely ground black pepper 

 Make a paste of dry mustard and horseradish. Add pineapple preserves, apple jelly and pepper; stir by hand until thoroughly mixed. Sauce will keep several months in the refrigerator. Serve over cream cheese for an appetizer or spread on bread for an amazing turkey sandwich.

Chocolate Trifle

A Christmas Day tradition - started by Aunt Anne! 

 Cook two chocolate cakes from one box. When hot and fresh out of oven, pour 1 cup Kahlua on each so it can absorb. Make two packs of chocolate pudding. Make fresh whipped cream Heath crumbles. Layer in this order: cake, pudding, whipped cream, crumbles. End on crumbles.