Baked Fudge

This is so good! It is intended to eat right out of the oven. We will triple the recipe and take it for Care Group tomorrow night.

Warm Baked Fudge
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 T cocoa
1/4 t salt
1 cup melted butter
2 t vanilla
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

Beat eggs until lemon colored. Mix together dry ingredients and add to eggs, mix until well blended. Add melted butter. Stir in vanilla and chopped pecans. Pour into an 8 x 12 inch pan. Set pan in a larger pan of water. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes, until set like custard. Serve warm with whipped cream.

SERVES: 10

Buttermilk Cornbread

These past two weeks have been very cold and icy. This weekend beans and cornbread helped take off the winter chill. Here is my cornbread recipe.

4 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsps baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 cup lowfat buttermilk
1/2 cup of melted butter

Preheat oven to 375F.

Whisk the egg and sugar together. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk...whisking in between to mix everything evenly.

Mix in the melted butter at the end.

Pour into a greased (I use pan spray and dust it with flour) glass cake pan. Bake at 375F about 28 minutes until sides come away from the pan, the bread starts to brown and crack. Turn the oven to broil to brown the top for about 3 minutes or so (optional).

This cornbread is nice and moist, and sweet but not too sweet. It slices into 12 good sized pieces. Nice for a larger family. The recipe can be cut in half and baked in an iron skillet for 20 minutes or until done.

Iced Chai

This is one of my personal favorites. I first heard of Chai Tea when I found it on a grocery list that was blowing around in my pasture about a year ago.





1/2 cup boiling water
1 Chai tea bag
1 tablespoon sugar (or to taste)
1/2 cup milk
crushed ice

In a tall glass, slowly pour boiling water over tea bag, being careful not to crack glass. Cover with towel and seep for 5 minutes. Sqeeze out bag and discard. Stir in sugar. Pour in chilled milk. Finish filling glass with crushed ice.

It is very good hot as well. Just omit the ice.

Italian Cream Soda

Club Soda
1/3 C. Milk
3 Tablespoons Torani Syrup (any flavor)
Crushed Ice

In glass mix syrup and milk. Add ice and finish with club soda.

Low-Fat Coke Cake

Thanks Mrs. Bowman for the good recipe!

Ingredients:
Any cake mix
Diet Soda

Mix together and pour into cake pan that has been sprayed and lightly floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Cut into 12 pieces. Top with 2 tablespoons fat free whipped topping.

**Try to combine interesting flavors. I used a strawberry mix with Diet Strawberry Cream Pepsi. It was yummy! I also tried Chocolate mix and Diet Dr. Pepper. My favorite so far is the Funfetti Cakemix with Zero.

Duck Breast

This is the only way I've had Duck

Duck breasts cut into peices about the size of your thumb
Italian dressing
Bacon

Marinate duck peices in italian dressing several hours or overnight.
Wrap each peice in bacon(your choice of length). Toothpick together.
Grill on low, turning often.

Quail

Quail fixed like this is one of my favorites!
4 to 6 quail
1/2 cup italian dressing

Place quail and dressing in an airtight container (ex. gladware). Marinate in refrigerator several hours or overnight.

Grill on low, turning often until done.

Cheddar Crackers

These are good with tomato soup

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter Or Margarine
1 1/2 Cups Unbleached Flour; Sifted
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Dash Cayenne Pepper
2 Cups Cheddar; Extra Sharp, finely grated

Stir the dry ingredients into a bowl and then cut in the butter to resemble cornmeal. Blend in the cheddar cheese with a fork until well blended. Mix in the remaining ingredients and shape into 2 balls. Chill for 30 to 40 minutes in the refrigerator. Quickly roll out and cut with heart shape cookie cutter about 1/4-inch thick. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool.
Store the cooled crackers in airtight containers in a cool place. They will keep for several weeks this way and if you freeze them, they will last indefinitely.

Chicken Piccata

Easy and delicious chicken piccata with chicken breasts and lemon.
INGREDIENTS:
· 6 to 8 chicken breast halves, boneless, no skin
· 1/2 cup flour
· 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
· 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
· 1/2 teaspoon paprika, or to taste
· 3 tablespoons butter
· 2 tablespoons olive oil
· 1/4 cup chicken broth or water
· 1/4 cup white wine
· 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
· 6 to 8 thin slices of lemon
· 1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
· 3 tablespoons capers (optional)
· 3 tablespoons tomato chopped and seeded (optional)
· 3 tablespoons pickled artichokes (optional)

PREPARATION:
Put chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap; pound to flatten to about 1/4-inch. In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika; dredge chicken breasts to coat well.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté chicken breasts in batches, about 3 minutes on each side.
Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Sauté mushrooms. Stir in chicken broth and white wine, scraping to loosen browned bits. Add lemon juice and heat through. Return chicken to the skillet with the lemon slices; heat until sauce thickens. Toss in capers, artichokes and tomatoes, if using. Serve with your favorite pasta.
Chicken Piccata recipe serves 6 to 8.

Banoli Bread

This is originally a Scandinavian recipe. It is from my aunt Banoli. You have to know her to best appreciate this recipe. She is the spice.

In Bowl:
2 T yeast
1 T sugar
2 T vegetable oil
3 cups warm water (stirring in 1 at a time)

Mix in:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour. Cover with towel and let sit for 6 minutes or until foamy.
Continue stirring in flour 1/2 cupfuls at a time until thick yet still sticky (4 cups?). Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Dust with flour. Pour dough onto foil. Put flour around edges forming dough into a circle. Pat with wet fingers until smooth. Cover with towel and let rise for 35 minutes.
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Uncover dough and pat with milk. Place in oven for 30 minutes or until light brown.

Optional:
While adding 4 cups of flour, you can add what spices you like. (ie. basil, rosemary, garlic powder, sundried tomatoes, etc.)

Coconut Date Cookies

Thanks Ginger. Mom loves these!

1 stick of butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 package copped dates
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
Angel flake coconut

Cream together butter and sugar in saucepan. Stir in dates and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until boiling.
Add Rice Krispies, vanilla, and nuts. Mix well and let cool enough to work with hands. Shape into a ball about the size of a walnut. Roll in angel flake coconut and flatten in center with thumb.

Granola Cereal

From JoAnn

3/4 c olive oil
1/3 c apple juice or water
3/4 c honey
1/2 tbls vanilla
1/4 c brown sugar
8 cups old quaker old-fashioned oats
1 cup (at least. The more the sweeter)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup crazins, raisins, or dried blueberries in any combination

Preheat oven to 225-250 degrees.
Mix together the first 5 ingredients in saucepan and heat. In a deep sheet pan, pour sugar mixture over oats and coconut. Mix in. Bake two hours stirring occasionally. Add nuts the last 1/2 hour. Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit while still hot. Let cool before storing.

Creamy Hot Chocolate

We use this recipe during the Christmas holiday. Great for cold nights in front of the fireplace.

2 ounces (squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
dash salt
3 cups milk

Directions
Cook chocolate and water over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add sugar and salt, boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly until piping hot. Beat until frothy before serving.

**Place a long stick of cinnamon into the hot chocolate and top with whipped cream.