Holiday Rum Balls

Holiday Rum Balls

2-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 75 wafers)
1 cup ground pecans
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa
1/4 cup rum
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons water
Additional confectioners' sugar and/or crushed vanilla wafers

In a large bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, pecans, confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Combine the rum, honey and water; stir into crumb mixture. Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional confectioners' sugar and/or wafer crumbs. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3-1/2 dozen.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup salted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300°F. In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well, set aside.

In a large bowl with a mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to until it forms a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until fully combined. Add the flour mixture, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips, and blend on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Move immediately to cooling rack.

Enchilada Bubble Bake

Enchilada Bubble Bake

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef (or ground turkey)
2 cans (7.5 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated biscuits 
1 can (15 oz) Progresso® black beans, drained 
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (4 oz)

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish or pan with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Drain, if necessary. Meanwhile, separate each can of dough into 10 biscuits. With pizza cutter, cut each biscuit into quarters. In large bowl, stir together beef, beans, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Stir in biscuit pieces. Spread mixture evenly in baking dish.

Sprinkle cheese over top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Add a dollop of sour cream to the top of each serving, if desired.

Fresh Doughnuts

Homemade Fresh Doughnuts

1 cup sugar 
1 Tbsp nutmeg 
1 tsp baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 Tbsp shortening
1 cup sour milk
6 cups flour

Mix sugar, nutmeg, soda, salt, eggs, milk and shortening. Add enough flour to roll out dough on a floured surface and cut with doughnut cutter. Heat shortening to 375 degrees F. and drop doughnuts in, turning several times. Drain on soft crumpled paper. Cool and dust with powdered sugar, or granulated sugar and or with cinnamon, or drizzle with glaze (see below) if desired. Repeat with doughnut centers.

Note: milk can be soured by adding 1 Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup fresh milk.

White Doughnut Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 to 6 Tbsp milk

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla and milk with a fork to desired consistency. Thicken with powdered sugar or thin down with milk.

Cinnamon Rolls

Delightful  Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup warm water 
2 pkg. active dry yeast 
1 cup warm milk
1 tsp + 2/3 + 1 1/2 + 1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
2/3 + 1/2 + 1/2 + 2/3 cups butter, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
8 cups flour
3 Tbsp cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
6 Tbsp hot water
walnuts

In a small bowl mix together warm water, yeast, and 1 tsp sugar and set aside. In a large bowl, mix milk, 2/3 cup sugar, 2/3 cup melted butter, salt, and eggs, stir well and add to yeast mixture. Add half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in enough of the remaining flour until dough is slightly stiff (dough will be sticky). Turn onto well floured board and knead 5-10 minutes. Place in well buttered bowl, cover and let rise in warm place, free from drafts, until double in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When doubled, punch down dough and let rest 5 minutes.

Roll onto floured surface into a 15X20 rectangle. Spread dough with 1/2 cup melted butter. Mix together 1 1/2 cups sugar and cinnamon, next sprinkle over buttered dough. Sprinkle with walnuts, and roll up jellyroll-fashion and pinch edge together to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices. Coat bottom of 9X13 and 8" square baking pans with 1/2 cup melted butter, next sprinkle with 1/4 cup sugar. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in pans. Let rise in warm place until dough is doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until rolls are nicely browned. Cool rolls slightly.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix 2/3 cup melted butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add hot water 1 Tbsp at a time until glaze reaches desired spreading consistency. Spread over slightly cooled rolls and serve warm. Makes 12 to 15 large cinnamon rolls.

gingerbread men Recipe

No holiday cookie platter would be complete without gingerbread men! 

26 ServingsPrep: 30 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 Egg
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the molasses, egg and water. Combine the flour, ginger,
• baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; add to creamed
• mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half. Refrigerate for 30
• minutes or until easy to handle.
• 
  
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion of dough to
• 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. cookie cutter. Place 2
• in. apart on greased baking sheets. Reroll scraps.
• 
  
• Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to
• wire racks to cool completely. Decorate as desired. Yield: about 2
• dozen.

CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

CREAM CHEESE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Ingredients:

5 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup light sour cream

10 oz. can of enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (canned corn works just fine, but drain it first)

4 oz. can diced green chiles

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper

4 scallions, thinly sliced

8 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9X13 dish with cooking spray.
2.In the bowl of your mixer cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 1/2 of the enchilada sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup of each type of cheese.
3.In a second bowl toss together the chicken, corn, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, green chiles, and half of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and combine well.
4.Spread about half of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.
5.Spoon the filling into each tortilla, roll the tortilla up, and place in the baking dish with the seam down. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with the remaining scallions and serve.