Poco Pepper Snacks

With New Year’s coming up, it is time for some good appetizers. Here is a favorite recipe of mine. These can be made ahead and frozen until ready to use.

Ingredients

  • 1 3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 Tablespoons green chilies, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons green olives, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon onion, minced
  • 5 drops hot pepper sauce
  • 1 can crescent rolls

Directions
Combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green chilies, green olives, minced onion and pepper sauce. Divide crescent rolls into 4 rectangles. Spread mixture on the rectangles. Roll each rectangle in jelly roll style and cut into 10 slices. Bake @ 400 degrees on cookie sheets for 12 minutes.

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

<Loaded Mashed Potatoes Loaded Mashed Potatoes[/caption]This favorite recipe is a delicious variation of plain mashed potatoes. It can easily be made ahead and reheated. Beats that last minute mashing!

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds medium baking potatoes
  • 1 cup milk
  • 12 ounce container (1 1/2 cups) French onion dip
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup Asiago cheese
  • 1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon

Directions
Peel potatoes and cut into eighths. Place in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return to saucepan. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes with milk. Blend in dip, salt and pepper. Place potato mixture in shallow 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon. Heat @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until hot.

Whipped Cream Horseradish Sauce Served with Ham

Are you making a ham for the Holidays? Try this favorite recipe of mine for a special sauce to serve along with it. It is easy, special and good.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped stiff
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 ounces bottled horseradish

Directions
Beat whipping cream until stiff, add sugar. Stir in horseradish. Put in serving dish and chill. Serve on the side with ham.

Old Fashioned Fruitcake

Fruit Cake is a joke among many and I agree that there are a lot of really bad fruitcakes out there. This is a favorite recipe from my Mom’s collection and this is a really, really good fruitcake. She used to make it every Christmas and we all looked forward to it. She would actually make it at the beginning of the month and keep it moist by wrapping it in cheesecloth that was soaked in wine. She would check it frequently and rewet the cheesecloth when it dried out. The recipe calls for liquor, but she always used some type of sweet wine. Try this fruitcake, you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound vanilla wafers, rolled fine
  • 1 pound raisins
  • 1 quart nuts, she used pecans and walnuts
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 pound candied fruits and dates
  • 1 Tablespoon liquor

Directions

Mix all of the ingredients and mix in the 1 Tablespoon of liquor. Line the bottom of one large loaf pan or 2 small loaf pans with wax paper. Refrigerate overnight. The next day remove cake from pans and wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in wine or liquor. Keep in refrigerator. If cheesecloth dries out, add more liquor. Keeps indefinitely.

Pecan Squares

Pecans
Pecans
Pecan pie is one of my favorite desserts. This favorite recipe is almost as good as pie. The best thing about bars is that you can cut them small and sample them all!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups pecans, chopped


Directons

In a large mixing bowl blend together flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup butter and salt until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly and evenly into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Meanwhile in another bowl combine eggs, syrup, sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Stir in pecans. Spread evenly over hot crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until set. Cool and cut into bars.

Best Ever Scones

My friend Carol is an excellent cook. Eating at her house is always a treat and any recipe she gives me soon becomes a family favorite recipe. This is her scone recipe that she claims is the “best ever”. Hers are delicious. To be honest, mine never turn our quite as good as hers. It must be technique. She loves to serve hers with clotted cream, which is wonderful.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups unsifted flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (available@ [ad#Myspice Hyperlink])
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup currants or craisins

Directions
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cloves. Mix well. Add butter and blend for a coarse meal look. Reserve 2 teaspoon cream, add remaining cream and currants and mix lightly with a fork. Knead dough 5 to 6 times. Cut dough in half. Roll each half into a circle at least 1/2 inch thick. Brush with reserved cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut into wedges. Bake 15 to 18 minutes @ 325 degrees.

Carol’s Hints

  • Always use butter and heavy cream.
  • Take frozen butter and grate with a grater into the dry ingredients.

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Categories
Cookies

Peanut Blossoms

I’m sure this is many family’s favorite recipe. No collection of recipes would be complete without this old fashioned Christmas goodie.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 2 Tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • Hershey’s chocolate candy kisses

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in additional sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake @ 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Once removed from oven, top each hot cookie with candy kiss, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges.

Grandma’s Old Fashioned Sour Cream Raisin Pie

This pie was always a favorite of my Mom and Grandma. They both loved it and considered it the ultimate dessert. My Mom still orders sour cream raisin pie when she sees it on the menu at Baker’s Square, but she insists that hers is better!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup cornstrach
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks, beaten
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 baked pie shell
  • Whipped cream

Directions
Mix raisins, cornstarch, cinnamon, milk, sugar, nutmet, and salt together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Add sour cream to beaten egg yolks and then add to mixture in saucepan. Cook until bubbly.
Add lemon juice and cool slightly. Pour into pie crust and chill until set, at least 3 hours or more. Top with whipped cream. Can decorate with pecan or raisins.

Turkey Souffle’

Turkey Souffle
Turkey Souffle
This favorite recipe comes from a dear lady who is now deceased. She used to love to make this for her family at Christmas time. It is a nice way to use up some of that leftover turkey.

Ingredients

  • 6 slices white bread
  • 2 cups diced cooked turkey
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Directions
Cube 2 slices of bread and put into bottom of 8x8x2 inch pan. Combine turkey, vegetables, mayonnaise, and seasonings, put over cubed bread. Trim the crusts from remaining 4 slices of bread and lay these over the turkey mixture. Mix beaten eggs and milk together and pour over all. Cover and chill for 1 hour or overnight. When ready to bake, spoon soup (undiluted) over top. Bake for 1 hour @ 350 degrees, sprinkle cheese over top last 5 minutes of baking.