Meringues

This simple Meringue recipe was given to me by a friend several years ago. It makes a nice addition to any Christmas cookie tray!

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Cream of Tarter
3/4 cup sugar
drop of red or green food coloring
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites, salt and Cream of Tarter until soft peaks form.  Gradually add sugar while beating until stiff peaks form.  Add food coloring.  Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by teaspoon onto the papered cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes.  Cool slightly before removing from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack.  Store in a sealed container.

Do Not Double This Recipe

Happy Baking!

Bourbon Balls

I can't believe it has taken me this long to blog about one of our family's favorite holiday treats! I guess I can blame it on lack of planning because you actually have to make these around mid November in order to eat them by mid December. They're like fruit cake in that they need to age for several weeks before they taste their best. Besides that, they are super simple to make, requiring very few ingredients. Try them, you'll love them!

This recipe was given to me by a family friend back in the 1970's.

Bourbon Balls

2 boxes Vanilla Wafers
1 12-oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 TB corn syrup
1 cup Bourbon
1 cup powdered sugar

Prep: Spread a large sheet of wax paper on your work surface to place rolled balls as you are working.  Pour some powdered sugar into a small dish for rolling the balls in.

In food processor, grind vanilla wafers until finely ground. Pour crumbs in a large bowl. Stir in powdered sugar.

In microwave, melt chocolate chips 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until smooth.  Add corn syrup to the  melted chocolate, then pour into the vanilla wafer crumbs and mix together.  Add 1/2 cup Bourbon and mix, adding more until mixture is soft but firm enough to shape into 1 inch balls. I like to use my hands to combine everything together. The mixture dries out very quickly so you have to work fast. Better yet, enlist someone to help you!

Using a truffle scoop or spoon, roll into 1 inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place on the wax paper.  Add more Bourbon as you work if necessary. You should get approximately 90 Bourbon Balls.  Let them dry on the wax paper for an hour or so then place in a tin or air-tight container until you are ready to eat them.  Wait at least 2 weeks, preferably 3, before serving!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Two Peas and Their Pod. This cake is moist and flavorful, and the cream cheese glaze puts it over the top! It's easy and fun to whip up on a beautiful fall day when you are craving something pumpkin!

You can follow the above link to the original recipe, or print it up here if you like. I organized my directions a little differently, in the order I prefer to do things.

Cake:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

Cream Cheese Glaze:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 TB milk

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a 10" bundt pan with Bakers Joy or other non-stick cooking spray for baking. Do not use an Olive Oil based spray.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and oil until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to the creamed mixture, alternating with the canned pumpkin. Beat well after each addition.

Pour batter into the bundt pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Check the cake at about 40 minutes; if it's getting too brown, tent it with foil until done. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto cooling rack.  When cake is cool, transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with the glaze.

Glaze:
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until combined.  Add the vanilla and 1 TB of milk. If  it's too thick to drizzle, add more milk.

Cover and store in the refrigerator.  Serve cold or at room temperature.

Happy Baking!

No-Bake Deliciousness

When it's too hot to bake but you are craving home-made sweets, these quick and easy desserts will cure your sweet tooth!

Want something creamy?  These three desserts will satisfy!  Rich and creamy Cheesecake Mousse, colorful and light Blueberry Fool, and refreshing Banana Pudding Parfaits.

Cheesecake Mousse

Blueberry Fool

Banana Pudding Parfaits

These Chocolate Oat Bars are super EASY and TASTY. I make these anytime of the year!

No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

Rocky Road Candy and Cookie Dough Fudge whip up quickly and are good anytime of year.

Rocky Road Candy

Cookie Dough Fudge

Craving pie?  Refreshing Lime Pie and Black Raspberry Cream Pie are both good choices.

Refreshing Lime Pie

Black Raspberry Cream Pie

Finally, these No Bake Pretzel Bars from My Biscuits are Burning  are always a big hit. (See the link for the original photo.)

Oatmeal Carrot Raisin Bars

I almost didn't blog about these because they aren't that attractive and it was really hard to get a good photo! I took about twenty and this was the ONLY one even close to being good. However, they are very yummy and I really wanted to share the recipe with you all.

I got this recipe from a friend years ago when our kids were in preschool together. It was the only treat she would bake for her kids because she felt it was somewhat healthy. I guess she thought the veggies, fruit, oats and nuts made up for the cup of butter and almost 2 cups of sugar. I agree! LOL!

Oatmeal Carrot Raisin Bars

1 cup  butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

2-2/3 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1 cup raisins

1 cup shredded carrots, loosely packed

½ - 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preaheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.  In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients; mix well.  Stir in the remaining ingredients then spread dough in an ungreased 13x9” pan.  Bake ~22 minutes until golden brown. Don't over-bake or they will be dry! Cool completely then cut into squares.

Happy Baking!

Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe on one of my favorite recipe websites, allrecipes.com.  I love shortbread and this recipe looked fast and simple to whip up. I love fast and simple, as long as it tastes good!  I’m so glad I tried them, they are DELICIOUS!  The  melt-in-your-mouth shortbread texture with the gooey melted chocolate chips, will make it hard to stop at one or two!

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter (Do not substitute salted butter!)

½ cup white sugar

¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup finely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  (The original recipe says 300 degrees but I read it incorrectly and 325 worked beautifully. ) 

In a medium bowl, whisk  the flour, baking powder and salt.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Gradually stir in the flour. Add walnuts and chocolate chips.

Roll or scoop dough into walnut sized balls.  Put on ungreased cookie sheet 1-1/2” apart. Flatten a bit with the palm of your hand.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, until light golden brown.  Cool on racks.

Happy Baking!