Fried Ice Cream

Happy Cinco de Mayo! I came across this recipe in the Taste of Home newsletter and it was delicious. I used cinnamon flavored graham crackers too and added just a little bit of sugar. This is why I made that carmel sauce yesterday. Top it with honey, caramel ice cream topping or whipped cream. Good times!

Fried Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1-1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Oil for deep-fat frying

Directions:

Using a 1/2-cup ice cream scoop, place six scoops of ice cream on a baking sheet. Freeze.
Place heavy cream in a shallow bowl. Combine cracker crumbs and cinnamon in another shallow bowl. Dip ice cream balls in cream, then roll in crumb mixture. Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour. Refrigerate remaining cream and set aside remaining crumb mixture.
Roll ice cream balls again in cream, then coat again with crumbs. Freeze for 15 minutes. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry ice cream balls for 10-15 seconds or until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

Creamy Tomatoe Fondue Sauce

This is a recipe I got from my good friend, Jessica. She made it for a baby shower and it was so amazing, I had to get the recipe. This recipe is actually for fondue, but I have made a meal of it. I don't have a fondue pot- I just used a small crock pot. Also, I bought my tortellini noodles in the bulk section at Winco. I just boiled them up with a bit of salt and olive oil and they tasted great! (You could probably use any kind of noodle though if you are going to make it a meal.) If I were going to serve it again as a meal over noodles, I think I would add a little bit more liquid to the sauce- maybe apple juice or a bit of cream or milk. It is very rich and this makes a big batch, but it is SO delicous! Hope you try this one out!

Creamy Tomato Sauce (Originally for Fondue)
1 T Olive Oil
1 med Onion, chopped
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1 28oz can Diced Italian Tomatoes with Oregano, Basil and Garlic
1 c. Apple Juice
2 8oz Cream Cheese, cut in 1” cubes
1 c. Monterrey Jack Cheese – shredded (I used mozzarella)

Dip ideas:
French Bread, Cubed Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Tortellini, Green Peppers, Bagel Chips

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onion is very soft. Add the tomatoes, and apple juice. Simmer 10 min, until liquid is almost completely reduced. Add the cheese and heat, stirring constantly, until melted. Pour into a fondue pot, over medium heat.

Snowman Cupcakes

My little sister, Bethany, got this idea from a Taste of Home magzine. I had to take a picture because I thought they were so cute! I think the ones in the magazine had little hats, but I thought this would be a cute idea for neighbor treats! She used gum drops for the nose, and she wanted those mini chocolate chips for the mouth but couldn't find them. I thought they turned out great though.

Easy Stuffing

This is my great-grandmas recipe for stuffing that is super easy and delicious.

1 loaf of bread (take off the top crust and discard -- for some reason it just doesn't cut as well)
1/2 tsp salt
1 square of butter
2 heaping tablespoons of sage

(quadruple for a 22 lb. turkey)

Cut up the bread into cubes. You don't have to dry the bread, but if you do it will hold more flavor. To dry the bread, put the cut up cubes on a cookie sheet and put in a 200 degree oven for a few minutes.

Put bread cubes in a bowl and toss with salt. Then add chunks of butter throughout. Add sage and toss with your hands.

If you are not stuffing a turkey, add about 1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth and bake in tinfoil at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. There is nothing it in that needs to cook, it just needs to be heated.

Peppermint Ice Cream Dessert

1 lb chocolate waffers or cream filled cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter

1/2 gallon Peppermint Stick ice cream
1 12 oz container whipped topping

1/2 cup butter
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
2 cups sugar
1 can evaporated milk
1 teas. vanilla
crushed peppermint candy

Mix crushed cookies and butter. Press in 13x9 pan.

Stir together ice cream and 2 cups whipped topping. Spoon onto crust. Freeze until firm.

Melt butter and chocolate in a 2 qt. pan over low heat. Stir constantly. Stir in sugar after chocolate is melted. Gradually stir in milk, then heat to boiling over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly thickened. Stir in vanilla. Let cool completely.

Pour chocolate sauce over ice cream piece and top with remainder of of whipped topping and crushed peppermint.

Enjoy!

Suggestions: I used one bag of chocolate graham crackers for the crust. The original recipe says to put the chocolate sauce on and freeze, but the chocolate sauce doesn't freeze and will cause a big, sticky mess!

Caramel Apple Cider

This is the other drink I considered bringing to the Recipe Swap. I opted for the cool beverage because I am nursing/hormonal and get hot often. :) Then the night of the swap a huge storm blew in and it was freezing. Guess I chose the wrong drink! Anyway, this recipe tastes amazing, even though the ingredients are simple. Served with a dollop of whipped cream, it would be like one of those fancy shmancy drinks they charge $6 for. Really.

INDIVIDUAL SERVING:
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

PARTY SIZE:
1 gallon apple cider
1 cup caramel ice cream topping
5 teaspoons vanilla

Stir ingredients together and heat through.

Christmas Punch

Ingredients:

2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
3 cups cranberry juice
2 1/2 cups orange juice
1 cup lemon juice
2 liters 7-Up soda
ice cubes (optional)

Directions:

Chill fruit juices and 7-Up. Simmer water, sugar and cinnamon sticks together for 10 minutes. Set aside for several hours to allow the mixture to develop the cinnamon spiced flavor. Prior to serving time, remove the cinnamon sticks from the sugar syrup. In a large punch bowl, combine the sugar syrup, cranberry juice, orange juice, and lemon juice. Slowly pour in the 7-Up. Add ice-cubes if desired.

If I made this again, I would use less cinnamon somehow (either use three sticks, let it steep for less time or add more juice). I thought the cinnamon was just a bit too strong.

Christmas Goodies!

So this year I have been in the mood to make Christmas goodies! I thought I would share a couple that I have tried out all ready and they are yummy!

Brownie Crackles
1 package fudge brownie mix (13-in. x 9-inch pan size)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup canola oil

1cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Confectioners' sugar

Directions: In a large bowl, beat the brownie mix, flour, egg, water and oil until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Place confectioners' sugar in a shallow dish. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into sugar; roll to coat. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen.

Creamy Lemon Fudge
1 1/2 tsps plus 1/2 cup butter, divided
1 package (4.3 ounce) cook and serve lemon pudding mix
1/2 cup milk
3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
Line a 9 inch square pan with foil. grease the foil witn 1 1/2 tsp butter; set aside. In a large heavy saucepan, combine pudding mix, milk and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Beat in confectioners' sugar and extract. Pour into prepared pan; refrigerate until set. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cute fudge into 1 inch squares. Store in the refrigeratior.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 pkg. baby spinach
1 1/2 cups chopped apples
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 pkg Craisins
1 small package (about 1 cup) slivered almonds (wet almonds, roll in sugar, roast 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until desired)

Dressing
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. mustard seed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar (can use less)

Put this in a sealed container and shake. Don't pour it on the salad until you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Crisp

We made this last year for the holidays and it was a huge hit and so yummy! A nice change from the marshmallow casserole.

1 pkg. (8 oz) cream cheese
2 lbs. sweet potatoes (about 7 medium) peeled, cooked and coarsley mashed
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped apples
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Topping:
3 T. flour
2 T. brown sugar
3 T. butter
3 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal

Beat cream cheese, sweet potatoes, 1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon with electric mixer until well blended. Spoon into 2-quart baking dish; top with apples and cranberries. Mix flour and 2 T. brown sugar in a large bowl. Cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cereal. Sprinkle over fruit mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy! And have a great holiday!

Dulce De Leche Hot Cocoa

Some of you have this recipe, but I had to share it with those that don't. It's so rich and yummy! And perfect for the horrible winter weather. (Although the snow is finally starting to melt here! YAY!) I'll take a picture next time I make it and add it to the post so it looks pretty . . .

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
4 cups milk
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
Aerosol whipped cream
Caramel ice cream topping

In medium saucepan, combine cocoa and ½ cup of the milk; beat with wire whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat.

Stir in remaining 3½ cups milk, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Return to medium heat; continue cooking and stirring until mixture is thoroughly heated.

Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream. Drizzle caramel topping over each and serve immediately. (4 servings)

Chocolate Roll-up Cake

This one is great for birthdays or for Christmas. I've been making them every Christmas ever since I learned how in a French class. You can mix it in the blender, mixing the eggs until they are foamy and then adding everything else. It is a lot easier, but the results aren't quite the same. Here's the Yule Log we made this Christmas.

Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Roll/Buche de Noel (Yule Log)

Cake:
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup water

Preheat oven to 375. Line a jelly roll pan with foil (or you can fold up the sides of a piece of foil to about 11x16x1 and place it on a cookie sheet if you don’t have one) and grease and flour generously. Beat egg whites until foamy, then gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Beat egg yolks with vanilla on high speed about 3 minutes, and then gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating 2 more minutes. Combine dry ingredients and add to the egg yolks, alternating with the water. Fold into the egg whites. Spread into the foil-lined pan and bake 12-15 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert the pan onto a kitchen towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Quickly and carefully remove the foil and roll the cake up in the towel. Roll from a long end if you want more small servings and from a short end if you want less and bigger servings. Don’t give up if the cake breaks a little; you can often repair it with frosting. Allow the cake to cool before filling. Fill with softened ice cream, pudding, frosting, or the following filling. Leave a couple of inches at the end unfilled and roll it up, placing the cake seam side down on serving dish. Glaze or frost and refrigerate (freeze immediately if it is filled with ice cream!).
For a traditional French Christmas dessert, decorate the cake with chocolate frosting and use a fork to score the frosting to look like bark. Then, sift powdered sugar over the top to look like snow and decorate with holly leaves. You can even cut off a piece and reattach it with frosting to look like a forked branch. You can get really creative with the fillings and frostings and make it a treat for any occasion.

Filling:
Beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream until slightly thickened. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup finely crushed candy cane, peppermint candies (or 1/2 tsp mint extract). Add a few drops red food coloring. Beat until stiff.

Glaze:
Melt 2 Tbl. butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add 2 Tbl. cocoa and 2 Tbl. water, stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Do not boil. Remove from heat and blend in 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Drizzle over filled cake.

MilkyWay Bar Cake

This is my family's favorite treat at Christmas time. I think this year we must have made at least 10 during the holiday season for everyone to enjoy.

13 fun size milkyway bars
½ C. butter or margarine
*melt together

Prepare batter:
½ C. butter or margarine
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
2 ½ C. sifted flour
½ t. baking soda
1 ¼ C. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
1 C. chopped nuts (if desired)
*Add melted candy bars to batter. Bake in bundt pan that is greased and floured for 1 hr. 20 min. (I usually do 70 min.) at 350 degrees. Dust with powdered sugar when cooled.

Christmas Treats

I personally haven't made these yet, but I plan to in the next week.

Cranberry Orange Wreath Rolls

12 Rhodes™ Dinner Rolls or 8 Rhodes Texas™ Rolls, thawed and risen

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries

zest from one orange

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3 tablespoons butter, melted

mint leaves for garnish

Icing

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2-3 tablespoons orange juice

Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Combine rolls into a ball and roll into a 12x12-inch square. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest. In a bowl combine sugars, cranberries, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove plastic wrap from dough and brush with half of the melted butter. Sprinkle one half of the dough with the sugar mixture. Press the mixture gently into the dough with your hands or the back of a spoon. Fold plain side of dough over the side with the sugar mixture. Dough will now measure 6x12-inches. Pinch edges to seal. Divide dough into 12 one inch strips and cut using a pizza cutter. Gently twist each strip 2 or 3 times. Place on a sprayed baking sheet and join ends together to make a wreath (if some filling falls out while twisting, sprinkle over wreaths before baking). Brush wreaths with remaining butter and cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise 45-60 minutes. Remove wrap and bake at 350°F 15-20 minutes. Combine icing ingredients and drizzle or brush over rolls while still warm.
(This recipe is from www.rhodesbread.com/recipes)

Two-Tone Mashed Potatoes

1 pound (about 6) potatoes
1 pound (2-3 large) sweet potatoes (the lighter colored ones have a nice mild flavor, but the more orange ones look pretty next to the white potatoes)
4 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 tub onion and chive flavor cream cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Wash, peel, and boil the potatoes and sweet potatoes until tender. Mash the potatoes with half of the milk, butter, and cream cheese. Spread in a 9x13 dish and sprinkle with half of the parmesan cheese. Do the same with the sweet potatoes, spreading over the potatoes. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until warmed through.

Orange Almond Drink

This is a great holiday drink that is somewhat similar to wassle, but not as heavy tasting.

Heat together 3 C sugar and 4 C water
Then add:

1 12 oz. frozen orange juice undiluted
1 1/2 C lemon juice
1 TBLS almond extract flavoring
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 qts. water

Heat all until hot, but DO NOT boil (boiling will change the taste)

My Favorite Potpourri

1 orange

1 lemon

1 tsp. whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

2 bay leaves

Quarter the orange & lemon. Fill with enough water to cover the contents in a small pot. Simmer on low! This smells so good, it'll make you thirsty!!

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Thought I would share this yummy recipe. My mother-in-law made it while we were home for Thanksgiving and I just couldn't get enough.

1 yellow cake mix (reserve 1 cup)
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg

Mix and press into a 9x13 pan. Make your favorite pumpkin pie filling. Pour over cake mixture.

Topping:
1 cup cake mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine

Pour over cake and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Cranberry Muffins with Butter Sauce

I thought I'd start by adding my recipe for November's recipe night. This one is perfect with the holidays coming up. And I can't take all the credit for it. My mom used to make something similar, but can't find the recipe. This one comes from one of my cousins.

Muffins
Cream ½ cup sugar with 1 ½ tablespoons butter
Add 1 cup sifted flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt
Add ½ cup evaporated canned milk
Mix in 1 cup raw cranberries. Mix with a spoon, not a mixer. Don’t over mix batter.

Fill greased muffins tins ½ full. Bake at 350° for 30 min. makes 8 muffins.

Butter sauce
Mix:
1 cup sugar
½ cup heavy cream
½ pound butter (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cook over very low heat for ½ hour, just before serving. Pour desired amount over muffins. Makes enough for a double/tripled muffin recipe.