2001
Recipes of the Month for January, 2001
The holiday season is over, and, for us here in Florida, the visitor season is beginning. We will have a steady stream of house guests for the next four months. Despite the fact that I love to talk food and read recipes, I don't want to spend all my time in the kitchen. So I've developed a couple of strategies.
First, I don't "make" breakfast. I put bread, rolls or bagels, cream cheese, jams, toaster, fresh fruit, juice, dry cereal, etc. out on a counter and everyone fixes their own breakfast whenever they want to eat. The plates are on the counter; the flatware and napkins are in a basket on the counter. Coffee is hot in a pot on the coffee maker.
A second strategy is to make ahead of time a group of "durable" salads. Usually I make three at a time. Durable salads are ones that taste as good or better on Friday as they did on Monday. I just keep them in the frig, and set them out for lunch or dinner as needed. They can function as a salad and/or as a side dish. Very handy. Some durable salads you already have in your repetoire, I'm sure, such as pasta salad and five bean salad. I use those, as well as three recipes I am including with this month's letter. These three always go over well with my guests. For those of you who have been getting my recipes for years, I have put these out before - a long time ago. But they are still basic to my menus, and will bear repeating.
These salads are handy not only for when you have guests, but for yourself. Make a couple on the weekends, and when you get home from work, supper is half fixed.
Third strategy, of course, is to cook casseroles, etc., ahead and freeze them.
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THE DURABLE SALADS
I got this recipe from both Jeannine Parady in Mesa, AZ and my sister Lynne in Washington.
KILLER (JAPANESE) COLE SLAW
1 small head of cabbage, chopped or shredded
a couple of grated carrots
6 green onions, sliced
4 T slivered almonds, or to taste (I use more)
1 package Oriental flavor Ramen noodles
1/3 cup sugar or sweetner
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup salad oil
salt and pepper to taste
1. Mix the cabbage, carrots, almond, and onions in a large bowl.
2. Mix well the sugar, oil, vinegar, and seasoning packet form the Ramen noodles. (I find if I mix this first and warm it a bit, the sugar dissolves better. It can cool while you're cutting up the cabbage.)
3. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture, mix well. Allow to marinate several hours of overnight before serving.
5. Before serving, break up the uncooked Ramen noodles, and stir into the salad.
BASIC BROCCOLI SALAD This recipe now has its own page.
There are several variations of this basic salad. This is how I make it.
broccoli, fresh
dry-roasted peanuts
raisins
crumbled bacon
1. Chop fresh broccoli into bite-sized pieces.
2. Mix in peanuts and raisins to taste.
Now here's the secret, this dressing. I got this from Bobbie Momberger in New York.
Thin some mayonnaise with maple syrup and vinegar to make a sweet/sour dressing.
3. Mix dressing into salad. Top with crumbled bacon.
Allow to marinate for several hours or overnight.
QUICK FRUIT SALAD (also known as Fluff)
1 8-oz carton Cool Whip
1 16-oz carton of cottage cheese
1 package dry flavored gelatine
fruit canned in juice of your choice, drained and chopped
1. Mix the Jello powder into the Cool Whip.
2. Stir in cottage cheese and fruit
This is the basic salad. Peaches and lemon flavored gelatine are a good combination, as are red flavored gelatin and fruit cocktail. Pineapple, lemon or orange flavored gelatin, and coconut are also good.
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Here's a quick and easy way to make "home made" pickled beets from Stella Cousineau in Michigan. These will also keep for a long time in the frig, and dress up your menu.
STELLA'S PICKLED BEETS This recipe now has its own page
Bring to a boil:
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vinegar
a dash of cinnamon or cloves
Add:
3 cans of sliced beets (drained)
Bring to a boil again. Cool. Refrigerate.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for February, 2001
Well, my "durable salads" were a surprising hit!! Since there is such interest, I'm including this month one more durable salad, a black-eyed pea salad (this is not the black-eyed pea and spinach salad I sent out a couple of months ago). It, like the rest, will keep indefinitely. You will then have my repetoire.
BLACK-EYE PEA SALAD
As with all "durable" salads, this is best allowed to marinate several hours or overnight before serving the first time.
2 pkgs/cans frozen (cooked) or canned (drained) black-eye peas
1 can whole kernal corn (drained)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced green and/or red peppers
1 T finely diced onion
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 T olive oil
a dash of sugar or sweetener (to taste)
1/2 cup of chopped fresh coriander leaves (available in your produce department)
coarse ground black pepper to taste
Mix and chill. Stir occasionally.
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This sounds exotic, but it came out of a fund-raising recipe book from a town in Utah. Phyllis Bollinger brought it for the eggnog hour before our Christmas Day dinner. It makes a big cheese ball, so there was still some left after family and friends attacked it. I took the remains to a New Year's get-together, and it was the first snack to disappear! Once you've tasted it....
one 8 oz and one 3 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions, including tops
1/2 cup peanuts (do not chop)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 to 1/2 tsp curry powder
your favorite chutney (for topping) (optional)
1. Combine all ingredients (except chutney) and mix well.
2. Form into a ball and wrap in waxed paper. Chill.
3.
To serve, place on a platter and pour chutney over the top (if desired). (Personally, I think the chutney adds a lot to both the flavor and appearance.)
Serve with crackers or small toasts.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for March, 2001
A couple of diverse recipes this time. Good eating, though.
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As I have mentioned before, husband Bob is diabetic. So he's constantly casting around for new methods and new foods for his diet. He is particularly fond of breads. His bread machine never cools down. If we can't eat it, the neighbors can. Since he has to limit his carbohydrate intake, the neighbors and guests get a lot of fresh bread. I had five women in for four days earlier this month, and he baked them his no-fat (except for the chopped nuts if you use them) no-sugar cinnamon rolls. They mowed right through them and demanded the recipe. I got Bob to write it up and figured I'd just share it with everyone.
BOB'S CINNAMON ROLLS
The basic recipe is as follows:
1 cup water
2 tablespoons margarine/butter/softened(I substitute fat free Smuckers Baking
Healthy, which can be found in the baking section of most food stores)
3 and 1/3 cups flour
1 egg (you could use 1/2 cup of eggbeaters here)
1/4 cup sugar substitute (I use Sugar Twin.)
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons regular active dry yeast
or
3 teaspoons of bread machine yeast
1. Place ingredients in bread machine pan in order listed. Set to dough-only cycle and start.
2. During the kneading cycle I like to add 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
3. When the dough is ready, turn out onto a hard surface (board or counter) and work dough into a 9x18 inch rectangle with a rolling pin. Remember to lightly flour your surfaces so that the dough does not stick.
For the filling I use
1/3 cup Brown Sugar Twin
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pam or melted no-fat margarine
4. Spread the rectangle with Pam or the melted margarine, sprinkle with the sugar/cinnamon mix and up roll up tightly, beginning at the 9 inch side. Pinch edge of dough into the roll to seal.
5. Cut roll into generous 1 inch slices. Should make 9/10 rolls. Place slices into 9x9 greased pan. Cover and let rise in warm place until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
(Optional) Allow to cool ten minutes then cover with your choice of prepared frosting.
I use white fat/sugarfree when I can find it. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.
Enjoy!!!!
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Years ago I used to own a camping and XC ski shop named Lost Mountain. As one of the extensions of the shop, I sponsored an adult outdoor adventure club. We would meet at the shop one month, plan a trip, and go on it the following month. Our meetings were often potluck. Kathy Gregorich made this sauerkraut dish that I have remembered all through the years. Recently Jodee in AZ ran into Kathy Gregorich out there. I asked her to ask Kathy for the recipe. Kathy said the recipe comes from years ago in Iowa.
GREGORICH KRAUT
Brown several slices of bacon. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
Sauté a chopped medium onion until golden.
Mix the above with:
1 can of sauerkraut
1 can of chopped/diced tomatoes
brown sugar to taste
(optional: smoked sausage chunks)
Put in a casserole and bake until hot. Goes very well with baked or boiled potatoes and/or brown bread.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for April, 2001
I've got guests coming for a week next week, and as I was going through the shopping and cooking planning routine today, I remembered a couple of other things I do before guests arrive. I boil at least 8, sometimes more, eggs, and stick them in the frig. They are super picnic food, and can fill out a skimpy lunch menu. Made into egg salad, they're a lunch entree on bread or rolled in a tortilla. Got only one small can of tuna? Chop up a couple of eggs in to extend it for tuna salad. Egg slices dress up a salad or casserole, as well as a vegetable plate. They are a great safety net to have on hand.
This has nothing to do with feeding guests. But it does have to do with hard-boiled eggs. My brother-in-law in Chicago is true Italian; his parents came from the old country. His mother simmered cooked sausage hunks, meat balls, and whole hard boiled eggs in her pasta sauce. She then dipped the meats and eggs, dripping with sauce, into a bowl, and served them beside the bowl of pasta sauce. Let me tell you, a hard boiled egg flavored with pasta sauce is a real treat!
And on the subject of pasta sauce, here's a quickie I make for guests, too, that is always a winner. Pour canned pasta sauce of your choice into a pan. Add whole, pitted brine-packed black olives, hot dried red pepper, and mushrooms. Let it all simmer while you're making the salad and cooking the pasta. What you get is a (sort of) arrabiata sauce, which is traditionally very spicy from the dried hot peppers. But you can make it as spicy as you wish, depending on your tastes, by cutting down on the peppers. This is very similar to a puttenesca sauce I sent out some time ago, except that the puttenesca has large whole green olives, and the black olives, and fresh/canned chopped pepperocini for the spiciness.
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This wonderful-sounding dessert is from Jodee Linta in Arizona.
CAPPUCCINO PARFAITS This recipe now has its own page.
4 tsp. instant coffee
1 Tbsp. hot water
1 1/2 cups cold lowfat milk
1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O dark chocolate pudding
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup thawed Cool whip Lite whipped topping
3 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
1. Dissolve coffee in hot water in medium bowl. Add milk, pudding mix and cinnamon. Beat with wire whisk 1 to 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes or until thickened. Gently stir in whipped topping.
2. Spoon 1/2 of the pudding mixture into 5 dessert dishes. Sprinkle with crushed
cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over crushed cookies. Garnish
each serving with additional 1 Tbsp. whipped topping, if desired.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 5 servings.
Jodee: I put a couple rolled chocolate wafer cookies in the top of each serving and it looked neat.
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MORE ON Gregorich Kraut
This is from Ruth Dawes, a friend of Vera Mangaudis, my old neighbor when I lived in North Port, FL. Ruth wanted to make the sauerkraut dish from last month's recipes to take to a dinner party. She improvised as below, and made a new recipe idea!
"I didn't feel like going to the store to get a second can of sauerkraut but I had a bottle of sweet & sour red cabbage, and I thought, why not? I like to use sweet and sour beets (Harvard beets) and I had picked up the wrong red jar. The rest of the receipt was as she gave it, except I thought it should have some carb. to make it a complete lunch dish, so I cooked some pasta and folded that in and sprinkled some grated cheese on top.
It traveled well and was well received."
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for May, 2001
This month is for the sweet tooth. Get out the sugar and enjoy!
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Jodee Linta, whose recipe for Cappuccino Parfaits I sent out last month, has this note to add to the recipe.
" I sometimes add a little Kahlua to the chocolate mousse to 'kick it up a notch.' "
Sounds good to me!
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Jeannette Burton from Largo, Fl sends this recipe along. Jeannette is a cook who knows no bounds. She used to cook huge dinners in the tiny kitchen in her travel trailer when we were both working at Acadia National Park in Maine. Don't know how she did it.
Jeannette: "If you aren't counting calories and want a good recipe for company, try this one. It was a hit with company this week."
CARAMEL CREAM DESSERT This recipe now has its own page.
1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 c. Cool Whip
l jar caramel topping, divided
l pound cake cubed (Loaf size)
l/4 c. ch. pecans divided (I toast them for flavor)
2 (l5.oz) cans sl. peaches, drained and diced
1/2 pt. raspberries or strawberries
1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer til smooth.
2. Add whipped topping and 3/4 c. caramel. Beat til well blended
set aside.
3. In a 2 qt. bowl, place cubed cake.
4.
Drizzle l/4 c. caramel Spread with half of cream cheese mixture. Mix.
5.
Sprinkle with 2 T pecans.
6.
Top with peaches and l/2 berries.
7.
Spread remaining cheese mix over. Sprinkle remaining pecans and berries.
8.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hrs. (My bowl was so full I didn't cover it and it was fine)
Serves 8
Jeanette: "I think next time I might put half the cake and layer each ingredient as directed, then I think it would prevent a heavy cake bottom and would look better when served. Or I might put it in a loaf pan and slice it.
I'm drooling as I write this out. It IS GOOD! "
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This recipe is from Helen Reagin, who lives a few doors down from me here in Florida. She tells me that several people who get the recipes each month have asked for this recipe. So here it is, gals. And the rest of us can try it, too!
HELEN'S COFFEE BRUNCH CAKE
Part 1
1 pkg Betty Crocker Pound Cake Mix
2 eggs
1 stick of melted butter
Mix the above ingredients well. Place into a greased 13x9x3 glass dish.
Part 2
Combine and mix well with a mixer:
8 oz cream cheese
1 box 10x powdered sugar
2 eggs
1. Pour this mixture carefully over the batter in the baking pan.
2. Chop 3/4 cup pecans and sprinkle over the top.
Bake: 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Can be served hot or cold.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for June, 2001
This recipe comes from Barbara Barton in Oregon, who is my friend Judy McCracken's aunt. Impossible pies have been around a long time, but this one is the best one I've ever tasted. When I made last night, my husband ate half the pie. It's really quite a low calorie recipe,...if you don't eat too much of it. :)
IMPOSSIBLE SPINACH AND FETA PIE This recipe now has its own page.
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed to drain
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
Mix these together, and spread in a greased 9" pie plate. (I use Pam.)
1/2 cup quick biscuit mix, reduced fat
2/3 cup millk (I used skim.)
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Stir together these ingredients, and pour over the mix in the pie plate.
Bake: 400 degrees 30-35 min or until lightly browned on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Here it is, folks. The recipe for Texas Caviar from Judy Turentine. My neighbor, Judy, has brought this cocktail snack to a couple of our neighborhood parties, and it's been a hit. I promised to get the recipe from her, and I did.
TEXAS CAVIAR
2 cans drained black-eye peas
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped white onions
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
2 oz jar pimentos
16 oz Italian dressing
garlic powder, salt, and pepper to taste.
Mix the above ingredients together and chill. Serve with dipping crackers.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for July, 2001
Remember last month's Texas Cavier from Judy Turentine? When Jodee in Tucson saw it, she said, "I have an appetizer recipe in the Texas line, called Texas Crabgrass." So here it is.
TEXAS CRABGRASS
1/3 c. butter or margarine
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 7 1/2 oz. can crabmeat, drained
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained
Melba toast or sesame crackers
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter, add onion and saute until soft. Add crab, cheese and spinach; heat through. Serve hot with crackers.
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This is a basic recipe that I've had and used for years. I think something similar is in every cook's repetoire. But just in case it's not in yours.... it's a quick and easy dish for overnight guests or for holiday breakfasts. Putting in a layer of sliced cooked apples on top of the bread is a nice variation.
BAKED FRENCH TOAST
1/2 loaf French bread, cut in 1-inch slices
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp. sugar
dash of salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. (or more) butter or margarine
cinnamon
1. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with shortening or baking spray.
2.
Combine eggs, sugar, milk, salt and vanilla in blender or food processor.
3.
Place bread slices in prepared pan; cover with egg mixture. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 to 36 hours.
When ready to bake, remove wrap and dot with softened butter and spread on slices of bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.
Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for August, 2001
For the Fourth of July, our neighborhood celebrated with a champagne brunch. People brought in dishes to pass, and Marilyn Sendelbach brought a macaroni brunch casserole, which was different. So, of course, I got the recipe from here, and here it is. It's a wonderfully simple dish.
MARILYN'S BRUNCH CASSEROLE
1/4 lb. chopped dried beef
1 cup shredded sharp sheese (or mild cheddar)
2 cups uncooked macaroni
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans milk (soupcans)
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pour into greased casserole.
Let stand in refrigerator overnight. Bake 350 Degrees 1 Hour.
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I have printed this recipe before, I believe, but not recently. It's of my own making, and a favorite entrée of ours. I had a request for it, so thought I'd share it again.
RUTH'S STEWED ZUCCHINI
I make this by the "looks about right" method. The size of ingredients are approximate. So vary the amounts to get as much stew as you want.
2-3 cans diced tomatoes
3-5 small zucchini/yellow summer squash
1 can kidney, Italian red, or garbanzo beans
some V-8 juice I use the little cans.
diced celery
diced pepper
diced onion
diced garlic (I use the canned kind.)
seasonings:
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh basil if you have it, if not, dried
chopped fresh oregano if you have it, if not, dried
fennel: seeds or ground I use the seeds.
a couple of handfuls of elbow macaroni (or any pasta you want), cooked à la dente.(optional)
1. Put everything in a big pot, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the vegetables are barely cooked. Add V-8 juice as necessary to maintain enough liquid.
2. Add the (optional) cooked macaroni and simmer 10 or 15 minutes longer to flavor the pasta.
This is best is made ahead and then rewarmed to serve. It should be thick, like a stew. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the top of each serving, and accompany it with a good bread.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for September-October, 2001
I will be "on the road" from early September until mid-October visiting friends and family, enjoying the fall trees and crisp, cool air of Ohio and Michigan. So you are getting a combination batch of recipes this time.
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Here's a gourmet and delicious party spread from Jodee Linta in Arizona. When she started delving into her recipe box to find that Texas Crabgrass (July recipes) she found this, too.
HEARTY HEALTHY SALMON SPREAD
7 3/4 oz. can salmon (water packed)
2 T. minced green onion
2 T. chopped green and red peppers (or more if you like)
1/2 c. yogurt cheese (cream cheese consistency - see directions below)
2 T. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 t. ground ginger
Soy sauce and red pepper sauce to taste
1. Cream salmon and flake with fork.
2.
Add all ingredients and mix well.
3.
Spoon into decorative mold sprayed with vegetable cooking oil spray. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.
4.
Transfer mold to platter. Decorate with additional green and red pepper and parsley sprigs. Serve with whole grain crackers.
Yogurt Cheese
Line a colander or sieve with paper coffee filter, place over bowl and pour plain, non-fat yogurt into filter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Liquid will drain out leaving yogurt cheese. Let stand approximately 8 hours for sour cream consistency; 2-3 days for cream cheese consistency. May put weight on top to speed process.
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Claire, another Arizona cook and a friend of many years, sends along this recipe. A friend of hers brought it to a dinner at Claire's house in early July, and Claire says it's delicious. Sure sounds like it!!
ALMOND BUTTER CAKE
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 Cup MELTED butter
combine with
2 well-beaten eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp salt
add
1 1/2 cups flour a little at a time.
Pour into a well greased and floured pan = 9' round.
Sprinkle a little sugar and shaved almonds on top it wanted. I (Claire's friend) also added some to the batter. (Trader Joe's raw sliced almonds)
Enjoy!
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipes of the Month for November 2001
This SALAD DRESSING by any name is tasty! It's an old standby. Barb Lloyd served it when we visited her in September, and I remembered that I had made a similar dressing years ago. When I got home I looked up my old, yellowed recipe, and sure enough, my "French Dressing" was the same as the recipe below. Barb got her recipe from her mother. I don't know where I got my version. I used to shake it up in a quart canning jar to mix it and then stick the jar in the fridge until needed.
PERSIAN DRESSING
1 c sugar
1 and 1/2 c oil
1/2 c vinegar
1 can Campbell's tomato soup
salt and pepper
1 t papricka
1 t dry mustard
1 t worchester sauce
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder.
Dissolve sugar in oil and vinegar. Add tomato soup a little bit at a time and stir. Add other ingredients and stir or shake vigorously. Stir or shake before serving.
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Here's another one from Barb Lloyd. She got this one from her daughter Anne. Barb served it when we were visiting her, and it disappeared fast!
BROCCOLI CASSEROLE
(6-8 servings)
2 10 oz pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli
1 10 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg beaten
1/4 c milk
1/4 c mayo
1 T creamed horseradish sauce
top: 2 T melted butter
1/4 c cracker crumbs or broken Ritz
1. Cook broccoli according to pkg. directions, drain.
2. Combine soup, cheese, egg, milk, mayo and horseradish sauce.
3. Stir into broccoli, spoon into 2 qt. casserole.
4. Combine butter and cracker crumbs, sprinkle over top.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
Recipe of the Month for December, 2001
While traveling in September, I visited Barb Lloyd who lives on Lake Michigan. She made the following cake for my husband's birthday. It's a super moist, rich cake. Sinful.
CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE
1/2 cup butter or oleo
1 and 3/4 cups sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t soda
4 T cocoa
4 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sour milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
chopped nuts
more chocolate chips to cover cake
1. Cream oleo, oil, and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. Stir cocoa carefully into the milk and add.
3. Fold in zucchini and 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
4. Pour in greased 9x13 pan.
5. Sprinkle the top of the cake with the nuts and extra chocolate chips.
6. Bake at 340 degrees 35 to 45 minutes.
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My sister-in-law Audrey gave me this recipe years ago. I don't know where she got it, but we've always called them "Aud's Fat Cookies." It's a quick and easy way to make some cookies if you're in the hurry. My husband baked 600 of them for a picnic we were in charge of one time. People loved them and I handed out copies of the recipe by the bushel.
AUD'S FAT COOKIES
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
1 pkg white cake mix
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
3/4 cup cooking oil
1 egg
1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Drop by teaspoon on an ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until light brown.
4. Cool for 1 minute before removing from sheet.
You can create variations by using different cake mixes (chocolate, lemon, cherry) and adding things like candied or maraschino cherries, peanut butter chips, chopped nuts, etc.
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And finally, here is a little recipe from my family cookbook. I come from a family that considered desserts and sweets food, and the rest of the stuff a necessity. This was a family favorite. My father even made up batches of it and sent it to me at college.
CRYSTALIZED NUTS
1 cup walnuts (or any nutmeats)
1/2 cup brown sugar (Use dark brown for English Walnuts)
a couple of drops of maple flavoring
2 T water
1. Break up the nuts a little. (Do not chop.)
2. Boil the sugar and water over moderate heat until it spins a fine thread, stirring all the while.
3. Add the nuts all at once, and stir until the candy sugars completely.
4. Dump out on a dish and separate into bite-size pieces.
Until next month—
Bon Appétit!
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