Sticky Wings

Sticky Wings--APPETIZERS

Source: Kikkoman

Yield: 4 to 6 appetizers

10 chicken wings (about 2 lbs.)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
1/3 cup Kikkoman Plum Sauce

1. Disjoint chicken wings; discard tips (or save
for stock). Place chicken in bowl; sprinkle with
garlic salt and pepper and toss to coat all sides.
2. Spray large, shallow foil-lined baking pan
with cooking spray; arrange wings in single layer
in pan. Bake in 425°F. oven 25 minutes.
3. Turn wings. Cook 25 minutes longer, or until
wings are crispy and no longer pink near bone.
4. Remove wings to large bowl. Add plum sauce and
toss until all pieces are evenly coated with sauce.

CROCKPOT MULLED CIDER

CROCKPOT MULLED CIDER

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Quarts Apple Cider
1 Tsp Allspice - whole
1 1/2 Tsp Cloves -- whole
2 Sticks Cinnamon
Orange Slices

DIRECTIONS:
Put all ingredients in crock-pot. If desired, tie whole
spices in cheesecloth or put in tea strainer. If spices
are added loose, strain before serving. Cover; cook on Low
2 to 8 hours. Serve from the crock pot with a ladle, or
if using a coffee pot, right out of the spout in place of
coffee.

Merry Christmas

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon & Spice Whipped Cream

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon & Spice Whipped Cream

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 55 to 65 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Yield: 1 pie

CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE:
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup Karo® Dark (preferred) or Light Corn Syrup
* 1 can (15 or 16 ounces) canned pumpkin
* 1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk
* 1 (9 to 9.5-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

CINNAMON & SPICE WHIPPED CREAM:
* 1 cup whipping cream
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* Dash ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

2. FOR PIE: Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves together in
a large bowl. Add eggs and beat slightly. Add corn syrup, pumpkin and
evaporated milk; blend well.

3. Pour filling carefully into pie crust. PLEASE NOTE: Do not
overfill crust. The amount of filling prepared may exceed the
capacity of a 9-inch pie crust.

4. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue
baking for 40 to 50 minutes, or until knife inserted in center of pie
comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours before serving.

5. FOR WHIPPED CREAM: Pour cream into medium-sized bowl. Beat cream 3
to 4 minutes until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add brown
sugar, being careful not to over beat. Fold in vanilla, cinnamon and
nutmeg.

6. TIPS: For best results use chilled bowl and beaters to prepare
whipped cream.

Source: Karo

CUCUMBER SANDWICHES

CUCUMBER SANDWICHES


1 (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
4-5 sm. cucumbers
3-4 tbsp. mayonnaise
Salt to taste
1 lg. sandwich loaf bread thin sliced

Peel cucumbers and grate (a food processor is useful) real fine. Add
salt. Place in a strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator for several
hours to let drain. Do not use liquid.

Mash the cheese, add mayonnaise and cucumbers; make your sandwiches.
Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Hershey's Truffles

Chocoalte Truffles

I usually dip them in melted chocolate chips instead of rolling them in cocoa or nuts. I used Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips for the ones I made. These are good for Valentine's Day too.


3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Cocoa or powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa; stir until
smooth. Add sweetened condensed milk; increase heat to medium. Cook,
stirring constantly, about 4 minutes or until mixture has pudding-like
consistency and is smooth and glossy.

2. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Cover; refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or
until firm. Shape into 1-1/4-inch balls; roll in cocoa or powdered sugar.
Refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours. Store, covered, in refrigerator.
About 2-1/2 dozen candies.


VARIATIONS:

NUT TRUFFLES: Add 3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans to chocolate
mixture when adding vanilla. (To toast pecans: Heat oven to 375°F. Spread
3/4 cup pecan halves or pieces in single layer in ungreased shallow baking
pan. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 7 minutes. Cool
before chopping.

RUM NUT TRUFFLES: Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Stir in 2 to 3
tablespoons rum OR 1 teaspoon rum extract and nuts.

ESPRESSO TRUFFLES: Decrease vanilla to 1 teaspoon. Stir in 1-1/4 teaspoons
powdered instant espresso or instant coffee when adding vanilla. Roll balls
in cocoa or chopped nuts.

NUT-COATED TRUFFLES: Roll balls in chopped nuts.

Zucchini Tomato Quiche

Zucchini Tomato Quiche

1 1/2 pounds zucchini
salt
3 medium ripe tomatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon oil
3 eggs, separated
2 cups Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 cup feta cheese
freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped or mint

Wash the zucchini, trim and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Salt, drain and
pat dry. Meanwhile, peel the tomatoes, halve horizontally and remove
the seeds. Heat 2 tablespoons butter with the oil in large saute pan.
Lightly brown the zucchini on both sides, drain on brown paper.
Lightly brown the tomatoes until they soften slightly but do not
become limp. Cool. When you are ready to assemble the pie, beat the
egg yolks, set aside. Place half the zucchini in 9 x 12 inch dish.
Sprinkle with 1/3 of the grated Swiss cheese and half the feta cheese,
dot with 1 tablespoon butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and half
the basil or mint. Beat the egg whites and fold into the yolks. Spread
half of this mixture over cheeses. Slightly flatten the halved
tomatoes and arrange across the pie. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Swiss
cheese, half of the Feta cheese and the remaining basil or mint. Top
with the remaining zucchini slices and season with salt and pepper.
Spread with remaining egg mixture, top with the remaining Swiss cheese
and dot with remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake in a preheated 400F
oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the eggs are set.

Polish Angel Wings

I haven't had these in a few years, but just reading the recipe brought back wonderful holiday memories!!!


Polish Angel Wings

4 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups flour
3 cups vegetable shortening for frying
Confectioners' sugar for topping

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine egg yolks, egg and salt. Beat on highest speed until mixture is thick and drops softly from the beaters, 7 to 10 minutes,

Beat in sugar, a small amount at a time. Beat in rum and vanilla extract. Remove from mixer. Fold flour into mixture by hand until incorporated.

Turn dough onto generously floured surface. Knead dough until blisters form on the dough, about 10 minutes. Add small amounts of flour as needed to surface to keep dough from sticking. Divide dough in half. Cover one half with inverted bowl, towel or plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Roll out other half of dough as thin as possible, (about an 8 x 12-inch rectangle). If dough resists, let it rest for a few minutes and resume rolling. Cut dough into 2 x 4-inch rectangles. Make a 2-inch slit from center almost to end of each dough strip. Pull opposite end of strip through slit to twist the dough. Repeat with remaining dough.

In a large skillet, heat vegetable shortening until it reaches 350 degrees F on a deep-fat fry thermometer. (This is important, if the oil is too cool, dough will absorb too much oil; if it is too hot, the pastry will burn on the outside and not cook properly on the inside.)

Add a few angel wings at a time and fry until golden on both sides, turning about halfway through cooking time, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Remove to drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining angel wings until all are fried. Cool completely and dust liberally with confectioners' sugar. Store in airtight container.

Pillsbury Easy as Pie!

I was given a lovely basket of pie necessities to keep or share. I am going to give it to an off line friend, who should love it just as much as I do, and really needs it!

The idea is that Pillsbury pie crusts make pie easy as well...pie! I've said it before, I made a fruit pie with a double crust and it was done about as fast as the last cake I made! I really like the new "unroll" and use design. The old folded way was always more of a pain, almost as difficult as from scratch sometimes!

How about a super easy fruit pie or my favorite chicken pot pie.
The basket contains 2 glass pie plates, a pie server, a CD-rom of recipes and pictures of pies, and a pie cut out set.

Christmas Cookies #2

Pretzel Rings

I made a sheet full of these this evening. I'm sure I'll have to hide them if I want any left for the Christmas Day tray! I couldn't find rings, so I just used mini twists.

Carnival of the Recipes has a bunch of cookie recipes to browse!

I am still frosting cut outs & thinking I should make a second batch. However, I do have a few sewing projects left to finish... priorities.

Wild Mushroom Quiche

Wild Mushroom Quiche

half of 1 frozen fresh puff pastry
4 ounces bacon, sliced into cubes
4 ounces porcini mushrooms
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
4 ounces girolles or chanterelles
4 ounces pied bleu mushrooms
2 large ceps
7 ounces small white mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch curly parsley, chopped
5 eggs
8 ounces double cream
3 ounces low fat milk
5 ounces freshly grated percorino
grated lemon peel to taste
freshly ground pepper

Line a quiche pan or tin with the pastry. Fry the bacon and garlic and
add the sliced mushrooms, pepper and lemon peel. Leave to cool. Mix
the eggs, cream, milk and chopped parsley. Add the cooled mushroom mix
and 4 ounces of pecorino cheese. Pour into the pastry lined tin and
sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Bake for 40 minutes in a
preheated oven at 400F. Serves 4.

Christmas Slow cooker Cider

This sounds so yummy right now! Wish I had some cider in the house.

Christmas Slow cooker Cider
2 cinnamon sticks (4 inches)
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
2 quarts apple cider
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 orange, sliced

Place cinnamon sticks, cloves and allspice in a double thickness of
cheese cloth; bring up corners of cloth and tie with a string to form
bag. Place cider and brown sugar in a slow cooker; stir until sugar
dissolves. Add spice bag. Place orange slices on top. cover and cook
on low for 2-5 hours. Remove spice bag before serving. Yield: 2 quarts.

Baked Crab Rangoon

Baked Crab Rangoon

Prep Time:
20 min
Total Time:
40 min
Makes:
12 servings, 1 won ton each
What You Need

1 can (6 oz.) white crabmeat, drained, flaked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup KRAFT Light Mayo Reduced Fat Mayonnaise
12 won ton wrappers
Make It


HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crabmeat, Neufchatel cheese, onions and mayonnaise.

SPRAY 12 muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.

BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.
Kraft Kitchens Tips

Food Facts
Look for won ton wrappers in the refrigerated produce section of your grocery store.
Make Ahead
For other entertaining ideas, pre-bake won ton wrappers in muffin cups at 350°F for 5 to 8 min. or until golden brown. Remove from muffin cups; cool. Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Fill with your favorite filling just before serving.
For a Crispier Rangoon
Bake won ton wrappers in muffin cups at 350°F for 5 to 7 min. or until lightly browned. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture and bake 6 to 8 min. or until filling is heated through.
K:52207v0:95157
Average Rating (620)
Rated by benandsummer on 12/10/2008
" I added a tsp of minced garlic and a tsp of soy sauce this time and I thought they were just perfect. "

Crudites Recipe

Crudites Recipe
Source: Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection - Finger Foods
Serves 10

A colorful selection of crunch fresh vegetables served with a choice
of dipping sauces is an ideal summer dish for health-conscious guests.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

For Sour Cream Dip:
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon bottled horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery salt

For Vegetables:
1 English cucumber
2 stalks celery
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 small stalk broccoli
12 fresh or 13 oz. canned baby corn
1 cup snow peas
12 baby carrots
20 cherry tomatoes

For Herb Dip:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 cup olive oil
1/2 tablespoon each of chopped fresh chives, basil, parsley and tarragon

FOR SOUR CREAM DIP: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix
well. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

FOR VEGETABLES: With a fork, scrape down the length of the cucumber
to create a ridged pattern, then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the
celery and peppers into 2-3-inch long sticks. Blanch the broccoli,
corn, snow peas and carrots in boiling water for 1 minutes. Drain,
refresh in cold water and drain again. Remove the broccoli stem and
discard. Cut the bushy green part into bite-size pieces. Arrange all
the vegetables on a serving platter. Cover with damp paper towels,
then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

FOR HERB DIP: Place the mustard in a bowl and whisk in the vinegar.
Gradually whisk in the oil before adding the herbs and seasoning with
salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve the vegetables with the
dips on the side.

Nutrition Facts
Serves 10
Facts per Serving
Calories: 338 Fat: 31g Carbohydrates: 15g
Cholesterol: 14mg Sodium: 223mg Protein: 5g
Fiber: 3g % Cal. from Fat: 83% % Cal. from Carbs: 18%

Christmas Cookies

I am making a large batch of sugar cookie dough. I'll be using my own recipe, but taking ideas from 12 cookies for what we get on our cookie platter!!!

Plus we'll have to make Chocolate Italian Cookies, PB blossom cookies, some kind of fudge & truffles.

I plan on starting today, while I'm in the kitchen, getting an inventory on what needs to go on the grocery list (peanut butter of course!)

VEGETABLE POT PIE

VEGETABLE POT PIE

1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Vegetable Soup Mix
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 cup milk
2 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1 pie crust or pastry for single-crust pie

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In 3-quart saucepan,
combine Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Vegetable Soup
Mix and flour; stir in broth and milk. Bring to a
boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and
simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in chicken.
2. Pour into 1-1/2-quart casserole. Top with pie
crust. Press pastry around edge of casserole to
seal; trim excess pastry, then flute edges. With
tip of knife, make small slits in pastry.
3. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until crust is golden.

Serves:4
Preparation Time:15 Minute(s)
Cook Time:30 Minute(s)

Source: lipton.

SHRIMP CORN CHOWDER

SHRIMP CORN CHOWDER

2 Med. Potatoes
1 Large Onion-chopped
4 Stalks Celery-chopped
½ Stick Butter
1 Can Chicken Broth
1 Pint Half/Half
¼ C. Cornstarch-dissolve d in water
Salt and Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
2 Cans Corn
1 Can Creamed Style Corn
2 Can Green Chiles
2 LBS. Shrimp-heads off

Peel and slice potatoes into thin slices. Boil in 3-4 cups water until
tender. Place potatoes and water in cuisinart and blend. Add the can
of creamed corn and process again. Pour mixture into a large stockpot.
Meanwhile, saute onion and celery in ½ stick butter until transparent.
Add to potato mixture. To potato mixture also add the chicken broth,
green chiles, 2 cans corn, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper to
taste. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour in the half and half( you may
substitute whole milk) and shrimp. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the
cornstarch mixture and simmer 10 minutes more. Serves 6-10

No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

From Meals.com

No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

Preparation Time 32 mins.
Cooking Time 14 mins.

Ingredients

5 ounces pecans, toasted
3/4 cup vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
11 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup margarine, softened
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, separated
2 cups whipping cream, divided
1 package unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup peaches in syrup, chopped
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions

Toast pecans in a shallow baking pan at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently; cool and grind fine. Combine the nuts with vanilla wafer crumbs, powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup melted margarine. Press onto the bottom and 1-1/2' up the side of a 9' springform pan; set aside.

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, stirring until smooth.

Combine softened cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in a large mixer bowl; add 1/4 cup softened margarine, beating until smooth. Blend in 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in the melted chocolate all at once.

Whip 1 cup cream until stiff; fold into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into the prepared crust and chill.

Meanwhile, sprinkle unflavored gelatin over cold water; allow to stand a few minutes until softened. Add boiling water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.

Whip remaining cream and 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff; beat in the gelatin mixture and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold in drained, chopped peaches. Spread on top of the chocolate cream cheese mixture.. Chill.

Serving Size: 12

Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni

Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni

1 box (8 ounces) cannelloni or manicotti pasta (about 12 shells)
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the
pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring
occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 3/4 cup Parmesan, egg yolk,
basil, crab, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill the cannelloni with the crab mixture and place in a buttered
baking dish. Top the filled cannelloni with the Bechamel Sauce and
sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and the
top is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Bechamel Sauce:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour
and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk,
whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy,
about 10 minutes (do not allow the sauce to boil). Remove from the
heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (The sauce can be made
up to 3 days ahead. Cool and then cover and refrigerate. )

Yield: about 4 cups