Happy Holidays from all of us at Hart!
The holidays are all about family, friendship, good will and, of course, food. Lots and lots of food. So we’ve collected our favorite recipes from folks around the agency to share with you and yours. Each and every one of these recipes is certified WELL BUILT. As for WELL DELIVERED … well, that’s up to you.
Difficulty:
Raymond & Randy's French Toast
I never got the chance to meet my grandpa Raymond, but my dad, Randy, has always shared the best stories about him and his cooking skills. Dad loves to talk about the Sunday mornings when Grandpa Ray would wake him up early and they would make their world-famous French toast. Dad still makes it for my family every so often. It took years to convince him to give me the recipe, but I think it’s too delicious to keep to myself and needs to be shared with the world!”
Makes eight servings.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Orange peel zest
- 1 teaspoon orange juice
- 8 slices thick brioche bread
Instructions
- Preheat griddle or hot pan to 350 degrees F. Grease well with butter.
- Add eggs, milk, flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon to a shallow dish and whisk well to combine. Add vanilla and orange juice and whisk to blend. Add the zest of one orange to the mixture.
- Dip bread slices into the mixture, coating them well on both sides, and place on hot, greased griddle or pan.
- Cook for a few minutes, until the bottom of the bread starts to turn golden.
- Flip and cook on the other side.
- Plate bread and add a little more orange zest to garnish. Serve with golden maple syrup and powdered sugar, if desired.
Difficulty:
Angie’s Ho Ho Cake
Did you love Hostess Ho Hos as a kid? Or maybe still do? Well, you’re in luck: you can make your own! This recipe was passed along to me from my mother-in-law. My husband won Boy Scout "best cake" awards with it and so did my own boys. Try it ... you’ll like it!
First created by a San Francisco bakery in 1920, Ho Hos rarely disappoint. This delicious recipe is no exception.
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 1-1/4 cup milk
- 1 chocolate cake (boxed mix)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick softened butter
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 packets pre-melted chocolate
- 2-1/2 tablespoons hot water
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 stick melted butter
Instructions
- Mix flour and milk and cook until thick. (Can be done in microwave.) Cool completely.
- Bake cake mix as directed in two 8" round cake pans.
- Cream together the sugar, butter and shortening. Beat well. Add the cooled flour mixture and beat until fluffy.
- Slice the top off one of the cakes (to get a flat, even base). Spread filling on this bottom cake layer. Stack second cake layer on top of this.
Frosting:
- Beat one egg. Mix in the vanilla, chocolate, water and powdered sugar. Beat well. Add melted butter.
- Spread frosting over top of whole cake and let drizzle over the sides. It’s a giant Ho Ho!
Difficulty:
Brittany's Pretzel Bites
Popularized in southern Germany in the 12th century, the pretzel has been a staple of bakeries all over the world. Enjoy these tasty little treats!
This recipe is one of my favorite holiday traditions to do with my kids (ages 7 & 4). It’s very easy for us to do together, and the kids feel proud giving them away and being able to say that they made them. I have also put these in a fun holiday container paired with a gift card for a teacher’s gift. The hardest part of this recipe is trying not to eat all of the Hershey Kisses before they hit the pretzels!
Ingredients
- Pretzels, mini square or twist shape
- Hershey Kisses
- Festive M&M's
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175 degrees F.
- While the oven is heating up, unwrap the Kisses, place in a bowl and set aside.
- Place pretzels on baking sheets (one layer, do not overlap). Parchment can be used for easy clean-up, but this is optional.
- Place one Kiss in the center of each pretzel.
- Bake for five to seven minutes, until the candy Kisses soften (they should still have their shape).
- Remove from the oven and place one M&M in the center of each pretzel and gently press down.
- Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolates have hardened.
- Enjoy!
- NOTE: You can also do peppermint Kisses or Hershey’s Hugs. I recommend cooking the white chocolate in a separate batch, because the white chocolate will melt faster. Cook only three to five minutes and then place an M&M on each Kiss. The white chocolate is not as sturdy, but it works! Refrigerate until the chocolates have hardened.
Difficulty:
Brooke's Kringla
While I am a native cheesehead with a true love for good cheese, sausage and beer, my deeper roots are in Norway. My grandma, whose parents were first-generation immigrants, ensured her seven kids enjoyed a fresh batch of Kringla each week.
My memories of baking Kringla with both my grandma and mom over the years are sweet, and now my own kids get to experience the fun. They make for a perfect coffee-dipper, after-school snack or “healthy” dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1-1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4-1/2 cups flour
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 7 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar, then add the egg and stir in.
- Add salt and half of the flour and half of the buttermilk and mix thoroughly. Alternate adding the remaining flour and buttermilk until all mixed.
- Add baking powder, baking soda and vanilla and mix. If mixture is too sticky, add 1/8 cup flour.
- Roll dough into thick ropes (about ¼-inch thick) and make into figure eights. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake for 8 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before eating.
- Makes about 2 dozen. Enjoy!
Difficulty:
Rastini
I whipped up this recipe with my own flavor a few months ago while on vacation at our cottage on Lake Michigan. I bought some raspberries that were on sale, so I was looking for a way to use them in a cocktail. The raspberries and nectar make for a sweet dessert that is then completed with a cool refreshing cocktail. Perfect for after dinner while watching the sunset on the beach.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 ounce Tito’s Handmade Vodka
- 1/2 ounce Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
- 3 dashes of Rhubarb Bitters
- Agave raspberry Nectar
- Fresh raspberries
- Cocktail toothpick
Instructions
- Pour about a half-inch of Agave Raspberry Nectar into a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice then pour in vodka, Pama and bitters. Shake well and let chill for 30 seconds.
- Pour into the martini glass and add skewered fresh raspberries on toothpick. While drinking, dip raspberries into the nectar that has settled at the bottom of the glass. Enjoy!
- Makes one Rastini.
Difficulty:
Doggone Good Lemon Cheese Cookies
Decades ago, when I baked like a fiend at the holidays, I was cooling a batch of these lovely treats. It was our first Christmas in our new home, and my son and I had just adopted a sweet little mutt, Bob, from the Humane Society. Before we left to go shopping, I put the cookies in a tin with a lid. By the time we returned, the cookies were gone with barely a crumb on the floor.
Yep. They’re that good. (Bob lived to the ripe old age of 19.)
Ingredients
- 1 cup soft butter
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp. lemon rind extract
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 2-1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Colored sugar or finely chopped nuts or pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar.
- Add the yolk and flavorings and mix well.
- Roll by teaspoonfuls into one-inch diameter balls, or force through a cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 15 minutes or until risen and slightly browned on the bottom edge. Let cool.
- Decorate with colored sugar or chopped nuts. (I like to press a pecan half into the center of each cookie. Bob liked 'em that way too.)
- Makes 4 dozen 3-inch cookies.
Difficulty:
Chocolate-Covered Bacon
The Fabians love bacon. Maybe as much as a family can. To the point where my husband has actually made a Bacon Explosion (an insane hunk of sausage stuffed with chopped bacon and wrapped in bacon strips). I can’t remember where we first tried chocolate-covered bacon, but we all were instantly hooked. Last year we made 10 pounds of bacon and gave this away as holiday gifts. Skewering the strips helps with wrapping and breakage. Enjoy!
If you’ve never tried this savory combination, you might be surprised at how well rich, semisweet chocolate complements the smoky flavor of crispy bacon.
Ingredients
- 1 pound of thick-cut bacon
- 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon shortening (optional)
- Wooden skewers (optional)
Instructions
- Cook bacon until crisp, but not too crisp. If you’re going to skewer the bacon, soak your wooden skewers in water and weave through bacon strips before cooking. Blot and cool.
- Heat chocolate chips in a double boiler until thoroughly melted. Remove from heat. If too thick, add small amounts of shortening.
- Carefully brush chocolate onto one side of bacon. Set on parchment to harden. Then do the other side. Make sure to eat all pieces that break during brushing!
- NOTE: There are a ton of optional toppings you can add – some while the chocolate hasn’t yet hardened, like colored sugar or chopped nuts, and some after they’re cool, like drizzled melted white chocolate or peanut butter chips.
Difficulty:
Easy Freezy Pumpkin Pie
In first grade, my elementary school put together a giant cookbook. (A very young me got to draw the cover, too!) This recipe sounded so good, I insisted my mom make it that year for the holidays. It's become tradition at Thanksgiving and Christmas every year since!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
- 2 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker crusts
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, salt, pumpkin and cinnamon.
- Mix in the softened ice cream until well blended.
- Spoon into the pie crusts and place them in the freezer. Freeze for at least 3 hours before serving.
- Makes 2 pies.
Difficulty:
Posky Chocolate Drop Cookies
My mom remembers writing this recipe on a notepad in late fall of 1980 at her mom's house on Warsaw Street in Toledo. She wanted to make them the first Christmas she and my Dad lived together. This no-bake recipe has been used and enjoyed for the last 38 years. I remember Mom making these when we were little, and Mom remembers the same with my grandmother. Always a fun time.
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine
- 1/2 cup cocoa
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 3 cup plain instant oatmeal
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Mix sugar, milk, butter and cocoa in a large saucepan over low-medium heat. Let the butter melt.
- After the butter melts, bring to a boil and let boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add peanut butter, oatmeal and vanilla and mix well.
- Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto wax paper and cool.
- Remove from wax paper and store in cool or room-temperature location. Enjoy!
Difficulty:
Candy Day Turtles
For as long as I can remember, one afternoon in December was deemed “Candy Day” for my mom and me. Every year, we make a host of Christmas goodies: buckeyes, turtles, puppy chow, chocolate-covered pretzels, homemade caramels and more. Candy Day is even more fun with my nieces (now 7 and 9), who learned how to lick the beaters from Aunt Kelly before they could talk.
Ingredients
- 14 ounces caramels (about 40 caramel cubes)
- 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 1-1/4 cup nuts – peanuts or pecans
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine caramels and margarine in a double boiler. Melt over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until melted.
- Stir in nuts.
- Drop in clusters onto a well-greased baking sheet or tray.
- Melt chocolate chips in double boiler and keep over medium heat so chocolate remains melted until all turtles are finished. Spoon melted chocolate over caramels and spread, leaving the edges of caramels showing.
- Set aside to cool and allow chocolate to set up.
- Makes 2-3 dozen turtles.
Difficulty:
Edamame Southwest Salad
As a veggie-forward fiend in a house full of carnivores, I make every attempt to have the vegetable sides steal the show. This edamame Southwest salad is no exception as it always has people asking for more (and the recipe). Serve this colorful dish to accompany any fiesta or summer meal from the grill. Have some fun with it by adding some jalapenos, cabbage or red onions!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces frozen edamame
- 3/4 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- 1 fresh garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon onion salt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water. Add frozen edamame and cook for three minutes. Add frozen corn and cook for two more minutes. Drain the edamame and corn and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine black beans, pepper, onions, cilantro, avocado and tomatoes. Set aside.
- In a small bowl or dressing jar, mix together the lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, mustard, salts and pepper. Pour over the vegetables and beans. Toss to combine.
- Add cooled edamame and corn. Toss together. Serve right away or place in the fridge until cooled to let the flavors blend.
- NOTE: If making this ahead of time, wait to prepare and add the avocado to avoid browning.
Difficulty:
Pomegranate Moscow Mule
Eggnog. Seasonal stouts. Peppermint mochas. The holidays are filled with heavy, thick and sugary drinks at a time when I’m eating, well, heavy, thick and sugary foods. Enter the pomegranate mule, a light and refreshing beverage that simultaneously calls to mind Russian winters and warmer months sipping the traditional version of this drink.
This light and refreshing beverage is sure to bring you plenty of holiday cheer (or at least help you forget what's bothering you).
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce pomegranate juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
- Ginger beer
- Rosemary
Instructions
- Who needs complicated when there’s already a lot to do?
- Find a glass or, ideally, a copper mug. Add ice.
- Combine vodka, pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds and lime juice.
- Finish by adding ginger beer and decorate with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
Difficulty:
Strawberry Angel Food Cake
During my childhood in West Virginia, this easy-to-prepare cake was introduced to my family by my Aunt Carrie. Still to this day it is much anticipated and sought after at Christmas gatherings because of its sweet taste and festive red color.
Ingredients
- 1 large 13-ounce angel food cake (broken into small pieces)
- 1 large bag of frozen strawberries
- 1 6-ounce box of strawberry gelatin
- 2 cups hot water
Instructions
- Break angel food cake into pieces in a large mold and set aside.
- Bring two cups of water to a boil. Pour water into a medium-large bowl and slowly add strawberry gelatin, stirring, until dissolved.
- Add frozen strawberries and stir. Pour mixture over the pieces of angel food cake in the mold. (I use an angel food cake pan.)
- Refrigerate for 6 hours or until firm.
- Just before serving, unmold onto a large serving plate. Garnish with fresh strawberries and whipped cream around the base of the cake.
Difficulty:
Houska Holiday Bread
Grandma used to make this braided bread using Sapphire flour, which is fine and silky. You can use butter or margarine, and flour measurements depend on the size of your eggs and the type of flour used. The dough needs to be sticky, but not too sticky. If it’s difficult to work with, add a little bit of flour, a half-cup at a time. (Use your best judgment.) If using a mixer with dough hooks, make sure the dough is sticky, not dry.
This bread is traditionally layered, braiding three ropes for the bottom layer, braiding/twisting two ropes for the middle layer, and twisting a small rope for the top layer.
Ingredients
- 1 packet yeast
- 1-1/2 cups warm milk (scalded first)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 stick of butter/margarine
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup white raisins
- 1/2 teaspooon of mace (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg (optional)
- Beaten egg yolk to brush on top of bread
Instructions
- Grease a very large bowl, cover and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, crumble yeast with tablespoon of sugar and 1/2 cup hot milk. When yeast bubbles, add remaining warm milk and butter.
- Beat in the eggs until well blended. Add the sugar and mix well.
- In another bowl, place half of the flour and combine with salt and spices.
- Add the dry ingredients to the liquids, mixing well. Add raisins and remaining flour, one cup at a time, until well blended. (This is a much softer dough than white-bread dough and kind of sticky.)
- Place dough in the greased bowl, cover with a clean cloth and put in a warm place until dough has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours).
- Meanwhile, grease two loaf pans and set aside.
- When doubled, knead well on floured board. Knead in more flour for softer dough (optional).
- Divide dough in half. From each half make six ropes, rolling the dough with your hands on a floured surface to half-inch diameter.
- Braid three ropes and place in the bottom of a greased bread pan. Brush with beaten egg yolk.
- Next, twist two ropes together and place on top of the braid. Brush with egg yolk.
- Twist remaining rope and place on top. Brush with egg yolk and cover with cloth.
- Repeat steps 1 through 4 for second loaf, cover with cloth and let rise until doubled (1 1/2 hours).
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If the top browns too soon, cover loaves loosely with foil.
Assembly
Difficulty:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Those who know me are completely aware that I could eat sugar morning, noon and night. Whether it’s pie, ice cream or candy, I firmly believe that a second stomach for dessert really does exist. I’m convinced that this obsession with sweets stemmed from my toddler days, when my mom would sit me on the kitchen counter and let me help make chocolate chip cookies.
Whether baking them for Santa or coming home from college to their aroma in the kitchen, these cookies have been a staple throughout my life. This is one tradition I plan to carry on with my family. I hope they will bring your family together as well this holiday season!
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup Crisco butter-flavored shortening
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1-=3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or candy like M&Ms or crumbled Butterfingers)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In large bowl, combine brown sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.
- Add egg and beat until blended.
- In another large bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients and stir just until blended.
- Stir in chocolate chips and/or other candy. (Pro Tip: This is when you should try the dough!)
- Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie/baking sheet, allowing 3 inches between.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
- Enjoy! Makes about 3 dozen.
Difficulty:
Grandma Nancy's Ginger Crinkles
Since Nick is a grinch and doesn’t have any holiday traditions, I (Tracy) am happy to share one of mine. My Grandma Nancy made these cookies for as long as I can remember. Everyone in the family loves them, and they never last long on a cookie tray.
Seven years ago, after my grandpa passed away, my aunt and I decided to start a new holiday tradition: going to Grandma’s house to bake ginger crinkles with her. She shared her recipe, and of course we shared a lot of laughs. This tradition continued even after Grandma was in assisted living. Everleigh, our daughter, and I would pick up Grandma and take her to my aunt’s house for a day of baking. Grandma passed away last summer, but this recipe will continue to be a part of our family’s holiday traditions. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup Wesson Oil (grandma never used any other kind!)
- 1 cup sugar plus 1/4 cup for dipping
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons molasses
- 2 teaspooons baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ginger
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Mix oil and sugar thoroughly.
- Add egg and beat well; stir in molasses.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt and ginger.
- Roll dough into one-inch balls and dip into sugar.
- Place on ungreased cookie sheet 3 inches apart and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.
Difficulty:
Holiday Mice
“Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” This is a recipe from a friend several years ago. I thought these mice were so cute. So I started a little holiday tradition with my nieces and nephews when they came to visit. Once we finished our mice, we’d sit by the tree and enjoy them with a cup of hot chocolate as we took turns reading Twas the Night Before Christmas. It’s holiday fun you can enjoy with your own children or grandchildren. And the kids love to participate.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons shortening (and/or paraffin wax*)
- 24 red maraschino cherries with stems, well drained, wrapped and dry (Cherries must be completely dry or the chocolate will seize and get crumbly.)
- 24 unwrapped Hershey milk chocolate Kisses
- 48 sliced almonds
- 1 small tube red icing gel
- Cookie tray lined with waxed or parchment
- Toothpicks
Instructions
- Melt chocolate chips with shortening or paraffin wax using a double broiler, continually stirring until smooth.
- Hold each cherry by the stem (or mouse tail), dip in melted chocolate and place on a sheet of wax paper.
- While the chocolate is still warm on the cherry, place sliced almonds (ears) between each cherry and a Hershey Kiss. The melted chocolate on the cherry will adhere the almond ears and Hershey Kiss body. Continue this process until you have an army of mice. Use the toothpick to dab beads of red icing gel for eyes.
- Refrigerate until chocolate is firmly set. Transfer to a fun holiday plate and watch the kids’ eyes light up when you serve them.
- NOTE: For extra fun, use Oreo cookies as platforms for the mice. Gently twist the cookies apart, setting aside the halves with the cream filling. Set a completed mouse on each wafer. Make holly sprigs on the halves with cream filling using red and green icing gels.
Difficulty:
Classic Cinnamon Coffee Cake
There are a lot of great cakes in the world, but not many this delicious and versatile! Our kids loved this cake so much it became a must-have for every special occasion. Great as a dessert or a breakfast item, this is a crowd-pleaser you can’t get enough of!
Ingredients
- FILLING:
- 4 tablespoons of flour
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
- CAKE:
- 1-1/2 sticks margarine
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups of flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 season of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly mix filling ingredients and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and sugar together with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add flour, baking soda and salt; blend well. Mix in vanilla and sour cream.
- Line the bottom of an angel food cake pan with parchment and coat the sides with nonstick spray. Layer 1/3 of the cake batter into the pan.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of the filling over the first layer. Repeat for a total of three layers of batter. Sprinkle the rest of the filling on top. Place in the oven and bake for one hour.
- After removing from oven, place a dinner plate over the cake pan and flip onto the plate. Remove the parchment from the bottom of the cake and flip back onto serving plate. Enjoy!
Difficulty:
North Carolina Brunswick Stew
As a child my family spent a week each summer visiting my mom’s family in North Carolina. I always looked forward to having my grandmother's Brunswick stew for lunch, dinner or sometimes both! She always had jars of it in her freezer. It’s a great dish that pairs well with a side salad, rice or corn bread!
This savory stew cooks slowly, but won't last long at your family's dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 pound stew meat (beef or pork), cut in large chunks
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound frozen white corn, thawed
- 20 ounces baby lima beans, thawed
- 3 ribs celery, sliced
- 32 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
Instructions
- Put diced tomatoes in slow cooker, begin heating on high.
- In a separate pan, brown chicken and stew meat on both sides in vegetable oil. Reduce heat to low, cook covered, 30 minutes.
- In a separate large saucepan, bring chicken broth, corn, lima beans, celery and tomatoes to a boil.
- Add chicken, stew meat, vegetables in broth, and spices to slow cooker.
- Stir to mix, reduce heat to medium-high, 6-hour setting. Stir occasionally.
- Shred chicken and stew meat just before serving.
Difficulty:
Sugar Cookies with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
When I was young, one of my favorite holiday traditions was joining my sister and my cousins at my grandparents’ house for sugar cookie decorating night. We’d arrive to homemade sugar cookie cutouts baked by my grandparents, ready for us to frost and decorate to our heart’s delight! There were lots of festive shapes – Santa, Santa’s boot, reindeer, wreaths, snowmen, Christmas trees, etc. After hours of frosting cookies, lots of taste testing and generous amounts of sugar sprinkles, we’d all spend the night. When our parents came to pick us up the next day, we couldn’t wait to show off our hard work. (Well, it really wasn’t hard, but as a child, on this particular day, I felt like a professional pastry chef.)
Both sets of my grandparents gave me their cookie cutters, and to this day my son, my parents and I use them to spread sugar cookie cheer throughout the year on holidays, birthdays and days when you just need a little sweetness in your life. I hope my family’s tradition finds its way into your home.
Ingredients
- COOKIES:
- 3-1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup softened butter
- 1-1/2 cups white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 1 cup softened butter
- 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons of milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Combine (sift if you prefer) flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar. Mix in beaten eggs and vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients. Place dough in an airtight container and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- Roll out dough onto parchment or a floured surface to about ¼” thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Re-roll the remaining dough and cut out cookies until all dough is used.
- Transfer to cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on racks.
Frosting
- Beat the butter until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and mix on low speed at first. (Adding on high speed will create a dust cloud of powdered sugar you do not want to have to clean up!) Then increase to medium speed and mix another minute or two.
- Add milk (you can add a little more if you need it). Add vanilla extract and salt. Continue mixing until well combined and smooth.
- You can leave frosting white; we like to separate it into bowls, add food coloring and decorate with lots of colors. Just add food coloring to the frosting, mix well and apply with a knife or frosting bags with tips. Finally, don’t forget the sprinkles! Kids love sprinkles!
- (The number of cookies you get depends on the size of your cutouts.)
Difficulty:
Holiday Horseradish Brussels Sprouts
Growing up, my brother and I HATED the taste of fresh vegetables. Anything to mask the taste, we would try it. For as long as I can remember, we have had Brussels sprouts with every holiday meal and my mom, knowing our aversion to healthy, fresh vegetables, would make this recipe so we would actually eat them. Now, I carry on this tradition for my own kids.
Ingredients
- 1 10-ounce bag very small (1/2- to 3/4-inch-diameter) white pearl onions, unpeeled (I use shallots instead but onions are fine too)
- 1- 1/2 pounds small Brussels sprouts, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons (or more) prepared white horseradish
- 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3/4 cup whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
Instructions
- Cook onions in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about five minutes. Using large strainer, transfer onions to bowl; set aside to cool. Return water to boil; add more salt.
- Add Brussels sprouts and boil until just before until tender, about six minutes. Drain well; cool. Peel onions, leaving core intact. Cut Brussels sprouts in half through root end. (Can be prepared one day ahead. Combine vegetables in medium bowl; cover and chill.)
- Whisk horseradish, flour and allspice in small bowl to blend; whisk in whipping cream. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chopped thyme and stir 30 seconds. Add vegetables and sauté until heated through, about four minutes. Add cream mixture and cook until vegetables are coated and cream mixture is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about three minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, adding more horseradish by 1/4 teaspoonfuls, if desired. Transfer vegetables to bowl. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.
Difficulty:
Puerto Rican Rice with Gandules
My grandma's rice has always been a family favorite for any occasion. I am not blessed with culinary skills, but even I can manage this tasty dish. And it's easy to customize if I'm ever in the mood to mix it up a little. Give it a try!
A staple in Puerto Rican households, this delicious dish is easy to make and hard to forget.
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 3 cups water
- 2 tablespoon sofrito (Goya brand is widely available)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 packet Sazon seasoning (Goya brand)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 can gandules/pigeon peas, undrained (Goya brand)
Instructions
- In a rice cooker, first put in the sofrito. Next, add the rice and water.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Additional items that can be added at this stage are cumin (if you like it spicy), corn, olives, various kinds of beans.
- Set the rice cooker to cook. Should take 45–60 minutes. When it's done, stir thoroughly since most of the ingredients will sink to the bottom. Serve and enjoy!
- If you don't have a rice cooker …
- Heat a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add in all ingredients except rice and bring to a boil.
- Stir in rice and cover. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir, serve and enjoy!
Difficulty:
Tangy Texas Tomatillo Sauce
Although most people associate me with Kansas, due to my love of the Jayhawks, my family is actually from Texas. So bar-b-que and Mexican food pretty much run through my veins. And while there are many advantages to living up North, good tomatillo sauce is not among them. So, I invented my own. Use it on enchiladas, as a taco sauce, a chip dip ... whatever!”
A staple of Mexican cuisine, tomatillo sauce can be used in a variety of dishes. Enjoy this unique spin!
Ingredients
- 1 small red or yellow onion, minced
- 2 serrano peppers, minced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 11-ounce cans of tomatillos, drained, pureed
- 1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice (key lime, if in season)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon mango-habanero powder (optional, as this can be hard to find)
Instructions
- Place onions, peppers and garlic in a pan with the avocado oil and simmer on medium heat until onions are clear. Pull from heat if the onions begin to brown.
- Add in all the rest of the ingredients and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
- For maximum flavor, make the night before and let sit overnight in the fridge.
Difficulty:
Bohemian Kolaches
Lenore Biderman was our next-door neighbor and "surrogate" grandmother. She was best known for her kolaches and Czech pride. Never did more energy come in such a compact package.
Originating as a semisweet wedding dessert from central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the U.S.
Ingredients
- 2 packets (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar, divided
- 2 cups warm 2% milk (110 to 115 degrees F)
- 5-3/4 to 6-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups canned prune, poppy seed, cherry or raspberry pie filling
- 1 large egg white, beaten
Instructions
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in warm milk; let stand 10 minutes.
- In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, remaining sugar, egg yolks, salt, butter and yeast/milk mixture. Mix until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough.
- Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add additional flour, if needed. Place dough in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
- Punch down dough and allow to rise again. Roll out on floured surface to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with large glass or 2-1/2-inch cutter. Place on greased baking sheets; let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
- Firmly press indentation in center and fill each roll with a heaping tablespoon of filling. Brush dough with egg white. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or until rolls are light golden brown.