Broccoli Kugel.

I got this recipe from a friend when we used to a traditional seder meal during Holy Week at St. Joseph in Starkville. It is divine.

Broccoli Kugel

2 pounds frozen broccoli florets
1 package onion soup mix
5 eggs
1 cup mayo

Cook broccoli until tender, then chop to a fairly fine consistency. Whisk together eggs, mayo, & soup mix, then add to broccoli and fully incorporate. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until well set and starting to brown slightly.

Hoppin' John.

The food editor of our local newspaper runs his recipe for Hoppin' John every year at New Years. It looks like the perfect version, so I'm archiving here for use at other times of the year as well.

Hoppin’ John

½-1 pound bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, chopped
2 cans chicken stock (water will do, about 4 cups)
1 pound smoked sausage, chopped in 1-inch chunks
1 pound dry black-eyed peas (soaked overnight in cold water)
Bay leaves
Red pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (14-ounce) diced or whole tomatoes
Rice, cooked (about 3 cups, give or take, depending on how thick you like it)
Green onion, chopped, for garnish

Brown the bacon in a Dutch oven. Remove the bacon and eat it.
Sauté the chopped onion, bell pepper and celery in bacon grease until onions are clear. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add stock, sausage, peas and seasonings. Cover and let simmer for about 2 hours. Check for doneness of peas before proceeding. Add tomatoes and cooked rice and cook, uncovered, on low heat, stirring often to prevent sticking. Sprinkle chopped green onions on top prior to serving.

Note: Good smoked ham can be substituted for sausage. You can also use half ham and half sausage for a new twist on an old recipe. You can toss it in the leftover ham bone from your Christmas feast. It adds a great, new layer of flavor to the dish.

Crustless Cheese & Spinach Quiche.

I saw this one in our local newspaper food section earlier this week, and made it today as a brunch addition. It is ridiculously good, and very easy to prepare.

Crustless Cheese and Spinach Quiche

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup pesto
5 eggs, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Press the excess moisture from the spinach. Combine the spinach, 1½ cups of the mozzarella, cream, pesto and eggs in a bowl and mix well. Pour the spinach mixture into a 9-inch pie pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Sprinkle with remaining half cup of cheese and bake another 2-3 minutes longer, or until the cheese melts.

Oreo Balls.

Oreo Balls

1 package Oreo cookies
1 8oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. package white chocolate morsels with 1/2 block paraffin, melted together

Grind cookies to a powder in a food processor, then add in cream cheese to make a paste. Roll into balls, then dip in melted white chocolate. Drop into candy cups or onto wax paper. Store in airtight container.

Salted Caramel Nut Brittle.

A final selection from NPR's Kitchen Window holiday candy column.


Salted Caramel Nut Brittle

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 cup toasted hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds or pumpkin seeds (or a combination) coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until mixture starts to brown, about 14 minutes. Gently swirl the pan until the mixture is an even, deep amber color, about 1 minute more.

Immediately remove from heat and quickly stir in nuts and salt. Pour onto the prepared baking sheet, spread in an even layer, and let cool. Once cool, break into small pieces.

Brown Sugar Coconut Fudge.

Another from NPR's Kitchen Window....

Brown Sugar Coconut Fudge

2 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups brown sugar

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, in small pieces

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts

Grease an 8-by-8-inch pan.

Combine chocolate, sugar and milk in a heavy pot, stirring well to blend ingredients. Stirring slowly, bring to a boil over low heat. Cover pot and let boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and wash down the sides of the pot with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, then continue to boil slowly, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft ball stage (234 degrees).

Remove from heat, add the butter without stirring, and set the pot aside to cool.

Don't stir until the syrup is lukewarm, about 110 degrees. Add the vanilla, coconut and walnuts and stir without stopping until the mixture loses its gloss and thickens. Pour into the greased pan and mark into squares.

Let cool and firm before cutting into pieces. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.

Coffee-Pistachio Toffee.

Another from NPR's Kitchen Window......

Coffee-Pistachio Toffee

2 cups shelled pistachio nuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon dark unsulfured molasses
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread pistachios on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes, making sure they don’t burn. Cool for 10 minutes, then coarsely chop. Put in a bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine sugars, espresso powder and cinnamon. In another small bowl or measuring cup, combine water and molasses.

Butter a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Melt butter in a heavy 2 1/2-quart saucepan over low heat. Add the mixture of sugars, espresso powder and cinnamon, and the mixture of water and molasses, and stir until sugar dissolves.

Increase heat to medium and, using a candy thermometer, cook until thermometer registers 290 degrees, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan for about 15 minutes.

Remove pan from heat, and quickly stir in 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts. Immediately pour mixture onto prepared pan. With a spatula, spread toffee to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle chocolate by generous tablespoonfuls atop toffee, alternating bittersweet and milk chocolates. Let stand for 1 minute to melt the chocolate. Using the back of a spoon or spatula, spread chocolate slightly to coat the toffee. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Refrigerate until toffee is firm, about 1 hour. With a sharp knife, slice the toffee evenly, or break into pieces.

Maple Syrup Caramels.

I love all the holiday candy traditions that people have, and was thrilled to see NPR's Kitchen Window column take up the cause this week. I'm posting their recipes here, just in case the original article disappears at some point in the future.

Maple Syrup Caramels

2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups maple syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Butter an 8-by-12-inch baking dish. In a large heavy pan over medium heat, stir together the sugar, maple syrup and cream until the sugar is dissolved. Stir and cook until mixture slowly reaches the firm ball stage, 244 degrees. Add the butter and stir to melt. Pour the candy into the baking dish and score into squares as it hardens. Let cool about 3 hours, invert onto a board and cut the squares free along the lines you've cut. Makes about 1 1/2 pounds.

Variation: Sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed, toasted walnuts or almonds into the mixture just before removing from heat.

White Christmas.

This is my favorite holiday cocktail.

White Christmas

1/2 oz. vodka

1/2 oz. amaretto

1/2 oz. Kahlua

2 oz. Half & Half

Mix together, and top with freshly-grated nutmeg. And I make it a little stronger, FYI.

Peanut Butter Balls #2.

I stumbled across this version of PB balls today, and may have to make a batch for Christmas. I had planned on skipping them this year, but I could reconsider. My previous recipe can be reviewed here.

Peanut Butter Balls

2½ sticks butter
1 heaping cup of smooth peanut butter
2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 box of confectioners sugar
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 block of paraffin wax (on the baking aisle)

Combine butter and peanut butter in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave until butter melts. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Roll mix into quarter-size balls. (If it is hard to form a ball, add a little peanut butter, or refrigerate mixture for a few minutes). Dip immediately in melted chocolate. Place on wax paper to harden.

To make the chocolate dip, melt together the chocolate & wax in a double boiler.

Creamy Pralines.

Creamy Pralines

One box of light brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp butter
2 cups pecan halves

Mix sugar, salt, milk and butter in a two quart sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add pecans and bring up the heat, stirring constantly until a candy thermometer reads 234 degrees. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool for exactly five minutes. Stir rapidly until the mixture coats the pecans and thickens. Drop spoonfuls onto wax paper.

Chocolate Rum Balls.

Chocolate Rum Balls

4 ounces semisweet chocolate
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces
4 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP dark rum (I find this to be way too little. I use 1/2 cup or more.)
A mixture of half cocoa powder and half powdered sugar, for rolling

In a double boiler, combine the 2 chocolates and melt. Whisk in the butter, and when combined, whisk in the sugar and rum. Roll into small balls, then roll in cocoa/sugar mixture until coated. Store in airtight container.

Note: the rum flavor develops over time, so when the balls are very fresh, there is little rum flavor. A few days later, the rum is more distinct.

Orange Slice Cake.

Orange Slice Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup shredded coconut
2 cups orange slice candy, chopped
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups chopped dates

Dredge fruits & nuts in 1/2 cup flour. Cream butter & sugar with beaten eggs, beat well and set aside. Combine flour & baking soda together and add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Fold in rest of ingredients and bake in tube pan at 250 degrees (NOT 350!) for 2 1/2 hours.

Optional: When cake has cooled, make a glaze with 1 cup orange juice and 2 cups powdered sugar, then pour over the top & sides of cake.

Chinese Chews.

Another from a collection of vintage recipes. I have no idea why these are "Chinese." They seem like a wonderful Christmas treat.

Chinese Chews

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 package chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped nuts
12 maraschino cherries, quartered
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs, flour, dates, nuts, cherries, and vanilla. Mix. Spread in a shallow pan about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cook at 350 and cut into squares while still warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Easy Christmas Cookies.

My dear friend, Pam, doesn't consider Christmas to be near unless she is making regular batches of this. She found it in one of my many cookbooks two or three years ago, and it is a staple of the holidays now. And there is nothing that requires actual cooking that can be any simpler. I can not believe that I haven't put this recipe on this blog until now.

Easy Christmas Cookies

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (with the pie supplies in the grocery)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix all together and press into an 8x8 well-buttered baking dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Chocolate Almond Butter Balls.

I ran across this one in an older collection of recipes, and it looks divine.

Chocolate Almond Butter Balls

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 tsp orange zest
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups finely chopped almonds, lightly toasted

Cream butter with 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in egg yolk and salt. Melt 2 oz. of chocolate and stir with orange zest into butter mixture. Add flour and 3/4 cup almonds. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Combine remained 1/4 cup sugar, 1 oz. chocolate, and 1/2 cup almonds in blender and process until well mixed. Roll balls in mixture. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. Cool on rack. Makes about 3 dozen.

Wedding Cookies.

Wedding Cookies

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cups butter
1 & 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups chopped pecans
1 cup confectioners sugar (for rolling)


In a large bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Mix in the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Turn down the mixer and slowly add the flour mixture, a third at a time to make a stiff dough. Mix in chopped pecans. Cover & refrigerate for about an hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll out 1-inch balls from chilled dough and place them about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake until starting to brown, around 15 minutes. Cool on rack for about five minutes, then roll in confectioners sugar.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

From one of my favorite pastry chefs on "Top Chef: Just Desserts", Malika Ameen.

Chewy Ginger Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground Vietnamese cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp cocoa powder

¾ cup organic cane sugar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
2 tsp orange zest
5 Tbsp melted butter at room temperature, preferably European style

1 egg white
1 ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
2 Tbsp molasses
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

¼ cup organic cane sugar, for rolling

In a bowl combine flours, baking soda, salt, spices and cocoa. Whisk together.

In another medium sized bowl mix together sugars and orange zest. Rub together gently with your fingers to release the oils in the zest. Add butter and beat together on medium speed until combined. Beat in egg white , fresh ginger, molasses and vanilla until smooth.

Add in flour mixture all at once and beat on low until thoroughly mixed. Chill dough overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Place ¼ cup of sugar in a plate. Scoop one teaspoon of dough and roll between the palm of your hands to make an even ball. Roll dough in sugar making sure all sides are coated. Place on baking tray. Repeat with remaining cookies. If dough begins to get warm, chill for 5-7 minutes before baking.
Bake cookies 8-10 minutes maximum for chewy cookies. For crisp cookies bake longer. Makes 3 dozen.