Orange Date Nut Cake.

I was going through my grandmother's hand-written recipes recently, and ran across this one THREE TIMES. It was obviously important, and a favorite of hers. I don't remember ever eating it, probably because dates were in it. I don't care for dates. Or raisins. Or prunes. Or really any of the dried fruits.

Orange Date Nut Cake

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 small package (unsure of size) dates (or raisins)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 TBSP grated orange zest

Cream together butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time. Coat pecans & dates in 1/4 cup flour. Sift remaining flour with baking soda and add to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla, pecans & date mixture, and orange zest and combine well. Bake in a greased & floured tube pan at 350 for 1 hour.

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups orange juice
2 cups sugar
1 TBSP grated orange zest

Mix together and heat until sugar is dissolved. Pour over cake while still in baking pan, poking holes in the cake with a toothpick. Let sit overnight before turning cake out of pan.

Custard Pie.

My grandmother never failed to have one of these custard pies for Thanksgiving & Christmas.

Custard Pie

4 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups  whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Add sugar to beaten eggs, then combine well. Add milk and vanilla, combining completely. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Cook for 25 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce to 300 degrees for an additional 25 minutes, or until firm.

Poppy Seed Chicken.

Poppy Seed Chicken

3 cups diced chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 to 2 cups chicken stock
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBSP poppy seeds
4 TBSP melted butter

1 1/2 tubes ritz crackers, crushed


Mix all but 1/2 tube of crushed crackers together. Pour into a baking dish, then cover with remaining cracker crumbs. Bake for about 25 minutes at 400, until bubbly. Serve over rice or noodles. (Use chicken stock to thin to desired consistency before baking.)

Orange Slice Cookies.

My sister brought these to our Christmas gathering, and my whole family is now in love with them!

Orange Slice Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups orange fruit jelly slice candies, diced into small chunks

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugars and shortening until fluffy. Add eggs and and vanilla, then beat well. Stir together dry ingredients, and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in oats and orange candy. (Spray scissors with non-stick spray to make cutting candy easier.) Using about 1 TBSP of mixture for each cookie, roll into one inch balls. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and cool on wire rack.

Christmas Fudge.

Got this from one of Lorraine's coworkers. It's good!

Christmas Fudge

2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1 jar marshmallow cream
16 oz. peanut butter morsels
16 oz. milk chocolate morsels
1 tsp.vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine sugars, milk, & butter in a large saucepan and bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring regularly. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add marshmallow cream and both morsels. Stir until smooth. Stir in nuts & vanilla, pour into a greased 9 inch pan, and let cool completely. Cut into squares.

Toffee Bars.

Toffee Bars


1/2 cup butter
1 cup oats
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan, melt 6 TBSP butter, then stir in oats, sugar, flour, nuts,  & baking soda. Press firmly on bottom of greased 13 x 9 baking pan and bake 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in medium saucepan, combine remaining 2 TBSP butter and sweetened condensed milk. Over medium heat, cook and stir until mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over crust. Return to oven and bake 10-15 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle chips on top. Let stand 1 minute; spread while still warm. Cool to room temp, then chill thoroughly. Cut into bars and store tightly covered at room temp.

Cindy's Lemon Bars.

Cindy's Lemon Bars

1 1/2 cups plus 3 TBSP unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup cold butter
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Lemon Juice (from concentrate is fine)
extra confectioners sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, comine 1 1/2 cups flour & 1/2 cup confectioners sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto bottom of lightly greased 13 x 9 baking pan, then bake 15 minutes. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, baking powder, juice, and remaining 3 TBSP flour. Mix well. Pour into baked crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool, then cut into bars. Sprinkle with additional confectioners sugar. Store covered in refrigerator, serve at room temp.

Variations: (1.) Key Lime bars - substitute key lime juice for the lemon juice; (2.) Lemon Pecan bars - omit 3 TBSP flour from lemon mixture; sprinkle 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans over top of lemon mixture and bake as directed; (3.) Coconut Lemon bars - omit 3 TBSP flour from lemon mixture; sprinkle 3/4 cup flaked coconut over top of lemon mixture and bake as directed.

Coconut Pecan Pound Cake

Saw this on The Chew, and it spoke to me. Maybe this will show up here for Christmas.....

Coconut Pecan Pound Cake


2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
4 eggs
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla extract


Glaze:
2 TBPS salted butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
powdered sugar, for dusting


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, & butter and beat with electric mixer until light & fluffy, about 3 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in three parts to batter and mix gently until just moistened. Stir in vanilla, coconut, & pecans. Pour into a pound cake mold and bake for 60 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the the center comes out clean. Make glaze five minutes before cake comes out of oven. Combine water, butter, & sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook five minutes. Slowly pour half the syrup over the cake, invert onto serving plate, and pour remaining syrup over the top. Dust with powdered sugar, let sit to cool for at least 10 minutes, and then eat while still warm.

Pepperoni Puffs.

Lorraine ran across this one recently, and has made them twice. They are addictive!


Pepperoni Puffs

3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/4 cup Italian shredded cheese blend
4 oz. pepperoni, chopped
1 cup favorite marinara pizza / pasta sauce

Grease mini muffin pan with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, milk, egg, cheese, & pepperoni. Stir until completely mixed. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Serve warm with marinara for dipping.

Frozen Cranberry Fluff.

Frozen Cranberry Fluff 

A family Thanksgiving favorite....

1 can condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup chopped nuts
8 oz cool whip

Combine condensed milk and lemon juice. Add cranberry sauce, pineapple, and nuts. Fold in cool whip. Freeze in individual containers (we use cupcake tins).

Chocolate Cream Martini.

I ran across this one in a Southern Living Christmas cookbook. I hope to make it a new holiday tradition!

Chocolate Cream Martini

3 TBSP vanilla vodka
3 TBSP Irish Cream
2 TBSP half & half
1/3 cup coffee liqueur
1/3 cup chocolate liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a martini shaker filled with ice. Cover with lid & shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into martini glasses and serve immediately.

(If you really want to dress it up, melt a square of semi-sweet chocolate on a plate and dip the rims of the glasses into the melted chocolate. Put into the refrigerator for a few minutes to harden the chocolate before  mixing the cocktail.)

Sausage, White Bean, & Kale Soup.

I made this up recently, when desperately in need of a hearty soup. I've recently become a big fan of kale. It holds up much better than other southern greens when cooked, and doesn't get a little slimy even after sitting in the fridge for a couple of days. However, it does cook down a LOT, so even though it looks like a huge amount when you add it, it quickly shrinks.


Sausage, White Bean, & Kale Soup


1 pound good roll sausage, browned
1 onion, diced
1/2 pound carrots, diced
5 sticks celery, diced
1 pound chopped kale
3 cans white beans - (great northern, cannelini, pinto)
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
32 oz. chicken stock (Kitchen Basics if at all possible)
2 cups water

Cook diced veggies with browned sausage for 10 minutes, then add everything else. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Serve with crusty French bread, or fresh cornbread.

Paula's Chocolate Pecan Cobbler.

This one should close out the Paula Deen homage for a while. I haven't made this one yet, but plan to soon, and maybe even for Thanksgiving!

Chocolate Pecan Cobbler

6 tablespoons butter
1-3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus 4 tablespoons
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits
1-1/2 cups boiling water
Caramel Whipped Cream, recipe follows
Ice cream and chopped pecans, for serving

Caramel Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons caramel syrup

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the butter in an 8 by 8-inch baking dish and put the dish in the oven until butter is melted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven and set aside. In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup of the sugar, the flour, and 2 tablespoons cocoa. Add the milk and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Pour over the melted butter in the baking dish. In a separate medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar, remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa, the pecans, and toffee bits; sprinkle evenly over the sugar mixture. Slowly pour boiling water over top of the cobbler. Bake until top of the cobbler looks set, about 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm with Caramel Whipped Cream, ice cream and pecans, if desired.

To make the Caramel Whipped Cream:

Combine the cream and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with a whisk or beater until soft peaks form. Add the caramel syrup, and lightly fold together.

Cheesy Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole

I saw this one on the same episode of Paula Deen as the cheddar cheese soup. It's also ridiculously good, and easy to make. I made a few adaptations from the original recipe, and also skipped the baking part altogether.

Cheesy Shrimp & Wild Rice Casserole

1 package wild rice (I use Zatarain's or Uncle Ben's.)
1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 12 oz. bag frozen seasoning blend (onion, green pepper, celery)
3 TBSP butter
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and divined (I used frozen.)
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper

Cook the rice according to package directions, minus 1/4 cup water.

Heat the butter in saucepan and saute the seasoning blend until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the frozen cooked shrimp and simmer until heated through. Add the rice to the shrimp mixture, then the soup and combine well. Finally, add the cheese and combine everything together well. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Serve with a crusty french bread.

Cheddar Cheese Soup.

I saw this on an old episode of Paula Deen's show yesterday. I made it today. It's amazingly good and SOOO simple. Maybe 15 minutes from start to eating! I changed a few things for my version.

Cheddar Cheese Soup

The bottom 3 inches of five green onions, chopped
2 ounce jar of pimentos
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock (Kitchen Basics brand preferably, or homemade)
2 cups half & half
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 cup green onions tops, chopped for garnish

In a large saucepan, saute onion and pimento in butter for 5 to 7 minutes. Blend in flour, then cook over medium low heat for about three minutes, until the flour just begins to brown and emit a nutty aroma. Add stock, then half & half. Cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly. Add cheese and stir until melted, then remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne if desired. Garnish with remaining green onions.

Serve with a warm, crusty bread.

Praline Banana Nut Bread.

Praline Banana Nut Bread

Praline Topping:

1 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup butter

¾ cup walnut pieces

Spray your bread pan with nonstick spray. Melt the butter and brown sugar in a saucepan, stirring constantly until sugar melts. Allow it to come to a boil continuing to stir. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in nuts. Spread topping in your prepared loaf pan. Set aside to cool.

Bread:

2 eggs beaten

½ cup melted butter

1/3 cup buttermilk or cream

1 full cup mashed bananas

1½ cups dark brown sugar

1¾ cups all purpose unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend together the bananas, eggs, buttermilk and butter. Sift together the dry ingredients. Add to the banana mixture. Stir in the walnuts. Mix well. Pour over praline topping. Bake one hour and check with cake tester to see if done. If comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, continue baking in 10 minute increments and checking with tester. When done, allow to cool in pan 15 minutes. Place a platter over the bread pan and invert the bread pan onto the platter. Let stand for about 5 minutes and then gently lift the bread pan off the loaf of bread. Don’t panic if some of the topping adheres to the pan. Simply scoop it out with a spatula and pat into place on the bread. It will set quite nicely.

Optional toppings:

(Proceed with banana bread recipe omitting the praline topping. When cool, top with one of the following. Also very, very good!)

Nutella Glaze:

1 tablespoon Nutella

1 tablespoon milk or cream

1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted

Whisk ingredients until smooth and drizzle on top of banana bread.

Banana Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese softened

1 tablespoon butter softened

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar sifted

1 banana mashed

½ teaspoon vanilla

Blend ingredients in mixer til smooth. Add more confectioners’ sugar if needed to stiffen frosting. Frost the bread. 

Tiramisu Martini.

This is my new holiday cocktail this year! Saw it raved about on a Carnival Cruise message board. I know what I'll be drinking on next year's cruise.....

Tiramisu Martini 

1.5 oz. Malibu coconut rum
1 oz. Irish cream or Cask & Cream
.5 oz. Frangelico
.5 oz. peach schnapps
.5 oz. butterscotch schnapps
.5 oz. Kahlua
.5 oz. amaretto

Shake together well and serve over ice. (Add a little half & half if you need to mellow it, add a little vanilla vodka to ramp it up even more!)

Grits Casserole.

1 cups grits (not instant)
2 cups water
2 cups milk

Cook grits in milk & water per package instructions.

1 pound sausage, cooked, drained, & crumbled
1/2 stick butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix cooked grits with all other ingredients and bake in 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Drunken Beans.

1 pound dried pinto beans rinsed and picked over
8-ounces chorizo sausage, cut into ½-inch chunks
1 onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
5 cups water
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark Mexican beer
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo
Salt
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice


Place the beans and water in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour.Drain the beans. Clean and dry the pot. Cook the sausage in the Dutch oven over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the drained beans, 5 cups water and beer and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the beans are just soft, about 1 hour. Stir in the brown sugar, chipotles and 1 teaspoon salt. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the beans are completely tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 50 minutes longer. Add the browned sausage to the pot and simmer until the sausage is tender, about 10 minutes. (If the mixture becomes too thick, add water until the mixture reaches the desired consistency.) Stir in the cilantro and lime juice and season with salt to taste. Serve. (The beans can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.)

Green Deviled Eggs.

Green Deviled Eggs

6 eggs, hard boiled, cooled & peeled
2-3 TBSP mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp finely chopped chives, plus more to sprinkle on top
1 TBSP finely chopped celery
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine egg yolks with all ingredients, then spoon back into white halves. Sprinkle with chopped chives.