Blueberry Stuff (aka- Blueberry French Toast)

My mom makes this for Christmas morning every year. She also makes it for breakfast for birthdays and other special occasions- our family LOVES it.

12 slices day old white bread
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
1 c fresh or frozen blueberries (JD and I use mixed berries instead- we like that better)
12 eggs
2 c milk
1/3 c maple syrup or honey

Sauce:
1 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 c water
1c blueberries (or mixed berries)
1 T butter

Cut bread into 1 inch cubes; place half in greased 9x13 pan. Cut cream cheese into 1 in cubes; sprinkle over bread. Top with blueberries and remaining bread. Beat eggs, milk, and sugar together in large bowl. Pour over bread mixture. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight. Remove from fridge 30 min before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 min. Uncover and bake 25-30 min longer, or until set.

In saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; add water. Bring to boil over medium heat and boil for 3 min, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries, reduce heat. Simmer for 8-10 min, or until blueberries burst. Stir in butter until melted. Serve over french toast.

Potatoes Benson

I've tried many variations of this, but this one is easily the best!

6-8 medium potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c butter melted
1/2 pint sour cream
1/4 c chopped green onions

Topping:
3/4 c grated Cheddar cheese
2 handfuls corn flakes, crushed coarsely
2 T melted butter

Boil potatoes until tender. Grate or slice and put in bottom of 9x13 pan. Mix soup, 1/2 c melted butter, sour cream, and onions. Spread on potatoes. Put on topping. Bake 25-30 min at 350.

Chocolate Eclair Cake

We haven't made this one as much over the last couple of years, but I have fond memories of this dessert. It's so pretty when it's done.

Pastry:
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 stick margarine
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt

Bring water and margarine to a boil until margarine is melted. Add flour and salt all at once. Beat until mixture forms a ball that leaves the side of the pan. Cool slightly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Spread mixture in ungreased jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 min. Pierce bubbles in pastry with fork and cook completely.

Topping:
2 T margarine
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3-4 T milk
2 (3 oz) pkg. French vanilla instant pudding
2 1/2 c. cold milk
8 oz cream cheese
12 o Cool hip
3 oz chocolate chips

Mix pudding with milk. Add softened cream cheese. Beat together. Spread over cooled pastry. Spread Cool Whip over pudding mixture. Melt chocolate chips and margarine and mix. Add confectioner's sugar and milk until a thin glaze forms. Drizzle over whipped topping. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Cut into squares. Store in fridge. SHORTCUT: use Magic Shell chocolate topping instead of making chocolate glaze.

Frog Eye Salad

It's a crime in the Sangster household not to have this salad for holiday meals.

1 box Acini de Pepe pasta
3 cans (11 oz) mandarin oranges
2 cans (20 oz) pineapple chunks
18 oz carton Cool Whip
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple

1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 Tbl lemon juice

Combine sugar, flour, salt; gradually stir in pineapple juice and eggs. Cook over moderate heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in lemon juice. Cool to room temperature.

Cook pasta with 2 tsp salt and 1 Tbl oil until done, about 8-10 minutes. Rinse. Cool to room temperature. Combine with egg mixture. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Add remaining ingredients. Makes a ton- double at your own risk!

Holiday Salad

When my mom was a teenager, she decided to make dinner for my grandparents for their anniversary. She found this salad and made it and it has been present at holiday meals ever since.

2 small packages of raspberry jello
3 cups boiling water
1 can jellied cranberry
1 package frozen raspberries
1 cup sour cream

Dissolve jello in water. Add cranberry jelly and raspberries. Mix, then pour half in 9x13 pan. Set. Set the rest to a jelly consistency.  Spread sour cream on firmly set jello. Top with remaining jello mixture and set.

Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients

• 4 whole Cinnamon Sticks
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 8 whole Allspice Berries
• Orange Peel From 1 Orange
• Lemon Peel From 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 6 cups Unfiltered (fresh Squeezed Is Great) Apple Juice
• 1/2 cup Dark Rum (optional)

Preparation Instructions

(Adapted from AllRecipes.com.)
Place cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Pour in maple syrup and apple juice, then bring to almost a boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in mugs.

From: Pioneer Woman

The BEST Beef Tenderloin

This recipe sounds a little weird, but it's the BEST! Beef tenderloin is expensive, but it's great for a special occasion.

1. Take beef tenderloin and place on a jelly roll pan or a cookie sheet.
2. Rub liberally with Montreal seasoning- liberally
3. Put the tenderloin in the oven at 500 degrees for 15 minutes.
4. Without opening the oven, turn the oven off and leave for 1 hour.

That's it! It's delish! Sometimes it needs a little more time, but it's one of my favorite Santini family dishes.

Sweet Potato Buttermilk Pie

I think I can adapt this one to my diet- definitely something I need to try!

1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium potatoes), peeled and chopped into a 1/2-inch dice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpoe flour
3/4 cup full- or lowfat buttermilk (or, you can make your own)
1 All-Butter, Really Flaky Pie Crust (a half recipe will yield a single crust), prebaked (instructions below)
Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Pour 1 1/2 inches of water into a 3-quart stock part with a strainer basket suspended over it and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, cover and steam until fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Place the steamed sweet potatoes in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Mash them into a smooth puree with a fork or potato masher (though I suspect that a potato ricer would also do a great job). You should have 1 1/4 cups puree; discard any excess (by topping with a pat of butter, sprinkling with salt and making yourself a most-excellent snack). Add the butter, lemon juice if using, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula after each addition.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a whisk, about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat until they’re a creamy lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the egg mixture to the sweet potato mixture and stir until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated and the filling is a consistent bright orange color. Add the flour a little at a time, stirring after each addition until thoroughly incorporated. Add the buttermilk and again stir until smooth and even.

With a cleaned whisk (or electric hand mixer), whisk the egg whites to soft peaks in a clean, dry bowl. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the sweet potato-buttermilk mixture until thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the prebaked crust and bake on the middle rack of the oven until the center is firm and set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Serve at room temperature (or cold from the fridge; you can cover it with plastic wrap before chilling) with a dollop of whipped cream.

To pre-bake your pie crust, choose a method: “Proper” method — Lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the dough and carefully scatter pie weights, dried beans or pennies over it. Bake on the middle rick of your oven at 325°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and the foil, prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes more.

Deb’s “Cheater” method — Freeze your rolled-out pie shell for 20 to 30 minutes until solid. Press a piece of buttered foil, buttered side down, very frozen shell and blind bake it at 325°F for 20 minutes, then carefully pull back the foil, press any part of the crust that has bubbled up gently back with the back of a spoon, prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes more.

From: smittenkitchen.com

Grain Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup raw honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup fresh baked pumpkin
  

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves
2. Mix butter, honey, eggs and pumpkin until smooth
3. Stir wet ingredients into dry
4. Grease a loaf pan with butter and pour in batter
5. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes

From: http://cosmicrhino.com

Quick Doughnuts

Every conference we carry on a little tradition that the sistas started (that would be my mother's sisters- of which I emphatically claim to be one of. No, not literally, but I'm part of the sistahood). While the men are at the priesthood session, the women make homemade doughnuts. Stacks and stacks. Covered. In chocolate. Powdered sugar. Cinnamon sugar. If you are JD, the doughnut is merely the vehicle to cram as much sprinkles into your mouth as humanly possible. Since it's just JD and I, we make ourselves sick and then give the rest away because I don't know how to reduce. The tradition is stacks and stacks.

Well this year is one of those years. My mom calls them "Chicken Nugget Thanksgivings". Trying to make the perfect recipe of doughnuts was just not in the cards. So I discovered this little trick:

1. Buy refrigerated buttermilk biscuits.
2. Cut a hole in the center just like you would for doughnuts.
3. Fry.

There you have it. Quick and easy. Now- I have to say that they are not as good as the real deal. And when I tasted them I was disappointed. I tried dipping in chocolate and again, disappointed. Then I dipped them in cinnamon sugar. That's when the magic happened. Yummy! I didn't have any powdered sugar so I don't know if that would have been good. But also, I bought the regular refrigerated biscuits instead of buttermilk. I wonder if that would have made a difference.

All in all, the perfect doughnut, this is not. But a great and fast substitute? Definitely.

Pumpkin Butter

Ingredients

• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 cup Plain, Nonfat Yogurt (vanilla Works Just As Well)
• 1 teaspoon (more If Desired) Pumpkin Pie Spice
• 1 cup (heaping) Powdered Sugar

Preparation Instructions

Stir all ingredients together well. Store in the refrigerator; will keep for five to six days.

From: pioneerwoman.com

Chocolate Covered Honeycomb

How to make Honeycomb

* 2 cups granulated sugar
* 1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
* 1/4 cup Honey
* 1/4 Water
* 1 Tbsp (heaping!) Baking Soda

You need a candy thermometer. Do not attempt this project without one. Take a baking pan and rub butter all over the bottom of the pan and lightly flour it.

1. Add the sugar, corn syrup, honey and water into a pot that has at least 3 times the head space. The entire thing poofs up like crazy in a bit and overflowing sugar is a huge mess.

2. Stir the ingredients together until smooth with no lumps.

3. Put the candy thermometer into the mixture. Turn the heat onto medium-high.

4. Wait, no stirring, until the mixture reaches at least 300 degrees. The brown caramel color is what you're going for. Turn the heat off. Wait for at least a minute until the mixture has stopped bubbling.

5. Add that generous Tablespoon of baking soda to the mixture. Stir. Stir. Stir. Watch for the poof. See it? It keeps growing.

6. Pour into your lightly floured, buttered pan. Don't fill it up all the way because the entire mixture keeps poofing.

7. Let sit for 2 hours until hard. Hit with a hammer to break up.

8. Optional: Dip into chocolate for a sweet yummy surprise.

From: soap-queen.blogspot

Quick and Easy Flourless Torte

• 8 oz Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch round cake pan, and dust with cocoa powder. (NOTE: Use a spring form pan or put parchment on the bottom of the cake pan.)
   
2. In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slices can also be reheated for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.

From: allrecipes.com

Chocolate Cobbler

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 7 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Divided
• 1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided
• ½ cups Milk
• ⅓ cups Melted Butter
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1-½ cup Hot Tap Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

First stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. I prefer my small oval Corning Ware glass dish.

In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set.

Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with homemade ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

From: tastykitchen.com

Cadbury® Creme Egg

1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups powdered sugar
4 drops yellow food coloring
2 drops red food coloring
1 12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips

1. Combine the corn syrup, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat well with an electric mixer until smooth. 2. Add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing by hand after each addition. Mix well until creamy. 3. Remove about 1/3 of the mixture and place it into a small bowl. Add the yellow and red food coloring and stir well to combine. 4. Cover both mixtures and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm. 5. When mixtures are firm, roll a small, marble-size ball from the orange filling, and wrap a portion of the white filling around it that is roughly twice the size. Form this filling into the shape of an egg and place it onto a cookie sheet that has been brushed with a light coating of shortening. Repeat for the remaining filling ingredients, then refrigerate these centers for 3 to 4 hours or until firm. 6. Microwave chocolate on high speed for 1 minute, stir gently and microwave again for 30 seconds more. Stir again. You want the chocolate to melt slowly. If you heat it up too fast it may seize up on you, and you'll have to start over. 7. Use a fork to dip each center into the chocolate, tap the fork on the side of the bowl, then place each candy onto wax paper. Chill. 8. After 1 to 2 hours of chilling, dip each candy once more and chill for several hours, or until completely firm. Makes 2 dozen candy eggs.

From: Top Secret Recipes

Gooey Butter Cake

Cake:

1 yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 tbs butter, melted (1 cube)

Filling:

1 8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

8 tbs butter, melted (1 cube)

1 15 oz box powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350

Lightly grease 13 x 9 baking pan

Cake: Combine cake mix,egg and melted butter. Pat batter into the bottom of pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth add eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Add powdered sugar and mix well.

Spread over cake batter.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. It should look golden brown and is best served chilled. Serve with whipped cream or cherry pie filling or fresh fruit.

My notes: Becky INSISTS that it's best served chilled but I ate it at room temp and it was so good I wanted to commit suicide! (But I didn't)

From: Becky Tucker

Ruby Tuesday® Strawberry Tallcake for Two

Strawberry Mousse and Sauce
1 10-ounce package frozen strawberries in syrup
1 3/4 cups water
1 3-ounce package strawberry Jell-O
1 cup heavy cream

Sponge Cake
5 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

12 to 18 scoops vanilla ice cream (1/2 gallon)
1/2 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 can whipped cream

1. Defrost the frozen strawberries and pour the entire package, including the syrup, into a blender or food processor and puree for 10 to 15 seconds until smooth.

2. Combine the strawberry puree with 1 1/2 cups of the water in a small saucepan over medium heat.

3. When the strawberry mixture comes to a boil, add the entire package of Jell-O, stir to dissolve, and remove the pan from the heat to cool.

4. When the strawberry mixture has cooled to room temperature, divide it in half into two medium bowls.

5. Beat the whipping cream until it is thick and forms peaks. Fold the cream into one of the bowls of the strawberry mixture until well combined. This is your strawberry mousse. Cover and chill.

6. To the other bowl, and the remaining 1/4 cup of water. This is the strawberry syrup. Cover and chill this mixture as well.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

8. Beat the egg yolks until they turn creamy and a much lighter shade of yellow.

9. Add the sugar and blend it well into the yolks.

10. Add the water and vanilla and combine well with the yolks mixture.

11. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and add it to the yolk mixture. Mix well until the batter is smooth.

12. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until smooth, then add the cream of tartar. Continue beating until the whites are stiff and form peaks.

13. Fold the egg whites into the batter and mix slowly just until well combined.

14. Pour the batter into an ungreased 17 x 11-inch cookie sheet (with turned-up edges all the way around) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top of the sponge cake is a light brown color.

15. When the cake has cooled and the mousse has firmed up, you are ready to assemble the cake. First divide the cake into three even sections by cutting down the width of the cake twice with a sharp knife. Be sure the cake has come loose from the pan. You may need to use a spatula to unstick the cake sections.

16. Divide the mousse in half and spread each half onto two sections of the cake. Carefully place the layers on top of each other so that the mousse has been sandwiched in the middle between the three layers. This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for several days until you need it.

17. When you are ready to assemble the dessert, slice the cake into 6 even sections. Put a slice into a medium-sized bowl (or a large goblet if you have one), then arrange 2 to 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream around the cake. Pour a sixth (just over 1/4 cup) of the strawberry sauce over the top of the cake and ice cream, sprinkle some sliced strawberries on top, then cover the thing with whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining servings.

From: topsecretrecipes.com

Egg Nog

A holiday tradition at my house- Mom makes the nog and we trim the tree. I am going to have to whip me up some this year.....

3 eggs, separated
2 T sugar (I think Mom puts in about 1/4 cup of sugar- make it to taste)
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 1/2 c milk
1 1/2 c half-and-half
Fresh nutmeg

1. Beat the yolks with sugar until well blended. Stir in the vanilla, milk, and half-and-half.

2. Beat the egg whites and fold them in thoroughly. You don't need to be too gentle; they should lighten the drink but not be discernible. Top with grated nutmeg and serve.

From: How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Easy Hot Fudge

This is the notorious hot fudge recipe that caused me great problems when I tried making the sweetened condensed milk from scratch. But it is FABULOUS if you don't try to be Fran the Food Storage Queen- just BUY the stuff from the store.

For 1 pint:

3oz semi-sweet chocolate* (3 squares of baking chocolate, or about 1/2 C chocolate chips

1/4 C butter (that's a half of a stick folks. Admit it, at least one of you didn't know that)

1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

*I wouldn't use milk chocolate for this, it's way too sweet, however both dark and bittersweet are awesome

1. If you're using baking squares, chop them up into small pieces so they melt easier. I chop the butter up into small chunks too.


2. Okay, it's not rocket science. Put it in a pan on medium heat and melt it all together till it's smooth, creamy, and just looking at it gives you happy thoughts.

3. If you have leftovers (but let's be honest, you'll have to quadruple the recipe to have leftovers) then put it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will harden into a soft, gooey fudge like consistency.


From: ourbestbites.com

Eggnog Bundt Cake

1 yellow cake mix (preferably with pudding in the mix)
3 T. flour
2 c. eggnog
¼ c. butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
¼ tsp. rum extract
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes. Dust lightly with powdered sugar for presentation.

Caramel sauce:
½ lb brown sugar (~1 1/8 c.)
½ lb butter
½ lb powdered sugar (~2 cups)
½ T. cinnamon
½ qt. rich vanilla ice cream

Melt together over medium heat. Pour warm over individual servings immediately before serving.

From: The Sisters' Cafe