Pumkin Cookies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes five to six dozen small cookies
1 can of pumpkin
2 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown Sugar
1 cube butter
1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
12 ounces chocolate chip
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets lightly.

 Stir together the pumpkin, milk and baking soda. Add eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla and mix very well.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and spice and add to the pumpkin mix.

Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop by large teaspoonfuls on the cookie sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes.

The cookies do not spread very much. Cool before storing.

Sugar Cookies

My grandmother makes sugar cookies every year at Christmas. Her cookies have a little more complex recipe, with simple frosting. This is a recipe I found in an old handmade cook book that I had. I have never made anything different and now I get requests to make them at Christmas instead of Grandmas cookies.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the work surface

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature(I have used salted and its just as good)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1 teaspoon Almond extract

Make the dough as you usually would, cream your liquids, then add your flour. The key to the cookies is the almond extract. Its just a hint but its what makes them a hit.

Roll your dough and cut your cookies

As all good bakers you have your oven preheated to 350 degrees

Depending on how big you make the cookies is how long you bake them for. I usually do 8-10 min. I like them a little softer, so I usually keep it around 8 min.

Take them out, let them cook and then frost. The frosting I use is a cream cheese frosting.

FROSTING:

I start with a half a bar of cream cheese, add a dash of real vanilla, and teaspoon of milk, then add powder sugar until its frosting consistancy. (Just taste it, if you want a little more or less of something you can do that)

I know thats not the most clear recipe, but I promise its the best frosting ever. I use that frosting for a lot of things that I bake.

Pink Lemonade

This was another one that I made with my wonderful mom. So simple and so yummy.

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons)

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar, to taste

1 cup crushed ice

4 cups water

2 teaspoons grenadine

Squeeze your lemons

Add water, sugar, and grenadine.

stir and serve over ice

Cake Pops

The first time I did these was when I was making things for my bestfrineds sisters baby shower. They turned out better then I could have hoped for. They too as simple.

All you need is

a boxed cake mix(already baked)

a jar of frosting.

sucker sticks

candy bark for dipping

sprinkles

depending on the type of cake mis you went with and the frostine will decide how much frosting you will use. In one back we did german chocolate, beacuase the german chocolate frosting becasue of the nuts and coconut its a little thicker. So with the german chocolate you use the full cake and the full jar of frosting. If you are doing any other one only use a half jar or so for the other kinds.

crumble and mix with beaters the cooked cake and frosting into a sort of mush.

Roll the mush into balls

push the sucker sticks into the balls and placei n the freezer for an hour or so to make them hard enough to dip

Melt the bark and dip the pops

sprinkle

Enjoy

Jello Cake

This is a cake that my grandma used to make when we would spend time at our family cabin. It was somehting that you usually had all the things you need to make it somewhere in the house. It is still one of our families favorites. I went over to my aunts house and she pulled this cake out of the fridge and started cutting me a piece, the first thing I said was "Oh crap whos birthday did I miss?", she laughed and told me that I didnt miss anothing, just that it was a favorite of my cousins and she makes it all the time.


Its quite simple.

You will need :

One white cake mix

eggs and oil for the cake mix

Lime jello

Vanilla instant pudding

2c milk for pudding

cool whip

Make the cake as per instructions.

Make the lime jello as instructed, usually 1 cup hot water, 1c cold water. mix very well, and before letting it set up, poke holesi n the cake with a fork adn pour the green liquid jello over the cake.

Place cake with jello over it, in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Noxt make the pudding as directed, 2c cold milk and mix until it sets up.

Then add the container of cool whip and mix.

Pour coolwhip/pudding mixture over cake

spread around

and eat.

Bacon wrapped Asparagus Bundles

This ia another one from the same cook book that the key lime cake comes from, but it is another one of my favorite. One of my good friends sais once that I have the unccaning ability to take something good for you and make it taste REALLY good and make it REALLY bad for you. This is one of those times.

Asparagus Bundles
2 pounds of fresh asparagus, trimmed
12 slices of bacon, slightly precooked
1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt
10 turns of the pepper grinder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Trim the asparagus by bending the bottom half of one asparagus spear until it pops apart at the natural break. Then line up the other spears and use a knife to cut them all at the same length. Spray an oblong, glass baking pan with non stick spray. If you use a metal pan instead, you'll probably want to line it with a couple of layers of aluminum foil for easier clean up!

Divide the asparagus into 12 equal bundles. Starting about a half inch from the bottom of each bundle, wrap the bundles with the bacon, securing with toothpicks, if needed, and place the bundles into the baking pan.

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar, Cajun seasoning, chili powder, garlic salt, and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour sauce all over the asparagus bundles.

 

Roast at 400 degrees, about 25 minutes, or just until asparagus begins to wilt, basting with the brown sugar sauce several times.

Key Lime Cake

This little gem is from one of my favorite cook books. Its sweet and tart and more than delightful. Now give yourself a little time, becasue hand squeesing key limes takes a bit of time and some strong hands.

CAKE

1 3-ounce package lime-flavored gelatin

1¹/3 cups granulated sugar

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

5 large eggs, slightly beaten

1½ cups vegetable oil

¾ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup Key lime juice (from about 25 small Key limes or 4 large regular limes)

½ cup confectioners' sugar

CREAM CHEESE ICING

½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature 

1 1-pound box confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the gelatin, sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir to mix well.
Add the eggs, oil, orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Divide the batter evenly among the 3 pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Test for doneness by lightly touching the tops of the layers or inserting a toothpick.
Cool the layers in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks.
While the layers are still hot, mix the lime juice and confectioners' sugar and pour it over the layers on the racks. You can pierce the layers with a fork to allow the glaze to soak in better. Allow the layers to cool completely as you prepare the icing.
Cream the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the confectioners' sugar until the mixture is smooth and easy to spread. Spread the icing between the layers and on the top and sides of the cake.
The cream cheese icing is optional. This cake is beautiful and tastes great with just the glaze poured over it.
Key limes can be hard to find. Substitute regular lime juice for key lime juice without sacrificing flavor.
FROM BETH: This is a very moist cake. It can also be baked in a 9 x 12 x 2-inch pan to be easily served in squares.
FROM GWEN: This recipe comes from family friend Angela Spivey. She uses whichever variety of lime is available in the local grocery.

Courtesy Trisha Yearwood, "Home Cooking With Trisha Yearwood."

Cinnamon Rolls

Of course you have to start with the how too. My mom first made these for me when I went out for a visit. There is something about the smell of something sweet in my moms oven that makes me feel like I am 10 years old again. Now after i took my first bite, I was hooked. This particular version is better then anything I had ever made of bought.

First:

Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in the butter; stir until melted. Add water and let cool until lukewarm.

Next: In a large bowl, combine the milk mixture, yeast, white sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.

When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

Divide dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a 12x9 inch rectangle.

In a bowl, stir together the cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread each piece with half of the butter, half of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough, using a little water to seal the seam.

Cut each roll into 12 slices using a very sharp knife or dental floss. Place rolls onto two 9x13 inch greased baking pans. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

To make frosting; combine confectioner's sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Add milk gradually until frosting reaches a spreading consistency. Spread over warm (but not hot) cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients

1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

6 cups all-purpose flour

Middle filling:

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cups dark brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

I also put slivered almonds in mine

Frosting:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk