The Christmas Cookie Killer (33 page)

RECIPES
• 271

Take cookie dough out of refrigerator. Dough should be slightly stiff.

Using a tablespoon, place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. With thumb, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball large enough for filling and pecan. Fill each indentation with a rounded ¼ teaspoon of filling. Top each cookie with a pecan half.

Bake until lightly golden, 16 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

272 •
RECIPES

Sam’s Fudgy Peanut Butter Cookies

Cookies

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup evaporated milk

4 tablespoons cocoa

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2½ cups quick-cooking oats

Filling

¼ cup peanut butter

¼ cup white corn syrup

Combine sugar, milk, cocoa, and butter in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Add oatmeal and stir to blend thoroughly.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Make a well in each cookie with a spoon. The dough hardens rapidly, so work quickly.

Combine peanut butter and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Fill each cookie indention with a dollop of peanut butter–syrup mixture.

Cool cookies on wax paper until they harden.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

RECIPES
• 273

Gingerdoodle Cookies

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 cup shortening

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, combine 1 tablespoon sugar, cinnamon, and ginger; set aside. Cream shortening; gradually add 1½ cups sugar, beating well. Add eggs; beat well. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda, salt, and cream of tartar.

Add sifted ingredients to creamed mixture; stir until well blended.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in cinnamon-ginger-sugar mixture. Place cookies 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake cookies for 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

274 •
RECIPES

Chocolate Pecan Pie

¹/³ cup butter, melted

¹/³ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

²/³ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup pecan halves

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt butter in microwave. Mix cocoa powder and sugar with butter.

Add salt, corn syrup, and vanilla. Beat in eggs; then stir in pecan halves.

Pour mixture into pie shell. Cover crust edge with strips of aluminum foil, or a crust shield. Pie rises as it bakes, but will fall back down as it cools.

Bake until set, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow pie to cool before serving.

Serves 8.

RECIPES
• 275

Pumpkin Pie

1½ cups pumpkin puree

1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk

2 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour filling into pie shell. Cover the sides of the crust with foil before baking to keep it from burning.

Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees F; then turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and continue baking 40 more minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Serves 8.

276 •
RECIPES

Stuffed Zucchini

2 tablespoons olive (not virgin) oil

½ medium yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup peeled and diced eggplant

Salt

Pepper

1 tablespoon chopped basil

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

1 cup diced tomatoes

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

3 slices whole wheat bread, cubed

4 6- to 8-inch zucchinis, whole

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell pepper, and sauté until tender (about 3 minutes), stirring frequently.

Add the eggplant, season lightly with salt and pepper, and continue to cook for 10 more minutes.

Add the herbs and tomatoes and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more.

Add mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and bread cubes; then remove from the heat and allow to cool.

While the stuffing cooks, prepare the zucchini. Wash them well and slice them in half lengthwise.

RECIPES
• 277

Hollow out the center of the zucchini. You can use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and pulp. Leave at least ¼ inch of flesh. If the pulp and seeds won’t come out easily, use a knife.

When the zucchini halves have been hollowed out and the mixture has cooled enough, spoon the stuffing mixture into them so each one is fairly full.

Place the zucchini in a baking dish and bake at 400 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the flesh of the zucchini is cooked. Test for done-ness by poking with a toothpick.

Note:
If you prepared this recipe ahead of time, cook a little longer at 325 degrees F, until zucchini is cooked and stuffing is heated through.

Cut into ½-inch slices, holding the slices together, then transfer each zucchini half together to a serving dish.

Serves 8.

278 •
RECIPES

Corn Bread

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¹/³ cup sugar

½ cup yellow cornmeal

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1¼ cups milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¹/³ cup vegetable oil

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan.

Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine milk, eggs, vegetable oil, and butter in a small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared baking pan.

Bake for 35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Serves 8.

RECIPES
• 279

Wild Rice and Cranberry Corn Bread Stuffing

¼ cup (½ stick) butter, divided

1 cup chopped red onion

½ cup chopped celery

5 cups chicken stock

1¼ cups uncooked wild rice

1¼ cups uncooked brown rice

1½ cups dried cranberries

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 cups crumbled corn bread

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and celery, and sauté until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add wild rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.

Stir in brown rice, cover, and simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes.

Stir in cranberries, thyme, marjoram, red onion and celery mixture, and remaining butter. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in corn bread and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

continued . . .

280 •
RECIPES

Butter a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to baking dish and cover with buttered aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Serves 12.

RECIPES
• 281

Cola Ham

1 18-pound cured ham

1 16-ounce bottle cola

Canned pineapple rings

Brown sugar

Maraschino cherries

Cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Place ham in shallow roasting pan. Poke a few holes in the ham down to the bone, or if you have one of those syringes for meat solutions, inject coke from out of a fresh bottle directly into the meat. Put as much of the cola into the ham as you can. Baste the ham with remaining cola.

With toothpicks, stick pineapple rings on the top and sides of the ham.

Sprinkle brown sugar on the rings. With toothpicks, place a cherry inside each pineapple ring, and then stick some cloves in the pineapple rings. Cover and bake for 15 to 18 minutes per pound of ham, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees F, basting with cola several times during cooking.

Note:
The pineapple, brown sugar, cherries, and cloves are to dress up this ham for the holiday. You can use just the ham and cola to get a very nice baked ham. The cola makes it so tender, it will fall off the bone.

Serves 24 to 30.

282 •
RECIPES

Dinner Rolls

1 package dry yeast

¾ cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2¼ cups flour, divided

1 egg

¼ cup butter (softened)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Using mixer on low speed, add sugar, salt, and half of the flour. Beat well, add egg and butter, and continue mixing while adding remaining flour.

Cover bowl with a cloth, and let dough rise in a warm place for 40 to 50 minutes.

Stir down batter. Using ice cream scoop, drop scoopfuls in greased muffin tins. Let rise for about an hour, until double in size.

Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees F) for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 1 dozen rolls.

RECIPES
• 283

Peachy Keen Salad

Salad

1 can pineapple chunks

(if you use fresh pineapple, you will also need 1 small 6-oz. can of pineapple juice for dressing)

5 peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1 pound strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced

½ pound seedless green grapes

½ pound seedless red grapes

3 bananas, peeled and sliced

¼ cup granulated sugar

Dressing

Juice of one small lime

½ cup pineapple juice

Drain can of pineapple, and save juice for dressing. Combine chopped and sliced fruits in a large serving bowl; toss gently. Sprinkle with sugar. Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Pour dressing mixture over fruit and toss gently to combine.

Cover and chill the fruit salad thoroughly before serving.

Serves 20.

284 •
RECIPES

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potatoes

2 cans (29 ounces each) sweet potatoes,

packed in light syrup, drained

¾ cup evaporated milk

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

Topping

3 tablespoons brown sugar

¹/³ cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup flaked coconut

¼ cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 3-quart casserole.

For the sweet potatoes, place sweet potatoes, evaporated milk, brown sugar, eggs, butter, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared casserole dish.

For the topping, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar, chopped nuts, coconut, and melted butter; sprinkle over casserole.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 12.

RECIPES
• 285

Scalloped Potatoes

6 potatoes, peeled and cut into ¹/8-inch slices

Salt and white pepper to taste

2 cups half-and-half

1 tablespoon dried mustard

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons butter

¹/³ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer sliced potatoes in a 9 × 13-inch glass baking dish. Season with salt and white pepper. Combine half-and-half, mustard, cornstarch, onion powder, and butter in heavy saucepan, and heat until it starts to thicken. Pour over potatoes.

Cover and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered 30 minutes longer or until cheese is golden brown and potatoes are tender. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

286 •
RECIPES

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Beans

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

1 pound fresh green beans, ends snapped, broken into bite-sized pieces

Mushrooms and Sauce

8 ounces baby portabello or white button mushrooms

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

1½ tablespoons flour

¾ cup chicken stock

¾ cup half-and-half

Topping

1 slice dry whole grain bread (you can use any bread)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

½ of a 2.8-ounce can of french fried onions

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the salt and beans to the boiling water. Cover and cook for 6 minutes. The beans will be bright green. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain beans in a colander, and then plunge it into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain beans thoroughly.