Recipes

Molasses Cookies

Nicole




My husband loves molasses cookies so this year for Christmas we decided instead of making both molasses cookies and gingerbread men we would make molasses men. We didn’t want to have all the extra cookies around the house. They actually turned out really cute and killed two birds with one stone. I really like this recipe because it has (to me) just the right amount of spices and they stay soft for a long time which I love.

I live in a very humid climate so it normally doesn’t take long for cookies to get hard. These cookies are still fantastic two weeks later. We really enjoyed this recipe!

Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 3/4 cup coarse sugar

Directions:
  1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
  2. Beat in eggs and molasses. 
  3. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. 
  4. Fold in pecans.
  5. Shape into 2-in. balls and roll in coarse sugar. 
  6. Place 2-1/2-in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes or until tops are cracked. Remove to wire racks to cool. 

Yield: 2 dozen.
Original Recipe Source 

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Recipes

Swedish Rosettes

Nicole
My husband grew up with a Scandinavian mother who always made rosettes for Christmas. He loves rosettes because of the wonderful memories that go with them. This is a really wonderful cookie that is light and delicate, and to be honest with you a real pain in the rear to make.
These cookies are so delicate that any wrong move while removing them from the rosette irons will cause them to break. If the batter is too thick the cookies don’t turn out, if you fry them too hot they don’t turn out, and if you live in a humid climate like I do they take forever to dry out enough to stay crispy and half the time they don’t stay crisp.
If you have the time and patience to make these I highly recommend doing so. They may even become a tradition in your home like they are in ours.

Ingredients:
  • 2 eggs
  •  1 tablespoon white sugar
  •  1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
  •  1 cup milk
  •  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  •  1/4 teaspoon salt
  •  Vegetable oil for frying
  •  Sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

  1. Combine eggs, sugar and salt; beat well. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
  2. Heat a rosette iron in deep, hot oil (375 degrees) for 2 minutes.
  3. Drain excess oil from iron. Dip in batter to 1/4 inch from the top of the iron, then dip iron immediately into hot oil (375 degrees).
  4. Fry rosette until golden, about 30 seconds. Lift out; tip upside down to drain. With fork, push rosette off iron onto a rack placed over paper towels.
  5. Reheat iron 1 minute; make next rosette.
  6. Sprinkle rosettes with confectioners’ sugar.

Original Recipe Source

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Recipes

Beef Asian Meatballs

Nicole



I have made these meatballs before …the recipe was called Tangy Asian Meatballs. I got a ton of emails asking me if I have ever made them with ground beef, it seems many people don’t care for ground pork. Other than it being inexpensive I have to agree with them. I am not a fan of pork for the most part. Bacon is pretty much it for me.
I decided to reinvent this recipe using ground beef in place of pork and I made this recipe on the stove top in place of the crock pot. Sometime I forget to put them in the crock pot.
The recipe actually turned out fantastic much better than the original recipe. I like the beef in place of the pork by far. It had a much better flavor, and I really liked making it on the stove top because it was quick … super quick! Best of all it was not as greasy because I used the ground beef this time.
I highly recommend giving this recipe a try… quick… easy and inexpensive! If you want to try the crock pot or pork version you can find the Tangy Asian Meatball recipe here.
Ingredients:
  • 1  pound  ground beef
  • 1/3  cup bread crumbs (use any flavor)
  • 3  scallions, white and light-green parts, chopped
  • 1  large egg
  • 1  tablespoon  soy sauce
  • 1  tsp.  ginger powder
  • 2  cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2  cup  barbecue sauce
  • 1/4  cup  jarred Chinese plum sauce 
  • 2  tablespoons  hoisin sauce
Preparation:
  1. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, scallions, egg, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a large bowl; mix gently but thoroughly with your fingers. 
  2. Roll into 1-inch balls.  Add meatballs to a large pot placed on medium.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce, plum sauce and hoisin sauce; pour over meatballs. Gently stir to coat.
  4. Once the meatballs are in the pot covered in sauce do not stir again for 30 minutes this will prevent the meatballs from breaking. After 30 minutes turn the meatballs. 
  5.  Cover and cook on medium until meatballs are cooked through around another 15 minutes. 

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Recipes

Orange Candy Cookies

Nicole

If you like orange slice candy you will probably love these cookies. These are a staple in our family for the holidays. I don’t particularly like them, but then again I don’t like orange slice candy. I will tell you that I am in the minority in our family because everyone else loves this recipe. 

It’s a very old fashioned recipe that was my Papa’s favorite cookie during the holidays. I don’t think it would have been Christmas in his heart without Orange slice candy cookies.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound bag orange candy slices (jelly candy)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 pound box brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 oz. of whisky
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

  1. Cut orange slice candy into small pieces, coat with ¼ cup of the measured flour
  2. Beat eggs till lemon colored
  3. Gradually add sugar to the eggs, and continue beating as you are adding sugar.
  4. Add vanilla and whisky
  5. Stir in flour, salt, baking soda, pecans and candy
  6. Mix well
  7. Spread ½ inch thick into a 17x11x1 pan (Jelly Roll Pan)
  8. Bake at 275 degrees 20-30 minutes.
  9. Cut into bars while hot then roll into powdered sugar
  10. Cool then seal in an air tight container. 

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Recipes

Peanut Butter Fudge

Nicole



I am not a fan of Peanut Butter fudge but my husband loves it and so does my Uncle Floyd. We thought it would be a fun addition to Uncle Floyd’s gift this year. It actually set nicely for once. Normally it’s too warm to set up well, but this year we got lucky and it turned out perfect. I highly advise that if you are going to make this recipe make sure that your kitchen isn’t piping hot or it will take forever to set.

This is a simple recipe to make and in truth you don’t even need a candy thermometer you just have to watch it and never walk away from it while it’s on the stove top. My best advice is to have every ready to go and premeasured and stir … stir … stir… You don’t want it to burn!

According to my husband this is delicious and extra creamy!!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups sugar 
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 7oz. jar of marshmallow cream
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray and set aside
  2. Combine sugar, butter, and milk in a heavy 2-1/2 quart saucepan and place on a medium heat
  3. Bring to a full rolling boil (important) stirring constantly
  4. Continue boiling for an additional 5 minutes (no less) once it’s at a rolling boil
  5. To prevent scorching remove from the heat and stir in peanut butter (stir well) next add the marshmallow cream (stir in well). Then add the vanilla and beat until well blended.
  6. Pour into your pre-sprayed 13×9 pan cook to room temperature and cut into squares.

Makes approximately 3 pounds.

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