Chicken Pecan Tarts
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped pecans
One and one-half cups chopped cooked chicken
One-half cup diced celery
One-fourth cup mayonnaise
1 three-ounce package cream cheese
One-fourth teaspoon salt
One-half teaspoon nutmeg
6 refrigerated biscuits or tart shells
Melt butter in skillet; add pecans and sauté until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Combine remaining ingredients, except biscuits or tart shells; add to pecans and stir over low heat until thoroughly mixed. Separate canned biscuits; flatten and fit into muffin cups, letting dough cover bottom and sides of cups. Fill with chicken mixture and bake for 12 to 14 minutes at 425 degrees or according to direction on biscuit package. If using tart shells, spoon warm chicken mixture into prepared shells when ready to serve. Serves 6.
Pumpkin Pound Cake
I apologize for the delay in posting this recipe. I am sorry to those who had promised it for their thanksgiving meal...I am lucky I even found it. I made this incredible rhubarb cake this summer and cannot for the life of me find the recipe or even remember where I found it. That is the problem with getting recipes online.
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup canned pumpkin
Walnut sauce:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin, beating just until combined. Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch x 5-inch x 3-inch loaf pans.
Bake at 350 for 65-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans then cool completely on wire racks.
For sauce, combine brwon sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat; stir in walnuts and vanilla. Serve warm over the cake. Yields 16 servings with 1 2/3 cups sauce.
Asparagus Casserole
This is a must-have for our Thanksgiving dinners. ;-)
2 cans asparagus (save juice)
4 boiled eggs, sliced
1 can pimentos
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
3/4 c. asparagus juice (from canned asparagus)
3/4 c. milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
Crushed cornflakes, crackers, or breadcrumbs
Arrange the asparagus, eggs, and pimentos in a baking dish in layers. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and blend in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook until smooth and bubbly over low heat. Add the asparagus juice and milk, and blend well. Cook over medium heat, adding Velveeta just before the sauce boils. Cook until the cheese melts and comes to a boil. Pour the sauce over the asparagus, eggs, and pimentos. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cornflakes (or other), and cook until browned.
Thanksgiving
With our early Thanksgiving dinner today, I have 3 successes to share:
Whole Wheat Pie CrustI've discovered the beauty of whole wheat pastry flour. . .finely ground like all purpose flour, healthy like wheat flour.
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
5-8 T. ice water
Follow the usual directions for making pie crust: cut the butter, flour and salt. Add water 1 T. at a time until dough texture is achieved. Form into a ball; divide in half; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll each half into a 9" pie crust.
REAL Cranberry SauceYes! It can be homemade!
12 oz. cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Boil all for 10-20 minutes, until thickened. Strain if desired, or simply chill all for whole-berry sauce. I put these in flower-shaped silicone cake pans (small), and they popped out perfectly.
TURKEYNot really a recipe, but. . .
I have to say those oven bags and pop-out timers are miracle-workers. Stuff the inside with carrots, celery, apple, onions, parsely, rosemary, and thyme. Coat the outside with oil. Stick in the bag and follow box instructions. Perfect, every time. Amazing. Simply amazing. Now,
anyone can cook a turkey.
Labels: desserts
Just Desserts
Here are a whole bunch of dessert recipes that I sent to Naomi a while back. I don't have any pictures, but enjoy!
Almond Pound Cake (Fay Smith, Courtney's Grandma)
3 cups sugar
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup shortening
5 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
1 small can evaporated milk, plus water to make 1 cup liquid
2 teaspoons almond extract
Cream sugar, butter, and shortening. Add eggs and salt and cream well. Add remainng ingredients. Pour into 12 cup bundt pan, very lightly greased. Put into COLD oven; set temp at 320 degrees. Bake 90 minutes. Cool 15 minutes and remove from pan.
Texas Sheet Cake
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa
2 sticks butter
Boil 2 minutes, remove and add:
1 cup sour cream
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Bake 40 minutes @ 350 degrees.
Icing
6 tablespoons milk
1 stick butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
Boil 1 minute, remove and add:
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat and add:
1 cup chopped walnuts
Apple Cake (Fay Smith)
4 cups grated apple (approx 4-5 large apples)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
MIx ingredients. Pour inton 13x9 lightly greased glass pan. Bake 30-40 minutes @ 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Pumpkin Chip Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin
2 eggs
4 cups flou
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
2 cups chocolate chips
1-2 cups raisins (optional, I never use them)
Cream wet ingredients. Sift dry. Add to wet. MIx in chocolate chips and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto greasded cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. GREAT in the autumn!
Frango Mints (Josephine Lacy, Courtney's other grandma - Jojo)
1 cup butter
2 cups powderedf sugar
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
4 eggs
3/4 teaspoon peppermint
2 teaspoons vanilla
Cream together butter & sugar/ Ad chocolate and eggs (1 at a time). Beat until fluffy. Place and cupcake liners and freeze for 12 hours. My mom makes these at Christmas - they are rich, but WOW!
Poppyseed Chicken
3-4 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 - 8 ounce carton of sour cream
2 T poppyseed
1 stick of butter
2 rolls of Ritz crackers
Cook and cut up chicken. Mix with sour cream and cream of chicken. Melt butter. Crush Ritz and mix with butter and poppyseeds. Sprinkle one-half of the Ritz mix on the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Add chicken mixture. Put remaining Ritz on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
This dish makes about four servings...maybe a little more. You could serve it with most vegetables. Green beans and corn go pretty well with it. One of my fellow teachers made this for Evan and me after Nathan was born, and she put the recipe with it. Evan really liked it.
Anyway, I thought I would start off the blog with a post, so I don't have a picture of this particular dish (but I'll try to do that in the future, Court, b/c it's a good idea).
