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purpose of this recipe newsletter is to post requests and replies, and recipes
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(TNT) recipes.
All Easy Cooking
Recipe Exchange Newsletter
December 10, 2006
The purpose of this recipe newsletter is to post requests and replies from
our members and all their great tried and tested (TNT) recipes.
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name of recipe and number of servings. Remember to include your name
within the message as well.
I am looking for a cauliflower casserole that
was in your newsletter in October or November. I made this for
Thanksgiving and I lost the recipe but it was delicious - some ingredients
were the cauliflower of course, cheese and bacon. Appreciate your help and
love this newsletter. Merry Christmas to all.
PC
Hi Nancy,
This is our favorite Peanut butter fudge. It was a family tradition in our
family for all to gather and make a lot of ho-made candy. My dad loved this most
of all. He died ten years ago. Try it you will like it and easy too.
PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
dash salt
1/2 jar marshmallow creme (or a little more)
1 cup peanut butter
glob of butter
1 tsp. vanilla (or more)
Combine sugar, evaporated milk, salt in a sauce pan. Stir with wooden spoon so
it won't stick. Bring to a rolling boil and cook 3 minutes.
In a bowl (I like tupperware) combine the marshmallow creme, peanut butter,
butter and vanilla. Pour hot candy over this and beat until it holds shape. Pour
into a buttered pie plate or square pan. Excellent.
Kay Neil (72) Springfield, MO
Hi Nancy,
I experimented with an omelet in a bag. It works fine but someone asked about
the safety of cooking an egg in a bag. So I contacted to Dupont and they put me
in touch with a chemist. He told me that the bags were not tested to be safe in
contact with food when heated. He recommended that we not cook in the bags.
That’s just one source. I would be interested in any other information that
someone in Nancyland might have.
Thanks. Dennis Weaver, The Prepared
Pantry
Hi Nancy & all busy cooks and bakers out there: This
is for dan in IN (Dec. 9) newsletter. I could never make candy either until I
got a candy thermometer.
Peanut Brittle
2 C. sugar
1 C. light corn syrup
1/2 C. water
1 tsp. vanilla
10 oz. pkg. raw peanuts
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 Tbls. butter
Combine sugar, syrup and water in large heavy frying pan. Place over medium heat
and stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove cover and
cook to soft ball stage (234degrees ). Add peanuts stirring frequently. Cook
until brittle reaches hard crack or brittle stage (300 degrees). Remove from
heat. Add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT soda). Stir until well blended. Stir in
soda well. Soda will foam. Spread on a large piece of Reynolds Easy Release
Foil. Work quickly. I put foil directly on cabinet top then pour candy on foil.
This way it can be spread very thin before it sets up. Cool, break into pieces,
and enjoy. This is a TNT.
Margaret, Tulsa
Peanut Brittle (Microwave)
1 C. fresh peanuts
pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. sugar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1tsp. butter
Combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup and salt in 1 1/2 qt. glass casserole.
Microwave on high for 7-8 minutes. Stirring well after 4 minutes. Add butter and
vanilla to syrup, blending well. Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes longer.
Peanuts will be lightly browned and syrup very hot. Add soda; stir gently until
light and foamy. Pour mixture onto lightly greased cookie sheet. (see above to
use foil instead of cookie sheet) Let cook for 30 min to 1 hour. Break into
small pieces. Store in airtight container. Roasted salted peanuts may be used
but omit salt and add peanuts after first 4 minutes of cooking. Margaret, Tulsa
Braunsweiger Roll
1-1/2 lb. braunsweiger
1/4 C. onion chopped fine
1/4 C. green pepper chopped fine
1/4 C. celery chopped fine
Dash of garlic
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Mayonnaise to mold.
Form ball, coat (or ice with cream cheese)
roll in nuts, bacon bits, parsley
Center on plate or platter and surround with vegetable strips and crackers.
Margaret, Tulsa
How to decorate the edges of a cookie
It’s
fun to decorate the edges of a cookie; you can do that with refrigerator
cookies.
Cookies with minimal spread work
best for decorating. Look for recipes that have a higher flour to sugar ratio or
for those without leavening, for best results. (Refrigerator cookies with a high
sugar content are usually light and crisp because the sugar in the dough melts
in the heat of the oven. Cookies without leavening tend to be rich and
shortbread like but decorate nicely. The Festive Fruit and
Oat Cookies
and
The Coconut Cranberry Cookies
are perfect for edge decorating.)
Use
large colored
sugar crystals,
turbinado
sugar,
decorating sprinkles, decorating jimmies, crushed candies, or nuts. Simply roll
the log of dough in the decorating materials prior to slicing the cookies. If
you roll the log with the sugar or other decorations in waxed paper or parchment
paper, you can press them into the surface of the dough.
Some
instructors use an egg white wash to assure that the candies stick to the log.
Except for nuts, we don’t. We don’t find it necessary and the moisture from the
egg white tends to melt the candies or sugar crystals into a blurry mess.
To
showcase the edges, we usually cut the slices just a bit thicker before baking.
We color white sugar crystals any color we like by mixing a few drops of food
coloring with the crystals. You can buy large bags of white crystals to make a
collection of different colors. Turbinado is an excellent coating sugar with
its amber color and large crystals.
Dennis Weaver, The Prepared Pantry.
I didn't see one....but do you have a recipe for
Christmas Fruit Bars?
Robert
For Dan, IN: Here is the peanut brittle recipe I
always use.
MICROWAVE PEANUT BRITTLE
1 c. Sugar
1/2 c. Light corn syrup
Dash salt
1 1/2 c. Raw peanuts
1 tbsp. Margarine
1 1/2 tps. Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
Combine sugar, syrup and salt in 3 quart casserole. Stir in peanuts. Microwave
on high 8 to 10 minutes, stirring twice. Stir in remaining ingredients until
light and foamy. Spread on well greased cookie sheet.
I always use a large glass mixing bowl when I make it. I usually use a pizza pan
to spread it on. Try one batch and see how it turns out. If it is a little too
sticky for you cook it a little longer the next time. My family as always
enjoyed this peanut brittle.
Another reader a while back (Sorry, I don't know who it was) suggested heating
your cookie sheet before pouring the peanut brittle on it so will spread easier.
I have not tried that yet but sounds like a good idea to me and I plan to try it
the next time I make peanut brittle.
Terese in South Dakota
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you all.
I have a question about making homemade granola. When the recipe calls for
rolled oats is that the same as Quaker oatmeal oats? The kind you add to boiling
water to make oatmeal? Because every time I have tried to make homemade granola
I use the Quaker & it has never turned out well. Thank you for any help or
advice. Thank you Nancy for this newsletter that lights up so many of our lives.
Kindest Regards, Cyndi in Texas
To Vicki in Liberty, TX from the 08 DEC newsletter.
Vicki, in regards to the meatballs and grease being left over, I've had that too
and it depends upon the brand used. I often take a crock of meatballs to
functions from 3 qts to 6 qts and have tried a variety of sauces and brands. A
good way to see if meatballs might be greasier than others is let a few thaw
overnight in the refrigerator and microwave according to the package directions.
I've found that the meatballs in the regular stores, especially the 12-16 ounce
or less bags, tend to be very greasy, while the larger bags sold in SAM's, BJ's,
COSTCO that are restaurant like tend to be not that greasy. The large bag 1
ounce and 1 1/2 ounce size meatballs are great for most any occasion. If you
ever get grease in the crockpot, try to get out as much with a turkey baster
that you can and then just lay some bread around the top of the liquid to soak
in some more of the grease. If you can't even have a little grease, get the!
turkey type precooked meatballs to use.
To make these fast meatballs for each pound of frozen precooked meatballs I use
a jar of RAGU Gardenstyle, and before I pour the Ragu over the frozen meatballs
in the crock I stir in at least 1 TABLESPOON of sugar to each 28 oz. jar (add
right into the jar and stir) to help cut the acidity and make the sauce a little
sweet. You can also throw in just a touch more sugar and stir about and hour
before you are ready to use the finished meatballs in sauce. If you really want
to fool people that you've been slaving for hours also throw some chopped
peppers and onions into the sauce when you start it (I use some from frozen bags
found in the supermarket). If everything is at hand you can beat it all into the
crock in 3 minutes and set the buzzard on low for about six hours or more (I do
stir once in a while). If in a hurry do 2 to 2-1/2 hrs on high and 1 hr on low
for crockpot.
I've also done cooking in a stockpot on the stove and just maintained a medium
heat till the sauce starts to boil (stirring occasionally) and then switch to
simmer...about 50-60 minutes from start to finish (stirring often). I throw in
one extra jar overall of Ragu when doing this so I can make sure all the frozen
precooked meatballs are in liquid to heat faster, and to also take a ladle or
two of the heated sauce to thrown onto the drained pasta I've cooked until I
serve.
Take Care All, Mark Rossman in NJ
Thank you again for this great family you've put
together. We really care about each other and that is rare in our world today. I
have a request. My sister bought some Tapenade (green olive mixture). She
doesn't have a clue as to what to do with it. Does anyone have any experience
with this product that could help us?
Anne in Fl.
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to respond to newsletter replies, requests and tips. Please include
date of newsletter, title of recipe and who submitted the recipe or message. Remember to
include your name within the message as well
Hi Nancy: Thanks for all your time and expertise. In
answer to someone who wanted to know about cooking potatoes in a rice cooker, I
believe in December 8th newsletter, I did just that for my Thanksgiving dinner,
as well as cubed turnips and then used the cooker as a steamer to keep all my
squash dishes warm for dinner. I have made a wild rice/soup/water & steamed
chicken tenders dish, as well as plain rice and even oatmeal in the morning
before work. I am saving all my rice cooker recipes in a separate folder to
print out someday. Here are 2 recipes to try:
Rice Cooker Garlic Mashed Potatoes-Sally Strackbein: Put 5 peeled and diced
potatoes in rice cooker pan and cover with water. Turn rice cooker on to cook.
Cook for about 10 minutes after water boils, until potatoes are done. Dump
potatoes into colander. Put rice cooker pan back into cooker and sauté 5 minced
cloves of garlic in 2 T olive oil until garlic is slightly brown, but not
burned. Add 3/4 c sour cream and then dump potatoes back in pan. Mash the
potatoes with a non-stick masher (if you don’t have one, mash the potatoes in a
bowl). Add a bit of salt and stir well. If the potatoes seem dry, add a bit more
sour cream or a little milk. Use about 1 potato and 1 clove of garlic per person
(and one for the pot). Add a bit more sour cream for each extra potato.
Rice Cooker Scrambled Eggs-Sally Strackbein: Put1 T olive oil or butter in the
rice cooker pan and turn the rice cooker on to cook. Add bacon bits, ham chunks,
green onion, red bell peppers if you want. Cook the optional items until they
are hot. Break 1 to 2 eggs per person into the pan. Stir with a non stick
spatula until the eggs are done. Serve.
Hudson Valley Kathleen
Good morning all,
Hope everyone has their cards mailed, your shopping done, and all wrapped up and
under the tree like me -ya right, LOL, well I am almost done.
Today I am making a pot of chicken soup and got to thinking about an old recipe
my mother use to have an it was called spaetzle (I think) It was a small hard
dumping. I looked all morning for it in her old cookbooks and of course and it
is gone. For all I know, she may have never had a recipe, as she never measured
anything she just dumped in all in a bowl.
Does anyone have that recipe. It was so good. She always made enough for the
soup and enough to fry in butter one evening for dinner. Boy, us kids loved that
stuff. I haven't thought about that meal in years. Be watching for it. Thank you
ahead of time, for to taking the time to e-mail it in to Nancy, our hero.
All have a great day and stay warm.
Kennelmom in B.D. Wi
For Karen in Illinois: I used the Andes morsels and a
can of chocolate fudge icing and made the best fudge that way. Tasted like the
big chocolate after dinner mints that you buy. Soooooooo good!
JM in Illinois.
My wife and I love going out to eat at "Borders"
Mexican Restaurant. They serve a Pinto Bean Soup....that is out of this world.
Does any one have any clues what and how they make pinto beans taste sooooo
good?
Robert
Merry Christmas Nancy and furry friends- Here is a
TNT pie crust recipe for Colleen in Ontario Canada-I found this recipe 40 yrs
ago in one of my mother-in-laws farm magazines and have used it ever since and
it turns out good every time.
Dianne in Wisconsin
EGG YOLK PASTRY
5 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups lard (can be found usually in meat section of grocery store-no
substitutes)
2 egg yolks in cup cold water to equal one cup (put egg yolks in first then the
water)
Mix all ingredients in large bowl until forms dough. Makes enough dough for 2
two crust pies. This dough freezes well.
For Doris S. in Indiana. Doris, could you please let
me know what newsletter to go to for that easy Spinach dish. Sounds like
something that we would love....
Thanks and Happy Holidays.... Barbara in Corsicana, Texas
Nancy, I made the Miracle hand and body lotion but
instead of mixing it with my eggbeater (because I hate cleanups) I just put all
of the ingredients in a thick ziploc bag and squeezed it until everything was
mixed up then just clipped a corner to squeeze it into containers.
Love it! Norma in NC
For Dan In Indiana, heres a TNT very easy recipe for
brittle.- Enjoy.
Vickie P. Batavia, N.Y.
Microwave Cashew Brittle/ Microwave Peanut Brittle
1 cup cashews*
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. baking soda
In a large microwaveable bowl :
Combine sugar, salt and syrup. Cook on high for 4 minutes. Add cashews. Cook on
high 4 minutes. Add butter and vanilla and stir. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Add
baking soda- stir until light and fluffy. Pour on greased cookie sheet. Let cool
and break into pieces.
Thank you to Cheryl in OH for the information on the
Creamsicle Pie. I went back to the 11/10 newsletter and saw that a correction
had been made to the recipe. Guess someone else also had the problem with the
amount of Cream Cheese. Am going to make this today , will respond with the
results. Nancy, I don't know how you keep up with all the information that
passes thru this cyberspace. Very glad you can though. This site is fantastic!
Joyce in SC
Hi everyone. Merry Christmas to all. I have been
wondering what everyone has been doing now with the latest spinach, lettuce and
green onion scare we've had. I love cooked spinach but have been leery of it
now. Just wanted to hear what most are doing now and if they think its safe to
buy and use now? I try to eat lot of veggies and miss my spinach! thanks for the
greatest recipe and information site around. I get up early like four and read
it.
Thanks again. Patti in Tx.
Does anyone know the web site of the people who check
out TV ad products, and let you know whether or not they work? I saw it in one
of my newsletters, and knew I would remember it. Of course, I didn't. Thanks.
Happy Holidays to all.
Fran in Fl out of Ny
Many of the TV stations have a segment called "Does It Work?" The one I check
out frequently is in
For Sandy in Ohio Dec. 8 N/L
I have some recipes for Crystallized Ginger, but when I have some leftover I dip
it in melted chocolate, let it set and enjoy it.
Try that.
Bob in Adelaide South Australia
SUGAR FREE FUDGE RECIPE
16 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 unsweetened chocolate squares (1 oz. each) melted and cooled
1/2 cup sugar substitute (Splenda is good)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, chocolate, sweetener and vanilla
until smooth. Stir in pecans if you choose to use them. Pour into an 8-inch
square baking pan lined with foil. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Cut into 16
squares. Serve chilled.
This is the BEST sugar free fudge I have ever had. It's delicious!
Star
Cinnamon ornaments recipe
1 and 1/2 cups cinnamon
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup Elmer's glue
Mix together and knead for about 7 to 8 minutes. Cover and let sit for 45
minutes. Take dough and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters any
shape you want. Let dry for probably a couple of days, turning them occasionally
to help dry them.
Connie Illinois
The same or similar recipe was sent in by Barbara G
To all of you recipe collectors out there, I have a
16 year old granddaughter who loves to bake, and is just getting into cooking.
She has asked for a cookbook for Christmas. I have a huge collection of my own,
but was wondering if any of you have a suggestion for a good basic starter
cookbook. I am wanting one with common recipes, and ingredients that you would
have on hand most of the time and yet have a good variety in it. I will be
giving her one of our church cookbooks, but would like to branch out a little
more than that. I have lost my Betty Crocker book, think I loaned it out, and it
got lost on the way back home. Since I haven't seen it for a while, and don't
remember just what all was in it, I wondered if that would be a good book for
her to start out on. I am open for suggestions. Thanks. Happy Holidays to you
all. Karen, IL
Emma in Texas wants cookie recipes. First is my
family's all-time favorite cookie, Apricot Twists, which take some preparation
time. Second is Pecan Crispies, a great tasting quick-to-prepare favorite.
(And a quick thank-you to Nancy for an amazingly useful newsletter, which I look
forward to every day.)
Apricot Twists
24 cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground mace
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup butter or margarine
5 to 7 tblsp. ice water
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 cup apricot preserves
milk
Combine flour, sugar, salt, mace, and baking powder. Cut in butter or margarine
till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine 1 tablespoon of the ice water and
lemon extract; sprinkle over part of
the mixture. Gently toss with a fork and push to side of bowl. Repeat with
remaining ice water, a tablespoon at a time, till all is moistened.
Form into a ball; cover and chill about 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
Divide the dough into quarters. Roll two of the quarters into 12- x 4-inch
rectangles and spread paper-thin with preserves. Roll the remaining two quarters
into 12- x 4-inch rectangles and carefully
place over those spread with the preserves. Trim the edges.
Cut each rectangle into twenty-four 4- x 1/2 -inch strips. Twist each strip
twice. Pinch ends to seal. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a
375-degree oven for 15 minutes.
Remove and brush with milk, then sprinkle with additional sugar. Return to oven;
bake 5 to 8 minutes more or till done. Remove and cool on rack.
Pecan Crispies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
6 tblsp. brown sugar
6 tblsp. granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Cream butter and sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together dry
ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts. Drop by teaspoon on
ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375° about 10 minutes. Cool cookies slightly
before removing from pan.
Makes 2-1/2 dozen.
Terri Westminster, MD
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for all your hard work -- hope you and your furry friends are ready for
Christmas -- Wanting to try so many recipes found here lately there's no time to
get ready LOL
Penny in Wisconsin - do you have relatives in New Iberia, La???
Merry Christmas to All of my Nancyland family and fur friends :)
Jackie in So. Louisiana
Comment
Siggy is happy. The Schwan's man came by and he is stocked up on his
shrimp. The Schwan's man puts Siggy's and Ditto's shrimp in a special shelf in
the door of the freezer. I have a couple of toys for each of them for Christmas.
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to respond to newsletter replies, requests and tips. Please include
date of newsletter, title of recipe and who submitted the recipe or message. Remember to
include your name within the message as well
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