Mrs. Waters, my childhood friend Louise's grandmother shared this recipe with me and Mom when I was a kid. We have been making it for years - it is everyones favorite gift at Christmastime!!
2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water 1 tsp butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups raw blanched peanuts (you can also use cashews in lieu of peanuts)
1/4 tsp salt
Combine sugar, syrup and water a and cook slowly until sugar dissolves. Keep cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (340 degrees by most candy thermometers).
At soft ball add the peanuts and salt. Keep stirring and cooking until the mixture reaches the hard-crack stage (300-310 on most candy thermometers).
When the mixture reaches hard-crack remove from heat and add the butter and baking soda - keep stirring and pour out on to well greased surface - preferably metal cookie sheets or marble slab.
Pull apart with well greased cooking tongs and spatula - you can also flip it over while it is still fairly warm to stretch it as well. (I use butter to grease the marble and tools - you can use PAM or other cooking spray but it can leave an icky kind of taste)
When cool break into pieces and store in airtight container. This will keep for 1-2 months.
Friday, January 5, 2007
Sunday, December 31, 2006
7 Layer Casserole
Good as a side dish or main entree - not sure where I got it but it is great in a pinch!
3 cups cooked egg noodles
1 1/2 cups broccoli - cooked/chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced (grilled/baked/broiled)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar
1/2 cup sauted mushrooms
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter - melted
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
In a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole layer noodles, chicken, mushrooms and broccoli. In a seperate bowl combine soup, cheese and milk and spread over the casserole layers.
Suate crumbs in butter and set aside. Bake for 20 minutes, pull out and add crumbs to the top bake 15 minutes longer at same temperature until golden and bubbly.
3 cups cooked egg noodles
1 1/2 cups broccoli - cooked/chopped
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken diced (grilled/baked/broiled)
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar
1/2 cup sauted mushrooms
1/4 cup milk
2 Tablespoons butter - melted
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
In a buttered 1 1/2 quart casserole layer noodles, chicken, mushrooms and broccoli. In a seperate bowl combine soup, cheese and milk and spread over the casserole layers.
Suate crumbs in butter and set aside. Bake for 20 minutes, pull out and add crumbs to the top bake 15 minutes longer at same temperature until golden and bubbly.
Broccoli Casserole
This recipe is from Louise Clausen a childhood friend and wonderful person. She won the Girl Scout cook off with it (or was that the 4-H cookoff?) and our family has been enjoying it for years! It's great by itself and wonderful with beef chicken or pork.
broccoli - 20 oz frozen/chopped (you can use fresh too!)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 large egg - beaten
1 cup mayonaise (Helmann's is best)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 melted butter
Preheat oven ot 400 degrees F. Cook and cool broccoli and place in bottom of a medium sized casserole dish - set aside.
In a bowl beat the egg well and add the mayo, soup, onion and cheese. Mix thouroughly.
Pour mixture over the broccoli and spread evenly. Combine the melted butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the entire dish.
Bake for 20 minutes and it is golden and bubbly.
This is a great make ahead side dish and you can double it if you are feeding a crowd. Thanks Louise!!!!!
broccoli - 20 oz frozen/chopped (you can use fresh too!)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon minced onion
1 large egg - beaten
1 cup mayonaise (Helmann's is best)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 melted butter
Preheat oven ot 400 degrees F. Cook and cool broccoli and place in bottom of a medium sized casserole dish - set aside.
In a bowl beat the egg well and add the mayo, soup, onion and cheese. Mix thouroughly.
Pour mixture over the broccoli and spread evenly. Combine the melted butter and bread crumbs and sprinkle over the entire dish.
Bake for 20 minutes and it is golden and bubbly.
This is a great make ahead side dish and you can double it if you are feeding a crowd. Thanks Louise!!!!!
Italian Christmas Cookies
These are always a holiday favorite. Great with coffee or milk, they have a great almond flavor and a nice crumbly texture. This recipe makes 6 dozen and unless you have a super turbo mixer you really shouldn't double it! Also be sure to use real natural almond extract for best flavor.
6 eggs 1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter 1 cup melted shortening (Crisco)
6 cups flour 6 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Beat the eggs until light. add the sugar and cooled melted butter and cooled melted shortening. Mix well and add the almond extract, baking powder and the flour. Mix thoroughly.
The dough will be stiff and roll small amounts into pencil size coils and shape in the form of an S.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and baking in oven 10 to 12 minutes until slightly golden. Cool cookies on a rack.
ICING:
Mix 3/4 lb confectioners sugar with 2 Tablespoons of almond extract and add milk until you reach a spreading consistency. Drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle with deceorative sprinkles. (I use the red/green and white balls).
Store in airtight containers and they will be fresh for up to a month. The recipe makes 6 dozen!
6 eggs 1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup melted butter 1 cup melted shortening (Crisco)
6 cups flour 6 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tablespoons almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Beat the eggs until light. add the sugar and cooled melted butter and cooled melted shortening. Mix well and add the almond extract, baking powder and the flour. Mix thoroughly.
The dough will be stiff and roll small amounts into pencil size coils and shape in the form of an S.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and baking in oven 10 to 12 minutes until slightly golden. Cool cookies on a rack.
ICING:
Mix 3/4 lb confectioners sugar with 2 Tablespoons of almond extract and add milk until you reach a spreading consistency. Drizzle over the cookies and sprinkle with deceorative sprinkles. (I use the red/green and white balls).
Store in airtight containers and they will be fresh for up to a month. The recipe makes 6 dozen!
Portuguese Soup
Okay, I'm not Portuguese - but I love someone who is partly Portuguese and as a result I learned to make this warming and hearty soup.
1 lb Chourico - These are two types of Portuguese sausages
1 lb Linguica - Slice both meats into half inch rounds
6 large potatoes peeled and diced into large cubes
1 large onion peeled and diced
2 12 oz cans of dark red kidney beans - drained
1 large bunch of kale, washed and chopped
You take a quart and a half (this is not an exact science I use my large soup pot and fill it 2/3's full)
Bring the water to a boil and put in the meats and onion, turn down the heat to simmer. When the water is reddish add the potatoes and simmer until starting to turn tender.
Add the chopped kale and drained kidney beans - simmer the whole pot until the kale is soft.
You can just leave this to simmer on the stove all day, you can also freeze it in smaller packages and it comes out well.
It is also been said to me you can add carrots when you add the potatoes. As for the water add more if necessary during the simmer process.
Enjoy!
1 lb Chourico - These are two types of Portuguese sausages
1 lb Linguica - Slice both meats into half inch rounds
6 large potatoes peeled and diced into large cubes
1 large onion peeled and diced
2 12 oz cans of dark red kidney beans - drained
1 large bunch of kale, washed and chopped
You take a quart and a half (this is not an exact science I use my large soup pot and fill it 2/3's full)
Bring the water to a boil and put in the meats and onion, turn down the heat to simmer. When the water is reddish add the potatoes and simmer until starting to turn tender.
Add the chopped kale and drained kidney beans - simmer the whole pot until the kale is soft.
You can just leave this to simmer on the stove all day, you can also freeze it in smaller packages and it comes out well.
It is also been said to me you can add carrots when you add the potatoes. As for the water add more if necessary during the simmer process.
Enjoy!
Friday, December 8, 2006
Welcome!
Several years ago I sent out postcards asking my friends and family to sned the card back with a favorite recipe. Well my cards were returned and thensome!! For years now I've been struggling to make the time to type all the recipes up and then afford all the postage to get them all out.
Finally this year it struck me! A never ending blog with all the recipes and new recipes and well - just good old chatting around the "cyber" kitchen.
So to all who have been patient with me - thanks and to those who are just looking for a great cookie recipe - WELCOME!
Finally this year it struck me! A never ending blog with all the recipes and new recipes and well - just good old chatting around the "cyber" kitchen.
So to all who have been patient with me - thanks and to those who are just looking for a great cookie recipe - WELCOME!
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