Saltine Candy with Chocolate Nuts

This is another treat I like to make. Nice mixture of sweet and salty. I don't know where I got this recipe.

40 saltines
1 cup butter (do not use margarine)
1 cup light brown sugar (do not use dark)
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup nuts of your choice (I've used both walnuts and pecans)

Line up the saltines on a jelly roll pan that has been lined with foil that makes a bigger rim than the pan. There should be 5 rows of 8. In pan on stove, melt butter and add light brown sugar. Stir often and bring to a full rolling boil for exactly 3 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and wait until they are almost melted; spread over all the saltines. Drop the nuts over the top as evenly as possible. Refrigerate for two hours and then break up into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Garlicky White Bean Dip with Crudites

I got this recipe off weightwatchers.com. I doubled the recipe for my monthy Bunco group and the dip was practically gone by the end of the evening.

Points Value: 2

Servings: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 2 minutes
Level of difficultly: Easy

1 teaspoon olive oil, extra virgin
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
15 1/2 oz. canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika or chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Vegetable suggestions: yellow and/or red peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots (Note: when I served this, the cucumbers and carrots went immediately, wish I had put more on and not one of the peppers)


To prepare dip, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat; saute garlic, stirring constantly, until garlic just begins to turn golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a food processor (or blender), combine oil and garlic mixture, beans, and lemon juice. Process until smooth, slowly adding 1 to 2 tablespools of water to obtain a thick yet creamy consistency; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer dip to a small bowl and garnish with paprika or chopped parsley, if desired. Serve with prepared vegetables.

El Charro Cafe's Flan

My parents were visiting over Christmas. I made a chicken enchilada casserole and spanish rice one night for dinner. I decided to make flan to keep with the Mexican theme. I found this recipe in a cookbook called, "Arizona's Historic Restaurants and Their Recipes". This particular recipe is from El Charro Cafe in Tucson.

Yields 8-12 servings

3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs, lightly beaten
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart milk

1 cup whipping cream
dash Kahlua
slivered almonds for garnish

Caramelize 1/2 cup sugar by heating in skillet over very low heat. Stir constantly until sugar melts and turns brown. Do not burn. (Note: for some reason, I could not get the sugar to melt. I just finally zapped it in the microwave and it caramelized just fine!)

Spread caramel in 1 1/2-quart shallow baking dish (can be any shape) and set aside. In bowl, combine eggs, remaining sugar, salt, and vanilla extract, beating well with wire whisk. Scald milk and whisk into egg mixture. Strain into baking dish over caramelized sugar.

Place baking dish into a roasting pan and place enough hot water in roasting pan to come halfway up sides of baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Allow to cool on wire rack until lukewarm. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

In mixing bowl, whip cream with dash or two of Kahlua. When ready to serve, slice flan into squares. Loosen edges of caramel with spatula and invert onto serving plate. Caramel will flow over custard. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with slivered almonds.

Cinnamon Apple Cake

This is the other dish I made from the apples I picked. This cake was delicious! I found this recipe on the Spice Islands website.

Prep time: 40 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes
Makes: 12 servings

Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups finely chopped unpeeled apple
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine eggs, apples, oil, and vanilla. Add mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir just until well mixed. Batter will be thick.

Pour cake batter into a greased 13x9-inch pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Apple Bread

I went apple-picking back in October and this is one of the items I made. This recipe is from "Cooking With Sisters," a cookbook my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, put together. This recipe had been sent in by an alumni from DePauw University.

1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups sugar
2 cups apples, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups flour
3/4 cup oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix together sour cream, sugar, oil, eggs, and spices. Add apples and flour. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Sprinkle each loaf with 2 tablespoons melted butter, then with a mix made up of 1/2 sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (divide between the 2 pans). Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes.

Pumpkin Crisp

This recipe is from the November 2005 issue of Southern Living magazine (submitted by a reader in Beaufort, North Carolina). It is so good and was a hit with the ladies at Bunco!

Makes 8-10 servings
Prep 15 minutes
Bake 1 hour, 5 minutes
Stand 10 minutes

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (18.25-ounce) package butter-flavored yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butter, melted
Whipped Cream (optional)
Ground nutmeg (optional)

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture; sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drizzle butter evenly over pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature with Whipped Cream, if desired. Sprinkle with nutmeg, if desired.



Whipped Cream
Makes 1 cup
Prep 5 minutes

1 (8-ounce) carton whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Dash of ground nutmeg

Beat cream at low speed with an electric mixer until foamy; increase speed to medium-high, and gradually add sugar and nutmeg, beating until soft peaks form.

Delightful Orange Salad

I was nervous about taking this dish to my monthly Bunco game. I had never made it before, so I decided to let the ladies be my guinea pigs. The first lady that tried it said, "I love it!" Everyone else gave it two thumbs up. I had intended this as a side dish, however, no one touched it until dessert. I don't know where I got this recipe from.

2 small cans mandarin oranges (I cut each orange in half)
1 large can pineapple chunks
1/2 cup maraschino cherries (I cut each cherry in half)
3 bananas, sliced
1 pint sour cream
1 medium container Cool Whip
1 (3 oz) package orange jello
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but pecans would be good too)
2 cups mini marshmellows

Drain fruits well. Mix sour cream, Cool Whip, and dry jello until blended. Fold in fruits, nuts, and marshmellows. Chill in a 9x13 pan.

Note: I made it the evening before my event and it was fine. By the next evening (2 days after I made it), the bananas had browned. Still tasted great, but not as visually appealing.