Spicy Orange Pecans

This one is from the Penzy Spice Co and is WONDERFUL! This one definitely makes it into the recipe book.....

Ingredients:
4 cups PLAIN pecan halves
2 Tablespoons Orange juice - fresh is best
1 large egg white
2 Tablespoons fresh orange zest
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher flake or coarse sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In large bowl, combine pecan halves, orange juice, and egg white. Toss to coat. In small bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add to pecans and toss to coat evenly. Spread nuts evenly on baking sheet and bake at 225 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes until the pecans appear dry - about 1 hour. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Berry-White Chocolate Muffins

This is another Betty Crocker recipe. I made these ahead of time for Christmas morning and froze them. We thawed them over night then warmed them slightly in the microwave and they were yummy!

Ingredients:
1 egg
2 cups Bisquick Mix
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup white chocolate baking chips
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup berries (blueberries, raspberries, etc)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees and prepare 12 cup muffin pan by lining with paper cups or spraying the bottoms only with cooking spray. Beat egg slightly in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients, except berries, until just moistened. Gently stir in berries. Divide batter evenly among cups. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes then remove from pan.

Betty Crocker's Banana-Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

I made this for Dave to take to work for the holidays buffet.... I never got to try it, but he said it was yummy. I'll have to let you know if I get to make it again.

Ingredients:
Coffee Cake:
2 1/4 cups Bis-quick Mix
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees and Spray 8 inch square pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir all coffee cake ingredients with a wire whisk or fork until blended. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 26 to 30 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes. In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth (add extra milk 1 teaspoon at a time until thin enough to drizzle). Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake, serve warm.

Fabulous Fruit Crisp

This one came from Parents Magazine. I made it to take Christmas day and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Ingredients:
Topping:
3/4 Cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup white flour
3 Tbls butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teas nutmeg

Filling:
6 cups peeled and sliced fruit (apples, pears, peaches)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbls cornstarch

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees and grease 9 inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, mix together all topping ingredients until they resemble a course crumbs. In a separate bowl, toss together the fruit, syrup, and cornstarch. Transfer the filling to the baking dish then spoon the oat mixture evenly on top. Bake until the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Apple-Pecan Cobbler

I got this one from the Goose Berry Patch Merry Christmas Cookbook. I made it to take to my DAR Christmas tea and it was a big hit!

Ingredients:
4 c apples, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c sugar, divided
1/2 teas cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided
1 teas baking powder
1 teas salt
1 egg beaten
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1/3 c butter, melted

Directions:
Arrange apple slices in an even layer in the bottom of a greased 2 quart casserole dish. Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup pecans in a small bowl; sprinkle mixture over apples. In a separate bowl, shift together flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture over apples and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Bake at 325 degrees for 55 minutes. When serving, top with whip cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 8 to 12 depending on portion size.

*Note* You will have to used more than one "layer" to get all 4 cups of apples into the casserole dish. Make sure to use all 4 cups (approximately 4 medium size apples) because they do cook down quite a bit and the cobbler is a little too "doughy" if you short the apples.

Almond Crunchies

This is a cookie recipe I got from Penzy Spices.... They are yummy, but a little too crunchy for our house. I thought I'd share before the recipe got tossed from the cookbook....

Ingredients:
1/4 Cup butter
1 egg
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Cream together butter, sugar, egg, and almonds. Mix in flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Refrigerate dough for at least one (1) hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use dough to make 2 rolls, each approximately 2 inches in diameter. Slice dough into 1/4" pieces and bake 10-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies get crunchier as they cool.

Chicken Tetrazzini

This was one of my Grandmother's recipes. It's yummy and freezes well for leftovers....

Ingredients:
3 cans of chicken (Tuna or Turkey work too)
1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
14 oz spaghetti (1 box)
Extra Cheese for topping

Directions:
Cook the spaghetti following the directions on the box. Combine the canned chicken, soups, milk, and cheese. Pour cooked spaghetti into a greased 13x9 Pyrex dish. Pour chicken mixture over the spaghetti, making sure to cover all the noodles. Top with additional cheese to taste. Bake at 325 until liquid is bubbly.