Christmas Crack

Ingredients

1 cup butter (NOT margarine - original recipe calls for unsalted butter but I've used both)
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Line 12x17 cookie sheet with foil and spray well with cooking spray.
3. Layer the saltine crackers on top of the foil.
4. Heat butter and sugar on stovetop and heat until gently boiling, stirring constantly.
5. Reduce heat to very low boiling and cook, uncovered, 3 minutes, until the mixture is thickened and sugar is dissolved. (Be careful to avoid burning the butter and sugar- that will ruin the recipe!)
6. Pour butter and sugar mixture over crackers and spread evenly.
7. Bake 5-6 minutes in oven.
8. Remove pan from oven and let cool 3-5 minutes, then sprinkle with chocolate chips.
9. As chocolate chips melt, carefully spread into an even layer over the toffee layer.
10. Let cool completely (refrigerate to cool more quickly.)
11. Break into bite-sized pieces and serve. . . yum!
12. Store covered in refrigerator.

Parmesan Crusted Baby Carrots

Prep 5 m
Cook 20 m
Ready In 25 m

Ingredients
1 pound carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons butter

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Place carrots into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in carrots; cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Wait 30 seconds before stirring into carrots. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie

1-1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of plain flour
1/4 cup of cocoa
dash of salt
4 egg yolks
2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of butter
1 tsp of vanilla
1-9" pastry shell baked

Bake pie crust until golden
Combine first 4 ingredients in a sauce pan; set aside.
Combine milk and egg yolks.
Stir milk and egg yolks into mixture; add butter.
Cook over medium heat, and stir constantly until mix thickens and boils.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla; spoon into pastry shell.
Using the egg whites from eggs used for pie make a meringue on top
As a general rule, add a total of 1/4 cup of granulated or superfine sugar for each egg white. Beat until peaks form. Toast under broiler if desired.

Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients

1 lb asparagus
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/4 teaspoon regular table salt)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Cut off the woody bottom part of the asparagus spears and discard.
3. With a vegetable peeler, peel off the skin on the bottom 2-3 inches of the spears (this keeps the asparagus from being all "stringy" and if you eat asparagus you know what I mean by that).
4. Place asparagus on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Sprinkle with salt.
6. With your hands, roll the asparagus around until they are evenly coated with oil and salt.
7. Roast for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your stalks and how tender you like them.
8. They should be tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
9. The tips of the spears will get very brown but watch them to prevent burning.
10. They are great plain, but sometimes I serve them with a light vinaigrette if we need something acidic to balance out our meal.

http://www.food.com/recipe/roasted-asparagus-50847

Chocolate Nut Clusters

Yields about 3 dozen

Ingredients

1 pound dry-roasted salted peanuts
1 pound dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
1 pound white almond bark
1 (10 oz.) bag peanut butter chips
1 (12 oz.) bag dark chocolate chips
4 oz. German chocolate bar, chopped

Directions

1. Place all peanuts in the bottom of slow cooker.
2. Cover with almond bark, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips and German chocolate.
3. Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until melted.
4. Stir everything together, making sure nuts are thoroughly coated in chocolate.
5. Cover again and continue cooking on LOW for another 30-40 minutes.
6. Use a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon to scoop equal mounds of chocolate mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (or into cupcake wrappers).
7. Let dry at room temperature until completely set and hardened. 1-2 hours.
8. Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container.

http://12tomatoes.com/shockingly-easy-dessert-recipe-slow-cooker-chocolatecovered-nut-clusters/

Peanut Butter Fudge Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces (about 1 & 1/2 cups) creamy peanut butter

For the icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
16 ounces confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1 _ Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9” x 13” baking pan.
2 _ Whisk together flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. Set aside.
3 _ Place butter in a medium saucepan. Melt over medium heat.
4 _ Stir in cocoa powder. Then, stir in water, buttermilk, and eggs. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils.
5 _ Remove the mixture from the heat and add to flour mixture. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
6 _ Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly.
7 _ Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8 _ Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, spread the peanut butter over the cake. Allow to cool completely.
9 _ To make the icing, place the sifted confectioners’ sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.
10 _ Combine butter, buttermilk, and cocoa in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil.
11 _ Remove from heat and pour over confectioners’ sugar. Stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla.
12 _ Spread icing over peanut butter. The cake can be served immediately or can sit at room temperature to allow the icing to set.

http://www.cookin-at-home.com/2015/04/fudge-cake.html

Cranberry Port Ring

Ingredients

6 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 3/4 c. sugar
3 thin coins fresh unpeeled ginger
2 sticks cinnamon
3 1/4 c. cold water
1 c. ruby port
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (7 1/2 tsp.)
Vegetable oil, for greasing

Instructions

1. In 5- to 6-qt. saucepot, combine cranberries, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, 2 1/2 c. water and 3/4 c. port. Heat to boiling on high. Reduce heat to maintain simmer; cook 10 to 15 min. or until most cranberries pop, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile to sm. bowl, add 1/2 c. water and sprinkle gelatin evenly over it. Let stand 10 min. Lightly grease decorative mold with oil.
3. Into lg. bowl, strain cranberry mixture through fine-mesh sleeve, pressing on solids to extract liquid; discard solids. Stir in gelatin mixture until dissolved, then stir in remaining 1/4 c. port and 1/4 c. water. Pour liquid into prepared mold. Refrigerate overnight or up to 4 days. To remove from mold, place serving plate face down on top of it and invert plate and mold together, then lift and remove mold.

Serves 12

Pull Apart Pizza Muffins

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil
26 oz frozen dinner roll dough, thawed
2 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
6 oz sliced pepperoni, cut into quarters

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 6-cup muffin tins (or one 12-cup muffin tin) with non-stick spray.
2. Cut the rolls into quarters.
3.Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl so that the oil is spread evenly on each piece of dough and the toppings are evenly distributed.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Would also be good with sausage, green pepper, mushroom, etc etc

Makes 12 individual pizza muffins

http://tiphero.com/pull-apart-pizza-muffins/

Banana Layer Cake Recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk

FROSTING:

3 tablespoons shortening
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 to 3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup mashed ripe banana
3 drops yellow food coloring, optional

Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat shortening and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in banana on low speed until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to banana mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter.
2. Coat two 6-in. round baking pans with cooking spray and dust with flour. Add batter. Bake at 375° for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For frosting, in a small bowl, beat shortening and butter until smooth. Add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, salt and extract; mix well. Stir in banana. Beat in enough of the remaining confectioners' sugar to achieve desired spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired.
4. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 6 servings.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 25 min. + coolingYIELD:6 servings

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/banana-layer-cake

Buttermilk Pound Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and baking soda; add alternately with buttermilk and beat well. Stir in vanilla.
2. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 325° for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 70 min. + cooling

Yield: 16-20 servings.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/buttermilk-pound-cake

Chocolate Banana Cream Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING/FROSTING:
1-1/2 cups cold 2% milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant banana cream pudding mix
1 can (16 ounces) chocolate frosting
2 medium firm bananas, sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Beat in the bananas, sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture and mix well.
2. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Transfer to two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
3. For filling, in a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.
4. In a small bowl, beat frosting until light and fluffy. Place bananas in a small bowl; toss with lemon juice.
5. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 3 tablespoons frosting. Stir pudding; spread half over the frosting. Top with half of the bananas and the remaining cake layer. Repeat frosting, filling and banana layers. Frost sides and decorate top edge of cake with remaining frosting. Store in the refrigerator.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling
YIELD:12 servings

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-banana-cream-cake

Toffee Poke Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
1 jar (17 ounces) butterscotch-caramel ice cream topping
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 Heath candy bars (1.4 ounces each), chopped

Directions

1. Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Cool on a wire rack.
2. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cake. Pour 3/4 cup caramel topping into holes. Spoon remaining caramel over cake. Top with whipped topping. Sprinkle with candy. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Yield: 15 servings.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 25 min. Bake: 25 min. + chilling
YIELD:15 servings

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/toffee-poke-cake

Crock Pot Beef Stew

3 lbs. stewing beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 3x2-inch cube lean salt pork (optional)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
1/2 lb. large carrots, cut into 1/2-inch thick coins
3 large potatoes, in 1-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons flour (or enough to coat meat)
garlic and onion powder (for sprinkling)
1 quart beef stock
water
1/4 cup ketchup

This Beef Stew may be made in the Crock-Pot or on the stove top in a large Dutch oven, but for the best results, be sure your Crock-Pot doesn't boil; it should simmer lightly. Boiling will make the beef stringy and dry, will ruin the flavor of the broth and make the vegetables mushy - the results will be like stew from a can. Some Crock-Pots have probes which will allow you to set the desired temperature.

Sprinkle the beef cubes lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and flour for extra flavor during browning.

When using a Crock-Pot for beef stew, for extra flavor, brown the floured beef cubes in olive oil before transferring them to the Crock-Pot (brown the salt pork along with the beef, if using). Brown onions and add garlic towards the end of the browning but don't allow it to take on too much color. In a Crock-pot, add all the vegetables at the beginning; set the Crock-Pot to 170-190°F and leave to cook from 5-8 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.

If using a Dutch oven, add the vegetables during the last 35 minutes of cooking and simmer until tender. Add a few tablespoons of flour at the same time to thicken the gravy, if desired. The gravy may also be thickened by stirring a a tablespoon or so of cornstarch into cold water before adding to the stew. Be sure to allow ample time for the thickener to cook before serving time to avoid a raw flour taste.

Extra vegetables can be added if you have them on hand. Turnips, corn, sweet potatoes, fresh peas and green beans are all wonderful additions. A pinch of thyme and basil and bay leaf can be added, too.

This stew tastes even better the following day after the flavors have a chance to blend in the refrigerator!

Serves 6.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/sm7y081y/crock-pot-beef-stew.html

Lemon 7-Up Pound Cake

CAKE:

3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. lemon extract
3/4 cup 7-Up

Cream sugar and butter, beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Add flour, beat in lemon extract and 7-Up. Grease and flour Bundt pan well.
Bake at 350°F for one hour and  turn off oven and leave cake in for fifteen minutes or until done.

ICING:

3 cups confectioners' sugar
4 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. lemon extract
Mix and add 7-Up or milk for a more thin consistency.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/e52u53x/lemon-7-up-pound-cake.html

Honeybutter Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin, trimmed of silver skin
salt
pepper
1/4 cup water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In a dutch oven or ovenproof skillet, heat the butter and honey over medium heat, stirring to melt butter.
3. Season the pork with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and place in pan.
4. Cook until underside is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
5. Turn pork, and cook until other side is browned, about 5 min more.
6. (Lower the heat if the honey begins to burn.) Put the pan in the oven, and roast until the pork is just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes.
7. Transfer the pork to a plate and cover with foil to rest.
8. Add the water to the pan, and stir over medium heat to scrape up all the browned bits.
9. Add any accumulated pork juices from the plate, and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 1/2 cup.
10. Slice the pork on the diagonal and served drizzled with the sauce.

http://www.food.com/recipe/honeybutter-pork-tenderloin-53473

Marinated Carrots

3 lbs. carrots, cleaned and cut
1 green pepper, cut in squares, not too small
1 onion, cut in squares, not too small
3/4 cup vinegar
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Cook clean and sliced carrots (you can use small carrots, but still cut in half) and cook in microwave until "almost done" -crunchy, not mushy. About 5-7 minutes.

In saucepan, bring to boil, Tomato Soup Vinegar Vegetable Oil Worcestershire Sauce dry mustard

Once cooked through, cool and add carrots to tomato sauce mix. It is a marinade, so it tastes best after 2 or 3 days in the fridge. Serve cold.

We had this at Byhalia UMC ESPs made by Jo Stanback Jones.

http://www.cooks.com/recipe/5x7ey2vw/marinated-carrots.html