Peppermint-Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients
1 (16.5 ounce) tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1/4 cup all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Decorating suggestion: crushed candy canes or peppermint candies; white, red and green sprinkles; or red and green decorating sugar

Special equipment: a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, and a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop

Directions:
Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, knead together the cookie dough and 1/4 cup flour until smooth. Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out circles from the dough. Knead together any scraps of dough and roll out again. Continue to cut out pastry circles until there are 24 pieces in total. Place the dough circles on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are slightly golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Reserve 1 parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Combine 1 cup of chocolate chips and the cream in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the peppermint extract and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop or a tablespoon measure, place the chocolate mixture in the center of the flat side of 12 of the cookies. Place the remaining cookies on top and gently squeeze to distribute the filling evenly. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until the filling has set, about 25 minutes.

Combine the remaining chocolate chips and the vegetable oil in a small bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Dip the top of each cookie in the melted chocolate and return to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with crushed candy canes or peppermint candies. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store in an airtight plastic container.

Prep Time: 20 min.

Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours 25 min.

Cook Time: 10 min.

Level: Intermediate

Serves: 12 sandwich cookies

Giada De Laurentiis - The Food Network

Florentines

These Tuscan cookies are a Christmas classic. They're nutty, lacy and crisp, as well as deceptively simple to make. Drizzling them with chocolate turns them into the perfect holiday indulgence.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups sliced, blanched almonds (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Topping, optional:
2 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.

Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.

Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.

Bake 1 pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.

Optional chocolate topping:
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)

For sandwiches: Drop about 1/2 teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.

For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.

Busy baker's tips: Store baked cookies carefully, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Florentines are best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.

Prep Time: 30 min.
Inactive Prep Time: 45 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 5 dozen 3" Florentines, or 2 1/2 dozen 6" Florentines

The Food Network

Gruel

Mom

Cream of Wheat
Water
Milk
Butter
Salt
Pepper

Prepare the Cream of Wheat according to package directions for portion desired. Once it is prepared add milk to thin to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Guacamole

Ina Garten - The Barefoot Contessa
The Food Network

4 ripe avocados
3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
8 dashes hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium tomato, seeded and small-diced

Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

Mango Salsa

Maria Padilla

2 tomatoes, diced
1 Mango, diced
2 Tablespoons onion, diced
2 Tablespoons cilantro, diced
1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 Tablespoon orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 6 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Taco Salad

Us

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, grated
Tomato, chopped
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

In a skillet saute onion and garlic. Add beef and brown. Shred lettuce, grate cheese and chop tomato. Layer ingredients and top with sour cream.

Pasta Salad

Lindy Milne

1 20 oz. package corkscrew noodles (cooked and cooled)
Shredded chicken (approx. 2 breasts)
1/2 purple onion, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch broccoli, chopped
1 package shredded carrots
1/2 - 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Combine all ingredients.

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon Accent (optional)

Mix dressing and pour over noodles when ready to serve. Add cheese after pasta has cooled completely.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Mom

4 bell peppers
1 pound ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup rice, cooked
1 small can tomatoes or spaghetti sauce
Spaghetti Seasoning
1 can cheese soup

In a skillet saute onion and garlic in butter. Add rice, tomatoes and seasoning. Boil peppers for a few minutes to soften. Stuff peppers with meat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Heat cheese soup and pour over peppers.

Chicken Biscuit Bake

(Tast of Home Magazine)

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
3 cups chopped broccoli, cooked
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tubes (12 oz.) buttermilk biscuits
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 teaspon salt

In a bowl combine soup, may and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in chicken, broccoli and onion. Pour mixture into 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Seperate biscuits; cut each in half. Arrange, cut side down, over hot chicken mixture. In a bowl combine eggs, sour cream, celery seed and salt; pour over biscuits. Bake uncovered 20 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Kristie Tomlinson

30 meatballs (precooked, frozen)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 cube chicken bouillon (optional)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 cup pineapple juice, add water to make this amount if necessary
Pineapple chunks

Mix vinegar, soy sauce, bouillon, sugar, cornstarch, ginger and pineapple juice. Bring to a boil and let thicken. Pour over meatballs and pineapple chunks. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Serve over rice. If desired, chopped green or red peppers, sliced carrots and green onions may be added.

Apple Dumplings & Stuffing

I just came across these two recipes that we had last year for Thanksgiving at Barilyn's house. They were both yummy and I am so glad that I found them. I just might try the Dumplings during our Christmas break. YUM!

Apple Dumplings
Suzanne Wetter (a friend of Barilyn's, I think)

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
6-8 apples
Pillsbury Pastry Pie Crust (ready made)

Syrup:
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pare and core apples. Divide pastry round into 4 sections. Place an apple in the center of one pastry section and fill cavity with sugar, cinnamon and butter. Moisten points of pastry, fold over apple. Place in baking pan. Pour hot syrup around dumplings. Bake at 425 degrees for about 1 hour or until browned.

Stuffing
Barilyn's modified Stove Top

3 boxes of Stove Top Stuffing
1 onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 package Sage Sausage (Jimmy Dean)

Saute sausage with the onion and celery. Set aside. Prepare Stove Top according to package directions. Add sausage mixture to Stove Top. Bake until heated through.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Linda Brown a.k.a Mom

3 cups fruit - mashed

5 1/4 cups sugar

1 box of pectin

Mash fruit. Add sugar. Stir well. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes (mom lets it stand for 20-30 minutes). Boil pectin for 1 minute. Add to fruit. Put in jars and let stand for 8 hours. Freeze.

I did an internet search to find other recipes and there were a few that used 4 cups of fruit and about 1 1/2 cups of sugar. These recipes also used freezer jam pectin. I have never seen that kind of pectin before. Apparently it is not good to blend the fruit. The jam doesn't set up. It is more like a syrup than a jam.

I will be sticking to my Mom's original recipe since it is what I grew up eating and absolutely love!

Quesadilla

Rachael Ray - 30 Minute Meals
The Food Network

Flour tortilla
Jam
Cheese
Apple

I think this is a really yummy quesadilla. I saw it on Rachael Ray's Thirty Minute Meals, but I can't find it on the Food network site. She had a flour tortilla and spread jam on it then sprinkled cheese on top of that. She placed thinly sliced apple on half of the tortilla and then folded the other side over. Place it in a frying pan or on a griddle and cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is brown and crispy. I don't remember exactly what jam, apple or cheese she used, but tonight I used strawberry jam, granny smith apple and mozzarella cheese. I know it sounds weird, but it really is yummy!

Salads

For our big family dinner while we were in Utah we had a potluck salad dinner. Here are a couple of the recipes Mom made.

Broccoli Salad Supreme

2 large bunches broccoli

1/2 pound bacon - crisped & crumbled

1/2 medium red onion - chopped or rings

1 cup celery - chopped

1 cup raisins

1 cup sliced mushrooms - optional

Cashew halves sprinkled on last minute with the bacon

Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

Note from Mom:

"I peel a lot of the broccoli stalk and chop it in. I like the broccoli quite small. Enjoy!"

Oriental Chicken Salad

1 head cabbage - green or bokchoy, shredded

4 green onions, chopped

cooked diced chicken or canned chicken

2 packages Ramen noodles

sliced almonds

Break up Ramen and toast with almonds in 350 degree oven until lightly browned.

Dressing:

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 Tablespoons sugar

4 Tablespoons rice vinegar

2 packets Ramen seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

can add sesame seeds, snow peas or pineapple if desired.

I'm finally back

We got back to Houston on Saturday (Aug. 9th), but I have not fixed a meal yet. I have not been in the mood or even remotely interested in making dinner. Bob barbecued some chicken a few days ago so they have been eating chicken all week while we have been eating out most of the week. So I decided to post recipes from meals that I had while I was at home.

Corn Bread Layered Salad

Jody Miller

Taste of Home Magazine

1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix

6 green onions, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare and bake corn bread according to package directions. Cool on a wire rack. Crumble corn bread into a 2-qt. glass serving bowl. Layer with onions, green pepper, corn and beans. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sour cream; spread over the vegetables. Sprinkle with tomatoes and cheese. Refrigerate until serving. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Chicken Taco Salad

unknown source

1 can chicken

1 package chicken taco seasoning (tastes just fine with regular taco seasoning)

1/2 cup water

1 can black beans, drained

Tortilla chips

lettuce

tomato

cheese

corn

olive slices

Ranch Dressing

salsa

Put chicken in pan and pour water over. Add taco seasoning and simmer long enough to absorb water. Add black beans. Let cool. Serve on top of corn chips and top with lettuce, tomato, cheese, corn and olive slices.

Dressing

1 cup Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup salsa

Mix together and pour on top of salad.

Chicken Pasta Salad

The Gabby Gourmet

12 ounces multi-colored pasta

12 ounces bow tie pasta

20 ounce pineapple tidbits

2 cups chopped celery

1 cup cashews or almonds

1 cup grapes

4 green onions,chopped

4 cups diced chicken

Cook the two pastas separately and let cool completely. Combine all ingredients together and toss with dressing.

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

16 ounce bottle Kraft Coleslaw Dressing (Gabby Gourmet says that Kraft is the best!)

I feel I need to prepare or warn those that know me of what is coming up next. I am actually going to post a Jell-O recipe. I can not stand Jell-O, but this recipe was yummy. It doesn't resemble Jell-O at all so I can get it down alright. Now that you have picked yourself up off the floor here goes.

Orange Jell-O Cream Salad

Nancy Evans (Mom's MTC co-worker)

1 small box sugar free orange Jell-O

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

1 can Mandarin oranges, drained

1 small container cottage cheese

1 small tub cool whip

1 small can crushed pineapple

Mix all ingredients to blend well. Chill and serve.

Mandi's Jell-O Salad

Mandi North

1 small package Raspberry Jell-O (Mandi really likes the mixed fruit Jell-O, but couldn't find it the day she made it)

1 small container of small curd cottage cheese

1 small tub coo whip

Mix all ingredients to blend well. Chill and serve.

The next recipe is not one that we had while in Utah, but one that I like so I lifted it from Mom.

Dressing for Potato Salad

Grandma Maggie Brown

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup water

Cook to a thick paste.

1 1/2 cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vinegar

2 eggs

3 teaspoons prepared mustard

3 teaspoons salt

Blend well and gradually add the paste.