White Choclate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Since I am not really the biggest chocolate fan...I like cookies that are light in colour...and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies are hard to resist. My recipe came compliments of Kraft foods at one time...and I have changed it a wee bit.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate

(or a 300 gr package of white chocolate chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. (We like our cookies substantial...so I use an ice-cream scoop for shaping the dough.)
4. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

* If you have an event to celebrate...make a cookiegram in honour of the occasion. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9" round cake pan or pie plate...and form an 8-inch cookie with about one cup of cookie batter, spreading evenly. Bake for about 15 minutes...or until golden. Cool. Write your message with melted chocolate or decorator icing. I used a 'writing tip' on a Ziploc bag...and then there's no mess to clean up.

Honey Garlic Ribs

Now that Valentine's Day is behind us...and we've all had our fill of sweets...I'll pass along our favorite recipe for ribs. I have no idea where the recipe originated...but have been using it for years. I normally serve it with 'golden mashed potatoes'...but never thought to take a photo until after the meal...and the potatoes did not show up for the photo shoot!

Honey Garlic Ribs

1 ½ to 2 kg pork side ribs (about 4 pounds)
½ cup honey
1 cup ketchup
¼ cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. coarse black pepper
1 tsp. salt

Place ribs in large roasting pan with about ½ inch of water. Cover & bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 ½ hours. Drain water from roaster.

Combine remaining ingredients to make sauce. Pour over the ribs & bake for another ½ to 1 hour, basting ribs occasionally with the sauce.

Waffled French Toast

I'm not sure why this had never occurred to me before...but my sister Kathy told me that she often made french toast on the waffle iron. Why not?

We've had them a few times now and love 'em! Use your favorite french toast recipe....use any bread that appeals to you...and give it a go. I like to use a somewhat custardy dipping batter....sort of a cross between french toast and waffles. This recipe is perfect for four large 'french toasted' waffles.

French Toast Waffles

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

4 large slices bread (8 small)

1. Preheat waffle maker and spray surface with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, whisk eggs until frothy, then add remaining ingredients and whisk until well mixed.
3. Dip 1 slice of bread into mixture and turn to cover both sides. Place in waffle maker and cook until golden brown.

Serve with sausage and syrup...or loaded with strawberries and whipping cream. They are a great twist on an old favorite!

Enjoy the day...

Hot 'N Spicy Nuts 'N Bolts

A favorite holiday staple at our place is this tasty snack mix, which we call nuts 'n bolts, but which is known by many other names. Here's a somewhat zippy version. Feel free to use the cereals and munchies of your choice. We love adding Old Dutch popcorn twists but if you aren't Canadian, you won't be finding those on your grocery store shelves. I often add bugles and hickory stix as well. Suit yourself.

• 4 cups cheerios
• 4 cups pretzel stix
• 4 cups crispex cereal
• 4 cups popcorn twists
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tsp. garlic salt
• 1 ½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1 ½ c tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Mix together the cereal, popcorn and nuts in a large roasting pan.
2. Melt butter and add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle over cereal mixture and stir well to coat.
3. Bake at 200° F for 2 hours, stirring every ½ hour.
4. Store in airtight container.

*While I'm at it, I always do a double batch.

Enjoy!

Apple Cake

 It's that time of the year...apples are plentiful and apple desserts are the best! This moist apple cake recipe is written on the back of a stained and worn recipe card...an adaptation of my favorite carrot cake and one that I have been baking for many years. While I'm at it, I usually prepare a double recipe and put one cake in the freezer without frosting. It's handy to pull out at a moment's notice and serve for dessert with ice-cream and caramel sauce. We are in the middle of corn harvest on the farm and the guys like a treat out in the fields every once in awhile. I baked them an apple cake yesterday which they ate on disposal plates, with a plastic fork (and without the flower) but enjoyed nonetheless!

Apple Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 cups coarsely grated apple
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Combine eggs, sugar and oil in mixer.
2. Add apples.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix .
4. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.
5. Frost with cream cheese icing when cool.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 brick)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups icing sugar...or until desired thickness

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Apple Pancakes

 It's apple season and I love apple baked goods. We are so fortunate to have a brother-in-law who has an apple orchard in the Okanagan and is so generous with his apples. Whatever variety...they are all good in these apple-iscious pancakes!  This recipe came from a newspaper many decades ago and is an old favorite in our home.

 

Apple Pancakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Stir in apple.
3. Combine eggs, milk and butter;
4. add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Pour small amounts onto lightly greased hot griddle
6. and cook until bubbles form on the surface;
7. turn and brown on the other side.
8. Serve with hot apple cinnamon sauce and whipped cream.

Hot Apple Cinnamon Sauce:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup grated apple
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Combine sugar, juice, and cinnamon and boil to a heavy syrup over medium heat (about 5 minutes).
2. Stir in butter and apple...cook another minute or so.

Add some sauteed Mennonite farmer sausage, and call it a meal!

Salsa

 Since there's an abundance of tomatoes and peppers out there right now, I thought I would share my salsa recipe. It's a recipe I got from my sister Kathy decades ago and is a staple at our home. I cook up a large batch in fall and we enjoy it year-round.  This is a zippy salsa; if you prefer yours on the mild side, remove all the seeds and ribs from inside the jalapeno peppers.

• 10 cups tomatoes (peeled, chopped and drained)
• 8 small jalapeno peppers chopped (remove seeds for less heat) 
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green peppers 
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/3 cups vinegar 
• 1 can 12 oz. can tomato paste 
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes 
• 3 Tablespoons pickling salt 
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Ladle into jars; tighten lids and process for 20 minutes in hot water bath.

*Optional : Stir in 1/3 cup cornstarch diluted in cold water and simmer for several minutes to thicken salsa before filling jars.

Yield: about 6-7 pint (500 ml) jars

This also makes a wonderful, tasty fresh salsa.  Place chopped veggies in a large bowl.  Mix vinegar, tomato paste, herbs and seasonings and add to chopped vegetables. Stir to combine.  Keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.