Chocolate Almond Roca Slice

Many years ago, a friend showed up at a Christmas party bearing a tray of these thin and tasty treats.  She explained that she had no Christmas baking in her freezer...but this was one recipe she could whip up and bring on the spur of the moment. The almond roca squares were soon gone and she went home with an empty tray...but she left the recipe behind.  I have made these many a Christmas since...though I am sure they would be good at any time of the year! 

• 1 package graham wafers
• 1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
• 1 cup butter (the real thing)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1. Line 11 x 17 inch bar pan with parchment paper.
2. Lay graham wafers in bar pan, cutting crackers to fit snugly.
3. Sprinkle with almonds and set aside.
4. Put butter and brown sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil while stirring.
5. Pour carefully over the almond/wafer base.
6. Place in a 350° F oven for 8-10 minutes, or until bubbly all over.
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
8. Let sit for a minute to melt the chocolate. 
9. Then run tines of a fork through the chips to spread.
10. Cool to room temperature.
11. Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes to harden chocolate topping.
12. Invert the pan onto a cutting board, and cut between wafers with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.  

Enjoy!

Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

Here's a dip that works perfectly during the holiday season...a cranberry salsa paired with cream cheese and served on crackers.

Ingredients:

• 1 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup juice (juice of 1 orange)
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 2 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tablespoons orange zest
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger root
• 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 2-8 oz. (250 gram) pkgs.cream cheese, softened

Method:

1. Combine sugar, orange juice and water in saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Add cranberries, jalapenos, orange zest, ginger and cilantro.
3. Return to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 8 minutes or until cranberries burst.
4. Cool to room temperature and then chill until ready to serve.
5. Spread a layer of cream cheese on serving platter...and top with cranberry salsa.
6. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro.
7. Serve with a platter of crackers.

Cranberry salsa can be prepared well ahead and stored in the fridge.

Turkey Chow Mein Casserole

Let me take this opportunity to wish all our 'south-of-the-border' friends and family a most blessed Thanksgiving!  May your celebrations be filled with peace, love and joy...and may your thankful spirit go with you into the days to come.

Today I am thankful for my husband's sister, Anne...who I only got to know when I married into the family.  She was the oldest of the siblings...the tiniest...and the bubbliest.  She was a wonderful sister-in-law and became a favorite aunt to my children.  She was also a very good cook...and I have many recipes in my file in her perfect handwriting printing.  She passed away suddenly eight years ago...and now I treasure all those things which came from her.  We celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving last month and I cooked up a whopping big turkey (33 pounds)...which guaranteed lots of turkey leftovers!  I pulled Anne's Turkey Wonder recipe from the file...and took it with me to the grocery store to be sure I had all the necessary ingredients.  I came home with a bag of celery, onions, chow mein noodles, soup and water chestnuts...but had somehow left the recipe card at Safeway.  It never showed up...so I made the dish as I best recalled...and we enjoyed it just fine.  I am documenting what I did right here on MGCC...so that Anne's Turkey Wonder recipe will  live on!  If you are looking for a simple and delicious way to use up your leftover turkey in the coming days...try making turkey chow mein. 

Ingredients:

•  2 cups chow mein noodles
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cups cooked turkey, cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped onion (red onion adds a little colour)
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained

 Topping:  Crushed potato chips, sliced almonds or chopped cashews.

Method:

1. Put chow mein noodles in the bottom of a greased 2-quart casserole.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients and spread over the noodles.
3. Bake uncovered at 350° F for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and add desired topping.  Bake for 10 minutes longer.

I remember my sis-in-law serving this dish with crunchy crushed potato chips on top...so I have always done the same.  I'm sure cashews would be an excellent addition though!

Pesto Dinner Rolls

Pesto rolls...baked in a cast iron skillet...and served hot from the oven. What could be better? And if there are any rolls left when dinner is done...they make the best sandwich buns!

• 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 4 Tablespoons pesto

1. Mix 2 1/2 cups of flour with salt, sugar and yeast in a mixing bowl.
2. Add oil and warm water to dry ingredients and mix.
3. Stir in pesto. (Use store bought pesto...or make your own.)
4. Continue to add flour as necessary to make a soft dough. 
5. Knead until smooth and elastic.
6. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk...about an hour.
7. Divide dough into eight portions.
8. Form eight rolls and position in a well-oiled cast iron pan. (Or make12 smaller rolls.)
9. Cover with a clean towel and allow them to rise in a warm place for at least an hour...until doubled in size.
10. Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.

Note ~ Normally one would let the dough rise before forming buns to put on the pan...as in step 6. One day I was rushed for time...and put them on the pan right after mixing the dough. They turned out great.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

It seems appropriate to post a pumpkin recipe on this...the last day of October.  This recipe yields 2 dozen muffins...enough for any and all who might want a wee treat today!  If you don't care to have the cream cheese surprise in the center of each muffin...just omit the filling. 

 
Filling:

• 8 oz. / 250 gr cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons sugar

Muffins:

• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon ginger

Topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1. For filling...combine cream cheese, sugar and egg in small bowl and mix well until smooth.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine oil and sugars.  
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Mix in pumpkin puree.
5. Combine all the dry ingredients; add to batter and mix just until incorporated.
6. Grease muffin puns.
7. Put a spoonful of batter in the bottom of each muffin well (less than 1/3 full).
8. Drop a rounded teaspoon of cream cheese filling in the center of each muffin.
9. Top with remaining batter, spreading to cover cream cheese completely.
10. Sprinkle with crumb topping.
11. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
12. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits...flaky, soft and fresh from the oven...are a quick and simple treat.  We have been enjoying them recently with a variety of fresh jams.

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cold
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk

1. Combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar.
2. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender to form a mixture of coarse crumbs.
3. Whisk together buttermilk and egg.
4. Add to crumbs, and mix gently to form a soft dough.  
5. Turn onto flour surface, and knead gently about ten times. 
6. Pat into a 3/4-inch thick round.
7. Use a biscuit cutter of your choice (I use 2 1/2" round) and place on parchment lined or buttered baking sheet.
8. Bake at 400°F until golden (about 12-15 minutes).

These biscuits are best fresh from the oven...but can be frozen and re-heated later.  They are also great split...and used as a 'shortcake'  with fresh fruit and ice-cream for dessert.

Calico Bean Bake ~ crowd size

This is a tried and true recipe that serves 30...one that we served many times at a fall barn party in years gone by.   Then we multiplied the recipe many times over...and served it at a church BBQ over the  years.  

• 4 pounds beans in tomato sauce
• 4 pounds red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 pounds lima beans or mixed beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 pound bacon, cut into small pieces
• 4 cups chopped onion
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup vinegar

1. Fry bacon until crisp.  
2. Saute onions and garlic until tender.
3. Mix ketchup, sugar, mustard, salt and vinegar. 
4. Combine all ingredient.
5. Place in roaster and bake at 325° F for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Serve it with BBQ'd farmer sausage or Bavarian smokies...add a salad and fresh bread...and you have the delicious meal.

If the party is over and there are beans left in the pot...freeze them in foil pans for another day.  They are just as good next time around!