Oreo Truffles

Oreo Truffles - Tracy W.

1 bag Oreos (mint are good)
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 pound white chocolate (dipping chocolate)
8 oz milk chocolate to drizzle

Mix Oreos and cream cheese in the food processor. Roll mixture into small balls. Dip in melted white chocolate. Cool. Drizzle with melted milk chocolate. Store in refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I had these at a Valentines party and they were awesome!
(photo from http://meemoskitchen.blogspot.com/)

Coming Soon! Recipes with Lemon!

We have a Recipe Club scheduled for the end of the month. Bring any recipe that uses lemon. Should be fun!

Cake Wrecks

I added a new link at Tracy's suggestion. This one is more for entertainment value, then cooking ideas. Enjoy!

Roasted Holiday Potatoes

Roasted Holiday Potatoes - Tracy W.

Peel and cube russet potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and butternut squash. Add chunks of red onion and garlic cloves. Add rosemary. Toss with olive oil to coat. Place on baking sheet and roast at 425 for about an hour until fork tender.

(served at MP1 progressive dinner)

Skillet Apples

Skillet Apples - Tracy W.

Peel, core, and slice a variety (granny smith, mackintosh, golden delicious, fuji) of apples (about five). In a skillet melt a few tablespoons of butter. Add some sugar. Less is best. Add cinnamon, a cinnamon stick and freshly grated ginger. Add craisins. Sauté about 10 minutes until apples are soft, but not falling apart. Serve hot or cold. The craisins will plump. If you make ahead and want to serve hot, just microwave for a couple of minutes.

(served at MP1 progressive dinner)

Brownie Trifle

Brownie Trifle – Lynne H.

1 (19.8 oz) pkg. fudge brownie mix
(eggs and oil for brownie mix)
1 (3.9 oz) box chocolate fudge instant pudding
(milk for pudding mix)
1 (6 oz.) pkg. toffee chips
1 (12 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, THAWED
Fresh mint, for garnish (optional)
Semi-sweet chocolate curls, for garnish (optional)

• Prepare brownie mix and bake according to package directions in a 9 x 13 pan. Cool brownies. Crumble or cut brownies into small pieces.
• Prepare chocolate fudge pudding mix according to package directions, omitting chilling procedure.
• Place half of crumbled brownies in bottom of 3 qt. Trifle bowl, or other glass bowl
• Top crumbled brownies with half each of pudding, toffee chips, and whipped topping.
• Repeat layers with remaining half of crumbled brownies, pudding, toffee chips and whipped topping.
• Cover and chill at least 8 hours.
• Garnish with chocolate curls.

You can use chopped up heath bars, instead of toffee chips – to be extra decadent!
This was served at the MP2 Progressive dinner 2008. (also 2002) It looks beautiful, can be made ahead, feeds a crowd, and is scrumptious!

Holiday Recipes

If you have any great recipes from Thanksgiving or Christmas that you want to share, email me so I can post them.

Date Delight Cake

Date Delight Cake - Jen O.

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup chopped dates
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix the above and set aside.

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

Cream butter, sugar and eggs and add to the date mixture.

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Add flour, salt and soda to the batter and mix. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
Spread on the unbaked cake the following mixture:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with Cool Whip or whipped cream on top.

This recipe is from the MP2 Ward cookbook. I just had some of this yesterday at Jen's house. It is sooo good! Yummy!

Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffins
(from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Muffins-II/Detail.aspx)
I originally found this recipe here: http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2008/10/week-in-the-l-8.html

1 small sugar pumpkin, seeded (for 2 cups of pumpkin puree)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 (more like 18) muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

Split pumpkin in half. Remove seeds and strings. Place on baking sheet, cut side down. Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven until tender, about 90 minutes. Remove pumpkin pulp and puree in blender. Measure out 2 cups pumpkin puree; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together 2 cups pumpkin puree, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. (Makes about 18 muffins)

Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

These are really good! I've made them at least 3 times in the last few weeks.

Pumpkin Squares

These were requested by Jaime. Summer recently made these and received rave reviews!
Pumpkin Squares - LaDawn Cook

Crust: Mix and spread in a 9 x 13 pan
½ cup melted butter
1 egg
1 pkg. less 1 cup (save for topping) yellow cake mix

Filling: Mix well and pour over crust
3 ½ cups pumpkin
2 eggs
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice* (see below)

Topping: Mix until crumbly and sprinkle over top.
1 cup cake mix
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup softened butter
¼ cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup nuts

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Serve topped with whipped cream.

*In place of pumpkin pie spice you can use: 1 tsp. cinnamon, 3/8 tsp. nutmeg, 3/8 tsp. cloves, ¾ tsp. ginger.

Soup Recipes

Our October Recipe Club theme was soups. We tried many different soups and they were all delicious!
Recipes are posted below.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - Jaime B.
(from Emeril Lagasse)

1 (1 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled seeded and rough chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Italian sausage, removed from the casing
1 cup small dice onion
1/2 cup small dice carrot
1/2 cup small dice celery
1/2 cup small dice leeks
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
11/2 quarts chicken stock
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place the chopped squash in a medium-size mixing bowl. Drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the squash on top of the sheet pan. Set the sheet pan into the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is lightly caramelized and tender.
Remove the squash from the oven and set aside. Place a 1-gallon saucepan over medium high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and render the Italian sausage. Cook, stirring often until the meat is caramelized and has released most of its fat, about 3 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, celery and leeks in the pan and sweat, stirring often for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sweat for 1 minute stirring continuously. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and add the chicken stock to the pan. Place the squash in the pan with the maple syrup and sage.
Bring the pan to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook the soup for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth consistency and velvety texture. Alternately, you can puree the soup in batches using a blender. Taste the soup and re-season if necessary with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Keep warm until serving.