Marble Bark

Marble Bark - Charlotte H.

INGREDIENTS
1. 6 (1 ounce) squares Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
2. 6 (1 ounce) squares Premium White Baking Chocolate
3. 1 cup Chopped Pecans, toasted

COOKING DIRECTIONS
1. Microwave semi-sweet and white chocolates in separate microwaveable bowls on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolates are almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolates are completely melted.
2. Stir 1/2 cup of the pecans into each bowl. Alternately spoon melted chocolates onto wax paper-covered baking sheet or tray. Swirl chocolates together with knife for marble effect.
3. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

White Chocolate Ghosts

White Chocolate Ghosts - Charlotte H.


INGREDIENTS
1. 12 ounces white chocolate chips
2. 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3. Lollipop sticks
4. Mini chocolate chips


1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
2. Melt white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water; stir occasionally. Remove bowl; mix in oil. Drop 1 tablespoon of mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Use the back of a teaspoon to quickly spread into a ghost. Place a lollipop stick at the base, spinning to coat. Add chocolate chip eyes. Refrigerate ghosts 5 minutes, then peel off.

Game Day Dip

Game Day Dip - Jaime B.

1 package Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 large can of diced tomatoes
1 package of cream cheese

Cook sausage completely in a pan. Breaking it up as you cook it. When it is done cooking, add tomatoes and cream cheese. Simmer together until the dip reaches the thickness you want.

Fall Recipe Club

Here's the yummy spread of food we had for our Fall Recipe club.

Microwave Caramels

Microwave Caramels - Cynthia R.



1/2 C butter
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1/2 C Karo syrup
1/2 C sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter in microwave in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Add sugars, syrup and milk. Microwave for 6 min. at 80% power. Stir. Microwave 3 more minutes at 80% power. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch pan. Let set, then cut into squares. Wrap in wax paper.

Spider Web Cookies

Spider Web Cookies - Lori S.
Recipe and pictures from: Spider Web Cookies

(Lori's disclaimer - these were harder than I thought they would be. Decorating the cookies with the glaze was tricky!)
Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Chill for 1 hour.

Roll dough into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and place them on a cookie sheet. Flatten the dough balls with your hands.

Then mix up the frosting glaze before you bake your cookies. The cookies will not work if you don't frost them right out of the oven.

For the glaze: (**I had to double this recipe**)
2 3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. shortening
3 Tbsp. water
1 Tbsp. corn syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients well. Separate about 3/4 cup of the glaze into another bowl and add desired food coloring(black). Put the colored glaze into a pastry bag with a small writing tip. (Be sure the glaze is not too runny. Add more powdered sugar if it is.)

Bake cookies in a 400 degree oven for approximately 6 to 8 minutes.

Now, when your cookies are RIGHT out of the oven - and I mean piping hot - take a few off the tray and begin frosting them with the non-colored glaze (I leave the rest on the tray to keep them warm until I frost them). Pipe the colored glaze in a bulls eye like this:

Then take a toothpick (or BBQ skewer in my case) and start in the center of the bulls eye and lightly draw lines going to the edge of the cookie. Repeat all around for spiderweb effect. [Hint: I never put the next batch of cookies in the oven until I have decorated the first. You HAVE to do this when the cookies are warm, otherwise the glaze doesn't melt on the cookies and they will look dumb. Trust me. I learned that the hard way.]













Add a plastic spider to each spider web cookie.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Reese's Peanut Butter Cheesecake - Summer H.



18 peanut butter filled oreos
3 Tblsp. butter
3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
2 Tblsp. flour
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup half and half
approx. 12 peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
(plus 4 more for decorating)

Grind up oreos and mix with melted butter to create crust onto the bottom of a springform pan.

Mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla with a mixer until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolk until well blended. Fold in half and half and peanut butter cup chunks. Pour batter into springform pan. Line the outside of the springform pan with tinfoil and place in a large baking pan. Pour boiling water into the baking pan until it comes 1/2 way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Turn off oven and leave oven door open until cheesecake is cool. Then refrigerate until cold before removing sides of springform pan.

Decorating the cake
- melt 1 cup milk chocolate chips with 1 tsp. of crisco and drizzle over top of cake. Put swirls of peanut butter frosting around top edge of cheesecake. Cut 4 peanut butter cups into quarters and decorate.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tblsp. half and half
Mix well with mixer.

Caramels

Caramels - Mindy H.



1 lb. butter
1 bag (2 lb.) brown sugar
1 bottle (16 oz.) corn syrup (lite)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Melt all ingredients together then bring to a boil stirring until sugar is blended well. Then boil medium high until 244 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

- To make caramels, pour into a large greased cookie sheet. Let cool completely, then cut into caramels.

- To make caramel apples, let caramel cool to 200 degrees, then dip apples - (make in a narrower deep pan if possible.) Makes about 16 large apples.

- Can also use for caramel popcorn, but it makes a ton

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Lasagna

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Lasagna - Heidi M.


From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I don't make this lasagna often, but the profusion of pumpkins at this time of year always brings it to mind. If you are looking for something different to serve as an appetizer, or need a light entree for a fall supper, you might want to give this a try. I'm recommending it to you with reservation. My experience is that folks either love or hate this lasagna. If you like squash you'll probably enjoy it. If you like squash and goat cheese, you'll love it. I would, however, suggest you introduce this as an appetizer and see what type of reaction you receive from your family and friends. While the play of ingredients in the recipe is fairly sophisticated, the lasagna is actually easy to make if you prepare it in logical steps. This is a Wolfgang Puck recipe that I found in the Chicago Tribune several years ago. I originally saved it to have on hand when I wanted something special to serve non-meat eating friends. I was also intrigued by the combination of ingredients. Unlike Italian lasagna, this does not freeze well. It will, however, keep for several days in the refrigerator. Here's the recipe. If nothing else, I think you'll find it interesting.

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Lasagna...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 pound dried lasagna noodles
Bechamel Sauce:
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons fresh creamy goat cheese or mascarpone (or cream cheese)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly grated nutmeg

Filling:
1 can (29 ounces) pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh minced sage leaves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons creamy goat cheese
1 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground pepper

For assembly:
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
1) Heat a large stockpot of lightly salted water to a boil; fill a large mixing bowl with ice and water. Boil noodles until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. Transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain noodles; arrange in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Set aside.
2) Meanwhile, to prepare sauce, melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; sprinkle in flour, stirring continuously with a wire whisk. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Whisk in milk, then goat cheese, salt and pinch of nutmeg. Heat to a simmer; cook, whisking often, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
3) To prepare filling, combine pumpkin puree, thyme, sage, nutmeg, bread crumbs, mascarpone, Parmesan, brown sugar, goat cheese, salt and pepper to taste in a large mixing bowl.
4) Heat oven to 400 degrees. To assemble lasagna, spread a third of pumpkin mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, placed length-wise side by side, overlapping edges. Spread another third of filling over noodles; top with 3/4 cup of bechamel sauce. Top with another layer of noodles, remaining filling, and another 3/4 cup of bechamel sauce. Cover with a final layer of noodles and remaining bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick spray; place it sprayed-side down over lasagna in pan, folding edges over.
5) Bake until heated through and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Remove foil; bake until topping is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven; cool 10 minutes. Cut into rectangles or squares. Yield: 8 servings

Recipe courtesy of Wolfgang Puck and The Chicago Tribune.
http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/

Harvest Moon Punch

Harvest Moon Punch - Summer H.

12 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
2 qts. apple juice
2 qts. ginger ale
2 cups orange juice

Combine all and chill.

Mijita's Albondigas Soup

Mijita's Albondigas Soup - Holley T.

1 c. boiling water
1/2 c. short-grain rice

Cooking Spray
2 c. chopped onion, divided
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. minced cilantro, divided
1 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1 1/2 tsp. drid oregano
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 large egg whites

1 c. chopped carrot
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c. chopped seeded peeled tomato
4 c. fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 TBS. chopped fresh mint
2 c. chopped zucchini
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Pour water over rice, and let stand 20 minutes. Drain.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/2 c. onion to pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
Combine rice, cooked onion, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup cilantro, cumin 1/4 tsp salt, oregano, ground beef, and egg whites, stirring well.
Shape mixture into 1" meatballs.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 10 meatballs, and cook 6 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove meatballs from pan draining on paper towels.
Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Repeat procedure with cooking spray and remaining meatballs.
Return pan to heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, carrot and garlic to pan; saute 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Add tomato to pan, stirring to combine. Stir in broth; bring mixture to a boil. Add meatballs and mint to pan. Reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes.
Add zucchini, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper to pan. Cook 10 minutes. Garnish with remaining 1/4 c. cilantro.

Fall Recipe Club

Summer hosted a wonderful recipe night last week. We had all sorts of Fall goodies. I will start posting the recipes that I have. Please send me your recipe is you haven't already. I also took some pictures, but will have to add those later.