May 2017

Irwin and Cindy Ehrenreich with Bronze Award

Andre Mack and Paul Raymond

December 2016 Meeting: Holiday Treat Recipes

(send photos and recipes please)

The winning treat was:

Cindy Ehrenreich's Caramel Nut Clusters

24 Caramels or 1 bag caramel bits

½ cup almond slivers

½ cup pecan halves

1 cup peanuts

1 TBSP butter

2 TBSP milk

chocolate chips or melts

Place unwrapped caramels or caramel bits in bowl.  Add butter & milk.  Microwave 2 minutes.  Stir until smooth. 

Fold in nuts.  Form into mounds on parchment paper. (I use a melon baller). 

Melt chocolate (I use both dark chocolate & white chololate) and drizzle over mounds.

Refrigerate until firm.

Makes about 2 dozen.

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Karikas' THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1 Cup Butter - I used margarine                    2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar                                     1/4 Tsp Salt

2 Eggs Separated                                           1 1/2 Cup Chopped Nuts

1 Tsp Vanilla

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg yokes together.  Stir in flour and salt.  Roll into 1 inch balls.  Dip gently into slightly whipped egg whites, then roll in nuts.  Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 5 minutes - take out of oven and carefully (hot) press thumb into each cookie.  Bake 8 - 10 minutes longer - depends on oven and size of cookies.  Put jelly of choice into thumbprint.  I used walnuts, and gluten free flour.  Bobs Red Mill Gliuten Free. Also recommend 1/2 tsp of zanthan gum for each cup of flour if gluten free.

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Nickerson's Incredible Melted Ice-Cream Cake

1. Package  White Cake Mix

2. Two  cups melted ice cream, Ben and Jerry's “Cherry Garcia” (or any flavor)

3.Three large  eggs

4. Blend Ingredients

5. Bake in Bundt Pan at 350 degrees for 38-42 minutes.

Drizzle with Confectioners Sugar frosting flavored with rum or vanilla extract.

Nickersons' Cocktail Franks Wreath

Two Packages of  Frozen Small Cocktail Franks (24 count each)

One Red Pepper

Grape Tomatoes

Herbs

BBQ Sauce

As easy as it looks: Bake franks. Arrange as wreath. Cut up red pepper to resemble bow. Garnish with tomatoes and herbs. Serve with BBQ sauce.

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Lynn's Lemon Sour Cherry Sour Cream Bundt

(gluten free)

1 ¼ C unsalted butter, room temp

2 ½ C sugar

6 large eggs, room temp

3 C King Arthur all-purpose baking flour – already includes baking soda/powder/xanthan gum, etc.

½ tsp baking soda  - only if using regular flour, otherwise omit for gluten-free

½ tsp salt – only if using regular flour, otherwise omit for gluten-free

1/3 C fresh lemon juice

zest of 4 lemons

1 tsp vanilla

½ C sour cream

¼ C whole milk

I C dried (rehydrate with boiling water and drained) or fresh pitted cherries

½ C sugar

¼ tsp vanilla

2C powdered sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

Pam for baking

1. preheat oven to 350⁰

2. Pam or butter/flour your bundt pan (10+ cup) very well

3. make the sour cherry puree

4. zest all those damn lemons

5. crack eggs into bowl, remove any shell

6. Sift flower into separate bowl

7. beat butter in stand mixer on high for 2-3 minutes;  slowly add sugar in three batches, beat for another 7-8 minutes until very fluffy

8. lower mixer speed and slowly add eggs, one at a time, until each is well-incorporated; scrape bowl as needed

9. in yet another bowl, mix together with a fork, the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, sour cream and milk

10. turn mixer to low and add flour by one-thirds, alternating with the wet lemon mixture, don’t over mix

11. now this is where I mix a cup of the batter and a couple tablespoons of the sour cherry puree together and paint the inside edges/ridges/indentations  of your cool bundt pan to get a designed effect…this was cool on the rose bundt mold, lots of “petal” areas..

12. slowly add the rest of the cake mixture to the pan and smooth on top.

13. I put all bundts on a cookie sheet in the oven, there’s almost always overflow..

14. bake for approx. 55-60 minutes, check with tester, don’t overbake.

15. remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes, then unmold to cooling rack, if it feels like it’s sticking, give it another 5 minutes

16. cool cake completely before glazing or powdering

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Jacqui's

Easy Buckeyes

Ingredients

·        1½ cups peanut butter

·        1 cup butter, softened

·        ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

·        6 cups confectioners' sugar

·        4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate candy coating

Instructions

1.       Line a large tray or baking sheet with wax paper.

2.       In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter,vanilla extract and butter, stirring until well blended.

 Coupons

3.       Roll the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.

4.       Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes

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Not from contest, but fondly remembered from the October meeting:

Cindy Ehrenreich’s Cranberry Cookies with Brown Butter Glaze

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

2 Tbsp orange juice

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ cup milk

2 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

1 cup white baking chips

1 cup walnuts

GLAZE

½ cup butter

2 cups confectioners sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

3 to 4 Tbsp water

1.    Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugars until light & fluffy.  Beat in egg & orange juice.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, & baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternating with milk.  Stir in cranberries, baking chips and walnuts.

2.    Drop the dough by Tbsps 1 in apart onto greased baking sheets.  Bake 10-15 minutes or until light brown.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3.    For glaze, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Heat until golden brown, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in the confectioners sugar, vanilla and enough water to reach a drizzling consistancy.  Drizzle over cookies.  Let stand until set.