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Almond Frosting

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Even though this recipe is called “ALMOND” frosting, you’ll notice there is no actual almond extract in here. That’s because the almond flavor comes from the maraschino cherry juice. We normally use this frosting to ice our sugar cookies for Valentine’s Day, so to frost these cupcakes I had to thin it out with some milk, then fluff it up with some marshmallow fluff.

Almond Frosting

  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice, more if needed

Mix all ingredients together and spread on sugar cookie.

  

Recipe

Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas

Suzanne Strength1 Comment
My brother-in-law is from Argentina and makes these fabulous empanadas for holidays when we are together.  His are from his mother’s recipe, passed down for generations and take hours to make.  Days!
These aren’t those.
These are actually pretty simple.  They use refrigerated pie crusts and the meat only simmers for 15 minutes.  Still doggone delicious!  I found this recipe at Great Grub Delicious Treats.

Cheesy Ground Beef Empanadas

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1 tsp Slap Ya Mama® seasoning
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 Tbsp diced jalapeños
  • 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
  • 2 boxes Pillsbury™ Refrigerated Pie Crust
  • 1 egg

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.

  2. In a cast iron pan or large frying pan, add ground beef, chopped onions, minced garlic and cook over medium heat until ground beef is no longer pink. Drain grease and return to pan.

  3. Sprinkle with seasonings, stir.

  4. Add tomato sauce and jalapeños, stir and let simmer for 15 minutes.

  5. Unroll pie crust on a lightly flour surface. Using a 4 inch bowl, turn bowl upside down and press down to cut dough. Should be able to get 4 pieces per pie crust.

  6. Add a little water to the edges of the dough before filling to help seal.

  7. Add a small amount of shredded cheese and about a 1/4 cup of meat mixture.

  8. Fold dough over and using a fork, close up the edges by pressing to seal and place on a baking sheet.

  9. In a small bowl, whisk egg and one tablespoon of water together. Using a basting brush, brush egg wash over the top of each empanada.

  10. Bake for 15 minutes or until empanada crust is golden brown.

  11. Carefully remove from oven and enjoy.

Recipe

Salted Butter Pecans Bites

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More quarantine cooking!  This time I made it for the folks in my neighborhood who came by a block party hosted at my house with Lobster Dog and Eleven Lakes Brewery.  We all sat at a safe distance and shouted our greetings to one another!  My deal was if they showed up, I gave them treats for their desserts.  This is one I made.

Salted Butter Pecans Bites

Makes 24

Ingredients

1 cup chopped pecans
Nonstick cooking spray
12 graham crackers
1 cup packed brown sugar
3⁄4 cup (6 ounces) salted butter
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15×10-inch rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. 

2. Bake the pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan, stirring halfway through, until toasted and fragrant, about 10 to 12 minutes.

3. Arrange the graham crackers in a single layer in the prepared baking sheet, slightly overlapping the edges.

4. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, butter, and cream. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla and pecans. Pour the butter mixture over the crackers, spreading to coat.

5. Bake until lightly browned and bubbly, about 10 to 11 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with salt, and slide the foil from the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break into bite-sized pieces.

Cat approved!

 

 

Recipe

Lemon Meringue Pie

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I have NO idea why I keep gaining weight during this time of Quarantine!  What could it be???

On a completely unrelated note, here is a Lemon Meringue Pie I made today that is amazing.

 

Lemon Meringue Pie

  • 1 1/2 cup sugar (plus 6 Tbsp. for meringue)
  • 3 Tbsp. Cornstarch
  • 3 Tbsp. Flour
  • dash of salt
  • 1 1/2 cup hot water
  • 3 slightly beaten egg yolks (save the whites for meringue)
  • 2 Tbsp. Butter
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 9″ pie shell (I prebaked mine)
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. cream of tartar

In saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch, flour and salt.  Gradually add hot water, stirring constantly.  Cook and stir over hgih heat until mixture comes to boiling.  Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes.  Stir small amount of this hot mixture into the egg yolks, then add these tempered yolks to your hot mixture.  Bring back to boiling and cook 2 minutems more.  Add butter and lemon juice, mixing well.  Pour into pastry shell.  Make meringue (see below). Spread meringue over filling. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Meringue

Beat 3 reserved egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar until soft peaks form.  Gradually add 6 Tbsp. of sugar, beating until stiff peaks form and all sugar is dissolved. 

 

Recipe

Recipe: Creole Shrimp and Lobster Bisque

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I don’t get the chance to cook too many seafood dishes because I’m practically the only one in my household who actually eats seafood these days.  I decided this weekend to cook something from Paula Deen that I found in one of her magazines, JUST FOR ME!  It was actually pretty easy, all things considered, and very tasty.

Creole Shrimp and Lobster Bisque

Ingredients

  • 2 cups half and half
  • 1 teaspoon Paula Deen’s Creole Blend Seasoning
  • 1/2 lb steamed medium size peeled, deveined, steamed and chopped fresh shrimp
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 2 stalks finely chopped celery
  • 1 small finely chopped white onion
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 steamed fresh lobster tails

Directions

Remove lobster meat from shell; coarsely chop and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth; cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Add lobster meat and shrimp. Stir in half-and-half and Creole seasoning; cook for 10 minutes, or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve immediately.

Recipe

Spaghetti Carbonara

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Pasta is from God.  It can’t be bad, I refuse to believe it.  Dinner the other night for us was Spaghetti Carbonara.  Delish!  I clipped the recipe from a magazine a few years ago, but found a link to it online: Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

Kosher salt

12 ounces spaghetti

6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 4 ounces), plus more for topping

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
  2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the spaghetti and reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss to combine.
  3. Add the eggs, Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper; toss to coat. Cook, tossing continuously to avoid scrambling the eggs, until the sauce is creamy, about 1 minute. Stir in the parsley. Serve topped with more Parmesan.
Recipe

Potato Casseroles

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I have a TON of potato casseroles in my recipe files.  You need them.  Perfect for taking to potlucks, always welcome at cookouts, and the perfect comfort food to take to new parents or sick loved ones.  This one is creamy and delicious and I’d even eat it with eggs and bacon the next morning.

CREAMY AUTUMN POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1⁄2 – 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cut in cubes
  • 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup or (10 1/2 ounce) can cream of celery soup
  • 3 -4 cups southern style hash browns
  • 1⁄2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F Butter a 1 quart casserole dish. In sauce pan, sauté onion and garlic in butter over med heat until tender. Stir in cream cheese cubes and undiluted soup; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and hot. In casserole, alternate layers of frozen potatoes and cream cheese sauce, ending with sauce layer. Cover and bake 45 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and potatoes are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

If you prefer a crunchier topping try these:

Potato Casserole Sargento

  • 2 pounds Hash Browns; thawed
  • 3/4 cup butter; divided (1/2 and 1/4)
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon Pepper
  • 1 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onions
  • 16 oz. Sour cream
  • 10 oz. Cheddar cheese; grated
  • 2 cups crushed corn flakes

Mix first 8 ingredients together well, saving 1/4 cup butter. Pour into big buttered casserole dish. Top with cornflakes and drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter reserved. Bake at 350 for one hour. Can be halved at half the cooking time.

Recipe

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

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Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Christmas morning is probably the only morning that I’ll prepare a delicious and indulgent breakfast casserole.  I’ll pull bacon and eggs together on special occasions: a niece spending the night, overnight guests visiting and the like, but the rest of the year we eat cereal or just wait for lunch hours to roll around.
This casserole is super sweet and decadent.  The kids loved it.  Christmas is a time for happiness, that’s my only excuse for making this delicious sugar bomb!
I originally found this recipe on the Cooking Channel.

Cinnamon French Toast Bake

Recipe

Avocado Ranch Dressing

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Delicious Avocado Ranch Dressing is a very versatile recipe.  Make a batch, eat it on your salad and then use it up on twists on classic recipes.

AVOCADO-RANCH DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

    • 2 ripe avocados
    • 1 cup ranch dressing
    • 1/2 cup milk
    • 1/2 cup sour cream
    • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
    • 2 teaspoons hot sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

  1.  Cut avocados in half; scoop pulp into a food processor or blender.
  2.  Add 1 cup Ranch dressing and remaining ingredients to food processor. Process until avocado mixture is smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Use it up by making:

Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwich from Spend with Pennies

Another brilliant idea is Fried Green Cherry Tomatoes with Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce from Carrie’s Experimental Kitchen

It would be cool and creamy on these Chili Nachos from Ragu

Recipe

Desserts to Die for

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Lord have mercy, but I have a sweet tooth.  I’m not much of a baker, but when I do, I make sure it has chocolate somewhere in it.  These desserts are some of my best creations 🙂

I have tried a LOT of Fudge Pies.  Some are too gooey.  Some are too dry.  This one is like Baby Bear’s porridge: just right.  I topped it with Cherry Garcia.

I found the original recipe at Southern Living.  Printer friendly version: Fudge Pie

Fudge Pie

INGREDIENTS

    • 2/3 cup evaporated milk
    • 0.5 (12 ounce) packages semisweet chocolate morsels
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 2 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 cup chopped pecans
    • 1 (9 inch) frozen unbaked piecrust shell ice cream

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Microwave first 3 ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, whisking at 30-second intervals.
  2. Whisk sugar and flour into chocolate mixture. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in vanilla and salt. Stir in pecans. Pour mixture into pie shell.
  3. Bake at 375° for 35 to 40 minutes or until set. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve with ice cream.

APPLESAUCE CAKE

Recipe by Midnight Sun Chef

INGREDIENTS

    • 2 eggs
    • 3 cups sugar
    • 1 1/4 cups oil
    • 3 cups flour
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
    • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

DIRECTIONS

  1. Beat together eggs, sugar and oil. Fold in remaining ingredients.
  2. Spray bundt pan very well with nonstick spray and flour.
  3. Bake at 300°F for one hour, one hour fifteen minutes for a bundt pan.

Buttermilk Pie

Source: Mommy’s Kitchen

  • 1 – 9 inch pie crust 
  • 1   1/2 – cups sugar
  • 3 – tablespoons flour
  • 1 – cup well shaken buttermilk
  • 1 – tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 – tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 2 – large eggs room temperature 
  • 1/2 – cup unsalted butter ; melted and cooled to room temperature

Preheat the oven to 415 degrees. Place the pie crust in a deep dish pie pan and flute the edges.

If desired use store bought pie crust. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla., eggs and melted butter.

Bake the pie crust for 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the pie crust from the oven and pour the filling into the warm crust. Return the pie to the oven and bake until warmed, about 10 minutes.

Then without opening the door , reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake until set, about 40 minutes. If the crust begin to brown to quickly add foil around the crust edges.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

servings: 6-8