Cranberry Nut Bread

 This recipe came from my Mom- I have no idea where she got it, but we've had it around for years!

1 beaten egg

2 tbs melted shortening (I usually forget to add this, oops!)

1/2 cup prepared orange juice

2 tbs hot water

 

Add dry ingredients

 

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

 

Mix well, then fold in

 

1/2 cup walnuts

1 cup raw cranberries, cut in half (hint: it is easier to slice them if they have been in the freezer for a while)

 

Dough will be thick and kind of sticky.

 

Pour in greased and floured pan (about 2/3 full)

Bake at 325 for about 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean

Toffee Bran Bars

3/4 C all purpose flour
3/4 C 100% bran, divided
1 1/4 C firmly packed light brown sugar, divided
1/2 c. margarine, melted
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C flaked coconut, toasted
1/3 C walnuts

preheat to 350

in small bowl combine

-1/2 C bran
-1/2 C brown sugar
-Margarine

Press in bottom of 13x9x2in pan, bake 10 min and set aside.

 med-sized electric mixer beat these items at high speed until foamy:

-Remaining 1/4 C bran
-3/4 C brown sugar
-eggs
-baking powder
-Vanilla

Spread over prepared crust, bake additional 25 min, or until set.

Remove pan from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips, let stand for 5 min

spread melted chips around gently before topping with coconut and walnuts in alternating diagonal strips over chocolate.

Cool completely, cut into bars.

Almond Cream Cheese Cookies

3 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1 C butter softened
1 C sugar
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs Milk
1/8 tsp almond extract
2 1/2 C. sifted cake flour
1 C sliced almonds, toasted

Beat cream cheese with butter and sugar until fluffy.  Blend in egg yolk, milk, and almond extract.  Gradually stir in cake flour.  Gently stir in almonds. (dough will be sticky.)  Divide dough in half; place each cardon large sheet of waxed paper, shape into 12x1 in roll.  Refrigerate until very firm.

Preheat oven to 325.  Cut rolls into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 10-15 minutes or until edges are just starting to look golden.  THESE COOKIES SHOULD NOT BROWN.  Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Baklava

Tyler Florence's Baklava

(I make this for Easter - my family loves baklava and over the years I have found this is one of the best recipes out there. -Lexi)

Ingredients

• 1 pound shelled walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 pound blanched almonds, toasted
• 1/2 pound shelled pistachios, toasted
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 pound unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pound phyllo pastry sheets

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Finely chop the nuts in a food processor or coffee grinder. Transfer nuts to a bowl and mix in brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and cloves.

Brush a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with melted butter and set aside. Cut a piece of cardboard into a 13 by 9-inch rectangle. Unroll the phyllo dough and lay the sheets flat on a work surface. Set the cardboard template on the stack of phyllo and trim the excess so they fit the pan. Keep the pastry covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out.

To build the baklava, you will alternate 3 layers of dough with 2 layers of nuts. Start with a stable base of 8 sheets on the bottom, brushing each with melted butter. Spread 1/2 the nut mixture evenly over the stacked sheets. Cover with 4 sheets of phyllo, painting each with melted butter, then sprinkle again with remaining nut mixture. Top the last layer of nuts with 8 layers of phyllo as you did for the bottom. Drizzleany remaining butter over top.

If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the butter will set and make the baklava easier to cut. Using a sharp knife, make 5 cuts across lengthwise, then cut diagonally to form diamonds. Baklava is more difficult to cut after it is cooked because the pastry becomes so flaky. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden and flaky. If the top browns too quickly during baking, tent with foil.

Orange Scented Simple Syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup orange blossom honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 2 large strips orange peel
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 whole cloves

To make the syrup: combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and letsimmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Remove the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole clove; set aside to cool.

Remove an end piece of the baklava and tilt the pan to allow the butter to collect in the corner. Spoon out the excess and discard. With the pan flat, pour the syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Allow to stand for several hours before serving.

Crockpot Homestyle Apple Brown Betty

6 Cups of your favorite cooking apples
1 cup breads crumbs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 C melted butter
1/4 Walnuts finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt

Coat crockpot with cooking spray.  Place apples at the bottom
Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and spead over apples

Cover and cook in crock pot on LOW 3-4 hours or on HIGH 2 hours until done.

Chicken, Avacado, and Wild Rice Salad

1  4.3 oz. package mixed white and wild rice
2 ripe avacados, sliced
3 cups cooked chicken cut into bite sized pieces
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup italian dressing
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 toasted pine nuts or sliced almonds
1 cup cherry tomatoes


1. prepare rice according to package directions
2. stir in chicken and scallions; add the dressing and toss well.
3. Pour into a serving dish (and if you want a cold salad, chill up to an hour)
4. Toss avacados with lemon juice.
5. garnish salad with avacados, nuts and tomatoes

Grandma Teasdale's Pumpkin Coconut Bread

1 1/3 C oil
5 eggs (beaten)
1 small can pumpkin

Beat together and add:

2 C sugar
2 C flour
2 pkg coconut cream pie filling
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Nuts (optional)


Makes 4 small or 2 large loaves
325 degrees
45 min for small loaves
60 min for large laoves

I don't know what to call it.... Trail mix?

Sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, craisins, and raisins. The kids love it and no salt added. I bought the big bags of the stuff and now when the kids get "snacky" this week, I just pull out the bag or put a handful in a baggie to go.