Basic Cookies dough

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 sticks of soften unsalted butter, using electric mixer beat for about 30 seconds, add 1 cup of granulated sugar and until until smooth, but not creamy.

Beat in 1 egg and 2 tablespoon of vanilla or almond extract, add 3 cups of unsifted flour.  1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to butter mixture and beat on medium until smooth.

If the dough is sticky which often happens, do not be afraid to add more flour.  Once the dough feels comfortable between your hands, form into 2 balls, and wrap each and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


This is a great basic cookie dough recipe.  Nice for a night of baking with the kids or for any basic cookie.



Use for candy cane cookies and more!

Easy Peanut Butter chocolate cookie Pie

8 oz of soften cream cheese
1 1/2 cups  powdered sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup chilled whipping cream (you can also use cool whip) soften
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 ready made chocolate cookie crumb pie crust


Mix all ingredients in a bowl and blend together until nice and smooth.

Fill the crust and place in freezer for  at least 2 hours ahead.


This recipe has been floating around for years, not sure were it originated from.

Candy Cane cookies

I have a couple of variations on the great cookie.  This cookie brings many great memories.  I remember making these for the first time in a home economics class.  Learned to make some great food in that little class room.  This class just reinforced my love of cooking, which began with my Grandmother and Mom.  Many thanks and love to them!

1/2 batch of basic cookie dough:
10 drops of red food coloring
2 small candy canes crushed  (optional, but what a great taste)

Preheat oven 375

Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.


Divide dough in half and add food coloring to one of the half's.  Kneed dough making sure to evenly work in the food coloring.

Roll small pieces of red dough into 5 inch ropes about the thickness of a pencil, and do the same with the white dough.

Twist the strands of dough together like a braid, and pinch each end and bend them to form candy canes.

Place on baking sheet and bake about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy.  Bake for 2 minutes or until golden, but not brown. Cool on rack.  Makes about two dozen.  Your home will have a peppermint candy aroma! 

Easy cookie Crust

30 homemade or bagged very crisp gingersnap cookies.  (make about 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter, more if needed

Mix together cookies, sugar in a food processor or blender and mix until the mixture is fine, pour to a medium bowl and add in butter mix together well.

Press to the bottom of and up the sides of a nine-inch glass pie pan.  Bake 5-7 minutes and remove and let cool.

You can also use this crust for a pumpkin pie, Pumpkin cheese cake or even a chocolate cream pie or apple pie.  If you fill it with any of these just bake as you would any filling mixture.

Peppermint Cookies

1 cup of butter (room temp)
1 cup granulated suger
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2- 3 cups of flour
2 cups of chocolate chips (milk or dark chocolate)
1 cup of crushed coarse peppermint candies or candy canes crumbs

Preheat over 350

Mix together soften butter, granulated and brown sugar, eggs, and peppermint extract and salt.

Add flour and stir in chips.

With a cookie scoop to scoop dough, dip the top into the crushed peppermint candies, and place dipped side up on cookie sheet.

Bake one sheet at a time into 350 degree oven 11-13 minutes until the appear puffed and lightly tan in color.

Makes about 2 dozen peppermint cookies and enjoy the aroma these cookies send through your home.  The holidays are here!  :) 

Double Chocolate Meringue Kisses

3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/8 salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder
3 tablespoons of semisweet chocolate mini chips

Preheat oven at 300

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt with mixer sent on high, until it forms peaks.  Add sugar1 tablespoons at a time, beating until it forms peaks again.  Sift in cocoa and espresso over the egg whites. Mix in well and add chocolate chips.

Fill a disposable pastry bag with batter and pipe about 1 tablespoon out onto parchment paper. Bake 35-40 minutes or until they are crisp.  Cool on rack.  Makes about 40

Mary's Bread Pudding

1 loaf of Italian Bread
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups  raisins
4 cups whole milk
2/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup (dark)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla or almond
7 eggs lightly beaten

Preheat oven 325

Grease a 13x9 baking dish with butter

Place bread in\pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and spread raisins evenly

Combine milk, sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan, heat over low heat until the mixture bubbles, move from stove and add vanilla.

Carefully pour hot milk mixture over eggs and whisk evenly. Pour over the bread and cover with foil.

Place bread pudding pan on rimmed baking sheet in oven.  Pour water onto baking sheet.

Bake 35-30 minutes until set.  Your can test it with a knife and cake tester.  Place insert in center of pudding if knife comes out clean, its done.  Serve with Ice Cream, whipped cream or other favorite topping.

Bacon apple Gravy

4 slices of bacon
1/4 cup flour
3 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of Apple cider
2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon of thyme
2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

Medium Sauce pan cook bacon on medium heat until nice and crisp, add flower until bacon is coated, add in broth, cider and bourbon.   Simmer for 5-8 minutes, add thyme salt and pepper. Simmer 5-6 minutes and stir occasionally.

Pumpkin Cookies

  1 cup shortening
  1 cup sugar
  1/2 cup light brown sugar
  3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  1 large egg 
  2 teaspoon of vanilla
  3 3/4 cups of flour 
  1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  1 teaspoon of salt
  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg


  Cookie topping 

  1/2 cup sugar
  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  1/4 teaspoon allspice

1.  In a large bowl add shortening, 1 cup sugar, brown sugar together in a bowl, beat until light and fluffy, add in pumpkin puree, beat in eggs and vanilla extract.
2. In another  bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, cream of tartar, salt, and nutmeg. Slowly stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until dough is combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350.   Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. Mix 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and allspice together in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Lightly flatten each ball with  flat-bottomed glass.
5. Bake in oven until golden and set, 12 to 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Crock Pot Stuffing

  1 cup butter or margarine
  2 cups chopped onion
  2 cups chopped celery
  1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  12 ounces sliced mushrooms 
  12 cups dry bread cubes
  1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
  1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
  1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
  1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 
  1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
  1  teaspoons salt
  1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  4 1/2 cups chicken broth, or as needed
  2 eggs, beaten

 Melt butter or margarine in a skillet over low heat. 

Cook onion, celery, mushroom, and parsley in butter, stirring frequently. Spoon cooked vegetables over bread cubes in a very large mixing bowl.

Season with poultry seasoning, sage, thyme, marjoram, and salt and pepper. 

Pour broth to moisten, and mix in eggs, transfer all mixture to crock Pot, and cover.   Cook on High for 50 minutes, then lower to low and cook for 4 to 8 hours

Italian Breadcrumb Potatoe Bake

 4 tablespoons olive oil\or canola oil
 3 large sweet potatoes or white potatoes of half of both
 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning (your favorite)
 salt and pepper couple of shakes
 1/4 cup  Italian bread crumbs



Preheat oven to 350

Coat the bottom of a glass or non-stick baking dish with olive oil or canola oil


 Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut into pieces.

 Place the cut sweet potatoes in the baking dish and turn them so that they are coated with the olive oil. Sprinkle with all seasoning and salt and pepper and 1/2 of sprinkle bread crumbs 

15 minutes before end of cooking sprinkle rest of the breadcrumbs,mixing together lightly, cook remaining time. 

 Bake in oven for 75 minutes until soft and golden in color.
Serves 4 double servings as needed.

Holiday Mixed Roasted Vegetables

  1 small butternut squash, cubed
  1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
  1 red onion, quartered
  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 
  1/4 cup olive oil
  2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  Pepper
  Salt (optional) 


Preheat oven to 475

 In a large bowl, mix squash,  peppers, sweet potato, Yukon Gold potatoes, add the red onion pieces,  into the mixture. 

In a medium bowl, mix together,  thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper, add vegetables and mix together until they are well coated.



Spread  vegetables evenly on a large roasting pan. Roast for 30 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes,  until vegetables are cooked and a nice golden browned.

Serves 12

Cranberry &Turkey Sausage Stuffing

1 1/2 cups if wheat bread
3 3/2 cups of white bread
1 pound of ground turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
2 1/2 teaspoons of sage
3 teaspoons of rosemary
1/3 cup of fresh parsley
1 large delicious apple cored and chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
Cooked inwards from turkey 
3/4 cup turkey or chicken stock
4 1/2 tablespoons of butter melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
2.  Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on a large baking sheet. 
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes until evenly toasted. Transfer toasted bread cubes to a large bowl and let cool.
4. In a large saucepan, cook the sausage and onions on medium heat, stirring and breaking up the lumps until nicely browned, add the celery, sage, rosemary, and thyme, cook cook for about 5 minutes.
5. Mix seasoned  sausage  over bread in bowl, add the chopped apple, cranberries, parsley, and turkey inwards add turkey stock and melted butter, and mix lightly. 
6.  Let cool completely before loosely stuffing a turkey.
7.  The stuffing can be made night before

Thawing a Turkey

                     Cold Water Thawing

• Thaw breast side down, leave wrapper on, place in cold water to cover your turkey.
• Change cold water every 30 minutes of so, which  keeps the turkey chilled.
• Thawing time is 30 minutes per pound give of take.

                     Refrigerator Thawing

• Thaw breast side up, leave wrapper on, in a tray in the fridge.
•  1 day of thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey.