Raisin Peanut Fudge

6 Servings

2 c Icing sugar
1 c Butter (or margarine)
1/2 c Peanut butter.
1 c salted peanuts,Chopped
1 c Raisins

Melt butter in a saucepan and heat until bubbly. Add the peanut
butter and continue heating until peanut butter becomes smooth and
more liquidy. Pour into the icing sugar and then add the nuts and
raisins. Mix together until thoroughly combined. Spoon into a
greased 8 inch square pan and chill until set. Store in refrigerator.

Raspberry Almond Christmas Bars

Envelope pie crust mix (they
-say robin hood)
1/4 c Raspberry jam
1/2 c Butter,softened
2/3 c Sugar
2 Eggs
2/3 c Flour
1/4 t Salt
Red and green food coloring
FROSTING
2 T Butter,softened
1 1/2 To 2 cups icing sugar,Sifted
2 T Cream (or milk)
1 t Almond extract

BATTER:

Prepare pastry mix according to package directions for one crust
unbaked pie shell. Line an 8″ square cake pan with pastry. Spread
with raspberry jam. Cream butter and sugar together thoroughly. Add
eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt; blend
well. Divide batter in half. Color half pink and half green. Put
small spoonfuls of each mixture alternately on jam layer. Tap pan
gently on counter to even out the batter. Bake in a 350 F oven for
35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool completely. Beat frosting ingredients together until smooth and
creamy, adding enough icing sugar to make a spreading consistency.
Spread over cooled squares. Makes about 2 dozen bars.

My friends at menu planning central, have been sharing a great report on Gingerbread House Construction. I have uploaded it so that you can download it free of charge. Gingerbread House Directions

Raspberry Gems

72 Servings

1 1/2 c All purpose flour
1 c Margarine (or butter)
-softened
1/2 c Dairy sour cream
1/3 c Raspberry spreadable fruit
3 T Sugar
2/3 c Semisweet chocolate pieces
1 T Shortening
1/4 c Finely almonds,Chopped

Stir together flour, margarine or butter, and sour cream in a large
mixing bowl, till thoroughly combined. Divide dough in half. Cover;
chill for 3 hours.

Roll each half of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch
thickness. Using a 1-3/4 to 2 inch round cookie cutter cut dough.
Spread about 1/4 tsp. raspberry fruit on top of half of the cookies.
Top with remaining cookies.

Stir together sugar and 1 Tbsp. water. Brush over cookies. Place
cookies on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 15
to 20 minutes or till done. Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan melt chocolate pieces and
shortening over low heat till melted, stirring constantly. Dip one
side of each of the cookies into melted chocolate. Place on waxed
paper; sprinkle with almonds. Cool until set. Makes about 72.

Rice Krispie Squares

4 T Butter
4 c Marshmallows (or 10 oz)
5 c Rice krispie cereal

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir
till melted. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly . Remove from heat, add
Rice Krispies and stir till all are coated. Using buttered spatula,
press evenly into buttered 13x9x2″ pan. Cool. Cut into 2″ squares.

VARIATIONS: add 1 cup raisins add 1 cup peanuts add 1/4 cup peanut
butter to marshmallows melt 2 squares chocolate with marshmallows for
Christmas: add green food colouring (if desired), shape into “trees”
or press into buttered ring or small Bundt mold. Decorate with red
cinnamon candies (for tree) or spearmint leaves and jelly berries for
ring mold (resembles a wreath)

Rich Brown Gravy

8 Servings

1/4 c Olive oil
1 Carrot,Diced
1 Onion,small,diced
1 Celery heart,diced
2 Celery stalks,diced
1/2 Bay leaf,small
1/4 t Thyme,dried
1/4 c Pastry flour,whole-wheat
5 Peppercorns,black or white
1/4 c Parsley,fresh,coarse chopped
4 c Water
4 c Stock,vegetable,homemade
Rock salt,ground
Pepper,freshly ground

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Mix the diced carrot, diced onion,
diced celery heart or diced celery and saute until it begins to
brown. Add the flour and stir until brown. Add the peppercorns and
the parsley. Stir well and add the water and stock. Simmer for 2
hours, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be the consistency of
whipping cream. Strain.

Rich Orange-Chocolate Truffles

1/3 c Heavy cream
1/4 c Butter (or margarine)
6 oz Pkg semisweet chocolate
-chips
2 T orange peel,Grated
1 t Orange extract
COATINGS
natural pistachio,Ground
-nuts
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Confectioners’ sugar
Chocolate jimmies

Stir the cream and chocolate chips in a small heavy saucepan over
medium heat until bubbling and chocolate is almost melted. Remove
from heat. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the
mixture is smooth. Stir in the grated orange peel and orange extract.
Pour the mixture into a shallow baking pan and refrigerate until firm
enough to shape, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, spread 2 to 3
tablespoons of each coating ingredient in individual shallow dishes.
Divide the cold chocolate mixture into 24 equal portions. Roll each
portion into a ball. Roll the balls in the coatings, 6 per coating,
to cover completely. Place the balls as they are coated in 1-inch
paper or foil bonbon cups. Store in an airtight container in the
refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Makes 2 dozen truffles.

Roast Goose With Stuffing

8 Servings

1 Goose,(9-12 lb Canadian wild)
1 Tart apple,peeled and diced
10 Dried figs,cut in 1/4′s
2 1/2 c corn bread,Crumbled
Salt,To Taste
pepper to taste,Ground
3 T parsley,Chopped
2 t fresh savory,Chopped
Gravy
1 1/2 c Reserved goose broth
1-2 T flour

Remove the neck and gizzard and place in a saucepan with about
1 qt. of water and let simmer lightly for several hours while partially
covered. Reduce to about 2 cups and season with salt. Mix remaining ingredients, except for gravy, together and adjust seasoning by tasting.

Stuff, lace, and truss the bird and roast in a 325′ oven, breast down,
for 1 1/2 hours. Draw off fat as it accumulates. Turn and roast another
1 1/2 hours (or longer for a larger bird) until juices run clear when
pricked where the thigh attaches to the body. Remove when done
and let rest on a heated serving platter while you prepare the gravy.

Pour off all but 2 Tbls. of the fat and sprinkle with the flour. Set the
roasting pan over low heat and stir for one minute while scraping up all
the brown bits. Add the broth and stir until smooth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve in a boat with goose.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake W/ Chocolate & Walnuts

12 Servings

1 c (2 sticks) butter,Unsalted
-softened
3/4 c Sugar
2 c all-purpose flour,Sifted
1/4 t Salt
1 t Baking soda
2 t Baking powder
3 Large eggs
1 c Sour cream
2 t Vanilla extract
1 c Coarsely walnuts,Chopped
4 oz Bittersweet chocolate
-coarsely,Chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-to 12-cup fluted
tube pan. In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer set at
high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the
sugar and continue beating at high speed until light and creamy,
about 2 minutes. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and
baking powder. At low speed, beat in 1/2 cup of the flour mixture,
then beat in 1 of the eggs. Beat in another 1/2 cup of the flour
mixture, then 1 of the remaining eggs. Repeat with another 1/2 cup of
the flour mixture, and the last egg. Beat in the remaining flour
along with the sour cream and vanilla. Using a spatula, fold in the
walnuts and chocolate. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and
smooth the surface. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes in the preheated oven
until the cake begins to shrink from the sides of the pan and a
toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The surface will
crack. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for about 10
minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire cake rack. Cool
completely before serving.

Serves 12.

Smoked Salmon With Brown Soda Bread

6 Servings

6 Servings
3 c Torn greens (such as red
-leaf lettuce,frisee and
-arugula)
1 lb Thinly smoked salmon,Sliced
-(such as Irish,Scottish or
-Norwegian)
2 T capers,Drained
1 sm White onion,thinly sliced
24 Red cherry tomatoes (or
-pear)
-tomatoes
24 Yellow pear tomatoes or
-cherry tomatoes
2 T Olive oil (preferably
-extra-virgin)

Lemon wedges Unsalted butter

Divide greens among plates. Top with salmon. Sprinkle with capers.
Garnish with onions and tomatoes. Drizzle with oil. Serve with lemon,
bread and butter.