Benne Brittle

6 Servings

2 c Sugar
1/2 t Vanilla extract
1/2 t Lemon extract
2 c Parched benne seed (sesame
-seeds,I think)

Add the extracts to the sugar. Melt the sugar in a saucepan, stirring constantly, as for peanut brittle. When the sugar is melted, add the benne seed, stirring it in quickly. Pour at once onto a marble slab to cool or pour into lightly buttered pans. Mark in one-inch squares while still warm and break along the lines when cold.

Berlin Bread

20 Servings

2 Eggs
2 T water,Warm
9 oz Sugar
2 1/2 oz Apple preserves
1/2 c Rum
1 pn allspice,Ground
3 t Cinnamon
2 1/2 oz chocolate,Grated
9 oz Flour
1 t Baking powder
4 1/2 oz Whole almonds (or hazelnuts)
1 1/4 oz Candied lemon peel,diced

1. Whisk the eggs and water until frothy, then add sugar, a little at a time. Continue whisking until the mixture is thick and creamy.

2. Mix and sift together the flour and baking powder.Add to the eggs and mix well, and then gradually add in the apple preserves, flavoring, spices, nuts and candied peel.

3. Spread the mixture about 1/4 inch thick in a greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to very hot for 5 minutes. Bake at moderate hot oven (375F) for 15-20 minutes.

4. Make an icing with 3 1/2 oz confectioners sugar and 1-2 T. hot water or milk. Ice the bread while it is still hot, and slice into 1 x 2 inch slices.

Bittersweet Chocolate Coated Truffles

12 Servings

Basic Truffle Recipe
4 oz Ghirardelli Bittersweet
-Chocolate
2 T Butter,cut up
2 T Heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 T Liqueur (to 2 Tbsp)
Chocolate Coating for
-Truffles
4 oz Ghirardelli Bittersweet
-Chocolate
2 t Peanut,almond, or walnut
-oil

DIRECTIONS: For Truffles: In double boiler, melt broken chocolate, stirring constantly. (Or microwave 2 1/2 to 3 minutes on medium.)

Remove chocolate from heat; blend in butter. Stir in cream, then liqueur. Combine with chopped nuts or candied fruit if desired. Chill 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until thick enough to hold a shape.

Drop by heaping teaspoon or #70 scoop onto foil lined baking pan. Shape round, if desires.

Cover and freeze 20-30 minutes to set truffles firm for dipping with chocolate. For a variety of truffles, repeat the recipes using liqueurs such as Grand Marnier, Amaretto,
Kahlua, Creme de Menthe.

For Coating: Melt chocolate as directed in basic truffle recipe. Remove from heat and stir in oil. Cool chocolate to 85-90-F for dipping.

Dip cold, firm truffle into melted chocolate, holding with a
fork and spooning with several coats of chocolate. Place each onto foil lined baking pan. Decorate top with nuts, candied fruit, etc.

Chill at least 2 hours to set chocolate. Roll in Ghirardelli Ground Chocolate, if desired. Place into tight container and store in cool, dry place to age for several days.

Coats 12 truffles.

Brownie Cakes In A Jar

2 CANNING JARS,wide mouth
1 c ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 c SUGAR
1/2 t BAKING SODA
1/4 t CINNAMON (optional),Ground
1/3 c BUTTER,or MARGARINE
1/4 c WATER
3 T UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER
1/4 c BUTTERMILK
1 EGG,beaten
1/2 t VANILLA EXTRACT
1/4 c WALNUTS,finely chopped

Every recipe technique is the same, just different ingredients…

Sterilize, two 1-pint straight-sided wide-mouth canning jars
(specifically made for canning jams and jellies) lids and rings
by boiling for 10 minutes (keep the lids and rings in the hot
water until ready to use); set aside.

In a small bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking soda and
cinnamon, if desired. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine butter or margarine, water and cocoa powder; heat and stir until butter or margarine is melted and mixture is well blended.

Remove from heat; stir in flour mixture. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla; beat by hand until smooth. Stir in nuts.

Pour mixture into the prepared canning jars; place jars onto a cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a pick inserted deep into each cake comes out clean.

Remove cakes from the oven, one at a time. Place a
lid, then a ring onto the jars and screw down tightly. USE HEAVY-DUTY MITTS, the jars ARE HOT!! Place jars onto your counter to cool.

You’ll hear a “plinking” sound. If you miss the sound, wait until the cakes are cool and press on the lids, they shouldn’t move at all, that means they’ve sealed.

Store cakes in a cool, dark place. They should last up to a year.

If you’d like to decorate them, place a wad of cotton in the center of each lid, then place a piece of decorative cloth, about 3-inches larger in circumference than the lid, (cut with pinking shears) on top of the cotton.

Screw the ring back on (by this time the rings can
be removed as the lids should be sealed). Use your imagination when decorating–a hot glue gun works wonders (dried flowers, ribbon, etc). These make WONDERFUL Christmas gifts.

Cherry Vanilla Fudge

3 c Sugar
1/2 t Salt
1 c Light cream
1/2 c Milk
1/4 c Light corn syrup
2 T Butter (or margarine)
2 t Vanilla
1 c Candied cherries, quartered

1. Combine sugar, salt, cream, mil, corn syrup and butter in a large heavy saucepan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to boiling. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until candy thermometer reaches 238F. (soft-ball stage)

3. Remove from heat, leaving thermometer in the saucepan. Cool to 100F.

4. Add vanilla. Beat briskly until fudge thickens and begins to lose its gloss. Stir in cherries.

5. Pour into buttered 8″ square pan. Cool. Cut into squares when firm.

Makes 1 3/4 pounds

Christmas Cookie Bonanza

2 c Unsifted all-purpose flour
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 t Salt
1/2 c Butter, softened

BASIC COOKIE MIX

In large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt; mix well. With pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Place in airtight container; store in refrigerator (mixture will keep for up to 8 weeks).

Bring to room temperature before using. Recipe can be doubled or tripled.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED PEANUT-BRITTLE FINGERS

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 15 1/2×10 1/2×1″ jelly-roll pan; line bottom and sides with sheet of aluminum foil. Grease foil.

In large bowl of electric mixer, combine cookie mix, egg yolks and the water. At low speed, beat just until mixture forms a crumbly dough.

Pat mixture over foil on bottom of prepared pan; bake 20 min or until dough is golden brown. Remove pan from oven.

Make peanut-brittle topping: In heavy med saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and heavy cream; over med heat, bring to boiling, stirring. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in peanuts.

Spread peanut-brittle topping mixture over cookies in pan; bake 15 min or until topping is brown and bubbly.

Remove pan from oven. Cool cookies slightly. Using ends of aluminum foil, lift cookies from pan, cut crosswise into thirds. Cut lengthwise into 14 strips; remove cookies from aluminum foil. Cool cookie “fingers” completely on rack.

Line another wire rack with waxed paper. In top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, combine chocolate and shortening. Over low heat, cook mixture, stirring, until chocolate and shortening are melted and mixture is smooth. Dip each cookie finger into chocolate mixture to cover halfway; place cookie on prepared rack to dry.

Makes 42 cookies.

LEMON LINZER COOKIES

1 recipe basic cookie mix 1 lg egg
1 tsp grated lemon zest (colored part of peel)
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 c seedless raspberry jam

Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

In large bowl of electric mixer, combine cookie mix, egg, lemon zest and lemon juice. At low speed, beat until mixture forms a dough.

Divide dough in half. Working one half at a time, on lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out dough 1/8″ thick; cut out with 3″ round cookie cutter, cut out centers of half of the cookies. If desired, reroll dough centers for additional cookies.

Transfer dough rounds and rings to prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 min or until cookies are golden; transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

With 1 tsp jam each, cover flat sides of rounds. Place a cookie ring, flat side down, on top of each filling-topped round. Dust tops of cookies with confectioners’ sugar.

Christmas Surprises

24 Servings

3/4 c Shortening
3/4 c Light brown sugar
1 Egg
1 3/4 c Flour
1 t Baking soda
1/2 t Salt
1/2 t Vanilla
3/4 c Coconut
2 t Cream of tartar
Any flavor jam (or jelly)

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add egg and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together and add. Add vanilla, and drop by teaspoons-full onto ungreased cookie sheet. With your finger or a spoon, make an indentation in the center of the cookie ball and fill with jam or jelly. Sprinkle coconut over all and bake at 375F for 10-12 min.

Cinnamon Ribbon Bread

6 Servings

2 3/4 c All-purpose flour
2 1/2 t Baking powder
1/2 t Salt
3/4 c Butter (or margarine)
1 1/4 c Sugar,divided
3 Eggs
1 1/2 t Vanilla extract
1 c Dairy sour cream
2 t Cinnamon,ground
1/2 c Pecans,chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, balking powder, and salt in a small bowl until well blended. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 cup of the sugar until creamy and light. Beat in eggs, one at a time and vanilla until well blended. Beat in flour mixture and sour cream, alternately, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Spoon about one third of the batter into greased and floured 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with one third of the cinnamon mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon mixture until all is used up.

Sprinkle the top of the bread with pecans, pressing them in slightly with your fingers. Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool bread 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack.