Great Holiday Recipe!

Vicki's Spinach Souffle

This is a MUST at our holiday table.  Don't let the "spinach" in the souffle title scare you away.  It is delicious...Lila.

2 pkg (boxed) Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed

1 lb. Grated Cheddar Cheese (good quality)

1/4 lb. Melted Margarine or Butter

6 Well Beaten Eggs

1 container Small Curd Cottage Cheese

6 T. Flour

Mix all ingredients in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hr. to 1 1/2 hr.

Great Holiday Recipe!

Water Punch

1 Tbsp. Citric Acid

1 Tbsp. Lemon Extract

2 Cups Sugar

5 Quarts Water

Mix and refrigerate.

Serve with ice.

Lemon/lime slices add color.

Great Holiday Recipe!

Mom Garner’s Dressing

3 C.            Chopped celery

1-1 ½ C.    Chopped onions

1 8oz pkg.  Sliced mushrooms

1 T.            Salt

2 T.            Dried basil leaves

1/8 tsp.       Pepper

1 lb.            Butter (not margarine)

4 C.            Chopped pecans (I do a separate pan without pecans for those who don’t like them)

1 C.            Milk

½ C.           Dry white wine (I substitute chicken broth, since I don’t usually have this on hand)

16 C.          Dried bread CUBES (like Mrs. Cubbison’s)

In a skillet, cook the celery, onions, mushrooms, salt, basil, pepper, and butter until celery is soft and onions are transparent.  Toss everything together.  Put in a casserole dish and heat for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Great Holiday Recipe!

Craisins/Almonds Cracker Dip

8 oz        cream cheese (I use the reduced fat)

¼ C.        sour cream

2 T.         mayo (no substitute)

½ C.        softened butter (no substitute)

1/3 C.      sugar

½ C.        chopped craisins

½ C.        sliced almonds, toasted (sometimes I toast them, sometimes not)

Whip the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo until smooth.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients until smooth.  Chill and serve with crackers.

Raspberry Yogurt Salad
1 32-oz. vanilla yogurt
1 6-oz. instant vanilla pudding
 
Mix until blended.  Add:
1 12-oz. Cool Whip
2 c. frozen or fresh raspberries
Top with bananas or add, if desired

Cupcake Decorating and Filling ideas


Filling:
- Put a piece of chocolate candy (Dove, Hershey's, etc) on top before baking

- Fruit, jams, pie fillings

- Cookie dough, brownie batter, Reese's peanut butter cups, chocolate truffles



To make an adorable treat, cut the tops off cupcakes, added a layer of  frosting, punch any shape using a cookie cutter, then replace the top onto the cupcake. You can fill the cutout with more frosting if so desired.


- Dipped cupcakes: *


-To dip the cupcakes use a stiffer frosting like a buttercream (not cream cheese, meranque or whip cream). --Also must freeze the frosted cupcake before dipping.
-Dip in chocolate chips melted with just a little bit of butter. When melting the butter (especially in the microwave) remember that the chocolate bits may not look like they are melting, so stop and stir frequently and remove from heat when they are almost all melted, the rest will melt quickly. Otherwise you will burn the chocolate.


General Tips:

- Always mix the ingredients in the order given in the directions. It will affect the texture/density of the cupcake if not done in correct order and process
- It is usually best to use unsalted butter, it gives a more smooth and pure flavor to the cupcakes and frostings. Also, using salted butter can make the frosting more sweet.
- You do not have to use paper cupcake liners. However, if you choose not to, grease the tins with butter, never shortening


Delicious cupcakes can be as fancy or as simple as you want to make them. Have fun and let your creativity run!

Fresh Raspberry Frosting

1 cup fresh raspberries (or thawed from frozen)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of a food processor, puree the raspberries until smooth. If you like, press the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the seeds.

In a medium bowl, beat the butter and half the sugar until smooth. Add the raspberry puree, then more sugar until you have a fluffy, spreadable consistency. Add a splash of water, too (a tablespoon or two) if it needs it.