kimodog's favorites

here goes...

Almond Bars

BASE:
1 cup butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix like pie crust. Pat into 12 1/2 x 17 1/2 inch pan. (jelly roll pan) Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

FILLING:
8 oz cream cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp almond extract

Beat until creamy. Pour filling over the baked crust and bake 15 minutes more. (Do not overbake-this could be set in less than 15 minutes.)

FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 - 3 tsp milk or cream (you want this to spread easily)
1 1/4 tsp almond extract
2/3 cup toasted, sliced almonds

Frost when cool and immediately sprinkle with about 2/3 cup sliced almonds. (I toast them in the oven at 350° for about 8-9 minutes. When you are toasting them take them out when they don't look quite ready, because they will continue to brown more after you remove them from the oven. Cut these in small squares (they are rich) and refrigerate. (These are best fresh--if you aren't going to use them all right away just cut and freeze. They keep well that way.)

BACON RICE STUFFING

4 cups cooked rice (I use 1/2 white rice and 1/2 wild rice)
2 cups finely sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 lb. crisply cooked bacon cut into 1inch pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all together. Can use to stuff 12-14 lb. turkey, or make 1/2 recipe for 4 - 5 lb chicken, duck, or goose. ( I do not use as a stuffing--I just bake it in a casserole dish and serve with turkey or chicken breasts. Very good with frozen cranberry salad.) Bake 350° for an hour or more (till the celery is cooked.) Can prepare the day before serving, keep refrigerated.

BAKED STUFFED POTATOES

8 baked potatoes
10 slices of bacon (fried, drained and crumbled)
2/3 cup drained sauerkraut (I buy Krisp Kraut in the deli bag)
1 diced green onion
1/3 cup reserved bacon drippings
grated cheese (I like Cojack)

1. Sauté the onion in the bacon drippings. Add the sauerkraut and cook for 5 minutes on low heat.
2. Scoop out the potatoes and mash with milk, butter and pepper.
3. Add kraut mixture and the bacon. Mix and place into potato skins. Sprinkle with grated cheese and broil until the cheese melts. Note: I usually double the recipe and then after the potatoes are filled, I wrap some in foil and place in zip lock bags for freezing. Then you can take out as many as you need and bake at 350°until heated through. (you can open them up part way through the baking time.) Top with the cheese after they are heated and broil briefly until the cheese melts.

BEER CHEESE SOUP

1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour (a scant cup)
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups cream (I use 1/2 and 1/2)
16 oz cheese whiz (comes out of the jar easily if you nuke it for a bit-don't burn
yourself though getting it out of the microwave)
6 ounces beer (I use the whole can)
1 tbl worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp egg yolk or yellow food color (I skip this)

Make a white sauce of the butter, flour, chicken broth and cream; cook until thick (about 5 minutes) and bubbly. Add remaining ingredients and simmer about 15 minutes. Garnish with chives, popped corn or bacon bits. (We like croutons better) Serves 8-10. Variation: 1/2 cup each--ch. celery, ch. carrots, ch. green pepper, and ch. onion. (Saute and add to the white sauce mixture.)

Blueberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar (+3 tsp for muffin tops)
1 tsp vanilla (recipe does not call for this, but I add it)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries (washed, drained, and picked over)

Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well. Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Crush 1/2 cup of the berries with a fork and add to mixture; fold in remaining berries. Divide batter in greased muffin tins. Sprinkle with the 3 tsps. of sugar. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes before removing. Store uncovered or they will be too moist the second day. (You can make these with two cups of frozen berries--but then don't crush any of the berries.)

Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomato, and Cream

2 tbl olive oil (I omit this)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled (I used 1 lb ground pork, not seasoned)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) package bow tie pasta (I have also used 20 oz. refrigerated 4-cheese tortellini)
3 tbl minced fresh parsley

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Cook meat and pepper flakes until meat is no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream and salt. Simmer (not covered) until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle each serving with parsley. (I topped with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese and broiled until lightly browned.) Makes 6 servings.

Bow Tie Pasta Salad (these amounts are a guideline)

1 (12 oz) box bow tie pasta
1 lb cooked and crumbled bacon
1 (or more) red bell pepper, diced small (save some for garnish)
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 bunch green onion, finely sliced (save some for garnish)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds (salted but not dry roasted)
1 (16 oz) jar Byerly's Parmesan Dressing (or the dressing recipe below)

Prepare the pasta according to the package directions; cool. Toss with
remaining ingredients. Better if made a day ahead of time. Before
serving, add a bit more dressing and stir. Garnish with red pepper and
green onion.

Creamy Parmesan Dressing

2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk (may need 3/4 cup though)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
1 - 2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 tbl vinegar
2 tbl sugar
2 tsp prepared yellow mustard

Combine all ingredients. Refrigerate covered for several hours or overnight. (You may have some dressing left over.)

Cheese & Potato Wild Rice Soup

1 cup wild rice, uncooked
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and cut in pieces (I use more)
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of potato soup (Dilute with 1 can liquid - 1/2
milk, 1/2 water)
1 qt milk (I use some cream)
2 1/2 cups grated american cheese, (or 10 oz, diced)

Combine wild rice and water in sauce pan and cook over low heat for 45 min. Drain. Set aside. Fry bacon pieces and onion in skillet till bacon is crisp. Drain bacon and onion on paper towel.
Place soup in large saucepan, dilute as directed above. Stir in milk (1 quart) bacon, cheese, and cooked rice. Stir until cheese is melted. Garnish with carrot. You can prepare ahead of time & freeze (but don't add the milk, cream, cheese or bacon until the heating the soup for serving. You can get the bacon cooked and crumbled ahead of time and freeze it in a baggie with the soup. Also dice the cheese and have ready in the refrigerator ahead of time and the last minute preparation becomes very quick and easy.

Wild Rice Soup

6 tbl butter
1 tbl minced onion
1/2 cup flour
2 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth (or 3 1/2 cups)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1/2 cup finely grated carrots
1/3 cup minced ham
3 tbl chopped slivered almonds
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup half-and-half
1 tbl dry sherry (optional)

In large saucepan, melt butter; saute onion until tender. Blend in flour; gradually add broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in rice, carrots, ham, almonds and salt; simmer about 5 minutes. Blend in half-and-half and sherry; heat to serving temperature. Makes 6 cups.

Cheesecake Brulee

Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbl brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter

Mix, pat in 4 mini-cheesecake pans, and bake for 10 minutes at 325°. Then line the outside of the pans with foil (shiny side out) and place in cake pans. Fill pans with boiling water (almost half-way up the sides of the mini spring form pans.)

Filling:
16 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbl sour cream
2 eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tbl vanilla paste (I used 1 tsp vanilla)

Beat filling ingredients until smooth and divide between mini-cheesecake pans.
Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes. (I bake 35 minutes.) Top is very light, almost white. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

To caramelize:
Sprinkle about 1 tbl white sugar over each mini-cheesecake (un-mold it first.) Don't be stingy with the sugar. Using a kitchen torch, move the flame continuously in small circles on the surface of the cheesecake until sugar melts, bubbles, and lightly browns. Serve immediately. Makes 4 mini-cheesecakes. (Each one is really large enough to serve two people.) This is wonderful!

CINDY'S ITTY BITTY MEXICAN WEDDING CAKES

12 tbl (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (use only 1/4 tsp if using Penzey's cinnamon)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, finely chopped (I use walnuts and chop very fine--measure the cup of nuts, then chop)
confectioner's sugar for coating

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat the butter until fluffy. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla and mix well. Stir all other ingredients together in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and mix until partially combined (I use an electric mixer to this point then switch to a spatula so I can stop stirring as soon as the mixture forms a ball.) Do not overmix or cookies will be dry and crumbly. Roll dough into 1/2 inch logs and cut into 1 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place 1/2 inch apart on cookie sheet (I do not grease.) Bake in middle of the oven for 8-10 minutes until cookies look dry and have very little color. Remove from oven and cool for about 10 minutes. Then roll in confectioner's sugar. Cool completely and roll again in confectioner's sugar. Makes 100-110 tiny cookies. These melt in your mouth!!! (Note: To make the correct size of cookies, I divide the dough into four pieces and make 25 cookies from each fourth.)

CINNAMON CRUMB CAKES


BATTER
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder

STREUSEL TOPPING
1 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into tbl sized pieces

Preheat oven to 325°. You will need 2 muffin pans that hold 12 muffins each. If they aren't non-stick, spray with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour and the baking powder together in a bowl and add to the rest of the batter ingredients. Mix on low speed until well blended--the batter will be thick. Divide the batter evenly among the 24 cups, filling them about 1/2 way. To make the streusel topping, mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl and cut the butter into that mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (you can use your hands for this, rubbing it between your finger tips--don't make it too fine, you want some body to the streusel.) Put about a tbl of topping over each cake, using up all the topping (you will not see much batter at this point.) Bake 16 - 18 mins. Do not overbake (check with a toothpick and they're done when it's inserted in the middle and comes out clean.) Cool 5 minutes in the pans and then remove (I did not use paper baking cups.) Makes 24. Delicious!!

Cinnamon Loaf (make the evening before serving)

Mix and pour into a 9 x 13 pan:
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 (1 lb each) loaves of frozen bread dough

Cover with foil and a heavy towel. Leave on the counter to rise overnight.

In the morning, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (no amounts were given in the recipe, but use a couple of tbl of sugar and 1 - 2 tsp of cinnamon, depending on the quality of the cinnamon) then punch lots of holes in the bread with a spoon handle.

Pour into the holes:
1 cup whipping cream

Bake at 350° for 30 - 35 minutes. (The recipe does not indicate this, but I wait for 10 minutes after baking and then turn the loaf onto a foil covered pan. Cut these in caramel roll sized pieces. Wonderful warm.

COUNTRY FRIED CORN

6 ears fresh corn
3 slices cooked crumbled bacon (I use more)
3/4 cup half and half cream (approximate)
1/4 cup butter (start with just 2 tbl)

Using a sharp knife, cut the tips of the kernels off and place in a bowl. Scrape the cobs with the knife to get the remaining corn. Place in the bowl and set aside. Cook and crumble the bacon. Stir the corn into the hot bacon drippings. (I remove a lot of the drippings.) Add the half and half and the butter. Stir until it thickens. (If it doesn't get as thick as you would like, mix 1-2 tsp of corn starch in a bit of water and add to the corn.) Last, stir in the crumbled bacon. I add a pinch of sugar to this too. Everyone loves this.