No Bake Cookie Balls

No Bake Cookie Balls
from Taste of Home

60 ServingsPrep: 20 min. + standing

Ingredients
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1-3/4 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 55 wafers)
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup orange juice
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
Additional confectioners' sugar

Directions
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Stir in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla wafers, walnuts, orange juice and corn syrup.
Roll into 1-in. balls; roll in additional confectioners' sugar. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 5 dozen.

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies

Butterscotch Gingerbread Cookies
from Taste of Home

24 ServingsPrep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min. + cooling

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 packages (3-1/2 ounces each) cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding mix
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs. Combine the flour, pudding mixes, ginger, baking powder and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool. Decorate as desired.
Yield: about 2 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 cookie equals 194 calories, 8 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 38 mg cholesterol, 144 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin Oatmeal
from the kitchen of Susan Reid
(link where recipe originated is attached to title of recipe)

1 cup old fashioned oats, not quick cook
1 Tbs whole flax seeds, optional
2 1/2 Tbs brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp butter, softened
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup milk

Topping:
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 tsp butter, softened
1 Tbs brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 4 individual sized ramekins. Set aside.

Combine the oats through salt in a medium sized bowl. Stir well. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, butter, pumpkin, and milk. Whisk thoroughly. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oats. Stir until combined.

Divide mixture evenly between 4 individual sized ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to move in and out of the oven.). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the topping: chopped pecans, butter, and brown sugar. After the oatmeal has baked for 10 minutes, remove and divide topping mixture evenly between the ramekins. Bake and additional 7 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with a splash of milk and raisins, if desired.

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Bars

Chocolate Mint Cheesecake Bars
from the kitchen of Cassie Carpenter

PREP: 15 min
COOK: 30 min
YIELD: 1 1/2 dozen bars

2 cups finely crushed oreo cookies (the mint ones are yummy too)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 Tbs. peppermint extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening
14 creme de menthe thin candies, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 325. In medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter; mix well. Press crumb mixture firmly on bottom of 9-inch baking pan. Bake 6 minutes. Cool.
2. In separate bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, eggs and peppermint extract until smooth. Pour over cooled cookie base and bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool 20 minutes; chill.
3. Just before serving, in heavy saucepan, melt chocolate chips and shortening. Drizzle over top of chilled cheesecake bars. Sprinkle chopped chocolate mint candies over the top. Cut into bars. Refrigerate leftovers

Almond Crescents

Almond Crescents
from the kitchen of Oriana Montani

There are always a big hit when I make them. Don't forget to really pile the powered sugar on at the end while they're still a little warm.


1 1/4 cups almonds unblanched
1 cup butter (2 sticks) - room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sifted flour
powder sugar for dusting

Grind almonds fine (but not to a paste) in processor
Cream butter and sugar together
Stir in ground almonds, vanilla, salt and flour
Chill dough until firm

Set oven at 350 degrees.
Lightly grease baking sheets.
Break off walnut size pieces of dough. roll pieces into sticks 1/2 inch thick.
Bend stick into crescent shapes.
Place on prepared baking sheets leaving space between crescents

Bake 15 minutes until crescents are dry but not brown.
Cool slightly. Roll each cookie in powder sugar.
Makes 36 cookies

Christmas Ice-Cream Cake

Christmas Ice-Cream Cake
from Patty Santos

2 boxes of vanilla ice cream sandwiches
1 1/2 tubs cool whip
5-6 crushed heath bars
green sprinkles
red sprinkles
carmel syrup

layer bottom of a 9 X13 baking pan with ice cream sandwiches
spread ample amounts of cool whip, crushed heath bar and carmel syrup
repeat for another layer.
finish with red and green sprinkles

Potatoes Gratin

Potatoes Gratin
From the kitchen of Sherry Watkins

3 cups diced cooked potatoes
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 cup soft bread crumbs

Place potatoes in a shallow, broilerproof baking dish. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter. Remove 3 tablespoons of butter to a cup or bowl; set aside. To the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan, add flour. Stir to blend well; gradually stir in milk. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick and smooth. Add cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted. Pour sauce over potatoes in baking dish; mix gently. Place bread crumbs in a bowl; drizzle with remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter; toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs evenly over potatoes. Bake potatoes au gratin at 400° for about 15 minutes to heat through, then broil until golden brown.
Recipe for potatoes au gratin serves 4

Grandma’s Thanksgiving Gravy

Grandma’s Thanksgiving Gravy
From the kitchen of Stephanie Douvas

Turkey Drippings (usually 3-5 cups, depending on the size of turkey)
Wondra
 Milk
2 pkts Lawry’s Turkey Gravy
1jar of Turkey Gravy (just as a starter)
salt and pepper to taste (but I use a lot of pepper)

1. Start with premade gravy and thin with milk.
2. Add turkey drippings and pepper to mix
3. Sprinkle in turkey gravy pkt and wondra to bring to desired thickness
4. Continue this process until you have enough gravy for the amount of people eating

**this gravy is all about tasting and improvising as you go**

Traditional Turkey

Traditional Turkey
From the kitchen of Stephanie Douvas

1 Turkey (any size, but this year it was 24.5 lbs)
1 cup butter Salt and Pepper to taste
1-2 whole onions
 Celery
Garlic
 Turkey Stock

1. Clean turkey and pat dry
2. Stuff cavity with as many onions, garlic and celery as possible
3. Massage butter into the turkey, put a little in the cavity, and in the creases of the legs
4. Pour enough turkey stock in the bottom of the pan to be about a ¼ inch high
5. Cover turkey with heavy duty foil and put in oven at 350 (for my turkey this year it will be about 5 hours)
6. Last hour to hour and a half remove foil to allow turkey to become beautifully golden (cook until internal temp reaches 165)

Libby's Pumpkin Pie

Libby's Pumpkin Pie
From the kitchen of Diana Brewster

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.