Monday, November 12, 2007

Spiced Fruit Cider

By Stephanie Boyle

For more of a spirited drink you can add 375 ml of brandy or light rum.

Ingredients required:

8 cups apple cider
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp whole allspice
2 tsp whole cloves
2 apples
1 orange sliced
1 lemon sliced

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan place cider, orange and lemon juices, cinnamon and allspice.

2. Insert 1 tsp cloves into one apple and place into cider mixture. Cook at medium heat until hot but not boiling; cover and reduce heat to low and cook about 25 minutes.

3. Strain into serving container and garnish with apple, orange and lemon slices studded with remaining cloves.

4. Serve warm or col in mugs, garnished with additional cinnamon sticks.

Makes about 10 cups.

Vegetable Dip

By Stephanie Boyle

Easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients required:

1 pouch Lipton Vegetable Soup mix
1 - 500 ml container sour cream

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together well.

2. Chill for 2 hours.

Serve with cauliflower, carrot sticks or your favorite vegetables.

Cool Fruit Delight

By Stephanie Boyle

This recipe works well if you make it the night before it is needed to allow it to set overnight.

Ingredients required:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp margarine, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1- 10oz bag of mini marshmallows
1- 28oz can of fruit cocktail, drained
1- 500ml container of sour cream

Directions:

1. To prepare crust, combine graham crackers, sugar, add margarine and press mixture on the bottom of a spring form pan.

2. Combine mini marshmallows, fruit cocktail and sour cream; blend well and pour over crust. Chill several hours or overnight.

3. Optional - top pie with cherries.

Serves 12

Blueberry Coffee Cake

By Stephanie Boyle

Topping:

2tbsp margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp all purpose flour

Batter:

3/4cup margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine topping ingredients then set aside.

2. In a large bowl cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add egg, blend well on low speed. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.

4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, then add to batter and blend well.

5. Spread 2/3 of batter in lightly greased 9 inch spring form pan. Top with blueberries. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter over filling, spread until smooth.

6. Sprinkle with topping mixture.

7. Bake at 350F for 60-70 minutes or until done.

A nice substitute for the blueberries is using raspberries, strawberries, apples or even rhubarb can be used.

Makes 12 servings.

Marble Pound Cake

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

1. in a large bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla.

3. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, making 4 additions of dry ingredients and 3 additions of milk. Beat well after each addition.

4. Remove about 2 cups of batter to a small bowl. With wire whisk, beat cocoa into this batter until well blended.

5. Alternately spoon plain and chocolate batters into a greased and floured 10 inch(4L) tube pan. With a knife twist through batter to make the marbled effect.

6. Bake in 350F oven for 1 hour or until cake tester inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.

7. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto cake cooling rack and remove pan. Cool cake completely before frosting.

Crispy Chews

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup peanut butter
2-1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in saucepan over low heat. Cook until sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients in stirring until well combined.

3. Drop by the tablespoon onto wax paper lined baking sheets.

4. Chill for one hour and enjoy.

Makes 35 crispy chews

Butterscotch Squares

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-1/2 cups butterscotch chippits
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup coconut
2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions:

1. In a double boiler melt butter, peanut butter and butterscotch chippits.

2. Cool mixture.

3. In a bowl combine walnuts, coconut and marshmallows.

4. Add dry mixture to the double boiler mixture.

5. Chill until firm and then cut into squares.

Perfect Parfait

By Stephanie Boyle

A delicious treat!

Ingredients required:

2 oz strawberry schnapps
Vanilla ice cream
Fresh strawberries
Whipped Cream

Directions:

Fill half full a tall glass of of fresh strawberries. Add vanilla ice cream. Pour strawberry schnapps over ice cream. Top with whipped cream.

Strawberry Daiquiri

By Stephanie Boyle

A delicious treat for a hot summer day!

Ingredients required:

2 lemons
4 cups frozen strawberries
750 ml of Strawberry Schnapps

Directions:

In a large container mix juice of 2 lemons (3oz) and 4 cups of frozen strawberries thawed in their syrup or fresh strawberries (if fresh add 1/2 cup sugar) and one 750 ml of strawberry. Split in 2 batches to blend. Pour batches into bowl or pitcher over ice and serve.

Serves 6.

Fuzzy Navel

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients Required:

1-1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
unsweetened orange juice

Directions:

Combine peach schnapps and orange juice. Serve in old fashioned glass over ice. Garnish with 2 long straws and a slice of orange.

Peanut Butter & Jam Thumbprints

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Red Raspberry Jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Cream peanut butter, margarine and sugars in large mixing bowl. Add egg, vanilla and beat until smooth.

3. Sift dry ingredients together. Stir into peanut butter mixture just until blended. Refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour.

4. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Use thumb to make indentations in the center of the ball.

5. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, cool. Then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

6. Fill centers with jam once cooled.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Tom Collins

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1 tsp powdered sugar
3/4 jigger lemon juice
1 jigger gin
ice cubes
soda

Directions:

1. Dissolve powdered sugar into lemon juice.

2. Add gin and ice cubes.

3. Stir well.

4. Decorate with orange and cherry pieces.

Singapore Sling

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1 jigger of gin
1/2 oz cherry brandy
1/2 oz grenadine or benedictine
1/2-1 oz lemon juice (add to taste)

Directions:

1. Shake well with cracked ice and pour into glass.

2. Top with soda pop.

3. Decorate with fruit pieces. (cherry, orange, lemon)

Chocolate Crackles

By Stephanie Boyle

This recipe tastes best if it is kept cool in the refrigerator.

Ingredients Required:

4 squares sweet chocolate
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
2 cups Rice Krispies

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in saucepan over double boiler. let cool slightly.

2. Mix together coconut and Rice krispies. Pour on chocolate and mix together thoroughly using 2 forks.

3. Spoon heaped tablespoons of mixture into small paper cups or on wax paper lines baking sheets.

4. Refrigerate until set.

Makes 24 chocolate crackles.

Oatmeal Cookies

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients Required:

1 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1-1/4 cups quick cooking rolled oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.

2. Cream margarine with sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

3. Stir together flour, soda, salt and Cinnamon. Stir gradually into creamed mixture.

4. Add chocolate chips and oats.

5. Drop by the tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake for 12-14 mins.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Shortbread Drop Cookies

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1 cup flour
1-3/4 cups flour
4 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
vanilla to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Mix all ingredients together and beat well.

3. Bake in oven on greased cookies sheet for 12-15 mins.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Balls

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients required:

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp honey
1/2 cups peanuts coarsely chopped
1/4 skim milk powder
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

1. Blend together peanut butter and honey.

2. Stir in nuts and skim milk powder to make a fairly stiff dough. (Add more skim milk powder if necessary)

3. Roll mixture into 2.5cm balls. Coat with cereal, pressing peanut butter balls into the rice krispies.

4. Store in fridge, makes 18-20 peanut butter balls.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Stephanie Boyle

This is a great recipe to make for a bake sale or anything that needs a large amount of cookies. This recipe makes 6 dozen cookies.

Ingredients required:

1 cup Golden Crisco Shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. Cream together shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar.

3. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

4. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, then blend into dry mixture.

5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts/

6. Drop from a small spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Oatmeal & Dried Fruit Cookies

By Stephanie Boyle

This is a great way to add fruit into a cookie recipe.

Ingredients required:

2 cups Whole wheat flour
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped mixed dried fruits
2/3 cup corn oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.

2. In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients including the dried fruit.

3. Add oil and buttermilk and mix well.

4. Roll out the mixture to 3 mm thickness.

5. Use a cookie cutter to cut into 9-cm circles.

6. Place on oiled cookie sheets with a spatula.

7. Bake for 15-20 mins.

8. Cool cookies on wire rack.

White Cake

By Stephanie Boyle

Ingredients needed:

1 scant cup of butter or crisco
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups unsifted flour (make sure it''s full)
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs beaten
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp mace
1 tsp lemon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350-375 F. Grease and flour pan.

2. Mix all ingredients together except for eggs, beat those in last.

3. Bake for 1 hour keep checking to make sure it stays light and fluffy.