CHICKEN ROLL W/CRANBERRY FILLING
4 chicken breast halves bone, skin and flatten
1/3 C. orange juice
2/3 C. + 2 T. dried cranberries divided
5 T. margarine divided
1/4 C. celery chopped
1/4 C. green onion chopped
1 C. herb stuffing mix, crush divide
1/2 t. ground sage
1/2 t. white pepper
3 T. honey mustard
tomato rosettes
garnish sprigs
In small saucepan, place orange juice and heat over medium heat. Add cranberries. Cover and set aside to soften. In another saucepan, place 2 T. of the margarine and melt over medium heat. Add celery and onion and saute about 2 minutes. To 1/3 cup of the stuffing mix, add sage; stir into celery onion mixture and add 2/3 cup of the cranberries.
Sprinkle chicken with pepper and spread with mustard. Spoon cranberry mixture in center of each piece, roll chicken over filling and fasten with wooden picks. Melt remaining 3 T. margarine and dip each chicken roll, first in margarine and then in remaining 2/3 cup crushed stuffing.
Place chicken on baking pan lined with foil and sprayed with a vegetable spray.
Bake, uncovered in 350°F. oven about 30 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease. Garnish with tomato rosettes and parsley; sprinkle chicken with remaining 2 T. cranberries.
SEAFOOD & CHEESE BRUNCH BAKE
2 T. butter
1 8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
1/3 C. green onions sliced
1/2 lb. shelled deveined shrimp
1 6 oz. can crabmeat, drained
6 slices white bread
3 T. purchased pesto
8 oz. grated swiss cheese
6 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
salt and pepper to taste
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook until shrimp begin to turn pink. Stir in crab and remove from heat.
Spread 3 slices of the bread with the pesto. Top each with another bread slice and press firmly together. Cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Layer 1/2 into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese. Top with the mushroom/shrimp mixture. Top with remaining bread and cheese.
Beat eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, salt and pepper. Beat well and pour over bread mixture. Push the bread down lightly, so that all is covered with the egg mixture. Cover, refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
To serve: Bake at 350°F. for 35 - 40 minutes. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean. Let set for 5 minutes before serving.
NO BAKE ORANGE BALLS
12 oz. vanilla wafer cookies, crushed
1 C. confectioners' sugar
1/4 C. butter, room temperature
1/2 C. orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 t. vanilla
1 C. chopped pecans
additional confectioners' sugar and/or, coconut
Combine crumbs and sugar; blend in butter. Stir in orange juice concentrate; add vanilla and nuts.
Shape mixture into bite-sized balls; shake in plastic bag with additional confectioners' sugar or coconut. Arrange orange balls in single layer on tray; store uncovered overnight in refrigerator for best flavor.
Makes 36 - 40 balls.
CHOCOLATE FILLED MONKEY BREAD
18 frozen white dinner rolls, thawed
1 1/2 cups (9 oz.) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butterscotch sauce (optional)
1/4 cup Chocolate Flavor Syrup, (optional)
GREASE 12-inch Bundt pan.
CUT each roll in half. Press each half into 3-inch circle. Place 10 or 11 morsels in center of dough circle, shaping dough into a ball around morsels. Pinch dough to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and morsels. Dip each in melted butter and roll in sugar. Arrange dough balls in prepared pan; seam sides up. Cover; let rise in warm place for 40 minutes or until doubled in size.
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
BAKE for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen sides and invert onto serving platter. Drizzle with butterscotch sauce and Nesquik. Serve warm.
LACY VALENTINE SALAD
1 package gelatin -- lemon flavored
2 cups water -- fruit juice
10 marshmallows -- cut in pieces
1/2 cup apricots -- cut and drained
1/2 cup dates -- cut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries -- sliced
1/2 cup celery -- finely cut
1 cup grapefruit -- canned, drained
Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup hot water or fruit juice and add the remaining cup of cold liquid. Chill until partly set, then add remaining ingredients. Pour into individual heart-shaped molds and chill. Unmold for serving on chicory or curly endive which will give a lacy effect. Garnish each salad with an arrow of mayonnaise forced through a pastry tube.
PUFFY HEARTS COOKIES
PASTRY
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt
1 C. cold butter
8 oz. cold cream cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1 T. water
Coarse sugar (optional)
FILLING
Cherry, raspberry or apricot preserves
Almond paste
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter and cream cheese until well combined (a food processor works well for this). Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to one-eighth inch thickness. Cut out heart shapes with a two-inch cookie cutter. Place half the cutouts on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place a scant quarter teaspoon of preserves and a quarter teaspoon of the almond paste in the center of each heart.
Combine egg and water. Brush edges of heart with egg mixture. Top each heart with a second heart, pressing edges with the tines of a fork. Brush finished hearts with an egg mixture. If desired, sprinkle tops with coarse sugar. Bake at 375ºF for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack
RICE KRISPY FUNNEL KISSES
1/4 cup butter
10 oz package of marshmallows, mini or regular size (4 C total
5 C Rice Krispies cereal (regular or chocolate flavor)
cooking spray or oil/shortening
Microwave margarine and marshmallows on high for 1 minutes in microwave-safe, very large mixing bowl. Stir to combine. (You can spray the bowl with cooking spray or grease with oil beforehand so the marshmallow stuff won't stick.)
Microwave at high 1 minute longer. Stir until smooth. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.
Spray or grease a funnel with oil, cooking spray or shortening. Spray two baggies and place on your hands, oiled side out. This will keep your hands from getting yucky.
Press rice krispy mixture into the funnel (use waxed paper instead of your hand to press), and then place molded rise krispy kiss on waxed paper.You may need to shape them a little more to make them look like kisses. Repeat until you have used all of your rice krispy mixture.
Note:
You can used any sized funnel. Different sizes might look pretty neat! BR>
ORANGE PECAN PASTRY SLICES
1 sheet frozen puff pastry
TOPPING
2 T. sugar
1 t. orange peel
1/2 C. finely chopped pecans
2 T. butter
Thaw puff pastry according to the package.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, orange peel and pecans. Stir in the butter.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Unfold thawed pastry and cut into 3 strips along the fold lines. Place the pastry strips on a parchment lined cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Prick with a fork, 4 - 6 times on each strip. Spread 1/3 of the topping on each piece of pastry.
Bake for 14 - 17 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool. Cut each strip into 1 inch pieces, cut on the diagonal.
Note:
Alternate suggestion. Spread a thin layer of your favorite jam before adding the topping. These will only be good the day they are baked, so don't do more than you think you'll use. 1/3 C. Mini Chocolate chips would also be good added into the topping.
MARSHMALLOW PUFFS
36 large marshmallows
1-1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 C chunky peanut butter
2 T butter or margarine
Makes 3 dozen
Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and butter the foil. Arrange marshmallows in pan. In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Pour over the marshmallows. Chill completely. Cut between marshmallows.
UPSIDE DOWN CHOCOLATE CAKE
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar; packed
1 can apricot halves, drained
8 to 10 maraschino cherries,halved
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
dash of cinnamon
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy frying pan or 9 inch square pan. Add brown sugar, then arrange the apricot halves all over the bottom of the pan on the brown sugar, placing cherry halves between. Set aside while preparing cake. Cream the 1/3 cup butter, white sugar, cocoa and cinnamon; add eggs, beaten very little, and whip the mixture vigorously. The add the flour and baking soda, sifted together, alternately with the milk. Add vanilla and pour batter into the pan over the fruit. Bake in a 350°F oven 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm.
RED HOT VALENTINE'S DAY SALAD
6 oz Cherry Jello; (2 Pkgs)
4 oz Red Hots Candy
3 c Boiling Water
20 oz Pineapple, Crushed, Undrained
2 c Applesauce
Dissolve jello and cinnamon red hots in boiling water; set aside and let cool till room temperature When jello is cooled, add pineapple and applesauce. Pour into oiled 8-cup mold. Chill before serving.
CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY CONES
Make 12 cones
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
FILLING
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons Framboise (Raspberry liquor)
4 ounces strawberries, hulled
Preheat oven to 400 F (205° C). Grease and flour 3 baking sheets.
Sift flour and cocoa into a medium-sized bowl; stir in sugar. Make a well in center. Add egg white and butter and beat until smooth. Place spoonfuls of mixture onto prepared baking sheets, spacing well apart, and spread out thinly to 4-inch circles. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake in preheated oven 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with palette knife and curl each around a cornet mold, holding in position until set. Remove from molds.
To prepare filling, in a small bowl, whip whipping cream and Framboise until thick. Spoon 1/4 of whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large fluted nozzle.
Slice strawberries and reserve 12 slices. Fold remaining strawberry slices into remaining whipped cream and spoon into chocolate cones. Pipe a rosette of whipped cream on each and decorate with a strawberry slice.
Note: The mixture makes 15 cones which allows for 3 breakage's. Only bake 3 circles at a time or they will begin to set before you have time to roll them up.