Brownie Peppermint Cookies

Brownie Peppermint Cookies
Yields about 3 dozen

Ingredients:
1 (18.3 oz) pkg brownie mix
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 recipe vanilla cream frosting, recipe follows
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a cookie sheet and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together brownie mix, flour, brown sugar and salt. Add in eggs and milk and stir with a large spoon. Add in melted butter, vanilla and peppermint extract, stir until well blended. Spoon dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (you can fit 12 per sheet). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting. Once cool, frost each cookie and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.


Vanilla Cream Frosting
Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together sugar, butter and cream until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and salt, blend well.

I added Peppermint Extract to the frosting as well as peppermint Hersey Kisses. These cookies turned out sooo cute and were delicious for the holidays!!!

Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing

Gluten-fee cornbread stuffing

For Cornbread:
1 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup shortening (not butter)
2 large eggs
1 cup milk (for dairy free use soy)
1 cup yellow cornmeal

For Stuffing:
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups gluten-free chicken stock
2 Tbsp dried sage
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425' Combine all the dry ingredients for the cornbread in a large bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour using two forks or a pastry cutter (or a food processor) until there are walnut-sized pieces of shortening in a sandy flour.

Combine the eggs and milk in a small bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Stir int he cornmeal, working quickly, until just combined. Do not over stir. Pour into greased 9*9*2 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the sides of the cornbread shrink slightly away from the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool, then crumble.

Reduce heat to 350' Grease one 9*13 pan baking dish. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter and saute the celery and onion until soft.

In a large bowl, combine the celery, onions, 3 cups crumbled corn bread, eggs, chicken stock, sage, salt and pepper. Mix well. Place into prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole

1 lb canned or fresh green beans (rinsed, trimmed and halved)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (for dairy free use dairy/gluten free butter)
2 large portabella mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/3 C sour cream (For Dairy Free use Soy Milk)
2 Tbsp gluten-free flour mix
2 cups gluten-free cream of mushroom soup
1 fried onion, thinly sliced

For fried onions:
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1/3 cup gluten-free flour mix
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine the sliced onions and dry ingredients in a large bowl, tossing until totally coated with flour and salt. Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet on medium-high. Brown the onions in the hot oil, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Place the browned onions on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 400' for the baking the casserole. If using fresh beans, boil in lightly salted water for 5 minutes, then rinse with cold water and drain. If using canned beans, rinse and set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and toss in sliced mushrooms and pepper. Stir over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add garlic and flour, stirring to coat. Cook and additional minute, then add the sour cream and soup and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook while the mixture thickens, approximately 5-8 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in half of the fried onions and all of the drained beans. Pour mixture into a large casserole dish and bake for 10 minutes, or until bubble. Sprinkle the remaining onions on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Strawberry Jam

3 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled
1 1¾ ounce package regular powdered fruit pectin
½ teas. Butter
7 cups Sugar

Place 1 cup of strawberries in an 8-quart heavy kettle. Crush berries. Continue adding berries and crushing until you have 5 cups crushed berries. Stir in pectin and butter. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a full rolling boil. Add sugar all at once. Return to boiling; boil q minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; skim off foam with a metal spoon.

Ladle at once into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a ¼ inch headspace. Wipe jar rims; adjust lids. Process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water returns to boil). Remove jars; Cool on racks. Makes about 7 half-pints.

For Dairy Free utilize Dairy Free Butter (I use Best Life)

Apple Pie Filling

6 quarts blanched sliced fresh Apples
5 ½ cups Sugar
1 ½ cups cornstarch, flour, or clear gel or ultra gel
1 T Cinnamon
1 teas. Nutmeg
2 ½ C cold Water
5 cups Apple Juice
¾ cups Lemon Juice

Use firm, crisp apples, if apples lack tartness, use an additional ¼ C of lemon juice for each 6 quarts of slices.
Wash, peel, and core apples. Prepare slices 1/4 -1/2 inches wide and place in cold water containing ¼ cup lemon juice for every 4 cups of water to prevent browning.

For fresh fruit, place 6 cups at a time in 1 gallon of boiling water. Boil each batch 1 minute after the water returns to a boil. Drain, but keep heated fruit in a covered bowl or pot. Combine sugar, spices, Ultra Gel, and spices in a large kettle with water and apple juice. Stir and cook on medium high heat until mixture thickens and begins to bubble. Add lemon juice and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Fold in drained apple slices immediately and fill jars with mixture without delay, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust lids and process immediately in a water bath according to the recommendations below.

Processing time for pint or quart size jars: 0-1000 ft: 25 minutes, 1001-3000 ft: 30 minutes, 3001-6000 ft: 30 minutes, Above 6000 ft: 40 minutes

Freezer instructions: Alternately this recipe can be placed in freezer bags and frozen for several months. Shelf life – 1 year.

Gluten Free NOTE: DO NOT USE FLOUR.

Apple Butter

5 pounds Tart Apples
2 cups Apple Cider
3-5 cups Sugar
¾ teas. Cinnamon
¾ teas. Cloves
½ teas. Allspice
½ teas. Nutmeg

• Core and quarter apples (peeling isn’t necessary). Cook apples slowly in cider until tender (I put mine in my crock pot) – then blend in a food processor or blender.

• Add 3 cups of sugar and check for sweetness, then add more as necessary (sometimes up to 5 cups total). Add spices and stir together.

• Cook for 6-8 hours in a crock pot. I just cook it overnight on low.

• Test for thickness by spooning butter on a cold plate. If no liquid comes out of the edges, it is thick enough. If it isn’t thick enough, you can take the lid off of the crock pot and turn it up to high, let some liquid boil off, but stir and check back often.

• Ladle into sterile jars leaving ¼ inch head space.

• Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude if necessary.

• You may also freeze this apple butter if you prefer.

Pumpkin-Banana Bread

I made this today - and it was a hit!

4 cups flour

2 teas. baking powder

2 teas. baking soda

2 teas. cinnamon

1 1/2 teas. nutmeg

1 teas. ginger

1 teas. salt

1/2 teas. ground allspice

1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin from a 15-oz can (save the remaining for the pumpkin glaze)

1 1/2 cups mashed bananas

1 1/3 cups vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350'. Grease and flour two 9*5 loaf pans and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and allspice until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, mashed bananas, yogurt, oil, eggs, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Add the flour mixture - half of it at a time - and mix until ingredients are combined. Fold in walnuts or pecans (optional).

Divide batter between the two prepared loaf pans and bake and 350' for 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pans, then remove from pans and cool completely before adding the glaze.

PUMPKIN GLAZE

2 Tbs. whipping cream

1-2 cups powdered sugar (start with 1 cup and add more depending on consistency)

Remaining pumpkin from your 15-oz can (should be about 2 tbs.)

You may add chopped walnuts or pecans for sprinkling over glaze.