Breakfast Casserole………………….2
Caramel Apple Baked Brie…….……3
Sausage Strata..................................4
Shrimp Mold…………………………..5
1
Breakfast Casserole
8 slices white bread, cubed
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 pound bulk sausage, cooked & drained
8 eggs, beaten
21/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Topping:
1 (10 ounce) can cream of
mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
Ingredients:
Directions:
Hannah Pripps – AIT-Chicago
We always have this for Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. It is best
to make the night before, which makes the morning easy...and delicious!
1. Layer bread, cheese and sausage in a buttered 9- by 13-inch baking
dish.
2. Combine eggs, 21/2 cups milk and dry mustard; pour over all.
3. Combine soup with 1/2 cup milk and pour over top of casserole. Cover
and refrigerate overnight.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 1 to 11/2 hours.
5. Serves 10.
2
Caramel Apple Baked Brie
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped, peeled firm apple
such as Braeburn or Granny Smith
1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
such as Craisins
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped, shelled
pistachios or pecans
2 tablespoons brandy or apple juice
(use the brandy – it’s the holidays!)
1 (8 ounce) round Brie cheese
Ingredients:
Directions:
Diane Klotz – AIT-Minneapolis
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8-inch skillet, melt butter over low
heat. Add apple, cranberries, brown sugar, pistachios and brandy;
cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until apples are just tender.
2. Cut Brie round in half horizontally, place bottom half in ungreased 9-
inch pie plate.
3. Spoon half of fruit mixture over cheese; place top half of cheese over
fruit. Top with remaining fruit mixture. Secure with 3 toothpicks.
4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cheese is soft.
5. With broad spatula, slide Brie from pan onto serving platter. Spoon
any syrup and fruit from pan over top.
Serve warm with baguette slices, crackers or apple slices.
3
Sausage Strata
1 pound savory bulk breakfast
sausage
4 ounces fresh button mushrooms,
sliced
1 small onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
Pepperidge Farm stuffing cubes
1 cup half and half
12 eggs
Salt and pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 ounce) can cream of
mushroom soup
Ingredients:
Directions:
Judi Davis-Johnson – AIT-Detroit
1. In a large frying pan, melt butter and sauté the sausage and onions
over medium-high heat. Break the sausage into small pieces as it
cooks. Once sausage is sufficiently broken up, add mushroom slices.
2. In a 9 by 13-inch baking dish, spread a single layer of bread cubes to
just cover the bottom of the pan. Top with the sausage mixture.
3. Beat the eggs with the half and half. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour
this evenly over the layers of sausage and bread cubes. Sprinkle with
shredded cheddar cheese.
4. Thin the soup with a couple tablespoons of milk, then carefully spread
this over the top of the cheese.
5. Cover with foil and refrigerate until needed. Can be made the night
before.
6. If chilled, bring to near room temperate before baking. Remove foil and
bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 to 50 minutes.
7. Let set about 5 to 10 minutes before serving by cutting into wedges.
I always serve this breakfast casserole at my family’s Christmas brunch.
I’ve tried to switch it up with other items, but the kids and grandkids
always say, “Serve anything else you want as long as you also make the
strata!”
4
Shrimp Mold
1 can tomato soup
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 (3 ounce) package lemon Jell-O, dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 cans shrimp, drained, rinsed and mashed
Ingredients:
Directions:
Kathy Urbanus – AIT-Chicago
1. Heat soup to boiling.
2. Add cream cheese, mayonnaise and Jell-O.
3. Blend until cheese melts then beat with a mixer until smooth.
4. Let cool, then add celery, onion and shrimp.
5. Pour into a mayonnaise mold. Chill 6 hours and unmold.
6. Serve with cocktail rye or crackers.
5
Beef Tenderloin
with Cognac-Mustard Cream Sauce…………7
Game Day Soup…………………………………8
German Christmas Goose……………………..9
Turkey with Fruits…………………………….10
All Day Meaty Spaghetti…………………11, 12
Fabulous Baked Spaghetti…………………...13
Slow Cooked Peperoncini Beef……………….14
Kickin’ Turkey Chili……………………….15, 16
6
Beef Tenderloin with Cognac-Mustard Cream Sauce
2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
(shiitake mushrooms go well with
this sauce)
1 large shallot, minced
⅓ cup Cognac or brandy
1 cup whipping cream or half-
and-half
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
leaves
Ingredients:
Directions:
Sandra Armas – AIT-Chicago
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet over high
heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Place in skillet and brown
quickly on all sides. Place beef on a foil-lined roasting pan; cook to
medium rare, about 25 minutes, or until instant-read thermometer
reads about 130 degrees. Remove tenderloin from pan; let rest,
loosely tented with foil.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in original skillet over medium heat. Add
shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 1
minute. Add mushrooms, half-and-half, Dijon mustard and thyme;
cook 4 minutes.
3. Pour Cognac into pan; increase heat to high. Boil, scraping bottom
of pan to loosen brown bits, until reduced and thickened, about 5
minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, as
needed. Remove from heat.
4. Slice beef into 1/2-inch thick slices. Pour sauce over slices to serve.
I enjoy cooking this meal for my family every Christmas; it’s easy to
prepare and delicious. You can serve with green beans or asparagus and
baked or sweet potatoes.
7
Game Day Soup
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3/4 cup beer
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 bay leaf
7 ounces cheddar cheese,
shredded
3 ounces Swiss cheese,
shredded
1/2 pound smoked sausage
Ingredients:
Directions:
Ron Tessendorf – AIT-Chicago
1. Melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic; sauté
until softened. Add flour, cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
2. Add chicken broth, milk, beer, Worcestershire sauce, salt, mustard
and bay leaf.
3. Reduce heat to low. Cook until soup has thickened, whisking often.
4. Remove and discard bay leaves.
5. Slowly whisk cheeses into soup until combined and smooth.
6. Cut sausage lengthwise into quarters and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.
7. Sauté sausage in small skillet over medium-high heat until heated
through.
8. Blot excess grease with paper towels. Add sausage to soup and serve
hot.
This soup is best served while sitting on a couch wearing pajamas and
watching football!
8
German Christmas Goose
1 goose (9 to 11 pounds)
2-3 small apples
Salt, pepper and “Beifuss”
(Mugwort)
Water
Ingredients:
Directions:
Alice Buday – AIT-Chicago
1. Defrost goose, remove giblets and neck, wash thoroughly and dry.
2. Season the inside with salt, pepper and “Beifuss”. Depending on
size, cut apples in half or stuff with whole apples.
3. Close openings with toothpicks or kitchen twine.
4. Tie wings and legs with kitchen twine.
5. Season exterior with salt and pepper (rub with oil if desired).
6. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
7. A roasting pan with a rack works best. Arrange goose with breast up
and put into oven.
8. Add water and “Beifuss” to drippings collecting in the bottom of pan.
Use a spoon to pour the fluids over the goose frequently. Turn goose
as desired, but breast should be facing up at the end. If the goose
browns too quickly, reduce oven temperature.
9. Depending on weight, roast for 3 to 31/2 hours. About 20 minutes
before done, brush with salt water.
10.The drippings make a great sauce when thickened with flour.
Served best with potato dumplings, red cabbage and sauce from the
drippings.
Making a goose for Christmas is an old tradition in my family and I am
glad top be able to continue this here in the states – my husband loves it!
9
Turkey with Fruits
1 whole turkey breast (about 4 pounds)
Handful of dried plums
Handful of dried apricots
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ingredients:
Directions:
Margaret Cialon – AIT-Chicago
1. Mix all the spices together with honey and olive oil.
2. Cut the meat lengthwise to form a deep pocket.
3. Fill with plums and apricots. Truss the breast with toothpicks.
4. Brush the turkey with honey marinade and let sit in the fridge for
at least one hour (or overnight).
5. Place the breast in a baking pan and add some chicken stock.
6. Heat oven to 360 and roast for one hour and 20 minutes. Serve cold.
Instead of thyme and ginger you can use gingerbread spice, cardamom,
cinnamon and cloves.
1 tablespoon honey
1 spoon vegetable seasoning
1/2 spoon thyme
1/2 spoon ginger
10
All Day Meaty Spaghetti
2 (15 ounces) cans tomato sauce
2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can Italian-style
stewed tomatoes (if you don’t
like chunks, put in blender and
puree)
1 (10 ounce) can cream of mush-
room soup (mixed with 1/3 cup
milk)
1 to 11/2 pounds ground turkey
or ground beef (if you use
ground beef, drain excess grease
before adding to slow cooker)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Linann Hahn Casey – AIT-Los Angeles
1. Turn slow cooker on low.
2. Pour all canned ingredients into slow cooker. Add seasonings and
stir. Always start with less seasoning as you can add more, you can’t
take it out!
3. Brown ground turkey. Season to taste with salt, pepper, onion salt
and lemon pepper. After fully cooked, add to sauce in slow cooker.
4. Remove casings from turkey sausage and brown. After fully cooked,
add to sauce in slow cooker.
5. Cut turkey sausage into 1/4 slices and brown on both sides. Once
browned, add to sauce in slow cooker.
6. Let cook all day. Stir occasionally. Taste sauce as you may want to
add more seasoning. (Seasoning is all about preference. Some like
more, some like less.)
1 Hillshire Farm Turkey
Smoked Sausage (ok to
substitute beef)
1 package Jennie-O Hot Italian
Turkey sausage, lean
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon pepper to taste
Onion salt or powder to taste
2 to 3 teaspoons minced garlic
(more or less to taste)
Italian seasoning or oregano
leaves to taste
1 package spaghetti noodles
11
All Day Meaty Spaghetti
Directions (continued):
8. Prepare spaghetti noodles per directions on package.
9. Add a helping of noodles to your plate and a nice big scoop of meaty
sauce.
10.Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese or a little shredded cheese.
Our family favorite is Feta. It adds a creamy dimension to the sauce. A
lot of people add the sauce to the noodles once they are cooked. We add it
on top of the noodles on our plate as some people like more sauce, others
like less!
12
Fabulous Baked Spaghetti Linann Hahn Casey – AIT-Los Angeles
Directions:
4 to 5 cups All Day Meaty
Spaghetti sauce
1 package spaghetti noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
Ingredients:
1 to 11/2 cups shredded
cheddar cheese (may need more
or less)
Italian seasoning to taste
13
1. Prepare spaghetti noodles as per directions.
2. Place noodles in large bowl, add 2 to 3 cups of meaty spaghetti sauce
to bowl and mix together.
3. Add mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick
cooking spray.
4. Smooth down mixture and top with 1 to 11/2 cups of sauce. Smooth
sauce along top of noodles.
5. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and Italian seasoning , then drizzle
with olive oil.
6. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil
about 10 minutes before removing from oven to let the cheese brown
a little.
Slow Cooked Peperoncini Beef
1 (8 ounce) jar peperoncinis
1 package powdered ranch
dressing
1 small bag baby carrots
Ingredients:
Directions:
Danielle M. Pettigrew – AIT-Chicago
1. Turn slow cooker on high. Place meat in slow cooker.
2. Add half of the beef broth and half of the baby carrots (chopped).
3. Add the small red potatoes (chopped).
4. Add half of the peperoncinis with their juice. (For a spicier dish, add
the whole jar).
5. Top with the ranch dressing packet and let cook for 7 hours.
6. Serve with the roll of your choice. Bon appétit!!!
This is a great and easy recipe for those who work long days. I love
setting this up to cook in the morning. When I walk into my house after
work to smell the great aroma of my awaiting meal, it makes all these
cold Chicago winter days worthwhile.
1 round roast (aka rump roast)
(about 3 pounds)
3 small red potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can beef broth
14
Kickin’ Turkey Chili
1 (16 ounce) can dark red kidney
beans
1 (16 ounce) can light red kidney
beans
1 (16 ounce) can pinto beans
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
(pinto beans in chili sauce)
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (11/4 ounce) packet chili
seasoning mix
1 to 11/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 to 11/2 pounds ground turkey
1 package Hillshire Farm
smoked turkey sausage
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon pepper to taste
Onion salt or powder to taste
Ingredients:
Directions:
Linann Hahn Casey – AIT-Los Angeles
1. Add all beans and tomato sauce to slow cooker. Add chili seasoning
mix and stir to incorporate.
2. Brown ground turkey. Season with salt, pepper, lemon pepper and
onion salt to taste. Add to slow cooker and stir.
3. Cut turkey smoked sausage into 1/4-inch slices and brown on both
sides. Add to slow cooker once browned.
4. Let chili cook all day. Stir occasionally throughout the day.
5. Scoop a spoonful of chili into a bowl. Top with cheese and diced
onions. Enjoy!
15
-Continued on next page-
Our family likes to use the chili as part of our Frito Boats.
In a bowl, add about 1/2 cup of Original Fritos and sprinkle a little
cheddar cheese on top. Add a scoop of chili. Top with more cheddar
cheese, a small handful of sliced lettuce, chopped tomatoes, chopped
onions and a dollop of sour cream, then gobble up!!
16
Kickin’ Turkey Chili
Directions (continued):
Antipasto Bowl……………………………….18
Broccoli Soufflé……………………………….19
Creamed Onions……………………………...20
Garlic Bread…………………………………..21
Latkes………………………………………….22
Southern Greens……………………………..23
Sweet Potato Casserole……………………..24
Yummy Sweet Potatoes……………………..25
17
Antipasto Bowl
3 cups (about 3/4 pound) asparagus
sliced into 2-inch pieces
3 cups quartered mushrooms (about
3/4 pound)
1 cup red bell pepper strips
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
3 ounces part-skim mozzarella
cheese, cubed (about 2/3 cup)
1 (14 ounce) can quartered
artichoke hearts, drained
Ingredients:
Directions:
Lori Hilbig – AIT-Greenville/Spartanburg
1. Steam asparagus, covered, for 2 minutes.
2. Drain and plunge into ice water; drain well.
3. Combine the asparagus, mushrooms, red bell pepper strips, olives,
mozzarella cubes, artichoke hearts and peperoncini peppers in a
large bowl.
4. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir well
with a whisk. Pour vinaigrette over the vegetable mix.
1 (11-1/2 ounce) jar pickled
peperoncini peppers, drained
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
18
Broccoli Soufflé
2 packages frozen chopped broccoli,
thawed and drained
1 sleeve Ritz crackers (about 30),
crushed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon dehydrated minced onion
1/2 cup zesty Italian dressing
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 stick of butter, melted
4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
Ingredients:
Directions:
Sue Scully – AIT-Hartford
This recipe is from a co-worker from years ago who shared some family
favorites from Thanksgiving dinner.
1. Use butter to grease a 2-quart casserole dish, then add the remaining
butter to the recipe.
2. Mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
3. Add to casserole dish and bake uncovered 40 minutes at 350 degrees
19
Creamed Onions
24 ounces pearl onions (frozen is
fine)
2 cups heavy cream
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf
parsley
Ingredients:
Directions:
Robin Guthrie – AIT-Dallas
1. Cook onions for about 1 minute in a large pot of rapidly boiling water.
Remove onions from water with a strainer, then plunge into an ice
bath to stop the cooking process. Drain.
2. Place the onions in large saucepan and set over medium-low heat.
Add the cream, bay leaves, parsley, garlic and nutmeg. Season with
salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until thickened.
3. Remove the cover and add the chicken broth. Season again.
4. Allow to cook down for 5 minutes to reduce the cream sauce. Discard
the garlic clove and bay leaves before serving.
5. Serves 16.
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups chicken broth
If the sauce is too thin, whisk up a little flour in warm water and add to saucepan for thickness. This recipe can be halved for fewer servings. This is my son-in-law’s recipe and it is so delicious that I have added this side to our Thanksgiving menu over the past several years.
20
1 loaf French bread or 1
baguette
3 tablespoons butter, softened
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cut bread into slices.
2. Add minced garlic to softened butter (you can substitute garlic salt
or powdered garlic).
3. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese into the butter mixture.
4. Spread butter on both sides of each bread slice and brown on griddle
or in a cast iron skillet.
Garlic Bread
Linann Hahn Casey – AIT-Los Angeles
21
Latkes
2 pounds russet potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
and shredded over the large holes of a box
grater
1/2 cup grated onion
Salt and pepper
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
Ingredients:
Directions:
Matt Sanders – AIT-Chicago
Adapted from a Cook’s Illustrated recipe, these latkes have crisp exteriors with creamy interiors. Best of all, they can be frozen on a baking sheet, transferred to a Ziploc bag held in the freezer for up to a month. They reheat beautifully in a 375-degree oven (about 6 minutes per side).
22
1. Toss potatoes, onion and 1 teaspoon salt in bowl. Place half of the
potato mixture in the center of a clean dish towel, gather the ends
together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, reserving
the liquid in a measuring cup. Transfer the drained potato mixture to a
clean microwave-safe bowl and repeat with remaining potato mixture.
Allow starch to settle to bottom of potato liquid (takes at least 5
minutes).
2. Cover drained potato mixture and microwave until just warmed
through, but not hot, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a fork every 30
seconds. Spread evenly over a baking sheet and let cool for 10 minutes.
Do not wash out the bowl!
-Continued on next page-
3 ham hocks or leftover ham
1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch
pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
4 (1 pound) bags frozen collard,
turnip and/or mustard greens
Ingredients:
Directions:
Trip House – AIT-Minneapolis
1. If using ham hocks, boil for 45 minutes.
2. In a deep pot, add bacon and cook on medium heat until fat is
rendered.
3. Add onions and garlic; cook until soft.
4. Add greens, ham hock water (if using) and ham. Cook per package
instructions.
5. Add vinegar, Tabasco and seasonings.
6. Cook low and slow for at least 6 to 8 hours. Season to taste.
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Tabasco pepper sauce
23
3. Pour off water from reserved potato liquid, leaving only the starch. Add
eggs and stir until smooth. Return cooled potato mixture to bowl. Add
parsley, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and potato starch mixture. Toss to combine.
4. Heat 1/4-inch depth of oil in a non-stick 12-inch skillet over medium-
high heat until shimmering, but not smoking (about 350 degrees). Place
1/4-cup of potato mixture in the oil and press with a non-stick spatula
into a 1/3-inch thick disk. Repeat to make a batch of 5 latkes. Cook about
3 minutes until golden brown on the bottom, maintaining heat so the oil
bubbles around the edges of the latkes. Turn and cook about 3 minutes
longer until golden brown on second side. Drain on paper towel-lined
baking sheet or plate. Add oil and adjust heat to maintain 350 degree
temperature before making another batch with the remaining potato
mixture.
Southern Greens
-Continued from previous page-
Sweet Potato Casserole
For the sweet potatoes:
1 (29 ounce) can sweet
potatoes, drained (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
Salt to taste
For the topping:
5 tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
1 cup pecan pieces
Ingredients:
Directions:
Hannah Pripps – AIT-Chicago
Pecans>marshmallows.
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mash the sweet potatoes and add the
melted butter, milk, sugar, vanilla, beaten eggs and a pinch of salt.
Stir until incorporated. Pour into a shallow baking dish or a cast iron
skillet.
2. Combine the butter, brown sugar, flour and pecan pieces in a small
bowl, using your fingers to create moist crumbs. Sprinkle generously
over the casserole.
3. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the edges pull away from the sides of
the pan and the top is golden brown. Let stand to cool and solidify a
little bit before serving. Serves 8.
24
Yummy Sweet Potatoes
5 to 6 good size sweet potatoes
Butter
Light brown sugar
Ingredients:
Directions:
Barb Novello – AIT-Chicago
1. Boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Remove the skins.
2. On the bottom of a 8- by 8-inch baking dish (I use Pyrex), place 2 or
3 pats of butter.
3. Slice a sweet potato into slices about 1/3-inch thick and place a layer
onto the butter. Place 2-3 pats of butter onto the layer and cover
with some brown sugar.
4. Continue with the layering of potatoes, butter and brown sugar
until you reach the top of the baking dish (or run out of sweet
potatoes).
5. Cover and bake at 325 to 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes.
What’s nice about this is you can get it ready the night before you need it. If you’re roasting a turkey, cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven with the turkey for the last half hour of ‘turkey cook time’. When the turkey is done, uncover the potatoes and let them bake a little while longer. (Sometimes I put a little more brown sugar on for the last few minutes). Delicious – but not for ‘calorie counters’.
25
Apple Cranberry Mince Pie……………….…27, 28
Cheesecake………………………………….…........28
Chocolate Spritz Cookies……………………….…29
Christmas Punch…………………………………..30
Cinnamon Twist Cookies…………………….31, 32
Jack Daniels Pecan Pie………………….......33, 34
Judy’s Brandy Balls……………………………….34
Nutella Pie………………………………………….35
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars………........36
Reese’s Nutter Butter Cookie Truffles…………37
Sweet and Salty Rocky Road Bars……………...38
Vanilla Protein Egg Custards……………………39
26
Apple Cranberry Mince Pie
1 ready-made pie crust for a single
crust pie, 8 or 9 inches
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3 medium tart apples
1 box (9 ounces) Borden None
Such mincemeat
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen
cranberries
Ingredients:
Directions:
Sue Scully – AIT-Hartford
1. Heat oven to 425. Place pie crust in pie pan and sprinkle with 2
tablespoons of flour.
2. For the topping, combine remaining flour and sugar in a small bowl
and cut in 1 tablespoon of butter with pastry blender or forks until
mixture has the texture of small peas. Reserve.
A favorite holiday pie. Even
people who claim not to like
mincemeat love this one. Just
one thing… you have to find the
box of condensed mincemeat.
Mincemeat in the jar is just not
the same.
-Continued on next page-
27
3. Prepare mincemeat by crumbling into a small saucepan. Add water
and sugar. Stir to combine and boil for 1 minute. Stir in cranberries
and remove from heat.
4. Spread the mincemeat-cranberry filling in the bottom of the pastry
shell.
5. Pare apples, cut into quarters and cut quarters into wedges 1/2-inch
thick at the outer edge. Lay the wedges over the mincemeat in 2
concentric circles. Cover center with 3 or 4 wedges. Sprinkle reserved
topping over apples.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are
tender and the cranberries bubble up.
-Continued from previous page-
Cheesecake
2 packages Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, separated
Cinnamon sugar
Ingredients:
Directions:
Deanna Specht – AIT-Chicago
1. Heat oven to 350.
2. Line bottom of 8- by 10-inch oven-safe dish with crescent rolls. Mix
sugar, cream cheese, vanilla extract and egg yolk in bowl.
3. Pour in pan, place second crescent roll on top of mixture. Beat egg
white and spread on top. Bake for 35 minutes. Once cooled, sprinkle
cinnamon sugar on top.
This has also been used as a breakfast dessert!
28
Chocolate Spritz Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons milk
2 ounces unsweetened
chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients:
Directions:
Pam Malek – AIT-Chicago
1. Using an electric hand mixer, cream butter and sugar well until light
yellow, then beat in egg and milk and stir in cooled melted chocolate.
Gradually blend in flour and salt. Chill cookie dough about 1 hour.
2. Fill a cookie press with dough and form cookies on ungreased cookie
sheets.
3. Decorate with colored sprinkles before placing in oven. Bake at 375 for
8 to 10 minutes. Remove cookie sheets from oven, cool for 1 minute,
then transfer cookies to cooling racks.
4. Store tightly covered in cookie tins with wax paper between layers.
Yields 3 to 4 dozen.
This is one of my mom’s recipes that she only bakes at Christmas. I
remember my sister and I could hardly wait each year to help decorate the
cookies after Mom formed them on the cookie sheets.
29
Christmas Punch
1 cup gin
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 pint half and half
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Cream soda
Red and green sprinkles
Ingredients:
Directions:
Kim Smigiel – AIT-Chicago
1. In a large pitcher, mix together gin, whipping cream, powdered
sugar, half and half and lemon juice.
2. Keep mixture refrigerated until ready to serve.
3. In a glass, add 1 jigger of mixture and pour cream soda over.
4. Sprinkle the top of the drink with red and green sprinkles to look
festive.
30
Cinnamon Twist Cookies
4 cups sifted flour
1-1/2 cups margarine or butter
(3 sticks)
3 eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/2 to 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
Cinnamon
Crushed Walnuts
Ingredients:
Directions:
Erika Screnci – AIT-Boston
1. Place flour in a large bowl and cut in margarine or butter as for
pastry. Add egg yolks, slightly beaten. Then add vanilla and sour
cream. Mix well and chill overnight.
2. To bake, divide dough into 8 to 10 parts. Dust cutting board with flour,
white sugar and cinnamon. Flour a rolling pin and roll each part into
a circle.
None of the twists ever look alike!
Don’t worry about it, they are all
delicious.
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3. Now take egg whites, beaten fluffy, and add 1/2 to 1 cup of
confectioner’s sugar. Beat until stiff, then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
Brush the rolled dough with the egg white mixture and sprinkle with
the sugar, cinnamon and mixed walnuts. (Pre-mix the walnuts with
the white sugar and cinnamon).
4. Roll each wedge loosely starting with the wide edge. Place on baking
sheets covered with parchment paper.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly golden.
Yields 20 or more.
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Jack Daniels Choco-Pecan Pie
1 Pastry shell
3 Eggs
2 Egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
5 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 to 1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s (can
substitute various bourbons and
whiskeys for a different flavor)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup pecan halves
Ingredients:
Daniel Medalie – AIT-Denver
This recipe was my first attempt at
baking and taking to a customer, back
in ’07. My customer called me after I left
their office and asked me why I hadn’t
left spoons. I didn’t get the joke… they
had to explain to me that the pies were
bowls of pie-soup. They hadn’t cooked
enough and never set. It was
embarrassing.
Nowadays, I’ve perfected this recipe,
and it’s become a tradition that I take it to customers the week before
Thanksgiving. Customers know they’ve made the “short list” when I bring in
this pie – and for those who’ve made the list for the first time, I spend the
majority of my visit convincing them I baked it myself!
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Directions:
1. Place pastry shell into the pan. Line the bottom of the crust with
chocolate chips.
2. Combine eggs, yolks, sugar, corn syrup, butter and whiskey in large
bowl and mix for about 3 minutes or until well blended. Add pecans to
bowl and mix for about 30 seconds.
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Judi’s Brandy Balls
2-1/2 cups finely chopped vanilla wafers (about 60)
1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup light corn syrup
Ingredients:
Directions:
Kathy Urbanus – AIT-Chicago
1. Combine wafer crumbs, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder and nuts.
2. Stir in brandy and corn syrup; add a little water (about 1-1/4
teaspoon, if needed).
3. Form into 3/4-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.
4. Store in an airtight container until served. Yields about 48 pieces.
3. Pour mix into the pie pan, carefully – not to spread the chocolate
chips into the perimeter of the pan.
4. Bake 1 hour, until top of pie is firm to the touch. Let sit for 2+
hours to set. Serves 6 to 8.
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1 small jar Nutella
1 package cream cheese
Homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip
Ready-made pie crust (Oreo cookie is good)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Jennifer Culbertson – AIT-Dallas
Mix together Nutella and cream cheese. Pour into pie crust and
spread whipped cream on top. Serves 6.
It is easy, fast and delicious!
Nutella Pie
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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
2 Eggs
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter or margarine,
softened
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 package Betty Crocker yellow
cake mix
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet
chocolate chips
Ingredients:
Directions:
Shannon Sutton – AIT-Chicago
1. Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour an oblong pan (preferably 9- by
13-inch).
2. Beat eggs, water, butter, peanut butter and half of cake mix until
light and fluffy. Stir in remaining cake mix and chocolate chips
(dough will be stiff). Spread in pan. Bake for 45 minutes, checking at
the 35 or 40 minute mark for separation from the edges and golden
brown color.
If not a fan of the crunchy peanut butter texture, creamy peanut butter is
also an option. Our family came across this recipe from my grandma and we
have been making it ever since. It started as a holiday recipe, but now we
find ourselves making it in the off-season as well. Since they are in the oven
for a decent amount of time we’ve often burnt them—popping them in the
oven and running off to tend to something else—so a friendly reminder to
remember to check on these. Although, even burnt, they are hard to resist!
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Reese’s Nutter Butter Cookie Truffles
16 ounces Nutter Butter Cookies
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces quartered Reese’s
Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
3/4 tablespoon shortening
1 tablespoon sprinkles (optional)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Tera Goldsmith – AIT-Chicago
1. Blend the Nutter Butter cookies in a food processor until they are
fine crumbs. Break up the cream cheese into chunks and blend
together with the crumbs in the food processor. Transfer the dough
into another bowl and fold in the quartered peanut butter cups.
2. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.
Freeze for 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl,
stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Dip the frozen balls into the
melted chocolate, covering completely and gently tapping to remove
the excess chocolate. Place the truffles back onto the cookie sheet.
Immediately apply sprinkles before the chocolate sets. The chocolate
sets quickly because the truffle should still be frozen. Serves 40.
I found this recipe on the Six Sisters’ Stuff blog… my family loves Oreo
Cookie Truffles and Reese’s, so I knew these would be loved too.
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Sweet and Salty Rocky Road Bars
1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips
2 cups crisp chow mein noodles
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
1-1/2 cups mini marshmallows
Ingredients:
Directions:
Ray Fennelly – AIT-Chicago
1. Coat an 8- by 8-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and
line the bottom of the pan with wax paper cut to fit. Spray the wax
paper with non-stick spray. Gently melt the chocolate chips in a pan
on the stove or microwave in a microwave-safe medium-size bowl, stir
in the chow mein noodles, pecans, raisins and finally the
marshmallows until combined.
2. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and spread
smoothly and evenly with a spatula.
3. Refrigerate until firm. When you are ready to serve, invert the pan
onto a cutting board, remove the wax paper and cut into squares.
My kids love this!
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Vanilla Protein Egg Custards
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
4 eggs
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid vanilla Stevia
Cinnamon or nutmeg
Ingredients:
Directions:
Crystal Millikan – AIT-Dallas
1. Heat oven to 350. Heat milk until very hot, steaming but not boiling.
Beat eggs, protein powder, vanilla extract, Stevia and salt until
blended. Slowly stir in some hot milk to temper, then pour the rest in
gradually.
2. Grease or spray 6 ramekins and pour mixture evenly into each dish.
Place ramekins into a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon or
nutmeg over mixture.
3. Place in center of oven and pour hot water into baking dish until it
reaches half way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 25 to 30 minutes
then remove from water bath to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy warm or
refrigerate. Serves 6.
Sugar free and low carb.
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