Christmas Salad

FB Source: Julie Morgan

Ingredients:
Lime Jello 6 oz.
Lemon Jello 6 oz.
Cherry Jello 6 oz.
Pineapple juice 1/2 can.
Crushed pineapple 1 can ( save the juice to use )
Nuts are optional. We used crushed walnuts.
Whipping cream 1/2 pt.

Directions:

1. Make 1 box of Cherry jello as directed. Pour into a 9x13 pan and refrigerate until set.
2. Combined Lemon jello, 1/2 cup hot water, pineapple juice, cream cheese, and crushed pineapple. Layer on top of the cherry jello and refrigerate until set.
3. Make the Lime jello according to package directions. Gently pour over lemon/pineapple and cherry layers and refrigerate until set.
4. Beat the whipping cream. Layer on top. 
5. Sprinkle the nuts over top, if desired.

Chocolate Caramel Turtles

FB Source: Crystal Hebner

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package caramels
2 T heavy cream
1 cup pecan halves, salted
1 pound Ambrosia milk chocolate, melted or
16 (1 oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:

1. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt caramels in heavy cream.
2. Arrange pecans halves in groups of 4-5 on a greased waxed paper.
3. Spoon caramel mixture into a small mound in the middle of the nuts. The caramel should partially cover the nuts to keep them in place. Let stand until caramel is set.
4. In top of a double boiler, over hot water, melt chocolate, stir gently.
5. Using a small spoon, coat caramel with melted chocolate.
6. Let stand until chocolate is firm or refrigerate 30 mins.

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

ORIGINAL Source: Your Home Based Mom

Ingredients:
1 C Sugar
3 Tbsp plus 1-1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp grated lemon peel
1/2 C lemon juice
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 Cup milk
1/4 Cup butter, cubed
1 Cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked or graham cracker crust
1 Cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
* Lemon twists for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel, juice, egg yolks and milk in heavy saucepan
2. Cook over medium heat until thickened
3. Stir in butter
4. Cool mixture to room temperature
5. Stir in sour cream and pour filling into a prepared pie shell
6. Spread whipped cream on top and garnish with lemon twists

Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 8 servings

Stacie says: "This recipe is one that I saw on a FB page, but they didn't want the information to be shared. So, I found the same recipe on the Internet, at Your Home Based Mom, instead."

Quick & Easy Pecan Pralines

FB Source: Lydia Hernandez Blades

Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
1 box brown sugar (light or dark, whatever your preference)
2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
2 cups pecan pieces (not too small, preferably halves)

Directions:

1. Stir together whipping cream and brown sugar in very large microwave safe mixing bowl. 
2. Cook in microwave on High for 13 minutes. 
3. Open microwave about half way through cooking time and give the mixture a stir or two to make sure it is mixed well.
4. When time is up, take bowl out of microwave, add butter and stir until butter is melted. 
5. Add nuts, stir for a couple of minutes or so until mixture starts to thicken slightly. 
6. Quickly drop by spoonfuls on a sheet of foil. 
7. Allow pralines to cool completely and then put them in a covered container.

NOTE: If mixture is removed from bowl too quickly (too hot and shiny), the pralines will be too thin and may remain sticky. If the first one spreads out too much just put it back in the bowl and stir mixture for a minute or so more. If mixture gets too cool (dull in appearance) before it is spooned out on foil, it may become too firm to make individual pralines, but it can always be broken into chunks and eaten. Less attractive, but still good.

Chocolate lovers can add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to hot mixture along with the butter. The chips will melt completely producing “chocolate pecan pralines.”

Frozen S'mores

FB Source: Pampered Chef with Cathy Zastoupil

Ingredients:
18 graham cracker squares (9 sheets or about 1 1/2 cups)
1/3 c. butter
1/2 c. milk chocolate chips
1/4 c. whipping cream
2 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c. cold milk
1 box (4 servings, 3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding
1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip (thawed in fridge)
1/4 c. mini chocolate chips (as topping)

Directions:

1. Crush graham crackers into fine crumbs.
2. Melt butter and add to graham crackers, mixing until well combined to make crust.
3. Prepare muffin tin by placing disks of parchment paper into the bottom of each cup.
4. Evenly divide crust mixture into all 12 cups, saving about 1/4 cup to use as topping later.
5. Place milk chocolate chips and whipping cream into a small bowl and microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.Spoon chocolate into a zip top bag, cut a tip off and evenly pipe chocolate into the center of each cup, on top of the crust.
6. Divide Marshmallows among cups.
7. Mix cold milk with pudding on medium speed for 2 minutes. Fold in 1/2 of the Cool Whip container (the rest will be used as topping).
8. Spoon filling into a large zip top bag (and ZIP it or you might have a mess!) Clip a corner off and pipe pudding into each cup evenly. Try to pipe it in between the marshmallows so that the whole cup is filled. I did have a little left over (which was really tasty straight out of the bag!)
9. Use a knife to smooth the tops level with the top of the pan.
10. Freeze for at least a couple of hours.
11. Allow the pan to warm just a bit before popping each dessert cup out. 
12. For topping, I just piped a little bit of the left over Cool Whip on each dessert using a decorating tip. Then I sprinkled the remaining crust and mini chocolate chips on top.
13. Serve cold right away– or put them in a sealed container and freeze until you are ready to serve

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Modarelli Baking Company

**NOTE-------> Make sure you follow the 20/20/30 min baking/cooling/fridge

Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with silicone liners, foil liners sprayed with cooking spray or just spray the cups with cooking spray. Either of these three methods will make it easy to take the cupcake out after it’s cooked. Paper liners make it difficult to remove the cupcakes.

Mix the pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. Add the flour, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and baking soda to the mixture. Fill each muffin cup with 3/4 cup of the mixture. Bake for twenty minutes and let cool for twenty minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle more pumpkin pie spice on top and serve. Makes 12 cupcakes.


NOTES::: 
****added 08/21/13...from Kayla....Soy doesn't quite turn out when it comes to pumpkin pie type things. You can use coconut milk though and it's delicious. The canned kind that you find with the Asian foods will have a higher fat content and turns out a bit better than the boxed/refrigerated kind.


Nutritional Info (thanks Karen and Jennifer)

Cupcake only no toppings
Nutrition Facts Serving
Size 79 g
Amount Per ServingCalories 116
Calories from Fat 20%
Total Fat 2.2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1.1g 5%
Cholesterol 36mg 12%
Sodium 109mg 5%
Total Carbohydrates 21.4g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1.3g 5%
Sugars 14.1g
Protein 3.2g
Vitamin A 11 2%
Vitamin C 3%
Calcium 6%
Iron 6%

EASY Homemade Whipped Cream Frosting

Care Fuentes Sbc

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups of heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer.
2. Once all in the bowl, mix on medium speed until smooth.
3. While the mixture is still whipping, slowly pour in the heavy cream.
4. Stop and scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times while you continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak.

**This recipe makes 5 cups**

• This is SO delicious
• It WONT melt at room temperature like regular whipped cream!
• It's VERY stable.
• Its wonderful used for frosting a cake or even dipping fruit in it!
• Not TOO sweet.
• Very versatile!

Apple Braid

Carolyn Kraham - Pampered Chef Independent Consultant

Apple Braid

Apple Filling:
3 medium-size Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Bread:
(note: before you panic about making bread, I have done this recipe using Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough that I simply roll out & pinch the seams closed and then proceed with the slicing - so if you don't want to make bread dough - try this shortcut!)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast (I prefer SAF Instant Yeast)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 teaspoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Toss the apple pieces with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bake the apple filling in an 8-inch square baking pan (or 9-inch pie tin) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Note: Do not turn the oven off at this point. You will be using it to bake the finished braid.)

Make the Bread: While the apple filling is baking, begin preparing the bread dough. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and oil and mix the dough for 6 minutes using an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

Spray a smooth clean surface with cooking spray and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead the dough briefly to give it a smooth surface (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish). Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12-inches by 16-inches in size. Lift onto a greased baking sheet.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide down each side, leaving the center third of the dough uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle third of the dough. Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten.

Bake the braid in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes.

Make the Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until blended and smooth.
Brush the glaze in a thick coat over the entire surface of the apple braid while it is still cooling. Carefully transfer the braid to a cooling rack set on a baking sheet (to catch drips) to finish cooling and prevent the bottom of the braid from becoming soggy from sitting in any pooling glaze. Slice and serve.

Sugar Cookie Tacos

Robyn Long

These Sugar Cookie Tacos with fresh fruit and whipped cream look so yummy

Sugar Cookie Tacos
Ingredients:
1 Package 18oz refrigerated sugar cookie dough
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups of your favorite fruit cut-up


1. Preheat oven to 350. grease 2 baking sheets. Cover rounded forms such as rolling pins or cardboard tubes from paper towel roll with aluminum foil.

2. cut cookie dough into 16 half inch thick slices. Press each slice on a slightly floured surface into a 3 inch round sprinkle with cinnamon.

3. Bake cookies until lightly golden, but still soft, 7-9 min. Gently remove cookies from baking sheet and IMMEDIATELY drape over rounded forms (I found it easier to invert the forms, instead of laying it on top of the rounded form I put 2 rolls next to each other and draped the tinfoil over them pushing down in the middle, then I place the cookie in the middle, they did not break that way.... Clear as mud???? sorry)

4. Cool cookies until firm about 2 min. gently remove.

5. Beat whipping cream and sugar in large bowl with mixer on high until stiff. Fill each cookie with about 2 tablespoons and your favorite fruit