Flying Broom Cookies....

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 42 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
one cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
one teaspoon vanilla extract
8 (8-1/2-inch-long) pretzel rods, halved
two (2-ounce) chocolate sweet coating squares, melted
one (four.25-ounce) tube red or orange decorating frosting

Preparation:

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar, beating until blended. Add flour & salt, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla. Shape dough in to 16 (1-1/4-inch) balls.

Place pretzel rods on ungreased baking sheets. Press a ball of dough onto cut finish of each pretzel. Press dough firmly with a fork to resemble broom bristles.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for ten to 12 minutes. Cook on baking sheets on wire racks two minutes; remove to wire racks to icy .

Place brooms on wax paper. Spoon melted chocolate sweet coating over pretzel & cookie where they join; let stand until firm. Decorate as desired with colored frosting.

Yield: 16 cookies

Nutty Banana Cheesecake

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 8 to ten servings

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:
one cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
.
Cheesecake Filling:
one medium ripe banana
one teaspoon lemon juice
16 ounces (two giant blocks) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
one teaspoon vanilla extract
two giant eggs
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, divided use
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
one Tablespoon butter

Preparation:

For the Crust:
Merge chocolate cookie crumbs & butter. Press in to the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for ten minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the Filling:
Mash the banana with the lemon juice. (This won't only add a small bit of tang, but also keep the banana from darkening.) Set aside.

In a giant bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, mashed bananas, & vanilla until smooth & creamy, about three minutes on medium speed. Beat in eggs, after the other, until well-mixed after each addition. Fold in half of the walnuts.

Melt chocolate chips & butter in the microwave & whisk until combined. Pour in to a ziptop bag, squeeze out the air, & seal. Snip a small corner from the bag & use it as a pastry bag to drizzle chocolate on the cheesecake.

Pour in to the pre-baked crust. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Return to the oven & bake 30 to 40 minutes, until set but middle is still slightly jiggly. Let chilled.

Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Cranberry Liqueur

Total Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

one can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
two cups vodka
one can (16 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
one can (12 ounces) frozen cranberry-orange juice cocktail, thawed
one cup half & half
one teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation:

Merge vodka, sweetened condensed milk, cranberry sauce, cranberry-orange juice cocktail, half-and-half, & cinnamon. Place in a blender & blend (in batches) until smooth.

Cover & chill overnight to permit flavors to blend. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator.

Yield: about 8 cups liqueur

Frozen Fruit Salad... Like a Yummy Desert..

Prep Time: one hour

Total Time: one hour

Ingredients:

one tablespoon water mixed with one tablespoon lemon juice
one teaspoon unflavored gelatin
one tablespoon confectioner's sugar
one (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup heavy cream
1-1/2 cups mixed diced fresh fruit

Preparation:

Place water mixture in a custard cup, sprinkle in gelatin and sugar, and set in a tiny pan of simmering water; heat and stir until gelatin dissolves.

Beat cream cheese and mayonnaise until blended and stir in gelatin mixture; whip cream to soft peaks and fold in along with fruit. Spoon in to a 9-inch square pan and freeze until firm. Cut in squares and serve on lettuce.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Carrot Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chopped fresh pineapple
1/2 cup ice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 banana

Method:

Place the pineapple, ice, orange juice, carrot, & banana in a blender.
Blend until smooth & frothy.

Exclusive Banana Pudding

Total Time: 15 minutes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredient:

one (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
1-1/2 cups icy water
one (4-serving-size) package instant Spanish vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
two cups (one pint) heavy whipping cream
40 vanilla wafers cookies (about)
three to four medium bananas, sliced and dipped in lemon juice from concentrate
four vanilla wafers, crushed to crumbs for garnish

Preparation:

Merge sweetened condensed milk and water in a giant mixing bowl. Add pudding mix and beat on medium speed for three minutes. Refrigerate pudding mixture for 15 minutes. 


Meanwhile, whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream in to chilled pudding mixture until combined. Refrigerate leftovers


Select a giant (3-quart) decorative glass bowl. Spread 1/2 cup of pudding around the bottom of the bowl and top with one-third of the vanilla wafers, followed by one-third of the bananas and one-third of the remaining pudding. Continue layers, finishing with pudding on top. Sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafer crumbs. Chill at least four hours before serving.


Yield: 8 to ten servings.

Red Velvet Cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

two (one ounce) bottles red food coloring
three Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
two eggs
one cup buttermilk
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
one teaspoon vanilla
one Tablespoon vinegar
one teaspoon baking soda
.
Frosting:
four Tablespoons flour
one cup milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
one cup sugar
Dash of salt
two teaspoons vanilla

Preparation:


Cake:
Mix together food coloring & cocoa in to paste & let stand.


Frosting:
Cook flour & milk until thick. Chilled . Cream remaining ingredients, then add to milk mixture & beat vigorously until fluffy.

Cream shortening & sugar. Add eggs & coloring paste & mix well. Add buttermilk by hand. Add flour, salt, & vanilla. Beat well by hand. Add vinegar & baking soda. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes if using a 9 x 13 inch pan, or 25 minutes in three (8-inch) cake pans.

Yield: one cake