Friday, December 27, 2013

Old-Fashioned Gingersnaps





I got this from Better Homes and Gardens, and it's fantastic. These cookies stay really moist and chewy.

Old-Fashioned Gingersnaps

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup extra sugar

1.  Position oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven.  Preheat oven to 350. 
2.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt; set aside.
3.  In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, granulated sugar, grated ginger, and egg.  Add flour mixture.  Stir to combine.  Cover and chill 1 hour.
4.  Place extra 1/2 cup sugar in a small, shallow bowl.  Using a tablespoon, scoop out a ball of dough.  Roll dough between your palms into a ball.  Continue with remaining dough, then roll balls in sugar to evenly coat.  Space balls on baking sheets, 2 inches apart.
5.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Switch baking sheets between racks and rotate them front to back halfway through.  Remove from oven.  Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill





I got this from my mom, I think.  My husband looves these.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill

2 lbs red potatoes, halved
1 T olive oil
1 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp seasoned salt

Toss olive oil with potatoes.  Combine remaining ingredients and toss with the potatoes.  Spread them in a shallow baking pan.  Bake for 40 minutes on 375 degrees.


The Palladium Cooler

I got this from a cook book I have called Barbecues and Pot Lucks.  I brought it to a family dinner, and everyone loved it.  It's a good punch for parties, and sooo much yummier than the store-bought stuff.

The Palladium Cooler

Serves 14

6 cups orange juice
6 cups pineapple juice
3 cups cranberry juice
1 Tbsp grenadine
1 cup 7-Up
6 cups ice cubes
Garnish:  14 maraschino cherries

Mix all ingredients together except for 7-Up and ice in a punch boal.  Float the 7-Up on top.  Add ice cubes and garnish with a cherry in each cup.

Killer Chili Cheese Dip (Crock Pot)

I got this from food.com.  It's soooo good.  I've always loved this dip and have had it, in various forms, at several different parties.  I decided it was about time to have it on hand.

Killer Chili Cheese Dip (Crock Pot)

Ingredients
16 oz Velveeta cheese
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can chili
2 cups shredded queso cheese
1 small can diced green chilies

Directions
1.  Cut velveeta into 2-inch cubes.  Place cubes into crock pot with the tomatoes, chili, and shredded cheese.  Mix together.  Turn crock pot on low setting and cover, stirring occasionally.  When all the cheese is completely melted, it's time to enjoy!
2.  If usually takes an hour and a half or so on low temp, but if you need it quicker, use high temp, but watch it and stir often to prevent burning.
3.  If your crock pot has a "keep warm" setting, use that after the cheese is melted.

Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole

Oh my goooosh, this is so good.  I've never been a huge fan of green bean casserole, but I tried it on a whim (the picture and recipe are from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/) and wowza.  Sooooo good.

Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole

Yield: Serves 10 to 12 as a side dish (can be easily halved and baked in a smaller dish)
Note: The topping and casserole can be frozen separately for up to 2 months. Hallelujah!

Ingredients
    Topping:
  • 2 slices hearty sandwich bread, white or wheat, torn into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups canned fried onions
  • Casserole:
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 10 ounces white mushrooms , sliced thin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
Directions
  1. For the topping: Pulse bread, butter, and salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Combine bread mixture and canned fried onions in a bowl, transfer to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and freeze. (I placed the topping bag right on top of the casserole in the freezer so I could keep track of both.)
  2. For the casserole: Melt the butter in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until all the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, stirring, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the cornstarch until the beans are evenly coated. Transfer the beans to a 9X13-inch baking dish. Pour the warm mushroom mixture evenly over the beans. Let the casserole cool completely on the counter. Once cooled, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.
  4. When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the layer of plastic wrap from the baking dish and replace the foil. Bake, covered, until the sauce is bubbling and the beans are tender, about 80 minutes, stirring the beans thoroughly after 50 minutes. Remove the foil and spread the frozen topping mixture over the beans. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Serve.

Baby Back Ribs

I went to a cooking class at my mom's congregation, and that's where I got this recipe.  It's way easier than you would ever think.

Baby Back Ribs

4 lbs. pork back ribs
Peel off membrane on the back side of the ribs (the bone side).  I've found this is sometimes easier to start at the smaller end of the ribs, and pull from there.

Dry Rub:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red cayenne pepper

Rub the dry rub mixture on both sides of the ribs.

Put the ribs meat side down on two layers of heavy duty foil.  Put two more layers of foil on top of the ribs.  Roll the sides of the foil up to the ribs to make a pouch.

Bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours.

Open pouch.  Cut the ribs into 2-3 rib sections.  Brush on any kind of pre-made barbecue sauce of your choice.  Broil or barbecue for an additional couple of minutes.