Holidays
This is a recipe I made a while ago but at the time I was having some difficulties adding pictures into the posts. Well, today I fixed that! This dish would be great for the upcoming holidays!
I will be doing some catch up posts next week with some restaurant reviews from some of our travels and I also have some quick and delicious stir fry and one pot dishes coming up!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 Tablespoons of salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons of honey
- 1 bag (16 ounces) frozen corn
- 2 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- pinch of salt
- pinch of pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a skillet over medium high heat melt the butter and honey. Once melted add the frozen corn and cook for 5-8 minutes stirring occasionally until cooked through.
Add the cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir together and let cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately. Left overs can be stored covered in the fridge.
Enjoy!
It’s been a while! Life has been busy and full of ups and downs the past couple years! My husband Jim was deployed to Afghanistan and got back just over a year ago. So with Jim being away and then returning we spent much of the time after he returned traveling and visiting family and friends we have finally started to settle down and get back into our normal routines.
We recently spent a few days in Cape Cod Massachusetts with friends. We went to Provincetown and did some shopping and dined at a terrific Italian restaurant on the water, visited the Mayflower and Plymouth Plantation. While we were there we purchased 3 pounds of fresh cranberries right from the bog. When we got home I could not wait to do some baking with all the cranberries. This cookie recipe is a new holiday favorite, I’m already planning to make them again! I shared them with some of our neighbors and they loved them as much as we did!
I made just a couple very small changes to the frosting recipe and you will see those notes in the recipe.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup of butter softened
1 cup of sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons orange juice
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
FROSTING INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup butter
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 Tablespoons hot water…..for this I used fresh squeezed orange juice (not warmed) I also added some of the zest from the orange.
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl cream butter and sugars. Add milk, egg and orange juice, mix well.
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and add into the creamed creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in cranberries and nuts.
Drop by Tablespoons 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
For the frosting-
Heat the butter in a saucepan over low heat until golden brown , about 5 minutes. Cool for a couple minutes and transfer to a bowl. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla. Beat in the hot water or in my case fresh sneezed orange juice 1 Tablespoon at a time until frosting reaches desired consistency. I kept my frosting on the thicker side.
Frost the cookies and enjoy!
Last summer Jim and I were gifted a bottle of Peach Whiskey. Fast forward to this summer and still a full bottle of whiskey. Jim came across a recipe using plain whiskey so I made a number of changes and out came this summer filled, delightful peaches and cream cake. Calling it a cake is a bit of a stretch but we are going to go with it.
This is great for a snack, dessert, or with your morning cup of coffee. I did not overkill it with the whiskey but if you want to have more whiskey in your loaves go ahead and add some to the batter by adding extra whiskey and less cream in the glaze. I made this in 3 four-inch loaf pans, you know the little aluminum ones you find in the supermarket. I like using the smaller pans as most of the time it’s just Jim and I home and I like to share with family and friends. This would be great to share around the holidays as well! UPDATE- this is my own creation I submitted to taste of home and won in a contest! It’s a keeper!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup brown sugar plus 2 Tablespoons
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoon of Peach Whiskey
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup (2 large peaches) peeled and diced peaches (see below)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
FOR THE GLAZE
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 4 Tablespoons of heavy cream or milk
- 3 Teaspoons peach whiskey or to taste
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 mini loaf pans and set aside. To make peeling the peaches really easy simply bring a large pot with water to a boil. On the bottom of both peaches using a sharpie knife score an X through the skin but not too far just enough to break through the skin. When the water is at a boil put the peaches in for 2-3 minutes depending on the size of your peaches but you will be able to see the skin where you sliced it to pull away just slightly, that’s when you know it’s ready. Put the peaches in an ice bath to stop any further cooking of the softening of the peaches. Once cooled simply peel with your hands or you can use a knife to help get the skin off but it usually comes off very easy. Once they are peeled cut into small dices and add to a small bowl with the 2 Tablespoons of peach whiskey and the 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar and set aside.
In a large bowl combine vegetable oil, sour cream, vanilla, and two eggs. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients and stir until combined. Add the peaches and whiskey mixture along with the pecans. Stir to combine. Divide evenly between the loaf pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and then remove the loaves from the pans and continue to let cool completely.
FOR THE GLAZE
Simply add all of the glaze ingredients together and stir well. When the loaves have cooled drizzle or coat the top of the loaves with your glaze.
Enjoy!
This cake is a keeper for us! This cake does take a little time but it is well worth it. This is a great dessert to share on Valentine’s Day or any day as it’s sweet and tart and so fresh with the raspberry sauce. It was hard to not just grab a fork and dig in right from the pan. That really might happen sometimes at my house..don’t judge too harshly!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream, can use light
- 1 large lemon zested
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 package instant lemon pudding (3.4 ounces)
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 Oz)
THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
- 3- 6-ounce containers of fresh raspberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
FOR THE TOPPING
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- zest of one lemon
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color. Just a couple of minutes. Scrape the bowl down as needed. Add in the sour cream and lemon zest beat again until combined.
in a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and beat on low speed while pouring in half of the buttermilk and mix until the flour starts to incorporate. Add the remaining dry ingredients mixing on low while adding the other half of the buttermilk beating until all ingredients are combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the bowl as needed.
Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 inch pan and bake for 28-32 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. While the cake is cooling use a toothpick to poke holes all over the entire cake, not going all the way to the bottom. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake and let it run down into all of the holes. This keeps the cake incredibly moist. Let the cake continue to cool completely.
FOR THE RASPBERRY SAUCE
Combine the raspberries, sugar, and flour in a medium-size pot. Gently crush the raspberries and add the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat while stirring until it starts to bubble slightly. Once the sauce is bubbling and thick remove it from the stove and allow the sauce to cool until it’s no longer steaming. Pour the raspberry sauce over the top of the cake spreading evenly. Refrigerate the cake until it has completely cooled.
FOR THE TOPPING
Beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed for several minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over the cake when the cake is completely cooled. Zest lemon over the top if desired.
Enjoy
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so I have a couple of sweet treats coming up for you including these simple chocolate truffles. These make enough to share with many of your loved ones! You can decorate them any way you want and use different colored sprinkles for different holidays. I hope your loved ones enjoy them as much as mine!
INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- optional coatings- chocolate sprinkles, colored sprinkles, cocoa powder or espresso powder
DIRECTIONS
In a microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk for 30-second intervals until the chocolate is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from microwave and place the bowl in the refrigerator (covered) until firm enough to roll. About 2 hours.
When firm enough to roll into balls, shape them into about 1 inch balls and roll into your desired topping. Store in the refrigerator until ready to give to your favorite people!
Enjoy!
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