Mary's Crescent Cookies

This recipe comes from my sister Mary. She is an excellent cook! One of my favorite dishes she makes is, String Bean Soup! Sure wished you lived closer Mary! All photo credits go to Jennifer!

Crescent Cookies

Ingredients for dough:

3 cups sifted flour
1 package of yeast
2 sticks of butter
3 beaten egg yolks
1 cup sour cream

Ingredients for sugar mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 cup of chopped walnuts
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Sift flour and yeast together
Mix in two sticks of butter
Add beaten egg yolks
Add 1 cup of sour cream and continue to mix until it forms a dough
Roll into a long log shape and slice into 8 pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball and store on a flowered plate.
Refrigerate for 1 hour at least. If longer cover.

Put about 3 tab of the sugar mixture on a board (not flour)
Place ball of dough on top of the sugar mixture and begin to roll into a circle.
Flip it over so it doesn't stick.
Continue to roll into a thin pizza shape.
Use a pizza cutter and cut into 8 pieces.

Use one slice of pizza starting at the larger side and roll it up into a crescent.
Two balls of dough should fit on one cookie sheet. (use a stone baking sheet, they cook so much better)

Bake 350 for approximately 15 minutes. If you like them lighter take out earlier.
Cool completely on a rack and store in a airtight container.

What a nice gift to give away!

Cooking with Jen

Peanut Butter Hershey Kiss Cookies! If you need the recipe, let me know. I'll post it soon. Enjoy the video below. Kate and Michael are HILARIOUS!

Katelyn and I had fun being taste testers!

Ice Cream Cake

This recipe comes from DD! She actually got the recipe from my sister in-law Colette, who by the way is a excellent cook! DD made this ice cream cake for her husband's 30th birthday! Happy Birthday Josh!

Ingredients


1/2 gallons of Ice Cream of your choosing. (I used Vanilla on the bottom, and Moose Tracks on the top)
1 package of any cookie, I used chocolate, chocolate oreos

Optional Topping:Whipped Cream Frosting


The pan you choose to make the cake in will depend on how much Ice Cream you use. Please keep this in mind.

1. Crush the cookies into little tiny pieces.

2. Fill the pan 1/2 way up with the Ice Cream you want on the bottom. Try to smooth the top the best you can.

3. Then add the crushed cookies on top of that layer, pushing the cookies down into the Ice cream.

4. Then add the 2nd Ice Cream going all the way to the top this time. Try to smooth the top the best you can.

5. Decorate or add any toppings you'd like.

Chicken Francais

Kelly cooked a wonderful meal tonight, her favorite! This is what happens if you don't put plastic wrap on top. It falls apart!

6 Chicken Breast

Flour

Salt & Pepper to taste

Parsley Flakes

1 to 2 sticks Unsalted Butter

4 beaten eggs

2 lemons

Lightly pound chicken breast. Be careful not to pound them too thin. I like to put plastic wrap on top before pounding. This helps it not to fall apart.

Mix Flour, Salt and Pepper to taste.

Dip chicken breast into flour and then beaten eggs.

In a skillet, heat butter to coat and cook chicken breast about 2- 3 minutes on each side, on medium heat. If the chicken breast are thick, you may have to cook them longer.

Place chicken on a oven safe platter. Sprinkle with Parsley

Gravy:
Using the drippings in the pan add 1/2 sick of butter and juice of one lemon. Heat until butter is melted. Stir well.
Pour this over the chicken and place in the oven until ready to serve. I usually put the oven on 300 degrees to keep warm.

Portuguese Linguica Quiche

Linguica is Portuguese Sausage. I had linguica a lot growing up. It's also good in sweet breads and my favorite, "Linguica & Eggs".
If you don't have Linguica in your area you can find it online!

http://www.gasparssausage.com/internetorder.html

A favorite recipe you may want to try! Try this one at your Holiday Party! Your family will love it!

1/3 lb. of linguica
2 tbsp. of butter
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1/2 lb. of chopped Swiss cheese
3 eggs beaten
2 cups of cream
1/2 tsp. of salt
dash of cayenne pepper
1- 9 inch pie

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Saute onion in butter for 5 minutes. Add ground linguica, saute additional 5 minutes, set aside. Bake the pie shell for 5 minutes, remove it from the oven and sprinkle linguica mix in it add chopped Swiss. Mix together the eggs, cream, salt and cayenne pepper. Strain into the pie shell. Bake 10 minutes at 450. Reduce heat to 350 and bake until firm. This should take around 20 minutes.

Colettes French Toast!

Colette is my sister in-law. She made this recipe for Thanksgiving Morning! It was delicious! Here's what she had to say........

I doubled this recipe and I put most of the praline topping on the bottom and some on the top. You really don't need any syrup and confectioners sugar just for effect. Bon appetite!
Love, Colette

This delicious 12-serving oven baked French toast is prepared the night before, set in refrigerator overnight and then baked in the morning and served with a yummy praline topping. Recipe can be halved for six servings.

INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf French bread
8 eggs
1 1/2 C. half & half
1 C. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

PREPARATION:
Slice bread into 20 one-inch slices. Arrange in a generously buttered 9x13 baking dish. Arrange in two layers, overlapping slices.
In large bowl combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Beat until blended but not bubbly. Pour mixture over bread slices evenly. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread Praline Topping (below) over bread. Bake uncovered until golden brown--about 45 minutes. Serve with maple syrup. Serves 12.
Praline Topping

2 sticks margarine or butter 1 C. brown sugar, packed 1 C. pecans 2 T. light corn syrup 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Combine and blend well. Pour over French toast mixture before baking.

Donna's Italian Christmas Cookies

This is Donna cooking with Kara our granddaughter! Donna is one of the best cooks I know! Sure wished you lived closer Donna, I can learn a lot from YOU!

Italian Christmas Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs1
(15oz.) carton ricotta cheese
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt1
tsp baking soda
Frosting:1/4 cup butter, softened
3-4 cups confectionery sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
3-4 tbsp milk colored sprinkles

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in ricotta cheese and vanilla. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely.

In mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Add enough milk until frosting reaches spreading consistency. frost cooled cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles. Store in the refrigerator.

Breakfasst Casserole

This recipe comes from Karen!

Ingredients

4 slices of bread
12 to 16 ounces bacon or sausage, cooked and drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Preparation:

Grease the bottom of a 9"x 13" pan. Tear up 4 slices of bread and place in the bottom of the pan.
Sprinkle cooked crumbled bacon or sausage over bread pieces.
Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the bacon or sausage. Mix eggs, milk and mustard together and pour over the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 4 - 6