Cherry Chocolate kisses cookies

 Cherry Chocolate Kisses

1 cup butter (no substitues) softened

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon maraschino cherry liquid (from jar)

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour ( I used 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
granulated sugar
48 milk chocolate kisses (I did not use)

Heat oven to 325.  Beat butter in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar and salt; beat till combined.  Beat in cherry liquid and almond extract till combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in the remaining flour and the cherries with a wooden spoon.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookies sheet.  Flatten to 1/2 inch thickness (mine were about 1/4 inch) with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.  Bake about 14 minutes or till bottoms are lightly browned.  Remove from oven; press an unwrapped kiss into each cookie. (I did not add kisses)  Transfer to wire racks.  Cool.
To store, place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.

White Sandwich bread

I got this recipe from a friend and it is VERY good bread.




White Sandwich bread

1 cup warm water (I used hot tap water)

2 Tbl. sugar

2-1/2 teaspoons yeast (rapid rise)

1/4 cup oil (canola oil)

3 cups bread flour

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

 In a 2-cup measuring cup, measure the warm water (1 cup), stir in yeast and sugar.  Let it set for 10 minutes.  It will start bubbling and will be quite frothy on top at the end of the 10 minute period.  Add the oil and then dump the liquid in the bread machine bread pan.

Next, add your flour and top with the salt.  (My bread machine instructions usually had the liquid and dry ingredients in a different order, but I followed this recipe and it worked out great.)

 Set the bread machine to the "dough" setting.

 At the end of the dough cycle, dump the dough on a lightly floured surface, knead just a couple of times and form into a loaf.  Spray a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and put loaf inside.

 Let rise about 1 hour or until it rises up out of the loaf pan by about an inch. I put my dough in the microwave to rise, no drafts to worry about in there. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake loaf for about 25 minutes or until golden borwn.  Let sit in the pan for five minutes, then remove from pan and let it cool on a cooling rack. 

Mamma's baked chicken

8 to 12 pieces of chicken
3 T olive or canola oil
onion powder or onion salt
Mrs. Dash onion and herb seasoning.
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400º. Pour oil into pie tin or shallow bowl.Roll chicken in oil and place skin side up on parchment paper on jelly roll pan. Or lightly grease the pan. Season the chicken, turn and season the other side.

Bake skin side up on pan at 400º for 30 minutes. Turn oven down to 350º and bake another 25 minutes, or until juices run clear and no longer pink.

Very moist and flavorful.

Tomato Dill bisque

Tomato Dill bisque

32 ounce can diced tomatoes or home canned
1 cup chicken stock (I use salt free)
1/2 tsp. dried dill (scant less)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup of fat free half and half
4 T low fat margarine or butter

Puree one can of diced tomatoes. Melt margarine with cream, honey and stock. Add all the tomatoes and heat through. DO NOT BOIL or it will curdle. Salt and pepper to taste.

Easy Crock pot chicken

Easy Crock Pot Chicken

Ingredients

    * 3 medium carrots, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
    * 2 celery ribs with leaves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
    * 2 medium onions, sliced
    * 1  chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut up
    * 1/2 cup chicken broth (I use salt free chicken stock)
    * 1 teaspoons salt
    * 1 teaspoon dried basil
    * 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

     In a crock pot, place carrots, celery and onions. Top with
     chicken. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over chicken. Cover and
     cook on low for 7-9 hours or until chicken juices run clear and
     vegetables are tender. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 6
     servings.

Hot chocolate mix

Hot chocolate mix with pudding

32 ounces of powdered milk
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups Nestle’s Quick
1 cup coffee creamer
2 boxes chocolate pudding
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Combine. If powdered milk is more granulated, I suggest that you pulverize it in a food processor, so it blends better.
Use 1/3 cup mix to 1 cup hot water.

** It will fill an ice cream pail about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Pepper Jelly Thumprints

Pepper Jelly Thumprints

Ingredients
    * 1  cup  butter, softened
    * 1  cup  packed brown sugar
    * 1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
    * 2    egg yolks
    * 1  teaspoon  vanilla
    * 2/3  cup  yellow cornmeal
    * 2  cups  all-purpose flour
    * 1/4  cup  red and/or green jalapeño jelly

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in cornmeal. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

2. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly press the tip of your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon into the center of each ball of dough. Fill each center with about 1/8 teaspoon of the jalapeno jelly.

3. Bake in the preheated oven about 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Makes about 96 cookies.

To Store: To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.