My Christmas Present to You

I'm getting hungry!!! LOL

These appeared in my story board because I mentioned that I bake and was asked about recipes, but they're worth repeating for this thread. Note that the rugelach are sugar free if you're looking for a sugar free recipe.

Texas Ranger Cookies.
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking SODA
½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
Cream sugars and shortening.
Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Mix in flour, baking SODA and baking powder.
Mix in coconut and pecans.
Drop by ½ tbsps. onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 375º F for 10 minutes or until golden brown

My best sugar-free is sugar-free Rugelach.
Ingredients:
Dough
1 cup Margarine (2 sticks)
8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
3 cups flour
3 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Decoration
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
Granulated Splenda for sprinkling
Filling
1 cup Raisins - chopped
1 cup Walnuts - chopped
1 cup Granulated Spelnda
2-3 tbsp. Cinnamon
Apricot All-Fruit

Directions:
To make the dough:
In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the Margarine and Cream Cheese.
Blend in the Vanilla.
Mix in the flour.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. (~224 gm each)
Roll out each portion into a 10 - 12 inch circle 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of waxed paper.
Chill the dough.
To make the filling:
Chop the walnuts in a food processor.
Add the raisins and chop again.
Add the granulated Splenda and cinnamon and chop again.
To bake the rugelach:
Spread Apricot All-Fruit onto each circle of dough.
Sprinkle each circle with approximately ¾ cup of the chopped-nut-raisin-cinnamon mixture and press into the dough.
Cut each circle into 16 wedges using a pastry cutter or a pizza cutter (Cut like a pizza).
Roll each wedge from base to point.
Place point down on lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets.
Brush each rugelach with the beaten egg glaze (egg and water) and sprinkle with Splenda.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375º F (or until golden).
Remove to racks to cool.

For an "all natural" recipe you can leave out the Splenda and still have enough natural sweetness, but you'll probably have to double the filling recipe to have enough to spread around.

Rosemary,

That Corn Bread sounds so good, I think I will make it today. I have everything but the jalapeno's. Now, I will have to make Chili to go with it for Dinner. Here is my recipe:

Karen's Famous Chili

You will need:
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (lean)
1 pound ground pork (lean)
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 can (12 oz ea) beer (optional)
8 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons beef boullion cubes or instant boullion
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon ground corriander
1/2 teaspoon "Pete's hot sauce" (my favorite) or Tobasco to taste (you can substitute your favorite) :o
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon warm water
In large Pot or Dutch Oven , brown half the meat, drain. Remove meat from the pot. Brown remaining meat, drain fat but save 2 Tbsps. Add onion, garlic, cook and stir until tender. Add meat and remaining ingredients except flour, cornmeal and warm water. Mix . Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover & simmer for 2 hours.
Stir together flour and cornmeal, add (warm) water. MIX well. Stir into chili. Cover and simmer 20 minutes longer.

**********This would be great served with ROSEMARY'S CORNBREAD!**************

Warren,

Those are some gorgeous cookies!!

Buds,
Rosemary

Man, do I love this thread!!

Here is my gift to you all. This recipe is not for cookies, but for Jalapeno Corn Bread. The peoples at work are constantly begging me to make this recipe, and I've made it so often and am so tired of the trouble and expense, that I've stopped making it. (Enough already!!!!)

This thread makes me realize how mean I've been. Maybe I will soften up and bring this to the gang for Christmas...

PS, I sent this to a UK friend last Christmas, and evidently she had trouble finding cornbread mix over there!

Rosemary

Here are a few of my recipes, ENJOY!!!

These will taste like you went to a Fabulous Italian Bakery!

1.PECAN ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

3/4 c. shortening
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Blend shortening, butter, salt, sugar and vanilla. Add flour and pecans. Drop by tablespoon full onto cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 25 min. Cool then roll in confectioners' sugar

2.LEMON ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES
1 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 1/2 tsp. anise extract
4 c. flour, sifted once with 4 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
6 eggs
Mix all ingredients in large bowl until a dough consistency. Roll in a little flour to handle and break off small pieces. Roll and twist. Bake 8-10 minutes on greased pan at 350 degrees. Cookies will be very light.
ICING:
Confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 1/2 tsp. anise extract
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
A little milk
Mix and dip cookies in icing. Allow to dry before handling. Makes 4-5 dozen.

3.Pumpkin Biscotti
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons all spice
1/2 cup mashed canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1-1/4 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl; stir well. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, stirring well with a wire whisk. Slowly add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture, stirring until everything is moist. (Mixture will be very crumbly; but it will become moist after stirring.) Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat; add macadamia nuts. Cook, stirring constantly, until nuts are browned. Remove from heat and cool completely. Gently stir cooled nuts into dough. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. Lightly flour hands and shape each portion into a 1 x 12" long log. Place logs a few inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 23 minutes. cool logs 15 minutes. Turn oven down to 300. Cut each log diagonally into 1/2" slices using a serrated knife. Place slices on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

4.Gingerbread Cookies/People
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 cup unsulfured molasses
6 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 teaspoons ground ginger
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
Raisins, and/or red hot candies for decoration (optional)
Royal Icing for decoration (optional)
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and molasses. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Divide dough into thirds and wrap each third in plastic wrap. Chill for about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 F. Roll dough 1/8 inch thick between two pieces of waxed paper. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Put shapes to ungreased cookie sheets. If you want to, decorate with raisins, dragées, and/or red hot candies. Refrigerate about 15 minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crisp but not dark. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove to wire racks to cool completely. If desired, decorate with Royal Icing.
If you want to make decorations out of these just poke a hole in them with a tooth pick or scewer as so as they get out of the oven. They put ribbon through the hole.

I have a ton of recipes! If you are looking for one let me know....

Karen