CARAMELIZED ONION-APPLE BITES

CARAMELIZED ONION-APPLE BITES (APPETIZER)
Makes 32 hors d'oeuvres

These savory hors d'oeuvres can be assembled in advance-ideal for relaxed entertaining.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
2 Granny Smith or tart apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted just before use
3 ounces Fontina cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

Preparation:

Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Add onions and ½ teaspoon salt.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Add apples and stir to coat.

Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until onions are medium brown, about 30 minutes.

Stir in pepper and salt to taste.

Set aside and let cool, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Unwrap puff pastry sheet. Cut sheet into 16 squares, then halve those squares diagonally to make 32 triangles. Arrange them, not touching, on a baking sheet.

Place a spoonful of cooled onion apple mixture on each triangle. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese and minced thyme.

Bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Pecan Finger Cookies

Recipe: Pecan Finger Cookies
©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 15 min |
Yield: About 5 dozen

 Ingredients
1 pound butter
8 tablespoons powdered sugar
5-1/2 cups all purpose flour
8 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups of chopped pecans
Additional powdered sugar for rolling finished cookie

Instructions
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter, add the sugar and blend together. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well.

Chill dough for about 10 minutes to make it easier to handle. Shape into small finger shaped logs and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

May also bend and shape dough into a crescent shape for Crescent Cookies, or roll into a ball for Snowball Cookies.

 Let cool slightly so that you can handle them but while still warm, roll in the extra powdered sugar to coat; re-roll in the powdered sugar several times if desired. I usually roll mine two or three times. Set aside to cool completely before storing.

 Cook's Notes: I use White Lily flour and Land O'Lakes butter. If you use unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Source: http://deepsouthdish.com/

Bacon and Egg Taquitos

Bacon and Egg Taquitos
Author/Source: Heather @ Onceamonthmom.com; adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 medium eggs
0.5 cup sour cream
0.5 teaspoons kosher salt
0.25 teaspoons black pepper
0.5 teaspoons garlic powder
1.5 cups grated cheese (pepperjack, cheddar, or Monterey Jack)
0.25 cups roasted red peppers, chopped
0.25 cups green onions,  chopped
16 6-inch flour tortillas

Directions:
Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. In large mixing bowl, mix eggs, sour cream, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add mixture to pan. Use a rubber spatula to scramble the eggs. Remove from heat when slightly undercooked.

Add bacon, cheese, roasted red pepper, and green onions. Gently fold to combine. Warm tortillas in microwave to help with rolling. Place 1/4 cup egg mixture into center of each tortilla and roll.

Place tortillas seam side down on greased baking dish. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes, or until edges are brown.

Freezing Directions:
Prepare taquitos as directed above, but DO NOT BAKE. Flash freeze. Once frozen, place taquitos in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze.

To serve:
Place on greased baking sheet directly from the freezer. Do not thaw. Bake in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes until taquitos are brown and edges are crispy. Servings: 8

15 Minute Caramels

From http://www.howdoesshe.com/15-minute-holiday-caramels/

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
Large microwave safe glass bowl (at least 10 cup capacity)
Wax paper

Melt the butter in a large glass bowl.
Add all ingredients except milk and stir well.
Add milk and stir.
Microwave on high for 13 minutes. 
To be safe, put a plate under your bowl in case it starts to boil over.
Remove from microwave and stir again.
Pour hot caramel into a buttered 9×13 pan and allow to cool.
Cut into 1″x1″ squares and wrap in wax paper.

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Author/Source: Heather @ Onceamonthmom.com; love and olive oil

Ingredients:
0.66 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
2.5 cups all-purpose flour
0.5 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter, cubed
4 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (#1)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 drops red food coloring, optional

Glaze:
8 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped and divided (#2)
2 teaspoons shortening

Directions:
Drain chopped cherries completely. In the bowl of the food processor, combine four and sugar. Add butter cubes and pulse until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add cherries and white chocolate #1. Pulse to combine. Add almond extract and food coloring, if desired.

Knead mixture until if forms a smooth ball. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a log approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter by 10 inches long.

Roll up in parchment paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice chilled dough into 3/8 inch thick slices. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely.

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine white chocolate #2 and shortening. Stir until melted. Squeeze melted chocolate over cookies (a squeeze bottle works great) or dip cookies in chocolate. Place cookies on waxed paper until set.

Freezing Directions: Prepare as directed above. After chocolate sets, place cookies in gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Servings: 4 dozen cookies

Homemade Samoa Cookies

Homemade Samoa Cookies
Author/Source: Jimmie @ Onceamonthmom.com, Adapted from www.bakingbites.com

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla
Up to 5 tbsp milk
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
12 oz chewy caramels (unwrapped)
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla up to 2 tbsp milk, adding in the milk as needed to make the dough hold together without being sticky.

Roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and use the end of a wide straw to cut a small center hole. Repeat with remaining dough. (You can skip this step if you don’t mind your cookies not having a hole in the center.)

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are lightly browned and cookies are set. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Decrease oven heat to 300°F. Spread coconut evenly on a baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden.

Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Place the caramels in a large microwave-safe bowl with 3 tbsp milk and 1/4 tsp salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, stir in toasted coconut. Spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 tsp per cookie.

While topping sets and cools, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45-second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a quart-size freezer bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate.

Freezing Directions: Cool completely, then transfer into freezer bags. Label and freeze. To serve, thaw at room temperature. Servings: Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Glazed Sprinkle Cookies

Glazed Sprinkle Cookies Adapted from:www.sugarcrafter.net Lisa @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 1/4 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp lemon extract

Glaze:
2 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs on high speed for 3-4 minutes.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder. Work the butter in with a pastry blender. Stir in the vanilla and lemon extracts gradually until crumbly. Using a mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the eggs.

 Roll the dough into 1″ balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 12 – 14 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool on wire racks completely.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla. After cookies cool, dip the tops of them into the glaze. Place on wire racks and pour the sprinkles on top. Store in airtight container once glaze is dry.

Freezing Directions: Place cookies in freezer bags or freezer container, using wax paper to separate the layers. Thaw to serve, or warm in microwave for 10 seconds. Servings: 2 1/2 – 3 dozen cookies

Chocolate Sundae Cookies

Chocolate Sundae Cookies
Author/Source: Jimmie @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp milk
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, chopped (juice reserved)
1/4 cup juice from the maraschino cherry jar
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
18 large marshmallows, cut in half
Chocolate Glaze (see below)
36 maraschino cherries (whole)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Add melted chocolate and mix well. Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, milk, chopped cherries, cherry juice, and walnuts. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, and bake 12 minutes.

While cookies are baking, make glaze (below). As soon as the cookies are removed from the oven, press half a marshmallow into the center, and let cookies cool 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and spoon glaze over the marshmallow. Top with a whole cherry.

Chocolate Glaze:
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp butter
4 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup together. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.

Freezing Directions: Cool cookies completely, then transfer to freezer bags. Label and freeze. To serve, thaw at room temperature. Servings: Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

New England Fried Shrimp

From http://www.lifescript.com/food/healthy_recipes/recipe_collections/appetizers/10_fab_finger_foods/1.aspx 

Prep Time: 20 min
Serves: 4
Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy

1 cup pale ale, or other light-colored beer
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour, (see Ingredient Note) or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound raw shrimp, (13-15 per pound; see Ingredient Note), peeled and deveined, tails left on Freshly ground pepper, to taste

 Preparation:
1Whisk beer, flour, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

2You’ll need to cook the shrimp in two batches. Wait to batter the second batch until the first is cooked. For the first batch, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Hold shrimp by the tail and dip in the batter one at a time. Let any excess batter drip off, then add the shrimp to the hot oil, making sure they aren’t touching. Cook, turning once and adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden brown on the outside and curled, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

3Wipe out the pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and heat over medium-high. Batter and fry the remaining shrimp. Season all the shrimp with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper and serve immediately.

 Tips: Ingredient notes: Whole-wheat pastry flour, lower in protein than regular whole-wheat flour, has less gluten-forming potential, making it a better choice for tender baked goods. You can find it in the natural-foods section of large super markets and natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized, so to be sure you’re getting the size you want, order by the count (or number) per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as Wild American Shrimp or Marine Stewardship Council. If you can’t find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America—it’s more likely to be sustainably caught.

Chocolate Bourbon Balls

from http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/

4 cups chocolate cake crumbs ( use leftover Chocolate Bourbon Cake , or any chocolate cake, great when you have a cake failure, smile)
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa pinch of salt
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans toasted
3/4 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons corn syrup

Put the cake in a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to a bowl add only 3 cups of the powdered sugar (reserving 1 cup for later to garnish) cocoa powder, salt and chopped pecans, stir to combine. Mix the bourbon and corn syrup into the dry mixture and mix with your hands until well combined evenly. Refrigerate around 1/2 hour. Roll into balls then into powdered sugar.

I freeze them until ready for the cookie tray and take out what I need. If you store in refrigerator for at least a week of so these will enhance the flavors.

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Chocolate Bourbon Cake
1 cup Bourbon more for the top
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
5 squares unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup instant expresso coffee
3 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar for garnish 

Grease bundt pan with butter and flour set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the chocolate in a microwave. Add expresso and cocoa powder to a 2 cup glass measuring cup, add boiling water to make 1 cup. Mix until dissolved then add the whiskey and salt. Set aside.

 Beat the butter, sugar and baking soda together. Add eggs then melted chocolate. Stir in the expresso mixture adding the flour a little at a time and mixing till blended. Pour into pan.

Bake cake for around 55 minutes on 350 in the prepared bundt pan. Cool completely, drizzle with more Bourbon and then douse with powdered sugar. from http://pegasuslegend-whatscookin.blogspot.com/2012/11/christmas-bourbon-bundt-cake-recipe.html