Swedish Almond Puff

My mom has had this recipe for years. It's great for brunch, breakfast, or dessert. It's something that's pretty easy but has huge payoff! Folks think you've really slaved away! I love taking it to Bible study and MOPS.

Crust:
1 cup flour
1 stick melted butter or margarine (I use Imperial margarine)
1 tablespoon water

Stir together until mixed. Pat into two strips on ungreased cookie sheet.

Puff:
1 stick butter or margarine
1 cup water
1 cup flour
3 eggs
¼- ½ cup sliced almonds (you can use chopped pecans)

Place water and butter in a medium saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil and melt butter. Remove from heat. Add flour and stir well. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Spread evenly over crust. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes; until puffed and golden.

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring
A few teaspoons milk or water

Stir together, adding enough milk or water to drizzle.

Drizzle over warm puff. Cut into pieces.

NOTE: If you plan to take this somewhere, be sure to cover loosely (or not at all) or ice when you get to your destination. It tends to sweat if you cover it tightly (even if it’s room temperature when you cover it).

Resurrection Cookies

With Easter approaching, I thought I would post this recipe. It's great to do with your kids. I've done it with the kids at church before and they really had fun with it. You can just tell the story with little ones; with older children, read the verses.

I admit that mine aren't usually cracked or hollow but there's a small space inside that I guess could be considered a hollow space. The cookies are delicate so they do not travel well.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Smell & taste vinegar. Place 1 teaspoon vinegar in a mixing bowl. When Jesus was on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30

Add 3 egg whites to the bowl. Eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle salt into your hand. Taste it. Put some in the bowl. This represents Jesus’ followers’ tears and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients aren’t very appetizing.

Add 1 cup of sugar. The sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know and belong to Him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat the egg mixture until stiff peaks form.

Place 1 cup pecan halves or pieces in a ziplock bag. Let the kids beat them with a wooden spoon to break them into small pieces. After Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.

Back to the eggs: The color white represents how pure we are in God’s eyes when our sins are forgiven and cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper covered cookie sheet. Each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

Put cookie sheet in oven, close the door, and turn the oven off. Let the children tape oven door shut just like the tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

Go to bed! It was difficult for Jesus’ followers when the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.

The next morning: The cookies are cracked and hollow. Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb empty! Read Matthew 28:1-9.

NOTE: If you would prefer, make these during the day and instead of leaving the cookies in the oven all night, simply make sure your oven is cold before you take them out (try not to open the door more than once or twice since the heat left in the oven is what cooks the cookies). You need to allow 3 or more hours for this process.

Also, to release the cookies easily after baking, pull the wax paper up off of the cookie sheet. The cookies usually pop right off.

Breakfast Casserole

This is so easy and very yummy!  

6 slices white bread cut into cubes
1 pound sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 eggs
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Put the first three ingredients in a buttered 7x11 casserole dish. Combine the eggs, milk, salt, and dry mustard and pour over the mixture in the casserole dish. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight. Bake for 1 hour or longer, until puffy and golden brown at 350. Serve hot.

French Toast Casserole

This is a delicious breakfast treat!  It comes from my dear friend Amanda Bratu.  I've had the privilege of having it twice but I admit I've never made it.  

1 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
15 - 17 slices of bread
6 eggs
2 cups milk
maple syrup

Melt butter and add brown sugar and cinnamon.  Make a paste and spread over the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Remove crusts of bread.  Layer two slices over sugar mixture.  Fill in sides and ends with smaller pieces

Beat eggs and milk together and pour over bread.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes at 350.  Drizzle with syrup and place under the broiler until brown and bubbly.

Three "Bark" Candy Recipes

I love “Bark” candies because they’re easy and yet they have an elegance about them.  These are three very different but great recipes.  They freeze very well and they make a lot too.  Great for gifts!  Great for serving if you have last-minute company!  Great for taking to a party! 

 

Pringle Candy

This comes from my dear friend Delores Bailey.  It’s such a great alternative to the super-sweet stuff around the holidays since it’s more salty-sweet. 

2 packages white chocolate chips, melted 

1 can Spanish peanuts (with red skins) 

1 can regular flavor Pringles (Lays Stacks work okay too), crushed   

Stir ingredients together.  Spread on wax paper until cooled and firm.  Break into pieces.

 

Peppermint Bark

I honestly don’t know where this recipe came from but I have fond memories of helping my mom make it when I was a kid.  I don’t remember the crushing part (we probably used a hammer and a gallon ziplock bag).  But I do remember having to put the paper tray of almond bark in the oven to melt it (this was before microwave ovens…sure am dating myself here!).  We usually crush the peppermints very fine but if you prefer bigger pieces, that’s fine too.

1 pound white almond bark 

12 ounces peppermint candy, crushed to desired size (I use an old Oster blender for this—a food processor works well, as does a hammer!)  

Melt almond bark and stir in crushed candy.  Spread in a thin layer on wax paper until cool and firm.  Break into pieces.

You can use spearmint as well (I’ve done a batch of each so I could have some green, some pink—beautiful together!)..  The bark can also be molded in candy molds, if desired.  Try to avoid reheating the bark once you’ve stirred the peppermints into it because they will melt and become stringy.

 

Cranberry and Macadamia Nut Bark

This comes from my dear friend Lisa McAmis.  I have never made it so I’m uncertain of exact measurements so just pour some in.  Lisa swears by this recipe and says it’s delicious…with the given ingredients, I believe her!!

1 pound white almond bark 

Dried cranberries Macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped  

Melt bark, stir in cranberries and nuts.  Spread on wax paper until cool and firm.  Break into pieces.

Rocky Road

This is my mom’s go-to recipe for gifts and Christmas.  It came from her best friend’s mom.  A friend of ours submitted it in a contest and won first place!  It’s one of the best easy candy recipes I’ve ever made. 

11 or 12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips 

11 or 12 oz. bag butterscotch chips 

1 cup chunky peanut butter

10 oz. bag white mini marshmallows

Melt the chips together in microwave, adding peanut butter during last 20-30 seconds.  Stir until smooth.  Stir in marshmallows (if chocolate mixture is hot enough to melt the marshmallows, allow to cool 10 minutes or so--I usually use medium heat on my microwave to prevent this).  Pour into buttered 9x13 pan.  Refrigerate until firm.  Cut into pieces at room temperature.

This freezes great but be sure to freeze in slabs, not little pieces because the marshmallows will get stale.

Nestle Fudge with a Peppermint variation by Tammy

This is by far the best fudge recipe I've tried.  The texture is wonderful and while you do cook it, it's not an overly difficult recipe to make.  It's honestly the only recipe that's been no-fail for me!  Be sure to check out the Peppermint Fudge variation at the bottom.

1 ½ cups sugar

2/3 cup (5 oz. can) evaporated milk 

2 tablespoons butter or margarine 

¼ teaspoon salt 

2 cups miniature white marshmallows 

1 ½ cups (9 oz.) Semi-sweet chocolate chips 

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract   

Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with foil   Combine sugar, milk, butter, and salt in medium heavy-duty pan.  Bring to a full-rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.   Stir in marshmallows, chips, nuts, and vanilla.  Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows and chips are melted.  Pour into prepared baking pan.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.  Lift from pan; remove foil.  Cut into squares.  

Peppermint Variation:  Use white chocolate chips, omit nuts, use peppermint extract instead of vanilla, and add a little red food coloring.  I had to microwave the mixture for 2 minutes on medium heat to melt the chips completely.  Follow the directions as written above.