AMAZING Brownies

(mix in order)
1/2 cup vegetable
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

(add)
2 eggs

(mix in separate bowl, then add)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes

Turkey Nachos

(Great for Thanksgiving leftovers!)

1) place desired tortilla chips on cookie sheet

2) cover chips with leftover chunks of turkey, seasoned to your desire

3) sprinkle any other ingredients you would like (green chile, tomatoes, etc)

4) cover chips with shredded cheddar or other cheese

5) put in oven at 350 until ingredients are warm and cheese is melted (Differs for every oven, usually 10-12 minutes)

Alfajores

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 small bag finely shredded coconut (optional)

Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I just buy the Dulce de Leche - I like to eat it on French bread)

For filling, place an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a large pan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium, cover pan, and continue boiling for four hours. Make sure that the water ALWAYS stays above the top of the can or the can may explode. You may add more water periodically if you need to. After four hours, remove the can from the pan of water and let cool. The milk in the can has now turned to dulce de leche.

For cookies, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar. Add flour and mix until the dough holds together. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into small (1-1/2 inch) circles. Bake cookies for 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cool cookies.

Open can of sweetened condensed milk and spread about one Tablespoon of dulce de leche on the bottom of one cookie. Put another cookie on top so that the bottoms of the cookies are facing each other. Optional: spread more dulce de leche around the edge of the assembled cookie, and roll edge in finely shredded coconut. Makes 2-3 dozen assembled cookies.

Dan's Cheesecake

2.5 lbs of cream cheese which you cut into small chunks and let reach room temperature

1/8 tsp salt

1.5 cups sugar

1/3 cup sour cream

2 tsp lemon juice (fresh from the lemon is amazing)

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks and 6 eggs

preheat to 500 F

beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer while periodically scraping the bowl and the beater

add the salt and half the sugar and beat until mixed and scrape again

add remaining sugar and then mix and scrape

add sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla and again beat until mixed and scrape some more

add the yolks and beat until thoroughly combined

add the eggs two at a time beating until throughly combined and scraping between each addition

butter sides of a springform, put in the crust which was made and then cook at 500 for ten mins and then reduce to 200 and cook for 1.5 hrs or until an inserted thermometer reads 150. The recipe say this should take about 90 mins but I go about an hour and check it every five or so mins from then and thats usually when its about ready.

 Let it cool for two or three hours on the counter.  I then like to make a sour cream frosting topped with fruit to cover any crevices which appeared during cooking and cooling.  Then cool it in the fridge until served.  Another 2 or three hours.

Marshmallow Yam Casserole

PS, I doubled the recipe, saved the marshmallows for the end, and put an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar.  Enjoy!

3 c. canned sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 c. cream
1 1/2 c. miniature marshmallows

Blend yams with sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter, cream and half the marshmallows with yams. Turn into a greased baking dish 9x13. Top with remaining marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes until mixture is puffy and marshmallows delicately browned. Serves 6-8.

Sister Watson's Vinaigrette

Every French family makes vinaigrette. The basic recipe is always the same: 1 volume vinegar, 2 parts extra virgin olive oil, some Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. From there, you can try to create variations if you want (by adding garlic, herbs, shallots, lemon juice, etc.). Here is my recipe:
Family-size recipe:
Get an empty quart jar.
Fill it one third with VINEGAR. I use Braggs Apple Cider vinegar because it is delicious and super healthy (from the health food store).
Add one rounded teaspoon SEA SALT and two rounded teaspoons LECITHIN GRANULES (optional, from the health food store. It is a natural emulsifier and gives the vinaigrette a nice creamy texture). Add one or two rounded tablespoons DIJON MUSTARD.
Leaving one inch of space at the top of the jar, fill the jar with EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL.
Secure lid and shake.
Over the course of the next few hours, the lecithin granules will dissolve and make the dressing creamy. It is nevertheless perfectly okay to eat the dressing before this happens.
The dressing will keep for many days in this jar, if you store it in a dark place (such as a cupboard). Refrigeration is undesirable.
Smaller jar recipe:
Use 1 part vinegar and 2 parts oil. Use only a pinch of salt, a pinch of lecithin and a teaspoon Dijon.
NOTE: do not even dream of skimping on the quality of your ingredients! Oil MUST be EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL and vinegar must be either cider, wine or champagne vinegar. Salt must be sea salt, not that awful cheap byproduct of mining called table salt. Skimping on ingredient quality will result in a mediocre vinaigrette.

Pumpkin Cake Roll

-9 eggs
-3 cup sugar
-2 cup pumpkin
-3 t. lemon juice
-2 cup flour plus 1/4 cup flour
-3 t. baking powder
-2 T. cinnamon
-3 t. ginger
-1 1/2 t. salt
-1 1/2 t. nutmeg
powdered sugar as needed

Beat eggs on high for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Stir together flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Fold into the pumpkin mixture. Spread in a greased and floured cookie sheet pan with sides. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn out on a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Starting at the narrow end, roll the towel and cake together. Cool. Unroll and fill with cream cheese filling.

Filling:
-1 1/2 Cup powdered sugar
-9 oz. cream cheese
-6 T. butter
-3/4 t. vanilla
Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread over cake, roll back up. Chill.

Chocolate Brownies

-2/3 cup butter
-5 ounces unsweetened baking cocoa
-1 3/4 cups sugar
-2 t. vanilla
-3 large eggs
-1 cup flour

Frosting
-3 cups powdered sugar
-1/3 cup butter
-2 t. vanilly
-3 ounces unsweetened baking cocoa
-3 to 4 T. milk

Cook 350 degrees for 40-45 min.
-melt butter and chocolate
-beat sugar, vanilla and eggs, beat in chocolate, beat in flour

Frosting
-mix sugar and butter, mix in vanilla, beat in milk until texture is right

Whole Wheat Bread

In one bowl add (in order):
-6 cups very warm water
-1 heaping Tbsp. yeast
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/4 cup canola oil
-1/4 cup honey
Whisk and let sit while mixing dry ingredients

-8-9 cups whole wheat flour (heaping)
-2 cup white flour(heaping)
-1 Tbsp. salt (heaping)

Add wet mixture to mixing bowl with dry ingredients
Mix with dough hooks for 25-30 minutes
Take out and put in large bowl with canola oil covering bottom
roll dough in oil and cover. Let rise 45 min to an hour
Shape into 4 loaves
Let rise 20 min
Preheat overn 350
Cook 35-40 min.
Let rest 10 min in pan then remove.

Maple-roasted Chicken with Vegetables

-1 1/2 lbs. chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
-poultry seasoning to taste
-salt and pepper to taste
-2 cups carrots, cut into 1 in. pieces
-3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in. pieces
-1/2 red onion, cut into 1 in. pieces
-3/4 cup maple syrup
-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped

Arrange the chicken in an 8x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with seasoning. Place the carrots, sweet potatoes and onion in the dish. Drizzle with maple syrup and olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and toss to coat.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, stir and cook for about 15 minutes longers or until the chicken is golden drown. Let stand, covered with foil, for 5 to 8 minutes.