This is so tasty you will be tempted to eat it straight from the pan. Margie created this to go over cheesecake, but it would be great on ice cream, bread pudding or pound cake. I say, “Sweet, rich, decadently perfect.”
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed (1/2 pound)
2 tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 tablespoons Rum
1/2 cup Pecans, coarsely chopped
Directions:
In a heavy saucepan heat Butter, Brown Sugar, and Maple Syrup over low heat. Stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved. (This will take longer if the sugar is hard)
Remove from heat and stir in Cream, Vanilla, and Rum. Add pecans.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Note: For a thinner sauce – add 1/2 milk.
Can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Margie uses Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum
Dave adds: Great for dipping cookies into as well. Oh, mama …
Serves: 10-12
Prep time:0:20
Source: MLK
MLK
Hobbit Appetizer – French Sandwich
So easy you can make it at the drop of a hat. The combinations for this are endless. Family favorites include: mozzarella with pepperoni and pizza sauce, jack cheese with green chilies, Jarlsberg and bay shrimp with Dijon mustard, and brie with sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. If you can get the restaurant size puff pastry this makes a REALLY impressive hors d’oeuvre.
Ingredients:
- 17 ounces Frozen Puff Pastry, defrosted
- 1 cup Havarti Cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Dill Weed, chopped
- Dijon mustard
Directions:
- Defrost puff pastry in the refrigerator over night.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Place a sheet of pastry on a rimless baking sheet.
- Brush with a thin spread of mustard.
- Sprinkle with cheese and dill, leaving a 1/2 inch border.
- Moisten the edge of sheet with water.
- Place second sheet on top.
- Seal edges with the tines of a fork.
- Pierce top sheet of pastry with a fork.
- Return to the refrigerator for half an hour – it puffs up more.
- Bake approximately 15 – 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
- Slide onto cutting/serving board.
- Let rest 5 minutes before cutting into small squares and serving.
Serves: 12 or so.
Note: Freezes well uncooked. We always have one in the freezer “just in case”!
Source: The Hobbit Restaurant, Orange, CA
Posole
Hands-down one of Dave’s favorites. This has evolved over the years and is a flexible recipe. It most recently made an appearance at my team’s YMCA chili fundraiser at the office – yes that chili fundraiser.
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces Dry Posole (or 2 (two) 29 oz cans of Posole if available in your area)
——– - 2 pounds Pork Shoulder Roast, cubed
- 2 Onions, diced
- 1 can Beer (optional)
——– - 3 quarts Chicken Broth
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1¼ teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Bay Leaf
——– - 14 ounces Salsa Verde
- 14½ ounces Crushed Tomatoes
- Salt, seasoning, to taste
Directions:
- (If using dry Posole) Soak Posole overnight in plenty of water.
- (Optional, for richer taste):
- Brown the Pork in a large stock pot, set aside.
- Brown the Onions in the same pot.
- Deglaze the pot with the Beer.
- In a large stock pot, simmer Pork, Chicken Broth, Onions, Garlic, Oregano, Bay Leaf and Cumin 1-2 hours, until Pork is tender.
- Remove the Bay Leaf.
- (Optional, if prepping the day before) Chill the Pork-Broth mixture, then de-fat before warming.
- (If using dry Posole) In 3 qt pan, cover Posole with plenty of water and cook until Posole pops and is tender, 1-2 hours.
- Drain Posole, saving some water/liquid if a soupier stew is desired.
- Add Posole, Tomatoes, and Salsa Verde to the Pork-Broth mixture. Season to taste.
- Heat and serve. Optionally serve with a dollop of sour cream and flour tortillas.
Notes:
- Heat-wise, this Posole is pretty mild. “Season to taste” is your opportunity to bump it up some, but remember: you can always make things spicier, but you can’t (easily) make them less spicy.
- Also sometimes called “Pozole,” “Pozolé,” “Pozolli,” or even mistyped “Possole”. The is from the Nahuatl pozolli. The key ingredient is also known as hominy.
- Posole can be made in a crock pot: Combine everything except Tomatoes and Salsa Verde. Add extra water and cook as for stew. One hour before serving, add Tomatoes and Salsa Verde. Heat and serve.
Prep Time: 3 hrs. (Variables: Dry vs Canned Posole; if chilling before the final cook)
Servings: 10
Source: MLK
Sour Cream Pound Cake
Sour Cream makes this a marvelously moist cake. It is a good background for almost any addition. For a special treat serve it with a selection of toppings, like ice cream, fudge sauce, or fresh peaches.
This recipe is for high altitude baking, 5,200 feet. Sea level bakers may want to increase the Baking Powder to ¼ tsp and the Baking Soda to 1/8 tsp.
Ingredients:
½ cup Butter – room temperature
1 cup Sugar
3 Eggs – room temperature
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ teaspoon Almond Extract
3/8 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 pinch Baking Soda
1½ cups Flour
½ cup Sour Cream, Light – room temperature
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325.
- Grease and flour loaf pan.
- With an electric mixer, beat Butter until smooth. Add Sugar and mix on high until light and fluffy. This takes longer than you think, at least 5 minutes.
- Add Vanilla and Almond Extract. Add Eggs one at a time. Beat thoroughly after each egg. Scrape the bowl down after each addition.
- Add Baking Powder and Baking Soda. Add Flour and Sour Cream. Beat on low until just combined.
- Pour into loaf pan and bake 60 minutes, (50 minutes convection) and check with toothpick. Continue baking until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool on a rack about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
Note: You can make a marbled cake by holding back 1/3 of the batter and stir in ~¼ chocolate syrup or other flavoring. Pour on top of light batter and marble with a knife.
Serves: 10-12
Prep time:1:20
Source: Modified from Better Homes and Garden – New Cook Book
Margie’s Moist and Chewy Brownies
This is a wonderful quick treat. It has about half the fat of the original recipe and is even better than before. I like to add chocolate chips and dried cranberries. They add great texture and flavor. Chocolate and cranberries are a tasty combination. In another version, I add lots of raisins and nuts to make a chocolate granola bar.
As always this recipe is for high altitude baking, 5,200 feet. Sea level baker may want to use one less egg.
Ingredients:
½ cup Butter
4 ounces Chocolate, Unsweetened
2 cups Sugar
½ cup Applesauce
4 Eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 cup Flour
2 cups Goodies (See Note)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease 9″x13″ baking pan.
- In large glass mixing bowl, melt Butter in microwave. Add Chocolate and stir until melted. You may need to microwave for an additional 30 seconds if chocolate is in big chunks.
- Stir in Sugar.
- Stir in Applesauce.
- Add Eggs one at a time. Stir until shiny.
- Stir in Vanilla.
- Add flour and stir until just incorporated.
- Add any Goodies and mix in.
- Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes (30 minutes convection)
Notes:
- Goodies: may include Nuts, Chocolate Chips, Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Toffee Chips, or anything else you like.
- I make this with just a bowl and a spoon. No mixer needed.
Serves: 24 Brownies
Source: Margie Kleerup
Extra Easy Fruit Crisp
This is the fastest crisp to make. Toss it together when you have unexpected guests and let it cook while you eat dinner. The smell is incredible.
Ingredients
2 cans Pie Filling
½ teaspoon Vanilla
Spices*
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
½ cup Flour
½ teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
½ cup Butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Spray 9 inch square pan with Pam.
Dump pie filling in pan. Stir in vanilla and spices*.
Mix remaining ingredients and crumble over fruit. Bake for 25 minutes or until crisp and bubbly. Serve plain or with ice cream.
*Spices: Match spices to the fruit used: Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with apple or blueberry. Almond extract and cardamom with cherry. Ginger with peach.
Note: Also good with frozen fruit (5 cups) and 2-4 tablespoons of sugar.
Serves: 8
Preparation Time: 0:30
Source: Better Homes and Gardens: New Cook Book, modified by MLK.
Smoked Salmon Spread
The Junior League of San Francisco got it right. This is a nice spread for crackers or party-size breads. I like the chunks of salmon and tangy onions and capers.
Ingredient:
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 small Onion — finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Capers — drained
- 2 teaspoons Dill Weed, Fresh — chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dill Weed, Dried
- 1/2 cup Smoked Salmon
- Salt and Pepper
Directions:
- Blend Mayonnaise and Sour Cream until smooth.
- Mix in Onion and spices.
- Shred Salmon into the bowl and fold in lightly.
- Salt and Pepper to taste.
- Cover and chill.
- Garnish with dill sprig.
Note: I used a local hickory-smoked salmon. Lox-style smoked salmon would need to be chopped. A little lemon might be needed to balance the stronger flavor.
Serves: 8-12
Source: San Francisco a la Carte with minor changes by MLK
Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup
I thought that a red soup would look festive for the harvest dinner. This soup is the result. Roasting the tomatoes gives them a dense flavor that matches the peppers.
Ingredients:
3 pounds Tomatoes
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
12 ounces Roasted Red Peppers — canned
1 Onion — diced
4 cups Chicken Broth
¼ cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes — diced
3 Garlic Cloves
1 teaspoon Thyme
1 teaspoon Oregano
½ teaspoon Cumin
¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Slice tomatoes in half and place cut side down on baking sheet. Drizzle with Olive Oil. Salt and Pepper. Roast until skin becomes slightly charred, 30-60 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Remove tomato skins.
In a stock pot, saut
Cognac Carrots
An impressive and easy dish.
Ingredients:
1 pound Carrots, young — peeled and sliced
4 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 tablespoon Cognac
½ teaspoon Salt
Chives — chopped
Directions:
Slice carrots 1/3 inch thick. Heat butter, sugar, cognac and salt in a heavy skillet. Add the carrots and cook over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives.
Note: Serves well on a buffet.
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 0:30
Source: MLK from Newspaper
Candied Cranberries
Beautiful! Tasty treats for the holiday.
Ingredient
3 cups Sugar
12 ounces Cranberries, fresh
Directions:
In the top of a double boiler, melt 2 cups of Sugar and 1/4 cup of Water on direct heat. Heat water in the base of the double boiler. Remove sugar from the heat and add cranberries. Place top of the double boiler over the base. The top pan should not touch the simmering water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and let stand over night.
Drain the cranberries well. Place a sheet of wax paper on a baking sheet. Spread 1 cup of Sugar evenly on the paper. Spread cranberries out on tray and toss with sugar. Let dry for at least a week.
Note: Syrup can be saved for other use.
Serves: 12
Preparation Time: 0:50
Source: MLK