Twice-Baked Potatoes (about 8 whole potatoes)

 

Bake potatoes till done, usually 1.5-2 hours, until they feel soft. Cut each potato in half and scoop out into a bowl, preserving the shells.  If they’re hot, hold with a hot pad as you scoop out each half

 

Mash potatoes with 5 TB butter, ¾ c. cream and enough milk to make them a soft mashed potato texture.  Add salt and pepper to taste. (maybe ½ tsp salt or more and ¼ tsp pepper).

Place thinly sliced on top of each potato.  Heat 20-30 minutes in oven until potatoes are warm and cheese is melted.  

 

Note: You can make them a day ahead on a cookie sheet. Cover with saran wrap. If cold, they will heat for about 30 minutes and add cheese  to the top the last 15-20 minutes.

 

Note: I’ve never written down the recipe, so amounts are estimated

Lemon Dream Cupcakes better homes and gardens

Ingredients

• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk 
• 2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
• Lemon Cream Frosting
• 1 cup lemon curd
• Thin lemon slices (optional)

Lemon Cream Frosting

• 6 ounce cream cheese
• ⅓ cup butter
• ¼ cup lemon curd
• 6 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk
• Milk (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line twenty to twenty-four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups or lightly coat with nonstick spray for baking; set aside. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
   
2. In a mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating until combined. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in lemon peel. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
   
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
   
4. Prepare Lemon Cream Frosting; set aside. Spoon lemon curd into a decorating bag fitted with a large round or open star tip. Push tip into the top of each cupcake and force some of the lemon curd inside cake. Generously pipe or spread the frosting onto tops of cupcakes. If desired, cut lemon slices into quarters and place on top of cupcakes.
   

Lemon Cream Frosting

1. Allow cream cheese and butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese, butter, and lemon curd. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Gradually add 3 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in the 1 tablespoon milk. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in enough additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make frosting spreading consistency.

 Spaghetti Sauce

1 c. chopped onion                  ¼ c. snipped parsley

1 lb hamberger                        1 TB brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced           1 tsp. salt

1 lb 14 oz can tomatoes          1 ½ tsp. dried oregano

1 lb can tomatoes                    ¼ tsp dried thyme

1 6-oz can tomato paste          1 bay leaf

Brown meat with garlic and onion. Drain fat. Add remaining ingredients plus 2 c. water. Simmer uncovered for about 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water as needed. Serve over pasta.

Raspberry Cream Cheese Puffs (makes 10 puffs)

Puffs

 1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1 TB mlk

1/2 tsp vanilla

20 raspberries, divided

1 large egg beaten

Glaze

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 TB milk

1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions:

Preheat over to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Thaw puff pastry on country

2. in medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar toner.  Add milk and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add berries and mix until just broken

3. Once pasty is thawed enough, bend and be workable place it on a clean surface. Cut into 16 equal square. Dollop 1 tsp cream cheese mixture in center of each square and add on raspberry in center of the puff. Fold up corner, pressing them into the sauce. With a pastry brush, brush egg on top of puffs. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden. cool while you make glaze. 

4. Glaze: whisk together ingredients adding more milk if needed. drizzle over puffs. Serve warm or cold.

 Cherry Cheese Pie

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 graham cracker crust

1 (21 oz) can cherry or other pie filling)

1. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. If you cream cheese isn't soft enough you will get lumps. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla until well combing enough to firm mixture. 

2. Pour into graham cracker crust and chill at least 3 hours. Pour topping over.

Gravy, Perfect Pan 

Remove roast to hot platter.  Leaving rusty bits in pan, pour meat juices and fat into large measuring cup.  Skim off fat and reserving 3 to 4 TB. Fr 2 cu. gravy, return reserved fat to pan. Stir in 1/4 c. flour. Blend fat and flour. Cook; stir over low heat til bubbly.

Remove pan from heat. Add 2 c. liquid (meat juices plus water, milk or broth all at once; blend. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Wassail

2 C. water

1.5 gallon apple cider

2 c. sugar

1 gallon orange juice

12 whole cloves

12 whole allspice

1/2 box cinnamon

boil water, cider sugar orange juice and apple juice and spices for 10 min. Let sit for 1 hour at very low heat. This makes a ton, you may want to half.