These holiday cookies are proven winners!
These classic cookies are easy to make with ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
Lulu's Original Butterballs
1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup ground walnuts (freshly ground is best)
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Mix in salt, walnuts and vanilla. Stir in flour. Refrigerate dough, covered, for a couple of hours or overnight. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place balls one inch apart on cookies sheets. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.
If you make one snack this holiday season, make it this one!
These nuts are perfect served with cocktails and they make a great hostess gift!
Caroline's Sweet and Spicy Pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch cayenne
1 egg white
2 cups pecan halves
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and spray a nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray or line sheet with a silicone mat. Mix the sugar and spices together in a small bowl. Beat egg white lightly with a fork in a larger bowl; toss in the pecans and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the spice mixture and coat pecans evenly. Using your fingers, lift the pecans out of the bowl and transfer to the baking sheet, separating them as best you can. Discard any left over sugar mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Break pecans apart and let cool completely on a separate baking sheet. Keep covered in a dry place. Pecans will stay fresh for five days.
This party mix is perfect for any holiday gathering.
I love to serve this festive party mix in a punch bowl with small cups for easy snacking.
This recipe makes a big batch, so it's great for a party or for making gift or goody bags.
White Chocolate Covered Chex Mix
4 cups corn Chex
4 cups Rice Chex
2 cups salted peanuts
2 cups mini salted pretzels
2 cups red and green M & Ms
2 pounds white chocolate chips or chocolate, chopped
Mix all ingredients except for the white chocolate in a very large bowl or non-stick pan. Place white chocolate in microwave safe bowl. Microwave 2 minutes on high. Stir. Microwave 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Fold melted chocolate into dry ingredients. Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or a silicone baking mat to cool. Break up. Serve. Store in air-tight container.
Our favorite cosmo-inspired holiday punch
We serve this punch every year at our Christmas Cookie Exchange. Don't forget the ice ring!
Caroline's Holiday Punch
2 cups vodka
1 cup Triple Sec or Cointreau
1 cup cranberry juice or juice cocktail or your favorite variation (we like pomegranate-cranberry)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 2-liter bottle cranberry ginger ale
One festive ice ring (directions follow)
Chill all ingredient prior to making punch. Combine vodka, Triple Sec and juices in punch bowl. Stir. Add ginger ale right before serving. Stir. Top off with a festive ice ring. Note: I like to make a second batch of punch with the all the ingredients except for the ginger ale. Store in a pitcher in the fridge so it's easy to refill the punch during the party.
For the ice ring: Fill a vintage Jello mold half-way with whatever juice you are using for the punch. (Using juice instead of water prevents the punch from getting watered down!) Add 1 cup cranberries and one sliced orange and one sliced lime. Freeze until solid. To unmold, turn upside down and run warm water over mold until ice ring dislodges. Place in punch bowl.
Need a classic dip recipe? This one is our most requested!
This 5 ingredient dip is easy to make and so popular, I usually make two batches!
Caroline's Hot Artichoke Dip
1 can artichoke hearts (not marinated), drained
1 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (freshly shredded is best)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1 to 1/2 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Chop the artichokes, mix in the mayonnaise and garlic. Stir in the cheeses and salt and pepper. Place in baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on size of baking dish) until the top is bubbly. Serve with pita chips, crackers or tortilla chips.
These dessert bars are easy to make and take...everywhere!
These bars start with a boxed cake mix and other ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
Irede Bars
1 package white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter, cubed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan. In a bowl, combine the dry cake mix, eggs and oil. With floured hands, press two-thirds of the mixture into the prepared pan. Set aside the remaining cake mixture. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, chocolate chips and butter. Microwave, uncovered, on high 45 seconds; stir. Microwave 45-60 seconds longer or until chips and butter are melted; stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over the top. Bae for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. Makes 3 dozen.
The easiest Peanut Blossom cookie-ever!
It wouldn't be the holidays without this classic cookie! And with only four ingredients, these couldn't be easier to make.
Peanut Blossom Cookies
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 package Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a bowl of a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer, beat together peanut butter, sugar and eggs. With floured hands, form into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes until tops crack. Remove from oven. Immediately press a kiss in the center of each cookie. Let cool completely.
It's the best time of the year-time for casseroles!
Spinach Noodle Casserole
My mother made all the casseroles-tuna noodle casserole, ham and noodle casserole, basically any casserole made with egg noodles. I love this one! It's great as a side dish or, add in crumbled, cooked Italian sausage to make it an easy weeknight dinner.
Spinach Noodle Casserole
- 2 10 ounce packages frozen spinach, thawed
- 1 8 ounce package egg noodles
- 1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 packet onion soup mix
- 2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9-inch pan or spray with cooking spray. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as possible (I put it in a dish towel and wring out the water.) Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain. Off the heat, place noodles back in pot with butter and add in the spinach. Stir to combine. In a bowl, beat the cream, soup mix and eggs. Pour over the noodle mixture. Stir. Pour everything into the prepared pan. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes longer until set.
This punch is perfect for all your fall festivities!
This sangria has all the flavors of fall! Your guests will love it and they can serve themselves!
Jen's Apple Cinnamon Fall Sangria
3 apples, chopped
3 pears, chopped
750 ml cinnamon whiskey
1 bottle Pinot Grigio, chilled
64 ounces apple cider, chilled
1 liter club soda or seltzer, chilled
Cinnamon sticks for serving
Place chopped apples and pears in a bowl. Pour in the whiskey. Cover the bowl and let sit for at least one hour. Pour the wine, cider and soda into a large beverage dispenser. Carefully add the apples and whiskey. Stir. Serve with cinnamon sticks.
What's more vintage than a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner?!
This classic appetizer is the 2004 Pillsbury Bake-Off winner and the baker hails from Connecticut!
Italian Antipasto Squares
- 2 cans refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (8 count) or 2 cans refrigerated Pllsbury Crescent Dough Sheets
- 4oz thinly sliced salami
- 4oz thinly sliced Swiss cheese
- 4oz thinly sliced pepperoni
- 4oz thinly sliced American cheese
- 4oz thinly sliced capocollo (cured Italian ham) or cooked ham
- 4oz thinly sliced provolone cheese
- 2eggs
- 1/2teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2teaspoon pepper
- 1jar (12 oz) sliced roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 1can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
- 1egg yolk, beaten
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 13x9-inch pan or spray with cooking spray. If using crescent rolls: Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; place in pan. Press in bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan to form crust, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheets: Unroll 1 can of dough; place in pan. Press in bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of pan to form crust. Layer all meats and cheeses in order listed over dough. In small bowl, beat 2 eggs, the garlic powder and pepper with wire whisk until well blended. Pour over meat and cheese layers. Layer roasted peppers and olives over top. If using crescent rolls: Unroll second can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press into 13x9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheets: Unroll second can of dough; press into 13x9-inch rectangle. Place over top of layered ingredients. Pinch edges to seal. Brush beaten egg yolk over dough. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until deep golden brown. Cool 15 minutes before serving. Serve warm. Makes 24 servings.
The Danish Puff you remember!
So happy we unearthed this recipe!
Many years ago, I was watching an episode of Sara Moulton's cooking show. She was recreating a long-lost family recipe for a viewer solely from the woman's memory of the dish. The amount of trial-and-error it took to get the recipe just right was astounding! That episode is the reason I started writing down my recipes and asking my family for theirs. When I searched for this recipe in my mom's kitchen and couldn't find it, I was devastated. My mother would make this recipe whenever there was a tea party at the church, a luncheon or another special occasion. She would slice it and serve it on a beautiful, glass tray-lined with a doily, of course! Luckily, my sister Lulu was able to track down the recipe! Thanks, Lu!
Mom's Danish Puff
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup flour
3 eggs
Confectionary Sugar Glaze, see below
1/2 cup chopped nuts, for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using a pastry cutter, cut 1/2 cup butter into 1 cup flour. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cold water over mixture. Form dough into a ball and divide in half. On ungreased cookie sheet, form each half into a 3 inch by 12 inch rectangle, 3 inches apart. Set aside.
In a 2 quart saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat. Stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir over low heat for about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs all at once until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over each rectangle. Bake about 1 hour or until topping is crisp and brown. (Top will shrink and fall-this is normal.) Cool completely on cooling rack.
For confectionary sugar glaze, mix together 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter,
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1-2 tablespoons warm milk (or water) in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread over the pastry. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.
