I avoided an argument by not giving my DH 1 of his gifts, how about that? We had always gone to Florida for about 6 weeks in the winter but DH feels, with having our cats, no one can take care of them like he can, and hasn't gone with me the last couple of years. We have a neighbor and family that live real close and have always taken over in an emergency...Well, I booked my flights and I also booked a flight for DH to come down for 9 days..On Christmas, we were all unwrapping gifts and I said, Dad has 1 more and he said, I've already gotten so many, keep it for my birthday, which is in Feb., right before his scheduled trip...He'll be upset, but I'll already be gone so I don't care...He loves Florida and I know he'll enjoy it....So that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

What if you attempted a complete fake-out and served quinoa instead of rice? It is a very healthy grain and I think it might make a reasonable substitution. I've made the following salad several times and it has been well received, but if you want a warm side dish, skip the salad and check out the following recipe. Quinoa Pecan Salad with Dried Cranberries Jun 1, 2000 12:00 PM Quinoa & Pecan Salad with Dried Cranberries June, 2000 Serves 10 / This hearty salad has a zesty combination of textures and contrasting flavors. Plus, it's loaded with fiber and nutrients. Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25-30 minutes 3 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups quinoa 1 bunch green onions, finely sliced 1/2 cup dried cranberries, diced 1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped 3/4 cup celery, finely diced 3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper Pinch of cayenne pepper 1. Bring water to a boil. Add quinoa; stir, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until quinoa is soft and water is absorbed ��" about 25-30 minutes. 2. Add green onions, dried cranberries, cilantro and celery to a large salad bowl. Toast the pecans in a small skillet and add to the salad bowl (optional). Add the olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sesame oil, salt and peppers to the bowl. Stir to mix. 3. Stir in the quinoa when it has cooked and cooled slightly. Set aside for an hour if possible to allow flavors to marry; serve at room temperature. Photography by Rita Maas Calories 197,Fat 9,Perfat 42,Cholesterol 0,Carbo 25,Protein 4,Fiber N/A,Sodium N/A *************************************************** Quinoa Pilaf Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence .Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:25 minLevel: --Serves: 4 servings.Ingredients â¢2 cups vegetable broth â¢1 cup quinoa, rinsed well â¢1 bay leaf â¢1/2 teaspoon turmeric â¢1 teaspoon salt and pepper â¢1 tablespoon olive oil â¢1 teaspoon preserved lemon rind, finely diced â¢1 tomato, finely chopped â¢1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered â¢1/2 red onion, diced â¢1/2 cup black olives, pitted â¢1/4 cup currants â¢Fresh mint leaves, for garnish Directions In a small saucepan, combine broth, quinoa, bay leaf, turmeric, salt, pepper and olive oil in a saucepan. Stir in preserved lemon and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Add tomato, artichokes, onion, olives and currants, mix well to combine. Top with mint and serve.

Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 14:34 Doucanoe has chosen MUSHROOMS for our next Cookalong. Nice pick Linda! Please post your favorite mushroom recipes to this thread This will run until Jan 9 2010. Anyone interested in actually doing a dinner around mushrooms on Jan. 10? Could be fun..... Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #17----------Walnuts Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by caliloo (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 15:56 Oh great ingredient! I love mushrooms! In keeping with the season, I am posting one of my fav holiday sides...... Alexa ****************************************************** Brandied Steakside Mushrooms Recipe courtesy Paula Deen Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield: 4 to 6 people User Rating: 3 pounds fresh mushrooms, sliced lengthwise 8 tablespoons butter Seasoning salt ) 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup brandy In a large skillet, saute the sliced mushrooms in the butter until brown. Sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt. Add Worcestershire sauce and simmer until almost all sauce is absorbed by the mushrooms. Add the brandy and continue to simmer until mushrooms are tender. Serve with steak or roast beef. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by booberry85 (becky@leadsafe.us) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 17:11 Psari Sto Filo This is my knock off of Symeons recipe. Symeons is a great Greek restaurant in Utica, NY. This serves 2-4. 2 boneless fillets of Tilapia, haddock, or other mild white fish 4 sheets of filo dough 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or equivalent) 1 cup milk 1 package of raw spinach 1 package or can of sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned) 2 cups cooked rice Take two sheets of filo dough and lay them on a clean surface. Place several spinach leaves on the filo dough (enough spinach so that the bottom of the fish will be covered). Place one fish fillet on top of the spinach. Cover the top of the fish with more spinach leaves. Top that with sliced mushrooms. Wrap in the filo dough. Repeat the procedure for the second fish. Grease a 9x9 baking dish. Place the rice in the baking dish. If there is leftover spinach, layer the spinach on top of the rice. Place the wrapped fish on top of the rice and spinach. In a sauce pan, heat cream of mushroom soup with 1 cup milk until warm and smooth. Pour over the fish. Cover the baking pan with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by aliceinmd (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 21:21 As you can see, this is an older recipe, one we have used several times over the years. Hough Caterers in Cleveland frequently served it as a side dish at large buffet dinners. Unfortunately, they are now out of business, but some of their recipes live on. MUSHROOM PIE From Menu Planning for Every Occasion, by Robert S. Pile, President of Hough Caterers, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio (1968) 2 cups sautéed mushrooms (measured after cooking) 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons flour Liquid from mushrooms and enough milk and cream to make 2 cups ½ teaspoon salt Dash white pepper 1 Tablespoon sautéed onion 1 8-inch unbaked pie shell and dough for top Drain mushrooms and save liquid. Make a cream sauce of the butter, flour, liquid, and milk or cream. Add salt, pepper, and onion. Add mushrooms to cream sauce and put into pie shell. Cover with pie dough. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes. Serves 6. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 21:45 I love, love, love fungus! LOL Some of my favorites.... This one makes a really nice light lunch or is great for breakfast, too! Croutes Aux Champignons 4 slices bread 1/2 c butter, divided 12oz fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 small onion, chopped 1T flour 1/2c stock (I use beef) 1/2c dry white wine 1/4c heavy cream parsley Saute onion in half the butter until tender. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in flour, gradually add stock and wine. Stir in cream and simmer until thickened. Meanwhile, butter both sides of bread, and toast on griddle until golden brown on both sides. Spoon mushroom sauce over bread slices, serve warm sprinkled with chopped parsley. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sherried Brie and Mushroom Soup Makes 8 cups 1 lb. Brie cheese 2 cups dry sherry 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 pound crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup minced shallots 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons flour 4 cups low-sodium beef broth 1 3/4 cups half and half 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh chives, for garnish Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Trim the rind from the brie and then roughly tear it into 2-inch pieces. (It is easy to trim if you first place the cheese in the freezer for 30 minutes or until it is sufficiently hard.) Set aside. In a small saucepan, reduce the sherry over medium-high heat to 1 cup. Set aside. in a medium stockpot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and lemon juice and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat, add the flour, and stir until the flour is fully incorporated. Return the mixture to heat and add the beef broth and reserved sherry. Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the trimmed Brie, stirring until the cheese has melted. Add the half and half and pepper and continue to simmer without boiling for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. To serve, ladle the soup into separate bowls and garnish each with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the chives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crockpot Beef Stroganoff 1-1/2 lb stew meat cut into cubes 1T cooking oil 1 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4c minced onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp dried thyme, crushed 1 bay leaf 1-1/2c beef broth 1/3c dry red wine 1 c sour cream 1/2c flour 1/4c water 4c hot cooked noodles or rice In large skillet brown the beef in hot oil, drain. In crockpot combine beef, mushrooms, onions, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper thyme and bay leaf. Pour in broth and wine. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Discard bay leaf, and turn crockpot to high heat. Mix together sour cream, flour and water. Stir about 1 cup of the hot liquid into the sour cream mixture, return all to crockpot and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high heat for 30 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Serve over noodles or rice. Serves 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ INA GARTENS PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM LASAGNA Kosher salt Good olive oil 3/4 pound dried lasagna noodles 4 cups whole milk 12 tablespoons (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms 1 cup freshly ground Parmesan Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and a splash of oil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and set aside. For the white sauce, bring the milk to a simmer in a saucepan. Set aside. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter in a large saucepan. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture all at once. Add 1 tablespoon salt, the pepper, and nutmeg, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring first with the wooden spoon and then with a whisk, for 3 to 5 minutes, until thick. Set aside off the heat. Separate the mushroom stems from the caps and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (12-inch) saute pan. When the butter melts, add half the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and they release some of their juices. If they become too dry, add a little more oil. Toss occasionally to make sure the mushrooms cook evenly. Repeat with the remaining mushrooms and set all the mushrooms aside. To assemble the lasagna, spread some of the sauce in the bottom of an 8 by 12 by 2-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of noodles on top, then more sauce, then 1/3 of the mushrooms, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Repeat 2 more times, layering noodles, sauce, mushrooms, and Parmesan. Top with a final layer of noodles and sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake the lasagna for 45 minutes, or until the top is browned the sauce is bubbly and hot. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and serve hot. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And a super simple appetizer... Balsamic Mushrooms 1/4 c olive oil 12 oz button mushrooms 3 T balsamic vinegar 1 tsp coarse salt 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes fresh ground pepper Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in vinegar, salt and red pepper flakes, season with pepper. Cook one minute more. Transfer to serving dish, serve hot or at room temperature. Linda o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Mon, Dec 28, 09 at 22:23 DH makes those sherried mushrooms fairly often, and they are soooo addictive I don't have a recipe, but I do have a request. I'd love a nice mushroom soup that does not contain cream/milk or cheese and will freeze well. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rachelellen (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 9:32 Sorry, this one has cream, but it is our very, very favorite soup. Rachel the Mushroom Fiends Cream o Shroom Soup Ingredients: 1 lg. Onion, chopped 2 lg celery stalks, chopped 1 c minced mushrooms 2 c sliced mushrooms ½ t dried savory 4 c rich chicken stock 3 lg cloves garlic ¾ t black pepper 1 t salt 1 pt heavy cream 1 pt milk 9 T butter 3 T white flour ¼ c dry white wine (or dry sherryNOT cooking wine or cooking sherry) ½ c Secret Ingredientshhhh!* In a dutch oven, saute half the onion and celery, all the garlic & 1 c minced mushrooms in 3 T butter until onions are translucent. Add savory, pepper & salt and saute until you smell the savory. Add the Secret Ingredientshhh! and saute until the Secret Ingredientshhh! absorbs enough liquid to turn dark and unappetizing looking, while smelling very mushroomy. Add the rich chicken stock and simmer until the vegetables are quite soft. Using an immersion blender (stick blender), or a traditional blender, puree the stock and veggies until smooth. Add the cream and milk and bring to a slow simmer. In the meantime, make a blonde roux from 3 T butter and the white flour. When your roux is ready and the soup simmering, whisk the roux into the soup briskly. Saute the rest of the onion, celery and the sliced mushrooms in 3 T of butter until onions are translucent. Add the white wine and simmer for a few minutes to intensify the flavors. Stir mixture into the soup and simmer until the veggies are tender. If youve planned far enough ahead, and the aroma hasnt driven you crazy with mushroom lust, set the soup off the heat to completely cool. If it can sit in the fridge overnight, so much the better. The flavors "moogle" together as those of so many soups do with time, and the soup becomes even tastier upon reheating. *Secret Ingredient.shhhh! Using a coffee/spice grinder, make a powder of equal parts dehydrated button mushrooms and dehydrated shiitake mushrooms. It should be as fine as talcum powder. This is the secret! It imparts a wonderfully rich mushroom flavor and helps to thicken the soup at the same time. I also use this in stews that include mushrooms. Make these in the morning, so they can chill in the fridge all day and let the flavors "moogle". Marinated Mushroom Salad Mince a small onion and several cloves of garlic. Saute them in a couple of T of olive oil until they soften and the room smells wonderfully of garlic & onion. Then sizzle a half a cup of white wine (not sweet) for half a minute or so and add a T of tomato paste, 1/2 c of water (or, if you've got some really, really good garden tomatoes, sub a small minced tomato sans seeds and reduce the water to 1/4 c), a pinch of ground cloves or nutmeg, and if you're feeling wealthy, a pinch of saffron strands. Cover, and simmer the mixture for half an hour or so. If the mixture gets too dry, you can add a bit more water, but what you're shooting for is a pasty sort of sauce, and remember that the mushrooms will add water when you cook them. Clean, trim & dry about 1/2 pound of button mushrooms. I like to use bite sized. Add these to the sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes, until cooked through. Remember though, that the residual heat will keep cooking them once you take them off the stove, and you don't want them squishy. Salt & Pepper the sauce to taste, cool to room temp and put into the fridge. Just before serving, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, or other fairly mild herb like chives, marjoram or tarragon. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dishesdone (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 10:32 Renee, this has no cream and it's a fabulous soup. Delicious. It has butter, but I suppose you can use a nice olive oil! Mushroom Soup (posted SusanQ at GB's ~ I found this on Epicurious and posted some of the reader's comments as well. One comment suggests making parmesan croutons which I used and were a wonderful addition) Makes 4 servings. By Anthony Bourdain with Jose de Meirelles and Philippe Lajaunie Bloomsbury 6 tablespoons butter 1 small onion, thinly sliced 12 ounces button mushrooms 4 cups light chicken stock or broth 1 sprig of flat parsley Salt and pepper 2 ounces high-quality sherry (don't use the cheap grocery-store variety; it's salty and unappetizing and will ruin your soup) Equipment Medium saucepan Wooden spoon Blender (I used an immersion blender) In the medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons/28 g of the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then add the mushrooms and the remaining butter. Let the mixture sweat for about 8 minutes, taking care that the onion doesn't take on any brown color. Stir in the chicken stock and the parsley and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour. After an hour, remove the parsley and discard. Let the soup cool for a few minutes, then transfer to the blender and carefully blend at high speed until smooth. Do I have to remind you to do this in stages, with the blender's lid firmly held down, and with the weight of your body keeping that thing from flying off and allowing boiling hot mushroom purée to erupt all over your kitchen? When blended, return the mix to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a simmer again. Add the sherry, mix well, and serve immediately. To astound your guests with a Wild Mushroom Soup, simply replace some of those button mushrooms with a few dried cèpes or morels, which have been soaked until soft, drained, and squeezed. Not too many; the dried mushrooms will have a much stronger taste, and you don't want to overwhelm the soup. Pan sear, on high heat, a single small, pretty, fresh chanterelle or morel for each portion, and then slice into a cute fan and float on top in each bowl. And if you really want to ratchet your soup into pretentious (but delicious), drizzle a few tiny drops of truffle oil over the surface just before serving. Why the hell not? Everybody else is doing it. reviews cookykamp on 12/06/06 This soup was an awesome surprise. Imagine, a mushroom soup with no cream that is absolutely to die for! And so easy too. I topped mine with home-made garlic roasted croutons and fresh grated parmesan. Can't wait to try this with Portobellas and beef broth. YUM-O! akalish from New York, NY on 10/30/06 This recipe is amazing, but a few changes are imperative. I used portobello mushrooms because I had them on hand, and I allowed the onions to brown to deepen the flavor (and because I knew the portobellos would darken the soup anyway). I did not bother with the sherry since I didn't have any on hand, nor the parsley because my chicken broth was already quite flavorful. I used a hand blender to make the process a bit easier, and allow it to cool so I could de-fat it the next day since my guests prefer lighter foods. Most importantly(!!!), I finished the soup with a few drops of black truffle oil, which was pungently delicious. I also took a baguette, sliced it and topped each slice with some freshly grated parmesean. I melted them in the oven, inevitably making frico alongside the croutons, until the bread was nice and crusty. I put a crouton in each soup (serving as a garnish) and served a plate of extra croutons and frico on the table alongside the soup. The black truffle oil and the parmesean-croutons MADE this soup. It was phenomenal. This is at the top of my list for my next dinner party. Delicious! And FYI: when I say crouton, I do mean baguette slices, not cubes--more like crostini but without brushing them with oil and baking them first. A Cook from Palo Alto, CA on 10/27/06 wonderful flavor! I doubled the recipe and added one half ounce dried porcini mushrooms, soaked and added the strained mushroom liquid to the broth. I was very glad I doubled the recipe! malby from NYC on 01/16/06 Made this for my second Christmas in a row--guests actually requested it before RSVPing! We loved it again, and I played with it this year by picking up a dried wild mushroom stir-fry mix. Re-moistened the mushrooms as the package instructed and used the reserved water in addition to the chicken stock. Wow! Adina A from Philadelphia, PA on 11/13/05 A very simple yet elegant and complex soup. One way to make it even easier to make is to put the mushrooms and onions in the cuisinart before you fry them. That way you don't have to whiz them after the soup is hot. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by angelaid (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 11:05 Ranch Mushrooms 1 stick butter 1 lb mushrooms 1 envelope ranch dressing mix put all in crockpot, cook on low for 4 hrs. I add some thinly sliced onions, sometimes green, sometimes white or yellow, sometimes both!!! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Tue, Dec 29, 09 at 15:23 Thanks, Carol! Butter's fine, I like some cream soups, but the leftovers don't freeze well. This is a timely thread. We bought a bunch of mushrooms, thinking we'd use them for Christams dinner and changed our minds. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by suzyqtexas (My Page) on Wed, Dec 30, 09 at 12:57 Myra's Marinated Mushrooms 1 pound butter 4 pounds extra large whole fresh mushrooms 1 quart burgundy or other red wine 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon dill weed 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon flavor enhancer (Accent) can leave out 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 cups boiling water 4 beef bouillon cubes 4 chicken bouillon cubes Combine all ingredients in large pot Bring to a slow boil on medium heat Reduce to simmer and cook 5-6 hours with the pot covered Remove top and cook another 3-5 hours until liquid reduces to barely cover mushrooms Serve hot o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Wed, Dec 30, 09 at 14:23 My youngest is a vegetarian. She (and all the rest of us, too) love these. She eats them as her main course. STUFFED MUSHROOMS 2 large portobello mushroom caps, stems removed and saved bread crumbs, seasoned with salt pepper garlic powder 1/2 tsp minced garlic chopped parsley red pepper flakes Put a bit of extra virgin olive oil in a pan with a lid. Add the mushroom caps, gills down, cover and steam a few minutes until softened but not mushy. Turn them over, lightly salt the gills, finish cooking the mushrooms without a lid. Meanwhile, finely chop the stems and saute with the other ingredients in evoo. When finished, this should be fairly dry, yet with a little bit of stick-to--it-ness remaining. Pile this into the cooked mushroom caps, bake at 350 for a few minutes to brown and crisp the crumbs. Absolutely delish! We have also used this recipe to stuff small mushroom caps to serve as appetizers, but I'm lazy, and it's "putzier" to do little caps. Sherry o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Wed, Dec 30, 09 at 20:43 Link to the other cookalongs below. Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong Links o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Jan 4, 10 at 14:19 Woo Hoo now that the "season" is behind us I actuallthink I can play this time. Here is my recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms. Simple but tasty. Stuffed Mushrooms 20 large white mushrooms 1/3 Cup butter (maybe a bit more) 4 or 5 green onions chopped fine 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar 1/3 Cups bread crumbs more or less if needed salt Clean mushrooms and carefully remove stems. Chop stems and onions finely (I use the food processor). Melt butter in a saute pan. Saute mushroom stems and onions over medium heat until soft but not browned and the stems have given up their juices. Mixture should be quite moist. Add the bread crumbs, only enough to absorb the liquid. Add the grated cheese and stir just until it has melted. Don't worry if the oil separates from the cheese.~ Stuff the mixture into the caps and sprinkle with a bit of salt (or you can salt after they come out of the oven...which is what I usually do). Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes or until the caps are nice and soft. The Stuffed Mushrooms are in the forefront of this pic. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 4, 10 at 15:06 I'm glad this thread came up, because I lost track of it over the holidays. Was it supposed to have been this past weekend? I totally forgot. As I mentioned in the thread about fennel, I made Alice Water's Shaved Fennel with Mushroom salad for part of Christmas dinner (Actually, I delegated that to my son, and he did it beautifully.) I'll post a link to that thread rather than repeating the recipe here. I want to try one of the mushroom soup recipes. I'm eager to try a cream of mushroom soup, as I usually used canned. I'd love to try the real thing. The only thing wrong with doing that is I'll be spoiled, I'm sure, and never want to use canned again. But then, what's wrong with that? lol Sally Here is a link that might be useful: The fennel thread o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Mon, Jan 4, 10 at 19:28 Asparagus with Creamy Mushroom Dressing 8 servings 3 lb asparagus, bottoms trimmed 1/2 lb mushrooms, very thinly sliced 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1/2 c. whipping cream 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1/3 c. olive oil 1 tsp. packed chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried Cook asparagus until just crip-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Drain; pat dry. (Can be prepared a day ahead. Wrap in paper towels & plastic bags & refrigerate.) Toss mushrooms with lemon juice in medium bowl; season with salt & pepper. Whisk cream & mustard in small bowl to blend; gradually whisk in oil. Let mushroom mixture & cream mixture stand 30 minutes, or cover & refrigerate up to 2 hours. Arrange asparagus on platter. Whisk tarragon into cream dressing. Add salt & pepper to taste. Drain mushrooms well & return to bowl. Mix cream dressing with mushrooms. Spoon dressing over asparagus & serve. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bob_cville (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 11:48 The first ever recipe that I call my own is for stuffed mushroom caps. About 18 years ago, I had to make a hot appetizer dish for a company Christmas potluck and remembered an appetizer I had had a few weeks earlier at a restaurant, and tried my best to recreate it for the party. It was such a smashing success that for a couple of years after that I was automatically assigned to bring the mushrooms. 2 8oz packages of White Mushrooms. about 10 oz cream cheese (softened) 3 tbsp butter (melted) 1-2 cloves garlic (crushed) 1-2 green onions (chopped) 2-3 slices provolone cheese Remove stems and lower fringe of mushroom. Mix green onion into softened cream cheese. Mix crushed garlic into melted butter. Spoon cream cheese mixture into each mushroom cap, then dip the top of the mushroom into butter/garlic mixture, and place in glass baking pan. Cover cream cheese in each mushroom with pieces of provolone cheese. Bake in oven at 375 deg F for 10-12 minutes, until provolone is melted, and mushroom is slightly softened. I made these a few days ago for a New Year's Eve party, and once again they were a big smash. Although since there was so much food, and since several people couldn't make it to the party, there were some left at the end of the party. I discovered that they also really work well the next day sliced up to use as omlette filling. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 11:52 Last night I made Anthony Bourdain's mushroom soup that Dishesdone posted. As was suggested, I made cheese croutons to top it off. It was delicious! Thanks for the recipe. (If Bourdain was the one to write that recipe, I'm convinced to read his book now.) Sally o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 15:18 Sally (and Carol), I made it, too, and it was really good. The only book I read of his was Kitchen Confidential, and I nearly sprained muscles laughing at it. He's very rough around the edges, but, man, he really told it like it is. I immediately bought copies for several of the people I used to work with, and they were all saying, "Yeah, that's what it's like." o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dirtgirl07 (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 17:43 Here's a simple mushroom spread. Note, I'm not a mushroom eater so I can't tell if it's good or not. Saute a couple of minced garlic cloves with a minced shallot in olive oil. Add mushrooms and saute a couple more minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add a little chicken stock and simmer down. Then add a couple of tablespoons (till you get a consistency you like) of cream cheese. Mix well and serve with crackers. Makes a good appetizer to serve along with the spinach/artichoke spread. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by trixietx (My Page) on Tue, Jan 5, 10 at 18:38 Oh, all of your mushroom recipes sound so good. We love mushrooms. I saute mushrooms and chopped garlic in butter to serve with grilled steaks. Next time I am going to try the brandied mushrooms. This is another good recipe for stuffed mushrooms. 20 large mushrooms (white button mushrooms) 8 ounces cream cheese (chopped into small cubes) 1 lb pork breakfast sausage 1 bunch green onion (chopped) parmesan cheese Brown pork sausage and crumble well. Drain sausage from skillet leaving a little grease from sausage and sauté chopped onions until limp. Return sausage to pan with onions and add cream cheese. Over low heat stir sausage, onions, and cream cheese until well blended. Remove stems from mushrooms and stuff each mushroom cap with the mixture. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until heated through and the mushrooms are beginning to wilt. Top with parmesan. I usually have enough filling left to stuff a few more mushrooms! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mikes100acdreamfarm (My Page) on Wed, Jan 6, 10 at 0:49 Here you go BTDT ! This is a favorite of ours. Ive canned it before. But I leave the pasta out and add it when we get ready to eat it. Ive also frozen it with and without the pasta. Both were good. Shitake Mushroom and Leek Soup 2 oz Shitake Mushroom (rehydrate and sliced, remove tough stems) (or about 1-½ to 2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms) 1 c. finely chopped leeks (White and light green parts only) 2 Tbsp butter ¼ c. dry sherry 2 - 10 ¾ oz. cans double strength beef broth with 2 cans water added (6 c. home made beef broth) ½ tsp fresh ground pepper ½ c. orzo pasta Cook and stir mushrooms and leeks in butter until leeks are tender. Add sherry and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add broth and water (or stock) and pepper. Bring to a boil. Add pasta and boil for 10 min. * Note you can use any type of mushrooms but its very good with Shitake --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can substitute these mushrooms for the eggplant in your favorite Eggplant Parmesan Recipe. *Very meaty tasting. They grow wild here and we collect them for this dish in Oct. Nothing else looks like them so there isnt a chance of getting a lethal wild fungus on this one. Puff Ball Mushroom Parmesan 1 large Puff Ball Mushroom Or perhaps a few large Portabellas ? Italian Seasoned Bread crumbs Egg and water wash EVOO Your favorite Marinara Sauce Mozzarella and or Provolone Cheese Slice the mushroom s ¾" thick. Dip in egg and water wash then in bread crumbs. Brown in EVOO. Remove to a lightly greased baking dish. Pour Marinara Sauce over. Top with Cheese. Bake in 350* oven for 30-35 minutes until tender and sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Or simply use Portabella Mushrooms Marinate in your favorite Italian Dressing. Grill over a low fire turning several times until tender. Slice and serve with Grilled, chicken, steaks or burgers. Mike o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:03 As usual I am behind. Only cook on weekends. Hopefully I will be making this over the weekend. Dried Mushroom Barly Soup from "Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites" 1/2 ounce dried mushrooms (you can go fancy here like shitake, morels, porcini, chantrelles). Apparently that's about 2/3 cup. 6 cups boiling water 1 tsp. olive oil or canola oil 2 cups chopped onions (that's a lot for my taste!) 1 cup finely chopped carrot 1 cup finely chopped celery 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or put through a garlic press 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari pinch dried thyme and dill 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1/2 cup raw barley 1/4 cup dry sherry or 2 tsp. honey (I'll use white wine, I don't have sherry) salt to taste Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and let sit for another 15 min. at least. Meanwhile, saute the chopped veggies in the olive oil in the bottom of a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Frankly I think you'll need at least 1 TBLSP EVOO but this is from a lowfat cookbook so do your best to skimp I guess. Saute until everything is translucent. Drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the broth. Chop off the tough stem ends. Dice and add to the fresh veggie mixture. Strain the mushroom broth through a coffee filter or some layers of cheesecloth in a lined strainer. Pour the mushroom broth into the soup pot along with the sauteed veggies. Add the seasonings and the barley. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes. I would taste to see if it needed a pick me up and then add some veggie broth paste or powder if needed. Soup should be brothy so add more if the barley hogs it all up. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:04 Yikes I forgot it was this weekend...I'm on it! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by katiec (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:12 Here's one more stuffed mushroom and a different kind of quiche: * Exported from MasterCook * Mushroom Crusted Quiche Recipe By :Katie (adapted from a recipe found in a magazine, 1975) Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 3/4 pound mushrooms -- finely chopped 2 tablespoons butter crushed saltine crackers -- 1/2-2/3 cup 3/4 cup sauteed onion -- or green onion 2 c monterey jack cheese -- shredded (approx) 3 eggs 1 pint cottage cheese 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Saute mushrooms in butter. Add enough crushed saltines to absorb juice. Press into pie pan. Sprinkle crust with onion. Heap jack cheese over onion; don't pack down. Whirl eggs, cottage cheese and cayenne in blender. Pour into crust. Bake at 350°F 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Exported from MasterCook * Stuffed Mushrooms Recipe By : Katie, adapted from the Joy of Cooking Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 12 large mushroom caps 1 tablespoon butter 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs 1/2 cup pecans or other nuts -- finely chopped 2 cloves garlic -- minced 1 1/2 tablespoons basil, chives, or tarragon -- chopped 2 tablespoons dry white wine salt and paprika grated fresh Parmesan cheese Brush mushroom caps with butter or olive oil. Chop mushroom stems and saute in butter. Add bread crumbs, nuts, garlic, and herbs. Season with salt and paprika and bind with wine, using more wine if necessary. Fill mushroom caps and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a little paprika. Broil about 5 minutes. They can also be baked. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by beanthere_dunthat (My Page) on Sat, Jan 9, 10 at 16:51 Thanks, Mike. Glad I checked this thread again. :) I remembered one more we like, Mique's turnovers. Haven't made these in a while because I just haven't had the people around to help eat them. Must remedy that soon and make a batch. I warn you, they are addictive. MUSHROOM TURNOVERS Makes about 2 dozen turnovers To Make Mushroom filling: 3 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 1/2 pound mushrooms finely chopped 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 cup sweet or sour cream 1. In a skillet, heat the butter, add the onion and brown lightly. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, about three minutes. 2. Add the thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Stir in the cream and cook gently until thickened. To Make Dough: 3 three-ounce packages cream cheese at room temperature 1/2 cup butter at room temperature 1 1/2 cups flour 1. Mix the cream cheese and the butter thoroughly. Add the flour and work with the fingers or pastry blender until smooth. Chill well, for at least thirty minutes. 2. Preheat oven to hot (450° F.). 3. Roll the dough to one-eighth-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface and cut into rounds with a three-inch biscuit cutter. Place a teaspoon of mushroom filling on each and fold the dough over the filling. Press the edges together with a fork. Prick top crusts to allow for the escape of steam. 4. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about fifteen minutes. Source: MQ on CF o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by moosemac (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 8:32 Here's a favorite. I apologize for the lack of measurements but I tend to cook by the seat of my pants a lot when I'm not baking. I'm a taster not a measurer. :-) Caprese Stuffed Mushrooms Fresh Mozzarella, ¼" dice Plum Tomatoes, seeded, ¼" dice Prosciutto, ¼" dice Fresh Basil, ¼" dice Roasted Garlic, mashed Ciabatta Bread, ¼" dice (This is optional just be sure not to use too much bread.) Balsamic Vinaigrette (I used Newmans Own) Mushroom Caps (I usually uses baby portabellas/criminis.) Mix cheese, tomatoes, prosciutto, basil, garlic and bread together. Dry mushroom caps and place on cookie sheet. Put a tiny splash of vinaigrette in each mushroom cap. Top with a ball of stuffing. Bake at 400 until the filling is melted and just starting to brown on the top. Or you can par cook mushroom caps by microwaving for about 1-2 minutes. Do not over cook the mushrooms. You want them still firm not soft and juicy. Preheat broiler. Broil mushrooms until cheese is just melted. These can be prepared ahead, then brought to room temperature and broiled just before serving. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bizzo (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 9:23 I think I'll have one of my favorite simple lunches... sauteed mushrooms and onions on toast :-) Thanks everyone for all the GREAT mushroom recipes! Several I want to try... o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 14:17 Decisions, decisions, decisions! I'm wanting stuffed mushrooms, and I'm wanting to make the fancy pasta that my co-worker gave me for Christmas, and I'm wanting to make those turnovers that Beanthere_dunthat posted. Here's what I have on hand that I thought I could incorporate into stuffed mushrooms: Goat cheese that I bought on sale, shallots, and a quarter loaf of home made bread that's a little stale. I think I have a package of cream cheese, too. I think I can combine or use some of the recipes y'all have posted for stuffed mushrooms. Sally o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 15:42 Love 'shrooms! I've gotten some good "must tries" from this thread-thanks. Here is my late entry: Creamy Mushroom Sauce For Steak # 2 tablespoons butter # ½ onion, minced # 1 clove garlic, finely minced # 2-3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms # ¾ teaspoon kosher or sea salt # Ground black pepper # 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional) # 3 tablespoons whiskey # 1 tablespoon balsamic # ½ cup heavy cream # 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh herb of your choice (chives, parsley, tarragon, basil) Heat butter in sauce pan over medium heat. When butter starts bubbling, add onions and sauté until onions are just, translucent, and just slightly golden; about 3 minutes. add garlic and sauté for an additional minute until the garlic is fragrant. Turn heat to high and add mushrooms all at once. Immediately start tossing so the onion garlic butter mixture is evenly distributed among the mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms until they are browned and softened, about 3- minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Pour in whiskey and balsamic and let mixture bubble a bit to burn off some of the alcohol. Turn heat down just a bit and add in heavy cream. Let bubble for another 30 seconds and then taste to adjust the salt. Stir in the freshly minced herbs and pout over just grilled steak. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 17:18 I have Wild Mushroom Flan in the oven right now, to go with Sue's Roadhaouse Ribs which are almost ready to go on the grill. I'll let you know if the flan is a keeper recipe in a bit... Linda o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Jan 10, 10 at 22:37 Guess what....Times up!!!!!! You are welcome though, to make comments and add any new recipes at any time. I just drew a name from those that posted to this thread. ************* Chase ****************** Please pick the next Cookalong ingredient. Just post it here and then I'll set up the next thread. Can't wait to see what you pick! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 9:31 TTT....waiting for Chase o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 9:32 I got ambitious and decided to make a stuffed pasta dish called Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fagottini. (Really, that's what it's called - I didn't make it up!) I found a recipe on line that used mushrooms, goat cheese and shallots, all of which I had on hand, plus I could use my pasta maker that DH gave me a year ago Christmas, but I haven't used much because the knob that holds it on was cracked and wouldn't hold. I got a replacement knob, so I decided to try my hand at making pasta. I definitely need more practice. It always looks so easy when they do it on TV. One problem was that the recipe didn't indicate how large to make the squares of dough. Then I realized that I didn't roll the dough thin enough, as I had way more stuffing than dough. Finally, when I got all the little, uh, fagottinis ready to go into the water, they were stuck to the plate I had put them on. I couldn't get them off without tearing them. Well, I was able to fix them up and get enough of them cooked to make a meal for DH and I. We had a nice salad of mixed greens, sliced pear and dried cranberries with a lemon-tangerine vinaigrette. The pasta was way too thick and tough, but it was passable and edible, and tasted pretty good, but certainly could have been better. I need to practice more. I'm determined to learn how to make home made pasta, and to make things like ravioli and other stuffed pastas. It was fun trying, in spite of the frustrations. I love playing with dough! Here's the recipe from a blog I found in my search. Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fagottini by Joseph Erdos from blog July 2009 For the pasta dough: 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 large egg yolk For the filling: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large shallot, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 8 ounces shitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced 1 8-ounce log goat cheese 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese coarse sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1 large egg white To make the dough, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Create a well in the center and add the eggs and egg yolk. Using a fork, beat the eggs while mixing in the flour a little at a time. Once the dough has come together, if it is too dry and crumbly, a little water can be added. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Form into a ball and knead until the dough takes on a smooth surface, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. To make the filling, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot; cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and mushrooms. Cook, stirring constantly, until all moisture is lost, about 5 to 10 minutes. Once slightly cooled, add the mushrooms to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Turn out into a medium bowl. Add goat cheese and Pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Add egg white and stir to combine. To make the pasta, cut the disk into about 4 to 6 pieces. Work with only one piece at a time and keep the remaining pieces wrapped in plastic wrap. Form the piece into a flat disk, lightly flour, and feed it into the machine starting with the largest setting. Fold the dough in half and roll it through again. Now start moving onto the next setting and so on until the next-to-last setting is reached. The pasta should be silky smooth and less than 1/16-inch in thickness. Lay the long sheet of pasta on a lightly floured work surface. Cut off the rounded ends. Using a decorative pastry cutter or a sharp knife, cut the sheet into small squares of equal size. Using a teaspoon, drop balls of filling onto each square. Brush around the filling with a bit of water. Take the square in hand and bring all the corners together, firmly pressing the edges to seal the dough while removing as much air as possible. Place onto a lightly floured tray or towel. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Scraps of dough can also be reformed and rerolled on the machine. Bring a large pot of liberally salted water to a rapid boil. Add the fagottini in small batches and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Stir now and then to prevent sticking. Serve drizzled with olive oil and grated Pecorino. Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Here is a link that might be useful: Gastronomer's Guide by Joseph Erdos - Mushroom and Goat Cheese Fagottini o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 9:57 I actually did play a long last night. I made Cathy's creamy mushroom sauce for steak and served it over filet mignon. Thanks Cathy it was lip smacking good. I'm trying to find new ways of incorporating veggies in our meals so I think I'll pick spinach as my ingredient. o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 10:28 Link to the next Cookalong Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #19-----SPINACH o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 10:42 Well, the best laid plans . . . . I didn't make the mushroom soup because before I could do the soup I needed to go grocery shopping to get the the 'shrooms, and I have a rule that I can't go grocery shopping until I have cleaned out the fridge for the week. Upon doing that I found that one of the tomatoes I bought for tomato jelly had gotten smooshed and was rotting and causing the others to rot, so I had to quick make the jelly. It was not so good actually, but I ended up with a fresh tomato/dried tomato balsamic basil slurry that I didn't want to throw out, so I made cream of tomato soup. Also used up what I could salvage of my rotting celery on that. So the mushroom soup is definately out since I am now missing two of the ingredients and I have a ton of tomato soup to eat. Ah the trials of being a single foodie. I guess I'll have to move on to spinach and save the dried mushrooms for another day. Actually, the dish I want to make for spinach has mushrooms! o RE: Cookalong #18----------------MUSHROOMS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Mon, Jan 11, 10 at 10:49 Sharon, Thanks for the "feed"back; I'm glad that you liked it.

Posted by booberry85 (becky@leadsafe.us) on Sun, Nov 28, 10 at 19:04 I made the Butterhorns and Doucanoe's Holiday Biscotti today with my nieces. Yum! They both got a big thumbs up from the nieces! o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Sun, Nov 28, 10 at 20:25 Great idea Nancy! This will be a great reference for holiday cookies and treats. I have a couple of good bar recipes and would love to see some recipes for those too if that's cool with everyone. Here is a great Gingersnap recipe that Ann shared a few years back. I'll be back with a few more next week. Image Hosting by Gingersnaps - Extra-Spicy Gingersnaps ===================================== Posted by: KarenInSeattle on Thu, Oct 17, 02 at 19:14 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger, or more to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cool unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 1/3 cup molasses (not blackstrap) 1/4 cup egg whites (from about 2 eggs) Combine the flour, baking soda, and spices in a mixing bowl and set aside. Cream the butter until smooth and fluffy in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer). Add the sugars and mix. Add the molasses and mix. Add the egg whites in 2 batches, mixing to combine after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing to combine after each addition. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread a few tablespoons of granulated sugar on a small plate. Roll the dough into 3/4-inch balls, then roll each ball in the sugar until lightly coated. Transfer to parchment lined cookie sheets, leaving 1-inch of space between the cookies. Bake until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container. Yield: 60 cookies David o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by momof2doxies (My Page) on Mon, Nov 29, 10 at 21:28 The World Peace Cookies always make it into my baskets. I can't remember who shared this recipe with the forum though. World Peace Cookies - Splendid Table Excerpted from Baking: From My House to Yours by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin, 2006). Copyright 2006 by Dorie Greenspan. Makes about 36 cookies I once said I thought these cookies, the brainchild of the Parisian pastry chef Pierre Hermé, were as important a culinary breakthrough as Toll House cookies, and I've never thought better of the statement. These butter-rich, sandy-textured slice-and-bake cookies are members of the sablé family. But, unlike classic sablés, they are midnight dark �" there's cocoa in the dough �" and packed with chunks of hand-chopped bittersweet chocolate. Perhaps most memorably, they're salty. Not just a little salty, but remarkably and sensationally salty. It's the salt �" Pierre uses fleur de sel, a moist, off-white sea salt �" that surprises, delights and makes the chocolate flavors in the cookies seem preternaturally profound. When I included these in Paris Sweets, they were called Korova Cookies and they instantly won fans, among them my neighbor Richard Gold, who gave them their new name. Richard is convinced that a daily dose of Pierre's cookies is all that is needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness. * 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour * 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda * 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature * 2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar * 1/4 cup sugar * 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract * 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips 1. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together. 2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more. 3. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek �" if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough �" for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate. 4. Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking �" just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.) Getting Ready to Bake: 5. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. 6. Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you're cutting them �" don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. 7. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes �" they won't look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature. Linda o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jojoco (My Page) on Tue, Nov 30, 10 at 12:04 While rugelach might not appear on many traditional Christmas cookie platters, it is always on mine. Photobucket Rugelach 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties!, All Rights Reserved .Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:1 hr 30 minCook Time:15 minLevel: EasyServes: 4 dozen cookies.Ingredients •8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature •1/2-pound unsalted butter, at room temperature •1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 9 tablespoons •1/4 teaspoon kosher salt •1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract •2 cups all-purpose flour •1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed •1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon •3/4 cup raisins •1 cup walnuts, finely chopped •1/2 cup apricot preserves, pureed in a food processor •1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk, for egg wash Directions Cream the cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and mix until just combined. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and roll it into a ball. Cut the ball in quarters, wrap each piece in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour. To make the filling, combine 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the raisins, and walnuts. On a well-floured board, roll each ball of dough into a 9-inch circle. Spread the dough with 2 tablespoons apricot preserves and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the filling. Press the filling lightly into the dough. Cut the circle into 12 equal wedges��"cutting the whole circle in quarters, then each quarter into thirds. Starting with the wide edge, roll up each wedge. Place the cookies, points tucked under, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush each cookie with the egg wash. Combine 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on the cookies. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to a wire rack and let cool. .Printed from on Tue Nov 30 2010 © 2010 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved This is a fabulous recipe that also freezes well. It is labor intensive, but well worth it. Jo o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by chase (My Page) on Tue, Nov 30, 10 at 12:47 David , I love you big guy...but you knew that! I have been watching this thread for a 5th cookie that would complement the cookie recipes I had settled on for our annual cookie bake yet still being something Sara can manage. Those gingersnaps are it! o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 9:36 "Sleighbells ring!!! Are you listening?" We have a few sprinkles of snow at my house! Yeah I know, so what? In the sunny south it's not that common and how appropriate that it's the first day of December! Love this thread and I'm going to save it all. I, the non- baker, have selected 18 recipes I'd like to try. We'll see how that goes. I have a question. Many years ago I made a recipe where the dough was cut in squares and had a filling that had cinnamon, nuts and I can't remember what else. The spoonful of filling was placed in the center of the square and the corners gathered up on top. Sound familiar to anyone? I love most anything that has cinnamon and nuts. I hope this rings a bell with someone. jude o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 10:43 Jude a little snow sure can put you in the spirit. We're having rain and high winds. Thanks for starting this thread Nancy. I've been loving it. There sure are a lot of cookies I'd like to make, but there are several I will make for sure this season. As I said on another thread I'm going to try your cream cheese cutouts. I love rugelach and other cream cheese based pastries so these sound like a winner to me. Plantmaven, I love recipes that have been handed down, plus I like cookies that are dark horses, as my contribution will show, so the Amish Sugar Cookies are making the list too. Lori's jam thumbprints are calling me... seriously calling... Cocooonuttt... Coconutttt. Real little yappers those ones. Love rugelach so some version of those, lekvar is my fave. Other than those for sure... hmm.. gingernaps, butterhorns, some type of biscotti..oh, the cuccidati..time will tell. Last year I made the World Peace Cookies and everyone loved them. My offering is an unusual cookie. We first got them about fifteen or twenty years ago from a coworker of Christy and have been making them ever since. They're a soft cookie that's in between a sweet biscuit and cake-like. Hard to describe but very addicting. Not overly sweet. Ricotta Cookies from Elaine 1 C. sugar 1/2# butter 3 eggs 1# ricotta 2 tsp. vanilla 4 C. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt Cream sugar and butter well. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the ricotta and vanilla. Mix the dry ingredients together and add until just well incorporated. Drop by spoonful on a greased pan/parchment paper. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool most of the way then glaze. Sometimes we put a few nonpareils on the wet glaze. Glaze 1 box 10X/Confectioners sugar 1 stick butter 1 tsp. vanilla milk Cream sugar and butter. Add vanilla and enough milk to form a glaze. You can vary the recipe by adding a few tablespoons of lemon juice to the dough and/or a teaspoon of lemon zest to the glaze. We generally make them the plain traditional way. I'd also like to include one more shortbread from my Aunt. Aunt Minervas Scotch Shortbread 1 C. butter [soft] 5/8 C. sugar [1/2C + 2T.] 2 1/2 C. flour Mix butter and sugar thoroughly and add flour. Chill dough and roll to 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. These cut nicely with simple cutters. Our tradition is to use a small 2" star. Bake on ungreased pan at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Edges should have barely begun to color. o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by triciae (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 11:49 It's simply not the holidays without these cookies around our house & now our grown kids' homes as well. The recipe is from my maternal great grandmother, Harriett Mariah. She was born in 1836 & died in 1913. Harriett was married in 1855 & these are Civil War era cookies. Families were large then so this recipe makes a lot of cookies. My cookie cutters are large - mostly those 5-6" copper ones & I still get 4-5 dozen. They are also not overly sweet (sugar was expensive in the mid-1800s!). They're tender & a bit cake-like but hold their shape for cut-outs. Freshly grated nutmeg makes a huge difference as does the sour milk. After glazing with the egg wash, I sprinkle with non-melting sugar crystals from KA but they are also good iced/decorated. We just prefer them without the sweet icing. HARRIETT MARIAH RUNNELS HARTZELL'S CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES Ingredients: 2 Cups Sugar 2 Eggs (slightly beaten) 1 Cup Butter (softened) 1 Cup Whole Milk (soured) 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Salt 1 Teaspoon Nutmeg (freshly grated) 5-6 Cups All-Purpose Flour (enough to make a moderately stiff dough - should still be a bit soft) Glaze: 1 Egg & 2 Tablespoons Water Blended Cream the softened butter with the sugar until light & fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and continue beating until mixture is light yellow. Stir in the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground nutmeg. Alternately, add equal portions of the all-purpose flour and soured milk, stirring well after each addition. When the flour is completely blended into the butter/sugar mixture, you will have a soft dough. Shape dough into a ball, cover, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours until slightly firm before rolling. When chilled, divide the dough into two equal portions and return one portion to the refrigerator. On a lightly floured pastry board, roll one portion of the dough to a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch. Place cut cookies on a non-greased baking sheet and brush lightly with the egg/water glaze. Sprinkle with granulated sugar or colored sugar crystals. BAKE AT 325 DEGREES for 20-25 minutes. Cookies will puff slightly during baking. Do not overbake. They should still be white on the top & just beginning to turn golden on the bottom. They will be firm to the touch but not crisp. Coconut, your cookies sound very good. We'll add them to this year's list. There are so many yummy cookies here it's hard to narrow it down to something reasonable for 2 people! :) /tricia o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 11:56 LOL Tricia, thanks. I know what you mean. We are only two here too. We do send some but what I tend to do for us is make one pan of a cookie then freeze the rest of the dough in quart baggies then bring out a few at a time. I like fresh cookies anyway so this works for us. Luckily most/many cookie doughs freeze or even keep in the fridge for quite a while. Something like my ricotta cookie that doesn't freeze as well I just freeze the cookies right away and glaze later. o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 13:39 I hope everyone keeps adding their faveroites. I have more to add myself. This is turning out to be a marvelous list, it wil keep me in 'cookies to try' for a long time and I love that thought. Coconut, the ricotta cookies scream at me to add a little lemon zest. There was a ricotta pancake recipe a few years ago that had lemon zest in them and they were to die for. I saw your note and can't wait to try. Nancy o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakemayor (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 16:45 It's like a winter wonderland here in Michigan today. About two inches of snow so far. It made me excited to bake cookies!!! So I started. I just took Doucanoe's "Holiday Biscotti" out of the oven and it smells heavenly. Thank you! As I was looking through my cookies recipes, I came across one that I haven't made in years but remember that I loved it so. Here it is! I remember I always doubled the recipe. Czechoslovakian Cookie 1 Cup butter 1 Cup sugar 2 Egg yolks 2 Cups flour 1 Cup chopped walnuts (I'm sure pecans could be used) 3/4 Cup strawberry jam Cream butter and sugar, beat in egg yolks. Gradully stir in flour, then walnuts. Form mixture into a ball and cut in half. Wrap one half of dough in plastic wrap and place in freezer to chill. Pat remaining half of dough into an ungreased square cake pan (9x9) Spread jam over mixture. Remove remaining half of dough from freezer and roll between two pieces of wax paper to 9x9 size. Remove wax paper and invert in pan. Peel off the remaining paper and gently press edges of dough against pan. Bake 325 for 55-60 minutes. Cut into small bars. o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by tropicals9b (My Page) on Wed, Dec 1, 10 at 21:47 I made the Ina Garten Jam Thumbprints last night and was so mad - they were awful! Tasted like lumps of raw flour! I wasted 3 sticks of butter and all the other ingredients! But after sitting out overnight, room temp, covered in plastic wrap....today they are phenomenal. I brought them in to work and people went nuts over them. Thanks for posting it! o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by therustyone (My Page) on Thu, Dec 2, 10 at 10:59 "Many years ago I made a recipe where the dough was cut in squares and had a filling that had cinnamon, nuts and I can't remember what else. The spoonful of filling was placed in the center of the square and the corners gathered up on top." That sounds like Hamentaschen (sp?), maybe? I've never made them, but have been wanting to try them. So I'm looking for a recipe for them too. Here is one my mother used to make, many years ago It's from a cookbook she had that was apparently put out by the Burnett Co, a brand of extracts and I don't know what all else they may have made. We used to cut them out in different shapes & sprinkle with colored sugar at Christmas. SAND TARTS 1/2 C shortening 1 C sugar 1 egg 1 Tbsp water 2 C flour 2 Tsp baking powder 1/4 Tsp salt 1/4 C almonds 1 Tsp Burnett's vanilla Blend shortening & sugar. Add egg and water. Beat thoroughly. Add flour, salt, and baking powder, which have been mixed together. Mix well. Chill. Turn out onto a floured molding board and roll very thin. Cut into diamonds and sprinkle with sugar and Burnett's ground cinnamon. Place 2 or 3 blnched almonds on top of each diamond and place cookies on greased baking sheets. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for 10 minutes. Burnett's Lemon, Raspberry, Cherry, Strawberry, Maple, Almond or Orange Extract may be used instead of Burnett''s Vanilla. Burnett's Food Colors may be sued to color these cookies any desired shade. I have typed this recipe exactly the way it is worded on this old cookbook page I have. I thought it kind on interesting, so may be some of you will, too. Now days, here in Texas, "Sand Tarts" are a completely different kind of cookie, not a cut out at all, but more of a 'rolled into a ball' type, and have finely chopped nuts in them, then rolled in powdered sugar. I have a couple more recipes, will post them later. I'm out of time now. Rusty o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by solsthumper (My Page) on Thu, Dec 2, 10 at 11:37 Here's a list of some of my favorites. You'll have to scroll down a bit to get to the recipes. My favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is not on the same page, so I'll add it below. Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies 2½ cups AP flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 cups light brown sugar, packed 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks, or chocolate chips ½ cup chopped walnuts, optional Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture, and mix until barely blended. Add chocolate chunks, and nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto sheet pan and bake in a 350°F oven, for 12-15 minutes. Sol o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by tracey_oh (My Page) on Sat, Dec 4, 10 at 9:30 Let the holiday baking begin! This is such a great thread. I make cookies all the time so Christmas is the one time a year I make candy. Made microwave caramels and peanut clusters last night for a cookie exchange and DS's middle school band reception. Buckeyes will coming in the next week and before Christmas I will make my usual toffee, peanut brittle, Sharon's peppermint bark, and caramel corn. caramels and peanut clusters Aunt Pat's Peanut Clusters 1 lb white almond bark 1 12 oz bag chocolate chips 20 oz salted Spanish peanuts Melt almond bark and chocolate chips together, stir in peanuts and scoop into balls onto wax paper. Here is a link that might be useful: Micro caramels recipe o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Dec 5, 10 at 16:28 Those look great, Tracy! Nancy, I have a question about your cream cheese sugar cookies. Could I substitute Marscapone? I have some in the fridge, but no cream cheese. Sally o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by woodie2 (My Page) on Sun, Dec 5, 10 at 18:02 Coconut I make almost the identical Ricotta cookies, but Wiz, I wouldn't want lemon in mine, I love the vanilla ricotta cake like taste, just melts in your mouth! I have a lot of favorites and some are from this forum over the years and have been posted above already! Here are a couple that haven't been posted yet with thanks to Diane and Jenn and my Mom and Grandma..................... CRAFTYRN'S TIGER BARK =========== 1 Cup milk chocolate chips 2 Cups (12 ounces) vanilla milk chips or almond bark 2 Cups peanut butter chips 1/2 Cup chopped peanuts Line jellyroll pan with foil. In microwave, melt 3 types of chips separately, stirring until smooth. Pour melted peanut butter chips into prepared pan, spreading level. Sprinkle on peanuts. Pour melted vanilla and chocolate chips on top, drizzling each randomly. To marbleize, use knife to pull through chocolate in wide curves. Refrigerate until set. Break into squares . WOODIE'S MOM'S TOFFEE SQUARES 1 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 to 4 milk chocolate bars (7/8 ounces each) 1/2 cup chopped nuts Preheat oven to 350. Mix butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt until dough is well blended. Spread in a rectangle about 13 x 10 inches on greased baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch all around edges. Bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 or until nicely browned. Crust will still be soft. Remove from oven. Immediately place separated squares of chocolate on top of hot crust. Let stand until soft; then spread evenly over entire surface. Sprinkle with nuts while still warm then cut into small squares while warm. Makes 6 to 7 dozen squares MY GRANDMA'S CHOCOLATE WALNUT PUFFS 1 cup (6 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips 2 egg whites, room temp 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar 3/4 cups chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Melt chocolate over warm water. Beat egg whites with salt til foamy. Gradually add sugar. Beat til peaks form. Beat in vanilla and vinegar. Fold in chocolate and nuts. Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes to set up. Makes 36 cookies JENN'S CRANBERRY LEMON COOKIES A wonderful cookie I discovered at Gail's Recipe Swap. They freeze well, but thaw them before adding icing. I posted this last year and got quite a few comments from people who said everyone loved them. * 1/2 C butter * 1/2 C sugar * 1/3 C brown sugar * 1/2 tsp. lemon zest * 1 egg * 2 tsp. vanilla * 1 C flour * 1 tsp. baking powder * 1/2 tsp. cinnamon * 1-1/2 C chopped pecans (I use walnuts) * 1-1/2 C chopped fresh cranberries Cream butter, sugars, and lemon zest. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in nuts and cranberries. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden. Let cool slightly before removing to cooling racks. Frost when cool. ICING: Whisk together 1 C confectioner's sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, and 1/4 tsp. lemon zest. o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Sun, Dec 5, 10 at 21:16 Rusty, thanks for the suggestion. I googled those cookies and they are interesting but different than I made. After thinking about it, I was wrong about the assembly of the cookies. The dough for the ones I made was cut in a square, but the filling was put on a diagonal and the opposing two corners overlapped and pinched to seal. I wish I could remember what else was in the filling besides sugar, cinnamon and nuts, probably butter etc. I remember seeing recipes for Sand Tarts in recipe books when my children were small (many moons ago), but I don't think I ever made them. Anyhow, thanks a lot. jude o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by bcskye (My Page) on Mon, Dec 6, 10 at 16:33 Does anyone have any t&t cookie recipes made with honey instead of sugar? I've looked and found some online, but you never know if they've really been tried before rating. I was particularly interested in some Hermits and anything that I could make for a Sugar Free Christmas plate of cookies. We are both diabetic and have so many friends and relatives that are as well. I would like really good and pretty cookies to serve and gift. o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Tue, Dec 7, 10 at 3:53 Woodie, must be a New Jersey Italian cookie. Smiles. Our friend Elaine lived in Trenton, but I think her family might come from more up by you. I always want mine plain too. They have a really great, distinctive, subtle flavor. I love walnuts and I had Christy pick up some extra today so I can try your Grandmothers Walnut Puffs. Sounds right up my alley. Bcskye, I don't have any in particular. Do you use Splenda in cooking at all? With that you should be able to make many recipes. o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by murphy_zone7 (My Page) on Tue, Dec 7, 10 at 6:22 Thanks to all for the recipes.....what wonderful cookies!! I am not baking this year...gonna travel by air and you know how those TSA people are!! Anyway, I don't know if this really qualifies as a cookie but they are incredibly easy, very very good, and loved by many. Kids love to help make these. I found the recipe on the Kitchenaid forum several years ago, don't remember who posted it but here it is: Oreo Truffles aka Oreo Balls -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 pound Oreo Cookies -- 3 sleeves 1 8 oz Cream Cheese -- room temp 1 pound melting milk chocolate 1/2 pound melting white chocolate -- (Can vary the colors depending upon the occasion) Using a food processor, grind cookies to a fine powder Using mixer, blend cookie powder and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed (should be no white traces of cream cheese). Roll into small balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 45 minutes. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. In double-boiler, melt milk chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted tool, lift ball out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on wax-paper lined cookie sheet. In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool. If not eating that day. store in airtight container, in refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before eating. We like them either way....we just like them. Murphy o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Dec 7, 10 at 8:39 Sally2, I really don't know if you could sub Marscapone for the cream cheese. I would try it though. You might need to adjust the flour for the difference in moisture but I think it would taste fine. If you try it, please report back. Nancy o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Tue, Dec 7, 10 at 9:34 Okay. I've had some Marscapone in the fridge planning to use it someday, but it's getting to the point that someday needs to come soon. I'll see what happens. Sally o RE: Cookalong Extra! ****Holiday Cookies**** clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by iris_gal (My Page) on Tue, Dec 7, 10 at 18:16 Love this thread. Here are my two finest cookie/bar recipes. Enjoy. My mother got the recipe for Nanaimo Bars in Vancouver B.C. in the 1950s. When cut the 3 layers resemble the dark, light, dark of the Nanaimo ferry in the distance. It contains a raw egg in the base which has never caused problems. It is simply the best bar I've ever tasted. After chocolate my favorite is marzipan. Every Christmas my SIL and I would spend a day making miniature marzipan fruits: apples painted with red food coloring, oranges rolled in tinted granulated sugar with a clove for stem, bananas painted also, Xmas trees using Scandinavian butter paddles for texture, etc. Finally in the late 80's I found a recipe worthy of the paste. As good as the finest bakery item. *** Nanaimo Bars 1/2 c. margarine, melted 1/4 c. sugar 5 Tb. cocoa 1 tsp. vanilla 1 egg, slightly beaten 1/2 c. chopped walnuts 2 c. graham cracker crumbs (34 single) 1 c. coconut 1/4 c. margarine 2 Tb. vanilla custard powder (pudding & pie filling) 2 c. pd. sugar, sifted 3 Tb. milk 4 squares (4 oz.) semisweet or bittersweet choc. 1 Tb. butter Stir melted margarine, sugar, cocoa, vanilla & egg together thoroughly. Stir in nuts, cracker crumbs & coconut until well mixed. Firmly press into 9x9 pan; chill. Beat margarine & custard powder; beat in pd. sugar alternately with milk. Spread over chilled base; set aside. Melt choc. & butter. Dribble over frosting layer & carefully spread to cover. Before top choc. layer hardens, score into narrow bars with sharp paring knife. Chill overnight. Cut into bars; store in refrigerator, tightly covered. Easily keeps 3 weeks. Notes double recipe in 9x13; prefer bittersweet choc. in top layer. today's margarines are too soft - use butter. ===================================================== *** Almond Triangles (Sunset 12-87) 2 1/2 C. flour 8 oz. butter 1 egg Make as pie pastry except knead a bit. (or it will be too crumbly) Press into 9 x 13 pan. Cover & set aside. 8 oz. almond paste 2 eggs 1 C. sugar 1 C. slivered or thinly sliced blanched almonds Break marzipan up with mixer, or by fork, into vy. small chunks. If it has been on the grocery shelf too long this will take awhile. Add one egg & beat just til smooth. Stir in other egg (prevents adding additional air) & sugar until well mixed & smooth. Spread almond paste mixture over pastry base. Sprinkle with silvered almonds, pressing them in gently. Preheated 350 degree oven for about 35 min. Cool in pan. Cut 3" or larger squares, then triangles. (sacrifice a 1 inch strip to ease removal of first row) Store well wrapped in refrigerator for 1 1/2 weeks. Haven't tried freezing. Notes Thinly sliced almonds dislodge when cutting - use very sharp knife. If unable to find Almond Paste this is wonderful: Homemade Almond Paste 1 1/2 C. blanched almonds 1 1/2 C. sifted pd. sugar 1 egg white 1 tsp. almond extract 1/4 tsp. salt Grind almonds fine. Mix thoroughly into stiff paste with remaining ingredients. Makes 13 oz. about 1 1/3 cups.