MINI girl

Toasted Almond Chip Balls

This is a recipe that came from my grandma and is a family favorite. My uncle calls them "cocoa balls." I usually make a double batch because they are always popular on the cookie tray!

Yield: 28 - 36 cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup ground chocolate chips
1/2 cup blanched almonds, toasted and finely chopped
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Stir in vanilla. Add flour. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
3. Scoop a tablespoon of dough and squeeze it together until it forms a ball; repeat with remainder of dough. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-18 minutes.
4. Cool cookies. Roll in powdered sugar.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Kahlua Balls

I adapted this recipe from one that my friend Deb told me about.

Yield: 36 balls

Ingredients:
18 Oreo cookies
about 3/4 cup nuts (pecans or walnuts)
about 2/3 cup Kahlua (or substitute your favorite liqueur)
about 1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

1. Crush cookies in food processor until quite fine; add nuts and process until finely chopped.
2. With machine running, slowly pour Kahlua in until it reaches a consistency similar to peanut butter but a bit wetter. Add powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, processing until mixture cleans sides of bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Form into small balls, about one inch in diameter. Roll balls in additional finely ground Oreo cookie crumbs or powdered sugar. Alternately, the balls may be dipped in melted chocolate.
4. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Big, Soft Ginger Cookies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup molasses
Demerara sugar or white sugar, for rolling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
2. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar (on low speed if using a mixer) until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the water and molasses.
4. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Amy’s Truffles

This is my sister Amy's famous truffle recipe. It is surprisingly quick and easy. Feel free to substitute your favorite flavoring or liqueur for the framboise.
 
Ingredients:
1 c heavy cream
12 oz best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3-4 Tbsp framboise liqueur, optional (or substitute vanilla if desired)
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

1. Gently warm cream in a saucepan over medium heat, until small bubbles appear along edges.
2. Place chocolate in a food processor; pour hot cream over it and allow to stand for 15sec. Then, process until smooth. Add flavoring and mix briefly.
3. Pour into shallow pan, cover w/ plastic, chill until very firm (3 hours).
4. Place cocoa into Ziploc bag. Form chocolate into 1” balls w/ hands. Drop into cocoa and roll to coat. Keep clean towel handy to wipe hands in between rolling.
5. Store up to 2 weeks in refrigerator, covered.

Recipe courtesy of Amy Essma

New Orleans Praline Pecans

My mom used to make these scrumptious pecans when I was growing up. Put them in a decorative bowl and place on your coffee table when you have holiday gatherings; your guests will love them!

Ingredients:
1 c sugar
2 egg whites
Dash of salt
1 tsp vanilla
½ c melted butter
3 ½ c pecans

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Add pecans.
3. Place on a sheet pan and bake for 30 min, stirring occasionally.
4. Cool. Store in airtight container.

© Susanne Leighton 2008

Curried Rice Salad

Yield: 4 servings (1 1/2 cups per serving)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 (8.8-ounce) packages microwavable brown rice (such as Uncle Ben’s)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup dried currants
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup sliced scallions
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Place almonds in even layer on baking sheet. Toast until lightly golden, 5–7 minutes. Cool.
2. Microwave the rice according to package directions. Combine hot rice and next 4 ingredients (through scallions) in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Toss rice salad with curry mixture until well seasoned. Stir in toasted almonds and serve.

Flan

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:
½ c sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1 cup milk
8 oz cream cheese

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spread sugar in an 8-inch round baking dish; place in oven for 30-35 minutes or until sugar is melted. Cool for 10 min.
2. Blend remaining ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into the round baking dish, over the melted sugar. Place the pan in a water bath, 1” deep. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the custard comes out clean.
3. Chill well. When ready to serve, run a spatula around the edge of the pan to loosen the flan. Invert onto a shallow serving dish. Thin caramel sauce will appear on top of the flan.

© Susanne Leighton 2008