Scottish Shortbread

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Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/3 cup powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325°.
1. Take the butter and use a hand mixer to beat it.
2. Next add the powder sugar and fully mix it.
3. Add the vanilla and mix it in.
4. Now the cup of flour. Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly. Don't over mix it or it will become a lump.
5. You will need a Shortbread Pan. They are wonderful and fun to use! Spay the pan with PAM oil spray then pour the mixture into it. Take a piece of Saran Wrap and place it over the mound. Then push down moving your hand to make sure the crumbles are all compressed in the center and on the sides as well.
6. Take Saran Wrap off and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy with tea or coffee!

Scottish Shortbread

Picture: 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1/3 cup powder sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325°.
1. Take the butter and use a hand mixer to soften it.
2. Next add the powder sugar and fully mix it.
3. Add the vanilla and mix it in.
4. Now the cup of flour. Mix until the mixture becomes crumbly. Don't over mix it or it will become a lump.
5. You will need a Shortbread Pan. They are wonderful and fun to use! Spay the pan with PAM oil spray then pour the mixture into it. Take a piece of Saran Wrap and place it over the mound. Then push down moving your hand to make sure the crumbles are all compressed on the sides as well.
6. Take Saran Wrap off and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy with tea or coffee!

Chocolate Carmel Pretzel Bars

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Ingredients: 

4 cups Pretzels
1 cup Butter
1 cup Brown sugar, packed
2 cups Chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then spray it with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place the pretzels onto the baking sheet in a single layer until it's completely covered.
4. In a small pot, melt the butter and sugar over medium low heat. Bring it to a boil, then continue boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Pour the bubbly mixture evenly over the pretzels. The caramel mixture will even out when it bakes, so don't worry if you missed some spots.
6. Bake it at 325F for 8 to 10 minutes until the caramel is fully bubbling on the entire sheet.
7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over top. Return the baking sheet to the oven for another 1 to 2 minutes to soften the chocolate chips.
8. Use a spatula to spread the melted chocolate evenly. Then place the baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes.
9. Remove the pretzel bars from the baking sheet and peel off the aluminum foil. Break it apart or cut it into squares with a large knife.

This is so simple but so very yummy!

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Bailey's Irish Cream & Coffee Fudge

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Ingredients: 

3/4 cup of butter
3 cups of granulated sugar
2/3 cup of evaporated milk
1/3 cup of Bailey's Irish Cream
2 Tbsp cold coffee (Liquid not instant)
1 7 oz jar of marshmallow cream
1 11oz pkg of butterscotch chips
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. In a small bowl combine Bailey's Irish cream and the cold coffee.

2. Place the mixture in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 10 seconds, or until melted and dissolved well.

3. Melt the butter milk, sugar and marshmallow cream in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.

4. Slowly stir in the Bailey's coffee mixture; mix well and boil for 5 minutes. (Should be to the soft ball stage)

5. Remove from heat and stir in butterscotch chips and vanilla extract.

6. Stir for 3-4 minutes. until the mixture is smooth and chips are melted. Pour into a foil lined 8 x 8" pan.

7. Slice and enjoy after it sets and hardens up!
7.

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Eggnog Drink Mix

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Ingredients: 

3 1/3 cup powered milk
1 (5.1 ounce) Large Box Instant Vanilla Jello Pudding Mix (can be sugar free)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Buttermilk Powder
2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Directions: 

Mix everything together in a bowl with a whisk. Scoop into holiday bags or jars.

Use about 1/4 cup of mixture to 1 cup of cold milk.

You can alway blend it in a blender with some ice and milk.

Sprinkle nutmeg on top! Enjoy!

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Custard Pie

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Ingredients: 

Pastry for 1 crust
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups milk, scalded (you can warm it up in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until hot)

Directions: 

Prepare pastry for filled crust. Do not pre-bake the crust.

Heat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl or mixer bowl beat eggs. Add sugar, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla; mix well. Slowly blend in hot milk. Pour into pastry lined pan. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool, then enjoy!

This is such a fun way to use up excess milk.

Chicken With Cranberries

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Ingredients: 

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 balsamic vinegar
1 large onion
8 dried dates, pitted and chopped into 8 pieces
10-12 Kalamata olives, halved (you can substitute with green olives if you need to, but Kalamata is best)
3 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
black pepper to taste
1 tsp salt
3 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
8 ounces of fresh cranberries
2 lemons sliced (you can use 1, but I love lemons)
1 cup chicken stock
serve over cooked white rice

Directions: 

Heat oven to 350° F.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Use a pan that can be used on the stove stop and then placed in the oven. It needs to be at least a 5 qt pan. When the oil is hot brown the skin of each chicken thigh, then set aside on a plate.

Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan along with the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion began to soften. Add dates olives, garlic, rosemary, thyme, black pepper to taste and salt. Sauté for 7-9 minutes until onions are translucent and tender.

Arrange the chicken in one layer over the onions. Nestle the cranberries around the chicken. Lay the lemon slices over the top. Pour the chicken stock over the chicken and cranberries. Bake for 30 minutes in the oven or until chicken juices run clear. Don't be worried to leave it for another 20 minutes if needed.

Serve over white rice. The juices are absolutely lovely with the rice.

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Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

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Ingredients: 

1 cup butter (softened)
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/3 cup hot strong coffee (or hot water)
Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate (chopped)
3 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (chopped)
5 cups powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
raspberry jam for layers (small jar)

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Grease a 10x15 inch (4-4.5 quart) glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.

4. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into another large mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the wet mixture and sour cream to the dry ingredients and beat with an electric mixer just until well blended. Add the boiling water then stir until combined.

5. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until a toothpick or knife is inserted into the center of the cake and comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool.

6. Start with the bottom layer and using a frosting tip make a ring around the cake with frosting and fill in with raspberry jam. Stack the middle layer on top. Do the same thing with frosting and jam. Third layer goes. on top.

Make your frosting now.
7. Microwave the butter in a microwave safe bowl just until melted. Stir in the semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until the chocolate is melted.

8. In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted chocolate and butter mixture, powdered sugar, sour cream, and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Spread the frosting evenly onto the cooled to room temperature cake.

Makes 18 servings. Leftover cake should be covered tightly and refrigerated.

I love this cake, it's my favorite!

Marshmallow Sauce

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Ingredients: 

1 cup corn syrup, light
1 tsp Gelatin, unflavored
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch Salt

Directions: 

1) Put half of the water in a large mixing bowl. If you're using a stand mixer like a Kitchenaid mixer, put it directly in the mixer bowl. Rain the teaspoon of unflavored gelatin evenly over the surface of the water and set aside.

2) Put the remaining water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat. Don't stir it, just give it the occasional swirl, if necessary. Cook until the temperature reads 240 degrees Fahrenheit (soft ball stage) on a candy thermometer.

3) Pour the hot mixture into the bowl with the gelatin mixture. Whip on a low speed for two minutes, then add vanilla, and whip on high speed for several minutes, until the mixture is thick, white, and fluffy.

Store in jars in your fridge. You can microwave it for 10 seconds at a time to soften it and make it easy to pour or spoon onto your ice cream!

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Easy Christmas Jam

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Ingredients: 

12 oz cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 Orange (if you don't have an orange use 1/2 cup of orange juice)
2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup water
16 oz fresh or frozen strawberries or raspberries (thaw if you use frozen)
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon ground
1/4 tsp cloves ground
1 Package Fruit pectin, Powder (if using bulk add about 2 Tblsp)
4 cups of sugar
1/2 tsp butter
1/3 cup lemon juice

Directions: 

Prepare your jars by washing them in hot water with soap. You can place them in the oven to heat them up to sterilize them as well.

Place lids in a small saucepan covered with water. Boil over medium-high heat while you make the jam. Set rings to the side, they don't need sterilized.

Rinse the cranberries and pull any that look bad. Place them in a 5 quart stock pot. Add the orange juice, lemon juice and water, boil for about 5 minutes until you see the skins pop. Do this over med-high heat. Some people like to puree the cranberries to start with, but I like the chunks whole.

Add in the strawberries or raspberries, orange zest and spices. Stir in fruit pectin and add your 1/2 teaspoon of butter (this reduces foaming).

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over med-high heat, stir often. Boil this once it reaches a rolling boil for 4 minutes.

Add sugar to the mixture. Return to full rolling boil. Boil exactly 4 minutes.

Remove from heat and start filling your jars. Immediately ladle hot jam into prepared jars. Leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims and threads. Center lid. Place ring on just finger tight. I place the jars upside down on a towel on the counter and let it sit for an hour. Turn them back side up and they will start to seal (pop) when cooled. If it does not seal then just store in the fridge and eat!

Some people believe using a water-bath is the only way to seal jam, I have been making jam this way for over 15 years and never had a problem. It's so quick and easy!

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