Rainbow Slices

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Rainbow Slices

1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

4 drops red food coloring

1/4 cup finely chopped red candied cherries

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces, melted

1/3 finely chopped walnuts

1/2 tsp. rum extract

1/3 cup shredded coconut

Line an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan with waxed paper or foil.  In a large bowl, beat together butter or margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, beating until blender.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions.  To 1 portion, blend in red food coloring.  Then add candied cherries.  To another portion, add melted chocolate and walnuts.  To the remaining portion, blend in rum extract.  Then add coconut.

Press pink dough in an even layer in bottom of lined pan.  Cover evenly with chocolate dough.  Top evenly with white dough.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, several hours or overnight.

To bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Invert pan of chilled dough on a board; peel off waxed paper or foil.  Cut into 3 crosswise slices.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Remove cookies from baking sheets; cool on racks.

 Makes about 84 cookies

(Recipe for cookies was in “HP Books” Cookies by Natalie Hartanov Houghton; 1983)

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Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie

Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie

Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie

 

Recipe provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at

www.tasteofhome.com

 

Strawberry pie is even more luscious when you cover it with a generous layer of amaretto cream.  Keep this recipe in mind whenever you have a bounty of fresh berries.

         Chris O’Connell                                                                              Mohnton, Pennsylvania

 

Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie Recipe

 

Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie

¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted

1 cup flour

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

¼ cup cold butter, cubed

2 Tbsp. shortening

3 to 4 Tbsp. ice water

Filling:    4 cups sliced fresh strawberries, divided

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

4 to 6 drops red food coloring, optional

Amaretto Cream:    1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp. sour cream

1 Tbsp. confectioners’ sugar

2 Tbsp. Amaretto or ½ tsp. almond extract

 

Place almonds in a food processor; cover and pulse until almonds are finely ground.  Add flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt; pulse until blended.  Add butter and shortening; pulse until butter and shortening are the size of peas.  While pulsing, add just enough ice water to form moist crumbs.  Shape dough into a disk; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8 inch thick circle; transfer to a 9 inch deep-dish plate.  Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges.  Line UNPRICKED PASTRY SHELL with a double thickness of HEAVY-DUTY FOIL.  Fill with dried beans, uncooked rice or pie weights.

Bake at 425 F. for 8 minutes.  Remove foil and weights; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, mash 1 cup strawberries with the lemon juice.  Add water.  In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in mashed berry mixture.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Transfer to a large bowl; stir in food coloring if desired.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until cooled slightly, stirring occasionally.

Fold in remaining sliced berries; transfer to crust.  Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until set.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken.  Add the sour cream, confectioners’ sugar and amaretto; beat until stiff peaks form.  Spread over filling.  Top with additional strawberries and almonds if desired.           8 servings

To toast nuts, spread into a 15 x 10 inch baking pan.  Bake 350 F. for 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  Or, spread in a dry nonstick skillet and heat over low heat until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.  When using pie weights, cool before storing.  Beans and rice may be reused for pie weights, but not for cooking.

 

(Recipe for Fresh Strawberries & Amaretto Cream Pie was on www.tasteofhome.com, 2014)

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Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Recipe provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at

www.tasteofhome.com

 

With a drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of nuts, this eye-catching variation is a delightful twist on the classic cake.  Sometimes I substitute canned cream cheese frosting for the filling.

       Judi Dexheimer                                                                   Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

 

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies Recipe

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

¾ cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. red food coloring

1 ½ tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. clear vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

¼ cup baking cocoa

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. baking soda

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Filling:   1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tsp. clear vanilla extract

Topping:   White baking chips, melted

 Finely chopped pecans

 

Preheat oven to 375 F.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in eggs, sour cream, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.  In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture.  Stir in cooled chocolate.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are set.  Cool on pans 2 minutes.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Beat in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Spread filling on bottom of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies.

Drizzle with melted baking chips; sprinkle with pecans.  Refrigerate until serving.           2 dozen

 

(Recipe for Red Velvet Whoopie Pies came from tasteofhome.com, 2013)

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Raspberry Dreams Recipe

Raspberry Dreams

Recipes provided courtesy of Taste of Home magazine.  Find more great recipes at www.tasteofhome.com

I made a few alterations to a friend’s recipe and came up with these sensational jam-filled sandwich cookies.  Family and friends always look forward to them.

Lori Brown                                                                          Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Raspberry Dreams Recipe

Raspberry Dreams

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

1 drop lemon juice

5 1/3 cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

Filling:   1 jar (12 oz.) seedless raspberry preserves

Icing:   1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 drop lemon juice

1 drop red food coloring

1 to 2 Tbsp. 2% milk

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla and lemon juice.  Combine flour and salt and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.  Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Divide dough into three portions.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to ¼ inch thickness.  Cut with a 2 inch round cookie cutter.  Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 F. for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spread the bottom half of the cookies with raspberry preserves; top with remaining cookies.

For icing, combine the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, food coloring and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over cookies.

(Recipe for the Raspberry Dreams recipe was in the Taste of Home Cookies and Bars!, Display Until June 11, 2012)

 

Go onto my site:  annettes-sweet-treats.com, and leave a message – it’s at the top of each recipe on the right side…it will tell you to leave a comment.  I would like to know your thoughts of the recipe.

Hope you enjoyed the Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes, if so, click “Like”.  I look forward to hearing from you, so let me know how you liked it!!

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Cherry Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Cherry Shortbread Cookies

When I was living in Albany, NY; I made these Cherry Shortbread cookies for the first time in 1984.  I doubled the recipe to fit into an 11×17 inch pan.  I have made these cookies since 1984, and its 2012 now.  Everyone enjoys these cookies that I sometime make them 2 – 3 times a year.  They are really good.

Cherry Shortbread Cookies Recipe

Cherry Shortbread Cookies

1 ¼ cup Maraschino cherries

3 1/8 cups flour (3 cups plus 2 Tbsp.)

9 Tbsp. sugar (heaping ½ cup)

1 ½ tea nutmeg

1 ½ cup margarine

4 – 6 drops red food coloring

 

First chop and drain the cherries on a paper towel.

Put the mixer on low speed and mix the flour, sugar, nutmeg, margarine and the food coloring; mix until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Then stir in the cherries.

Put mixer on a higher speed until dough is smooth.  Put the dough into a ungreased cookie sheet; pat it down until it is all level.

Bake on 325F. for 20 – 25 minutes until edges are firm and bottom is lightly browned.  Cut while warm into 3 x 1 sticks (place the pan with the handles on the top and bottom); then cut 2 strips downwards (4 inches apart) so there are 3 strips facing you, then turn pan around and cut 1 inch downwards. So there will be 3 x 1 inch sticks.  Transfer to wire rack; cool completely.  Drizzle with glaze.

Glaze

Powdered sugar

1 Tsp. of each cherry & almond flavoring

(stir until smooth)

(Recipe for the Cherry Shortbread Cookies, I can’t find the book that the recipe was in)

Go onto my site: annettes-sweet-treats.com, and leave a message – it’s at the end of the recipe.  I would like to know what you think of the recipes.

Hope you enjoyed making the Cherry Shortbread Cookies recipe, if so, click “Like”.   I look forward to hearing from you, so let me know how you liked it!!

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