Gingersnaps

2 1/2 c. shortening
3 c. sugar
3/4 c. molasses
3 eggs

Cream together in a very large bowl. Then add:

6 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. ground cloves
1 T. ground ginger

mix together very well. Chill dough in the refrigerator for several hours. Roll into 1 inch balls and then roll each ball into sugar. Flatten with the palm of your hand on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is a traditional English recipe and it is delicious.

1 C dates, chopped

1 t baking soda

4 T butter

3/4 C sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 C flour

1 t baking powder

3/4 C brown sugar

6 T heavy whipping cream

1/2 C butter

Oven 350F; 30-40 min

Prepare an 8” square pan. Put dates in 10oz water and bring to boil. Add in baking soda and leave to stand.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add dates and all the liquid. Beat eggs and add to the rest of the ingredients. Fold in the flour and pour into pan (it’s very runny at this point). Bake.

To make suace, put brown sugar, cream, and butter into a saucepan. bring to boil and simmer for 3 min.

Cut the cake into 8 portions. Pour lots of warm sauce over the top of warm cake. Enjoy!

Sugar and Spice Nuts

Makes about 5 cups. Prep time 15 min., bake: 55 min.

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. Sweet Spice Blend

3/4 tsp. salt

1 egg white

1 Tbsp. water

1 pound pecan nuts or other combination of raw nuts.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat egg white and 1 Tbsp. water in medium bown until foamy.

Add nuts to egg white mixture to coat evenly.

Add nuts to sugar mixture, stirring until evenly coated and place in a single layer on a buttered jelly roll pan.

Bake at 275 for 50-55 min, stirring every 15 min. Spread on wax paper and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Sweet Spice Blend

Makes 6 Tbsp. Prep. time 5 min. (A 2 oz. jar of ground cardamom will cost about $10 - you can use cinnamon in it's place.

2 Tbsp. light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

4 tsp. dried ground ginger

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground clover

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Roasted Green Beans with Almond Aioli

1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds, divided
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. fresh green beans or asparagus, trimmed
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 425 deg
Process 1/4 cup almonds, garlic, lemon juice and mayo in food processor until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Turn into small bowl. 
Arrange green beans in roasting pan or baking sheet; toss with olive oil.  Season, if desired with salt and pepper.  Roast, turning once, 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Arrange on serving platter, then drizzle with aioli and garnish with remaining almonds, lemon zest and a drizzle of lemon juice.

Ailoi can be made up to 4 hours in advance and refrigerated.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

Layered Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) softened, divided
1/4 c. basil pesto (store bought or homemade)
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
1/4 c. fresh parmesan cheese
1 container (8oz) sour cream
1 garlic clove
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 c. pitted ripe olives, sliced
1 T. finely chopped basil
Additional chopped sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
Toasted French Bread slices

Preheat oven to 350. Combine half the cream cheese and pesto. Mix well and spread into bottom of a small baking dish (I mix it in my kitchenaid). Blot excess oil from tomatoes. Combine the rest of the cream cheese, tomatoes, parmesan, sour cream, garlic, and seasoning mix. Spread over pesto mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly and hot. Garnish with olives, basil, and additional sun-dried tomatoes if desired.

Blue Cheese Pear Flatbread

1 1/4 c. warm water
2 T. olive oil
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
31/4-3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp salt
cornmeal
2-3 pears thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced sauteed sweet onion (I carmelize them by sauteeing them in oil and then adding a tsp of sugar once soft until they turn a golden brown color)
blue cheese
1 T. olive oil

Combine warm water, oil, yeast, and sugar. stir to dissolve yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy. Combine 2 3/4 c. flour and the salt. add in yeast mixture. Add in as much of the remaining flour as you can. Turn dough out on floured surface until dough is smooth and elastic. place dough in an oiled bowl turning once to grease all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size. Preheat oven 450. Punch dough down. Divide into 9 equal portions (I am too lazy and just do one or 2 really big ones.) roll each into an oval shape. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal. place bread on. Top with pear, cheese, and onion. Bake until golden brown.

***You can cheat if you need a timesaver by buying refrigerated pizza dough (in a can) and using that as the flatbread base.

*** You can also top with Apples, bacon, and white cheddar cheese

Or Top with sauteed mushrooms (with balsamic vinegar added to them at the end of cooking)goat cheese, and thyme leaves

Spinach Puffs

1 box Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry dough (in freezer section usually by frozen fruit)
1 box frozen spinach
1 packet Leek soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 Tablespoon Flour

Let the dough and spinach completely thaw. Drain excess water from spinach. Cut each circle dough into 4 equal parts. press cut dough into the bottom and up the sides of a mini muffin tin. Mix the rest of the ingredients and fill the dough in the muffin tin past the top. Bake at 375 until edges of dough is lightly browned. Makes 24.