Sugar Cookies

SUGAR COOKIES

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour

In a medium bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and a dash of salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla and almond extracts. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover; chill for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375°F. On a lightly floured surface roll a portion of the dough at a time until dough is 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough using 2 1/2 to 5 inch cookie cutters. Place cut outs on an ungreased cookie sheet (I lightly spray mine).

Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are VERY LIGHTLY browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Frost and pipe cookies as desired with royal icing. If desired, sprinkle with sanding sugar. Or, using a tiny clean paintbrush, paint the piped designs with luster dust. Makes about 48 (2 1/1 inch) cookies or about 16 (5 inch) cookies.

Frosting

1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon almond extract
powdered sugar

I melt the butter and add the almond extract, then add powdered sugar until it is the consistency I prefer.

I got this recipe & the Loaded Baked Potato one from a girl friend of mine. Anything she does is amazing and I can not wait to try them out!!!

Becca Fluhman

Loaded "Baked Potato" Soup

Loaded "Baked Potato" Soup

1 lb. baking potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and cubed
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled and divided
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 green onion sliced, divided
1/4 cup sour cream

Microwave potatoes in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min., stirring after 2 1/2 minutes. Stir in broth adn milk. Microwave 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Carefully crush potatoes with potato masher.

Reserve 2 Tbsp. EACH bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. onions for topping. Stir remaining bacon, cheese and onions into soup.

Serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Barbeque Chicken

1 Cup Ketchup
1 Cup Barbeque Sauce
1 Cup Water
1 Large Package Chicken thighs or drumsticks
Garlic Salt (to taste)
Onion Powder (to taste)

Crock Pot on high 4 hours. This works great in a Dutch Oven too.

--Sharon Pearson

Lettuce Wraps

1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into large pieces
1 can waterchest nuts, coarsly chopped
3 scallions, coarsley chopped
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 c low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar (I use garlic flavor)
1 T canola oil
1 T reduced fat peanut butter
2 T sesame oil
Salt to taste
cilantro, chopped
Head of lettuce

Optional ingredients:
mango, diced
cucumber, diced
cilantro, chopped
scallions, diced
Peanut Sauce

Boil chicken until cooked through. Meanwhile combine soy sauce, vinegar, canola oil, peanut butter, and sesame oil in a bowl with whisk. Drain chicken and allow to cool. Once it can be handled, break chicken into small pieces. Salt chicken to taste. You can also shred it if you'd prefer. Combine chicken, waterchest nuts, ginger, garlic, scallions, cilantro, and soy sauce mixture in sauce pan (or crockpot) and heat until warm.

Serve with pieces of lettuce, and optional ingredients to top wraps with if desired.

**Note - The quantities in the soy dressing is a starting point. If you feel like your chicken is too dry (or too moist) adjust accordingly.

-Nikki Hook

Chocolate Pudding Cake

• Butter, room temperature, for baking dish
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for baking dish
• 6 large eggs, room temperature, separated
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and set a kettle of water to boil. Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish; coat with granulated sugar, tapping out excess.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until lightened in color. Whisk in melted chocolate; set aside.

In a large, clean bowl, using an electric mixer on high, beat egg whites with salt until soft peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of whites into chocolate mixture. Add remaining whites, and gently fold with a rubber spatula just until combined (do not overmix).

Transfer batter to prepared baking dish. Set dish in a roasting pan, and pour enough boiling water into pan to come about 1 inch up side of dish. Bake until puffed and just set (center of cake should barely move when jiggled), 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

** Do not freak out if your egg whites don't seem to fully mix into the chocolate. It will bake just fine.

~Amy Huff

Easy Breadsticks

1 ½ c. warm/hot water

1 pkg. (1 Tbsp.) yeast

¼ c. sugar, or a little less

1 t. salt

3 c. flour (maybe a little more)

Mix well and roll to ½” thick. Cut into strips and roll in melted butter and put on jelly roll pan. Let rise a few minutes. Can sprinkle with Salad Supreme, garlic, parmesan cheese, or cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes. The tops won’t brown very much, so check the bottom to make sure they’re done.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped (can use bacon)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted rotisserie chicken)
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.

*Variation: Instead of pancetta, I use bacon, so no need for the olive oil. I fry the bacon and then drain the grease, but don’t wash the pan. I stir the garlic around in the same pan. I add roasted red peppers (found next to the pickles in the grocery store), peas, and I’ve even done this with shrimp along with the chicken and it’s really yummy. I’ve never done it with the toasted walnuts and lemon zest.

Meredith