butter-pecan sweet potatoes

This recipe comes straight from marthastewart.com, where we have found some of our very favorite recipes. We are sweet potato fans, and this version is so savory and sweet, but not in an "overloaded" way.



BUTTER-PECAN SWEET POTATOES

8 medium sweet potatoes (5 lbs.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse salt
2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1/3 c. pecan pieces
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise; slice crosswise 1/2 inch thick. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil; season with coarse salt.

2. Transfer half the potatoes to a second baking sheet; cook both sheets until potatoes are tender, tossing occasionally, 25-30 minutes.

(Note: To make ahead (up to 5 hours) prepare recipe through step 2. Cool; cover and refrigerate. About 15 minutes before ready to serve, proceed with recipe.

3. Sprinkle with butter, brown sugar, pecan pieces, and cayenne pepper, dividing evenly. Bake until sugar is caramelized and hard, about 10 minutes. Gently toss; serve immediately.

mom's chocolate chip cookies

I don't know that I need to say more. They're Mom's cookies, so they're the best. My mom is known for a few things. Counted cross-stitching is one of them. Chocolate chip cookies is another. And it's no wonder. Everyone loves them. And she makes them all the time. For all sorts of occasions. For every occasion.



MOM'S CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2/3 c. shortening
2/3 c. butter (not margarine)
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. chopped nuts
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix thoroughly first 6 ingredients. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop on ungreased baking stone. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees. This is a single recipe which makes about 7 dozen. Mom always makes a double batch.

best buttermilk pancakes & butter syrup

First of all, I want to be crystal-clear that this recipe is right from Martha Stewart's website. In fact, here's the direct link. I just wanted to share this because it's the recipe we decided to try for Sunday brunch yesterday. And it's unanimous. They are undeniably amazingly yummy. This is so going down in the Higgins' Favorite Recipes. David was the main chef, actually, so total kudos to him.



BEST BUTTERMILK PANCAKES

[ Makes nine 6-inch pancakes ]

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 c. buttermilk
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle

Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps. Heat oven to 175 degrees (for keeping the finished pancakes warm). Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

Says Martha's people: "The key to fluffy pancakes is not to overmix the batter; it should not be beaten smooth. If serving these pancakes with bacon, reserve half a teaspoon of bacon drippings to grease the griddle instead of butter."

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And here's a perfectly complimentary -- and equally healthy (ha!) -- recipe to top those pancakes. This comes from my sister-in-law Heidi (thank you for sharing!).



BUTTER SYRUP

1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 stick butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Melt together whipping cream, butter and sugar over low heat. Slowly increase heat until the mixture barely comes to a boil. Add vanilla & baking soda. Turn off heat while whisking continually until ready to serve.

red velvet cake

I grew up on red velvet cake. Well, not exactly. It's not like we ate it all the time. But it was always a very special dessert and I learned to love it from an early age. Diane and her mother Helen are two ladies from my hometown who make the best red velvet cake. Imagine my delight when I recently received a letter in the mail from them, complete with a handwritten recipe for their red velvet cake!

I just made the cake for the first time this week. Red velvet perfection. Had to call and tell them right away (after the baby shower, where it was consumed). And ... of course ... I asked if this was a family secret, or if I could share. And sweet Helen (84 years young) said something like "At my age, there's no point in keeping any more secrets." Amen! Love her attitude.

Then again, I'm a big fan of sharing recipes. How do you think I got all my best ones? Because people are willing to share.



RED VELVET CAKE

[ CAKE ]

1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. buttermilk
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar

Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste with cocoa and food coloring and add to the cream mixture. Mix salt and vanilla with buttermilk, add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar and fold into mixture. (Do not beat … fold only.) Bake in two 9" layer pans for 30 minutes at 350.

[ ICING ]

5 Tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. granulated sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 c. Crisco shortening
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook flour and milk until thick. Stir constantly. Make sure you cool milk and flour mixture (in refrigerator). Cream together sugar, butter, crisco, and vanilla well with electric beater. Add flour and milk mixture. Beat until right consistency to spread. This should get fluffy like whipped cream.

mom's cole slaw

Anytime you see a "Mom's" in front of a recipe name, it seems a little more reputable, doesn't it? In this case ... for sure. Love my mom's cooking. And the fact that she's out of the country for a year and a half means I don't have the chance to eat any of her yumminess anytime soon. Sigh. So somehow this got me thinking about her cole slaw. If she can't make it for me, I guess I gotta do it on my own. As a child and young adult, I wanted nothing to do with it. Then one summer (a few years ago), I gave in and tried her chili dogs with cole slaw.

Oh. My. goodness.

Okay. Seriously amazing. So fresh. So tasty. The perfect compliment to the heavy dog & chili. Wanted to heat 5 chili dogs on the spot. Anyway. Fast-forward a couple years. Last time my parents were visiting us in Arizona, I requested that she make the good grub again. Only this time I would pay attention to how she made it. I took notes. Problem is ... she doesn't measure for many of the things she makes. It's "a little of this and a little of that". Ugh. I'm a total recipe follower.

So -- getting to my point: I have finally done it. I have MADE my mom's cole slaw! So easy. And I measured as I added ingredients so that it could become an actual recipe that can be followed. Yay for knowing how much of what goes in!



By the way, when we made this, we ate it with ribs.

MOM'S COLE SLAW

1 head cabbage
3 large carrots
2 1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Chop the whole head of cabbage with a food chopper. You want it chopped really, really fine. Do the same with the carrots and add those to the chopped cabbage. The add mayo to desired consistency. Add the sugar and salt & pepper to taste.

oreo delight

I don't usually love pudding, but in the context of this recipe, it's not bad. In fact, I find this to be rather tasty.



OREO DELIGHT

35 Oreo cookies (1 whole pkg.) - I prefer mint flavor
6 Tbsp. margarine, melted
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 (12 oz.) tub Cool Whip, thawed
3 1/4 c. cold milk
2 pkg. instant Jell-O pudding
optional: more crushed Oreos or Andes Mint baking chips to sprinkle on top

Mix crushed cookies and butter in medium bowl. Press firmly onto bottom of 9" x 13" baking dish. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk in medium bowl with wire whisk until blended. Stir in 1 1/4 c. Cook Whip. Spread over crust.

Pour 3 1/4 c. milk into bowl. Add both pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk for 2 minutes. Pour over cream cheese layer. Let stand 5 minutes. Drop remaining Cool Whip over pudding and spread. Sprinkle more crushed Oreos or Andes Mint baking chips on top. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

buckeye bars

This is excellent when you need that peanut-butter-and-chocolate fix.



BUCKEYE BARS

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 c. crunchy peanut butter
22 NILLA Wafers, crushed
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 of 8-oz. tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)
3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

LINE 8" square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Beat butter and peanut butter with mixer until blended. Mix in wafer crumbs. Gradually add sugar, mixing well after each addition. Press onto bottom of pan.

MICROWAVE Cool Whip and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min.; stir. Microwave 15 to 30 sec. or until chocolate is melted; stir until blended. Spread over peanut butter layer.

REFRIGERATE about 2 hours. Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting to serve.