Brunches and Brunches of Fun!

Thanks to Beth for hosting a wonderful cooking club last week!  (Sorry to be so late posting the recap.  I know you've been up all night pacing about it.)  We had a great time sharing our Christmas food traditions ("Hot dogs on Christmas Eve?  Really?!") and celebrating Audrey's birthday.  Twice.

Beth was extra kind and let those who needed to bring their children along.  That's cool, except that some kids like to steal my food. 

Tricksy Little Thief

We had some delightful discussions about customer service, great grocery deals, and vermin.  (Congrats, again, to Emily for taking the conversaton to it's most disgusting level.) 

Someone wise pointed out that this is the time of year when all of your baking ingredients are on sale for their lowest prices.  Now would be a great time to stock up on chocolate chips.  Otherwise, when summer arrives you will be left paying full price or eating Aldi's chocolate chips.  Blech.

Next month we'll be meeting at Wendy's for a Mexican Fiesta!  Bueno!

Howard's Beans

Submitted by Lea McEwan

This is Lea's Grandad's recipe.  These baked beans were served at all of her family gatherings.




3 15 oz pork-n-beans

1 cp catchup

1 cp brown sugar

1/2 cp sugar

4 slices bacon chopped

2 tsp crushed garlic



Mix ingredients and bake in 9x13 glass pan, stirring occasionally at 350 degrees for 1 hour.



6-8 servings.

Fruit Slush

Submitted by Klixi Cannon
3 cups water

2 cups sugar

3 bananas mashed

1 can crushed pinanpple with the juice

48 oz can of pinapple juice

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 cup lemon juice

Sprite



Bring to boil the water and sugar. Boild rapidly for 3 minutes. Cool.

Mix all ingedients and freeze for atleast 24 hours. Take out of the freezer 1-2 hours before serving. Serve with Sprite over it.

Nana's Christmas Stollen

Submitted by Emily Daniel

I halved this recipe. I call it, "Emily's always-going-to-be-2nd-best-as-long-as-Audrey's-here Christmas Stollen". Actually, it belongs to a woman named "Nana." I changed the recipe by substituting Welch's dried fruit mix for the candied orange peel, cherries and raisins.



Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 egg yolks5 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ounce active dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup candied citrus peel

1/2 cup candied cherries



Directions:

1.Scald milk. Add sugar, butter, and salt, and cool to lukewarm. Add 2 whole eggs, and 2 yolks. Mix.

2.Add to 3 cups flour and yeast in food processor. Process and let rise until double.

3.Add cardamom, raisins, citron, and cherries, and rest of flour. Process and put on floured board and knead. Let rise in greased bowl.

4.When risen, cut into 3-4 pieces. Roll each into an oval, butter, and fold in half lengthwise. Put on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until double.

5.Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes.

6.Remove to rack. When cool, frost with white butter frosting and decorate with candied cherry halves and sprinkle with colored sugar.

Buttermilk Syrup

Submitted by Laura Hintze

Ingredients

1 ½ C. sugar

¾ C. butter

2 Tab. corn syrup

¾ C. buttermilk

½ tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in heavy saucepan except vanilla and soda. Boil 5 minutes (not a hard boil). Remove from heat and add vanilla and soda.



TIP: This is delicious on French toast, pancakes, or waffles.

Pumpkin Waffles

Submitted by Laura Hintze


Ingredients

2 C. flour

2 Tab. baking powder

1 Tab. cinnamon

1 Tab. sugar

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

4 eggs, separated

1 C. pumpkin

1 Tab. vanilla

1 ½ C. milk

¾ C. margarine, melted

Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Mix egg yolks, pumpkin, vanilla, milk, and margarine. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Combine flour and pumpkin mixtures and fold in egg whites. Cook. Enjoy!



Yield: 8 hearty servings

TIP: Fabulous with Buttermilk Syrup