Recipes

Monday Recipe

We girltalkers have a weakness for homemade bread, and we are always on the lookout for new recipes. Mom recently discovered Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls and they’ve made regular appearances at dinner ever since. These soft and chewy little guys are, well, what can I say? Scrumptious!

But what makes them doubly wonderful is that the dough keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week. This means you can whip up a batch on Monday (today!) and use it for dinner (or breakfast and lunch, for that matter) all week long. Yummy and practical! You’ve gotta try ‘em!

Buttermilk Refrigerator Rolls
 
1 pkg dry yeast
½ cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)
½ cup shortening, melted
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp soda
2 cups buttermilk
 
Dissolve yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl; let stand five minutes. Stir in melted shortening. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk to yeast mixture; mix well. Turn dough out on a well-floured surface; knead gently until dough can be handled. Shape dough into a ball; place in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover dough, and refrigerate until needed (dough will keep one week). Shape dough into rolls, as desired; place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: about 2 dozen.

Ribbons and Soup

As we’ve mentioned before, Mom was very intentional in training my sisters and me in homemaking—for which I am very grateful. Most of this training occurred in the home and she was our teacher. But she also tapped friends in the church to teach us candy making and sewing and together we took classes through the county and our local craft store.
 
Some lessons took off, and others fell flat. The bow-making class at Michaels, for example, was a complete waste of the registration fee. We had a good laugh about it this Christmas when I showed up to the family gathering with beautifully tied bows on my presents. Mom thought those lessons had finally paid off (fifteen years later) only to discover I had used pre-tied, elastic ribbons. Oh well!
 
The cooking classes, on the other hand, were worth every penny (easy to say when it wasn’t my money, but I think it is true!). They sparked a life-long love of cooking and the Lord knew that one day I would have three boys who love to eat. One of our favorite classes was Italian Cooking where a local wife and mother taught us how to cook some of her family’s favorite recipes. We still make many of her dishes today. This week, I whipped up a batch of her minestrone soup and put extra jars in the freezer. Mmmmm…perfect for winter! Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

4 slices bacon

2 onions, chopped

2 large carrots, sliced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

3 cans chicken broth

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes with juices

5 cups shredded cabbage

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

Ditalini

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In large pot cook bacon over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon and set aside. Drain off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot. Add onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook stirring often about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth, tomatoes with juice, wine, parsley, bay leaf, basil, salt, pepper and rosemary. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add cabbage. Cook 10 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf. Serve with ditalini cooked separately. Top with crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese--freshly grated.

Grandma’s Christmas Cookies

On Saturday we were snowed in with 22 inches of snow! I couldn't have ordered a more perfect day to make Grandma's Christmas Cookies with Caly. I went to our blog to pull up the recipe and re-read Nicole's post (from 2005) about these special cookies. It made me cry, and when I read it to the fam at breakfast, they cried too. So, I thought it was worthy of a re-post. Besides, you really have to try these cookies!

--------------------

Grandma Mahaney’s Christmas Cookies

2005 at 10:03 am   |   by Nicole Whitacre
Filed under Homemaking Holidays and Seasons

This year, on December 26, the Mahaney clan will descend upon Grandma's house—all loud, laughing, thirty-six of us. And this year, as with every year since my dad was a little boy, there will be Christmas cookies next to the punch bowl on Grandma’s sideboard in the dining room.

But these are no ordinary Christmas cookies. No siree! Just ask any Mahaney who is old enough to talk (and we usually start early)—these are the original Christmas cookies. All the rest, they’re just cookies.

The Mahaney Christmas cookie starts with the softest, chewiest, nutmeg flavored sugar cookie, slightly undercooked. Then pinky-red or soft-green frosting is lathered over the entire surface. But what really sets them apart are the red-hots (fresh, not stale, mind you) strategically placed on top. The key to eating one of these cookies, as every Mahaney knows, is to plan each bite to include icing and at least one red-hot.

And if these cookies still sound ordinary to you, it’s simply because you’ve never tasted one.

Several years ago, Dad asked Grandma why she had started using smaller cookie cutters. The almost-face-sized cookies he remembered weren’t as large as they used to be. But Grandma told him that these were the same cookie cutters she’d used since he was little. It’s just that he got bigger.

It’s a small thing that Grandma does, really. She makes Christmas cookies. And she makes them every year. But simply by doing it year after year, she gives her children, and now her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, a special memory.

Sometimes, we try to make adult size memories for our children, and we exhaust ourselves doing it. We forget that the cookies that seem small to us seem really big to them. Little acts make a big impact. Especially when done year after year. We would do well to keep that in mind this Christmas.

Today I’m making Grandma’s Christmas cookies for Jack. They’re about the size of his face right now. One day he’ll probably ask me why I stopped using those big cookie cutters. And I’ll tell him they are the same one’s I’ve always used. It’s just him. He got bigger.

By the way, if you want to make a big memory with little work, here’s the recipe for Grandma Mahaney’s Sugar Cookies:

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp. nutmeg
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt

Work butter until creamy. Stir in sugar gradually, then beat until fluffy. Stir in egg and sour cream. Mix well. Sift together flour, nutmeg, soda, and salt; stir into mixture. Mix thoroughly. Chill one hour. Set oven for 350 degrees.

Roll out a small amount of dough at a time, ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut with Christmas cookie cutter. Place on greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool. Decorate with colored frosting and red-hots.

Frosting:
In a medium bowl, stir together until smooth:
4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons water

Adjust the consistency as necessary with more powdered sugar or water. Color as desired. To store, cover the surface of the icing with a sheet of plastic wrap. This keeps for up to 4 days at room temperature or about one month refrigerated.

Thanksgiving Leftovers

We're preparing for Thanksgiving and we want to bring you in on the fun. Mom’s got the turkey covered (after the disastrous Thanksgiving of 2007 we girls intercede for her health all week).
 
I’m already thinking about leftovers.
 
You see, a few months ago, my mother-in-law, Nancy (who has a knack for finding delicious new recipes) made Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa. I’ve been waiting to share them with you ever since.
 
I have to admit I was skeptical when she told me the ingredients—I don’t tend to like sweet and spicy mixed together. But wow, this cranberry salsa is absolutely delicious! Five stars! Four forks! Five mitts! (Can you tell I’ve been browsing recipe sites all week?)
 
These quesadillas are a unique way to use up leftover turkey and cranberry sauce; or, as the recipe suggests, you can put the salsa on turkey sandwiches. I might just eat the salsa with a spoon; it’s that good.
 
Jack Quesadillas with Cranberry Salsa
 
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 wedges, about 1/4 cup salsa, and 1 tablespoon sour cream)

Ingredients
 
    * Salsa:
    * 1  cup  whole-berry cranberry sauce
    * 1/4  cup  chopped fresh cilantro
    * 2  tablespoons  chopped green onions
    * 1  tablespoon  fresh lime juice
    * 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
    * 1  Anjou pear, cored and finely diced
    * 1  jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
    *
 
      Quesadillas:
    * Cooking spray
    * 1/4  cup  (2-inch-thick) slices green onions
    * 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
    * 8  (8-inch) flour tortillas
    * 2  cups  chopped cooked turkey
    * 1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream
 
Preparation
 
To prepare salsa, combine first 7 ingredients. Cover and chill.
 
To prepare quesadillas, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add 1/4 cup sliced onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Remove onions from pan; reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons cheese over each of 4 tortillas. Top each cheese-covered tortilla with one-fourth of onions, 1/2 cup turkey, 2 tablespoons cheese, and 1 tortilla.
 
Recoat pan with cooking spray. Add 1 quesadilla to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve with cranberry salsa and sour cream.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Here's the recipe I use for the turkey that will grace our table on Thanksgving Day:

The World's Best Turkey Recipe
 
Original Recipe Yield 1 (12 pound) turkey
 
Ingredients
 
    * 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
    * 1/2 cup butter, cubed
    * 2 apples, cored and halved
    * 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    * salt and pepper to taste
    * 2/3 bottle champagne [I use sparkling apple cider instead]
 
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Rinse turkey, and pat dry. Gently loosen turkey breast skin, and insert pieces of butter between the skin and breast. Place apples inside the turkey's cavity. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Place turkey in a roasting bag, and pour champagne over the inside and outside of the bird. Close bag, and place turkey in a roasting pan.
3. Bake turkey 3 to 3 1/2 hours in the preheated oven, or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (85 degrees C) when measured in the meatiest part of the thigh. Remove turkey from bag, and let stand for at least 20 minutes before carving.

I also cook two turkey breasts in crockpots so we have plenty of meat for sandwiches the next day:

Crockpot Turkey Breast

1 sm. to med. turkey breast

1 stick butter

Salt

Wash and pat dry turkey breast. Season lightly with salt. Place in crockpot with 1 stick of butter. Turn on low for 10-12 hours. Great to do overnight). Very moist!

Together with our favorite sides we enjoy this meal with much gratefulness to God our Savior!

Friday Funnies

A few days ago, I received the following email from our church administrator, Tim. (I think he meant to send it to the North Pole.)

Dear Santa,

I have been a pretty good boy this year. I know you’ve been watching, so you know how hard I’ve been trying. There’s really just one thing I want this year and then I promise I’ll be even better next year. Could you get Nicole Whitacre to bring those killer-to-die-for crab crackers to the Pastors' Christmas Party again this year? You could deliver a couple of cases of the crab meat to her so she could bring a lot and so I won’t feel so guilty eating hundreds of them. Do you have her address? She lives in Virginia, which is just outside Washington DC. If you’re coming by sleigh, just turn left at Great Falls and head west. Well Santa, I guess I’ll go now. Thanks for listening. Please check your list because I’m pretty sure I’ve been good.

Timmie

P.S. Please let me know what jobs I can do for you.

The “killer-to-die-for crab crackers” recipe is from my friend (and fabulous cook), Jessica.

CRABBIES

1 stick butter

1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese Spread

1 T. Mayonnaise

1 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 T. onion flakes

6 oz. crab meat (fresh or canned)

6 English muffins

Separate English muffins into halves. Mix all other ingredients together. Spread the mixture on muffin halves. Broil until browned and bubbly. Cut into quarters (if so desired) and serve immediately. If frozen, bake at 375 degrees for fifteen minutes and broil one minute at end. Freezes well.

See you back here again on Monday,

Nicole for the girltalkers

French Dip Disaster

One night, a few weeks ago, I was stumped on what to make for dinner. It was already after 4pm and I needed something quick and easy. So I did what I usually do—I called one of my sisters. Nicole had just the thing. Her friend, Alyssa, had recently made her a delicious homemade French Dip Sandwich and she gave me the recipe over the phone.

I rushed to the store, got my ingredients, came home, and assembled the sandwiches--roast beef and provolone on toasted French bread, spread generously with horseradish, and beef consommé on the side for dipping. I set the sandwiches in front of the fam. They looked and smelled so yummy.

Mom took the first bite. Hmmm…something wasn’t right. She stopped eating and watched the rest of us. Chad took a bite and immediately blurted out: “Janelle, this is so hot!” When Mike and I bit into our sandwiches, our eyes began to water and I felt a headache coming on. Now we like spicy food, but these sandwiches were beyond hot! We couldn’t take another bite. Dinner was a total bust.

When I called Nicole the next day, we figured out my problem. I was supposed to use horseradish sauce, but I had accidentally used straight up horseradish. And I had spread it on thick. No wonder one bite gave us all a headache! (Dad, not liking roast beef, was spared this ordeal.)

I’m happy to report that I didn’t let this experience get the better of me. I have since made the sandwiches again—this time with horseradish sauce—and they were delicious. They’ve even become a staple around here. I just might make them again this week.

If you’d like to try these yummy, warm sandwiches on a crisp fall evening, here’s what you need:

-Bread of your choice (I use French bread from the grocery store bakery and Nicole likes sourdough)

-Roast beef (freshly sliced from the deli is best)

-Provolone cheese, sliced

-Horseradish SAUCE

-Beef consommé (in the soup aisle)

Slice bread and briefly toast two slices per sandwich under the broiler. Remove toast from oven. Take half of the slices off the pan and spread with horseradish SAUCE to taste. Set aside. Turn over the remaining slices, pile high with roast beef and provolone, and return to broiler. Heat until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven and assemble sandwiches. Warm the consommé in microwave and serve in a bowl for dipping.

Happy eating!

Family Breakfast

My sister Helen lives in Florida so I don’t get to see her that often. But last week, she and her husband came through town and we got to spend several, delightful days together.

Breakfast was at my house, and together with my mom and other sister Janice, the women of my family had great fun talking, laughing and reminiscing around my kitchen table. Helen’s husband, Steve, was a great sport to endure hours of family stories—you know, the ones that are only interesting if you were there?

So that I could spend as much time as possible with my sister, I chose breakfast menus that allowed me to make most of the meal the night before. This meant little preparation and minimal cleanup in the morning.

I thought you might enjoy these recipes from Helen’s visit. They are perfect for company, but also for a delightful, relaxing vacation breakfast with your family.

TUESDAY BREAKFAST MENU:

Caramel Apple French Toast
Bacon
Coffee and Juice

 Caramel Apple French Toast:
(Meredith Huspeni)

1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, cubed
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 – 3 large tart apples, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 slices day-old French bread (3/4 inch thick)

In a small saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter and syrup until thick, about 5-7 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 13”x9” baking pan; arrange apples on top. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip bread slices into the egg mixture for 1 minute; place over apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350* for 35-40 minutes.

WEDNESDAY BREAKFAST MENU

Breakfast/Brunch Bake
Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes
Fresh Fruit platter
Poppy Seed Tea Bread
Coffee and Juice

Breakfast/Brunch Bake
(Betsy Ricucci)

1 lb. sausage
6 eggs
2 cups milk
¼ teaspoon dry mustard
6 slices favorite bread, cubed
10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt

Saute sausage; drain well. Beat together eggs, milk, salt and mustard. Layer bread cubes on the bottom of a 9”x13” baking dish. Next, layer the sausage and then the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
Note: instead of sausage, you can substitute with 1 pound of cooked bacon pieces or ½ pound of cooked ham, cubed.

Cheesy Hash Brown Potatoes:
(Karen Carr)

2 (20-oz.) packages Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns (refrigerated, not frozen)
½ cup chopped onion
1 cup (8 oz.) shredded cheese
1 ½ cups sour cream
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Grease a 9”x13” baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, place in baking pan and bake in preheated 350* oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

Poppy Seed Tea Bread
(Nancy Royer)

3 cups flour
2 ½ cups sugar
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons poppy seed
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoon butter flavoring
1 ½ teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350*.  Mix all the ingredients in the order given with an electric mixer.  Pour batter in 3 greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake for 50 minutes at 350*.  Remove onto racks and glaze while warm.
 
Glaze:
¼ cup orange juice
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon oil

Melt all ingredients in a saucepan.  Prick loaves with a toothpick and pour the glaze over each.

Simple BBQ Ribs

Janelle was having a cookout a few weeks ago and asked me what she should have Mikey grill. When I told her ribs were easy to prepare, she didn’t believe me. But then she tried this recipe and discovered her big sister was right once again. If you don’t have a plan for your Memorial Day cookout yet, give these ribs a try. They are super yummy, and yes, Janelle, super easy too!

(We use reviewer Bonnie12's instructions, which is first when you sort by "Most Helpful." And then we slather the ribs with Bulls Eye or Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce)

Simple BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds country style pork ribs
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 cup barbeque sauce

Directions

1. Place ribs in a large pot with enough water to cover. Season with garlic powder, black pepper and salt. Bring water to a boil, and cook ribs until tender.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
3. Remove ribs from pot, and place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour barbeque sauce over ribs. Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until internal temperature of pork has reached 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Bread and Butter

After the birth of MJ many kind friends brought me meals during my recovery. I'm convinced that all of the yummy food had something to do with my speedy return to normal. My friend Tali brought me two meals (I owe ya, girl!) and with it came the most delicious homemade white bread. It has since become a staple here at the Bradshaw house. Over Thanksgiving Nicole found a recipe for some Honey Cinnamon Butter- the perfect complement to Tali's bread. I gave this bread and butter pair to some friends for Christmas this year while of course making some extra for us. I'm sending the recipes on to y'all today. If you have time, I would recommend sneaking some in to your Christmas dinner.

Tali's Bread (She never gave me a name so that's what we call it around here.)

6-7 ounces of milk (a little under a cup)
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
3 1/4 cup bread flour
2 tsp active dry yeast

Put wet ingredients in bread machine first with salt and sugar.  Add flour and yeast. Run on dough setting and take out BEFORE it bakes in machine. Bake about 25-35 minutes at 335* until the top is light brown and hard.

Paula Deen's Cinnamon Honey Butter

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Pack into a small crock or baby food jar with a decorative lid. Or roll in waxed paper into a log and twist the ends. Chill thoroughly. Wrap in colorful paper.

Caramel Conclusion

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And we've had too much caramel.

After two weeks of reading, buying, baking, eating and writing about the sugary stuff, it’ll be a while before we can look at it again, much less eat it. We’ll steer clear of the caramel section in the grocery store this fall, lest we run into countless bags of caramel in one place. There probably won’t be any caramel desserts at Thanksgiving this year either. We may skip Thanksgiving baking altogether and go straight to Christmas cookies, just to be safe.

In all seriousness, while we are carameled-out for the moment, we thoroughly enjoyed this contest. Many of your amazing recipes will be Mahaney clan staples for years to come, much to the delight of our husbands and children. So thank you!

Here are our final favorites, Caramel Apple Pizza from Amanda Schulte and Oatmeal Everything Bars from Beth Muzik....

Caramel Apple Pizza

From Taste of Home 2001 Annual Quick Recipe Book

1 tube (18 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
4 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 3 large)
1 can (12 ounces) lemon-lime soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping*
1/3 cup chopped pecans

Press cookie dough into a greased 14-in pizza pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on a wire rack.  Run a large flat spatula under crust to loosen from pan.  In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter, brown sugar and milk until smooth.  Spread over the cooled crust.  In a bowl, combine the apples and soda; drain well.  Toss apples with cinnamon; arrange over cream cheese.  Drizzle with the caramel topping and sprinkle with pecans.  Cut into wedges.
Yield: 8-10 serving. *Editor's Note: Fat-free caramel ice cream topping is not recommended for this recipe.

Oatmeal Everything Bars

1 - 14 oz. bag of caramels
3 T. milk
1 1/2 C. butter
2 C. flour
2 C. oats
1 1/4 C. brown sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 C. chocolate chip (approx)
1 C. pecan halves (approx)

Microwave caramels and milk (medium power for 2-3 minutes/check and stir every 30 seconds).  Set aside.  Melt butter and combine with flour, oats, brown sugar, soda, and salt.  Press 1/2 of butter/oat mixture into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle chocolate chips.  Sprinkle pecan halves.  Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips/pecans.  Top with spoonfuls of remaining butter/oat mixture.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Wait a good 30 minutes before cutting.  Their really gooey when they're hot!  ENJOY!

Caramel Happiness

Let me tell you, the fun didn’t end with the four girltalkers. This caramel contest brought much joy to four husbands, seven children and one brother. Mike has never had that many dessert options at his fingertips at one time. Let’s just say that he handled the situation without much difficulty.       

Tara Beth Townsend contributed a great Thanksgiving dessert and our first winner for today: Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cheesecake. Samantha Weinhausen is our other winner with a yummy layered Caramel Apple Dip.

Pumpkin Caramel Swirl Cheesecake

Crust
1 1/2 cups ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons whipping cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon (about) purchased caramel sauce

1 cup sour cream

preparation
For Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind ground cookies, pecans and sugar in processor. Add melted butter and blend until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides.

For Filling: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light. Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping. Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons whipping cream, ground cinnamon and ground allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined.
Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan). Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature. Add remaining 5 tablespoons whipping cream to cream cheese mixture and stir to combine. Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness. Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly. Spoon caramel sauce in lines over cream cheese mixture. Using tip of knife, swirl caramel sauce into cream cheese mixture. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Release pan sides from cheesecake. Spoon sour cream into pastry bag fitted with small star tip (do not stir before using). Pipe decorative border around cheesecake and serve.

Caramel Apple Dip

    * 2 (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature
    * 2 cups powdered sugar
    * 2 t vanilla extract
    * 1 jar caramel topping (for ice cream)
    * 1 large Symphony candy bar with almonds and toffee, crumbled into small pieces
    * A couple sliced granny smith apples

In a large bowl cream together, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Spread mixture in a pie plate. Next pour the caramel topping on top of the cream cheese mixture, followed by crumbling the candy bar on top of the caramel layer. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Serve with sliced granny smith apples.

Caramel Ministry

This caramel contest was more than we expected: more work, more mess, and definitely more fun. We were also pleasantly surprised by the chance to use your recipes to bless others. Kristin and Nicole brought caramel desserts to small group meetings at their churches. Janelle and I took plates with an amazing assortment of caramel confections to meet our new neighbors. The only downside is that we’ve probably raised expectations for homemade gifts we’ll never be able to meet again: brownies from a box are going to be underwhelming after the variety of delicious bars, cookies and muffins we delivered last week. I have a feeling our neighbors will be consistently disappointed in us from now on. Or, like Janelle said, maybe we’ll have to do another contest—in the interest of evangelism, of course.

Today's winners sent in two fabulous cookie recipes: Robin Gilmore contributed Special Thumbprints/Caramel Brickle and Candace Teichroew gave us Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies. Thank you both!

Special Thumbprints/Brickle-Caramel

Basic Dough:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder

In large bowl beat first four ingredients until light and fluffy. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off and put in separate bowl adding baking powder, stir.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until smooth dough forms.

3/4 cup almond brickle chips
20 unwrapped caramel candies
1/4 cup half 'n' half or milk

Combine dough and brickle chips; knead to blend.  Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Make thumbprint.  Bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned around edges and set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. (May have to indent again)  Cool completely.

In small saucepan over medium heat, melt caramels and half 'n' half, stirring until smooth.  Spoon 1/2 tsp. of filling into center of each cookie.   Makes 3 1/2 dozen

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/4 cups chopped pecans, divided
1 package (13 ounces) Rolo candies
4 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate, melted

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, 1 cup sugar and brown sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Shape a tablespoonful of dough around each candy, forming a ball. In a small bowl, combine the remaining sugar and pecans; dip each cookie halfway. Place nut side up 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 7-10 minutes or until tops are slightly cracked. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle with white chocolate.
Yield: About 4 dozen.

Caramel Fun

I have to jump in here and say that this caramel contest has been a blast. Which brilliant girltalker came up with this idea anyways? (I won’t say who.) I mean, how many opportunities come along in life where you are obligated to prepare and consume numerous desserts? Does it get any better? I won’t say that it wasn't a lot of work; we were more than a little tired by the time we took this picture. And I didn't exactly enjoy cleaning up the big mess when the fun was over. But it was all worth it. Don’t be shocked if you find a similar contest showing up on the blog in the future…maybe “All Things Chocolate” should be next. Oh, and let me just state that the food pictured below is only some of what we made last week.

Today's big winners are Meredith Huspeni for Caramel Apple French Toast and Chasity Elseman for Caramel Apple Muffins. Delicious recipes ladies!

Caramel Apple French Toast

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 - 3 large tart apples, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9 slices day-old French bread (3/4 inch thick)

In a small saucepan, cook brown sugar, butter and syrup until thick, about 5-7 minutes. Pour into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan; arrange apples on top.  In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk and vanilla. Dip bread slices into the egg mixture for 1 minute; place over apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Caramel Apple Muffins
(From Southern Living)

Ingredients

    * 1  (3-pound) bag small apples (12 to 14 apples)
    * 2  cups  sugar
    * 1  cup  vegetable oil
    * 3  large eggs, lightly beaten
    * 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
    * 3  cups  all-purpose flour
    * 2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
    * 1  teaspoon  baking soda
    * 1/2  teaspoon  salt
    * 2 1/2  cups  chopped pecans, toasted and divided
    * Quick Caramel Frosting

Preparation

Peel, core, and cut 4 apples into 24 (1/4-inch-thick) rings. Sauté apple rings, in batches, in a lightly greased skillet over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet, and place 1 apple ring in the bottom of each of 24 lightly greased muffin pan cups.

Peel and finely chop enough remaining apples to equal 3 cups. Set aside.

Stir together sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to sugar mixture, stirring just until blended. (Batter will be stiff.) Fold in finely chopped apples and 1 cup pecans.

Spoon batter evenly over apple rings in muffin pan cups, filling cups three-quarters full.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan, and cool, apple rings up, on a wire rack.

Press the handle of a wooden spoon gently into the center of each apple ring, forming a 1-inch-deep indentation in the muffins. Spoon warm Quick Caramel Frosting evenly over muffins, filling indentations. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.

The Crazy Caramel Contest

Caramel (kăr'ə-məl, -mĕl', kär'məl) A smooth chewy candy made with sugar, butter, cream or milk, and flavoring.

A few weeks ago we got the urge to have another contest. One of us (I won’t say who) suggested a caramel contest. At first some of us (I won’t say who) wondered if there were enough caramel recipes out there to have a real contest. I mean, there’s caramel popcorn and caramel apples, and….what else?

But within minutes of the posting, our inbox began to fill up with caramel recipes: old family favorites, crowd pleasers, and even original concoctions. Who knew you could make so many things with caramel? There were dips and drinks, cakes and cookies, pies and pizzas.

It took about twenty-four hours for us to remember why, in four years of blogging, we’ve never done a cooking contest: oh yeah, because the only way to judge the entries is to cook them! What have we gotten ourselves into? Whose crazy idea was this anyway?

With dozens of entries there was no way we could make them all. So Mom and Janelle divided them up into categories (cakes, bars, cookies, crisps, cheesecakes, muffins, pies, drinks, dips, breakfast foods, snacks, and more). Then they chose from the categories using a single, strictly scientific, standard: which recipes look the yummiest.

After paring down the options they doled out assignments. We dragged the kids to the grocery store where we purchased bags of caramels, tubs of caramel dip, jars of caramel topping, and sugar for homemade caramel sauce.

The newly created girltalk test kitchens swung into action.

(I have to admit:  it’s not as easy as it looks on The Food Network. I guess it helps to have an assistant to unwrap all those little caramels.)

After much cooking and tasting and deliberating we chose our winners. It wasn’t easy—you all sent in so many amazing recipes! We’ll be posting the winners throughout the week (in no particular order) and those women will each receive one of our favorite cookbooks.

So, without further ado, our first winner is Kristy Wigginton with her recipe “Divine Decadence.” This one is rich (but not to rich for me!) It’s easy to make and an elegant dessert to serve on a special occasion.

DIVINE DECADENCE

Step 1:
2 cups pecans, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted margarine

Combine and press into a greased 9" pie pan.  Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes.  Cool completely.

Step 2:
1 (14 oz) bag of caramels
1/2 cup whipping cream

Melt two ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 1 1/2 minutes.  When well combined, pour into the crust.

Step 3:
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Bring cream and sugar to a boil.  Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.  Combine until all chips are melted and smooth.  Pour over caramel.  Refrigerate at least four hours or overnight.  Cut into wedges or bite-sized pieces.  You definitely need to eat this with a big glass of milk or a hot cup of coffee!