Recipes for the Holidays!

Our team is gearing up for the holidays and we thought it would be fun to share some of our tried and true recipes we love to make for our families! 

Grandma's Fudge

1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup Nestle Carnation Evaporated Milk
2 tablespoon butter of margarine
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups miniature marshmallows OR 7 oz marshmallow cream
9 ounce Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line a 8 inch square pan with foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts (optional) and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until all combined. Pour into prepared pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan, remove foi and cut into squares. Store with wax paper between layers.

World's Best Cheese Ball

2, 8 oz bricks of cream cheese (softened)
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp seasoning salt (more or less, depending on your preference)
1 cup chopped pecans
*crackers for dipping

Combine cream cheese, pineapple, onion, pepper, and seasoning in a bowl. Mix until all combined.

Line a small bowl with plastic wrap. Pour cream cheese mixture into bowl and cover with plastic wrap. This will allow you to shape into a ball. Put in the refrigerator to firm up; a couple hours or overnight.

Once firm, remove from the plastic wrapped cheese ball and shape into a ball. Sprinkle serving dish with pecans and place the unwrapped ball o' cheese onto the pecans/plate. Sprinkle with remaining pecan and lightly pat so they stick.

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1 ½ cups white sugar  
1 cup softened butter  
2 eggs  
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour  
2 teaspoons cream of tartar  
1 teaspoon baking soda  
¼ teaspoon salt  

Coating:   2 tablespoons white sugar  
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease. Beat 1 1/2 cups white sugar, butter, and eggs together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture until dough holds together. Mix 2 tablespoons white sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Form dough into 2-teaspoon-size balls and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place dough balls, about 2 inches apart, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven on the center rack for 7 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

Cook's Note:
For storing cookies, place cooled cookies in a plastic container or plastic bag with a piece or two of bread to keep cookies soft.

Turkey Dressing

4 C cornbread stuffing mix
4 C herb stuffing mix
4 slices of white bread
3-3.5 C turkey broth
1 stick butter
1 egg
1 stalk chopped celery
¼ C onion
1 C applesauce
½ tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp sage
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
½ lb cooked sausage

Add stuffing mix and bread together. Add all seasonings. Add butter, applesause, celery and onion. Mix and then add egg and broth and mix until well combines. If its too dry, add more broth.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes. Baste with turkey broth to keep moist.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Whipped cream, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside. In large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, pumpkin and evaporated milk with whisk until well combined. Pour into pan. In medium bowl, mix cake mix and melted butter until well combined (mixture will be lumpy). Stir in chopped pecans. Sprinkle mixture evenly on top of pumpkin mixture in pan. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until center is set and edges are golden brown. Cool 30 minutes before serving. If desired, refrigerate until cold. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows to serve. Top with whipped cream just before serving.

Holiday Tree Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Filling & Dough
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Spice Islands Ground Saigon Cinnamon
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 packets Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup butter OR margarine
2 eggs
Vanilla Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract
Colored icings, sprinkles or candies for decorating

For cinnamon filling, combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir well.
For dough, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, undissolved yeast and salt in large mixer bowl. Heat milk, water and 1/3 cup butter until very warm (120° to 130°F); butter does not need to melt. Add to flour mixture; beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour to make stiff batter; grease top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Remove dough from refrigerator and punch dough down. Remove dough to lightly floured surface; divide in half. Set aside 1 half. Roll remaining dough to 16x10-inch rectangle. Melt remaining 1/4 cup butter; brush 2 tablespoons over dough. Sprinkle evenly with half of cinnamon filling. Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll into 16 equal pieces. On lower third of large greased baking sheet, arrange 5 rolls, cut sides up, in a row with edges touching. Form tree shape with additional rows of rolls - 4 rolls in second row, 3 rolls in third row, 2 rolls in fourth row, and 1 for top of tree. Place remaining roll at bottom center of tree to make trunk. Repeat with remaining dough, butter and filling. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.
Bake at 375°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until done, switching positions of sheets halfway through baking time for even browning. Remove from sheets; let cool on wire racks.
Vanilla Icing
For vanilla icing, combine powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
Drizzle with vanilla icing. Decorate "trees" with colored icings, sprinkles or candies if desired.

Ham Roll-Up Appetizer

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese (soften)
1 C shredded ColbyJack cheese
1 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp BV sauce
1 package thinly sliced ham

Microwave cream cheese in bowl on high for 20 seconds. Stir in cheese, onion, mustard and BV sauce. Mix until smooth. Spread 1 Tbsp of cheese mixture on one slice of ham. Roll ham from narrow end. Trim off edges and cut into 2-3 pieces. Secure with a tooth pick. Refrigerate.  

Mississippi Pot Roast

1 (3-4 pounds) chuck roast
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet au jus gravy mix
1/4 cup butter
4-5 pepperoncini peppers

Place roast in the slow cooker and sprinkle the top with the ranch dressing mix and the au jus mix. Place peppers on top of the mixes, and add the butter. Can added diced potatoes and baby carrots. Cook over low heat for 8 hours. 

Sweet Potato Casserole

4 cups sweet potato, cubed
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup packed brown sugar
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
In medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Cranberry & Feta Pinwheels

3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion
2 large flour tortillas, spinach for pretty color

Combine all ingredients except tortillas, mix well. Divide and spread mixture evenly among tortillas. Roll up tightly, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least one hour. To serve cut each roll into 12 slices.