Candy Pretzel Rings

These candies are popular to make at Christmastime. When I found a bag of ring pretzels at Aldi, I thought I would give them a try this year to add to the Christmas cookie mix. These candies could be made any time of the year, especially because they are so easy to make.

When I made these, I used milk chocolate kisses, candy cane kisses, and Rolos. But other types of chocolate candies, such as mini peanut butter cups, could be used. I only used M&Ms, but various nuts or Reese's pieces could be used to top the treats.

Candy Pretzel Rings 

• pretzel rings or small twists
• chocolate candies, such as kisses
• M&Ms or other toppings

Preheat the oven to 250. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Lay down the pretzels in a single layer. Place a kiss or other candy into each pretzel. Place the pan in the oven for two to three minutes. Remove from the oven and place an M&M or two into each piece and slightly push down the chocolate. Allow to cool in place for at least 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Apple and Butternut Squash Baked Brie

Recently, MDS and I met up with Christen, Rich, Lucas, Eva, and Tim to look at the multicultural artifacts at Oak Park's Dole Library. Then, we went to the nearby Daly Bagel for lunch. Rich and I both tried to special bagel sandwich that included brie, apples, squash, and onion chutney. I thought that this flavor blend would make an excellent baked brie appetizer, so I gave it a try for Thanksgiving.

This baked brie is easy to make. Just about any brie will do; there is no need to buy the most expensive brie. When I made this dish, I used frozen butternut squash. Of course, you could use fresh squash, but the frozen version makes this dish come together faster. One addition that I might try next time is to add onion chutney, which I had on hand, but forgot to take out to serve with the dip.

Apple and Butternut Squash Baked Brie 

• 8 ounce wheel brie
• 1 apple
• 10 ounces frozen chopped squash
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Peel, core, and dice the apple. In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the cinnamon and apple. Cook for five to ten minutes, until the apple begins to soften. Add the squash. Cook for about ten more minutes, until the sauce becomes a sticky caramel. Place the brie in a baking dish. Score the top rind with a knife. Pour the apples and squash over the brie. Bake at 325 for about ten to fifteen minutes. Serve with bread or crackers. Enjoy!

Brunswick Stew

When we were in Atlanta, we happily enjoyed numerous local restaurants. At two different spots--Mary Mac's Tea Room and Daddy D'z--we had this delicious Brunswick Stew. Both Virginia and Georgia claim credit for creating this stew. And many original recipes use small game such as squirrel or rabbit. I adapted this recipe from various versions available online and used more common meats of pork and turkey.

Do not be deterred by what appears to be a long list of ingredients. Many ingredients are pantry staples. And because this recipe uses turkey and mashed potatoes, it is a good recipe to use after Thanksgiving. Or if you do not have turkey available, chicken can be substituted. This recipe resulted in a very thick stew. If you prefer a thinner stew, just add more stock or eliminate the mashed potatoes.

Brunswick Stew 

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans or 1 can garbanzo beans
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup BBQ Sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup mashed potatoes
• 1/2 cups frozen corn
• dash tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey
• 1 pound pulled pork

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for five minutes. Add lima or garbanzo beans; cook for two minutes. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, chicken broth and mashed potatoes. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add corn, seasonings and meats and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy!

S'mores Clusters

This recipe is not a family classic. But I had some chocolate almond bark that I wanted to use and I like s'mores. Almond bark does not have any almonds in it, but rather is a chocolate candy that can be melted and used as a candy base. The product was named almond bark because its first use was to make chocolate covered almonds. Or, you could use chocolate melting wafers. Both products are made to melt then cover or dip before hardening again.

This recipe is super easy to make and fun to eat. I went with a s'mores theme because I love that combination. But there are so many other combinations that could make for delicious clusters. And you can vary the amount of ingredients to produce more clusters as needed.

S'mores Clusters 

• 12 oz. Chocolate almond bark
• 1 cup graham cracker, broken into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows 

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stopping to stir frequently. Once melted, add in the graham crackers and stir to fully cover the graham crackers with chocolate. Stir in the marshmallows. Drop by spoonful onto parchment paper. Allow to cool and set for about an hour. Enjoy!

Maple Pizzelles

Although I love maple syrup all year long, I especially enjoy maple syrup-related products in the Fall. I had been meaning to try this recipe for some time. These pizzelles are quite delicious. And the maple flavor is very subtle, so even if you are not a big fan of maple, you might still enjoy these pizzelles. 

Every year in October my nephew Rich and his wife Christen host a hayride and campfire through the Naperville Park District. I made these maple pizzelles for the hayride this year. Unfortunately, the hayride was rained out and rescheduled, but we still got together at Rich and Christen's home so I was able to share these maple pizzelles.

Maple Pizzelles

• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 3 tsp. maple syrup
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• powder sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar.  Add the butter and maple syrup. Stir in the flour and baking powder. Add a spoonful of the dough onto a heated pizzelle iron. Close and allow to cook for about one minute. Remove each pizzelle with tongs and allow the pizzelles to cool on a flat surface. Dust each pizzelle with powdered sugar. Enjoy!  

Chocolate Dream Cake Torte

Making this cake is easy, but assembling it and keeping a slice upright can be a challenge. The cake is such a good treat, even if the slice falls apart. I think that this recipe came from a box of Dream Whip, a powdered whipped cream product. Although chocolate is the dominant flavor, the addition of instant coffee to the frosting gives the cake a bit more complexity in its flavor. 

When I made this cake, I made one change to the recipe and used whipped topping for the frosting layer between the cake layers. It created a nice contrast to the chocolate. This cake involves three layers of cake, which does make balancing the cake a bit harder. For the two bottom layers, I used a bread knife to remove part of the cake that had somewhat risen in the center to make a flat cake for the next layer.

Chocolate Dream Cake Torte 

• 1 package chocolate cake mix
• 1 envelope whipped topping mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup cold water

Combine cake mix, topping mix, eggs, and water in a large bowl. Blend until moistened. Beat at medium speed for four minutes. Pour into 3 greased and floured 8 inch round layer cake pans. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

Mocha Fluffy Frosting

• 1 envelope whipped topping mix
• 1 box instant chocolate pudding
• 2 tsp. instant coffee
• 1 1/2 cold milk
• optional frozen whipped topping, thawed

Combine whipped topping mix, pudding, instant coffee, and milk in a mixing bowl. Beat slowly until blended. Gradually increase beating speed and beat until mixture forms soft peaks for four minutes.

Assemble the cake using the option whipped topping between the layers. Then, frost tops and sides.  Enjoy!

Pepper Steak

I found this among Grandma's recipes. Because I had plenty of tomatoes and bell peppers from my garden, I figured harvest time would be a great time to test out this recipe. I was glad to be able to use some home-grown vegetables, but don't let a lack of a garden stop you from trying out this recipe.

When I made this recipe, I added more onions than called for because I wanted to use up some of the onions that I had on hand. I also used beef bouillon cube dissolved in one cup of hot water instead of beef broth. The amount of vegetables can be modified to adjust this recipe to your taste.

Pepper Steak 

• 1 1/2 pounds round steak
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 cup beef broth
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 green peppers, cut to one-inch pieces
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 2 tomatoes, cut up
• 3 or 4 cups cooked rice

Trim and cut meat into strips. Brown in a small amount of oil. Push aside and brown onions. Stir in broth, soy sauce, garlic. Simmer until meat is tender. Add green pepper; simmer for five minutes. Blend cornstarch with cold water. Add to meat gradually. Add tomatoes and heat through. Pour over rice. Enjoy!