Holiday yummies!

This is a yummy EASY Peanut Brittle recipe that my sister in law made this year! Got to try it!

Trish’s Microwave Peanut Brittle

½ C Karo Syrup

1 C Nuts *Peanuts or Cashews work best

1 C Sugar

½ t Salt

1 ½ T Butter

1 t Vanilla

1 ½ t Baking Soda

Put first 4 ingredients in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 4 minutes. Stir. Microwave on HIGH 4 more minutes. Add butter and microwave on High for 3 minutes. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir. Pour candy onto buttered cookie sheet. Let stand till completely cool. Brittle should be easy to break with hands.

Christmas Sweets

Grandma's Pecan Pralines
These are a southern classic, and Grandma's were the best!

2 cups sugar

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 Tbsp water

1-2 cups pecans

Cook in a heavy pot until stringy (soft ball stage). Then, add pecans and beat until it begins to harden. Drop by the spoonful onto wax paper quickly. Let cool until firm.

Pumpkin Desserts

Frosted Pumpkin Walnut Cookies

These delicious cookies are very cake-like and moist. My son can't get enough!

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed pumpkin (If you use spiced canned pumpkin, leave out pumpkin pie spice below.)
1/2 tsp. lemon extract (don't worry if you don't have it.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
Maple Frosting (see recipe below)

Cream butter; gradually add brown sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and flavorings.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in walnuts.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 min. Cool on wire racks. Frost with Maple Frosting. Yield: 7 1/2 dozen.

Maple Frosting:
1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 1/4 c. sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
3/4 tsp. maple extract

Cream butter; gradually add 1 cup powdered sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add remaining sugar alternately with milk, beating until smooth enough to spread. Add maple extract, and beat well. Yield: about 1 cup.
Recipe from The Southern Living Cookbook

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

A favorite treat in Maine with a holiday twist

2 eggs
2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Filling/Frosting Recipe

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 tsp. vanilla extract

4-5 c. confectioner's sugar

Heat the oven to 350. Beat the eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture a half cup at a time, blending each time until smooth.

Drop a heaping tablespoon of batter onto an ungreased cookie sheet, using a moist finger or the back of the spoon to slightly flatten each mound. Bake the cookies for 12 min. then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in the confectioner's sugar a half cup at a time, until the frosting is spreadable.

To assemble the pies, turn half of the cookies bottom side up and spread a generous amount of cream cheese frosting on each one. Top them with the remaining cookies (turned right side up.) Makes 10-14 whoopies.

Pumpkin Recipes

I have a great Pumpkin Bread recipe to be used with a bread maker:

Pumpkin Wheat Bread (FBM)

-1 pkg. Yeast

-3 c. Wheat Flour

-1 ts. Salt

-1 Tbs. Sugar

-1 can Pumpkin

-1 Tbs. Pumpkin Pie Spice

-1 c. Canned Evaporated Milk

-1 Egg

Place wet ingrediants first, dry second with yeast on top. Follow Bread Machine instructions. Standard Setting. This bread is really goodwith a pumpkin pie cream cheese spread. Get cream cheese, pumpkin spice and a little powdered sugar and blend till creamy.

Here is another Pumpkin Bread recipe to be made without a bread maker:

PUMPKIN BREAD
Makes 2 loaves.

•3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•2 tsp. baking soda
•1 1/2 tsp. salt
•2 tsp. cinnamon
•2 tsp. nutmeg
•3 cups sugar
•4 eggs, beaten
•2 cups of fresh pumpkin --> 16 ounces if using canned pumpkin
•2/3 cup water --> if pumpkin is canned
•1/2 cup water --> if pumpkin is fresh or frozen
•1 cup vegetable oil •1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs, water, oil and pumpkin. Stir until blended. Add nuts. Mix well. Pour into two 9x5" loaf pans. Bake 1 hour. Cool slightly and take out of pans to let cool on a rack. This tastes best if you wrap, refrigerate and wait a day to eat it. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be frozen.

As with all my post I've added the first one....leave your comments on it as well as any good pumpkin recipes you might have!