Dipped Gingersnaps

A Witmer Christmas tradition

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
2 eggs
1/2 cups molasses
4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tblsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
Additional sugar for rolling
2 - 12 oz. pkg white choc. chips
1/4 c. crisco (opt. to make it smoother)

Combine sugar and oil; mix well. Add eggs. Stir in molasses. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to cream mixture. Shape into 3/4" balls and roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 min until cookie springs back when touched. Let cool.

Melt white choc chips and crisco and dip or drizzle. Place on waxed paper.

Jello Jigglers... toddler style

I had to share this great recipe from Anna.

Eliza, Olivia & Alayna made Jello cut-outs with Grace and Anna yesterday. Anna reported to me this morning how easy it was to make it:

You just get some hot water, mix some salt into it, take a nap and then it is done!

Thanks honey :)
And a BIG THANKS to the Lowe girls for their help yesterday while I rocked out with my hubby at the U2 concert!

Hot Caramel Dip

When the weather starts to cool again and the apples are fresh off the trees...

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1 c. brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix together all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil.
Let cool (very hot right off the stove!).  It needs to be somewhat warm to serve, so serve after cooled or refrigerate and then re-warm.

Serve with apple slices

Variation: Add 1/2 c peanut butter when cooking

Berry Lemon Mousse Parfaits

**This is a new favorite summery dessert, quick and easy, just the way I like it!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup white sugar, divided

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. In a large, chilled mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream, 3 T sugar, lemon juice, and extracts until mixture mounds softly.

2. In a small bowl, add remaining sugar to berries. Mix gently.

3. Spoon layers of mousse and fruit into dessert dishes. Serve immediately or chill for several hours before serving. Yield: 4 servings. (From All Recipes All-Time Favorite Best Brand Recipe Cookbook, thanks Angela!)

Nutrition info: 222 calories, 1 g protein, 18 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat, 1 g fiber, 61 mg cholesterol, 18 mg sodium

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Well, when I made this recently, I combined two different recipes that I have, so I will try to consolidate this as much as possible.

2 cups finely crushed pretzels
2/3 cup melted butter
2 tbsp. sugar

8 oz. cream cheese
12 oz. cool whipped topping
1/4 cup sugar

2 boxes sugar-free strawberry Jello
4 cups fresh strawberries, diced (or one bag of frozen strawberries, diced)
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water (for fresh strawberries only)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix pretzels, sugar, and butter - press into at 9x13 pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and cool whip. Spread over crust. Refrigerate.
4. Add boiling water to Jello mix in a large bowl. Stir until completely dissolved.
If using fresh strawberries, add cold water. Refrigerate jello until slightly thickened, then stir in fresh berries. Spoon over cream cheese layer.
If using frozen berries, fold slices into warm Jello - cool slightly, then pour over cream cheese layer.
5. Refrigerate entire dessert to set up (probably 3 hours).

Oatmeal Carmelita Bars

#1
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups melted butter

#2
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel topping
3 tbsp. flour

1. Mix #1 together
2. Put 1/2 of #1 into a 9X13 pan
3. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees
4. While 1/2 of #1 is baking, stir together caramel and flour
5. When pan is removed from oven, layer #2 on top - sprinkle chocolate chips and pour caramel over
6. Crumble remaining half of #1 over chocolate and caramel
7. Bake an additional 12-15 minutes
8. Cool completely (although, it's hard to wait that long!)

Bev's Creamy Rice Pudding

Very creamy! Great on a chilly day. Thanks for sharing the yumminess, Bev! 

1 1/4 c water
3/4 teas. salt
1/2 c raw long grain rice
1/2 to 1 cup raisins

1/2 c sugar
6 Table. flour
3/8 teas. salt
2 1/2 c milk
3 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 1/2 teas. vanilla
1/8 teas. nutmeg
1/8 teas. cinnamon

Directions:

Bring water and salt to a boil in a small pot. Add rice and stir. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until tender. Add raisins during the last 10 or 15 minutes to plump them.

Meanwhile, in top of double boiler combine sugar, flour and 3/8 teaspoon salt. Stir in milk slowly, mixing after each addition so there are no lumps. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened.

Add a small amount of the cooked milk mixture to the egg yolks, stirring as you add it. Then stir the egg yolks into the milk mixture in the double boiler and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in rice, raisins, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Serve warm or cold.

Credit to "Now... you're cooking!" 

Grand Raspberry (or Blackberry) Trifle

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 4 cups raspberries
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds favorite pound cake

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip cream and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks.
   
3. Slice pound cake 3/4 inch thick; brush both sides of slices with lemon syrup.
   
4. Fit 1/3 of slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other glass bowl, trimming edges if necessary. Gently spread top of layer with 1/3 of raspberry mixture, and then 1/3 of whipped cream. Repeat to make two more layers; garnish with remaining cup raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
   

Credit for recipe to Martha Stewart. com

 A note from Chef Emily:

I used blackberries and therefore blackberry jam.  I used this pound cake, too.

Thanks for sharing this at Eliza's 16th Birthday party, Emily!