Holiday Shortbread Tidbits

I really like these little, bite-sized cookies. They are really easy to make, too! They can be made before the holiday season and stored between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Skip the nonpareils or substitute a different color for different seasons.

Holiday Shortbread Tidbits

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1-1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons multi-colored nonpareils

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add flour and salt. Beat until well mixed. Using a spoon, stir in nonpareils.

Knead mixture 4 or 5 times in bowl until dough forms a ball. Pat dough evenly into prepared pan. Use plastic wrap to lift dough from pan. Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares. Gently place squares 1/2 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Discard plastic wrap. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until bottoms just begin to brown.

Special Sesame Chicken

I absolutely love this recipe! I found it on one of those free recipe cards at the grocery store years ago. You can make sesame chicken nuggets, too!

Special Sesame Chicken

• ½ cup flour
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp lemon pepper
• chicken
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp onion salt
• 1½ tsp garlic salt
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, chili powder, paprika, onion salt, lemon pepper and ½ tsp garlic salt in one bowl. Combine melted butter, 1 tsp garlic salt and pepper in another bowl. Dip chicken pieces in flour mix, then in butter, and last in sesame seeds. Place in shallow, greased baking pan. Bake for one hour, turning after 30 minutes.

Caramel Brownies

These treats are so yummy! I like to make them during the holidays, but they are great any time of the year. Keep them in the fridge or they will fall apart.

Caramel Brownies

14 oz. caramels (about 50)
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup evaporated milk (separately)
1 package German Chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
3/4 cup melted butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

In a saucepan on low to medium heat, cook the caramels and 1/2 cup evaporated milk until melted. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup canned milk, and the melted butter. Spread half of this mixture into a greased and floured 13 X 9 pan. Bake @350 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle 6 ounces of chocolate chips over crust and then pour caramel over it. Crumble remaining cake mix over the top and bake for another 18 minutes.

Cool and keep in refrigerator.

Ranger Cookies

There is a lot of confusion about the name of these cookies. Some call them Lone Ranger cookies, cowboy cookies, Texas Ranger cookies, or just plain old ranger cookies. I chose to call them Lone Ranger cookies, because that is how I learned it. This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so cut it in half if you don't want a large batch. Some people omit the chocolate chips, but I wouldn't!

Lone Ranger Cookies

In an extra large bowl, cream together:
2 cups shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar

Add 5 eggs, one at a time.

Mix in:

4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
1 cup nuts (optional)
1 package chocolate chips
1 - 2 cups coconut
4 cups oatmeal
2 tbsp. vanilla

Mix all together. Drop walnut-sized spoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Ginger-Soy Salmon and Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Oooheeeee! I am so happy I tried these recipes. So tasty! My mother and I are practicing eating better, so I used low-sodium soy sauce and replaced the brown sugar with Splenda's Brown Sugar Blend. I also didn't have fresh ginger on hand, so I used ground ginger (3/4 tsp) and it was fine. I really do recommend using the optional cilantro to top the salmon with. It really adds a fresh taste.

Ginger-Soy Salmon

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon each sesame oil,

brown sugar and grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-1/4 pound center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it with cooking spray.
If your sesame seeds are not toasted, in a small saucepan stir them over medium heat until they are lightly toasted, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Sprinkle the top-side of each salmon piece (not the skin side) with 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds. Set the salmon, seeded-side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the salmon for 7 minutes.

While the salmon is baking, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, cornstarch, and black pepper in a small saucepan. Stir the glaze over medium heat until simmering and thickened, about two minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and turn the fillets over. Top each one with about 2 tablespoons of the glaze. Continue baking for another 7 minutes or so, or until the fish is just opaque in the center. Pull off and discard the skin from each fillet. Sprinkle with cilantro, if using.

Baked Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

1 bunch fresh asparagus

salt and pepper

2 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange asparagus a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 12 minutes or until tender.

Melt the butter in a small dish in the microwave. Stir in soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Pour over the baked asparagus and serve.

Salsa Picada

This recipe is put on here specially for my Uncle Glen. He requested a salsa recipe months ago, and I'm just now putting it up. Sorry it took me so long!

Salsa picada is a bit different than regular salsa because the ingredients are chopped and minced instead of blended, making a very chunky salsa. My favorite! It tastes delicious as a tortilla chip dip or on top of your favorite taco or fajita.

Please forgive the measurements. I just make it by sight. Try a little of each ingredient at first, mix and taste. If you think it needs more, add more.

Salsa Picada

I always include:

8 - 10 Roma tomatoes

1/2 white onion

1 clove garlic, put through a garlic press or minced

juice of 1 lime

1/2 of a small jalepeno or serrano (That's all the heat I can handle. I am a wimp!)

10 stems of cilantro leaves

salt

Sometimes I add:

diced avocado

chopped cucumber

chopped radish

Chop or dice it all and mix together. You can use it right away, but it tastes 100% better after it sits in the fridge for a day or so and all the flavors mix.

Enjoy!

Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a new recipe for me. I just tried it out tonight for the first time and thought I would share. Please use whatever your favorite chip is. I used a mix of semi-sweet and vanilla chips. The vanilla chips are colored orange for Halloween! These cookies are very rich and buttery and much like the cookies you would find at a coffee shop or deli. The options to change things are endless! You can add some chopped nuts (walnuts would be delicious!) and vary the amount of chips you add. I like a few bites without chips in my cookies, so I only added a cup.

Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you prefer, you can grease the cookie sheet instead, although I highly recommend parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream together shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until light and creamy. Mix in the dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand. Drop dough onto cookie sheet 1/4 cup at a time and be sure to place three inches apart. Yes, 1/4 cup! These are called Big Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies for a reason!

Bake for 15 minutes. The edges should be lightly browned. Do not overcook or your cookies will not be chewy. Let cookies cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.