English Toffee

My mom used to make this yummy English toffee growing up, and now my sisters love to make it. Just like the tea rings, now that I am living so far from home, I now am forced to make my own Christmas treats. I can no longer rely on my sisters to deliver whatever goodies I crave during the holidays.

I made this recipe last night and brought the majority of it to work today. It was gone by 11:30 a.m.! It really is a great treat-especially at Christmastime. The original recipe has you grate a chocolate bar over the top of the hot toffee, but my sister Elaine uses chocolate chips which saves a lot of time (and a mess). She also puts her nuts into a blender until they are blended until they are almost a powder.

1 lb. butter
2 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. light corn syrup
3 oz. slivered almonds

Generously grease a large cookie sheet with butter. In a large heavy pan, combine the ingredients and cook mixture on medium-high heat until hard crack stage. A candy thermometer is not necessary, but you have to watch closely and stir constantly. The mixture will become a dark carmel color and start pulling away from the pan. It takes a very long time (15 minutes or so), and you may think it is starting to burn. To test, have a cup of ice water next to the stove top and keep dropping the hot mixture into the ice water and taste it to test it's consistency. It should be very crunchy; if it sticks to your teeth at all, it is not done yet. As soon as it gets to the hard crack stage, take off heat immediately and pour into the pan.

2 pkg. milk chocolate chips
1 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped very fine

Spread chocolate chips over the toffee and continue to spread as it melts. Top with the chopped nuts and press into the chocolate with a spatula. Cool in fridge until the chocolate has set. Pull up one corner, turn over and chop into small pieces with a butter knife.

Green Beans w/Spicy Pecans

I got this recipe years ago from Mary Tincher and it's been a staple in our holiday meals ever since. When I was the Compassionate Service Leader in my LDS ward congregation, I used this recipe for the funeral meals that we would serve. Everyone would come into the kitchen to ask for the recipe.

I always use the frozen green beans from Costco that have a fresh taste. If you want to dress it up for a Christmas meal, cut strips of red pepper and add to boiling water the last few minutes. It ends up looking very festive.

green beans, fresh or frozen

1/2 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. pecans, coarsely chopped

cumin & cayenne pepper

chili powder

Cook as many green beans as you need for your recipe, boil or steam them until crisp-tender and still a bright green color (making sure to salt them as they cook). While they are cooking, melt the butter and sugar in a frying pan. Stir over med-high heat until melted. Generously sprinkle cumin & chili powder over the mixture and then ad some cayenne (not as generously as the others). Add pecans and continue to stir until they start to carmelize. Transfer green beans to a bowl and quickly toss with the nut mixture. Serve hot.

Old-Fasioned Coconut Pie

I was a judge at a ward party last year and had to taste over 20 pies to find a winner. When I tasted Taya Borrowman's coconut pie, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before. She got my vote for the best pie of the night. (Although my friend Laura Gould's apple pie was heavenly and the best apple pie I had ever tasted.) I asked Taya if I could have the recipe. Instead of just emailing it to me (or referring me to a blog), she actually made a pie for me and dropped it off with the recipe! How amazing is that? This pie has now made it's way onto our exclusive Thanksgiving pie list.

1 stick butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

3 T. vinegar

1 t. vanilla

1 c. coconut

2 T. heavy cream

Blend sugar and butter. Add eggs and blend well. Add vanilla, vinegar, coconut and cream. Put in unbaked pie shell and bake 1 hour at 325 degrees. Top with fresh whipped cream.

Pie Crust

I stink at pie crust-really stink at it. I also really don't love pie crust, which doesn't help motivate me to make it. When my I tasted my friend Taya's pie crust and loved it so much, she gave me the recipe. However, I still haven't quite been able to succeed and make mine as good as hers. Maybe someday I will perfect it, but until now, I will just keep trying.

1 1/4 c. flour
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 T. shortening, cut into pieces
4 T. butter
4-5 T. ice water

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a small bowl.  Add in shortening and butter and mix until you have pea-sized pieces.  Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until a stiff, play dough like dough forms.  Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.  Let chilled dough warm to room temperature.  Roll into pan.  Cook according to pie directions.

Mud Pie

This is the James' Family traditional pie that is made every year for Thanksgiving. Rick grew up with it and it sometimes doubled as his birthday cake (since often his birthday fell on Thanksgiving). My mom was always so sweet to make it when we came to her house for dinner so that Rick would feel at home. It's a big hit with my kids and it's always top on the Thanksgiving pie list.

2 pie crusts, baked
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
2 c. cool whip
1 lg. chocolate instant pudding
1 lg. vanilla instant pudding
5 c. milk
cool whip

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 2 c. of cool whip together until smooth. Spread a layer of mixture on the bottom of the 2 pie crusts. Mix together both packages of pudding with the milk. Pour pudding on top of cream cheese layer. Top pies with cool whip. Chill before serving.

Coconut Bread

This recipe is from my sister Jennifer who I think got it from her husband's Nana. It's a very unique quick bread and has a really yummy glaze on the top that reminds me of the sugary outside of an old-fasioned donut.

4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1/2 t.  baking powder
1 c. coconut
3 c. flour
1 c. buttermilk
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. coconut extract
1 t. vanilla

Mix together. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. While the bread bakes, mix together the glaze:

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. water
1 T. butter

Boil glaze for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 t. coconut extract. When loaves come out of the oven, use a knife to loosen bread from the sides of pan. Pour glaze over loaves (while they are still hot and are still in pans). Let cool slightly before slicing.

Creamy Sweet Potato & Rosemary Soup

I adore cookbooks. I read them like I would read a novel, or a magazine. I also love the Food Network chefs and enjoy watching them cook. However, when it comes to actually trying new recipes, I'm not always as adventurous as I'd like to be. I think it's because there are so many millions of recipes to try, that it feels overwhelming and I end up just making the same old things over and over again because I know the grocery lists by heart.

I have loved living in DC and having the opportunity to meet some of the chefs from Food Network and Bravo. I have a whole new collection of autographed cookbooks, which makes me so happy. Recently, as fall weather arrived, I wanted to try a new soup out of my newest cookbook, "Weeknights with Giada." I have to say, it was the most fantastic soup I have had in a very long time. Butternut squash soup is a family favorite, but this was voted better by the entire family. It's one I don't want to forget. Of course, as always, I doubled the recipe.

3 T. butter
3 T. olive oil
3 lg. shallots, sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic cloves, minced
kosher salt & ground pepper
2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 stems fresh rosemary
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. mascarpone cheese
3 t. maple syrup (the real stuff is best)

In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and season with 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary, and chicken broth. Season with 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, 20-25 minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Using a blender, blend the mixture in batches, until smooth and thick. Once all soup has been blended, whisk in the mascarpone cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.