The Recipe Mom

~~~~~~~ Festive Christmas Bread ~~~~~~~

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of flour
2/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsps of baking powder
2 eggs
1/3 cup of butter
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
1 jar (10 oz) maraschino cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 9-inch loaf pan.

Drain the cherries but reserve 4 tablespoons of juice.  Chop up the cherries, no need to be precise, and set these aside.

Take a large bowl and combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix this up well.

In another bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and the 4 tablespoons of cherry juice you just set aside.   Mix this up well until it’s all fully combined.

Add this mixture to the dry flour mixture and mix this up well.

Gently fold in the chopped cherries and the nuts.

Scoop this batter into the 9-inch loaf pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour until it’s golden brown and baked through.

Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

This is a great bread to serve with a late afternoon coffee or tea break! 

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~~~ Lemon Drop Cookies ~~~~~~~

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup of butter
1 egg
1 tsp. lemon extract (extract gives a very full, true flavor)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Mix together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until it’s very creamy.

Next, mix in the egg and the lemon extract.

Grab another bowl and in this bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add this dry mixture to the butter mixture and mix it up well.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your cookie sheet.

Bake these for about 9 - 10 minutes or until they turn lightly golden.

Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the sheet.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar (powdered and sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl and mix in vanilla.

Sift flour and salt together and add to the sugar mixture. Gently fold in the chopped pecans.

Shape mixture into golf ball sized balls.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until baked through and slightly golden.

While cookies are baking place a little extra powdered sugar in a bowl. Once the cookies are done baking roll through the sugar and set aside to cool.

I have to say, these are one of my weaknesses :-)  They taste like fluffy, crumbly, round shortbread cookies.

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~ Christmas Swirl Brownies ~~~~~

Ingredients:

1 package cake style brownie mix
1/ teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup cream
1 package of cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 bag M&Ms holiday edition

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grab a large mixing bowl and cream the sugar and cream cheese until it’s fluffy.

Add the egg, cream and vanilla extra. Mix well and set aside.

Prepare the brownie mix according to instructions.

Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and then school 2/3 of the batter into the pan.

Place ½ cup of the M&Ms over the brownie batter. Then spoon the cream cheese mixture over the M&Ms and batter.

Finally scoop the remaining brownie mixture over that. Using the tip of a knife swirl the mixture for a marbled effect.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes until baked through but still moist (do not overbake). Cool before cutting into squares.

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~ Cranberry Pumpkin Bread ~~~~~

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cups brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix this up well.

In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs and oil. Mix well.

Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and stir well.

Fold in the cranberries.

Transfer mixture to two lightly greased loaf pans.

Bake for approximately 45 to 55 minutes or until golden and baked through.

Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

***** For plain pumpkin bread, just eliminate the cranberries ~~~~~

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

Creamy Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 package cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 package chocolate cake mix
Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cupcake pan with cupcake holders.

Prepare your chocolate cake mix according to its package directions and set this aside.

Grab a mixing bowl. Place the sugar and cream cheese in the bowl and mix until nice and smooth.

Once smooth, beat in the egg and mix well.

Gently fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill the cupcake holders 1/2 full of the chocolate cake batter.

Add a teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture in the middle and then top with more chocolate cake batter. The cupcake holders should not be more than 3/4 of the way full.

Bake at for 20-30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched in center.

Cool 1 minute before removing from pan to cool completely.

Yumm-mmy!

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~ Baked Rice Pudding ~~~~~

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cooked rice
3 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
3 1/2 cups milk
Ground nutmeg
Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grab a large mixing bowl and place all of the ingredients into it except the nutmeg.

Lightly butter a shallow baking dish and pour this mixture into it.

Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Get a pan large enough to hold your baking dish and put about 2 inches of hot water in the bottom.

Place the baking dish in the hot water and put both in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours, or until set.

Happy Cooking!
The Recipe Mom

~~~~~ Banana Picnic Cake ~~~~~

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas mashed
2/3 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a baking pan.  Set aside.

Grab a bowl and combine the flour, baking powder and the baking soda.

Grab a separate bowl and mix together the sugar and butter until it’s well combined.

Add the eggs and the mashed bananas to this butter mixture.  After mixed, add this to your flour mixture along with the yogurt and mix until smooth.

Spoon batter into the baking pan and top with walnuts (if using).

Bake for about 35 minutes or until baked through.

~~~~~ Tip ~~~~~

This is a great way to use those over-ripe bananas that no one wants to eat!