Monthly Archives: November 2012

STARLIGHT MINT SURPRISES

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1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 lg eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 (4.67 oz) pgs chocolate mint wafer candies (such as andes)

beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. stir in vanilla.

combine flour, baking soda, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating well.

drop dough by teaspoonfuls 2″ apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. press 1 candy on top of each mound of dough; cover with 1 teaspoonful dough. bake at 375 degrees for 11 minutes or until golden. immediately remove to wire racks to cool.

makes about 4 dozen

OLD-FASHIONED HOLIDAY GLAZED HAM

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1 spiral-sliced half ham
1 (20 oz) can pineapple slices, juice reserved
15-20 whole cloves (optional)
1 small jar maraschino cherries
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbs yellow mustard

preheat the oven as directed on the ham package and follow the instructions for baking the ham. remove the ham from the oven about 30 minutes before the end of the warming time.

decoratively arrange the pineapple slices on top of the ham with whole cloves, if using, or toothpicks. place a cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and secure with a clove or toothpick.

in a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and just enough of the reserved pineapple juice to make a thick glaze. spoon the glaze over the ham and bake for the remaining 30 minutes. remove the ham from the oven, transfer to a cutting board and carve.

12 servings

IRISH BREAKFAST

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6 thick slices bacon
2 tbs butter OR margarine
4 eggs
2 small tomatoes, sliced
2 cups whole mushrooms
4 slices prepared soda bread

lay the bacon slices in a single layer in a large skillet. fry over medium heat until it begins to get tinged with brown. fry on both sides. remove from pan, but save grease.

melt butter in skillet. crack eggs into pan, being careful not to break yolks. place tomato slices, mushrooms and bread in pan. fry gently, stirring mushrooms and tomatoes occasionally. keep everything separate. turn bread over to brown on both sides.

when egg whites are set, but yolks are still runny, dish half of everything onto each of 2 warmed plates, and serve immediately.

2 servings

CHOCOLATE MINT DESSERT

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1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter OR margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups hershey’s syrup
mint cream center (recipe follows)
chocolate glaze (recipe follows)

heat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 13″x9″x2″ baking pan.

combine flour, sugar, butter, eggs and syrup in a large bowl; beat until smooth. pour batter into prepared pan.

bake 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in the center. cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. spread MINT CREAM CENTER on cake. cover; refrigerate. pour CHOCOLATE GLAZE over chilled dessert. cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. cover and refrigerate leftover dessert.

makes about 12 servings

MINT CREAM CENTER: combine 2 cups 10x sugar, 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter OR margarine and 2 tbs green crème de menthe (OR 1 tbs water plus 1/2-3/4 tsp mint extract and 3 drops green food color may be substituted for  crème de menthe) in a medium bowl; beat until smooth.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE: melt 6 tbs butter OR margarine and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small saucepan over very low heat. remove from heat; stir until smooth. cool slightly.