Orange Cookies from Tiffany Adams

Cookies:

1  1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

4 tbsp orange zest

2/3 cup orange juice

4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Let remain on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then place on wire rack to cool.

Icing:

4 oz butter

2 tbsp orange zest

4-6 tbsp orange juice

4 cups powdered sugar

Lori's Poppy Seed Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

-Box of Bow Tie pasta 

-Bottle of Brianna's Poppyseed salad dressing (use as much as you like)

-Grapes, sliced in half (maybe 1/3 bag of grapes?)

 *Lori uses Cantalope, I bet mango or peaches could be good too

-Havarti Cheese, cut into cubes

Directions:

Cook pasta according to instructions on box. Mix with dressing, grapes, and cheese. Refrigerate and serve cold

Oreo Truffles

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 package Oreo cookies* 
16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate**

*You can use any type of Oreo cookies with this recipe- regular, chocolate, mint, or vanilla. 

Directions

Place the entire package of Oreos in a food processor or blender and pulse until crushed completely.  If you do not have a food processor or blender, you can also place the cookies in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush the cookies.

Pour the crushed cookies into a bowl and mix with the cream cheese until well blended.  Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up. (makes dough better to work with so it wont stick on your hands)

Shape the mixture into 48 (1 inch) balls and place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes. 

Shortly before removing the balls from the freezer, melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate and place on a wax or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  You should have leftover chocolate.  

Place the baking sheet in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.  Shortly before removing the baking sheet from the fridge, take the remaining melted chocolate and if it has hardened you can place it in the microwave for 5-20 seconds.  Wait a few minutes for it to cool and then place in a ziploc bag and cut a small hole in one corner.  Remove the balls from the fridge and pipe the chocolate on top of each ball.

Refrigerate for about 15 minutes and then you're ready to serve!

Cornbread "Cake"

Ingredients:

• 2 boxes Jiffy Mix Cornbread Mix
• 1 box regular yellow cake mix
  

Directions: Mix both boxes separately according to directions. Use a large mixing bowl and combine both boxes of mix together.  Spray a 9x13"pan with cooking spray.  Pour batter in and bake at 350 degrees until done.  Start with 30 minutes, then check after every 5 min.  It will take 10 to 15 minutes longer than the first 30 min. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick, it should come out clean.

Note:  Duncan Hines cake mix doesn’t have pudding in it.  If you want to avoid the cakey flavor, you can try that cake mix instead.

Sarah's Pesto Pasta

1 - 12 oz box pasta
1/2 cup Classico pesto sauce (I just use a dry pesto mix packet from the store that you mix with water and olive oil)
1 - 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 lb. chicken, cut into cubes

Cook chicken in olive oil in large skillet (cook pasta separately, according to instructions).  When chicken is done, add soup, milk, and sauce.  Mix and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in cooked pasta and serve.

Banana Pudding: Magnolia's Famous

We went to NY with my family a couple of weeks ago and finally had the famous banana pudding from Magnolia's! It was heavenly. Not the fake banana flavors, real bananas, real good. My aunt has made this for family functions and I was lucky enough to get the recipe so here it is.

Magnolia’s Famous Banana Pudding
Recipe from: More From Magnolia
by Allysa Torey, Photographs Zeva Oelbaum
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

I started making this pudding when I was in my early twenties and cooking at a Tex-Mex restaurant and bar. Customers loved it, so when we opened the bakery many years later, it seemed like a great idea to serve it there. It remains the second most popular dessert (after the cupcakes) at the bakery.

·         1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

·         1 1/2 cups ice cold water

·         1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)**

·         3 cups heavy cream

·         1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)

·         4 cups sliced ripe bananas

1.    In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

2.    In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

3.    To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

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**I couldn’t find a 3.4 ounce vanilla pudding mix, so I bought the larger one and didn’t use the whole package.

Taffy Apple Salad

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ Tbsp. vinegar
3 red apples
3 green apples
4 cups honey-roasted or dry roasted peanuts

Separate pineapple from its juice. In a saucepan, combine (with whisk) pineapple juice, flour, egg, vinegar, and sugar. Heat slowly on low heat until consistency is custard-like. Chill completely.

Fold in whipped topping. Then fold in apples, marshmallows, and pineapple. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving, fold in the peanuts.