Hot Cider

Hot Cider

1 gallon Baugher's Apple Cider
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
6 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon broken

In saucepan heat 1 gallon of Baugher's Apple Cider. Add cheesecloth spice bag. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until spicy enough to suit taste. Remove bag. Serve piping hot.

If desired to use for less than 1 gallon of cider or desired less spiced flavor, empty 1/2 contents out of bag and use other 1/2 contents in washed and dried bag at a later time.

Spices can be put in a percolator basket of coffee pot and percolate.

Iced spiced cider - make hot spiced cider, chill before serving.

Mini Gingerbread House

Mini Gingerbread House

1 cup light corn syrup (GINGERBREAD)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (GINGERBREAD)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (GINGERBREAD)
4 cups all-purpose flour (GINGERBREAD)
1 tablespoon ground ginger (GINGERBREAD)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (GINGERBREAD)
1 cup confectioners' sugar (ICING GLUE)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (ICING GLUE)
1 egg white (ICING GLUE)
1/3 cup boiling water (ICING GLUE)
prepared vanilla frosting (DECORATIONS)
bite-sized frosted wheat cereal (DECORATIONS)
striped chocolate candies (DECORATIONS)
various shaped pretzels (DECORATIONS)
ice cream cone (DECORATIONS)
stiff cardboard
pastry bag with small and medium round tips

MAKING THE GINGERBREAD:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small pan, cook corn syrup, brown sugar and vegetable shortening over medium heat, stirring until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger and cinnamon. Mix well. Add corn syrup mixture, stirring until dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Cut shapes (see template); place 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Bake 10 to 15 minutes. Place sheets on racks; cool slightly. Trim cookies; cool completely.

MAKING THE HOUSE:

1. For icing glue, in a medium bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, cream of tarter and egg white; add boiling water. Beat until icing holds stiff peaks.
2. Working with the front and sides of the house first, generously apply the icing glue along adjoining sides. (It's best to apply icing with a pastry bag filled with a medium tip, but you can also use a spatula.) Hold the walls upright while the icing hardens. Repeat with remaining sides.
3. Once sides are firmly together, liberally apply icing glue to bottom edges. Attach house framework to the cardboard base. Let icing harden.
4. Next, apply roof. For best results, apply the icing glue to top edges of side, front and back walls. Apply icing glue along peak of roof. Gently press roof pieces in place. Allow icing to harden well before decorating.

DECORATING THE HOUSE:

1. Using a pastry bag fitted with a small tip, pipe decorations onto house.
2. Spread cardboard base with frosting and attach frosted cereal or pretzels as a fence while frosting is still moist.
3. Spread the roof liberally with frosting and attach striped chocolate candies or other sweets as desired. Let icing harden before moving to display area.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Servings 40

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 (6-ounce) package chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine with 1 mixer: cream cheese, salt, egg, sugar.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Sift together: flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

In large bowl, add water, vinegar, cooking oil and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to this mixture with electric mixer. Fill cupcake liners 1/2 full with chocolate mixture, then drop a teaspoon of cream cheese mixture on top.

Bake 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Almond Kissed Cookies

Almond Kissed Cookies

Servings 42

1 cup divided BLUE DIAMOND Sliced Almonds
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup softened butter or margarine (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
1 to 2 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup HERSHEY'S MINI KISSES Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate

Grind 1/2 cup almonds in food processor or blender. Stir together flour, ground almonds and baking soda; set aside. Beat butter and powdered sugar in bowl until fluffy. Add egg, orange peel and almond extract; beat on low speed until blended. Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. (Refrigerate dough about 15 minutes, if necessary, before shaping). Wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap; refrigerate until well chilled, at least 2 hours. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Slice dough into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately place 3 MINI KISSES and 3 almond slices on top of each cookie, pressing down lightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Reese's Pieces Ice Cream Saucers

Reese's Pieces Ice Cream Saucers

Servings 12

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups REESE'S PIECES Candies divided

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in 3/4 cup candies. Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Place 2 or 3 of remaining candies on top of each cookie near center.
3. Bake 10 to 11 minutes or until soft-set (do not over bake). Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

VARIATION: ICE CREAM SAUCERS:

1. Follow directions above to prepare recipe except use 1/2 cup shortening instead of butter or margarine. Do not add candies to batter. Refrigerate batter about 1 hour.
2. Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each with palm of hand or bottom of glass into 2 1/4 inch circle about 1/4 inch thick; evenly space 8 to 10 candies on top of each.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F 8 to 10 minutes or until almost set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Place a scoop of slightly softened vanilla ice cream on flat side of one cookie; spread evenly. Top with second cookie, pressing lightly. Wrap in plastic wrap; immediately place in freezer. Freeze until firm.

Cream Cheese Penguins

Cream Cheese Penguins

Servings 18

18 pitted jumbo black olives
1 (8-ounce) package softened cream cheese
18 small black olives
1 carrot

1. Cut a slit from top and bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut out a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
2. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Crumbly Apple Pie

Crumbly Apple Pie

Servings 8

1 cup all-purpose flour (CRUST)
1/2 teaspoon salt (CRUST)
1/3 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening (CRUST)
1/4 cup ice water (CRUST)
7 peeled, cored, and very thinly sliced medium Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or Gravenstein apples (FILLING)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (FILLING)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (FILLING)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (FILLING)
1/4 teaspoon salt (FILLING)
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (TOPPING)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (TOPPING)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (TOPPING)
1/3 cup chilled, cut in small pieces butter (TOPPING)

1. Place oven rack into lowest position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. To prepare crust, in a medium bowl, mix together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut shortening into flour mixture until coarse crumbs form.
3. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until a dough forms. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
4. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Trim excess dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang; make a decorative edge.
5. To prepare filling, mix together all ingredients. Spoon into crust.
6. To prepare topping, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut butter into brown sugar mixture until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle apples evenly with topping.
7. Bake pie until topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbly, 35 minutes. If pie is overbrowning, cover loosely with aluminum foil. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Cranberry Walnut Cheesecake Pie

Cranberry Walnut Cheesecake Pie

Servings 10

1 1/4 cups cold milk
2 (4-serving) packages JELL-O Cheesecake Flavor Instant Pudding
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 (8-ounce) tub thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping divided
1 (6-ounce) each KEEBLER Ready Crust Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 (16-ounce) can whole cranberry sauce divided
1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts divided

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mixes and lemon peel. Beat with wire whisk 1 minute. Gently stir in 1/2 of whipped topping.

Spread 1/2 of the pudding mixture on bottom of crust. Spread 1/2 of the cranberry sauce over pudding mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the walnuts. Top with remaining pudding mixture.

Refrigerate 4 hours until set. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and walnuts. Serve with remaining cranberry sauce.

Mini Kisses Chocolate Blossoms

Mini Kisses Chocolate Blossoms

Servings 48

1 cup softened butter or margarine (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
Additional sugar
1 3/4 cups HERSHEY'S MINI KISSES Semi-Sweet Baking Pieces (10-ounce) package

1. Beat butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into 1 1/8-inch balls; roll into sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. Place 3 MINI KISSES on each cookie, pressing down lightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

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Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta Salad


1 (1-pound) package pasta
1 (12-ounce) bottle Roasted Red Pepper dressing
1 (14.5-ounce) can drained corn
1 (14.5-ounce) can drained diced tomatoes
1/2 chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet peppers (yellow, orange and red)
3 tablespoons The Pampered Chef Greek Rub
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
2 tablespoons sugar


Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain and add Roasted Red Pepper dressing and ranch salad dressing mix.

Caramelize together with olive oil: corn, diced tomatoes, onion and sweet peppers with Greek Rub.

Add vegetables to pasta. Stir in sugar. Simmer on low-medium heat for 5 minutes.

Allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve.