Roy's Beef Brisket

Holiday Snowball/Butterball Cookies

Yum!

Hot Mama Notes: This recipe is a keeper.  My Mom made this recipe last year (Dec 2013), and I finally made the recipe myself this year (12/24/2014).  Everyone loves these cookies, including myself.  They are *very* buttery (for obvious reasons!!) and good.  Melt in your mouth good.  :)  I had a package of the tollhouse holiday chips, and decided to make these for the Christmas Eve party we were attending.  They were a hit.  The entire plate got eaten.  I didn't even notice until later that there isn't even one egg in this recipe.  Just buttery goodness and lots of yummy chips.  Enjoy!  Note that these cookies are very rich.

Hot Mama Grade: A-

Royal Icing & Sugar Cookies

Gingerbread Houses

http://www.food.com/recipe/gingerbread-for-cookies-or-a-gingerbread-house-149257

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup margarine
1 egg, beaten
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, heat sugar, molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat; stir in soda (it will foam up).
3. Stir in margarine till melted.
4. With a fork, stir in egg, then flour.
5. On a floured surface, knead dough till mixed. Divide dough in half, wrap half with plastic wrap; set aside.
6. Roll half the dough, with a rolling pin, slightly thinner than 1/4 inch.
7. Cut with cutters.
8. Bake at 325F on a cookie sheet for 12 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
9. Makes about 3 dozen 3" gingerbread people.
10. NOTE: We make houses by cutting out our house design (the 2 sides of the roof, two sides, a front and a back of the house) on graph paper, and then placing the graph paper shapes on the dough and cutting the dough shapes out with a knife.

Hot Mama Notes: This recipe turned out really well!  :)

Gingerbread House Stencil Templates:
http://images.hellokids.com/_uploads/_tiny_galerie/20091253/gingerbread-pattern-front-b-source_953.jpg
http://images.hellokids.com/_uploads/_tiny_galerie/20091253/gingerbread-pattern-roof-source_fwj.jpg
http://www.hellokids.com/c_19315/kids-crafts-and-activities/christmas-crafts/christmas-decorations/gingerbread-house

How to assemble the gingerbread house using caramel syrup "glue":
http://www.marthastewart.com/341781/caramel-syrup

Caramel Syrup:
Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 
  

Directions:
Bring sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan; reduce heat, and simmer until thickened and light brown, about 10 minutes. Use immediately.

http://www.marthastewart.com/907718/snow-swept-gingerbread-cottage
http://www.marthastewart.com/339021/molasses-gingerbread-cookie-dough
http://www.marthastewart.com/284120/royal-icing

Crockpot Turkey

Originally from: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/11/crockpot-whole-turkey-recipe.html

Ingredients:

--turkey (9.5 lbs is the MAXIMUM to fit in a 6.5 quart crockpot) 
--olive oil
--salt 
--pepper
--garlic powder
--dried parsley 
--onion 
--apple (I used yellow)
--meat thermometer (necessity, not a luxury. go get one if you need it) 

Directions:

Your turkey must be completely and totally thawed. Seriously. Call the Butterball hotline if you don't know how to do this safely.


Remove the neck and the bag of stuff they put inside the turkey. 

Pat the turkey with paper towels to dry it off. Rub a handful of olive oil all over the bird, inside and out. Sprinkle salt, pepper, dried parsley, and garlic powder all over and in it, and rub it around. If you have a secret family concoction of herbs, by all means, use it.

Peel an onion, quarter it, and shove inside. Core an apple and do the same.

Lower the bird into your crockpot. I wanted to put it in breast-side down, but Chris and Mary (from Butterball) said not to. So I put it right-side up. 

Cover. Cook on high for 3 hours, then check the internal temperature. You need the turkey to register at least 140 degrees.

Cover again and cook on high for another few hours. I needed to leave the house, and this turkey cooked on high for a bit over 5 hours. Check the internal temp again in a few places. It should be 170 degrees or higher. You can certainly cook it longer if needed, or keep it on warm until you are ready to carve.

CAREFULLY remove turkey from crockpot. The edges will have browned nicely. If you'd like, you can broil the top for a few minutes in the oven--put the turkey in a roasting pan, don't use the crock. I tried this, and was pleased with how the turkey looked afterwards. I broiled for about 7 minutes. 

Let sit for 15-20 minutes before carving. 

************

Fit a 9.5 lb turkey into a 6.5 quart crockpot. It is a tight squeeze, and this is the absolute largest turkey you should attempt to cook----even if you have a 7 quart crockpot. The meat needs to reach 140 degrees after 3 hours of cooking on high to keep it in the "safe zone" for consumption.

How do you know?

I was hoping you'd ask! I learned this by participating in a live webchat hosted by Butterball, and their trained Turkey-TalkBloggers. Chris Jordan, from Notes from the Trenches, and Susan Wagner, from Friday Playdate are fresh out of Turkey U. and are eager to help families with their burning (simmering) turkey questions. 
You can ask anything turkey. Chris only slightly snickered when I asked where the thigh is. (guess what? it's not on the drumstick at all---it's the part where the drumstick connects to the bird. huh.) There is another chat scheduled for November 25, or you can call 1-800-BUTTERBALL.

**************

Hot Mama Notes: I made this recipe last year, and it turned out really well.  I am excited to try it again this year! :)

Taco Seasoning

Originally from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/taco-seasoning-i/

I add this to 1 lb of ground turkey for taco meat. :)

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Apple Pie

Filling: 

5-6  cups of small green apples, from a friend's tree in Payson, AZ
3/4  cup sugar
1/4  cup brown sugar
3T   cornstarch

Crust:

Barb's Butter Crust Recipe is shown in this post: http://hotmamacookbook.blogspot.com/2013/08/fresh-peach-pie.html



Hot Mama Notes: This pie turned out AWESOME!!!  Next time, I think I will use 1/2 c brown sugar and 1/4 c white sugar for the filling.  But, yum yum yum.  The pie crust was perfect: flakey and sweet.  I actually made two pies using this recipe, and they both turned out great.  :)  I got lots and lots of compliments.  They were very tasty, and only last a few days before being DEVOURED.  The best compliment, really.  My grade: A.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge

Originally from: http://jcocina.com/pumpkin-pie-fudge/

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
• 3 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbs. corn syrup
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 12 oz. white chocolate chips
• One 7 oz. jar marshmallow fluff
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Toast walnuts in the skillet, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to smell toasted (3-5 minutes). Once you smell the walnuts toasting, immediately remove them from the heat.

Line a 9×9 baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once butter is melted, stir in sugar, evaporated milk, pumpkin, corn syrup, and pumpkin pie spice. Continue cooking over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling mixture, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 234 on a candy thermometer.

Immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the white chocolate chips, marshmallow fluff, and vanilla. When chips and fluff have almost entirely melted into the mix, quickly fold in the walnuts.

Immediately pour the fudge into the prepared pan, spreading into an even layer. Allow fudge to set for at least 2 hours in the fridge, or until it has firmed.

Once fudge is set, use the parchment paper to remove the fudge from the pan. Cut it into 1-inch cubes.

Hot Mama Notes:  The fudge was good if you like pumpkin.  Very creamy and flavorful.  I received lots of compliments on it.  My grade: B+

Parmesan Crusted Baked Chicken

Original Recipe at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ted-allen/baked-chicken-breasts-with-parmesan-crust-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each)
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup panko or dried coarse baguette breadcrumbs
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Mix the mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the cayenne in a medium bowl. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat completely; set aside.

In a medium shallow bowl, combine the parmesan and panko. Dredge the chicken pieces in the panko mixture, coating evenly and heavily, and pressing the coating into the meat.

Put the chicken on a rack set over a baking sheet, spray with a quick burst of cooking spray and put the sheet in the middle of the oven. Bake until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting or serving.

Per Serving: Calories: 402; Total Fat: 14 grams; Saturated Fat: 6 grams; Protein: 54 grams; Total carbohydrates: 8 grams; Sugar: grams; Fiber: 1 gram; Cholesterol: 155 milligrams; Sodium: 885 milligrams

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ted-allen/baked-chicken-breasts-with-parmesan-crust-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Hot Mama Notes: This was very easy to make, and I had all the ingredients already in my pantry.  We shall see how it tastes!!!  I used dried thyme.  I am not sure if I was supposed to use fresh, but I only had dried.  I used Panko.  My cooking spray is olive oil in the Misto sprayer.  I had a lot of parmesan/bread crumb mixture left over.  Next time I would mix up less.  My package of chicken had three pieces, though.  

Verdict: This chicken wasn't all that great.  I would give it a B grade.  I don't think we will be having this again, as it was just okay.  So many other recipes to try!

Fresh Peach Pie

Original Recipe from the Book: The Lost Art of Pie-Making by Barbara Swell, see cover image below.

 My Magnificent Pie, straight out of the oven.

Hot Mama Notes: 

I used the butter crust, "Barb's Butter Crust".  I have a fondness for butter, and I have had much success in the past using a savory butter crust for quiches and pot pies.  I do hear that shortening crusts are great, but it's hard to mess with a good thing.  And shortening creeps me out, whereas butter does not!  This crust is not as easy to work with as the previous crust I used (a bit sticky), but it was doable.  I highly recommend the use of a pasty cutter.  A very useful tool.  I refrigerated my crust dough for about 30 minutes.  I think next time I will try overnight.

I opted for the recommended amount of sugar (3/4 cup) in the filling.  I did not want the filling overly sweet, and these were home-grown peaches, fresh off the tree a few days before.  They were delicious and sweet raw, I didn't need to add much sugar.  I am not sure if I have ever had peach pie before, but I will say that the filling in this pie tasted very much like canned peaches.  I am not sure if that is the consistency and flavor that peach pie filling is supposed to take on, but it was good.  The crust was phenomenal.  :)  I used 5 cups of peaches.  Also, I did brush the top crust with heavy whipping cream (since I happened to have some), and sprinkled granulated white sugar on top of it.  This made the pie very beautiful.  I covered up the edges with foil about 20 or 30 minutes in.  The pie took quite a long time to bake.  I kept baking it until the top pie crust no longer looked like raw dough, but rather like a golden brown pie crust.  :)

Overall Grade: B+ 
(Crust Grade: A)
(Filling Grade: B)

Gingersnap Cookies

Original Recipe at: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/11/26/soft-gingersnap-molasses-cookies-4-ways/#ixzz2ambGpfhX

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup dark molasses
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
• 1 cup butterscotch chips or white chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand or handheld mixer, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat well, scraping down the sides as needed again.
2. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet on low speed. Do not overmix. Cover mixed dough with foil and chill for 4 hours of overnight. I chilled mine overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place balls 2 inches apart. Bake for precisely 8-10 minutes, until the edges are just turning brown – cookies will be puffy and still appear soft in the middle. Mine took 8:30 minutes. Remove from the oven and, if using any variety of flavor chip, immediately press 5-7 chips into the center of each cookie.
4. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for two minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

There are two very critical notes on these gingersnap recipes.  First, make sure you CHILL the dough.  Prepare ahead of time so that the dough can chill 4 hours or overnight.  Your cookies will NOT be as thick as mine unless the dough has been sufficiently chilled. 

Second, the amount of time you bake your gingersnaps is imperative- so so important to the texture of your finished cookie.  Be sure to bake for only 8-10 minutes.  Lean towards the 8 minute side.  The cookies will appear soft and may look undone.  Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and I assure you, they will be done.

Hot Mama Notes:  These cookies are SUPERB.  Some of the best cookies I have ever had.  So soft, fluffy and flavorful!  I would make them again in a second!!!  Grade: A+!

One note: I used fresh grated ginger root (1.5 teaspoons) in addition to the listed powdered ginger.  The reason I did this is because I wasn't sure just how old my ginger spice was, and I wasn't sure how quickly it lost it's potency and flavor (or if it did at all).  To be on the safe side, I threw in some fresh grated ginger, and I think it tasted fantastic.  I would do it again. :)

Peanutbutter Chip Chocolate Brownies

Original Recipe: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/30/ultimate-fudge-brownies-with-peanut-butter-chips-2/

Ultimate Fudge Brownies with Peanut Butter Chips

makes 20 brownies

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line an 8×8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to lift the finished brownies out.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl in the microwave. Melt in 30 second increments and stir after each time until the butter is completely melted. The mixture will look gritty. Set aside for a few minutes as you get the other ingredients ready. You don’t want the mixture to be piping hot.
3. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition. The batter will be thick and look shiny. Add the flour, beating with a whisk until fully combined. try not to overmix the batter at this point. Gently stir in the peanut butter chips. Pour into prepared baking pan.
4. Bake for 25 minutes and check the brownies for doneness. Insert a toothpick inserted in the center. If it comes out with only a few crumbs, the brownies are done. Bake for 3-5 minutes if the brownies look too liquidy. Do not bake over 30 minutes.
5. Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting into 20 squares. Brownies remain soft and fresh stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Notes

Adapted from Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales from a Life in Chocolate cookbook

Read more from the source: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/12/30/ultimate-fudge-brownies-with-peanut-butter-chips-2/#ixzz2btnAvfp2 
Hot Mama Notes: These brownies are very good!  Much better than the skinny brownie recipe I just tried last week.  And, as a bonus, I love that everything is made in ONE BOWL.  This is not to be underestimated as a benefit when baking!! ;)  Grade: A-

Peanutbutter Swirl Fudge Brownies

Original Recipe: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/10/skinny-peanut-butter-swirl-brownies/#ixzz2alsuq9bm

Makes 12 brownies. Full nutrition information available by visiting a calorie counting website and plugging in the ingredients. Brownies stay fresh at room temperature for 2 days, and then can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days after that. Make sure oats are certified gluten free if gluten intolerant.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (185 grams) creamy peanut butter (I used Jif Creamy)
• 6 oz. low fat vanilla greek yogurt (could use fat free)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) skim milk (or almond milk)
• 1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar (see note above in post about substitutions)
• 1/2 cup (64 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 8×8 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Place all of the ingredients except for the peanut butter into a blender or food processor. (Yes, a blender!) For easier blending, place the liquid ingredients into the blender first. Blend until mix is smooth and oats are ground up. You will have to stop the blender and scrape down the sides a few times.
3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Batter will be thin. Microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds. Drop melted peanut butter by spoonfuls onto the batter, swirling gently with a knife to create a marbled effect. (Try not to overmix!)
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Brownies will be extra fudgy, so be sure to wait until COMPLETELY cooled - I stuck mine in the refrigerator for 2 hours, which allowed them to be cut very easily. Cut into 12 squares and enjoy!

Adapted from Dashing Dish

Hot Mama Notes: I wasn't paying enough attention to the recipe when I was adding things to the blender (oops).  I guess this is always the problem when trying to concentrate on baking as well as three small children not destroying the house while you bake. :P  Anyway, I added ALL the ingredients to the blender *including* the peanut butter.  Oops.  Well, the batter tasted delicious, anyway, so I do not think any harm was done.  I also melted about 4 additional heaping tablespoons of peanut butter in order to make the swirls since I had no peanutbutter left thanks to my error.  These brownies look delicious!

Update: These brownies are okay, but not great.  I would give them a B.  They are rather mushy.  I guess I must like my brownies a bit cake-ier.  I wanted to like them because they are skinny brownies, but I am not sure I will make them again.  :(

Cookie Dough Fudge

Original Recipe: http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/06/28/chocolate-chip-cookie-dough-fudge/#ixzz2alcsHRcf

Makes 36 squares. Fudge will keep for 1 week stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

For Cookie Dough
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, soften to room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp half-and-half (or milk or cream)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 
  
For Fudge
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup half-and-half (or milk or cream)
• 4-5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Line 8x8 square baking pan with aluminom foil or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. For the Cookie Dough, combine butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand or handheld mixer. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, salt, and half-and-half. Add flour and mix until just combined. Do NOT overmix.
3. To prepare the fudge base, combine brown sugar, butter, salt, and half-and-half in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Slowly stir in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until mixture is smooth and sugar is incorporated throughout. Stir in vanilla. Add more confectioners' sugar if desired. The more powdered sugar you add, the thicker, firmer, and sweeter the fudge will be. I used 5 cups.
4. Add cookie dough to the fudge base and stir to combine. At this point, the mixture should have cooled to room temperature. If not, continue to stir until it is no longer warm to the touch. Fold in mini chocolate chips and spread fudge into prepared baking pan. Chill until set, about 3-4 hours. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Hot Mama Notes: I used heavy whipping cream instead of half and half for both the dough and fudge parts.  This recipe is a bit labor intensive for fudge, I thought, but then I am no candy expert.  It could also be that it was my fourth recipe of the day, and I was already tired! ;O  Also, it is imperative to wait until the fudge is very cool before adding the chocolate chips, or (of course!!) they melt.  :(  I knew this would happen, and I thought the fudge was cool enough, but I guess it wasn't.  So my fudge isn't as pretty as pictured in the original recipe since some of the chips melted.  In an attempt to make the melted chip fudge look prettier, I added more mini chips on top.  

Update: Grade: B+.  Everyone seemed to really like this fudge, but I think it is really sweet.  I suppose fudge is supposed to be that way, but it is very, very rich.   The fudge is good, and I got a lot of rave reviews, but I am not sure it will be a go-to recipe for me.