Aunt Barb's Peanut Brittle

The holidays are almost over, but it's not too late to whip up a batch of my aunt's favorite Christmas treat. Because it's cooked in the microwave, you can make it in 10 minutes flat—the hardest part is waiting until it's cool enough to eat!

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Butter a cookie sheet and set aside. In a 1.5-quart casserole, combine sugar and corn syrup; mix well. Microwave on high 4 minutes. Add peanuts; mix well. Microwave 3 minutes. Add butter and vanilla; mix well. Microwave 2 minutes. Add baking soda; mix well and quickly pour onto cookie sheet to cool. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Julie's Pumpkin Dessert

I got this recipe from a coworker at my first "real" job. Ten years later, it is still a favorite at our house and among my friends!

3 beaten eggs
1 large can pumpkin puree
1 cup sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 box yellow cake mix
1-1/2 sticks butter, cut into pats

Preheat oven to 350. Mix eggs, pumpkin, sugar, milk, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Top with dry cake mix and cover with pats of butter. Bake 50 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Raspberry-Almond Cheesecake Squares

These elegant bites taste just as good as an actual cheesecake—maybe better! The crust can be made the night before, as it needs to be completely cooled before adding the filling.

Crust
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

Filling
2 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves

For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray, line it with foil (allowing excess to hang over sides), and spray foil with cooking spray. Combine flour, sugars, almonds, and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool completely.

For the filling: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and extracts until incorporated, about 1 minute.

Spread preserves over cooled crust, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Dollop tablespoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over jam and spread into even layer.

Bake at 350 until slightly puffed, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Cut into 2-inch squares. (May be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Makes 2 dozen.

From Cook's Country

Donna's Hot Potato Salad

This "loaded baked potato" dish (courtesy of a former coworker's wife) gets consistent raves at pitch-ins. I've found that it also works well as a slow cooker recipe; just place everything in the stoneware insert, and then cook on High 3 to 4 hours, stirring twice. (Note that you give up the nicely browned top with the slow cooker method.)

4 lb. red potatoes (about 10 to 12), unpeeled
1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
8 oz. mayonnaise
1 jar real bacon bits
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Wash potatoes well and place in a large pot; fill with enough water to cover by 3". Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are barely tender (leave firm because they will continue to cook in the oven). Cool potatoes until easy to handle, and then cut into 1" cubes.

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, cheese, mayonnaise, bacon bits, and salt and pepper to taste. Bake 1 hour until golden brown.

Black-Bottom Cupcakes

What's better than a chocolate cupcake? A chocolate cupcake filled with cream cheese!

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
Salt
1 large egg
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper or foil baking cups. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the egg and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, the remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, baking soda, and cocoa powder. Add oil, vinegar, vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups water, and stir until smooth.

Fill each baking cup two-thirds full with the cake batter and top with 1 tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture. Bake until the edges are firm to the touch, about 25 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen.

From Every Day with Rachael Ray

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

These big cookies are a bit more work than regular peanut butter cookies, but the fabulous flavor that results from the generous use of brown sugar, vanilla, and roasted peanuts makes it all worthwhile. My husband likes these so much that he won't let me make any other type of peanut butter cookie!

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Jif extra-crunchy peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup roasted salted peanuts, ground in food processor to resemble bread crumbs

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until creamy. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat until fluffy (about 3 minutes), scraping down bowl as necessary. Beat in peanut butter until fully incorporated, then the eggs (one a time), and then the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gently stir into wet mixture. Add peanuts and stir gently until just incorporated.

Working with generous 2 tablespoonfuls at a time, roll dough into 2-inch balls. Place on cookie sheets, leaving 2-1/2 inches between balls. Press each dough ball twice with a dinner fork dipped in cold water to make a crisscross design. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets (top to bottom, front to back) halfway through baking time, until cookies are puffed and slightly brown along edges but not on top, 9 to 12 minutes. (Cookies will not look fully baked.)

Cool on cookies sheets until set, about 4 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack with a wide spatula to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen.

From America's Test Kitchen

Ann's Chicken Enchiladas

When a college friend brought this dish to a potluck a few years ago, I just had to have the recipe. The best thing about these enchiladas is the easy-to-make and decadently creamy sauce, which keeps the chicken from drying out in the oven.

1 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 can cream of celery, divided
1 can cream of chicken, divided
1 can diced green chiles
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 cups cooked chicken, diced
1 teaspoon cumin
8 to 10 soft enchilada tortillas
2 to 3 tablespoons milk or sour cream

Preheat oven to 325. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat; saute onion in oil until translucent. Add half of the cream of celery, half of the cream of chicken, green chiles, cheese, chicken, and cumin, and stir to mix well.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with Pam. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of chicken mixture and roll up. Arrange enchiladas, seam side down, in the baking dish.

In a small bowl, mix remaining cream of celery and cream of chicken soups with milk; spread evenly over tortillas. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Dorothy's Corn Casserole

I got this recipe from an old family friend. Its slight sweetness is a perfect complement to ham at Easter or turkey at Thanksgiving. And I bet it would be perfect to serve alongside a Pantry Pot Roast!

2 small cans Freshlike creamed corn
1 small can Freshlike whole kernel corn, undrained
1 package Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 stick melted butter (or margarine), cooled
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt (or sour cream)
3 beaten eggs

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Mom's Chocolate Cake

My mom got this recipe from a church cookbook when I was a kid. I used to make it for bake sales at school, and teachers would compete to buy the entire cake at once! I recently learned that it is quite similar to a Depression-era recipe for "wacky cake."

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 375. In an 8x8 baking pan, mix dry ingredients. Make a well in center and add wet ingredients; stir to combine. Bake for 25 minutes.

Variation: For a 9x13 pan, double the recipe and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Deana's Grape Salad

This pretty fruit salad, whose recipe I got from a friend's mother, is perfect for pitch-ins. Although some people are initially skeptical of the combination of ingredients, everybody is won over at first bite. Dry the grapes well so that the dressing sticks to them.

2 lb. red grapes
2 lb. green grapes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
1 cup brown sugar

Wash the grapes and dry them thoroughly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, vanilla, sour cream, and cream cheese; beat until smooth and fluffy. Add grapes and stir to coat them in dressing; transfer to a large glass bowl.

In a small bowl, combine pecans and brown sugar. Sprinkle over the grape mixture and cover with plastic wrap until ready to serve.

Tiffany's Dirt Pudding

I got this one from my cousin. It's much tastier than other Oreo pudding versions I've tried, and people always ask me for the recipe. I love it because you can make it ahead of time!
1 large package Oreo cookies
3 cups milk
2 small boxes French vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Crush Oreos in a food processor. Spread half of the crushed Oreos on the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 baking dish.

In a medium bowl, beat together milk and instant pudding until mixture thickens. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, and cream cheese until creamy. Add Cool Whip and pudding mixture to cream cheese mixture and stir well to combine. Pour over crushed Oreos in baking dish. Sprinkle remaining crushed Oreos evenly on top.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill 4 hours, or overnight. (May be frozen; thaw 1 hour before serving.)

Mom's Cornbread Taco Bake

This easy casserole was a favorite in my house when I was growing up. I think some people call it a tamale pie (obviously, these are people who've never eaten a real tamal!).

1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup green or red bell pepper, diced
1 can tomato sauce
1 pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400. Brown ground beef; drain. Stir in taco seasoning, water, corn, bell pepper, and tomato sauce. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole.

In a separate bowl, prepare corn muffin mix as directed on box. Spoon around outer edge of casserole. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and top cornbread with cheese. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer, until cheese is melted and cornbread is golden brown.

Makes 6 servings.