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BEARY GOOD HONEY COOKIES

~Submitted by Barbara, Chula Vista, CA

1/4 cup butter OR margarine
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coarsely diced, dried apricots
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
3/4 cup candy covered chocolate candy OR chocolate bits
1 1/2 cups flake-type cereal (like bran or corn flakes) OR 1/2 cup quick oats

Beat butter, peanut butter, and honey until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter-honey mixture. Stir in apricots, hazelnuts, candy, and cereal. Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 F. for 10 to 14 minutes, until light golden brown.




PUMPKIN PRALINE CHEESECAKE

~Submitted by Richard K, Bradenton, FL

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Prep: 50 min.
Bake: 45 min.
Cool: 1 hour 45 min.
Stand: 1 hour 45 min.

Ingredients
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 eggs
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Pecan halves (optional)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1. For Pecan-Praline Pieces and Powder,* line a large baking sheet with foil; set aside. In a heavy skillet place the 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking skillet occasionally until sugar begins to melt. Do not stir. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the chopped pecans; cook about 3 minutes more or until sugar is golden brown and pecans are toasted, stirring occasionally. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading with a wooden spoon as thin as possible. Cool. Break or chop the cooled praline into 1/4-inch pieces. Set half of it aside. For Pecan-Praline Powder, place remaining broken pieces in a blender container or food processor bowl. Cover and blend or process until ground. Store in separate containers in refrigerator or freezer up to 1 week.

2. For crust, in a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened. Add the 1/4 cup brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add the 1 cup flour. Beat on low to medium speed just until combined.

3. Pat dough onto bottom and 1-1/2 inches up the side of 9-inch springform pan. Bake in a 375 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool crust on a wire rack while preparing filling.

4. For filling, in a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, the 3/4 cup brown sugar, and the 2 tablespoons flour with an electric mixer on a medium to high speed until combined. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Beat until combined. Add eggs all at once. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the coarsely broken pecan-praline pieces, reserving the powder for the topping.

5. Pour filling into the crust-lined springform pan. Place the springform pan in a shallow baking pan on the oven rack. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until center appears nearly set when shaken.

6. In a small bowl combine sour cream and granulated sugar. Spread over top of cheesecake.

7. Remove springform pan from baking pan. Cool cheesecake in springform pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a small metal spatula to loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool 30 minutes more. Remove side of the springform pan. Cool for 1 hour. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

8. Just before serving, sprinkle the Pecan-Praline Powder over sour cream topping in center of cheesecake and garnish with pecan halves, if desired.

Makes 12 to 16 servings.

*Note: Be extremely careful when working with the hot sugar mixture for the Pecan-Praline Pieces and Powder. Total attention must be given as things move quickly when the sugar reaches the proper temperature to caramelize. Store praline powder in an airtight container until serving time. If desired, the praline powder also can be used as an ice-cream topping.

Nutritional facts per serving:
calories: 479, total fat: 34g, saturated fat: 19g, cholesterol: 138mg, sodium: 254mg, carbohydrate: 39g, fiber: 2g, protein: 8g, vitamin A: 119%, vitamin C: 3%, calcium: 8%, iron: 15%




ROAST

~Submitted by Brenda, AL

3 pound chuck roast
1 envelope Italitian Seasoning dressing mix (the dry powder kind)
Garlic to taste

Put all in crock pot. (Don't add any liquid). Cook 8 hrs or until roast is tender.




BUTTERY CINNAMON-NUT BREAD

~Submitted by LaDonna, Corvallis, OR

1 1LB loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
3 Tbs butter softened
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C chopped pecans
1 tsp Cinnamon

Glaze:
1/2 C powdred sugar
1 Tbs milk

Heat oven to 375. Press thawed bread dough on bottom of greased 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan. Spread dough w/butter; prick with fork. In small bowl stir together sugar, pecans and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over dough. Bake for 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. In small bowl stir together glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm bread. Cut into squres or triangles. Serve warm.

These are so easy and great tasting. My kids love these in the morning.




SPANISH OXTAIL AND PRUNES

~Submitted by Vicki, Sarasota, FL

We love Ox Tails, and this is a really good one! Also a fun site is the UKTV Food show by Simon Rimmer from Good Food Live. For a hearty warming meal, try Simon Rimmer's flavourful oxtail stew served with a tasty potato side-dish.

Servings: 4
Level of difficulty: Easy
Preparation Time: 25 minutes

You will need:

Main
1.5kg ox-tail , cut into 4cm long chunks
2 onions , 1 peeled and studded with cloves, 1 sliced
salt and freshly ground pepper
flour for dusting
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion , sliced
150g bacon lardons
500g prunes , soaked in sherry for 15 minutes then drained
2 carrots, sliced
1 bunch of parsley , chopped
3-4 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
200ml beef stock
200ml Rioja wine
3 large baking potatoes , peeled and cubed
1 x 410g tin of tomatoes
4 garlic cloves , chopped

Method:
1. Place the ox-tail chunks and clove-studded onion in a large saucepan. Cover generously with water and season with salt. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, partly cover and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes.

2. Drain the ox-tail chunks and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and freshly ground pepper. Roll the ox-tail chunks in the seasoned flour.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a casserole dish. Fry the ox-tail chunks for 15 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove the fried ox-tail chunks and keep warm.

4. Add the sliced onion to the casserole. Fry over low heat, stirring often, until softened, around 10 minutes.

5. Add in the lardons, prunes, carrots, parsley, (reserving half) thyme and bay leaf, herbs and prunes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then until the prunes begin to fall apart

6. Pour in the stock and Rioja wine and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

7. Add in the browned ox-tail. Simmer for at least 25 minutes until the ox-tail is cooked through.

8. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200??C/Gas 6.

9. Heat the remaining oil in a roasting tray until very hot. Add in the potato chunks and roast for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden brown.

10. Add the tinned tomatoes and garlic to the potatoes. Cook for a further 25 minutes. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper.

11. Garnish the potatoes with the remaining parsley.

12. Serve the ox-tail with the potatoes.




FUDGE

~Submitted by Margo, SW CO

3 c brown sugar
3/4 c butter
dash of salt
1/2 c milk (2%)
1 tsp vanilla
2 c icing sugar
1/2 c flour

Boil first 4 ingredients for 5 minutes exactly. Let sit for 30 seconds. Add vanilla. Sift together the icing sugar and flour. Stir the flour/icing sugar mixture into the brown sugar mixture until it starts to thicken, then put into a 9 inch square pan.

Refrigerate for a few minutes, then cut into desired size pieces. If fudge is soft, cut through pieces again a little later (on the same marks).

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For Two...

SWEET POTATO CAKES

~Submitted by Robyn, Auckland, New Zealand

For 2 servings;

300g (10 ?? fl oz) kumara (sweet potatoes)
1 egg
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
?? tsp salt
2 tbsp flour

Scrub, trim off thin ends, then lightly oil sweet potatoes. Bake at 200??C (400??F) until the flesh gives when pressed, as a baked potato does when cooked. Chop into fairly small pieces. The quantity given should fill a 2 cup measure when tightly packed.

In a medium- sized bowl beat together with a fork the egg, spring onions, ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt. Add the cooked sweet potato, and mash it into the egg mixture with the fork, then beat in flour.

Form mixture into eight flat cakes or patties, heat a little oil in a non-stick pan, and cook the patties over a moderate heat, until golden brown on both sides, and heated through to the middle.

Serve with coleslaw or a lettuce-based salad, as a complete meal for two, or serve with pork, for four.