Swedish Cocoons

Ok this is a recipe that my mom has made for us during the holidays ever since I can remember. I do not know how this got to be a traditional recipe, but in our family, these cookies are a must have during the holidays. My mom made them for me and my sisters and now I make them for my kids. My older sister always needs to have these cookies, so she calls mom and asks her to make some and send them to her since she has such a hectic work schedule with little time to bake them herself. Mom is always happy to do it for her, these cookies are that good! They are super simple and only require just a few ingredients but the burst with flavor. Here it is:

Swedish Cocoons

1 1/2 cups margarine or butter (butter makes these cookies taste much better)
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3 cups finely chopped nuts (we use pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream margarine or butter with 1 cup of the powdered sugar until light; add vanilla. Blend in flour, add the nuts. Shape into cocoons (finger shaped pieces 1 1/2 inches long) Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Roll in remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar.

Lightning Fast Black Forest Cake

Well, here it is... the 100th post!! YAY!! Thanks to everyone who reads my blog for making it a success.

So here is a dessert that is very decadent but can be made lightning fast and no one has to know that it is a cake mix cake rather than from scratch. It is that good! If you do not have time to make a great dessert, consider this one. Here it is:



Lightning Fast Black Forest Cake

1 devils food cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 8 oz tub of whipped topping
chocolate curls for garnish if desired

Make cake by box directions. Let cool. On the top layer, frost with whipped topping lightly (just enough to put half the cherries on that bottom layer so they stick there). Put second layer on top. Frost all the way around with whipped topping and then put the other half of cherries on that top layer. Garnish with chocolate curls (directions for chocolate curls to follow). Store in refrigerator. Add a dollop of whip cream if desired when serving (can use regular or chocolate flavor whip for garnish).

Notes:
- To make a richer cake, you can add a box of chocolate pudding mix to the cake mix and follow directions on the box.
- For richer topping, use heavy whipping cream and add 3 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla to the cream and whip until heavy peaks form. With this you cannot finish the cake until right before serving. That is so the heavy whip cream does not turn to liquid from sitting. This makes a more decadent cake, but if you do not have the time to spend decorating your cake right before serving, this may not be an option for you.
- For chocolate curls, I just get a Hershey chocolate bar and grate it with a grater for fine curls; or using a vegetable peeler, I slowly peel the chocolate into thin long strips that will curl while peeling and then garnish my cake.

Chicken Bacon Stuffing Casserole

This is just a quick fix for dinner when you are in a hurry and have limited ingredients on hand. The ingredients in this casserole are things everyone should have in their kitchen anyway on a regular basis. I always keep some Stove Top stuffing in the cupboard in an emergency for when I need a fast meal or when I really do not feel like cooking. It is that easy! Sort of reminds me of the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich at Subway (which is only my most favorite sub there).



Chicken Bacon Stuffing Casserole

2 chicken breasts, diced
1 box chicken flavored stuffing mix
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup cooked bacon, diced fine (about 3-4 slices)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
Ranch dressing, warmed up (if desired)

Cook the chicken breasts and dice. Cook stuffing according to package directions. Combine the sour cream, chicken soup, garlic, black pepper, and salt; mix with stuffing. Add chicken. Mix well. Spray 13x9x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour stuffing/chicken mix into the pan, top with cheese, then top with bacon. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Notes:
- Add broccoli to the dish for a complete meal in one pan.
- I use regular Kraft ranch dressing warmed just until the chill is off of it to drizzle on my casserole serving.

Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

If you like peanut butter and jam... this is a great dessert to make. It is very easy and tastes just awesome! I used my own homemade raspberry freezer jam to make this, but you can use any kind of jam with this recipe.



Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. shortening
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 egg
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C. raspberry jam (or other berry flavor that is your favorite)
Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugars, shortening, peanut butter, and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Reserve 1 cup of dough. Press remaining dough in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Spread with jam. Crumble reserved dough and sprinkle over jam. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Prepare glaze and drizzle over bars. Makes 32 bars.

Glaze
2 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tsp hot water

Melt margarine and mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat in water, 1 tsp at a time until smooth and desired consistency.

Notes:
- For the glaze, I only added enough water to get a glaze that could be piped on rather than drizzled for a more frosting effect.
- For the glaze, I did not melt the butter first because I wanted more of a frosting consistency than a drizzle.
- The plate decoration is just heated raspberry jam until it is of a drizzling consistency used like a garnish on the plate. I just heated it until just warm so that it drizzles nice.