Centerville Test Kitchen: Hot & Cold Drinks and Holiday Treats (Nov. 2009)

Christmas Punch

Kori Archibald

1 C. (6 oz.) frozen limeade made as directed on can

3 C. Sugar

8 C. water

Mix all ingredients together and freeze. Serve with Sprite and float lime slices and marashino cherries on top.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

Karen Burnside

1 C. butter, softened

1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar

3/4 C. sugar

1 (15 oz.) can solid pack pumpkin

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

4 C. flour

2 C. quick-cooking oats

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. butterscotch chips (or more per taste)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in the pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Pear Punch

Elizabeth Champion

3 cans Kerns pear nectar (I found at Safeway)

2 liters lemon lime soda

1 pear

fresh mint leaves

Mix together chilled nectar and soda.

Garnish with pear slices and fresh mint leaves.

Russian Refresher

Nancy Holladay

This recipe is from the Make A Mix Cookbook, but with a couple of changes as noted:

2 cups powdered orange drink mix (I use Tang)
1 (3 oz.) pkg. presweetened powdered lemonade mix (or enough powdered lemonade mix to make 2 quarts)

1 1/3 cups sugar (I have made this without any extra sugar and it's fine, I did use 1 Cup for the Test kitchen)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well. Put in 1 quart airtight container, label, and store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 months (it can get hard if moisture gets in).

Use about 3 tsp. of mix (adjust to your taste, use less if you left out the sugar) to 1 cup hot water and stir to dissolve.

Caramel-Glazed Apple Cake

Robin Kalcic

1 C. packed light brown sugar

1 C. sugar

1 1/2 C. oil

3 eggs

3 C. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 salt

5 Washington Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch pieces

1 1/4 C. chopped pecans or walnuts

2 1/4 tsp. vanilla

Caramel Glaze:

4 Tb. butter

1/4 C. sugar

1/4 C. light brown sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 C. heavy cream

Preheat oven 325 degrees. Use 9 x 13 inch pan.

Beat both sugars and oil in mixing bowl until very well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift togethr flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; gradually add to eggs, mixing just until blended. Stir in apples, pecans, and vanilla; pour into pan.

Bake for 50-75 min. Then cool.

To prepare glaze, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt; cook over medium-low heat for 2 min. Add cream and boil for 2 min., stirring constantly.

Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or toothpick. Pour on the glaze. Serve warm or at room temp. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Makes 12 servings.

Carmel Cereal Mix(demo)

Heidi Little

In a bowl combine:

6 C. popped pop corn

4 C. each of Kixs, Cheerios, & Chex Cereal(rice or corn)

Boil for 3 min:

1 Lb. butter

2 C. Light corn Syrup

4 C. brown sugar

Remove from heat, add 1 tsp vanilla then pour boiled mixture over cereal and toss to coat cereal. Then spread mixture onto 2 greased jelly roll pans and bake @250 degrees for 1 hour. Spread baked mixture onto slightly pammed foil sheets to cool on counter top. Mix will be runny and hot! Cool mixture and store in air tight containers.

Cheese Ball

Heidi Little

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup butter

Worcestershire sauce(to taste)

1 Tbs grated onion

1/2 tsp garlic (chopped)

Mix together and roll in nuts, parsley, or chopped ham. Chill and serve.

Toffee

Heidi Little

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a jelly roll baking sheet with foil and butter generously, then place single layer of graham crackers to cover buttered foil. Cook on stove top 1 cup brown sugar and 1 cup butter, boiling for 2 min. Pour cooked mixture over graham crackers and bake for 6 min. then remove from oven and sprinkle with 12 oz. package chocolate chips. Return to oven until chips have softened and then spread evenly. Refrigerate to hasten hardening/peal off foil when chocolate is set, store in freezer or refrigerate.

Peppermint Cookies

Wendy & Czarina Pellissier

1 and 1/2 sticks butter

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. splenda

1/4 t. peppermint flavoring

2 egg whites
2 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda

12 small candy canes, crushed (1/2 cup) I crush mine using the "Ultimate Chopper" which is a

small food processor type unit.

Chill dough until firm. Place walnut-sized rounds of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. You may want to roll them in your hands to make them round. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 min. Cool on cookie sheet before you remove them. When they are completely cool, they can be put in ziplocks and put in freezer.