Popcorn Balls!

• This recipe was a HUGE hit at the Lupa Zoo Halloween Party last night!  It was a memory of my childhood when we used to get popcorn balls when trick or treating in the neighborhood.  Seems like no one makes this classic anymore, so I thought it would be fun to try out this recipe.   Enjoy!
• 
  
• 3/4 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallows
• 5 quarts plain popped popcorn or 3 microwaveable bags (light or plain style)

Directions

1. After popping, I placed the popcorn in my biggest Tupperware bowl I could find. I shook the popcorn to REMOVE the kernels (very important). 
2. Then, in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.
3. Grease hands with vegetable shortening (or spray them with PAM) and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools.Place on a tray and serve at room temperature or wrap in plastic wrap.
4. Variations include adding carmel or peanut butter.  

Happy Halloween!

You Capture: In the Kitchen ----- Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I have been having this craving for chocolate chip cookies lately and really think today is the day I am going to make the effort since my mom & sister are here for a visit.  :)  I absolutely LOVE this cookie recipe that I got from King Arthur Flour (out of Norwich, Vermont) --- I call it "magic flour" -- I make the BEST stuff and can't seem to go wrong when I use it! Love it.  King Arthur has this great website with all kinds of recipes This particular recipe for Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies I featured on this blog back in 2007 is the absolute BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe EVER from Kiera's Chocolate Chip Cookies on Parade!

Chewy

Well, we're still looking for the ULTIMATE chewy chocolate chip cookie -- but this one is a worthy contender. We feel that, with a bit shorter baking time, these might become even chewier. A normal-thickness (3/8-inch) cookie, these have a smooth surface, and brown evenly. Our taste-testers' comments: "Great combo of crisp edge and chewy center." "Very good, why did the chips spread out so much?" Answer: If you use our bittersweet chips, or other "atypical" baking chips, they may not contain as much lecithin, which is the natural ingredient in "standard" chocolate chips that keeps them from melting at baking temperature.

1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) brown sugar, fairly firmly packed, light or dark
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups (9 1/2 ounces) unbleached bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (12 ounces) chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a microwave, or in a saucepan set over low heat. (Obviously, the butter doesn't have to be at room temperature for this one.) Mix the melted butter with the sugars, and proceed with the recipe as directed in Kiera's Standby cookies, adding the milk to the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Bake the cookies in a preheated 375°F oven for 13 to 15 minutes, till they're an even light brown.Yield: about 18 cookies, 4 to 4 1/4 inches in diameter.

Nutrition information per serving (1 cookie, 70g): 316 cal, 17g fat, 3g protein, 12g complex carbohydrates, 26g sugar, 1g dietary fiber, 53mg cholesterol, 200mg sodium, 133mg potassium, 112RE vitamin A, 2mg iron, 25mg calcium, 50mg phosphorus, 15mg caffeine.

Hot on the rack.  Yum.
Trust me.  These cookies are amazing.

Here is the photo for YOU CAPTURE "In the Kitchen" Feature.

Grama Cook's Whoopie Pies

Our neice Monique shared this on facebook, and the comments back were from Joe that these need to be against the law! :) So I will try them soon for the holidays! Stay tuned for photos!

Whoopie Pies
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
1 c. cocoa
3 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. milk
Cream the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add milk to the creamed mixture and mix well. Add the blended dry ingredients and mix well again. Drop by teaspoonsful on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes. Cool, then fill.

WHOOPIE PIE FILLING:
1 1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Sm. amount of milk
1 1/2 c marshmallow creme
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
Cream the shortening and sugar and vanilla. Add the marshmallow creme and cream again, adding milk as necessary. This makes enough filling to generously fill approximately 50 whoopie pies (3 inch size).

Rice Krispie Treats

12 oz butterscotch morsels
8 cups Rice Krispies
1 cup peanut butter
12 oz. chocolate chips

Melt butterscotch chips and PB. Mix in the cereal and then add choc chips and stir.
Put in greased cake pan and cut into squares when chilled.

Golden Graham Smores

A nice holiday treat - I remember first tasting these as part of a cookie swap with my family each year. We bake 5 dozen cookies to mix and swap at Christmas as a tradition each year. Great chance to bake some of my favorites and try and enjoy those of each of my siblings. :) Love my family!

3/4 c. light corn syrup
3 tbsp. butter
1 pkg. milk chocolate morsels
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) box Golden Graham cereal
3 c. miniature marshmallows
Grease 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Heat syrup, butter and morsels to boiling, remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal in bowl; toss until coated. Fold in marshmallow, 1 cup at a time. Press in pan, will melt butter on back of spoon. Let stand 1 hour, cut into 2 inch squares. 24 squares.

Bev Cook's Molasses Sugar Cookies

Steve's favorite cookie as a child, below is THE recipe! :)
Cheers to my mom in law who I love so much. :)
The taste of molasses and ginger just melts in your mouth and makes the whole house smell like Christmas! :)
yummy! Trust me - this is one recipe you must try!


Molasses Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup crisco
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp ginger
1 egg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt



Melt crisco in pan---cool a minute. Add molasses,egg and sugar---stir well.
sift dry ingredients together into same pan. Mix thoroughly -- put pan in refrigerator and chill thoroughly about 1 hour or more. When chilled roll into ball size walnuts--then roll balls into white sugar and place on cookie sheet.



bake in 375 oven for about 12 minutes

New Orleans Bread Pudding from Suzanne

Preheat oven to 350
Butter 13" x 9" pan

Break 1 loaf day old french bread into chunks.
Pour 4 C. milk over bread
Break up bread until all milk is absorbed
Beat 3 eggs and 1 cup of sugar until smooth
Stir in 1/2 cup raisins, 2 Tablespoons vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pour over bread and combine
Pour into pan and place pan into a larger pan filled with 1" of water
Bake 1 hour

Her note to me - still haven't tried it but just found it so I thought I would post and try soon!

I got it off of a magnet that I bought in New Orleans. Mmmm.... I'm getting hungry just writing about it.
Let me know if you make it!
Happy Holidays!
S




Suzanne Prochazka
American Cancer Society, Midwest Division
Vice President, Relay For Life Business Unit