Monkey Bread

3/4cup granulated sugar
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
4cans (7.5 oz each) refrigerated biscuits
1/2cup butter, melted
3/4cup packed brown sugar

Grease or spray 12-cup Bundt cake pan.
Mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in 1-gallon bag. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; cut each in quarters. Shake quarters in bag to coat; place in pan. Mix butter and brown sugar; pour over biscuit pieces.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Turn upside down; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Jam Cookies

2 1/2 c. AP flour
1/2 c. sugar
2 sticks of butter, softened (no margarine)

Combine and mix well together.
Divide dough into 3 equal parts, roll into log shapes, lenght of a cookie sheed. Pat down lightly, forming into 3 logs of equal size. Gently make "ditch" in middle of each log. Fill ditch with 1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Take 1/2 c. powdered sugar and 1 T. of water; mix together to make glaze. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven spread the glaze over them. Let cool for 15 minutes, slice diagonally and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This is from my friend and neighbor, JoAnne Rexroth. They are addictive and wonderful.

Kentucky Chocolate Pecan Pie

3 eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Directions
•In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, brown sugar, corn syrup,
butter, bourbon if desired, vanilla and salt. Stir in pecans.

•Brush pastry shell with egg white. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Pour filling over chips. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until
set. Cool on a wire rack.

•In a small bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add
confectioners' sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Dollop on pie
just before serving. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Chocolate Raspberry Torte

16 Servings
Prep: 30 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 packages (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
Fresh raspberries, mint sprigs and additional confectioners' sugar, optional
Directions
In a large bowl, beat the sugar, water, buttermilk, eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended.
Transfer to two 8-in. round baking pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and jam until blended. Split each cake into two horizontal layers. Place a bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the filling. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Garnish with raspberries, mint and additional confectioners' sugar if desired. Yield: 16 servings.

Our Favorite Skillet Cornbread

2 c. buttermilk
2 c. white cornmeal (not cornmeal mix or self-rising cornmeal)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T. melted butter
1 t. soda
1 t. baking powder
3/4 c. AP flour
1/2 t. salt
1 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 450. Place a small amount of canola oil in a 10 1/2 inch cast-iron skillet and heat in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, baking soda, sugar, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk and egg. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Stir in the melted butter.

Remove the heated skillet from the oven and pour the batter into the hot skillet. Place skillet on the hot stove top burner and cook for 1 minute, then bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

for cast iron cornstick pan--Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Pumpkin Oat Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup raisins (optional) I DISLIKE raisins :-)

TOPPING:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon cold butter
Directions
•In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine the egg,
pumpkin, milk and oil; add to the dry ingredients just until
moistened. Stir in oats and raisins.

•Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. In a small
bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour and pie spice; cut in butter
until crumbly. Sprinkle 1 rounded teaspoonful over each muffin. Bake
at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


•Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve
warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg oreos
1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz)
36 oz almond bark
1/2 cup choc. chips
1/2 tsp veg. oil

Line 2 cookie sheets w/waxed paper. Place cookies in large food processer. Cover; process until consistency of fine crumbs. In large bowl, stir cookie crumbs and cream cheese until well blended and mixture forms a dough like consistency.
Chop 8 oz of the almond bark, stir into dough mixture. Roll dough into 1" balls; place on cookie sheets. Freeze for 30 minutes or until very firm.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave half of remaining 28 oz almond bark on high 1 minute 30 seconds; stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 second intervals until melted and smooth.
Remove half of the balls from freezer. Using 2 forks, dip and roll each ball in coating; return to cookie sheet. Melt remaining almond bark; dip remaining balls.
In 1 quart resealable freezer bag, place choc. chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on high 35 to 50 seconds, squeezing chips in bag every 15 seconds, until chips are melted and smooth. Cut small tip from bottom corner of bag. Drizzle choc over truffles. If desired, sprinkle w/cocoa. Refridgerate 30-45 min. or until chocolate is set.
Store in refrigerator.