Sweet potato casserole is good anytime of year . Dressed up, it’s the perfect accompaniment to any holiday meal. This sweet potato recipe has no marshmallows. Just a crunchy Struesel topping to contrast with the deep sweet potato flavor! No sweet, sticky marshmallows fans in our house :-) Cook and mash the sweet potatoes before measuring. If you are in a hurry (or can’t get fresh sweet potatoes, as they are not always available), use a 40 ounce can and drain before mashing. If you use yams, remember they are a bit sweeter than sweet potatoes so you might want to reduce the sugar a bit. You can add coconut to the topping of this traditional dish. I usually don't, but when I made this I had a bit of coconut hanging out and lonely in the pantry. So I added it. Baking time will vary a ... [Read More]
Christmas
Elegant Eggnog
Eggnog is a perfect drink with it’s richness and creamy spiced flavor. It was a special treat at our house for a couple of weeks around Christmas each year. Wheels especially likes it. And then – carb counting entered the picture. At 35 carbs and 340 calories per serving, eggnog fell off the radar. Normally we use don’t use artificial sweeteners – mostly from personal preference. But when I saw this recipe came in at 9 carbs and 100 calories for a four ounce serving, it immediately popped to the top of my “gotta try this file”. You know -- that messy, horizontal stack of papers by the computer that grows higher and higher. It is truly an elegant drink. Everything you want in an eggnog – smooth, creamy, great flavor. If carb counts are not part of your life, you can substitute ... [Read More]
Minty Christmas Cookies
Minty Christmas Cookies are fun! Fun colors, fun and easy to make and decorate, fun to make with littles. Best of all, they are fun to eat! Use the paste colors because they give deeper color without adding extra liquid. It’s no secret that I am not good at dipping things in chocolate! (Remember? How not to make peppermint patties and Chocolate covered Cheeseballs) I frosted half of each cookie with the melted chocolate instead of dipping. Requires less chocolate – saves $ and lowers the carb count a tiny bit and is a whole lot easier! Melt about half the given amount if you do this. Have fun! Minty Christmas Cookies Print Prep time 15 mins Cook time 10 mins Total time 25 mins Colorful and fun, Minty Christmas Cookies are a crispy sugar cookie. ... [Read More]
Crescent Mini Chip Cookies
The trickiest part of Crescent Mini Chip Cookies is shaping the crescent. I rolled the refrigerated dough into balls just under an inch in diameter and poked and pulled until the crescent formed. That worked but seemed to take forever –and I didn’t have any enthusiastic kid helpers at the moment who would enjoy shaping the dough. The fastest way was to scoop up a scant tablespoonful of dough and push it off onto the parchment lined baking sheet. I put one finger next the dough and used the spoon to mold a crescent around the finger. Went much faster! Experiment until you find what works for you. Crescent Mini Chip Cookies Print Prep time 15 mins Cook time 10 mins Total time 25 mins A festive Christmas soft cookie with chocolate chips and your choice of ... [Read More]
Toffee Crisps
Toffee Crisps seemed a bit unusual to me in that it was a baked cookie recipe using graham cracker crumbs for thickener and condensed milk for sweetener. It is a very goooood combination!! If you crush the graham crackers, you’ll need about 32 squares to make 2 cups. That’s about the most complicated thing in making these delights. Very quick and easy. The dough is thick and can be shaped into a relatively uniform circle very easily as you push them off a tablespoon., although a cookie scoop makes the job easier. I’ve also rolled them into balls between the palms of my “very clean” hands – but that is not necessary. What IS necessary is keeping a close eye on the baking time, as these go from brown to overdone very quickly. Toffee Crisps Print Prep time 10 mins Cook ... [Read More]
Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts
Red Velvet Cookies may be the perfect recipe for cookies – and for coping with life. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, a bit of chocolate to sweeten things up and a go nuts attitude. They are quick and easy to make, not too sweet and just the right amount of chocolate. If you want the show stopping white chocolate chips to show – add them to the top just before you pop the cookie sheet in the oven. “You can make these again any time” , Bytes always says. ‘Nuff said. If you want cookies check these out — 1. Fruitcake cookies 2. Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies 3. Pineapple Walnut Cookies 4. Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies 5. Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints 6. Cherry Almond Chews 7. Polka Dot Macaroons 8. Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate ... [Read More]
