A few previous featured cooks share some of their favorite holiday recipes.
Pecan Pie Muffins
(Joice Maddox)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
Combine pecans, brown sugar and flour in a large bowl; mix a well in the center of the mixture. Beat eggs until foamy.
Stir together eggs and butter; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Place foil baking cups in muffin pans and coat with cooking spray; spoon batter into cups, filling two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until done. Remove immediately and cool on wire racks. The foil baking cups are very important because they will stick very easy.
(This recipe is from Teena Mayhan Ruth published in the “Cookin’ Up A Cure” cookbook by Bruce 20th Century Club. Joice emphasized using the foil muffin cups and spraying them.)
French Toast Custard
(Ellen Jeffery Shaw)
8-10 slices day-old French bread (1” thick)
Ellen Jeffery Shaw
4 eggs
5 Tbsp. butter or oleo, melted
2 egg yolks
3 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Confectioner’s sugar, optional
Brush both sides of bread with butter; place in greased 13x9x2 baking dish. In large bowl, beat eggs and yolks. Add milk, cream sugar, vanilla and nutmeg; mix well. Pour over bread.
Cover and chill overnight. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Dust with confectioner’s sugar if desired. Yield: 8-10 servings.
Chocolate Chip Milk Dud® Brownies
(“Are You Ready” cookbook Ole Miss Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management)
(Susan Patton’s version)
1 package brownie mix, mixed according to package directions
24 unbaked chocolate chip cookies (Patton replaced cookies with pecan halves)
Milk Duds® or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup® candy (she used Milk Duds®)
Mix brownie batter as directed on package. Set aside. Grease muffin pans or line with cupcake liners. Press one chocolate chip cookie square (or pecan halves) on bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Place 1-3 Milk Duds or one Reese’s Peanut Butter cup on top of each cookie square. Spoon brownie batter over candy to fill tins. Bake as you would brownie. Allow brownies to cool completely before removing muffin tins so melted candy will set. (This cookbook commemorates the department’s 100th anniversary. Charlotte Oakley, project editor.)
Spiced Tea
(Lisa Bennett)
4 qts. cold water
1/2 can cinnamon sticks
1/4 small can whole cloves
5 regular tea bags
3 cups sugar
Juice of three lemons
1 cup pineapple juice
1 small 6 oz. frozen, undiluted orange juice
Tie cinnamon and cloves in cheesecloth and place in the water. Boil together for five minutes or more. Turn off the heat. Add five tea bags. Cover and steep 10 minutes or more. Remove spices and tea bags. Add sugar, lemon juice, pineapple juice, and orange juice. Serve warm.
Vanilla Muffins
(Robbie Hardin)
2 cups flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oil
1 1/4 cups sugar
Mix together and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.