Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

from The Ambitious Cook

Makes about 25 cookies

2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda

2 t cream of tartar

1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t salt
2 sticks (1 c) butter
1 1/4 c dark brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
1/2 c granulated sugar

1 large egg and an egg yolk
1 t vanilla
1 T sour cream

Rolling mixture:
2 t cinnamon
1/4 c sugar

Notes/Story: Brown the butter (takes a while but makes these cookies soooo good!) by melting it over medium-high heat, then whisking it constantly until it gets really foamy (REALLY foamy) and begins to brown. It will smell a little different at that point, too. Set aside to cool as you mix first 5 ingredients together and set aside. Using a mixer, mix butter and sugars. Add in the eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Add dry ingredients and stop mixing right when they're mixed in. Refrigerate this dough for at least 3 hours (otherwise the cookies will be flat, believe me, I couldn't wait and tried it right away). Preheat oven to 350, roll cookies into balls and then roll them in the rolling mixture. Bake around 10 minutes. They still look underdone when you take them out, but after cooling for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then on the cooling rack, they will be amazingly soft and perfectly cooked. Store in airtight container.

Blair requested Snickerdoodles, but they're not in my top 10 favorite cookies, so I thought I'd try a variation. Which is now definitely in my top 10!

New Years Day Dinner 2013

Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip Roast
Baked Potatoes-with sour cream
Asparagus - tender crispy with butter
Cooked Honey Buttered Carrots-coarsely chopped -
Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert

Sparkling Grape Juice/Tea/Ice water

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 Cups salted pretzels, crushed
1/2 cup butter-melted

1 Cup sugar
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese - softened
1 (12 oz ) container whipped topping

 1 (3 oz) package strawberry jello
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
2 (10 oz) package frozen strawberries-thawed

With a food processor-crush pretzels. Mix pretzels and butter together and press in the bottom of a 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  COOL

Beat cream cheese until smooth and gradually add 1 cup sugar.  Fold in whipped topping. Spread over COOLED crust and refrigerate. (I use 2 table knives to spread the cream cheese layer, as it is difficult to spread on the crust)

Dissolve Jello in boiling water. Add strawberries and mix well. Place in refrigerator until it begins to set-this may be :45 minutes - a couple of hours- but watch closely as it shouldn't set. When the jello mixture is thick, pour on top of the cream cheese layer.  Refrigerate until set and ready to serve.

This is an old recipe- I am not sure why it is called salad, as it could easily be served as a dessert, too. This version of the recipe is from the Lisbon, St Aloysius cook book 

Cheescake with Blueberry Sauce

Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs - crushed
1/4 Cup melted butter

Mix cracker crumbs and butter together and pat into a springform pan - spray with cooking oil

Cake
4 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese-softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla

With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in egg whites, lemon juice and vanilla

Pour over prepared crust.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until center of cheescake jiggles slightly - about 55 - 60 minutes.

Refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving

Blueberry sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
2 Cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Stir together sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan. Add blueberries and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until berries soften and sauce bubbles and thickens-about 4 minutes.(I used the blueberries we picked in MN during the summer-delicious)

This dessert is easy to make, and published in the 2011 Weight Watchers Cookbook.

Herb Rubbed Sirloin Tip roast

1 1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1//2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 (3 pound) sirloin tip roast

In a small bowl, mix the paprika, losher salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper oregano, and thume. Stir in the ovlive oil, and allow the mixture to sit about 15 minutes.

Per heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cake  pan with aluminim foil

Place the roast in the prepared baking pan, and cover all the sides with the spice mixture
Roast for 1 hour or until minimum internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let sit 15 minutes before slicing

We made this for New Years Day Dinner 2013. It was easy to prepare, tasty, and tender. Very good

Ajiaco

Serves 6

12 potatoes  (Use a couple of different kinds such as small yellow potatoes, and reds, or if there are others available in your store-try another kind)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 yellow onion-chopped
1 bunch of green onions-chopped
2 medium tomatoes (remove skin)-chopped
1 bunch of cilantro-chopped
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper

3 Chicken breasts-(without skin or bone)

6 corn cobs-cut into 1/3's

1 jar of capers
2 avocados
Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions and Story-
Chop in very small pieces-both green and yellow onions. In a large fry pan heat oil and simmer onions in oil for 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, spices, salt, and whole chicken breasts. Cook until chicken is done and turn off.

In a separate soup kettle ( I use the large cast iron kettle ) cook potatoes in enough water to cover them. The potatoes should be peeled and cut in 1/8ths.

When potatoes are soft add the chicken with the tomatoe mixture. cover and let cook until potatoes fall apart.

The last 10 minutes of cooking, add the corn cobs. they can be frozen.

Cooking the potatoes until they fall apart is what will make the soup thick. If it gets too thick, add water, but be sure to add additional salt if more water is added. Taste the soup, and determine if you want to add more salt, the amount listed in the recipe is the right amount for our family

Take the chicken out and shred it.

Cut avocados in small squares, and serve the avocados, capers, and chicken on the side.

Serve the soup with 1 portion of  the corn cob in each bowl. Each person can add chicken, avocados, capers and 4-5 spoons full of whipping cream to the top of the soup in the individual bowl. Serve with a hard roll, and fruit salad

Story-This was served when we visited Bogota Columbia during Christmas time. Since that time Doug made the soup at our home. This is Marta's recipe and as I understand was made at holiday time. Very good soup and relatively easy to make

No Bake Cookies

from the Murtaugh Community Cookbook
makes about 18 (depending on how much you leave in the pan to lick)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
about 3 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Notes/Story: Lay out a few pieces of aluminum foil to drop the cookies onto. Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add milk, cocoa, and sugar. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat (if you boil longer, they will be super crumbly which still tastes good but isn't as good for just snatching one as you happen to walk by later). Add remaining ingredients. Drop onto foil by tablespoons.

This is one of our favorite ways to get a quick chocolate fix in the winter. I think the all-natural, freshly ground peanut butter gives it a slightly moister texture and better peanutty taste, but JIF works fine, too. If you're into coconut, exchange a cup of that for a cup of the oatmeal.