COCONUT FRUITCAKE BITES

Coconut FruitCake Bites In a large bowl toss together: 7 oz shredded coconut 2 tbs corn starch Stir well to coat the coconut Then add: 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 cup candied fruit 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 tsp vanilla Spoon mixture into well-greased muffin pan. Wet your fingers with water and gently press the mixture into the muffin wells. Bake at 325 for 13-15 minutes until the bites start to turn golden brown. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Then using a round-edged knife gently remove bites from pans and finish cooling on rack. Makes about 30 bites

TURKEY BREAD PUDDING

TURKEY BREAD PUDDING In a large bowl combine: 4-6 cups left over stuffing or equivalent fresh stuffing mix (1 large bag cooked according to package directions)broken up into pieces 2-3 cups of turkey cut into bite-sized pieces 6 large eggs - beaten with a fork 1 stick of butter - melted 2 cups milk 1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or other sharp white cheese) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sage 1 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp ground pepper Mix together - will be soupy Pour into a greased 9x13 pan Bake at 350 for about 50-60 minutes or until mixture is golden brown and set in the middle. Serve hot and with turkey gravy (if you have any leftover)

Watermelon Gazpacho

WATERMELON GAZPACHO 5 cups seedless watermelon - chunked 3 tomatillos -paper removed cut into 4ths one half hot pepper Juice of one lime Zest of one lime 1/2 tsp salt Combine in food processor and puree. Depending on size of food processor you may have to do this in batches. Chill gazpcho before serving. Optional - garnish with lime slices or wedges.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Melt 9oz semi-sweet chocolate chips in microwave
Whisk in 1/3 cup lukewarm water and let cool 10 minutes

Beat 3 cups of heavy cream with 1 TBS of vanilla at a low speed until slightly thick.

Add chocolate and beat until mousse is thick.

Keep chilled in refridgerator until ready to serve*.

serves 8-10; recipe can be doubled

*Serve plain or with whipped cream or with raspberry sauce, whipped cream and a raspberry on top.

OYSTER STUFFING

OYSTER STUFFING

Melt in a large sauce pan:
1 1/2 sticks of butter

Add and sautee until translucent:
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped

Stir in 12 oz fresh oysters with the juice

Pour over bag of seasoned stuffing - I use Bell's (a New England brand) but any brand is good. Use the 20 lbs turkey sized box/bag of stuffing for this recipe. DO NOT USE CORN BREAD STUFFING.

Add 3 cups of warm water*, toss with a fork to blend. Cover and let sit 5 minutes. Stuff the mixture in to the cavity of the turkey just before baking. Or put in a covered casserole and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

*For a moister stuffing add up to 1/2 cup more water.

Peanut Brittle

PEANUT BRITTLE

Based on a recipe by CJ Upchurch


In a microwave safe bowl mix well:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup RAW peanuts*

Microwave for 3 minutes on high

Remove, stir and microwave for another 3 minutes on high

Remove and add:
1 TBS butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract

Stir and microwave for another 2 minutes on high

Remove and add:
1 tsp baking soda and a dash of salt

Stir. Pour onto buttered foil-lined cookie sheet** and let set until cool.

Break up into bite sized pieces and enjoy!


* RAW peanuts can be hard to find. Try H Mart. Peanuts in the shell have usually been boiled and roasted - you must use raw peanuts or the brittle will burn.

** Prepare the sheet before you start cooking. The brittle hardens quickly.

SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE FROSTING

SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Based on a recipe by Martha Stewart

Mix in a bowl: 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup dark cocoa powder and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

In another bowl mix: 6 oz room temperature cream cheese, 1 1/2 sticks butter - softened, on medium high speed until smooth. reduce to medium-low speed and slowly add sugar-cocoa mixture until combined. Add (in a slow, steady stream) 9 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled. Add 3/4 cup sour cream; beat until combined.

Makes 4 cups of frosting. Plenty to frost a 2 layer cake or 24 cupcakes.