Aunt Irene's Stuffed Cabbage

I asked her for the recipe because I got some cabbage earlier in the week. She wasn't able to post it though, so I said I'd do it for her. :)

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Boil a large head of cabbage until the leaves are soft enough to pull off. (or try microwaving) You'll need to trim down the spines of each leaf so they're flat.

Meat mixture:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 lbs. ground pork
1-2 large onions
2-3 cloves garlic crushed/chopped
1 or 2 eggs
1 C rice
salt, pepper, paprika

Mix together meat stuff, roll a heaping tablespoon full in each cabbage leaf. Usually, we do it stovetop, but it takes about 2 hours and invariably burns on the bottom. Last time I did it in the crockpot. I think it turned out well, but it took all day.

Anyway, I usually put in tomato sauce and tomato soup (the soup makes it not so tart)--depending on your size pot, maybe 2 of each. I rinse a can of sauerkraut, and add that somewhere in the middle layer. So once you get the stuffed cabbages rolled up, you set them in the pot of sauce. Probably 2 hours oven/stovetop/6-8hrs. crockpot.

Christmas Spritz

(4 dozen)

1 c butter

3/4 c sugar

2 1/4 c flour

1 egg

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix all ingredients well.

3. Use spritz gun to place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets.

4. Decorate cookies with sprinkles.

5. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Pecan Tassies

(4 dozen)

2 8 oz bricks cream cheese

1/2 lb butter, softened

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 c flour

2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

3/4 c brown sugar

1 c pecans, chopped

1 sm jar apricot preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Spray tassie pans (itty bitty muffin pans) with non-stick cookie spray.

3. Mix cream cheese & 1/2 lb butter.

4. Add 1 tsp vanilla & flour. Mix well.

5. Divide dough into 4 parts.

6. Pinch off 12 pieces from each part, 48 total.

7. Roll into balls.

8. Flour fingers & press dough into tassie pans.

9. Put a small amount of apricot preserves (~1/2 tsp) into each tassie.

10. Mix 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, egg & brown sugar.

11. Add pecans.

12. Drop 1 tsp into each tassie. (Tassies will be about 1/2 full.)

13. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool & remove from pans.

Kiffles

2 c butter, softened

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 c flour

1 sm jar apricot preserves

1 sm jar pineapple preserves

1. Mix butter, sour cream, cream cheese & flour. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 375.

3. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (otherwise clean up is a beyotch.)

4. Working with 1/4 dough at a time (keep remainder refrigerated), roll out dough as thin as possible on floured surface.

5. Cut dough with butter knife into 2-inch squares.

6. Place 1 tsp apricot or pineapple preserves in center of each square.

7. Fold opposing corners & pinch to seal. (Make a little baby Jesuses.) Transfer to cookie sheet.

8. Bake 15 minutes.

9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar while hot.

Thumbprints

(4 dozen)

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c shortening

1/2 c brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla

2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

16 oz walnuts, finely chopped

1 sm jar seedless blackberry jam

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Mix butter, shortening & brown sugar together in medium bowl.

3. Add 2 egg yolks. Mix well.

4. Add vanilla, flour & salt. Mix well.

5. Roll into 1-inch balls & dip into slightly beaten egg whites.

6. Roll in walnuts & place on ungreased cookie sheet. (Again, use parchment paper.)

7. Press thumb gently into center of each ball.

8. Place ~1 tsp jam into each cookie.

9. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Buckeye Balls

1 1/2 c creamy peanut butter

1/2 c butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

16 oz powdered sugar

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp shortening

1. Line baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.

2. Mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla & powdered sugar. Dough will be stiff.

3. Shape into 1-inch balls.

4. Place balls on lined cookie sheet & refrigerate.

5. In small saucepan, melt chocolate & shortening on low heat. Be careful to stir frequently on the lowest heat setting possible, otherwise the chocolate can burn & then it's crap.

6. Insert toothpick into each ball & dip into chocolate, covering 3/4 of each.

7. Return to lined cookie sheet, chocolate side down, & remove toothpick.

8. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

aka Russian Teacakes (4 dozen)

1 c butter, softened

1/2 c + additional powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c walnuts, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix butter, 1/2 c powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, salt & walnuts.

3. Roll into 1-inch balls & place on ungreased cookie sheet (line with parchment for easy-ass clean up.)

4. Bake 10-12 minutes.

5. While warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar.

6. Allow cookies to cool & roll in powdered sugar again.

Peanut Blossoms

(4 dozen)

1/2 c shortening

3/4 c creamy peanut butter

1/3 c + additional granulated sugar

1/3 c brown sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 bag Hershey's kisses (~10 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Unwrap Hershey's kisses.

3. In large bowl, beat shortening & peanut butter until well blended.

4. Add 1/3 c each sugar; beat until light & fluffy.

5. Add egg, milk & vanilla.

6. Add flour, baking soda & salt. Mix well.

7. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.

8. Roll each ball in granulated sugar & place on ungreased cookie sheet.

9. Bake 8-10 minutes. (Be careful not to overbake or they'll be dry & crumbly balls.)

10. Immediately place a Hershey's kiss on each cookie, pressing down slightly.

Amy Sedaris' Cheeseball

2 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened

2 c shredded gouda

1 stick butter, softened

2 tbsp milk

2 tsp A1 steak sauce

2 c crushed walnuts

triscuits

1. In large bowl, beat cream cheese, gouda, butter, milk & steak sauce until mixed well.

2. Form mixture into ball.

3. Roll ball in crushed walnuts.

4. Refrigerate.

5. Allow cheeseball to soften for ~20 minutes before serving with triscuits.

Spinach Dip

1 pkg frozen chopped spinach

1/4 c chopped onion

1/4 c chopped water chestnuts

1 pkg Knorr vegetable soup mix

1 c sour cream

1 c mayonnaise

1 med pumperknickle round

1. Cook spinach according to package directions; drain & set aside.

2. Combine onions, water chestnuts, Knorr soup mix, mayo & sour cream in medium bowl.

3. Add spinach.

4. Refrigerate overnight.

5. Tear out center of pumperknickle round to form bread bowl.

6. Tear removed bread into bite-size pieces.

7. Transfer dip to bread bowl & serve.

Artichoke Dip

8 oz cream cheese

1 c mayonnaise

1 c sour cream

1 c grate parmesan

2 14 oz cans artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

1 c water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 c finely chopped scallions

1/8 tsp salt

1 garlic clove pressed

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine ingredients & spoon into greased casserole dish.

3. Bake 45-60 minutes, until top is golden brown.