Brandy-Rum balls

2 7 1/2 ounce packages of Nabisco Vanilla Wafers finely crushed
1/2 cut honey
1/3 cup Brandy
1/2 cup Rum
1-1pound package finely ground walnuts

Blend all together and mix well.  Shape into balls and roll in granulated sugar, wrap and store.

Pizzelle

6 eggs at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
1 cup butter (melted and cooled unsalted)
1 teaspoon each vanilla, and almond flavor  or 1 tablespoon Sambuca or favorite liquor
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking power

In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs and sugar, add butter and flavoring and mix well until smooth.  Sift in flour and baking powder, add a little at a time to the sugar mixture, mix well after each addition of flour. Batter will be very thick.

Heat pizzelle maker, when the iron is ready, drop a heaping teaspoon of batter on each pizzelle press in  the center of each press. This aids the in filling the pattern and not spill over the press. You can use two teaspoons or cookie scoop to place the batter on the press. 

Close the lid for about 30 seconds or press indicates Remove the pizzelles immediately with a spatula.

During the Christmas season I color these with food coloring. 

Italian Honey Balls Struffoli

4 cups of flour
5 eggs
5 tablespoons sugar
5 teaspoons baking power
3 tablespoons Crisco oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
honey

Put flour on a pastry board

Make a hole in the center of the flour, add rest of ingredients except the honey,  mix flour a little at a time from sides.  Knead until smooth.  Cut small pieces of dough and roll into long strips.  Cut strips into small cubs.  Fry in oil until golden.  Place in large bowls and cover with honey.

Transfer to smaller dishes and shape into rings and sprinkle with confetti candy

Peanut Butterballs Dipped in chocolate

½ cup creamy peanut butter (can be substitute other nut butters)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar or more if needed
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)

 Cream peanut butter and butter together in a medium size mixing bowl, slowly add in powdered sugar until well blended together and shape into a dough ball. If needed add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at  until mixture holds together in a large ball. Cover peanut  butter dough for about 15 minutes or until firm in the refrigerate so that they are good to handle to form into balls. 

Shape into 1-inch balls, place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow be firm.  Peanut butter balls should stay in shape for dipping in chocolate. Melt chocolate according to package instructions or us chocolate chips.

Dip peanut butter balls one at a time into melted chocolate and allow excess chocolate to drip off. Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet cover  and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Great to add to a Christmas fudge tray.

Italian Almond Amaretti Biscotti

1 cup sliced almonds
½ cup butter, softened  (unsalted)
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
With electric mixer, cream butter with sugar on low-speed, add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add the amaretto and almonds, and mix at low-speed  until blended.  Slowly add flour, baking powder, and salt to  mix until blended.
lightly flour your hands for ease of handle, divide the dough into 2 logs about 10-12 inches long and about 2 inches wide. Place logs on baking sheets lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Remove from oven and put on cooling rack. Let cool for 10 minutes.  With serrated knife slice each log into ½-inch pieces. Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 more minutes total until cookies are crisp and toasty on both sides. Allow to cool completely. 

You can fancy these up by melting some chocolate chips and dipping half of slices in chocolate.

Santa's Christmas Cookies

3⅔ cups all purpose-flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, melted and cooled  (unsalted)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs


Preheat oven to 350 

Add the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a  small mixing bowl. Whisk and mix well and put to one side. 
In a large mixing bowl combine together the butter and sugars, using a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Add  in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed together and smooth. Add the  dry ingredients and mix on low, until just combined all together.

Have cookie press ready  with  holiday disc. Add cookie dough to the press fill line. Press cookie dough out onto ungreased/unlined cookie sheet, about 1 inch apart. If you like sprinkle with holiday sprinkles and bake in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges.
Cool before taking off pan.  If you can work with 3-4 cookie sheets it makes the process faster.  Makes about 125 cookies.

Moms Italian Butter Balls

1 cup of unsalted butter  (soften at room temp)
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract or Almond extract
2 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts (finely chopped)

Preheat 350 degrees.

 Mix all ingredients together in order given

Shape into 1 inch balls. Bake 12-15 minutes

 Bottoms of cookies will be a light brown


1/4 cup confectioners sugar.

While still warm/hot roll cookies in a bowl of confectioner sugar twice, then cool on rack or backing  pan.

 Copyright@ Maria A. Piccirillo

Appetizer Meatballs

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup non seasoned breadcrumbs

4tablespoons of minced onion

1 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice

1 jar of jellied cranberry sauce 8 ounce can

3/4 cup chili sauce 

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 
 
In a large deep mixing bowl, mix t ground beef, egg, water, bread crumbs, onion. Roll meat mixture into small bite size meatballs.


Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes and turn mid way at the 15 minute mark.

In a crock pot  or large saucepan on low heat, blend the cranberry sauce, chili sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice, slowly add meatballs,  simmer for 1 hour.  Then serve hot.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound fresh mushrooms

7 ounces Crabmeat 

 1/4 teaspoon of dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon of oregano

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mayo ( I like Miracle Whip)

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
 
In a medium size bowl add Crabmeat, herbs, and pepper, and mix in mayo and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese until well combined. Refrigerate after mixed
  
Wash the mushrooms and remove stems, spoon out gill and that you can fill the mushrooms.  Fill  mushrooms with rounded teaspoonfuls of filling, and place in an ungreased  baking dish.
 
Bake for 20 minutes, serve hot.  Serves 6

English Muffin Pizza

I remember Angelo's Mom making this, they were great!



1 package of English muffins  (I like using Thomas English Muffins)
1 jar of pizza sauce
Mozzarella Cheese 
Slices pepperoni

Preheat the oven to 375

 
Place the English muffin halves cut side up onto foil covered  baking sheet. Apply  pizza sauce onto each one, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and add pepperoni slices.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cheese is melted and browned on the edges

1 to 2  English muffins per person   I have also added meatballs to these and applied the cheese.  top with whatever you like.

Brussel sprouts

2 -12 ounce bags of frozen Brussels sprouts (in in half if small in fours if large)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Italian herbs
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons  lemon juice




In a fry pan mix  sprouts and 1/2 cup water,  season with salt and pepper and Italian herbs, simmer over medium heat Cover and cook at low heat and stirring occasionally until almost all of the water is evaporated and sprouts are tender, but still crisp for about 5 to 8 minutes (add more water if water runs out so that the sprouts can finish cooking.


Once all cooked Increase heat to medium  add oil to pan and continue to cook, until they are golden brown, and tender cooking for about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and mix with lemon juice, season as needed.  Serves 8

Fancy Gratin Cauliflower

1 cup  heavy cream
1 tablespoon  all-purpose flour
1 cup  Parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into slices
1 large head cauliflower, washed, cored and cut into florets
Salt or sea salt
1 teaspoon of pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

In a deep large bowl combine cauliflower, heavy cream, flour, and 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper and mix well to coat. Pour mixture to a 2-quart baking dish and cover tightly with foil, bake for 30 minutes.


 In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over cauliflower.  with butter and bake, uncovered, until topping becomes an even golden brown and cauliflower is tender.  Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Roasted Holiday Vegetables

1/3  cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium carrots cut into 1 1/2-inch thick rounds

1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts  halved

1 pound of red bliss potatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices

4 medium parsnips cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices
1 pound of  sweet potatoes cut into 1 1/2-inch thick slices

1 onion cut into 1 inch slices

1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried parsley

1 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt or sea Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

Grease a large baking sheet pan with extra-virgin olive oil, place vegetables on the baking sheet, sprinkle the dried herbs, salt and pepper coat evenly.  Make sure  all the vegetables are season and coated with the oil.  Add more oil if the vegetables seem dry, make sure that the vegetables are evenly spread on the baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.  

Spread the vegetables evenly on a large baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.  They will be be golden in color. Makes 6 servings   Doubling this dish is easy for larger dinner parties.