Apple to the Core 

Valentine's Day

The following recipes take a little more time than some other recipes but they are definitely worth the extra trouble. 

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Low Fat Berry Bavarian

• 1½ cups boiling water

• 1 pkg (8 serving size ) or 2 packages (4 serving size) raspberry or strawberry flavor sugar free Jell-O

• 1 cup cold water

• ice cubes

• 2¾ cups thawed Cool Whip Lite

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Mix cold water and ice cubes to make 2 cups. Add to gelatin, stirring until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining ice.

Stir in whipped topping with wire whisk until smooth. Spoon into 8 dessert dishes. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Garnish with additional whipped topping, raspberries and mint. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.

Valentine Breakfast for Two

Surprise a loved one with an elegant breakfast designed just for two. Assemble the egg dish the night before. The next morning, just bake the egg scramble while you prepare the trimmings, fresh cantaloupe, juice and wheat toast. Mmmm Good!

• 1 (6-3/4 oz) can chunk style ham

• 2 tbl fine dry bread crumbs

• 2 tbl milk

• 2 tbl chopped pimiento

• 1 egg white

• 3 eggs

• 1 egg yolk

• 1/4 cup milk

• dash pepper

• 1 tbl margarine

In a medium mixing bowl, finely flake the ham. Stir the bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons milk, pimiento and the egg white into the ham. Set ham mixture aside. In another mixing bowl, stir together the 3 eggs, egg yolk, 1/4 cup milk and pepper. In a medium skillet heat the margarine till melted. Stir the egg-milk mixture into the melted butter or margarine in the skillet; cook until the egg-milk mixture is partially set. Remove the egg-milk mixture in the skillet from the heat.

Generously grease two 8 ounce individual casseroles. To make 3 layers, place 1/4 cup of the ham mixture in the bottom of each of the prepared casseroles; spread mixture evenly in bottom of casseroles. Top each casserole with half of the scrambled-egg-milk mixture. Add remaining ham mixture to each casserole; press the mixture down lightly. Cover and chill the egg and ham casseroles overnight. 

Before serving, uncover and bake the individual egg and ham casseroles in a 350º oven for 25-30 minutes or until the egg and ham mixture is heated through. Carefully unmold each of the baked casseroles onto an individual serving plate. Makes 2 main-dish servings.

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Sweet Hearts 

• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbl sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), slightly softened                    
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups cake flour, not self rising
• 6 1-ous squares semisweet chocolate

Early in the day or a day ahead: In food processor with knife blade attached or in blender at medium speed, blend walnuts and sugar until nuts are finely ground. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat butter, vanilla extract, salt and ground walnut mixture until light and fluffy. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour until dough forms. If necessary, with hands, press dough together. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough until easy to handle, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle 15 inch long sheet waxed paper with flour. Place one-third of dough on floured waxed paper (keep remaining dough refrigerated). Lightly sprinkle dough with flour. Place another sheet of waxed paper over dough. Roll dough between waxed paper 1/4 inch thick, sprinkling dough with more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. With Floured 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible from dough; reserve trimmings in refrigerator. With floured pancake turner, place hearts, about 2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake cookies 10-15 minutes until golden. Allow cookies to remain on cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.

When cookies are cool, melt chocolate. Use chocolate to spread or drizzle on cookies. Let chocolate dry about 1 hour or until firm. Store cookies in tightly covered container. Makes 28 cookies.

Mocha Truffles

• 1 (12oz) package milk-chocolate pieces
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tbl instant-coffee powder or granules
• 2 tbl coffee-flavor liqueur
• 1/8 tsp salt
• unsweetened cocoa

About 2 hours before serving or early in day: In a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water (or in heavy 2 quart saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate pieces, stirring occasionally. Stir in undiluted sweetened-condensed milk, instant coffee, coffee-flavor liqueur and salt until well mixed. Refrigerate mixture about 30 minutes or until easy to shape.

With hands dusted with cocoa, shape a rounded tsp chocolate mixture into a ball. Roll ball immediately in more cocoa. Repeat with remaining mixture. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 4 dozen candies.

Bourbon Balls

• confectioner's sugar
• 2 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 tbl unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tbl corn syrup

In large bowl, mix 1 cup confectioner's sugar and remaining ingredients. Sprinkle some confectioner's sugar onto waxed paper. With hands, shape mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in confectioner's sugar. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen bourbon balls.

Peanut-Chocolate Balls

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tbl honey
• 6 1-oz squares semisweet chocolate
• 1 tbl shortening
• 2 cups peanuts, chopped

About 4 1/2 hours before serving or early in day: In medium bowl, mix peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, and honey until blended., kneading with hands if necessary. Shape peanut-butter mixture into 3/4 inch balls. Place in jelly-roll pan. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

When peanut-butter balls are firm, in heavy 1-quart saucepan over low heat, heat chocolate and shortening until melted and smooth, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat; let chocolate mixture cool slightly. Carefully dip peanut-butter balls into chocolate mixture., then into chopped peanuts to coat. Place chocolate-covered balls on waxed-paper-lined jelly roll pan; cover loosely and refrigerate until coating is set, about 1 hour. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator. Makes about 6 dozen candies.

Whip Chip Orange Dream Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt                                                                        
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tsp grated orange peel
• 2 cups (12 oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsels

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in  large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and orange peel. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Toll House Heart-Shaped Pan Cookie

• 1 cup plus 2 tbl all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups (12 oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla in large mixer bow. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 cup morsels; spread into greased and was paper-lined 8 1/2 or 9-inch heart-shaped pan.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Microwave remaining morsels in microwave-safe bowl on high for 1 minute, stir. Microwave at additional 10-20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Spread over cookie. Chill for 30 minutes or until chocolate is set.  Decorate as desired. 

Note: Cookie can be made in greased and wax-paper lined 9 inch round cake pan. Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Follow as above.

Sweetheart Punch

• 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, chilled
• 2 tablespoons grenadine
• 3 cans (6 oz each) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 can (46 oz) white grape juice, chilled
• 1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice, chilled
• 3 cans (12 oz each) beer, chilled
• about 36 ice cubes

Tint pineapple (with liquid) with 1 tsp of grenadine. Mix lemonade concentrate, juices and pineapple. Tine with remaining grenadine; pour on ice cubes in punch bowl. Just before serving, stir in beer. About 52 servings (1/2 cup each)

More Holiday Fun!