Today’s Top Ten Tuesday Topic is a “freebie.” Like a BYO topic.  

Well. Between skipping around the house belting out Santa Clause is Coming to Town, stringing enough lights to give Clark Griswold a run for his moola, and decking every hall in sight, Mom’s also cooking up a storm.

So she says today’s Top Ten is gonna be Tastes of the Season! From our kitchen to yours. (Some of these recipes have been in the fam since Mom was a young’un. Like, shortly after the discovery of fire. Don’t tell Mom I said that, okay?)

What?

Mom Tested, Kimber Approved

These are all Mom Tested and Kimber Approved. Or maybe it’s the other way around? Anyway, now if I can just figure out where Mom stashed that beef brisket…

1. Incredible Edibles

3/4 cup melted butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 jar (12-ounce size) chunky peanut butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 package (12-ounce size) chocolate chips (melted)

Combine butter and graham cracker crumbs. Beat in peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar and spread over bottom of 9-by-13-inch pan. Frost with melted chocolate. Chill to harden frosting. Before frosting is set, cut into bars.

2. Berry Relish

1 16-oz. bag cranberries

2 green apples, cored

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange marmalade

1 tsp. orange juice

1 -2 baskets fresh raspberries (or frozen without sugar)

Chop cranberries and apples in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Refrigerate. Keeps for one month.

3. Christmas Morning Coffee Cake

Grease and flour two loaf pans. Combine batter ingredients, mix well.  Sprinkle part of the sugar mix on bottom of each pan before putting batter in pans.  Put rest of sugar mix on top and swirl into the cake mixture.

Sugar Mix:

½ cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

½ cup pecans (optional)

Batter:

1 box yellow cake mix

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 box instant vanilla pudding

½ cup pecans (optional)

¾ vegetable oil

¾ cup water

½ tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

½ tsp. butter (or vanilla) extract

Bake batter 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees.  While the cake is warm, dribble over the top a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tbsp. milk, and 1/8 tsp. butter (or vanilla) extract.  Cool entirely in pan.  Serve. 

4. Pumpkin Bread

1 ½ cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1cup sugar

1cup pumpkin

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 egg

1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts are really good)

Mix the sugar, pumpkin, oil, and egg together.  In another bowl mix all the others but the nuts together and add the liquid.  Mix well.  Add nuts. Put in greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. 

Note: this recipe may use zucchini in place of pumpkin.

5. Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

1 (12 oz.) package chocolate chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed mile (NOT evaporated)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup peanut butter

In heavy sauce pan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with condensed milk and vanilla, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter. Stir just to distribute throughout mixture.

Spread evenly into an 8-inch square pan lined with aluminum foil. Chill for 2 hours or until firm. Turn fudge onto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into squares.

6. Rum Balls

2 cups finely ground vanilla wafers

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 Tbsp. cocoa

2 Tbsp. white corn syrup

½ cup rum

Mix all ingredients together well. Roll into balls and dip in powdered sugar.

7. Easy Spritz Cookies

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

½ cup butter, melted

½ cup Gold Medal all-purpose flour

1 tsp. almond extract

1 egg

Colored sugars, candy sprinkles, coarse white sugar

Heat oven to 375’F.  In large bowl, stir cookie mix, melted butter, flour, almond extract and egg until soft dough forms.  Fit cookie press with desired template.  Fill cookie press with cookie dough.  Onto greased cookie sheet, press cookies.  Decorate with remaining ingredients as desired. 

Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until set.  Cool 1 minute.  Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.  Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

8. Pumpkin Crumble

1 28-oz. can plain pumpkin

1 12-oz. can evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

4 tsp. pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice)

1 tsp. salt (optional)

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cube melted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Combine first six ingredients. Pour into 9 x 13″ pan. Sprinkle with cake mix. Pour melted butter over top. Bake at 350 degrees about 50 minutes or until set. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Serves 12.

9. Spicy Cocoa Mocha Mix

4 cups non-fat dry milk powder

1 cup non-dairy coffee creamer

2-1/2 cups instant pre-sweetened cocoa mix

1/2 cup instant coffee

1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Store mixture in an airtight container.  Make 6 cups.

To make cocoa drink: Pour 1/2 cup of mixture in a mug and fill with boiling water.  Stir.

…. And for Kimmi:

10. Soda Pop Brisket

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 beef brisket, 1 to 2 lbs., or pot roast beef

1 tsp. paprika

1 can diet Pepsi

4 medium red potatoes, cubed

Sprinkle soup mix, paprika and garlic powder on both sides of brisket. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place meat in large roasting pan with lid. Pour soda over seasoned meat. Cover and cook in over about 2 to 3 hours. Uncover. Add potatoes (peeled or not) and more soda if needed.

Turn oven to 300 degrees and roast until potatoes are browned and meat is tender, approx. 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Make gravy with the drippings and pour over potatoes and meat.

It sounds like a strange combination, but it’s delicious! Can be adjusted for crock pot use.

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Oh boy, oh boy! Is my tummy ever rumbling now! You gonna eat that? “Askin’ for a friend.” 🙂

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