Cracker Candy

2 sleeves saltine crackers
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Line a 9x13 inch jellyroll pan with foil, and place saltines over entire pan.   Over medium heat, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil for 3 minutes or until frothy.   Remove from heat and pour over crackers.   Bake for 5 minutes.   Remove from oven an sprinkle with chocolate chips.   Return to over for an additional 5 minutes.   Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes.  Using a metal spatual, spread chocolate over crackers.   Refrigerate pan for 1 hour or until chocolate is firm.   Remove from frig and break into pieces.  Store in an airtight container.
Yield:  1 pound candy
Emily Burgess, Madison
Unwrapped - Supplement to MS Magazine - November/December 2010

Coconut Bars

1 stick margarine
1/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1 cup coconut
1-1/2 cups oats
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.   With mixer, cream margarine, oil & sugars.   Add eggs, one at a time, and blend well.   Add vanilla.   Stir in coconut, oats, flour, and salt, and beat well.   Pour batter into pan and smooth top with spoon.   Bake for 30-35 minutes.   Cool and cut into bars or shaped.
Yield:  24 bars
Edith Mangum, Terry
Unwrapped - Supplement to MS Magazine - November/December 2010

Cranberry Cake

1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 sticks margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 eggs
2 cups self rising flour
1-1/2 cups fresh choppped cranberries
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Glaze:
1-1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tbsp. milk

Preheat over on 32 5 degrees.  Spray a 10 inch fluted bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.   In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, margarine, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon with mixer until fluffy.   Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.   Combine flour and add to batter, mixing well.   Stir in chopped cranberries and pecans.  Pour into prepared pan, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean.   Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.   Remove from pan, and cool thoroughly.    Combine confectioner's sugar and milk and mix well.   Drizzle over cake.
Yield:  12-16 servings
At the Table with Patty Roper
Unwrapped - Supplement to MS Magazine - November/December 2010

Mini Tomato Tarts

1 - 10 oz. can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
1 cup mayo
1 - 3 oz. pkg. bacon bits
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
3 - 10 oz. pkg. mini filo shells, thawed

Preheat over to 350 degrees.   Combine drained tomatoes, mayo, bacon bits & cheese.   Fill shells & bake for 10 -15 minutes.   Delicious warm or at room temperature.
Yield:  45 tarts
Easy Parties by Patty Roper
Unwrapped - Supplement to MS Magazine November/December 2010

Linda's Pasta Salad

1 Pkg. Tricolor noodles (such as Rotini)
1 bunch green onions chopped
2 large tomatoes or 1 box cherry tomatoes (Sliced or chopped)
1 large cucumber
1 green, red & yellow bell pepper, chopped (can use 1/2 of each)
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 bottle McCormick salad seasonings
1 pkg. sliced pepporoni, halved
2 cups cubed mozzarella cheese or provalone)
2 cups cubed chicken or 3 bags small salad shrimp

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
or 1 Large Bottle Italian Dressing

Cook pasta according to pkg.   Rinse with cold water and drain well.    Put in large serving bowl.   Combine all other ingredients except dressing and mix well.   In small bowl combine dressing, mix and pour over salad.   Toss to coat and refrigerate.    Serves 14.

Linda Chennault

Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Butter Dip

1/2 standard block cream cheese
3-4 tbsp. pumpkin butter
3-4 tbsp. green onions, chopped fine
3-4 tbsp. pecans, chopped fine
3-4 tbsp. crisp chopped bacon

Cut a block of cream cheese in half lengthwise, spread on a platter or plate to be about 1/4" thick.   Spread top of cream cheese with Pumpkin Butter, 3-4 tbsp, or more if you'd like...enough to cover.   Cover generously with pecans, green onions, bacon, in layers, 3-4 tbsp., to your liking.   Serve with wheat thins, triscuits, pretzels.... For a larger crowd, do a whole block and more pumpking butter and topppings.   Enjoy!

Rolo Pretzel Appetizer

12 oz. bag of chewy caramels in Milk chocolate under the name of ROLO.
Bag of mini pretzels
Pecans

Put pretzels in a layer on a baking sheet.   Add a ROLO to each pretzel.
Bake at 350 until it starts to melt. 
Take out and immediately add a pecan to the center and lightly press down to where the pecan sets into the caramel.

Phyllo Roast Beef Cups

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 - 3 tbls. prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
2 cups chopped deli roast beef
1 red bell pepper, diced (I left this out on mine)
3-5 pkgs. (15 count each) frozen mini phyllo pastry cups, thawed
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I used bottle)

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.   Gradually add mayo and horseradish; beat until smooth.    Stir in dill weed.   Add roast beef and bell pepper.   Cover this mixture and refrigerate until time to serve.

Using a small teaspoon, fill each pastry cup with some of the roast beef mixture.   Place on serving platters and sprinkle with parsley.   Yields about 60 -75 cups.

Assorted Pinwheel Recipes

Ham & Onion:
Deli sliced ham
softened cream cheese
Green onions
Directions:  spread the cream cheese on one side of ham, add onions vertically at one end of ham slice.   Roll together lengthwise.   Chill - before serving slice the rolls into one inch pieces.

Mexican Style:
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can (4 0z.) diced green chilies, well drained
1 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onion
garlic powder to taste
Directions:  Mix all the filling ingredients together.   Divide the filling and spread evenly over the tortillas.   Roll up tortillas tightly and cover with plastic wrap, twisting ends.   Refrigerate for several hours.  Unwrap; cut in slices about an inch thick. 

Spicy Ham:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. onion, grated
1 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 dash Worcestershire sauce
15 thin ham slices
Directions:  Blend cream cheese, onion, horseradish and Wor. sauce until they are a spreading consistency.   Spread each ham slice with cheese mixture.  Chill.    Just before serving, slice into one inch slices.  Also great with roast beef.

Fried Dill Pickles

1/2 cup of flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 Jar of sliced pickles

Apply vegetable oil in frying pan close to an inch thick.  Mix milk and eggs together.   Dip pickles in mixture, then in the flour.   Place the pickles in the frying pan until they are golden brown.   Serve with ranch or dipping sauce.

Alex Stuart
Neshoba Democrat - 2010

Sour Cream Pinwheels

1 pkg. crescent Rolls
4 ounces sour cream
1 pkg. bacon bits
1 pkg. shredded cheese

Unroll the crescents (do not tear apart).   Spread the sour cream sparingly on the dough.   Sprinkle the bacon bits and shredded cheese on top of sour cream.

Roll all together into log and then wrap it in wax paper.   Freeze for close to 30 minutes to an hour.  Once taken out of freezer, slice the log into 1 inch thick circles.   Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (15 - 20 minutes).

Alex Stuart - Neshoba Democrat 2010

Betty Crocker Strawberry & Cream Cupcakes

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix


1 1/4 cups strawberry-flavored soda pop

Vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box

Red food color

1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy® cream cheese frosting

1/2 cup Betty Crocker® white candy sprinkles

Fresh strawberries, if desired
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes, substituting soda pop for the water and using oil and egg whites. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes

Stir 1 or 2 drops food color into frosting. Frost cupcakes.

In small resealable food-storage plastic bag, place sprinkles and 1 drop food color; seal bag. Gently shake and massage sprinkles until mixture is various shades of pink; sprinkle around edges of frosted cupcakes. Garnish with fresh strawberries

Mayonnaise Muffins

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 large tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.   Spray muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.   Fill cups of pan 2/3 full and bake for 12 to 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Yield:  6 large muffins or 12 mini muffins

Mississippi Magazine

Juy/August 2010