PW's Burgundy Mushrooms

4 lbs white button mushrooms
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 1/2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 liter Burgundy wine (other dry red wines will work)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups boiling water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
4 beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt (optional)

Wash mushrooms and through them into a large stock pot
Add all reminaing ingredients except salt. Stir to combine.
Bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 6 hours.
Remove lid, continue cooking uncovered for 3 hours.
Add salt to taste if desire.
The mushrooms will be dark in color.
They can sit in the pan until ready to serve.
Have crusty bread nearby to soak up the deliciousness.

I couldn't find a link to this recipe online.
TIP: use the correct amount of bouillon. I used the cheap Mexican stuff and it ended up being WAY TOO SALTY! Follow recipe exactly.

Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheesebread

Recipe found HERE

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French Bread
• 6 ounces, weight Pimiento-stuffed Green Olives
• 6 ounces, weight Black Olives
• 2 stalks Green Onions (scallions)
• 1 stick Butter, Room Temperature
• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• ¾ pounds Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated

Preparation Instructions

Roughly chop both black olives and pimiento-stuffed green olives. Slice green onions into thin pieces.

Combine butter, mayonnaise, cheese, olives and green onions in a mixing bowl. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture onto French bread that has been sliced lengthwise. Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browning.

Mixture can also be refrigerated (up to two days) and used as a dip. Great with crackers.

As quoted by Glen, "Unbelievable!"

Cinni Mini's

1 recipe sugar cookies AND

12 T butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar, divided
1 1/2 T cinnamon, divided

Make sugar cookies according to directions. After the dough has chilled in the fridge, remove 1 disk and cut into thirds and roll into a 1/8 inch thick oval, about 12 inches x 5 inches. Spread 2 T softened butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1/4 t cinnamon. Start rolling from the longest end closest to you, rolling into a log shape. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch pieces of dough and placing it on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before transfering to a cooling rack.

Prepare cream cheese frosting according to recipe and spread over top of the cookies and then die on the spot because they are that good.


Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

½ c. butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla

4½ - 4¾ c. sifted powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 c. powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in enough of remaining sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency. Yields 3 cups.

*For Chocolate cream cheese frosting: add ¼ c. unsweetened cocoa powder and reduce powdered sugar to 4¼ -4½ c.

Courtesy of Picky Palate

Best Ever Apple Pie

I made this pie with Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust and it was AWESOME! Easy and Delicious!

Best Ever Apple Pie from Country Home

We asked Country Home readers to send us their favorite original recipe for apple pie and tell us how it came to them. We read and sampled and surmised that the maple sugar- and cream-infused one from reader Vicki Ehrenberg Schlaerth was the winner. For the story behind the pie, read Vicki’s letter:

The secrets to my pie are the cream and maple sugar that give it a warm mellow flavor—it’s the perfect comfort food. The recipe is made up of parts of several “family” recipes, and the maple sugar was my own addition. I put it together two years ago after I discovered the fun of estate sales and purchased a tin recipe box filled with family recipes. I went home and spent an hour looking through the recipes—they all sounded so delicious. Since then, I have purchased every tin box I see, as long as it’s full of recipes.
—Vicki Ehrenberg Schlaerth, New York

Best-Ever Apple Pie Recipe
The winning recipe from our apple pie contest.

1 recipe Pastry for Double-Crust Pie*
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple sugar or packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 lb. tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (8 cups)
2 Tbsp. butter, cut up
1/4 cup whipping cream
1–2 tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. raw sugar

1. Prepare pastry. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 pastry ball to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl combine granulated sugar, maple sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add apples; toss to coat. Transfer to pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter and pour whipping cream over filling. Trim edge of crust even with edge of pie plate.

3. On the lightly floured surface, roll out remaining pastry to a 12-inch circle. Cut an “x” or a design in the center of the pastry. Place pastry over filling in pie plate. Seal and crimp edges. Cut small slits in top of crust, if desired. Brush with milk and sprinkle with raw sugar. Place pie on a foil-lined baking sheet. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie edges with foil.

4. Bake in a 375° oven for 40 minutes. Remove foil from edges. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

*Pastry for Double-Crust Pie: Place steel blade in food processor. Add 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 cup butter, cut up; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cover; process with on/off turns until most of mixture resembles cornmeal but a few larger pieces remain. With processor running, quickly add 1/3 cup cold water through feed tube. Stop processor when all water is added; scrape sides. Process with 2 on/off turns. Remove from bowl; shape into a ball. Divide in half. If needed, wrap and chill until easy to handle. (Or, in a large bowl stir together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in 1 cup butter until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon water at a time, using a total of 5 to 6 tablespoons water, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Shape into a ball.)

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

My Visiting Teacher gave this recipe to me in exchange for my TOP SECRET Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe that I found in my Great Grandma Angie Family Cookbook.

As Bryan ate these cookies he used words such as... 'Awesome', 'Incredible', and 'Amazing'. So, I think he liked them.

Mix Together:
2 cubes butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
3 t. vanilla

Add a small box of instant pudding (any kind you wish)
Add:
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
4-5 c. flour
chocolate chips

Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.

Aunt Lisa's Cinnamon Rolls

1 1/2 T. yeast

1 c. warm water

2 1/4 c. milk

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. crisco

1 1/2 t. salt

5 eggs

9-11 c. of flour

Mix yeast and warm water together. Sprinkle with a squosh (large pinch) of sugar, stir and let set.

Heat in microwave the milk, sugar, crisco and salt until the crisco melts.

Let the crisco mixture cool some then add 5 eggs and beat with beaters.

Add the yeast mixture and beat again.

Add 4 cups of flour and beat again.

Then add enough flour to make proper dough. (Proper dough is when the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl; usually 5-7 additional cups)

Let rise until double in size.

Roll out to about 18x24 inches.

Spread on melted butter.

Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll up.

Cut in 2 inch thick pieces.

Spray cookie sheets with PAM.

Place 6 rolls on a sheet.

Let raise again.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes.

FROSTING:

1 cube margarine

1 c. brown sugar

6 oz. evaporated milk

1 bag powder sugar (2 lb.)

Boil all ingredients for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and beat in almost (but not quite) the whole bag of powder sugar.

Slow-Cooker Chicken Chasseur

Bryan's critique?... "Unbelievable!"

8 slices bacon, finely chopped
vegetable oil
6 bone-in, skin-on split chicken breast halves (10-12 oz. each or 12 thighs at 6-8 oz. each)
salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed thoroughly and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced (or 1 t. dried)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Directions

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add bbacon to the crockpot. Reserve the bacon fat separately. You should have at least 2 T. If not, use vegetable oil for the missing fat.

2. Dry chicken with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 t. bacon fat to the skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the chicken on both sides, about 10 minutes. Put in the crockpot. (Remove the browned skin if using thighs.) Return the skillet to medium high heat and repeat with 2 more teaspoons of fat and the rest of the chicken. Discard any fat left in the skillet.

3. Add the remaining 2 t. fat to empty skillet. Heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add cremini's, red onion and 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cook until mushroom are brown, 10-15 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Cook for 15 seconds. Stir in wine and tomato paste, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until the wine has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Put in crockpot.

4. Add tomatoes, 1.5 cups broth, porcini's, thyme, bay leaves and red pepper flakes to crockpot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is tender, about 4 hours.

5. Transfer chicken to large serving dish. Tent loosely with foil.

6. Discard bay leaves. Set the crockpot to high. Whisk flour with remaining 1/2 cup broth until smooth. Stir into crockpot. Cover and continue to cook until sauce is thickened and no longer tastes of flour, 15 to 30 minutes longer.

7. Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon vegetables and some of the sauce over the chicken. Serve, passing the remaining sauce separately.