Fun Food For Halloween

October 5, 2016October 4, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Mega Macaroni And Cheese

Ingredients:
9 ounces large macaroni or penne pasta, dried or fresh
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups whole milk
1 ¾ cups grated cheddar cheese or American cheese
1 teaspoon English or Dijon mustard
A pinch of nutmeg
4 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped into pieces

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and keep warm.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute.
Gradually stir in the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in three quarters of the cheese and add the mustard, nutmeg and bacon pieces. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir well.
Transfer the mixture to a large ovenproof dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Cook in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve with green beans and a few cooked cherry tomatoes.

Make your macaroni and cheese more mega – try adding some corn, bell pepper or carrots.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
http://www.thasc.com

Kick Off To Halloween

September 30, 2016September 27, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Nutty Football Cookies

Ingredients:…
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup finely chopped almonds
Assorted colored decorating icings (optional)
White decorating icing

Method:
Combine flour and cocoa in small bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until well blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended after each addition. Add almonds; beat until well blended. Shape dough into disc. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. Roll out dough between parchment paper to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out shapes with 2 ½ to 3 inch football cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Refrigerate 15 minutes.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate with color icings if desired. Pipe white icing onto footballs to resemble laces.

To make football shapes without a cookie cutter, shape 3 tablespoonfuls of dough into ovals. Place 3 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten ovals to ¼ inch thickness; taper ends.

Makes 2 dozen cookies

Cook’s Tip: This tasty bread is best eaten on the day it is made, as it does not keep well for very long.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

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Fantastic Football Food

September 28, 2016September 14, 2016thasc11 Comment

Ham And Cheese Lattice Pies

Ingredients:…
9 ounces fresh ready-made puff pastry
1/3 cup finely chopped ham
2/3 cup full-fat soft cheese
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
pepper

Method:
Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured counter. Cut out 12 rectangles measuring 6 x 2 inches.
Place the rectangles onto greased cookie sheets and leave to chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the ham, cheese and chives in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste.
Spread the ham and cheese mixture along the center of 6 of the rectangles, leaving a 1 inch border around each one. Brush the border with a little beaten egg.
To make the lattice pattern, fold the remaining rectangles lengthwise. Leaving a 1 inch border, cut vertical lines across one edge of the rectangles using a sharp knife.
Unfold the rectangles and place them over the rectangles topped with the ham and cheese mixture set on the cookie sheets. Seal the dough edges well and lightly sprinkle with the grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Makes 6

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products. www.thasc.com

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Fantastic Football Food

September 23, 2016September 14, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:…
½ cup butter
½ cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
¾ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Method:
Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and peanut butter
Gradually add the sugar and beat well.
Add the beaten egg, a little at a time, beating until it is thoroughly combined.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the peanut butter mixture.
Add the peanuts and bring all of the ingredients together to form a soft dough. Wrap and chill for about 30 minutes.
Form the dough into 20 balls and place them onto the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Flatten them slightly with a fork.
Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes, until golden brown color. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool slightly before serving.

Makes 20

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

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Fantastic Football Food

September 21, 2016September 12, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Cheese & Ham Loaf

cheese-and-ham-loaf — Any grated hard cheese can be used for this bread, use a milder one, if preferred.

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp paprika
1/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated sharp cheese
½ cup smoked ham, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk

Method:

Thoroughly grease a 1 pound loaf pan and line the base with baking parchment.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and paprika into a mixing bowl.
Rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the cheese and ham.
Add the beaten eggs and milk to the dry ingredients and mix well.
Spoon the cheese and ham mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake the mixture in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 1 hour, or until the loaf is well risen.
Let the bread cool in the pan, then turn out, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve the bread cut into thick slices.

Serves 6

Cook’s Tip: This tasty bread is best eaten on the day it is made, as it does not keep well for very long.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products. www.thasc.com

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Fantastic Football Food

September 16, 2016September 14, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Cheese Cookies

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups grated sharp cheese
2/3 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg yolk
Sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Method:

Lightly grease several cookie sheets.
Mix flour and cheese together in a bowl.
Add the butter to the cheese and flour mixture and mix with your fingers until combined.
Stir in the egg yolk and mix to form dough. Wrap the dough and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cheese dough thinly. Cut out 2 ½ inch rounds, re-rolling the trimmings to make about 35 rounds.
Place the rounds onto the prepared cookie sheets and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top of them.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, until the cookies are a light golden color.
Transfer the cheese cookies to a wire rack and cool slightly before serving.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.www.thasc.com

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Fantastic Football Food

September 14, 2016September 4, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into 16 pieces (or 9 ounces part-skim ricotta)
2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces (or 1/3 cup vegetable oil)
4 large eggs (or 2 large eggs and 3 large egg whites)
2 tablespoons sour cream (or 1/4 cup water)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat over to 325 degrees F. Prepare a 10 cup tube pan (9 1/2 inches top diameter by 4 inches high with nonstick spray.

To the workbowl with the metal blade, add the sugar, the cream cheese (or the ricotta), the butter (or the oil), the eggs (or the eggs and egg whites), the sour cream (or the water), and the vanilla; process until well mixed, about 20 seconds, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the flour, the baking powder, and the salt; pulse until the flour just disappears, 3 to 5 times. Add the chocolate chips; pulse only until they are partly mixed in, 2 to 4 times.

Pour into the prepared pan; bake until lightly browned and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; loosen around the side and tube with a small spatula; turn out onto rack to finish cooling.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

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Fantastic Football Food

September 9, 2016September 4, 2016thasc1Leave a comment

Chocolate Pecan Drops

1 package (about 18 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 1/4 cups pecan pieces, divided
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine cake mix, 1 cup pecans, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, butter and eggs in food processor. Process until pecans are finely chopped and mixture is well blended.

3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.

4. Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

5. Place remaining 3/4 cup chocolate chips in small resealable food storage bag; seal bag. Microwave on High 20 seconds. Gently knead bag until chips are melted and smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag and squeeze chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans.

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

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Rice pudding

September 2, 2016August 31, 2016bonnieLeave a comment

A good old fashioned family favourite!

THE NEW YOU.jpg

Rice Pudding

A good old fashioned Rice pudding is always a firm favourite

Ingredients

3 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups milk, heated to the boiling point

3/4 cup cooked rice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins, optional

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs slightly. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Slowly add the hot milk, mixing well. Strain into the buttered baking dish. Add the rice, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Add the raisins if desired. Bake 1 ½ hours, or until a knife inserted comes out clean and the pudding is lightly browned. Serve warm.

Makes 6 servings

Tried and tested in the THASC kitchen

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

August 24, 2016August 16, 2016bonnie1 Comment

Sure to be a hit with the children when they come home from school

Chocolate orange cupcakes

Chocolate Orange cupcakes

Ingredients – Cakes

½ cup butter, softened

Generous ½ cup superfine sugar

Finely grated rind and juice of ½ orange

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Generous ¾ cup self-raising flour

1 oz. /25g semisweet chocolate, grated

Thin strips candied orange peel, to decorate

Ingredients – Topping

4 oz./115g semisweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. dark corn syrup

Method

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. Line muffin pans with 16 paper liners or put 16 double layer paper liners on a baking sheet.

Put the butter, sugar, and orange rind in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. Sift in the flour and, using a metal spoon, fold gently into to mixture with the orange juice and grated chocolate. Spoon the cake batter into the paper liners.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

For the frosting, put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and add the butter and syrup. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth. Cool until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Spread over the cupcakes and decorate each cupcake with a few strips of candied peel. Let set.

Makes 16

Tried and tested in the THASC kitchen