An American spin on some English classics (My husband loves these)

Shephard’s Pie

1 lb. lean ground beef

½ large red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Salt

Pepper

1 small package of frozen mixed vegetables

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 pkg instant potatoes

Shredded cheese

Cook ground beef in large skillet or wok until slightly brown, add onion and green pepper. Prepare frozen vegetables as directed on package. Add vegetables to beef mixture. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Then add whole can of condensed tomato soup and mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour in small to medium sized casserole dish (I use an 8x8). Prepare potatoes as directed on package. Spread potatoes over beef and vegetable mixture. Cover entire top of prepared dish with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm. Goes great with Yorkshire Pudding!

Yorkshire Pudding

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 cup flour

Whisk milk and eggs together in a large glass measuring bowl. Add in flour. Mix thoroughly until there are no lumps. Pour into heavily greased (I prefer the butter flavored cooking spray) muffin pan or mini-muffin pan (They go fast at my house so I use the mini-muffin pan). Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes and then at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm preferably with a meat dish.

Fruitcake Cookies - A surprisingly tasty tribute to an old Christmas staple

Fruitcake Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups packed light brown sugar

4 eggs

1 lb. golden raisins

1 lb. raisins

½ lb. red candied cherries

½ lb. green candied cherries

½ lb. candied pineapple

1 cup bourbon (optional)

2 Tblsp milk

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 lb. chopped walnuts

1 lb. chopped pecans

In a medium bowl, dredge candied fruit and raisins in 1 cup of flour. In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter. Beat in eggs. Gradually beat in bourbon and milk. Mix in remaining flour and spices. Stir in fruit and nuts. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, about 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on wire racks.

Bread Pudding (variation) - An easy sweet treat for dessert or breakfast

Bread Pudding (variation)

4 cups of cubed unfrosted cupcakes (Bake the cubes in the oven @ 400 for about 10 minutes)

¾ cup milk, scalded

Pour milk over cubed cupcakes. Let cool.

¼ cup butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ teasp salt

½ cups of mixed dried berries

1 teasp cinnamon

Put in 8x10 casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Or until knife placed into center comes out clean. Serve warm with cream poured over.

Filled Cookies - A perfect sweet indulgence for any holiday

Filled Cookies

1 stick Butter, softened

¼ teasp. Salt

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 teasp. Vanilla

Combine. Roll teaspoons of dough into balls. (If mixture does not cling together, add 1 Tblsp. [or 2] of milk). Place balls on lightly greased cookie sheet and indent tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. They should not brown.

Prepare filling (below) and put on cookies while warm.

Filling

3 oz. cream cheese – room temp

1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 teasp. Vanilla

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup coconut

Icing

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate bits

2 Tblsp. Water

2 Tblsp. Butter

Melt over low heat. Don’t overcook. Add ½ cup sifted confectioner’s sugar. Pour over cooled, filled cookies.

(It helps if you put the cookies on wax paper while you pour the chocolate topping over them. It makes cleanup a lot easier.)