Lizzies ~ The Fruitcake Cookie

1 pound candied red and green cherries
1 pound raisins
1 pound pecan halves
1/2 pound diced citron
1/2 c. bourbon
1/4 c. margarine 
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup sifted flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1-1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1-1/2 tsp ground cloves

Soak raisins in bourbon overnight, or until all liquid is absorbed.

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Sift flour with baking soda, spices. Add to creamed sugar and shortening. 

Stir in raisins, then nuts and fruits. Drop from spoon onto buttered sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes and store in airtight container after cooled.

HINTS: I always wash and rebutter cookie sheets because of the sugar from the fruit. Also, if the cookies don't hold together as you're dropping them, you can push them together and they'll be fine. There is only enough batter to hold everything together.

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Toffee Cookies

Saltines
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
12 oz chocolate chips 
1-1/2 c chopped pecans 

Heat oven to 350. Line a rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with foil (13-1/2 x 11). Cover with saltine crackers.

Melt butter. Add sugar and bring to boil. Boil for five minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake five minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Let them melt, and spread them around gently. Sprinkle nuts on top. Let cool, and break apart. (A pizza cutter can be used)

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Killer Chocolate Heart

21 squares (21 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
1-1/2 T instant espresso

Place chocolate and coffee in double boiler with 6 T hot water and 6 T dark rum. Stir until smooth, and place in a warm place.

9 eggs
3/4 c. sugar

Beat 10-15 minutes over bubbly water until like whipped cream. Wash beaters and place in freezer.

1-1/2 c heavy cream
1 T sugar
2 T Mexican vanilla

Beat until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Fold cream into that mixture. Pour into pan or mold that has been buttered and lined with waxed paper. Bake for 35-45 minutes in 350 oven in pan with hot water, until
toothpick comes out clean. Cool in water bath, then refrigerate.

To serve, place mold in warm water. Remove heart and decorate with whipped cream or serve with whipped cream.

HINT: I used a copper heart mold. I believe it was a 1-1/2 qt mold.

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The Best Chicken Casserole Ever

Butter a glass pan. Choose your size according to how many you're feeding. I usually use a 12 x 8 and count on some leftovers.

Lay serving-sized pieces of skinned and boned chicken breast in the pan. Cover them all with a layer of processed Swiss cheese (like the single serves of American, only Swiss). 

Spoon one can of cream of chicken with herbs soup over it all, very gently.

Cover the whole thing with a nice layer of Pepperidge Farm Herb stuffing mix, maybe an inch thick. Don't leave any spaces.

Melt about 1/2 c butter or margarine and drizzle it evenly over the stuffing.

Bake at 350, covered for about 30 minutes, uncovered for the next 30 minutes.

Put down your book and serve supper. ;)