ThriftyFun Recipes - October 22, 2005

Yellow or white cake mix.
White frosting (I used cream cheese frosting because it is good.)
Hershey's kisses (I used the kind with caramel inside, also because they are delicious.)
Chocolate chips
Chocolate Chunks
Marshmallows
Black cake decorating gel
Muffin papers

Skull Cupcakes

Make cupcakes according to the box.

When cupcakes have cooled completely you may begin decorating.

Cut marshmallows in half. Cut chocolate chunks into thirds.

Peel open one end of the muffin paper just enough to fit in one half of a marshmallow for the chin.

Frost the cupcake including the marshmallow with the white frosting. It helps to get a little frosting by the open part of the paper cup so it can be "glued" back around the cake.

Skull Cupcakes

On top of where the marshmallow is place 3 to 4 slices of the chocolate chunks. This will make the mouth.

Place one chocolate chip for the nose, narrow part sticking up away from the skeleton's mouth.

Take two "Kisses" and place them upside down, tip pointing into the cake, to make the eyes.

Skull Cupcakes

Use the black gel to make a pupil in the eyes (I know skulls don't have eyes but thought it looked cuter that way). If you do not want to buy the black gel just for this you can take a toothpick and use a dab of the white frosting.

You could freeze or refrigerate these if they were not going to be eaten for a while to help set the frosting.

Skull Cupcakes

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Mincemeat Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup shortening (soft)
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2-3/4 cup mincemeat
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. soda

Directions

Combine shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add mincemeat. Stir together remaining ingredients; add to liquid mix, gradually. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet and bake approximately 12 minute at 375 degrees.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Holiday Fruit Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup commercial sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup pecans (chopped)
3/4 cup candied cherries
3/4 cup dates (cut fine)
Pecan halves

Directions

Cream shortening and sugar; add egg, sour cream and flavoring. Sift together flour, soda and salt and add. Add chopped pecans and fruit. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet and put a pecan half on each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 to 12 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Spicy Pecans

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin (Mexican spice)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups pecan halves
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt

Directions

In a large skillet, melt butter and add cumin and cayenne; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Remove from heat; stir in the pecans, sugar and salt till well coated.

Spread in a single layer on a well greased 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan.

Bake at 300 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or till lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

Cool and store in an airtight container. Makes: 3 cups

Makes great gifts!

By Terri from Pahrump, NV

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Monster Cookies

Monster Cookies I

Ingredients

12 eggs
2 lbs. brown sugar
4 cups white sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. wnite Karo Syrup
8 tsp. soda
1 lb. butter or margarine
3 lbs. peanut butter
18 cups oatmeal
1 lb. chocolate chips
1 lb. M and M candies

Directions

Mix in the order given. Drop by ice cream scoop on greased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork, about 6 to a cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Yield 20 dozen.

By Robin from Washington, IA

Editor's Note: This looks like a fun one for a baking party with a bunch of preteens. You could cool and wrap then freeze each cookie for gift giving.

Monster Cookies II

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 1/8 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. syrup
2 tsp. soda
1/4 lb. margarine
1 1/3 cups peanut butter
4 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/4 lb. chocolate chips
1/4 lb. M and M candies

Directions

Mix in the given order. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Oatmeal Crispies

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups oatmeal

Directions

Cream shortening and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Drop and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Watch them closely. You can put nuts, chips, or raisins, anything of your choice in them.

By Robin from Washington, IA

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Miracle Cheese Cake

Ingredients

1 3 oz. pkg. lemon jello
1 can evaporated milk (13 oz can) cold whipped
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter or margarine melted
1 8 oz.pkg. cream cheese
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Directions

Dissolve jello in boiling water. Chill until slightly thickened. Cream together cheese, sugar and vanilla. Add gelatin & blend well.

Fold in stiffly whipped canned milk. This can be done with electric mixer.

Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter. Pack 2/3 of mixture on bottom of 9x13x2 inch pan or larger.

Add filling and sprinkle with remaing crumbs.Chill several hours or overnight.Cut into squares, serve plain or garnish with fruit.

12-16 servings.

By Vivian - Bellaire Beach, FL

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Chinese Inspired Dinner

Just bought a Chinese cabbage at our little farm market and went to town with a Chinese inspired dinner. Please don't be afraid of trying the sauce! It was wonderful!

First, assemble the ingredients for the fried rice:

Ingredients

1/2 cup onion, sliced
1-2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped small
1/2-1 cup chinese cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas, thawed
2-3 cup cooked, cooled white rice
1/4 cup green onion, chopped in 1/2 in pieces
1 or 2 scrambled eggs
2-3 Tbsp. lite soy sauce

Directions

Peanut oil to coat the bottom and sides. Make sure the wok is hot before adding the oil.

Add in order given, cooking the onion, celery, green pepper and garlic a bit, first.

Sauce:

Ingredients

1/2 cup lite soy
1 cup cold water
2 Tbsp. corn starch stirred into the soy and water

then add:

1 tsp. garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
Microwave everything but the peanut butter 2 minutes and stir.
Stir in peanut butter.

Directions

Our favorite thing to top the fried rice with is fried chicken livers. You can also use a boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced very thin and stir fried in a hot wok. This can be marinated in soy and garlic, first if that sounds good to you. Tonight, I added a bit of Chinese five-spice to the chicken, and then coated it in corn starch and quick-fried it in the wok.

If you don't have a wok, use a nice, heavy iron skillet. Just make sure it is very hot before adding oil and stir the ingredients constantly.

By Margie Minard from Mount Vernon, Ohio

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