Turkey Sandwiches with Gorgonzola, Strawberries and Chive Mayonaise

A unique combination of flavors!!  1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 TB finely minced chives 1/2 tsp sugar 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper 8 slices sourdough bread 4 oz. Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled 4-6 large strawberries, thinly sliced 12 oz. sliced cooked turkey  In small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, chives, sugar and pepper. Evenly sprinkle 4 slices of bread with Gorgonzola cheese; arrange strawberries over cheese. Top each sandwich with one-fourth of the turkey. Spread each of the 4 remaining bread slices with one-fourth of the chive mayonaise; place over turkey. Cut sandwiches in half. YiELD: 4 sandwiches
(Source: Cooking Club of America)

Warm Golden Custard Tarts

A Hong Kong jewel!!  PASTRY  3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 TB sugar 1/8 tsp salt  5 TB unsalted butter, chilled, cut up 2-3 TB ice water  GLAZE  1 egg, beaten  CUSTARD  2 egg yolks 3 TB sugar 3/4 tsp cornstarch 1/2 cup whipping cream 6 drops yellow food coloring, if desired*  In med bowl, stir together flour, 1 TB sugar and salt. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces. Add 2 TB of the water, stir until dough starts to form, adding additional water, if necesssary. Shape into thin flat round, cover. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3-inch cutter, cut dough into 12 rounds, re-rolling dough scraps as necessary. Press dough into 12 (2 1/4-inch) tart pans, trimming pastry as necessary. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until firm.  Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. Place tart pans on baking sheet; line tart shells with foil and pie weights or dry beans. Bake 10 min; remove foil. Bake an additional 3 min or until pastry is lightly browned. Remove from oven, reduce oven temp to 325 degrees. Cool tart shells on wire rack 10 min or until room temp.  Meanwhile, in med bowl, whisk egg yolks, 3 TB sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Whisk in cream and food coloring just until blended. Strain through fine strainer, let stand 15 min. Remove any excess bubbles and foam. Gently pour egg mixture into cooled tart shells. Bake 12-15 min or until custard is just set. Cool on wire rack 15-20 min; serve warm. (Tarts can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. To warm, heat tarts in 325 degrees for 3-5 min or until warm.) TIP* The custard tarts in Hong Kong are bright yellow in color. During the summer months, it's sometimes possible to get free-range, organic eggs with yolks that are often bright yellow-orange. Otherwise, food coloring helps create that color,but it's not necessary. YIELD: 12 (2 1/4-inch) tarts (Source: Cooking Club of America)

Cinnamon Lollipops

Fun to make!! :)  2 cups water 6 cinnamon sticks, toasted* 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup light corn syrup Place lillipop sticks in plastic or metal lollipop molds, or arrange sticks 3 inches apart on greased parchment paper. In med saucepan, combine water and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Boil 12-18 min or until reduced to 1/4 cup. Remove and discard cinnamon sticks. Stir in sugar. Bring to a boil, brushing sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water to wash down any sugar crystals. Stir in corn syrup. Cook 7-10 min or until candy thermometer reaches 295 degrees. Immediately remove from heat; pour syrup into glass measuring cup. Gently pour syrup into molds or over ends of lollipop sticks on parchment. TIP * To toast cinnamon sticks, place on small baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 min or until you can smell toasted aroma of cinnamon. Do not overbake or cinnamon will burn and become bitter. Cool completely. YIELD: 24 lollipops (Source: Cooking Club of America)

Cinnamon Stars

A unique cookie with the icing baked on!  COOKIES- 2 cups slivered almonds 3/4 cup sugar 1 TB freshly ground cinnamon* Dash salt 1 TB honey 1 egg white  ICING- 1 cup.powdered sugar 1 egg white Edible glitter or sprinkles if desired**   In food processor, combine almonds, sugar, cinnamon and salt; pulse 2-3 min or until very finely ground. Add honey; pulse to distribute.  Add 1 egg white; pulse several seconds or until dough pulls together and forms ball. Pat out dough between 2 sheets of parchment or waxed paper to about 1/2- inch thickness. Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness(about 12by 10-inch rectangle).  Be careful not to let paper bunch up and wrinkle underneath.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.  Meanwhile, in a med bowl, stir together all icing ingredients except edible glitter, beat at med-high speed 5-7 min or until stiff but spreadable. Press plastic wrap directly onto icing to prevent skin from forming. With offset spatula, spread thin layer of icing onto chilled dough. Discard any remaining icing. Sprinkle with edible glitter or sprinkles,if desired. Refrigerate dough 10 min or until icing is set. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut out cookies using 2-inch star-shaped cutter. (Dip cutter into water before each use,shaking off excess). If cookies are difficult to remove from cutter, tap edge of cutter against baking sheet until cookies release. Place cookies on baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time 5-6 min or until cookies have risen slightly(icing should remain white). Cut and bake remaining dough scraps, if desired. Cool cookies completely on wire rack.(Cookies can be made up to 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container).  TIPS * To grind cinnamon, break sticks into smaller pieces. Grind in coffee grinder until finely ground, sift through fine strainer to remove any pieces. (You will need about 4 cinnamon sticks for this recipe.) ** Edible glitter, an all-natural gumarabic, adds beautiful sparkle to cookies. YiELD: 30 cookies  (Source: Cooking Club of America)

Pepsi Pork Chops

Kettle Falls Collection- 8 pork chops  salt and pepper 1 cup ketchup 1 cup Pepsi brown sugar  Place pork chops in baking pan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix the ketchup and Pepsi together and pour over the pork chops.  Sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. (Source: Kimberly Merritt)

Cranberry Margaritas

Kettle Falls Collection- 2/3 cup cranberry juice cocktail 1/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries(rinsed)  1/3 cup lime juice 1/3 cup tequila 1/4 cup orange flavor liqueur 1 1/2 cup crushed ice  Pour 1/4 cup of the cranberry juice in a shallow bowl. Pour 3 Tbsp sugar onto a flat plate. Dip the rims of 4-6 glasses into juice then into sugar-set aside.  Reserve 12 cranberries. In a blender mix above ingredients until smooth. Fill glasses and garnish with remaining berries.(Source: Nancy Coogan)

Cracker Dumplings

Kettle Falls Collection- 3 cups crushed soda crackers 1 egg 1/2 cup milk  Mix all ingredients. Form into round balls about the size of small golf balls. Drop into boiling chicken stock or other stock. Boil about 10 min uncovered and 10 covered. Should make 12-13 dumplings. (Source: Maxine Graves)