Crites Family Stuff

Ingredients for 15 servings

• 1 lb Li'l Smokies
• 12 oz center cut bacon

Glaze:

• .33 cup brown sugar
• .25 cup real maple syrup
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• Pinch cayenne pepper

Steps

1. Pat the smokies with paper towel to dry. Place the smokies in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for about 45 minutes.
2. Cut the bacon strips into thirds. Separate and place on parchment paper and freeze for 30 minutes. (The freezing of both meats makes the bacon adhere to the smokies better when wrapping.)
3. Remove meats from freezer and wrap a piece of bacon around each smokie. Arrange the wrapped smokies, seam side down on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with heavy foil. Make the glaze by whisking the ingredients together and then generously brush each smokie.
4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until bacon is crisped and the glaze is bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove immediately on to a serving platter or a slow cooker to keep them warm.

Display in cookbook

Description

Jennifer: Deb gave this recipe to me years ago. I have used it as a base to make coconut cream pie aw well.

Ingredients for 10 servings

• .75 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp corn starch or .33 cup flour
• .25 tsp salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 slightly beaten egg yolks
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 large bananas, sliced
• 9" pre-cooked pie crust

Meringue:

• 3 egg whites
• .5 tsp vanilla
• .25 tsp cream of tartar
• 6 tbsp sugar

Steps

1. Slice the bananas into the bottom of the pie shell and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan mix together the sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook and stir till bubbly and then cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. To the beaten eggs, add a couple of spoonfuls of the hot mixture, stirring well, then add all the eggs to the saucepan. Stir well and cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Remove the filling from heat and add the butter and vanilla. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
5. Make meringue by beating the egg whites with the cream of tartar and vanilla until a soft stiffness. Beat in the sugar. Spread over the hot filling. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Coconut cream pie variation:

1. Omit the bananas. Add 1 cup of shredded coconut and a 1/2 tsp coconut extract to the mixture before pouring into a graham crust. Top pie with whipped cream and toasted coconut.

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 1 serving

• 16 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp onion powder
• .5 tsp garlic powder
• dash cayenne pepper
• Sliced almonds

Steps

1. Combine all ingredients. Form into a ball and roll into slice almonds. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour (better if made several days ahead!).

Display in cookbook

Ingredients for 10 servings

• 2 squares semi-sweet chocolate (baker)
• 16 oz softened cream cheese
• .33 cup sugar
• 2 cups chocolate cool whip
• 6 oz Oreo pie crust
• 1.5 cups halved strawberries

Steps

1. Melt chocolate and sugar together. Beat cream cheese with hand mixer and then add chocolate mixture. Stir in cool whip. Pour into crust. Top with cleaned, dried and halved strawberries. Refrigerate 3 hours before serving.

Display in cookbook

Description

This cookie was entered in the 2013 Family Reunion Cookie Contest.

Ingredients for 36 servings

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• .25 cup popcorn kernels
• .25 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• .5 cup butter, softened
• .5 cup packed brown sugar
• .33 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• .5 tsp vanilla
• 1.25 cups flour
• .5 tsp baking soda

Steps

1. Make pop corn. Pour oil over the bottom of a large saucepan that has a lid and add the popcorn kernels, shimmying the pan around so the kernels land in one layer. Cover the pan with the lid and heat it over medium-high heat. Once the kernels begin to pop, keep the saucepan moving until all the kernels have popped, about 5-7 minutes. Toss the popped corn with the salt and melted butter, then transfer it to a bowl. Sort out any unpopped kernels. You should have about 4 1/2 cups of popcorn. Let cool.
2. Mix dough. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking soda together. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture. Fold in the cooled popcorn so that it is evenly distributed through the batter, which will seem like a ridiculous instruction because there is so much popcorn and so little batter, but it works. Don't worry if the popcorn breaks up a bit. The mixed-sized pieces are part of the cookie's charm.
3. Bake cookies. Scoop heaping-tablespoon-sized mounds 2 inches apart onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until edges are light brown. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Display in cookbook

Description

This cookie was entered in the 2013 Family Reunion Cookie Contest.

Ingredients for 30 servings

• .75 cup unsalted butter
• .75 cup dark or light brown sugar
• .25 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1.75 cups flour
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• .5 tsp salt
• .75 cup pretzel pieces
• 0

Steps

1. Place butter in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat. Allow the butter to melt and then begin to whisk it continually. Watch is carefully. The butter will begin to bubble and foam and brown specks will form in the pan. You will smell a nutty aroma. Once the butter turns an amber-brown color with specks (about 6 minutes), remove from the pan. Butter will burn very easily and you want to avoid that, so watch it carefully. Once browned, pour the butter into a shallow bowl and chill in the refrigerator until it is solid, about 2 hours. Chilling in mandatory. When you are ready to start the cookies, set the solid brown butter out for about 15 minutes to allow it to soften up a bit - do not forget to do this.
2. 0
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
4. 0

Display in cookbook

Description

This cookie was entered in the 2013 Family Reunion Cookie Contest.

Ingredients for 36 servings

• 2.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• .25 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp orange zest
• 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
• 1 egg

Glaze:

• 1.5 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• Fresh orange juice

Steps

1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix sugar and zest. Rub together with your fingers until zest is throughout the sugar. The sugar will become moist from the oils being released. Using a mixer, cream the butter and orange zest sugar. Add egg and orange juice. Slowly add dry ingredients until well incorporated. Chill dough for an hour or overnight.
2. Scoop onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roll into smooth round balls. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes or until very lightly golden on the bottoms. Don't over bake or they will be a bit dry and lose the perfect texture.
3. Mix the powdered sugar, orange zest and enough orange juice to get a glaze consistency and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour glaze over the tops of the cookies and let set.

Display in cookbook

Description

Marcy shared these delicious rolls at the 2013 Family Reunion.

Ingredients for 24 servings

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp yeast (dissolve in .5 cup water and 1 tsp sugar)
• .5 cup margarine
• 1 cup hot mashed potatoes (can use instant)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 8-10 cups flour

Filling:

• 2 cubes softened butter (slightly less)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar

Steps

1. Mix together and knead for 8 minutes. Let rise double. Roll out into long rectangle 1/2 inch thick.
2. Mix together 2 cubes of softened butter, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup brown sugar. Spread onto the rectangle. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Roll up and cut . Place in pan so that they are touching.
3. Let rise. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Display in cookbook

Description

This cookie was entered in the 2013 Family Reunion Cookie Contest.

Ingredients for 40 servings

• 1 cup real butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3.5 cups flour
• 2 tsp soda
• 1.5 tsp vanilla
• Marshmallows
• Toasted coconut

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• .5 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Steps

1. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Chill dough for 3 hours.
2. Roll out dough and cut into the size of a 50 cent piece. Bake in 350 degree oven for 7-9 minutes. Remove from oven and place half of a marshmallow (cut side down) on the top of the cookie. Return to the oven and bake 2 more minutes.
3. Remove and cool.
4. Combine ingredients for the Cream Cheese frosting and beat together until smooth. Add a little milk if it is too thick. Frost each cookie and roll in toasted coconut.
5. To toast coconut, I spread the coconut onto a pan and toast it under the broiler. Watch it closely because it can scotch easily.

Display in cookbook

Description

Katie found this through Pinterest, made them, and they quickly became a family favorite.

Ingredients for 36 servings

• 0.5 cup shortening
• 0.5 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 2.75 cups flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 100 White chocolate chips

Steps

1. Beat the shortening, butter, eggs, and sugar together. Set aside.
2. Mix flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt together.
3. Mix with the creamed sugar mixture until incorporated.
4. Chill dough for at least 1 hour in refrigerator.
5. Preheat oven to 350F.
6. Mix 2 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. Scoop a rounded tablespoon sized ball of dough and form it around several white chocolate chips. Roll the dough in the cinnamon sugar mix. Place cookie on ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart. (We use parchment paper.)
8. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are slightly golden.
9. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Display in cookbook