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Holiday cooking is one of my favorite times to prepare a fantastic meal. You get to create dishes you wouldn’t cook on an everyday basis and there is a great feeling in creating fabulous food for all of your friends and family! Each year I like to try at least one recipe I have never attempted before and surprise everyone with something different. Below is one Holiday recipe that sounds just terrific for a tasty family treat! Take a look at The Food Network’s other recipes for more!

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup
Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

 VIA: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/baked-french-toast-casserole-with-maple-syrup-recipe2/index.html

There is a cool chill in the Northwest air these days. These are the times when I absolutely love the smell of fresh baked goods in the home and really enjoy sampling them as well!

Saw these Teacup Cupcakes and thought they looked fantastic for the holidays coming up! Would make very cute decorations and an amazing  dessert at the same time! What do you think?

Bake and serve your favorite cupcakes in one contemporary teacup. These modern silicone molds are food and oven safe, and they’re reusable for future festivities.

VIA: http://www.incrediblethings.com/home/teacup-cupcakes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IncredibleThings+%28Incredible+Things%29

Looks fabulous to us Dick Hannah Honda ladies.

The ladies of Dick Hannah Honda thought these sounded oh so delicious!

Thanks simplyrecipes.com for another fantastic recipe!

Apple Carrot Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil (light olive oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil)
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups packed coarsely grated carrots (about 3 medium)
1 1/2 cups packed coarsely grated tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 2 medium)
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
5 ounce fresh, mild chèvre (goat cheese), at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cups powdered sugar
Method
1 Preheat oven to 350° and place rack in the center of the oven.

2 In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, cocoa, pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine, then stir in oil and eggs. Stir in carrots, apples, and pecans.

3 Set aluminum or paper cupcake holders in muffin tins. Spoon the batter into the cupcake paper cups, three-quarters of the way to the top. Bake approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

4 Beat goat cheese, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until combined.
Once cupcakes are cool, apply frosting.

Makes 24 to 28 cupcakes.

VIA: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/apple_carrot_cupcake/

…. For Yummy Fruit Desserts!!

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups blueberries
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup prepared lemon curd

Directions:
1.Preheat the oven to 375°. Line the bottom of a 10-by-15-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar and the butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour and milk alternately in 3 additions. Fold in 1 cup blueberries. Transfer to the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar. Whisk in the lemon curd.

3.Sprinkle the cake with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place parchment paper and a cooling rack on the cake and invert the layer; let cool and transfer to a work surface. Cut crosswise into thirds. Place one-third onto a platter and top with one-third of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining cake and cream cheese. Top with the remaining 1 cup blueberries.

VIA: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-index/dessert-recipes/Lemon-Blueberry-Layer-Cake?trkid=WKB

We Dick Hannah ladies LOVE Rachael’s recipes!!

Don’t know about you but I looooooooove Moon Pies check out this recipe for a super yummy Moon Pie Sundae Recipe!! Kids will love it!!! Also great tasty treat for this Mother’s Day!

The recipe that won the contest on www.Grandparents.com, Lemon Curd Cake! Sounds spectacular! Looks tasty too….

Ingredients:
Curd:
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 cup sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup butter, unsalted (cut into bits)
Cake:
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
8 egg whites (at room temperature when ready to use)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Thin slices of lemon rind (for garnish)
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting cake
Frosting:
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 cups chilled whipping cream

Directions:
For the curd:
1. Whisk together lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs in 2-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in butter and cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubbles appear on surface, about 10 minutes.

2. Transfer curd to bowl. Cover curd with plastic wrap touching surface and chill until cold (at least 1 hour).

Note: Yield should be a little over 2 1/2 cups curd. Use 3/4 cup for cake, 1 1/4 cups for frosting, and remainder goes between cake layers.

For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour four 9-inch cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper.

2. Whisk cake flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In separate bowl, without mixing, place egg yolks, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, and curd.

3. Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in another large bowl. With electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar, beating just until stiff peaks form (avoid overbeating because it will make the cake dense and tough).

4. Add egg yolk mixture to dry ingredients. Using same beaters, beat egg yolk and dry ingredients mixture until smooth. Fold in egg whites in three additions.

5. Divide batter equally between prepared pans. Bake cakes 15 minutes, or until tester inserted into center comes out clean.

6. Cool cakes in pans on racks for 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely.

For the frosting:
1. Beat confectioners’ sugar and 1 1/4 cups lemon curd in large bowl just until blended.

2. Beat whipping cream in medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold cream into curd mixture in three additions. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

To assemble cake:
1. Dust top of bottom cake layer lightly with confectioners’ sugar.

2. Spread light layer of curd on cake followed by layer of frosting. Repeat with remaining layers.

3. Spread frosting around sides of cake. Refrigerate cake after frosting to set layers in place (about 1 hour).

4. Top cake with thin slices of lemon (patted dry) for garnish if desired.

Serves 8

 VIA: http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/food/recipes/article/recipe-lemon-curd-cake.html?clktrk=home_question_of_the_week-1