Combine the pancake mix, milk and egg together in a bowl. Slice the vanilla bean down the center then using the dull side of the knife, scrape all the seeds out of each side of the bean. Add the seeds to the pancake batter.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto a hot nonstick griddle or skillet. Top each pancake with pieces of the strawberry and chocolate chips.

Cook 2 minutes or until the tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook 2 more minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Served slathered in butter and topped with maple syrup. Enjoy.

Place the lobsters in a large heavy pot. Cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer 10 to 12 minutes more. Drain and plunge into cold water to arrest further cooking. Extract the meat, chop it and set it aside.

Place the lobsters’ remains in a roasting pan with the onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves and butter. Roast in a preheated 400°F oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and strain off the butter into a heavy saucepan. Place the remaining contents of the roasting pan into the 2 quarts water and boil until the liquid is reduced by half. Strain the stock.

Heat the butter in the saucepan. Add the flour and cook the roux for 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the stock and blend well. Then add the cream, Sherry and brandy.

Simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Season with white pepper and salt to taste.

Strain the bisque and add the lobster meat.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

* 8 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
* 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
* 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 12 candy canes
* 3/4 cup miniature marshmallows
* Whole grated nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

Combine milk, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, nutmeg, and semisweet chocolate in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook 25 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. Serve with candy canes and marshmallows. Garnish with whole grated nutmeg, if desired.

It is the season to be making Christmas cookies. Whether they’re for your family, a cookie exchange, treats for the office or a gift, cookies of all shapes, sizes, and flavors are always a hit. If you haven’t started your baking yet this year, here are some tips from the folks at Gold Medal Flour to help make your cookie baking a success.

* Assemble ingredients and equipment before you start. Read through the entire recipe to make sure you have enough time for all of the directions. Also, bring your shortening and butter to room temperature, which could take about a half hour for refrigerated items.
* Use accurate measurements. Liquid measuring cups – usually made from glass or clear plastic with a pouring spout – are great for liquid ingredients, but graduated dry measuring cups give you the most accurate amount for flour or sugar. Use a spoon to add your Gold Medal flour to the cup, and level it off with the straight edge of a knife.
* Try chilling the cookie dough before rolling out and cutting shapes. Chilled dough is a bit stiffer – holding its shape better so you can transfer the cut shapes to your cookie sheet. This also works for cookies that are dropped on pans in rolled balls or spoonfuls. They won’t spread as much during baking.
* Keep the size of your cookies uniform. Whether rolling balls or spooning dough onto the cookie sheet, make sure that all cookies are the same size to ensure uniform baking. And make sure your cookie sheets are at least 2 inches narrower than your oven to allow the heat to circulate.
* Decorating cookies is easier with the right tools. If you have a decorating bag, adding frosting and icing to cookies is very easy. You can create your own by cutting off a tiny corner of a heavy plastic freezer bag to make a writing tip. Fill the bag with your icing and gently squeeze the icing down toward the hole.
* Store any uneaten cookies so that they last longer. Crisp and thin cookies store well in a container with a loose-fitting cover. And if humidity does soften them, crisp them up again in a 300 F. oven for three to five minutes. Soft cookies should be stored in a tightly covered container with a slice of bread to keep them soft.

* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
* 16 ounces canned tomato sauce
* 1 1/2 cups cooked mixed vegetables (peas, diced carrots and corn)
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mashed Potatoes:

* 5 russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 1/2 cups milk
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cornbread Crust:

* 1 (12-ounces) boxed cornbread mix

Directions

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute the onion in vegetable oil. When the onion is soft add the ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon and brown. Stir in tomato sauce and mixed vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the potatoes about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well and return to the pot. Whip the potatoes with an electric mixer until moderately smooth. Add milk, butter and sour cream and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Adjust consistency with more milk, if desired.

Follow directions on box to make cornbread batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease 6 (8-ounce) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

Spoon the mashed potatoes into the bottoms of each prepared ramekin, spreading them evenly with a rubber spatula. Then add the meat filling, spreading that evenly over the mashed potatoes. Pour the cornbread batter evenly over the meat layer in each ramekin.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the cornbread is cooked through and golden on top.

1 box Spice cake mix
1 15oz can pumpkin
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the cake mix and pumpkin till moist and smooth. Add chocolate chips. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

See how incredibly easy? It’s just amazing to me how someone figured this out… I got this recipe by word of mouth from my aunt.

Cinnamon Frosting

1/2 cup butter (melted)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Splash of milk if needed

Mix together until smooth and. Add more cinnamon if desired.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until mixture is light and creamy and the sugar has mostly been dissolved. Stir in milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and peppermint extracts. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into wet ingredients and whisk just until batter is smooth. Measure out one cup of batter and place it back in the medium bowl. Add red food coloring to this bowl and whisk to incorporate. Put a spoonful (approx 2-3 tsp) of the white batter into the center each cupcake paper and let it spread slightly on its own. Put a spoonful of red batter in the center of the white. It will push out the other batter and, as it sits for a moment, will also spread itself. Alternating spoonfuls of the two batters and trying to keep the amounts as even as possible (after the first layer, I used smaller amounts of red and white with each spoonful), repeat the technique until all the batter has been used up. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Choose Delightful, Easy-To-Prepare Dishes
Every party organizer knows how difficult it is to be involved in the party when the food preparation becomes the main focus. Instead of slaving over the stove with full course meals or complicated recipes, try serving a variety of simple yet sophisticated pre-made appetizers and desserts, such as the array of choices from the Nancy’s brand. Nancy’s bite-sized appetizers and desserts help you elevate any entertaining occasion with ease and convenience. They are simple to prepare and easy to serve – just thaw and serve or quickly warm them in the oven so you can focus on other “wow” details.

Imagine guests arriving at your holiday party with the smell of Petite Quiche wafting throughout the house, walking past the dessert table and picking up a chocolate or pecan tart to pop in their mouths or satisfying their taste buds with favorite appetizers like cheese souffle;, seafood crab cakes or deli spirals – all while you are enjoying the company of your guests rather than being buried in the kitchen preparing to serve them.

Personal Touches Make Guests Feel Welcome
Personalize the party for your guests. Adding small personal touches to the party takes some prep time, but it is an easy way to make guests feel warm and welcome in your home. Make mental notes about little personal details for each of your guests, and sprinkle these throughout the evening. For example, greet a friend with, “I’m so glad you’re here, I lit those cinnamon candles you love.”

Also, create one or two signature drinks of the evening and personalize them with a special name, such as “Tracey’s Taste of Tuscany” or “Patty’s Peppermint Twist.” With custom cocktails, you’ll be creating a fun environment for guests and can even consider skipping the mess, hassle and expense of a full bar. For even more personalization, offer customized drink menus featuring your selection of drink options. Print this on a 4 x 6 sheet of paper with the title of your party at the top: “Parsons’ Party Cocktail Menu.” Then, simply adhere it to a standard 5 x 7 colored card stock and you have an instant drink menu!

Turn Your Home into a Holiday Wonderland
Decorate like a professional while sticking on budget. Use everyday items already found in your household to add simple and inspired touches that will fit any holiday party. On tables, create visually appealing layers by turning bowls upside down, stacking linens or sturdy boxes to hold platters, center pieces and candles. Easily accent plates with edible garnishes like flowers, fresh cranberries, olives, herbs or a swish of pesto sauce or swirl of whipped cream. Add vases and candles throughout the home to set a warm ambiance.

For an added decorative flair, use elegant foil wrapping paper as a festive table runner, folding the sides for a nice clean, finished edge. You can also top the runner with a strand of berry garland for a festive touch. Also, wrap a coffee can in the same elegant wrapping paper and use as a vase to pull through the pattern and theme.

Provide Guests with a Keepsake
Organize keepsakes to help guests remember your party. Before the party, purchase miniature take-home boxes so you can send favorite appetizers or desserts home with each of your guests. Also during the party, snap a couple of photos with each of your guests and send the photos with an e-card or note afterward so they can remember the fun they had at the party.

Method 1
Spread apricot jam on the top of the cupcakes.
Place a selection of fruit and nuts onto the top of each cupcake such as walnuts, glace cherries in different colours, almonds, stem ginger,soft pieces of dates and prunes and cashews.
Drizzle warm apricot jam over the fruits and nuts to create a shiny glaze.
Serve

Method 2
Buy ready made marzipan or make your own.
Roll out and cut out a piece to fit the top of each cupcake.
Spread apricot jam on the top of each cupcake.
Place a circle of marzipan on the top of each cupcake.
Spread apricot jam on the top of the marzipan.
Place a selection of fruit and nuts on to the top of each cupcake.
Drizzle warm apricot jam onto the fruit and nuts to glaze.
Serve.

Method 3
Make butter cream by mixing together unsalted butter, icing sugar 1/2 and 1/2. Add some brandy to the butter cream.
Spread the butter cream onto each cupcake.
Add fruit and nuts and glaze with warm apricot jam.
Serve
I am sure these would be delicious cupcakes