Fondant

1 cup cream

½ cup milk

4 cups sugar

3 Tbsp corn syrup

Heat cream and milk in large pan till just before a boil. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add corn syrup. Wash the sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Stir to boil. Stop stirring and cook to 242 degrees (takes about 12 minutes). Pour onto marble slab or buttered cookie sheet. Do not scrape pan! Cool for about 40 min. Beat in Bosch with 2/3 stick of softened butter with dough hook till fondant turns white. Takes about 15-20 min. Flavor with orange peel, lemon peel, cherry extract, vanilla, peppermint extract, etc. Roll in small balls and dip in chocolate. Makes 125-140 balls.

-Sheila Madsen

Lion House Rolls

2 c warm water

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk ( I substitute Lactaid for water and milk so my family can have this)

2 T yeast

¼ cup sugar

2 t salt

1/3 cup butter

1 egg

5-51/2 cups flour

Combine milk and water until dissolved. Add yeast, sugar, salt, butter, egg, 2 cups flour.

Mix on low speed until mixed then increase to medium for 2 minutes. Add 2 more cups flour and repeat,

mixing on low then medium. Remove to mix additional flour by hand until dough is soft, not sticky or stiff.

Let rise in greased covered bowl until double in size. Roll out and shape rolls as desire. Place on greased

Cookie sheets and let rise again 1-11/2 hours. Bake 375 15 minutes.

-Becky LeDosquet

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Graham Cracker Crust: 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup butter, melted Filling: 2 8oz pkgs cream cheese softened 1 3/4 cups sugar 3 large eggs 1 cup cooked and pureed fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 1/2 tsp vanilla 1/4 tsp salt 6 oz semisweet chocolate, cut up 2 Tbsp. butter 1 1/4 cups dairy sour cream 1/4 cup sugar Grated fresh nutmeg

Instructions: Lightly grease a 13x9x2 baking pan, set aside. For crust: In a large bowl mix crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter; mix thoroughly. Press evenly in bottom of prepared pan: set aside. 2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. For filling: In a large bowl beat together cream cheese and the 1 3/4 cups sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in the pumpkin, spice, vanilla, and salt. Pour 1 1/4 cup of the filling into a medium bowl. Set both bowls aside. 3. In a small saucepan over very low heat melt the chocolate and the butter, stirring frequently until smooth. Stir melted chocolate into the 1 1/4 cup reserved filling. Carefully spread chocolate mixture evenly over crust. Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Slowly and carefully pour remaining pumpkin filling over baked chocolate layer; spreading evenly. 4. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until mixture is slightly puffed around edges and just set in the center. Remove from oven; cool 30 minutes. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Cover; let stand at room temperature until pan cools. 5. Gently spread the sour cream layer over bars. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before cutting. Sprinkle lightly with freshly grated nutmeg just before serving. Keep refrigerated. -Julie Snelders

Sweet Potato Souffle

• 9 cups (3 lg cans) sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (save a little liquid)
• ¼ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup butter, soft
• ¾ cup sugar

Cream the butter and sugar. Add potatoes and mix. Add milk, eggs, vanilla, and a little liquid if needed. Sprinkle topping. Bake at 350 in 9x13 pan 30-40 minutes.

Topping:

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour

Mix all together.

--Sheila

HALLOWEEN CANDY COOKIES

3-2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 to 3 cups chopped candy bits (such as Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, Heath Bars, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers, jelly beans, M&Ms, Lifesavers) (I used M&Ms, whoppers, milky way, and hershey's chocolate bars--they were really good)

1. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Beat butter and sugars together with a mixer until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in candy bits.

3. Preheat oven to 350F.

4. Drop dough by tablespoons onto baking sheet. (The recipe said to bake for 15-20 minutes. I baked for 10 and they were done, but I do have a convection option on my oven.) Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This recipe was in an insert in the Seattle Times called Celebrating America's Love of Food.

--Shelly Smith

Roasted vegetables

2 large potatoes cubed
2 stalks celery cubed
1 medium onion cubed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 large carrots cubed

1/2 cup water
1 chicken broth bullion cube
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

I chop the vegetables and place them all in a baking dish. You can use any amount, and any kind of vegetable you like to fill the baking dish. I then drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetable, dissolve the bullion cube in the 1/2 cup of water, add the garlic, and pour over the vegetables. I add salt and pepper to the top and then bake in the over at 425 degrees for about an hour.

-Mia Roberts

Black Beans and Rice

2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups long grain rice
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large green or red pepper, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon)
2 15-ounce cans black beans, undrained
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup sliced scallions (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, combine 4 cups of water with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Bring to boil. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. In a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, green or red pepper, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, and remaining salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes; remove the bay leaves. Spoon the beans over the rice and sprinkle with the scallions, if desired. Serve warm.

-Mia Roberts