Thank You for your donations, Jessica's family are closer to paying the nearly $8,000.00 funeral expenses. These wonderful people spent months right by that little angel's side in the hospital, giving up their jobs, to be with her in her last hours. Their funds are wiped out with the repeated trips to St. Louis, and the expense of caring for Jessica.These people have huge hearts, and have helped everyone around them.They are the ones who need help now. we still need to raise over 5.000 dollars. Here is the gofundme donation link
http://www.gofundme.com/xpb3kb3g

Roast a Perfect Turkey at 200*F. Overnight

Well, looks like I ran out of storage on blogger. I'll still post here, without photos, but I'm moving http://mygingerbreadmen.wordpress.com/  
Where my photo tutorials can be visible.

I started using Reynolds oven bags, for my turkeys, not long after they appeared, on the grocer's shelves. I was hooked immediately. Tender, juicy, and flavorful, the best roasted turkey, I ever tasted. There is no need for seasonings, or butter. Just stuff it, and pop it in a bag. If that wasn't enough, to sell me, I also wound up with a lot more, of turkey's rich broth, still in the bag, to make, The Best, noodles, and gravy.
Then, about 10 years ago, a friend told me, she bakes her turkeys at 200*F. overnight, and wakes in the morning, to a fully cooked turkey. I was a bit skeptical, at first, but I crossed my finger's, and gave it a try. Perfect!
Plus at that temperature, you don't have to worry about it burning, it could probably stay in the oven, for several more hours.
Now I have plenty of room, to bake the ham, breads, and sides, and have dinner ready before noon.
If you're like me, and cook for a humongous family. This is a life-saver! After I have been baking, all week, I'm ready to get this over with.

Chewy Brownies

Chewy Brownies

These are so good! But the recipe makes a lot. I only make brownies when I have a crowd to feed. I'm guessing, you could halve this, But I haven't tried it.
I've tried using butter, instead of oil, but they don't turn out as well.

Ingredients:
1cup flour
3cups sugar
1cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1tsp. baking powder
1tsp. salt
4eggs
2tsp. vanilla
1cup vegetable oil (I use corn oil)

Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Pour the egg mixture, into the cocoa mixture. Combine, using a fork, until no longer dry. Don't overmix.
Pour into a greased 11x15x2 baking pan.
Bake until the center is set, about 40-minutes.

Peppermint Thumbprints

Peppermint Thumbprints

My first cookie experiment, of the Holidays. I was looking for a way to make a soft, cake-like peppermint cookie. The flavor is great, with a soft, almost marshmallow-like texture, but the shape is not really uniform. Maybe I'll try these again, near Christmas, and pipe the cookie dough, for a better shape.

Cookie ingredients:
1/2cup strong coffee-cooled
2tsp. molasses
1tsp. vanilla
1egg
1-3/4cups flour
1/4cup dark chocolate cocoa
1/2tsp. baking soda
1/4tsp. salt
1/4cup brown sugar
4Tbl. cold butter

Peppermint layer:
1cup confectioners sugar
1tsp. mint extract
2Tbl. light corn syrup

You'll also need:
1cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Combine the ingredients, for the mint layer, stir or knead until smooth. Set aside.
For the cookies, whisk together the coffee, molasses, vanilla, and egg. Set aside.
Whisk together, the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter, working it in with your fingers, until there are no more large particles.
Stir the coffee mixture, into the flour mixture, until well combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Spoon dough, 1-teaspoon at a time, 2-inches apart.
Bake about 7-minutes, or until just set. Immediately, press the center of the cookie, with a spoon, or your finger, to make a depression, for the mint layer.
While still warm, roll 1/2-inch ball, of the mint mixture, and press it into the center of the cookie. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate, in the microwave, until melted and smooth.
Dip the top of the cooled cookies into the chocolate, and set aside, to harden.
Makes 3 dozen.

Roll the mint mixture, into 1/2-inch balls, while the cookie is baking. While the cookie is still warm, press a depression, into the center, then set one of the mint balls, in the depression. Flatten the mint layer. Cool completely.

After they have cooled, dip the top of the cookie, in melted dark chocolate. Cool until the chocolate hardens.