Chalet Orange Souffle
Bertha Henshaw - Chalet Suzanna, Lake Wales Circa 1970
1 cup milk
1/6 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
2 tablespoons butter
6 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 cup orange sections marinated in Orange Curacao or Kirsch Liquor
confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon orange extract
Orange Sauce:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 pint whipped cream
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1. Bring milk to a boil with sugar. Add corn starch which has been mixed with a little water, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from fire.
2. Add butter, yolks and 1 teaspoon of orange extract.
3. Lastly, add the stiffly beaten whites of 8 eggs.
4. Lay the well-drained orange sections in mold in an attractive pattern, pour mixture into mold.
5. Bake in 300 degree oven. When about done, sift confectioners sugar over top and glaze quickly in oven. (souffle will jiggle in the middle and be firm around the edges when done.)
Orange sauce:
Combine egg yolks, sugar and salt. (We are assuming over a low heat to dissolve the sugar and thicken the yolks) Add orange extract to whipped cream and combine with egg yolk mixture at the last moment. (Recipe didn’t clarify how to make the sauce, please share if you know!)
Christmas Wreath Cookies
M.J. Carnevale, Winter Haven Deputy City Manager
1/2 stick of butter
4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups Corn Flakes
green food coloring
red hot candies or red M&M's
a little vegetable oil (or similar oil)
1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the marshmallows and continue cooking (and stirring) until melted.
2. Turn the heat off and add green food coloring until the marshmallows are a nice Christmas-y green.
3. Mix in Corn Flakes little by little stirring as you go until they are well coated and green. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool until you are able to handle the mixture.
4. Coat hands lightly in oil to help minimize sticking. Shape a small handful of the cornflake mixture into a small flat circle (wreath shape) with a small indentation in the middle. Place the shaped wreath onto a piece of wax paper to finish cooling. Continue shaping wreaths until mixture is all gone.
5. Place one red hot or red M&M in the center of each wreath. Enjoy.
“This was a tradition started by my grandmother, and is something my mom and dad made with my sister and I when we were kids, and is something my sister, my wife, and I still make whenever we get together for the holidays. They are delicious, quick, and a little messy to make, but the messiness adds to the fun. More than just a sweet treat, these are an activity that is a quintessential part of the holiday spirit in the Carnevale household.”
Coconut Caramel Pie
Julie Townsend, Executive Director LDDA Lakeland
Crust:
1 cup flour
1 stick melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
14 ounce can sweetened condesed milk
16 ounces Cool Whip
Topping:
1/4 cup butter
7 ounces coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
caramel sauce
1. Mix together the crust ingredients, press into a pie plate. Bake crust for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.
2. Beat the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Fold in Cool Whip.
3. For the topping, melt butter, add the coconut and pecans, let brown.
4. Once the crust is cooled, layer filling and then cooked coconut topping. Drizzle caramel (from a jar) over top. Cover and freeze.
Fancy Farms' Finest
Dee Dee Grooms, Lakeland
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 can condensed milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 large container of whipped topping
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 quart mashed Florida strawberries - add sugar to taste if desired
3 (8”) graham cracker pie shells
1. Beat condensed milk, cream cheese and lemon juice until well blended.
2. Fold in whipped topping.
3. Fold in chopped pecans.
4. Add crushed strawberries and gently fold into mixture.
5. Pour into graham cracker pie shells.
6. Chill for 2 hours. Garnish with whole or sliced strawberries on top before serving. Store in refrigerator. Makes 3 pies or 24 servings.
“Fancy Farms is a 140-acre Strawberry Farm in Plant City Fl. Strawberry Season in Plant City is from Thanksgiving to Easter. There are over 12,000 acres of strawberries grown in the Plant City area. Fancy Farms celebrated 50 years last year. We are honored to be the stewards of God’s land.”
Pistachio Cake
Brad Dantzler, Winter Haven City Commissioner
1 box white cake mix
1 box instant pistachio pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Glaze:
1/3 cup water
2 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil and water until well blended. Pour into lightly greased sheet cake pan; glass works better than tin. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes.
2. While cake is baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. After the cake has baked for 30 – 35 minutes, just as the top is beginning to brown a bit, pull it from the oven and poke holes (lots) in top with a fork. Spread the sugar mixture evenly over top and bake 5 – 8 minutes more. Serve warm. It will totally melt in your mouth, enjoy!
Mommas Marvelous Microwave Fudge
Momma Ashley Rose, Rose Dynasty Foundation
1 cup smooth peanut butter – avoid natural peanut butter if you can.
1 pound powdered sugar
1 stick salted butter – I recommend salted butter, but if you’re using unsalted butter, add ½ teaspoon salt to mixture.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract – you can use fresh vanilla extract if you like, but use less, as it can be stronger.
1. Grease or line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. Alternatively, use a foil disposable pan.
2. Melt stick of butter and cup of peanut butter in the microwave in a medium- to large-sized microwave-safe bowl, until butter is just melted. Add vanilla and stir until uniform. Add sugar and stir until smooth. If there are lumps, microwave mixture for 10-15 seconds at a time — stirring between each time — until lumps dissolve.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 1/2 hours, until set. Slice.
Alternative Recipe:
1. Allow fudge to set. After 2 1/2 hours in the fridge, remove fudge.
2. Melt 1-2 cups chocolate in the microwave. Pour melted chocolate on fudge and spread evenly with spatula or butter knife.
3. Dust sea salt on top of chocolate.
4. Pop fudge back in refrigerator for 30 mins to an hour. Slice.
5. Enjoy fudge. Remember you’re loved, accepted, and wanted while you enjoy your sweet treat.
Spookies & Cream Crunch Treat
Jasmine Simmons, Lakeland
8 cups rice cereal
28 oreos
1 cup white chocolate chips
16 ounces mini marshmallows (reserve two cups)
14 ounces condensed milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
gel dye
festive decoration of your choice
1. Start by lining a 9 x 13 pan with aluminum foil. Be sure to grease the bottom and sides of your tray for easy removal, both from the pan itself and the bar treats.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add rice cereal. Next, crumble the Oreos individually into large pieces. They break down as the mixture comes together so keep them big.
3. In a separate bowl reserve one cup of white chocolate chips and two cups of marshmallows. These are our inclusions. They will be added in after the initial mix to avoid melting. When we do this, it reveals a cross section with pockets of ooey-gooey cookie, cream, and marshmallow.
4. On the stove top, slowly melt the butter in a large pot. Once melted, add your bag of marshmallows and begin stirring continuously. When your mixture is homogeneous, add in the condensed milk and stir together.
5. Now we’re gonna add some finishing touches to the marshmallow mixture. Start by adding the salt to balance the sweetness. Then add your gel food dye. Add the vanilla last. This helps to preserve the essence from being evaporated.
6. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared dry ingredients. Remember to withhold your inclusions from earlier. Stir until fully incorporated, scraping the bottom for dry bits.
7. I suggest gloving up for the final steps. The mixture will still be warm when you add the white chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. With your hands, scoop upwards and rotate in the cardinal directions until ingredients are fully incorporated.
8. Packing in the rice treat is a breeze when using gloves. Press the sides and corners first to help create a defined boundary. Work towards the center and back out to the corners. Then we press and pack to form one solid bar. The goal is to crush the pieces together.
9. Lastly, cover tightly and freeze for 45 minutes. To ensure a sharp cut line, I divide the treats when they are cold.
10. Double wrap any leftovers. These require airtight storage. For best results, I suggest making them fresh for your occasion. Jasmine Simmons is a Lakeland baker, who enjoys baking up wildly delicious food.
“I got my start baking professionally with Mitchell’s Coffeehouse, where I quickly learned and grew to become a head baker. I toiled away with Honeycomb Breadbakers, as an artisan bread baker. Now, I am the newest member of the team at Bandidas Bakeshop. My career path in baking has become a journey back to myself and my childhood passions. Of which, this recipe is inspired. Now that I’m older they’ve become a holiday staple. Which has evolved from family tradition to friends. It can easily be doctored to fit any occasion. My lifelong pal and I make them every Halloween. Whether we’re together or states apart, it’s become a tradition of celebrating our connection.”
George Burr's Date Macaroons
Josephine G. Burr circa 1970
2 sticks melted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pecans, broken
1/2 cup currants or ground raisins
4 cups uncooked oatmeal
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups flour
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pund dates, chopped
1. Add sugar to melted butter, beat until creamy. Add combined soda & hot water into butter mixture and mix.
2. Add coconut and oatmeal, cup by cup, well beaten egg yolks, pecans, raisins, and dates. Stir flour in slowly as mixture is thick and hard to handle, but persevere. Add baking powder to last of flour. Do not use the full 2 cups of flour unless needed. If mixture is too thick to drop from a spoon at the end of second cup of flour, use liberal measure of vanilla.
3. Fold in beaten egg whites and drop small amounts onto well greased cookie sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Sometimes it takes a minute or so longer for well formed, brown cookies.
5. Remove from pan at once as they will break if left to cool on pan. Store in air tight tins or jars and put wax paper between layers as they will be a bit sticky.
“This recipe began as a simple oatmeal cookie, but my husband, whose hobby was cooking, made this recipe from it. Very Delicious.”
Pecan Balls
Wendy Whitehead-Venters, Whitehead Construction
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup pecans, finely chopped powdered sugar
1. Mix the first 3 ingredients together. Add flour and pecans. Form/roll into small balls.
2. Bake on parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees until brown. (about 15 minutes)
3. Roll in powdered sugar while hot, twice.
“This is MY all-time favorite childhood Pecan Ball recipe that my mom still makes for me and my siblings and our children each year. Every year, she says it will be her last year making them, and then we beg her (she secretly loves this) to make them just one more year. In years past, she would drop off batches to one of us to pass along to our kids and siblings’ families, but weirdly, in transit, a few containers would get lost, and someone would get blamed for eating someone else’s, so now Mom hand delivers them to us during the Christmas holiday.”
Norma's Black Bottom Sweet Potato Pie
Prima Yawa, Winter Haven
3 large, orange fleshed sweet potatoes
8 tablespoons butter, melted
3/5 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
your favorite pie dough
1. Roll out the pie dough into a 13-inch circle and 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch pie pan and gently fit dough in. Trim the dough to leave a 1-inch overhang. Gently fold the dough under itself so the edge is flush with the edge of the pan. Flute the dough, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the filling.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and reduce the heat to medium, cook until tender. Drain and run under cold water until cool enough to handle.
3. Peel the potatoes and place in a medium bowl. Mash with electric mixer until very smooth. Measure out 3 cups of potatoes, keeping the extra for another use.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Uncover pie shell, brush interior with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the bottom of the pie shell. Bake until dough is set and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. If the pie shell puffs, do not prick it.
6. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on low speed, mix the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, half-and-half, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spread into partially baked pie shell.
7. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake pie until knife inserted in the center comes out clean about 90 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Spritz Cookies
Jane Martin, Winter Haven City Librarian
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs & vanilla. Gradually blend in flour, baking powder & salt. Chill the dough.
2. Fill the cookie press and press dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle colored sugar on top of cookies.
3. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
“The only thing I make every year are the cookies. It is a recipe I have had since my childhood.”
Best Ever... Sugar Cookies for Holiday Gifts
Jane Mcginnis, Winter Haven
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
4 eggs
\1 teaspoon vanilla
5 cups lour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1. Beat sugar and butter together until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla and stir in remaining ingredients.
2. I like to refrigerate the dough for a bit and then roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut in shapes with cookie cutter, place on baking sheets that have been covered with parchment paper.
3. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 6 – 8 minutes. Cool on wire rack and then have fun decorating these delicious treats.
“I have been baking these for every one of the 62 years we have been married.”
