Oyster Dressing

Ingredients

1 loaf stale french bread

2 dozen Louisiana Oysters

1/2 # chicken or turkey liver

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 c. pecan meat

Pinch of sage

1 tsp thyme

1 c. cornmeal

2 eggs beaten

3 medium onions chopped

2 cups chopped celery

3 tsp butter or oil

Break bread into small pieces, soak in strained oyster juice. Squeeze out extra juice, mix in cornmeal. Saut� onion, celery, chopped liver, nuts, thyme, and sage in 3 tsp butter until the onions clear. Mix in cornmeal/bread mixture and mix well. Season to taste with salt and peppers, chop large oysters or add small ones, remove from fire, add 2 beaten eggs.

Bake at 350� until the internal temperature reaches

DRIED APRICOTS WRAPPED IN BACON

8 slices bacon (about 1/2 pound)

24 dried apricots

Toothpicks (soaked in water or fruit juice at least 15 minutes) Preheat broiler. Cut each slice bacon into 3 pieces. Wrap each apricot

with a piece of bacon & secure with a toothpick. On a baking sheet broil apricots 4 inches from heat about 5 mins. or till the bacon is

brown. Remove from pan & turn apricots over then broil additional 5-10 mins. till brown. Drain on paper towels.

BOURBON BALLS (real easy to make & delicious to eat)

3 cups pecans

8 cups vanilla wafers

1/3 cup cocoa

3 cups confectioners sugar

3/4 cup bourbon

1/3 cup light corn syrup

1 cup confectioner's sugar

In food processor bowl, working in batches grind pecans till fine but don't make a paste. Remove to a large bowl. Do same with vanilla wafers & add to the nuts.  Stir cocoa & 3 cups confectioner's sugar onto nut mixture, combine well. Add bourbon & corn syrup & mix well. Form into quarter size balls & dredge in remaining confectioner's sugar. Best when a few days old (age them in the fridge)

SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD COOKIES (really buttery and delicious)

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

2-1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350. In medium bowl, whisk sugars. In a larger bowl cream butter & sugars till light & fluffy. With fingers mix in flour till mixture holds together.  Measure 2 level teaspoons dough & knead by flattening between palms & then rolling it into a 1 inch ball. Place each ball on cookie sheet, flattening with fork or bottom of a glass lightly moistened with water. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or till pale golden. Cool

Most fruits are great dipped in chocolate, they need not be covered in chocolate entirely. You can buy chocolate coating or just melt your own chocolate in the microwave with a little crisco. Stir chocolate a couple of times while melting on Hi. Then cover your tray with waxed paper & dip the fruit. You can then roll in pistachios or almonds & refrigerate till chocolate is set.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE (with variations)

2 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

2-1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa

2 tsp vanilla

2 Tbs unsalted butter

In small heavy saucepan over high bring water & corn syrup to boil.  Lower heat, cover & simmer 2 mins. then remove from heat. Stir in cocoa, add vanilla & butter, mixing well. pour into sterilized jars & refrigerate.

VARIATIONS:

For mocha sauce. Add 2 Tbs powdered, instant espresso to water OR replace 1 cup water with 1 cup very strong coffee.

Chocolate Orange Sauce: Replace vanilla with 2 Tbs Grand Marnier

Creamy Chocolate Sauce: Replace 1 cup water with 1 cup light cream

Chocolate Peppermint Sauce: Replace vanilla with 1/2 tsp peppermint extract.

NOTE: Use your imagination and what your taste buds like. You can flavor the sauce with Irish Cream