Date-Nut Meringue Balls

1 cup chopped dates, finely ground

½ cup walnuts, finely ground

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 egg whites

2/3 cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Red & green food coloring

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine dates, walnuts, and vanilla in small bowl; mix well. Shape into 3/4” balls. Place in refrigerator for 10- to 20-minutes.

In small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla, and divide into half or more. Tint one part green, one red and so on until all meringue is tinted used. Drop balls one at a time into meringue; coat well and remove. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Use the back of a spoon to swirl the top of each date-nut meringue ball.

Position rack to the middle of the oven. Bake at 200º for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn oven off and leave door closed for 1 to 2 hours.

Yield: 4-dozens


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Homemade Cracker Jacks

One fun way to jazz up a  Halloween party for any age is to serve good ole' fashioned cracker jacks made from scratch & served in seasonal food safe to-go boxes. This snack is completely safe for those who are gluten free intolerant/celiac.

1 bag Orville Redenbacher popped popcorn
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups salted peanuts

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray large roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Place popped popcorn in large mixing bowl; set aside.

3. Place softened butter in large sauce pan over medium heat. When butter melts, add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium low and continue to simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda. Add peanuts and pour mixture over popped popcorn. Stir to coat popcorn thoroughly. Pour coated popcorn into prepared roasting pan.

5. Place roasting pan filled with coated popcorn in preheated oven. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until popcorn is a golden brown and caramel has set.

6. Cool completely; break into clumps and serve. Popcorn will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Servings: 8
Yield: 2 1/2 quarts

Homemade Cracker Jacks

Total Time: 1 hour and 50 minutes

Oven Temperature: 250°F

Nutrition (per serving): 682 calories, 363 calories from fat, 42.7g total fat, 38.2mg cholesterol, 633.2mg sodium, 438.6mg potassium, 70g carbohydrates, 4.7g fiber, 48.2g sugar, 13.8g protein.

Recipe Type: Appetizer, Finger Foods, Gluten Free, Holiday, Snack, Vegetarian

Source
Author: Dr. Jacquelyn P. Horne
Copyright: 2011

Homemade Cracker Jacks

Apple & Pear Waldorf Salad

Delicious & refreshing any time of the year. We had a similar version @ Deerpark Restaurant located on the property of the Biltmore Estate.

2 large tart red apples, unpeeled, cored and diced
1 large pear, unpeeled, cored and diced
1/2 teaspoon ascorbic-citric powder
1/2 pound seedless green grapes, cut into halves
1 cup walnut pieces, toasted
1/2 cup celery finely chopped
1/2 cup currants
1/4 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream

Place diced apples & pear in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with ascorbic-citric powder. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Servings: 8                          Total Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 235 calories, 116 calories from fat, 13.6g total fat, 5.7mg cholesterol, 66.5mg sodium, 337.6mg potassium, 29.4g carbohydrates, 4.2g fiber, 21.4g sugar, 3.4g protein.


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