Millionaire Salad!!!

Remember the recipe for Millionaire Pie?  That rich and wonderful concoction we've been making since at least the 1970's in the south and serve mostly for holidays!    I decided to make it one day and then realized that I didn't have any graham crackers for the crust, so I thought why not make it a salad!   You know those sweet 'salads' we love to make for holidays , potlucks, church suppers, or just because in the south!!! 

I must say, the results were wonderful.  I am not a huge fan of these sorts of recipes sometimes, because they are heavy on fruits I cannot or don't eat that much and even I loved this one!   My daddy said it was one of the best things he's eaten in a long time and he's a picky one at times! 

It's also super easy which is always  a good thing!     This is perfect for the holidays and all ages seem to love it!

Here is what you will need for this:

1 (8 oz.) block of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 (20 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, drained well
1 (16 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1  1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped and divided
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped (leave a few whole to garnish the top)

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until combined.  Beat in the vanilla.  With a large spoon, stir in the crushed pineapple.

Fold in the whipped cream and miniature marshmallows.  Add 1 cup of the pecans or walnuts, reserving the other half cup to garnish the top.   Add the chopped maraschino cherries.

Pour into a large serving bowl and garnish the top with some of the whole cherries and the other half cup of pecans or walnuts!!!  Chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight and then serve!  This serves 8 - 10 people easily! 

If you are interested in making the Millionaire Pie, here you go! It's also pretty wonderful!!!  Click on the recipe name and it takes you to the recipe!   Enjoy!!!

Cherry Kiss Cookies!!!

I love chocolate covered cherries so when I saw the recipe for these little yummies, I knew I wanted to make them.  I also thought they would make a perfect cookie for Valentine's Day!!!  My first attempt with the recipe, as written, was a mess.  It looked like one of those "Pinterest fail" memes.  I knew, in my heart, when I was making these by the recipe, as written, it didn't seem right, but the pictures were so pretty and picture perfect...lol!!!   Anywho,  I reconfigured the whole mess, and now it works well and is delicious!!!  

  This is why, I will not post a recipe that I recommend to you, without us making it first!   Many of you have told me how the recipes on the internet are so unreliable and I totally agree!!!  Even some from some of the 'famous' cooks who are on TV and have huge followings I have had to reconfigure to make work, which tells me they couldn't have made those recipes themselves or they would have known they don't work.  

My point is, please know, that I try to never do that to you all!  If it is  not an old tried and true family recipe, we make some of these recipes more than once, to get them just right!!!  You can trust them if you follow the guidelines!

Here is what you will need:

3/4 cups butter, softened to room temperature  (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbs. maraschino cherry juice
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp. cherry flavoring (optional for more cherry flavor)
3-4 drops red food coloring (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
30 chocolate Kisses or one for each cookie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick foil and spray lightly with nonstick baking spray.   These cookies can stick if you don't do this.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together.  Add eggs one at a time and mix.   Add the cherry juice, almond flavoring and cherry flavoring.  The cherry flavoring is optional if you like a very cherry flavored cookie.   The cherry juice and cherries give these a light cherry flavor!   The food coloring is also optional for a more vibrant pink color.    I left it out and you can see mine are still pink just not as bright.

Add the flour one cup at a time along with the baking soda and salt.  You can use self rising flour also and skip the baking soda and salt, if that is what you have on hand.   Do NOT skip it with All Purpose flour or the cookies will fall flat.

Mix in the chopped cherries last.   It is best to refrigerate this dough for one hour before baking.  The cookies set up better.  While the dough is chilling unwrap the Kisses so they are ready to go.

When the dough is chilled, scoop out and form into one inch balls all the same size and place one inch apart on cookie sheets. I used a small cookie scoop for this and it worked perfectly.   Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.   These bake really fast so watch them carefully.  When they are done.  Remove and allow to cool for just a few minutes, about 4 or 5 tops, then press a Kiss in the middle of each cookie. You can use any Kisses candies you prefer...milk chocolate, dark chocolate, the Hugs would be great!

Let them cool on the cookie sheets completely before removing to a platter with a spatula.