Homemaking Tip – Recipes

Here are the three recipes – candied almonds, poppyseed dressing, and cupcakes – that I promised.

Candied Almonds

Combine 3 cups of chopped nuts (Ande used whole, raw almonds because Costco was out of slivered and sliced; the extra chunkiness of the whole chopped almonds made it a great substitution) with 2 cups of sugar in a frying pan.  Heat on medium heat.  Stir constantly until the nuts are coated in the melted sugar and are brown.  Watch and stir carefully so they don’t burn.  Spread the nuts on waxed paper or a slightly greased cookie sheet to cool and dry, then break apart and store in an airtight container. 

I have loved having these nuts in the freezer the last couple of weeks.  Calvin grabs a handful every time I open the bag to sprinkle them on salads or add to cookies.  Last night I co-hosted a bridal shower and we topped chocolate and caramel sundaes with them.  They are definitely nice having in the freezer.

Poppy-seed Dressing

For Ray/Cali and Abe/Grace’s receptions, we bought the salad dressing for the spinach salads from BYU-Idaho catering.  When my sister-in-law Krista ate the dressing at Abe and Grace’s reception, she said, “I have this recipe, my friend worked at BYU-Idaho catering.  Would you like it?”  Yes, please!  It costs 1/10 to make it as it does to buy it.

¾ Tbs poppy-seeds

1/3 cup white vinegar

¾ cup oil

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbs grated red onion*

¾ tsp salt

2 Tbs prepared mustard

Whirl all the ingredients in the blender.

* I really like chopped, fresh chives instead of the grated red onion; however you will have a green dressing instead of a yellow dressing if you use chives.

 Lindt Truffle Chocolate Cupcakes*

For being a self-proclaimed non-cook, I’ve gotten three great recipes from Jill.  (This has made me wonder if people who don’t like to cook aren’t maybe the best source for recipes as they have little tolerance for failures.)  This recipe is one of them:

1 box devils food cake*
1 box instant vanilla pudding (small box)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup sour cream
Milk chocolate Lindor truffles by Lindt ~ approximately 24

1. Unwrap milk chocolate Lindt truffles and place in a bowl for use later.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffins tins.
3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and water.
4. Sift in cake mix and mix well.
5. Stir in sour cream.
6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full.
7. Bake at 350 for five minutes.  After five minutes, lightly press a Lindt truffle into each partially baked cupcake.
8. Bake the cupcakes an additional 13 minutes (total of 18 minutes).
9. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place hot cupcakes directly into airtight containers so as to seal in the moisture.
10. Frost with cream cheese frosting. 

* We also made lemon cupcakes with a lemon cake mix and added white chocolate truffles – in a word (a very long word), “Yuuuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.”

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese

Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese.  Add salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  Mix well.