COOKIES AND CANDIES POPPYCOCK 1 cup halved pecans 1 cup blanched almonds 8 cups popcorn 1 cup butter 1-1/2 cups white or brown sugar 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 tsp cream of tartar or baking soda 1 tsp vanilla In a shallow pan, bake at 300F toast pecans and almonds. Set side to cool. In a very large bowl, combine pecans and almonds and popcorn. In a medium sized saucepan, mix sugar, butter, syrup. Cook to hard ball stage, 254F. Remove from heat, stir in baking soda or cream of tartar, if used, then vanilla. Pour over popcorn mixture. Toss with a buttered fork. Press onto a greased cookie sheet. Break in pieces when cooled and store in a plastic container in the freezer or refrigerator. It becomes sticky if kept at room temperature. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~    YULE LOG 4 cups         Rice Krispies cereal 1/2 cup           Peanut Butter 3/4 cup           Light Corn Syrup 1/2 cup           Butter or Margarine 1 dash         Salt 1 tsp.     Vanilla 12 ounces      Chocolate Chips -- melted In a large saucepan, combine butter, corn syrup and peanut butter, and cook over medium heat until butter is melted and ingredients are mixed well. Remove from heat, and add salt and vanilla. Mix well, then add rice krispies cereal to mixture and stir until all cereal is coated with mixture. Pour warm mixture into a wax paper lined 9 x 13 inch pan, and spread, then lightly pack with buttered hands, to form a flattened crust. Spread melted chocolate chips onto top of crust. You will need to work quickly to roll your yule logs. First, using a sharp knife, cut the crust down the center forming two separate squares of crust. Next, working from the center-out, roll the logs jelly roll style, toward the outer ends of the pan, making two separate yule logs. Tightly wrap logs for slicing later, or slice immediately, and place slices into a sealed container to retain softness. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GREEK HONEY NUT WEDGES 8 oz cream cheese softened 1/2c butter no substitutes, softened 2 T sugar 2 T milk 2 c flour 2/3 c sugar 1 1/2 t cinnamon 1/3 c honey 2 T lemon juice 2 c finely chopped walnuts Milk 1 T sugar 1/8 t cinnamon Beat cream cheese and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on med to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in 2 T sugar and 2 T milk. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir or knead in remaining flour. (If you are using a kitchen-aid there is no problem with this step). Divide dough into four portions. If necessary, cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or till easy to handle. (I eliminated this step and it worked just fine). Combine 2/3 c sugar, 1 1/2 t cinnamon, honey and lemon juice in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Set aside. Roll one portion of dough on a lightly floured surface into an 8 inch circle. Transfer the circle to an ungreased cookie sheet. Spread half of the nut mixture to within 1/2 inch of edges. Roll another portion of dough into an 8 in circle. Place over the nut topped circle. Seal edges with a fork. Brush with milk and sprinkle with a mixture of 1 T sugar and 1/8 t cinnamon. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or till edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes or longer. Cut each round into 12 wedges. Transfer onto wire racks to cool completely. Makes 24. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CHERRY CHEESE CUPCAKES 3pkgs. cream cheese (each 8 oz) 2/3 cup sugar 3 eggs 1 T. vanilla vanilla wafers 1 can cherry pie filling Line muffin pan with cupcake paper liners. Mix all ingredients except wafers and pie filling. Place a wafer in bottom of each cupcake paper. Fill 3/4 full of cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Cool and top with cherry pie filling (or blueberry- for blueberry cheese cupcakes). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOR THE PRESSURE COOKER: ROAST PORK 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon butter 2 1/2 pound boneless pork loin 1 small onion, sliced 1 small carrot, sliced 1 cup chicken stock, fat removed (or chicken broth) salt and pepper to taste 1 cup water Heat oil and butter in cooker for about 2 minultes. Add pork and brown evenly on all sides. Remove pork. To the remaining oil in cooker add onion and carrot. Stir fry for about 2 minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Add stock and water. Put trivet in cooker. Place pork on the trivet in cooker. Sprinkle salt and pepper over pork. Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 37 minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally. Open cooker. Place pork on serving dish and keep warm. Remove trivet. Discard carrots. Return cooker to medium heat and boil till liquid is reduced to half. Stirring occasionally. Serve pork hot accompanied with sauce. ______________________ And Dessert in a pressure cooker? Absolutely! APPLE AND DATE PUDDING 1 large apple, peeled, cored and chopped 1 1/2 cups seedless dates, cored and chopped 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup + 1 teaspoon sugar 3/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground 1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground 2 eggs 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 cups water In a bowl, mix apples, dates, walnuts and 1/2 cup sugar. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Sprinkle flour mixture over fruits and nuts. Toss till evenly coated. In a small bowl beat eggs with oil until well blended. Pour into prepared fruit mixture. Mix well. Sprinkle remaining sugar in a greased 1-quart mold. Spoon mixture into mold. Cover mold tightly with aluminum foil tied securely. Pour water into cooker. Put trivet in cooker. Place mold on trivet. Close cooker without pressure regulator. Cook on high heat until steam passes through steam vent. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, ensuring a steady stream of steam from vent. Place pressure regulator in position. Bring to full pressure on high heat. Reduce heat and cook for 40 minutes. Remove cooker from heat. Allow to cool naturally. Open cooker. Take out and uncover mold. Run a knife around the edge of the mold. Place a serving dish on top of mold and invert. Shake gently to release. Remove mold. Serve pudding hot or cold. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BENIHANA'S FRIED RICE 1 cup uncooked rice 5 Tbsp. butter 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped carrots 2/3 cup chopped scallions 3 Tbsp. Sesame seeds 5 Eggs 5 Tbsp. soy sauce Cook rice according to package directions. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onions, carrots & scallions & sauti until onions are clear. Set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees & place sesame seeds in a shallow pan & bake in oven until golden brown (10-15 minutes), shaking pan occasionally for even color. Lightly grease another skillet. beat eggs & pour into hot greased skillet & add the rice, vegetables, sesame seeds & soy sauce & cook as you would scrambled eggs, stirring often. Salt & pepper to taste. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~                                     VARIETY COOKIES 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons shortening 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 2 cups flour 3/4 cup sugar 2 Tablespoons of Milk 1 egg 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Cream shortening and sugar, Add egg,milk, and vanilla. Sift flour, salt and baking powder together and add. Mix Well. Roll dough out thin and cut with cutter. If dough is not stiff enough add a little more flour. Chilling the dough makes it easier to handle. Bake on oiled cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. For PECAN COOKIES add 1/2 cup chopped nuts to the dough For RASIN COOKIES add 2/3 cup rasins to dough For LEMON COOKIES add 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract and 1/2 teaspoon lemon rind to the dough. For CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES add 2/3 cup chocolate chips For SPICE COOKIES add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to the dry ingredients. For COCOA COOKIES add 1/4 teaspoon cocoa and 2 Tablespoons Milk to the dough.