Make Ahead Potatoes

5 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 (8-oz) container sour cream
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese
1/2 Cup butter or margarine, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped onion or chives
1/4 to 1 TBS salt
1 tsp white pepper
Place potatoes in a large kettle, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and place in a large bowl. Add cream cheese, sour cream and 6 TBS of the butter; beat well. Add onion, salt and pepper, stir until mixture is smooth. Spread in a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Melt remaining 2 TBS butter and drizzle over the top. Refrigerate or bake immediately covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer. If potatoes are made ahead and refrigerated or frozen, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

Hash Brown Casserole

3 TBS oil
2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 cups cubed ham
10 eggs, beaten
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat oil in large skillet. Add hash browns, onion, and bell peppers. Cook until potatoes begin to brown. Apray 9" x 13" baking dish with Pam. Spread potato mixture in pan. Top with ham. Pour beaten eggs over all and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir to coat all ingredients with eggs. Sprinkle with cheese. Refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Lemon Curd

8 egg yolks
4 eggs
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 Cup lemon juice
1 Stick butter, cubed
In large pan, combine egg yolks, eggs, sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add butter and stir till melted. Chill before serving.

3-Day Coconut Cake

Ingredients

• 1 (18 ounce) package white cake mix
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 12 ounces frozen coconut, thawed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1The night before you make this cake, blend together the sour cream, coconut and sugar.

Separate 1 cup of mixture and place in a separate bowl; refrigerate both portions.

The next day, prepare cake mix as per instructions on the back of the box, in two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans; let cool

Using a long, serrated knife, split both layers in half horizontally, to end up with four layers.

Place one layer of cake on the plate of a cake stand or cake saver that has a top; spread all but the reserved 1 cup of coconut mixture between the layers.

Mix Cool Whip together with the reserved 1 cup coconut mixture.

Frost sides and top of cake with this mixture.

Cover the cake and place in the refrigerator.

Do NOT remove or eat for 3 days.

Swedish Roll-up Pancakes

4eggs
2 Cups milk
1 cup flour
In a bowl using a handmixer, mix all ingredients together until smooth. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Heat 10" saute pan until hot. Ladle in just enough batter to coat bottom of pan while tilting it around. Cook until top of pancake looks set. Flip it over and cook for 15 seconds. Turn it out onto dish