Greetings and Welcome to Morte's Morsels!

Here you'll find new recipes every issue, everything from tried and true standards to new creations. I love to cook and was taught by a woman who defines the term domestic goddess, my mom. Most of my recipes are simple, home style and NOT low fat but they’re ALL taste.

Since we are in the midst of the holiday season and parties abound I thought recipes for simple, easy to make dishes to take to a gathering would be useful. Here is a brief synopsis of each recipe:

Mexican Dip
A slightly spicy, very filling, warm dip that's incredibly easy to make. I find this particular dish is a big hit during the chillier months.

Artichoke Dip
That fabulous artichoke dip you love so much in the restaurant is surprisingly easy to make!

Mini Pigs in a Blanket
This is so easy I don’t even know if you can call it a recipe! All you need are some miniature sausages, refrigerated crescent rolls and a little time

And just because I love to bake here’s some of my own holiday favorites in the cookie department:

Ginger Rounds
A less spicy version of traditional gingerbread these soft cookies are delectable.

Jam Thumbprints
My very favorite cookie, these are a melt in your mouth shortbread and can be made with any jam you like and in several variations. These are especially fun to make with children.

Phrangos (fer-ain-go-s)

Folks on the west coast may be familiar with the original, a chocolate melt-away found exclusively in one of the nicer department stores locally. For those who are not, this candy is the perfect blend of mint and chocolate and melts in your mouth. Kudos to my mom, she created this recipe years ago to mimic the original.

Mexican Dip

Ingredients:

1 can condensed cheese soup
1 can chili NO BEANS
1-2 cups CUBED cheese (Monterey jack works best)
1 jar salsa

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Stir together. Microwave for 20 minutes stirring every 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips. I usually serve this from a crock-pot to keep it warm.

Artichoke Dip 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

14 oz. can or jar of artichoke hearts
1-cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated Parmesan
Garlic powder to taste

Drain artichoke hearts well and chop. Add mayonnaise cheese and garlic powder stir until well blended. Transfer mixture to an oven safe dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with thinly sliced French bread.

Variation: Add ½ Cup thawed and well drained frozen spinach to mixture. Bake as above.

Miniature Pigs In Blankets 

Preheat oven according to dough package

1 package precooked inaptitude sausages
1-2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls cut into 3 by ½ inch pieces

Wrap each miniature sausage with a piece of crescent roll dough leaving the ends uncovered. Bake according to the instructions for crescent rolls. This dish is best served with good mustard.

Ginger Rounds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2 ¼ cups flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1-teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1-tablespoon water
¼ cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

Sift together: flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt

In a separate bowl cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg until well incorporated. Add water and molasses stirring well.

Gradually stir in the dry ingredients.

Roll dough into small balls and roll in remaining sugar.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten to about ½ inch (These cookies do spread so leave adequate room between them.)

Bake 8-10 minutes in an oven preheated to 350 degrees

Cool and store in airtight container.

Note: this dough refrigerates well for a day or two.

Jam Thumbprints

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1-cup margarine/butter
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 jar jam, any flavor you wish (raspberry, boysenberry, apricot and marmalade have all been used successfully)
1 cup finely chopped walnuts 
and/or
½ cup sesame seeds

Clean hands

Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add almond extract and blend. Stir in flour.

Roll dough into balls, roll balls in walnuts or sesame or leave plain

Place balls about 2 inches apart on unprepared cookie sheet.  Make a small depression by pressing your thumb into the dough. Spoon just enough jam to fill depression JUST TO THE TOP, overfilled cookies overflow in the oven and the jam burns, tastes bad, smells worse.

Bake 10-12 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Note: cookies do not brown anywhere but slightly along the bottom edges.

Variations: Do not fill with jam, instead roll in walnuts or sesame seed or leave plain and gently flatten for a plain shortbread (excellent with tea).

Phrangos

1-cup margarine
3 cups powdered sugar
4 eggs or 2 eggs (eggs may be excluded but I've never in 20-odd years gotten food poisoning from these)

Mix all above for a “very long time” or, until fluffy.

In a separate bowl combine:

4 cups chocolate chips (2 bags)
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons peppermint extract

Melt in the microwave for 30 seconds on a medium setting and stir well. PLEASE NOTE: chocolate holds its shape when melted; stirring will remedy this. If you have stirred the mixture for several minutes and it is not melted, return to the microwave for 10 seconds and stir again. If you microwave chocolate for more than 60 seconds it usually burns.

Let this mixture cool slightly (about 1 minute) and then beta into the sugar mixture until well blended.

Drop on to wax paper by the teaspoon (as in flatware teaspoon) and let set. Mixture should be slightly firm when set. Store in the fridge.

Variations: Substitute raspberry, orange or any other flavor extract for mint.