This column was originally published Feb. 17, 2012 in the Hamilton County Herald.
Other than being the “sweetest” month of the year, February holds many other surprises. Here are some sweet facts and some really sweet recipes!
February is:
Berry Fresh in the Sunshine State Month; National Snack Food Month; Canned Food Month; North Carolina Sweet Potato Month; Great American Pies Month; National Grapefruit Month; National Cherry Month; National Potato Month; Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month. (I’m not sure what this one is about, but if you have one, I’d say return it!)
Crispy Chicken Wings with Sweet and Sour Sauce
Wings:
Non-stick cooking spray
2-3 pounds chicken wings
1/3 cup grainy mustard
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sauce:
1 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup cider vinegar
Preheat oven: 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil; spray with cooking spray; set aside. Combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat just until sugar is melted; set aside.
Disjoint chicken wings, discard tips. Rinse; dry with a paper towel. In large bowl, combine mustard, oil, salt, pepper and cayenne; add chicken wings and toss to coat. Place wings on prepared sheet. Spray each wing with no stick cooking spray. Bake 25 minutes, turning once.
Remove from oven, increasing temperature to broil. Brush wings with Sweet and Sour Sauce; return to oven and broil about two minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Serve with remaining sweet and sour sauce for dipping.
Waffled Monte Cristo Sandwiches
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
16 slices firm white sandwich bread
8 deli-thin slices ham
8 deli-thin slices Swiss cheese
confectioners sugar
raspberry preserves, warmed
Preheat waffle iron on high until just beginning to smoke. Reduce heat to moderate and brush generously with butter. Making four sandwiches at a time, spread butter on one side of eight bread slices and turn slices over. Top four slices with one slice of ham, one slice of cheese, folding in any overhang, then top with remaining four buttered bread slices, buttered sides up. Cook sandwiches until bread is golden and crisp, four to six minutes. While this batch is cooking, assemble remaining sandwiches. Just before serving, cut each sandwich into triangles, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with warmed Raspberry Preserves for dipping.
Honey Nut White Fudge
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 ounce can evaporated milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups miniature marshmallows
12-ounce package white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups honey roasted peanuts, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Line nine-inch-square baking pan with foil. Combine sugar, evaporated milk and butter in medium saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4 1/2 to five minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallows, morsels, one cup of peanuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously until marshmallows are melted. Pour into prepared baking pan. Coarsely chop remaining peanuts. Sprinkle over fudge; press in. Refrigerate until firm. Remove foil; cut into squares.
Pecan Dreams
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup flour
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
Topping:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup almond toffee bits
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a nine-inch square pan. In a large bowl, stir together sugar and flour. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the cream cheese and butter into the sugar/flour mixture until crumbly. Press mixture into pan. Sprinkle pecans over top; bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool completely.
For topping, whip cream and sugar together until stiff. Fold in toffee bits; spread over cake. Cut into squares. Refrigerate.