The Skye Trilogy: Isle of Skye, Isle of Night, and Isle of Dawn. * Bonus: Scrumptious Skye Confections Cookbook* (124 page)

Apple Turnovers

Double Chocolate Chunk Andes Candy Cookies

Granny Winnie’s Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nectarine Pound Cake

Chocolate Ganache Cake

Queen Sidra’s Lemon Tea Cakes

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Polly’s Nutty Baklava

Petit Fours

Lemon Curd Tartlets

Apple-Blueberry Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie

Mimi’s Homemade Blueberry Pie

Peanut Brittle

Chocolate Mascarpone Cups

Starters, Soups, Salads & Sides                               

Dips!

I love a good dip, in fact sometimes I am perfectly content to just make a few for dinner and munch. I’m including several different varieties featuring artichokes because I love them, and it’s my freaking book! I also wanted to include my recipe for homemade onion dip and can I just say that once you make this, you will never buy a powdered onion mix again!

Homemade Onion Dip

2 TBLS.
Olive oil

1-½ cups of minced onions

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1-½ cups of sour cream

¾ cup of mayo

1 tsp. hot sauce

¼ tsp. each of garlic powder, pepper and salt

Directions:

1)
      
In a sauté pan, warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and ¼ tsp. salt. Cook until onions are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add cooled onions.

2)
     
Refrigerate and stir before serving.

Spinach, artichoke and roasted red pepper dip

1 TBLS. of butter

½ cup chopped onion

1 (6oz.) jar of marinated artichoke hearts, drained

¼
cup roasted red peppers

5 oz. fresh baby spinach

¼ cup of half-half cream

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup of sour cream

½ cup Italian cheese blend, divided

½ tsp. salt and pepper

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions:

1)
      
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 2-cup baking dish with cooking spray

2)
     
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender, about eight minutes. Add artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers and cook for two minutes. Add the spinach in two batches, letting first-batch wilt before adding the second. Cook until spinach is wilted.

3)
     
Strain mixture, pressing to release all liquids; set aside

4)
     
In the same pan, warm half-half over medium-high heat. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream. Cook until cream cheese is melted, and mixture is smooth. Add spinach mixture and ¼ cup of cheese, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

5)
     
Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with pita chips or toasted baguette chips.

Toasted Baguette Chips

1/2 loaf of French bread, sliced ¼ inch thick

½ cup butter, melted

Garlic salt & parsley, to taste

Directions:

1)
      
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside

2)
     
Brush both sides of bread with butter. Sprinkle with garlic salt and parsley. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Hello everyone! I am so happy that Willa is doing this, and I knew I had to put this recipe in her cookbook. I have been making this appetizer for years, and I’m sure it will be gobbled up just as fast as when I make it for parties. ~ Cecily

Mom’s Cheesy artichoke Dip

14 oz. of marinated artichoke hearts, drained

¾ cup mozzarella cheese

¾ cup parmesan cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

4 oz. green chilies, drained

Directions:

1)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2)
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour into a greased 2-cup baking dish.

3)
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips. I personally like Frito Lay Scoops for this dip!

Hot Crab Dip

3 TBLS.
butter

2-medium shallots, minced

¾ tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 ½ tsp. dry mustard

¾ cup half-half cream

8 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes

4 oz. grated extra sharp cheddar cheese

3 TBLS.
lemon juice

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

10 oz. crab meat

½ cup fresh parsley

2 slices of white bread, crust removed and torn into 1-inch strips

½ tsp. paprika

Directions:

1)
      
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2)
     
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and add shallots, cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 TBLS. water and simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in cayenne, Old Bay seasoning, and dried mustard. Add half-half and bring to a simmer. Slowly add cream cheese chunks and stir until well incorporated. Whisk in cheddar; stir for two minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and Worcestershire. Gently fold in crab meat and half of parsley.

3)
     
Transfer mixture to a greased baking dish and sprinkle with bread pieces. Dot bread with remaining butter, parsley and paprika.

4)
     
Bake for 18-20 minutes

Hey, Chicas and Chico’s! I’m a wood Nymph, so I love me some mushrooms. Willa doesn’t dig on fungi, but I told her that she had to include my simple stuffed mushroom recipe.

Catch ya on the flip side ~ Polly

Polly’s Stuffed Mushrooms

8 oz. bacon

½ cup finely minced onion

1-clove garlic, minced

16 oz. of white button mushrooms

4 oz. cream cheese

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1)
      
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon into small pieces and cook in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and let drain on a paper towel. Reserve 2 TBLS. of bacon drippings and discard the rest.

2)
     
Remove mushroom stems from caps and chop into small pieces. In the same pan bacon was cooked, sauté onion with reserve bacon drippings for two minutes. Add the garlic and cook two more minutes. Add chopped mushroom caps to mixture and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and slowly add cream cheese and parmesan. Stir well and add bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

3)
     
Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes. Stuff mushrooms with mixture and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

4)
     
* You can also add tiny shrimp or lump crabmeat to the mixture*

5)
     
Enjoy and long live the fungi!

During the Fae’s visit to the Isle of Skye (which ended so well...Not) my fairy grandparents came over to my house for brunch. Since that visit, the one thing they always request I make is my wrapped asparagus appetizer.

Prosciutto- Wrapped Asparagus

12 jumbo asparagus spears, trimmed

12 thin prosciutto slices

1 TBLS.
fresh parsley

1 tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp. of salt and pepper

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1)
      
In a large saucepan, cook asparagus spears in boiling water for 1 minute or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge asparagus into ice water to stop the cooking process. Let stand until cooled, about 20 minutes. Remove from ice water and pat dry.

2)
     
Wrap each asparagus spear with a prosciutto slice. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with parsley, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Serve with olive oil.

This is another recipe of my mom’s that is a total crowd pleaser.

Cecily’s Sautéed Shrimp with a Holy Moley Spicy Aioli dipping sauce

1 lb. raw medium size shrimp

1 TBLS. olive oil

Aioli

1-cup low-fat mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBLS. Dijon mustard