Coyote Droppings

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/2 tsp. baking soda
14 1/2 ounce package Cheetos

Bring sugar, margarine and syrup to a boil for 5 minutes. Remove from fire. Add baking soda. Stir.

Pour over Cheetos in large bowl.

Quickly toss and spread on 10x15 pan, sprayed with PAM.

Bake at 250 degrees F. for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour out on waxed paper sprayed with PAM.

Quickly separate Cheeto pieces.

CHICKEN and Dumplings

Paula Dean

Chicken:

• 1 (2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 teaspoon House Seasoning (salt & pepper)
  
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

Dumplings:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ice water

Directions

To start the chicken: Place the chicken, celery, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, and House Seasoning in a large pot. Add 4 quarts of water and in water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer the chicken until it is tender and the juices run clear, about 40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and, when it is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones. Return the chicken meat to the pot. Keep warm over low heat.

To prepare the dumplings: Mix the flour with the salt and mound together in a mixing bowl. Beginning at the center of the mound, drizzle a small amount of ice water over the flour. Using your fingers, and moving from the center to the sides of the bowl, gradually incorporate about 3/4 cup of ice water. Knead the dough and form it into ball.

Dust a good amount of flour onto a clean work surface. Roll out the dough (it will be firm), working from center to 1/8-inch thick. Let the dough relax for several minutes.

Add the cream of celery soup to the pot with the chicken and simmer gently over medium-low heat.

Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Pull a piece in half and drop the halves into the simmering soup. Repeat. Do not stir the chicken once the dumplings have been added. Gently move the pot in a circular motion so the dumplings become submerged and cook evenly. Cook until the dumplings float and are no longer doughy, 3 to 4 minutes.

To serve, ladle chicken, gravy, and dumplings into warm bowls.

Cook's Note: If the chicken stew is too thin it can be thickened before the dumplings are added. Simply mix together 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water then whisk this mixture into the stew.

CANDY CANE CAKE

Ingredients

• 1 cup sifted cake or pastry flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 12 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 8 ounces peppermint candy canes
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  
• Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes. Notes: For a shortcut version, start with a store-bought angel food cake. The very fine candy "dust" left over from crushing the candy canes is delicious sprinkled on vanilla ice cream or stirred into hot cocoa. To maximize the dramatic look of this cake, add the crushed candy just before serving; the moisture from the whipped cream makes the peppermint begin to "melt" after half an hour.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Sift together flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Sift again and set aside.

2. In a large bowl or standing mixer, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla and almond extracts. Continue beating until egg whites are firm but not dry.

3. Sift one-third of the flour-sugar mixture onto the egg whites and, with a rubber or silicone spatula, gently fold the mixture into the egg whites. Add remaining flour in two batches, folding gently after each addition. Turn batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake until browned and firm to the touch, 50 to 60 minutes.

4. Invert cake (in pan) on a cooling rack for at least an hour. When completely cool, run a long, thin, sharp knife between cake and pan to loosen, and remove cake.

5. Put candy canes in a large sealable plastic bag. Crush them into small pieces with a meat pounder, rolling pin, or the bottom of a small frying pan. Sift crushed candy with a fine-mesh strainer and reserve candy dust for another use (see Notes). Set crushed candy aside.

6. In a large bowl, beat cream with remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Frost cake with whipped cream using a spatula to form swirls and peaks. Sprinkle frosted cake with crushed candy canes. (To get candy on the sides, hold your hand about 1 in. from the cake and gently toss crushed candy at the sides.) Serve immediately, using a serrated knife to cut slices.

Red Hot Cinnamon Pop Corn

Ingredients:
6 quarts popped popcorn
1 package (12 oz size) red cinnamon candies
Sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Spread popcorn in a lightly buttered roasting pan; bake at 250 F while preparing syrup. Pour cinnamon candies into a 2 cup measure. Fill remaining space to the top with sugar. Place in a heavy pan; Add butter, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat; carefully stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat. Continue to bake at 250 F for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool. Break into pieces; store in an airtight container.