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Just a word about ingredients - It pays to get the best fruit [not the best looking], flavorings, and spices [I recommend Penzey's], that you can find. Real vanilla is about $32.00 a quart and worth every penny. Buy a small bottle and use it for whipped toppings, puddings, frostings, and drinks where you will note the difference. "Grocery store vanilla" is fine for cookies or other baking where real vanilla bakes out a bit.
When I bake cookies for Santa's elves, I begin with 5 cups of sugar and 5 cups of butter. These recipes have been reduced in size for your family.
Set oven to 375º
Place the following in a large glass or metel bowl:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup molasses
Place bowl over pan of simmering water and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Stir in 2 teaspoons baking soda and 1 cup butter flavored Crisco.
Cool until just warm then stir in 2 eggs and about 6 cups flour [it depends on how dry your flour is, you may need a bit less.]
Roll out between 2 1/4 inch dowels to 1/4 inch thick. Cut and bake 16 to 20 min.
Tip: These travel well for gift giving to friends and relatives.
2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
Cream until smooth:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup butter flavor Crisco
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Stir in:
2 eggs
1/2 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Fold in flour mixture and cool for 2 hours.
Roll 1/4 inch thick & cut with cookie cutters
Bake 10 to 12 minutes
Hints:
Hint 1. Brine all poultry before roasting in 1 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar-6 hours
Hint 2. Use this to brush all baking pans for easy removal:
1 cup flour
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup canola oil
mix and keep in cupboard, not fridge-keeps 1 year
Hint 3. Keep all knives very sharp! Dangerous when dull.
My 2 favorite banana split toppings!
Golden Butterscotch Sauce
2 cups
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
1 cup white syrup
¼ cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teas. vanilla or
2 Tbsp. rum
Place sugar, syrup, butter in a thick pan over med. heat.
Boil 5 min.-remove from heat and whisk in cream and flavoring.
Store in fridge-serve warm or cold
Dreamy Hot Fudge Topping
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk-not sweetened
2 cup sugar
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¼ cup butter
1 teas. vanilla
½ teas. salt
Bring milk and sugar to a boil for 4 minutes
Stir in chocolate til melted, remove from heat
Beat in butter, salt and vanilla
Serve warm, not hot.
Spicy Raisin Pie 375 oven 45 minutes
3 eggs
¼ cup sugar
½ teas. salt
½ teas. cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
1 cup white syrup
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup raisins-soaked in warm water[I use brandy for the flavor],drained
½ cup chopped walnuts
Mix in a bowl and pour into unbaked pie shell
Bake on a cookie sheet in middle of oven
Cool a bit, but it is best served warm.
This was a favorite pie in a small café where my mother baked in the 50’s.
French Sensation Pie
1 stick butter
¾ cup super fine sugar
4 eggs
1 teas. vanilla
2 oz. melted chocolate
1 chocolate crumb pie shell
Whipped topping, chocolate optional
With mixer beat butter & sugar until sugar dissolves.
Tip: Pinch between fingers to feel for grittiness.
Add eggs 1 at a time - beat 2 min. each.
Beat in vanilla and chocolate. It may look curdled, beat until smooth, pour into shell.
Cool at least 6 hours
Garnish with whipped topping and chocolate sauce.
Tip: If you don’t have super fine sugar, place some sugar in blender to grind.
Southwest Crunch
I make this cross between a hot dish and a salad whenever I want a fresh tasting dish for lunch. The onions and the tomatoes are not cooked and the chips add a nice crunch.
Serve in the summer with fruit for dessert or in the winter with a wedge of iceberg lettuce and poppy seed dressing with a piece of fresh from the oven fruit pie.
6 hours
Serves 8
Place in slow cooker:
2 cans drained whole kernel corn 1 can drained black beans, washed 1 15 oz. can black olives, sliced
1 4 oz. can chilies, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup salsa
Stir and cook for 4 to 5 hours on low.
Stir in:
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 cups 1/2 inch dice cheddar cheese 1 cup diced seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 13 oz. bag flavored corn chips, broken up in bag [I use Nacho cheese flavored Doritos]
Let set for 10 minutes uncovered and serve.
Apple Spice Molten Dessert
Rub inside of pot with canola oil.
Place in pot:
1 box spice cake mix
1 pkg. butterscotch instant pudding mix 1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 teas. Cinnamon 1/4teas. Cloves
Stir and place 1 can apple pie mix on top. Draw spoon thru to marble [do not mix well]
Cover and cook on high for 8 hours.
Do not lift lid!
Serve with vanilla bean ice cream.
Serves 6
Easy German Supper
[Remember when weekend dinner was supper?]
1/4 cup canola oil
6 bone in pork chops; sa1t& peppered 6 knockwurst sausages
12-.2 inch red potatoes
12-1 1/2 inch pealed onions
2-15 oz. cans sauerkraut, drained 16 oz. reg. beer [not lite]
Brown chops, sausages, potatoes, and onions in canola oil.
Layer:
3 chops, sausages, 1 can sauerkraut, onions, potatoes, 3 chopsspread last can of sauerkraut on top and pour beer over all. [alcohol will cook out]
Cook on low for 8 hours
Serve with many kinds of pickles and a light dessert.
This is one of the best slow cooker recipes because you don't have to brown anything first -and kids love it.
Macaroni & Ground Beef Soup
1 pound 10 % fat ground beef ,1/4 teas. Pepper
1/4 teas. Basil
1/4 teas. Oregano
1 envelope dried onion soup 3 cups hot water
1 tbsp.beefbouillion
1 9 oz. can tomato sauce 1 cup sliced celery
1 cup peeled sliced carrots ,1 cup macaronI
2 cups coleslaw mix, optional 1 cup frozen peas, optional
Break beef into pot. Place everything into pot except macaroni, coleslaw mix, and peas.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Stir and add macaroni, peas, and coleslaw mix.
Cover and cook for 1/2 to 1 hour longer.
Sharon's Special Poppy Seed Dressing
Place in blender:
1/2 teasp. powdered onion ,2/3 cup cider vinegar, 1 1/4 cup sugar,
2 teasp. dry mustard , 1 1/4 teasp.sea salt
Blend until sugar is dissolved-check by rubbing some between thumb and forefinger, it should feel smooth.
Add:
1 1/2 cups canola oil Run until thick and smooth.
When ready to use, add poppy seed to what you need and store the rest.
To make coleslaw dressing mix 1/2 and 1/2 with mayonnaise.
Our Best French Dressing
Place in blender: 16 0z. catsup 1/2 cup vinegar 1 teasp. Salt
1 tablespoon worstershire sauce 1 teasp. garlic salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teasp. hot sauce
1/2 teasp. fine ground pepper 1 teasp. onion powder
1 teasp. dry mustard
1/2 teasp. spicy paprika
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar 1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teasp. powdered ginger 1/4 teasp.granulated garlic
3/4 cup heavy, or regular soy sauce ,1/2 cup Sherry wine [will cook out] 1/2 teasp. hot sauce
3 tbsp. vinegar
3 cups any broth [I make mine from bouillon]
Shake in a storage jar- keeps for months. Shake before using.
To use:
Stir-fry any lean meat strips, then remove from pan and stir-fry any thinly sliced vegetables. Add meat back into pan and add enough sauce to coat .Too little is better than too much!
We have always started our pizza on top of the stove!
Gather ingredients for each pizza: 4 oz. pizza dough
1/3 cup mushroom spaghetti sauce with 2 Tbsp.parmasan cheese, 1 Tbsp. Romano cheese and 1/4 teas. dried oregano.
1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese.
3/4 cup lightly sauteed pizza sausage [to remove, fat}not brown] Recipe follows. 1/4 cup each chopped black olives and green pepper.
Turn burner on low, heat broiler, place pizza pan on burner to warm. ,
Roll dough thin and place on pan on burner. \Cook both sides until light tan. Spread sauce,cheese,gn. pepper mix, and sausage on top quickly.
Turn burner up to medium and cook until crust is dark tan and cheese starts to melt.
Slide under broiler until top bubbles and crust edges are brown.
Cut and serve immediately!
Sharon's Special Pizza Sausage
2 1/2 pounds coarse ground beef ,1 1/2 pounds course ground pork ,
Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. water ,1 Tbsp. parsley ,
1/2 teasp.fresh ground pepper 1/4 cup garlic salt
1 ~ teasp. Red pepper flakes 3 Tbsp. cracked fennel seed
Mix gently by hand and cool for 2 hours.
Sharon's Spicy Herbed Rice
To make 6 side dishes. Set out 6 zip-lock sandwich bags and in each place: 1 1/2 cups rice
1/2 teas. Thyme
1/2 teas. Oregano
2 bay leaves
l/4 cup dried onion
1/4 teas. Cayenne pepper 1/2 teas. Pepper
11/2 teas. Paprika
1 tbsp. bullion [chicken or beef] 1 teas. Dry mustard
1 teas. Cumin
2 tbsp. dried parsley
Seal each bag and attach these instructions.
Saute 1/2 cup each chopped celery and green pepper in 2 tbsp.
oil.
Serve hot.
Sharon's grilled chicken with spring salsa
Serves 20 to 24 Salsa:
4 cups 1/4 inch dice fresh pineapple [do not use canned for this]
11/2 cups 1/2 inch diced strawberries
1 cup '1/4 inch dice red pepper , 1/2 cup 1/4 inch dice red onion,
1/2 cup chopped green scallions ,3 tablespoons chopped cilantro ,3 tablespoons fresh lime juice ,3 tablespoons chopped parsley ,2 tablespoons canol a oil ,
1/2 cup red pepper jelly
Mix and set for 2 hours
Blend 1 1/2 cups with 1/4 cup pineapple juice& place in a squeeze bottle.
Grill chicken breasts, 20 to 24.
To plate:
Place hot grilled chicken breast on plate-squeeze blended salsa around plate in an artistic manner. Top each breast with 3 tablespoons of salsa and serve.
Maxine's Old Tyme Chicken
Serves 24
Brown 6 chickens [quartered] &place in 2 large roasting pans.
Mix:
3 cups bar-b-que sauce, a honey type works best. 11/2 cups chopped onion
11/2 cups diced green pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
16 to 20 oz. can tomato sauce
11/2 cup sliced scallions [including greens] 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 cups catsup
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pour over browned meat and roast, uncovered for1 1/2 hours
Dressing: 1 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, basil and oregano 2 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Place in large bowl:
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes 1 medium red onion, sliced 1 cup sliced black olives
1 large green pepper sliced in rings 1 cup 1/2 inch cubes salami
1 medium cucumber peeled &sliced 1 small yellow squash sliced
1 1/2 cups torn fresh basil
3/4 pound fresh mottzerella cheese ~ large head romaine lettuce
Toss with dressing just before serving.
