Desserts

Apple Crisp

Amy G.

10-12 apples

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

OR

a bottle of Apple Pie Filling

Topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 cup margarine

Peel, core and slice apples and put in 9x13 pan Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over apples. Or pour the apple pie filling in 9x13 pan. Mix together topping and sprinkle over apples. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the apples are cooked and the top begins to turn brown.

Apple Pie

MariLee A.

Pastry

2 ½ c. flour

1 tsp. salt

½ c. (1 stick) butter, chilled, cut into pieces

½ c. shortening, cut into pieces, chilled

6 -7 Tbsp. cold water

Combine flour and salt in bowl.  With pastry blender, cut butter and shortening into flour mixture until texture of coarse meal.  Gradually add water, tossing with fork, until mixture begins to mass together.  Divide dough in half; shape into disks and wrap in plastic.  Refrigerate until well chilled, about 30 min.  Makes enough for 2 crusts.

Filling

3 c. sliced apples (I like to use a mixture of types: Granny Smith, Gala, etc.)

½ tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

¼ c. flour

¼ c. melted butter

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Combine filling ingredients together in bowl. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll out bottom pie crust.  Line regular sized pie plate (I like glass ones best).  Leave about a ¼- ½ inch overhang around edge of pie plate.  Pour in apple pie filling.  Roll out top crust.  Cover bottom crust and trim to ¼ to ½ inch overhang around edge of pie plate.  Fold over crust edges together, then crimp as desired.  Cut several slashes in top of pie crust to allow steam to escape.  Sprinkle top crush with sugar.  If desired, cover pie crust edges with foil to prevent over browning.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is lightly browned.  Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Black Bottom Coconut Bars

Kaye W.

Chocolate base:

1/2 c. butter or margarine

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 t. salt

1 egg

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

 1/4 c. flour

Coconut topping:

2 large eggs

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 t. vanilla

1 c. flour

1 pkg. sweetened and shredded coconut (7 oz.) with 1/2 c. reserved for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 9 inch square pan with foil, leaving a slight overhang.  Butter bottom and sides.  Place butter in microwaveable bowl and melt. Add sugar and salt.  Whisk all together.  Then add cocoa and flour until smooth.  Spread batter in pan.  Bake just until sides begin to pull away from edges of pan. In my oven that is 11 min.  Don't overbake. Let cool slightly while preparing coconut topping.  Leave oven on for topping.

Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and vanilla.  Gently mix in flour and coconut (except the 1/2 c. reserved for sprinkling).  Drop by mounds over chocolate base.  Spread and pat in gently and evenly with moistened fingers.  Sprinkle with the 1/2 c. reserved coconut.

Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached.  In my oven this takes about 24 min.  Cool completely in pan.  Lift cake from pan, peel off foil and cut into bars.  Store in airtight container for 3 - 4 days.

Brownies

MariLee A.

2/3 c. flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (2, 1 oz. squares)

½ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

10 Tbsp. butter (1 cube plus 2 Tbsp.)

1 ¼ c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Whisk flour, salt and baking powder together in small bowl; set aside.  Line 8 or 9 inch square pan with foil, lightly grease.  Chop unsweetened chocolate; combine with semi-sweet chocolate chips with butter in pan.  Heat on medium until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat, whisk in sugar and vanilla, then eggs.  Continue whisking until smooth and glossy.  Add dry ingredients; whisk until just combined.  Pour batter into pan and spread evenly.  Bake until tooth pick inserted near the center comes out with wet crumbs, about 40-45 minutes.  Cool in pan about 5 min.  Use foil to lift brownies from pan.  Cut into squares, makes 16.  Serve warm with ice cream and hot fudge if desired. (Hot fudge recipe is included in this post in alphabetical order.)

Chocolate Cake

Amy G.

1 chocolate cake mix

1 box (8 oz.) instant chocolate pudding mix

5 eggs

1 stick of butter, melted

16 oz of sour cream

1 bag of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine cake and pudding mixes (smash up the lumps in the cake mix the best you can now because after you add the other ingredients it is hard to get the lumps out) and create a well in the middle of a large bowl.  Dump the sour cream, melted butter and eggs in the well.  Using a large spoon (this is so thick your mixer would fry, plus your arms get a good workout) mix all of the ingredients together, don’t be alarmed on how thick the batter is, that is normal.  Then pour the entire bag of chocolate chips in and mix it again.  Spray your bundt pan with some pam and put the batter in it. (I bet just a 13x9 pan would work too)  Bake 50-55 minutes. (Check on the cake mix box to see if it gives times for bundt pans vs other sizes to see if you might not need to cook it as long since a bundt pan is deeper it may need more time).  This cake does not need any frosting but fresh whip cream or ice cream is yummy.  After a day or two the texture of the cake is like a truffle.


Cookies and Cream Cheese Ball (dessert)

MariLee A.

1, 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. butter, softened

¾ c. powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

¼ tsp. vanilla

¾ c. mini chocolate chips

8-10 Oreos, crushed

¾ c. pecans, chopped

In medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Mix in powdered sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla.  Stir in chocolate chips and crushed Oreos.  Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.  Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball.  Roll in chopped pecans.  Serve with chocolate graham sticks, plain tea biscuits, etc.


Fresh Peach Pie

Amy G.

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cups cold water

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1 (3 oz.) pkg. orange gelatin

1/4 Cup lemon juice

3 cups fresh peaches

1-3 baked pastry shells

Combine cold water, sugar, cornstarch, salt and orange gelatin. Stir to paste and add boiling water. Cook on stovetop or microwave to rolling boil. Add lemon juice. Stir and chill thoroughly. Slice peaches in large bowl and add 1/3 or glaze. Toss lightly until coated and pour into cool 9 inch pastry shell. Chill 3-4 hours in fridge. (Glaze enough for 3 pies, 1/3 cup glaze per pie, 3 cups peaches per pie).

Forgotten Pie

Kaye W.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

5 egg whites

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. cream of tarter

Whip until peaks stand and mixture is dry.

Then add:

1 ½ c. sugar (1/4 c. at a time).  Beat thoroughly until sugar is completely dissolved.  Add 1 scant tsp. vanilla.  Pour into large pie plate.  Put in oven and turn oven off.  Leave pie in oven until oven is cold, preferably overnight.  In morning, mix 1 c. whipping cream, whipped, with  2 Tbsp. sugar and ½ tsp. vanilla.  Spread to edge of meringue.  Let stand 6-8 hours.  Serve with fresh fruit (strawberries, raspberries, or peaches).

Hot Fudge

MariLee A.

¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ c. butter (1/2 stick)

2/3 c. sugar

1, 5 oz. can (2/3 c.) evaporated milk

Melt butter and chocolate together in pan over medium heat.  Add sugar; gradually stir in milk. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Makes about 1 ½ cups hot fudge.

Candy

Caramels

MariLee A.

1 c. butter

2 ¼ c. packed brown sugar

Dash of salt

1 c. light corn syrup

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened, condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Line with foil and lightly grease either a 9x9 pan or 9x13 pan.  Melt the butter in medium sized heavy saucepan.  Add sugar and salt; stir thoroughly.  Stir in corn syrup.  Gradually add condensed milk, stirring constantly.  Cook over medium heat until boiling till candy reaches firm ball stage (12-15 minutes).  Test by dropping mixture into small bowl of cold water.  Candy should hold its shape.  If you want a bit firmer caramels, cook about 15 min.; if you want softer caramels, cook a little less time, 12-13 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in vanilla.  Pour into greased pan.  Cool until set.  When cooled, cut into squares and wrap.  Makes about 90 pieces of caramel.

Peppermint Patties

Gina B.

2 Tbsp and 1 tsp. water

1 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. peppermint extract

Stir together in mixer

Add 2 cups powdered sugar

Add 1 Tbsp white shortening

Add 1 ½ cups more powdered sugar.

Add 1 tsp water if dough is too stiff

Knead mixture into a ball. Roll out to ¼ inch thickness, then place in between 2 sheets of

waxed paper. Freeze on a cookie sheet until firm, about 15 minutes.

Cut into circles, until dough is gone. Place circles on parchment paper in a large cookie

sheet. Freeze an additional 10 minutes.

Melt 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Dip circles in chocolate and place back

on parchment paper. Let harden at least one hour. Keep patties refrigerated. Store layers

in between sheets of waxed paper.

Ultimate Toffee

MariLee A.

1 c. nuts (sliced almonds, pecans, etc.)

½ - ¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ - ¾ c. milk chocolate chips

½ c. white chocolate chips

Instant malted milk powder, if desired

1 c. butter (no substitutes)

1 c. sugar

3 Tbsp. water

Line 9x13 pan with foil; lightly spray with cooking spray.  Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan, followed by each kind of chocolate.  If desired, sprinkle lightly with malted milk powder.

In medium heavy saucepan, melt butter, stir in sugar, and water.  Cook over medium heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture reaches soft crack stage; it will turn toffee colored and when a bit is dropped into cold water, will harden and taste like toffee (about 12-15 minutes).  Mix should boil steadily across entire surface. 

Remove from heat and pour in a smallish stream over chocolate and nut mixture, covering all.  Cool for about 1 hour or so before breaking into pieces.  Keep refrigerated.  Makes about 2 lbs.

Breads

Cinnamon Rolls

Gina B.

2 Tbsp. active dry yeast

2 C. warm water

1/3 C. sugar

1/3 C. butter

2/3 C. dry milk

2 ½ tsp. salt

1 egg

5 ½ C. flour

butter

cinnamon

sugar

Combine yeast and warm water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, but just

two cups of the flour. Beat until very smooth. Add two more cups of flour, one at a time.

Finally add ½ - 1 cup until the dough is well mixed and no longer sticky. Knead dough

until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Put dough in a large greased bowl and let rise

until dough doubles in size- about one hour. After rising, punch down dough and split into

two pieces. Roll out into large rectangles, about ½ inch thick. Spread softened butter on

dough, then sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up the dough the long way

and pinch edges to seal it together. Using thread or dental floss, cut dough in 1” pieces

and place on a greased cookie sheet. Let rise about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees

for 10-12 minutes. Frost immediately.

Frosting

3 C. powdered sugar

4 Tbsp. milk

3 Tbsp. butter

½ tsp. vanilla

Appetizers, Drinks, Starters

Bacon Water Chestnut Appetizers

MariLee A.

1 bottle of chili sauce

½ c. ketchup

½ c. soy sauce

4 Tbsp. sugar, divided

2 lbs. of bacon, cut in half crosswise

2 cans whole water chestnuts, drained

Toothpicks

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Soak toothpicks in water while bacon is cooking.  Combine chili sauce, ketchup and 2 Tbsp. sugar in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, combine the water chestnuts, soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp. sugar.  Let water chestnuts sit in sauce while bacon is cooking.  Cook bacon until about half done (too crispy and you can’t wrap it); drain on paper towels.  Wrap one piece of bacon around the marinated water chestnut, dip each in chili sauce mixture to coat and put on foil-lined, well greased cookie sheet.  Repeat until all bacon is used.  Bake at 450 degrees until bacon is crispy and appetizers are hot, about 8-10 minutes.

Cheddar Straws

MariLee A.

1 lb. cheddar or other hard, flavorful cheese

2 c. flour

Pinch of cayenne pepper

½ c. (1 stick) chilled butter

Few drops of cold water, as needed

Coarse salt, optional

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Grate the cheese in a food processor, then remove the cheese from the bowl.  Add the flour and cayenne pepper to the bowl and pulse.  Cut the butter into pieces, then toss it in.  Process until butter and flour are combined.  (If no processor, you can put this together by hand: grate the cheese; in a separate bowl whisk flour and cayenne pepper together.  Cut in butter with pastry cutter.)  Stir in cheese.  Knead by hand until it comes together, adding a few drops of cold water if necessary. 

Divide dough in half and roll one half to 12 x 7 inch rectangle, then cut into strips, each about ½ inch wide.  Place on lightly greased baking sheets and sprinkle with coarse salt if desired.  Repeat with remaining half of dough.  Bake until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes.  Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Cheese Ball

Linda B.

2-8 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ c. grated cheese (Colby or mild)

2 Tbsp. chopped green onions

2 Tbsp. chopped green peppers

2 Tbsp. chopped red peppers

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 pkg. beef lunch meat, chopped

2 Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 small can chopped olives

½ tsp. season salt

Combine all, form into a ball and refrigerate.

Fresh Salsa

MariLee A.

4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely diced

¼ medium red onion, finely chopped

1-2 jalapeños, remove ribs and seeds, finely chop

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

¾ tsp. salt or to taste

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients.  Cover and store in refrigerator.  Best eaten the same day.

Ham and Cheese Puff Tart
MariLee A.

1 1/2 Tbsp. flour, plus more for rolling
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed (not phyllo)
1 Tbsp. butter
1 c. whole milk ( I used 1/2 evaporated milk & 1/2 water)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch ground nutmeg
6 oz. thinly sliced deli ham
1 c. grated cheese (Gruyere, Provolone, Swiss, Mozzarella, etc.)
1 large egg, beaten

In small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add flour; cook stirring until golden, about 1 minute.  Whisking constantly, add milk and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Let sauce cool about 30 minutes or until slightly warm, not hot.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On floured work surface, roll one sheet pastry to about 10" x 13" rectangle.  Transfer to lightly greased cookie sheet; press dough to edges of pan if you can.  Cover surface of dough with ham slices, leaving about 1/2 inch border.  Sprinkle grated cheese over top of ham.  Drizzle sauce over ham and cheese.  Roll out the other pastry sheet to approximately the same size as the bottom piece--can stretch by hand if needed.  Brush pastry border on bottom sheet with egg (or water), top with 2nd pastry sheet and fold over edge and press to seal.  Brush top of tart with beaten egg and cut vents in tart to allow steam to escape.  Bake until browned and puffed, 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool a few minutes to set before cutting.  May serve warm or at room temperature.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Pot Stickers

Brooke K.

1/2 lb. ground chicken breast/ground turkey

1/2 c. shredded cabbage

1 scallion, minced

2 tsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp. water

1/2 tsp. mustard powder

1/8 tsp. ground pepper

20 (3 in. sq.) wonton skins/wrappers

4 tsp. oil

1 c. chicken broth

1 tsp. flour

1. Filling: In a medium bowl, combine meat, cabbage, scallion, soy sauce, dissolved cornstarch, mustard and pepper.

2. Cover wontons with plastic wrap (they dry out); have a small bowl of water near your work area.  Working with 1 wonton at a time, spoon 2 tsp. of the filling into the center of each wonton.  Moisten the edges of the wonton with water; fold diagonally to form a triangle.  Seal the edges, pressing out any air.  Repeat with the remaining wontons and filling. 

3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil until it's almost smoking.  Place the dumplings in a circle in the skillet; reduce the heat slightly and cook until the bottoms are golden, 5-7 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil.  Remove from the heat; sprinkle the flour and stir until the flour is dissolved.  Pour the broth over the dumplings; cook, partially covered, until the liquid evaporates.  Uncover and cook until the bottoms are crisp.  Carefully loosen the dumplings with a spatula.  Serve.

Rhubarb Slush

Kaye W.

20 c. rhubarb, cut in pieces

5 c. water

Cook and strain through cheesecloth to get juice.

4-5 c. sugar

5 c. water

Boil until sugar is dissolved, add to rhubarb juice.

Add 1 c. frozen orange juice or raspberry juice

Freeze in baggies. 

To serve: thaw until slushy.  Add 3 qts. soda (or less if you use smaller bags).  I like 1 club soda and 2 cream sodas or ginger ale.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

KathleenG.

7oz jar roasted red peppers

4 C grated pepper jack cheese (3/4 lb)

8oz cream cheese (I use low-fat)

3/4 C mayonnaise

2 T minced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Remove peppers from jar and blot excess water with paper towels. You want to make sure they are dry so they don't add moisture to the dip. Then dice 'em up.  Mix all ingredients and bake for 45 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly and golden brown.  Serve with toasted baguette slices, chips, veggies, or your choice of dippers.