AUNT LOIS’
PECAN PIE
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 Cup light brown sugar
1 or 2 cups chopped nuts
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1/3 Cup sweet milk (Carnation is my preference.)
1tb. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Directions:
Blend all ingredients except pecans. Beat with an eggbeater. Pour into pie shell. Top with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until crust edges are brown to your satisfaction.
Submitted by Margaret A. Reid
BLACKBERRY DUMPLING
(From the kitchen of Aunt Gladys Hanna)
Directions:
Make pie crust dough (about three (3) cups of flour, Crisco, and ice cold water). Roll out dough on brown paper bag. Put in center of dough your frozen blackberries. Put in a cloth sack (similar to what hams come in) or cheesecloth. Put in the top part of a steam pot (double boiler) with about two (2) inches of water in bottom part of steamer. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3 hours. Continue to add water if necessary to keep pot from boiling dry. In meantime, have one pound of butter (not margarine) softening at room temperature with 3 (three) cups of sugar and 2 Tps. of nutmeg. When softened, cream sugar, butter and nutmeg.
When dumpling is done, blend sugar-butter-nutmeg mixture (The Wilsons called it hard sauce) into berry dumpling – cutting into lumps. Delicious cold or warm. Ice cream is great with it.. ENJOY!
Note: Decrease the amount of sugar if sugar was added to berries before freezing. Also, store bought pie crust can be used.
Pumpkin bread:
Ingredients
1 cup pumpkin pie filling (not pure pumpkin)
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Preparation
Heat oven to 350° F. Oil a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin pie filling, oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Slowly stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the bread from the pan. Invert it onto a cutting board. Serve warm.
In Advance: Bake the bread and let it cool. Wrap and set aside at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Cover with foil and warm in a 250° F oven for 30 minutes.
To Freeze: Place the cooled bread in a resealable plastic bag or cover with 2 layers of plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Refrigerate the bread overnight. Remove the plastic wrap, cover with aluminum foil, and warm in a 250° oven for 30 minutes.
Sweet Chocolate Log
Known as salame dolce (sweet salami), thin slices of this rich treat are great with an after-dinner espresso. Crushed vanilla wafers give it the mottled look of salami. Because the wafers are coarsely crushed, the pieces will vary greatly in size. Since the mixture is uncooked, use a pasteurized egg yolk (look for cartons of pasteurized egg yolks or pasteurized in-shell eggs).
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)
Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1 large pasteurized egg yolk
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tablespoon Marsala wine
1 tablespoon hot water
2 teaspoons grated orange rind (optional)
20 reduced-calorie vanilla wafers, coarsely crushed
Preparation
Place sugar and egg yolk in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed for 3 minutes or until thick and pale. Beat in honey and butter. Add cocoa, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in wine, water, orange rind, if desired, and wafers.
Spoon mixture onto a sheet of wax paper using a rubber spatula (mixture will be stiff). Using moist hands, shape mixture into a 6-inch log. Wrap log tightly with plastic wrap; chill at least 1 hour. Cut log into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Bourbon balls
Make these at least one week ahead.
Yield: Makes 3 dozen
Ingredients
3 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/2 cup bourbon
Powdered sugar
Preparation
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in corn syrup and bourbon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.
Keylime cocnut
snowballs:
Use regular limes if the Key limes are not available. Unsweetened coconut is often labeled “desiccated” or “pulverized,” and is often sold in health-food stores.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2 balls)
Ingredients
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 cookie sheets)
6 tablespoons fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon grated Key lime rind
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Key lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, divided
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
Preparation
Combine crumbs, sweetened condensed milk, rind, juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Add 2/3 cup coconut, and beat with a mixer at medium speed for 1 minute or until no longer grainy. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until well combined. Cover and chill 20 minutes.
Shape crumb mixture into 24 balls, about 1 teaspoon each. Place remaining 1/3 cup coconut in a shallow bowl; roll balls in coconut.
Note: Refrigerate balls in an airtight container for up to one day.
Chocolate-Raspberry Tiramisu
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese, softened
1/4 cup raspberry-flavored liqueur, divided
1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
12 cake-style ladyfingers, split
1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 cups fresh raspberries
Mint sprigs (optional)
Preparation
Place powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons liqueur, and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended.
Brush cut sides of ladyfingers with 2 1/2 tablespoons of liqueur. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons mascarpone mixture over bottom half of each ladyfinger; cover with tops.
Arrange 3 filled ladyfingers spoke-like on each of 4 dessert plates. Sprinkle evenly with cocoa. Arrange 1/2 cup raspberries over each serving. Garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.
Herbed Bread Stuffing with Mushrooms and Sausage
Making your own bread cubes is easy and yields delicious results. You can prepare the toasted bread cubes two to three days before Thanksgiving; store at room temperature in a zip-top plastic bag. If there’s space in the oven, bake the stuffing while the turkey roasts. Otherwise, bake it in the morning, and reheat it while the turkey stands.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds peasant-style white bread
4 (4-ounce) links sweet turkey Italian sausage
2 teaspoons butter
1 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
1 1/4 cups chopped carrot
1 1/4 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Trim crust from bread. Cut bread into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on 2 jelly-roll pans. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until toasted.
Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Combine bread cubes, sausage, and mushrooms in a large bowl.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, carrot, and celery; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add parsley, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add to bread mixture. Combine eggs and broth, stirring with a whisk. Add to bread mixture; toss to coat. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until browned.
Southern cornbread dressing
Ingredients
Speckled Corn Bread
1 (12-ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 tablespoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon margarine
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
4 (10 1/2-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
Preparation
Crumble Speckled Corn Bread; set aside. Bake biscuits according to package directions; let cool. Tear 8 of the biscuits into small pieces; reserve remaining 2 for another use. Combine crumbled corn bread, torn biscuits, sage, poultry seasoning, and pepper in a large bowl; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt margarine over medium-high heat in a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray. Sauté celery and onion 8 minutes or until tender. Let cool slightly. Add vegetable mixture to dressing mixture, and gently stir in broth and egg whites. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes.
Cranberry glazed sweet potatoes
Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3/4 cup)
Ingredients
6 medium peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 pounds)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
Orange rind (optional)
Preparation
Place potatoes, covered, in a 2-quart casserole dish; microwave at HIGH for 10 minutes or until tender. Combine sugar, margarine, orange juice, and salt in a 2-cup glass measure. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes, stirring every minute. Add sugar mixture and cranberry sauce to potatoes; toss gently. Microwave at HIGH 10 minutes or until heated through, basting with sauce twice during cooking. Garnish with orange rind, if desired.
Cranberry muffins
Feel free to use your imagination with this basic muffin recipe by substituting your other favorite fruits and flavors for the cranberries and orange rind. Some options we like: blueberries and lemon rind; chopped apple, pear, or pineapple and cinnamon; or mashed bananas and allspice.
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 muffin)
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped fresh cranberries
2/3 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Stir in cranberries; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, butter, rind, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.
Note: These muffins freeze well. Bake them ahead, cool completely, and store in freezer bags. To serve, thaw at room temperature. Reheat in aluminum foil at 300º for 10 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Cranberry spinach salad with gorgonzola
With washed spinach--baby and otherwise--available in most supermarkets these days, a fresh spinach salad is almost no work at all. Carley Petersen found that adding just a few great ingredients makes it a very special salad. Toasting the pecans brings out their rich, sweet flavor. PREP AND COOK TIME: About 15 minutes.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
3 quarts baby spinach leaves (about 8 oz.), rinsed and crisped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese (4 oz.)
3 tablespoons lemon-flavored extra-virgin olive oil or 3 tablespoons regular olive oil plus 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1. In a shallow baking pan, bake pecans in a 350° oven until golden in the center (break one to check), 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a large bowl, gently mix spinach, pecans, cranberries, crumbled gorgonzola, olive oil, and vinegar. Season salad to taste with salt and pepper.
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