My favorite part of holiday meals is the dressing. I use my variation of my mom's dressing, which is, of course, her variation of my grandmother's. That's the way it works down South, folks.
Cornbread Dressing
1-2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 package celery, washed and finely chopped
1 stick butter
Saute in a large skillet on low heat until soft and clear, but not browned.
In a large bowl, break up the following:
1 pan of cornbread plus several pieces of stale light bread (any kind of bread will work)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful of fresh sage, chopped finely
Add the onion mixture along with the following:
1 to 1-1/2 quarts boxed chicken stock
At this point, taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings. It's not a good idea to do this after you've added the eggs.
Add
3 - 4 eggs
Stir until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Place in a large buttered casserole dish (at least 9 x 13) and bake at 350 degrees until set. Usually, this takes 45 minutes - 1 hour. Using muffin pans cuts the baking time, but not by much. The dressing should be lightly browned. Avoid over-cooking: dry dressing is one of life's great disappointments.
By the way, the best way to cook a turkey is the way my friend Cheryl taught me. Take one thawed breast, put it in a crock pot, add 1 stick of melted butter and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. I'll be hard-pressed to ever roast another full bird. Or better yet, buy Honey Baked brand ham and smoked turkey. That way you can concentrate your culinary efforts on the dressing!
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Faux Foods
The book is almost always better than the movie* and homemade treats beat store-bought 99 times out of 100, too. Don't try these recipes unless you are prepared to by-pass the purchased version because they no longer hold any appeal.
I found this recipe in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 28, 2009. The article was called "A Treat for Graduates" by Betty Rosbottom.
Caramel Chocolate Bars (Homemade Twix)
Makes 16
Crust:
6 Tablespoons softened butter, plus extra for greasing
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Chocolate and Caramel Layers:
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (do not substitue semisweet or milk chocolate and use absolutely the best chocolate you can find)
1/3 cup heavy cream
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch baking pan, then line it with a sheet of aluminum foil cut 8 inches wide and long enough to extend 3 to 4 inches over 2 sides of the pan. Butter the foil.
In a mixing bowl cream butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, then beat in sugar and salt. Beat 1 to 2 minutes to blend well then beat in the flour. Gather dough into a ball and place in the middle of the pan. Press to form a smooth, even layer. Prick the dough with the tines of a fork. Bake until just starting to color lightly, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove pan, but retain oven temperature.
Place 1 Tablespoon each butter and brown sugar in a heavy, medium saucepan set over medium low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the suga has dissolved, about a minute. Add milk and salt and, whisking constantly, bring mixture to a slight simmer. Cook, whisking constantly and never letting mixture come to a boil, until it thickens and becomes a light caramel color, about 10 minutes. As milk cooks, it will caramelize lightly on the bottom of the pan so you may see some flakes floating in the mixture. That's ok.
Pour caramel over pastry crust, smoothing into an even layer with a metal spatula or back of a knife. Return pan to oven and bake 10 minutes. It will bubble and look a litle scary, but just go with it. Remove and cool to room temperature.
Place chocolate and cream in a heavy medium saucepan set over medium low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then pour melted chocolate over cooled caramel layer and spread evenly with a metal spatula or table knife. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, 30 minutes or longer.
Run a sharp knife around inside edges of pan to loosen, then lift out pastry using the foil as an aid. Remove foil. Cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Bars are good either way.
(Bars can be made 2 days ahead; store in an airtght container at room temperature or in the fridge.)
*I used to say the book always was better than the movie until I tried to read Tom Clancy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My sister/girlfriend Terry Gravenmier introduced me to Cranberry Bliss Bars at Starbucks. They are amazing. I found this recipe on the internet (sorry, I don't have the URL), and as crazy as it may seem, I think the recipe is better than the original. And there is the added advantage of being able to have them any time I want instead of having to wait impatiently and obsessively for the brief period between Thanksgiving and New Years, which is the only time they are availabe at Starbucks.
Now a note about how I made these: I do not like having little bits of this and that left over so I made a few adjustments. In other words, I used the entire bag of dried cranberries, the whole package of white chocolate, and the entire little jar of crystallized ginger. I'll note these changes in the recipe. I also made the first batch with my grandkids. I'm afraid I can't account for the adjustments they made!
Cranberry Ecstasy Bars
Makes 16
Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used pumpkin pie spice)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup minced dried cranberries (I chopped them in food processor.)
1-1/2 ounces white chocolate (Use a good quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli - I used half the package, which is 2 ounces)
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger (Again, I used the food processor to mince, and I used the entire jar. It was probably closer to 1/3 of a cup.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and then grease the paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; continue mixing until light. Sift together flour, ground ginger and salt; add to the butter-sugar mixture. Continue mixing until flour is incorporated. Fold in dried cranerries, chocolate, and crystallized ginger. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan.
Frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
1/3 cup minced dried cranberries (I just used the rest of the package)
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until well-mixed. Spread the frosting onto the top of the cake. Sprinkle minced dried cranberries on top of the frosting (I blended the cranberries into the frosting) and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Drizzle:
1 ounce white chocolate (I used the rest of the package - 2 ounces)
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate, whisk in powdered sugar and milk until well-mixed. Scrape into a small, sturdy plastic bag; cut a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze to drizzle chocolate decoratively over the entire frosted cake.
To serve, slice the cake lengthwise down the center, making two long rectangles. Cut each rectangle into four equal portions; slice each of these in half diagonally. These are delicious at any temperature, but I like them best right out of the freezer.
I found this recipe in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 28, 2009. The article was called "A Treat for Graduates" by Betty Rosbottom.
Caramel Chocolate Bars (Homemade Twix)
Makes 16
Crust:
6 Tablespoons softened butter, plus extra for greasing
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
Chocolate and Caramel Layers:
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (do not substitue semisweet or milk chocolate and use absolutely the best chocolate you can find)
1/3 cup heavy cream
Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch baking pan, then line it with a sheet of aluminum foil cut 8 inches wide and long enough to extend 3 to 4 inches over 2 sides of the pan. Butter the foil.
In a mixing bowl cream butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, then beat in sugar and salt. Beat 1 to 2 minutes to blend well then beat in the flour. Gather dough into a ball and place in the middle of the pan. Press to form a smooth, even layer. Prick the dough with the tines of a fork. Bake until just starting to color lightly, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove pan, but retain oven temperature.
Place 1 Tablespoon each butter and brown sugar in a heavy, medium saucepan set over medium low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the suga has dissolved, about a minute. Add milk and salt and, whisking constantly, bring mixture to a slight simmer. Cook, whisking constantly and never letting mixture come to a boil, until it thickens and becomes a light caramel color, about 10 minutes. As milk cooks, it will caramelize lightly on the bottom of the pan so you may see some flakes floating in the mixture. That's ok.
Pour caramel over pastry crust, smoothing into an even layer with a metal spatula or back of a knife. Return pan to oven and bake 10 minutes. It will bubble and look a litle scary, but just go with it. Remove and cool to room temperature.
Place chocolate and cream in a heavy medium saucepan set over medium low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes, then pour melted chocolate over cooled caramel layer and spread evenly with a metal spatula or table knife. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, 30 minutes or longer.
Run a sharp knife around inside edges of pan to loosen, then lift out pastry using the foil as an aid. Remove foil. Cut into 16 squares. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Bars are good either way.
(Bars can be made 2 days ahead; store in an airtght container at room temperature or in the fridge.)
*I used to say the book always was better than the movie until I tried to read Tom Clancy.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My sister/girlfriend Terry Gravenmier introduced me to Cranberry Bliss Bars at Starbucks. They are amazing. I found this recipe on the internet (sorry, I don't have the URL), and as crazy as it may seem, I think the recipe is better than the original. And there is the added advantage of being able to have them any time I want instead of having to wait impatiently and obsessively for the brief period between Thanksgiving and New Years, which is the only time they are availabe at Starbucks.
Now a note about how I made these: I do not like having little bits of this and that left over so I made a few adjustments. In other words, I used the entire bag of dried cranberries, the whole package of white chocolate, and the entire little jar of crystallized ginger. I'll note these changes in the recipe. I also made the first batch with my grandkids. I'm afraid I can't account for the adjustments they made!
Cranberry Ecstasy Bars
Makes 16
Cake
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used pumpkin pie spice)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup minced dried cranberries (I chopped them in food processor.)
1-1/2 ounces white chocolate (Use a good quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli - I used half the package, which is 2 ounces)
1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger (Again, I used the food processor to mince, and I used the entire jar. It was probably closer to 1/3 of a cup.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper and then grease the paper. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; continue mixing until light. Sift together flour, ground ginger and salt; add to the butter-sugar mixture. Continue mixing until flour is incorporated. Fold in dried cranerries, chocolate, and crystallized ginger. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan.
Frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese room temperature
3 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup plus 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon grated lemon zest
pinch of salt
1/3 cup minced dried cranberries (I just used the rest of the package)
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt until well-mixed. Spread the frosting onto the top of the cake. Sprinkle minced dried cranberries on top of the frosting (I blended the cranberries into the frosting) and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Drizzle:
1 ounce white chocolate (I used the rest of the package - 2 ounces)
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk
In a small saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate, whisk in powdered sugar and milk until well-mixed. Scrape into a small, sturdy plastic bag; cut a tiny corner of the bag and squeeze to drizzle chocolate decoratively over the entire frosted cake.
To serve, slice the cake lengthwise down the center, making two long rectangles. Cut each rectangle into four equal portions; slice each of these in half diagonally. These are delicious at any temperature, but I like them best right out of the freezer.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Football Food
Some events just draw a crowd. Some crowds are hungrier than others. If you ever find yourself needing to feed a high school football team before a home game, this recipe might help you out.
Sloppy Joes for 50
8 lbs. ground beef
8 cups chopped onion
8 cups chopped celery
8 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons salt
black pepper to taste
8 Tablespoons shortening
8 cans tomato soup
8 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
Brown beef in shortening. Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least one hour, stirring frequently. Serve over hamburger buns. I prefer mine toasted.
Notes and variations:
This recipe is easily doubled.
A food processor makes short work of the onion and celery.
Green pepper makes a nice addition, too.
You can prepare the ingredients in advance and freeze them. Thaw in the refrigerator and put together the day of the event.
Sloppy Joes for 50
8 lbs. ground beef
8 cups chopped onion
8 cups chopped celery
8 teaspoons chili powder
4 teaspoons salt
black pepper to taste
8 Tablespoons shortening
8 cans tomato soup
8 Tablespoons worchestershire sauce
Brown beef in shortening. Add remaining ingredients and simmer at least one hour, stirring frequently. Serve over hamburger buns. I prefer mine toasted.
Notes and variations:
This recipe is easily doubled.
A food processor makes short work of the onion and celery.
Green pepper makes a nice addition, too.
You can prepare the ingredients in advance and freeze them. Thaw in the refrigerator and put together the day of the event.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Don't Put Sugar in the Cornbread
My husband is the reason that I can make a good cornbread. He loves it. When we were first married I tried any number of recipes, but they were not "nearly as good as Granny Treat's". Well, that was a throw down if I ever heard one! I asked Mom for her recipe, but she doesn't have one. I tried all the recipes in the southern cookbooks I have to no avail. They just weren't quite right. After much trial and error, I now have a recipe that is "almost as good as Granny Treat's." That's good enough for me!
Terry likes cornbread with chicken and dumplings, my dad likes it with sweet milk, I like it with beans or chili. Or just put lots of butter on it and eat it all by itself -- add honey if you're eating it for breakfast!
Save the mix for that broccoli casserole thing. Make cornbread from scratch. It's way easy.
Just remember, you HAVE to use a cast iron skillet, and you won't get a good crisp crust if you don't preheat the skillet and the oil.
Heat a 8" cast iron skillet with 2 Tablespoons of oil or bacon grease to 375 degrees.
Mix the following dry ingredients:
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup white cornmeal
1/2 Tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt.
Add wet ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
Blend until well mixed. Add carefully to hot skillet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Variations:
Use soured milk instead of buttermilk by adding a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to milk.
Add 1/2 - 1 cup grated cheese to batter.
Add a small can of chopped geen chiles (mild) or 1 jalepeno chile (hot) to the batter.
Triple the recipe for a 12" skillet (which you'll need for dressing).
Terry likes cornbread with chicken and dumplings, my dad likes it with sweet milk, I like it with beans or chili. Or just put lots of butter on it and eat it all by itself -- add honey if you're eating it for breakfast!
Save the mix for that broccoli casserole thing. Make cornbread from scratch. It's way easy.
Just remember, you HAVE to use a cast iron skillet, and you won't get a good crisp crust if you don't preheat the skillet and the oil.
Heat a 8" cast iron skillet with 2 Tablespoons of oil or bacon grease to 375 degrees.
Mix the following dry ingredients:
1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup white cornmeal
1/2 Tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt.
Add wet ingredients:
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
Blend until well mixed. Add carefully to hot skillet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Variations:
Use soured milk instead of buttermilk by adding a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice to milk.
Add 1/2 - 1 cup grated cheese to batter.
Add a small can of chopped geen chiles (mild) or 1 jalepeno chile (hot) to the batter.
Triple the recipe for a 12" skillet (which you'll need for dressing).
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Promise
I'm given to packrat tendencies. Okay, okay. I am a packrat. See? I can admit it. I have little bits and pieces of this and that in every nook and cranny of this house.
How does that relate to this blog? Well, a lot of this clutter has to do with recipes. I keep the entire food section if there's even one tiny recipe I like. Same with magazines. Three shelves worth of cookbooks that are threatening to spill over into four.
I keep all that stuff because I've learned that cutting them out doesn't help all that much either. I'm not organized enough to get them into a notebook or any other form of logical system in a timely manner.
Hence, the blog -- and the promise: I will not post any recipe here that has not been tried and found wonderful. This space is for quality, not quantity.
So here goes:
"Snickerdoodle" finished his high school diploma this week. We're all proud of him and this recipe is posted in his honor.
My mother has made 100's of these cookies, and I suppose I have, too. I have never met a kid or grandchild who did not love rolling cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar. Usually, we get two in the mouth to every one on the baking sheet, but that's ok, too. Grandmother probably started it!
Snickerdoodles
1 cup butter-flavored soft shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Add to the first mixture. Chill dough. Roll into small balls. Roll in mixture of equal parts cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.
How does that relate to this blog? Well, a lot of this clutter has to do with recipes. I keep the entire food section if there's even one tiny recipe I like. Same with magazines. Three shelves worth of cookbooks that are threatening to spill over into four.
I keep all that stuff because I've learned that cutting them out doesn't help all that much either. I'm not organized enough to get them into a notebook or any other form of logical system in a timely manner.
Hence, the blog -- and the promise: I will not post any recipe here that has not been tried and found wonderful. This space is for quality, not quantity.
So here goes:
"Snickerdoodle" finished his high school diploma this week. We're all proud of him and this recipe is posted in his honor.
My mother has made 100's of these cookies, and I suppose I have, too. I have never met a kid or grandchild who did not love rolling cookie dough in cinnamon and sugar. Usually, we get two in the mouth to every one on the baking sheet, but that's ok, too. Grandmother probably started it!
Snickerdoodles
1 cup butter-flavored soft shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs. Sift together flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Add to the first mixture. Chill dough. Roll into small balls. Roll in mixture of equal parts cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes.
Monday, October 5, 2009
This Feels Good
For a long time now I've wanted to write a recipe book. In this book I wanted to collect family recipes and the stories that go along with them. But I couldn't make it happen. I would start writing and get a recipe and a story and that would lead to another and another. Sounds good, but it wasn't. I couldn't wrap my mind around the organization. It didn't flow. So I would stop.
Then when I was e-mailing Margaret about my other blog, it hit me: the perfect format for what I want to accomplish is a blog! I can just write what I want when I want. I don't have to worry about chapters or organization. Or tables of content. Or indices. I just let the recipes and the stories flow.
So here goes:
We all like Banana Blueberry Pie, but it's my dad's favorite. He gets it in place of birthday cake. It's so easy that you can explain it over the phone to boys at college or stationed far away and they can successfully make a taste of home for themselves, their roommates, and/or girlfriends.
Banana Blueberry Pie
1 rolled pie crust, baked unfilled according to package directions and cooled
1 can blueberry pie filling
2 - 3 ripe bananas
1 8-oz container of whipped topping
Slice the bananas into the bottom of the baked and cooled pie crust. Top the bananas with the pie filling. Cover with whipped topping.
This pie can be eaten immediately. Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
Variations:
*Use a ready-made graham cracker crust if you're in a hurry.
*For more blueberry taste, drain a can of blueberries and stir them into the pie filling before spreading it over the blueberries.
*Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 -3 tablespoons of sugar. Use in place of commercial whipped topping.
Then when I was e-mailing Margaret about my other blog, it hit me: the perfect format for what I want to accomplish is a blog! I can just write what I want when I want. I don't have to worry about chapters or organization. Or tables of content. Or indices. I just let the recipes and the stories flow.
So here goes:
We all like Banana Blueberry Pie, but it's my dad's favorite. He gets it in place of birthday cake. It's so easy that you can explain it over the phone to boys at college or stationed far away and they can successfully make a taste of home for themselves, their roommates, and/or girlfriends.
Banana Blueberry Pie
1 rolled pie crust, baked unfilled according to package directions and cooled
1 can blueberry pie filling
2 - 3 ripe bananas
1 8-oz container of whipped topping
Slice the bananas into the bottom of the baked and cooled pie crust. Top the bananas with the pie filling. Cover with whipped topping.
This pie can be eaten immediately. Be sure to refrigerate any leftovers.
Variations:
*Use a ready-made graham cracker crust if you're in a hurry.
*For more blueberry taste, drain a can of blueberries and stir them into the pie filling before spreading it over the blueberries.
*Whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 2 -3 tablespoons of sugar. Use in place of commercial whipped topping.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)