Recipes

From Grandma Carol

1st Layer: Mix 1 cup flour, 1 stick softened butter, and 1/2 cup pecan pieces. Press combined mixture into 9×13 pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool completely.

2nd Layer: Combine and blend 1 cup Cool Whip, 8oz. softened cream cheese, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Spread over 1st layer. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

3rd Layer: Whip 2 small packages instant chocolate pudding with 3 cups cold milk. Smooth this over 2nd layer the top off with Cool Whip. Refrigerate until pudding is set. You can sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds or grated chocolate. You can also change this up and use a different flavor pudding such as banana or lemon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1 3/4 cup flour	½ tsp. nutmeg and allspice
2/3 cup sugar	1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 to 3 bananas)
2 tsp. baking powder	1/3 cup melted butter
½ tsp. baking soda	2 tablespoons milk
¼ salt	2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon	1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

In a large mixer bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add mashed bananas, butter, and milk. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed till blended, then on high speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs and remaining flour; beat till blended. Stir in nuts.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar (or regular). Bake for 55-60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from the pan; cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing. Or you can just ignore that, slice it, and eat it hot!

1 Chocolate cake mix
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 small jar butterscotch topping
12 oz. whipped topping (i.e., Cool Whip)
4-5 Heath or Skor bars, chopped (I used 6)

Prepare cake according to directions on the package and bake in a 9 x 13 pan.

While still hot, use a wooden spoon handle to poke holes in the top of the cake.

Pour condensed milk evenly over the top, then pour butterscotch topping evenly over that.

Sprinkle half of chopped Heath bars over the top. Refrigerate at least 3 hours.

Spread whipped topping over cake, then sprinkle with remaining Heath pieces.

My mom found this recipe in Parade magazine a LONG time ago.

Preheat 375 degrees	Serves: 12 muffins
½ c. butter (room temperature)	1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 c. & 2 tablespoons sugar	¼ c. cornmeal
2 large eggs	¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder	1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla	½ c. milk
½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest	2 ½ c. blueberries (rinsed/dried)
	1 c. pecans (optional)

Follow the instructions carefully when adding ingredients, take care not to overmix the batter or you will end up with tough muffins.

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the baking powder and mix well. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest to the batter and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and cinnamon. Add 1/2 cup of this dry mixture to the batter and mix lightly; then add milk and stir well. Add remaining dry mixture and stir just enough to combine. Do not overmix.

Fold in the blueberries and pecans. Spoon batter into muffin cups. Sprinkle them evenly with remaining sugar.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

(Adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Canning – makes 4 quarts)

4 quarts sour or sweet cherries
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

Wash and dry the cherries. Pit them over a bowl, reserving all flesh and juices. If you really like cooking and baking with cherries, it really is worth it to buy a cherry pitter. I’m not one for single use kitchen gadgets, but it really does the job. If not, just halve the cherries and remove the pit.

Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. In a large pot, whisk together the water and lemon juice, then add the sugar and cornstarch in, whisking well to combine and remove any lumps. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Add the cherries and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cherries have softened and the juice has thickened.

Ladle the mixture into sanitized canning jars, leaving 1 inch of headspace. Fasten the lids to each jar, and transfer to a boiling water canner. Process for 30 minutes, then remove and let cool completely at room temperature. Check the seals, then store in a cool, dark place.

Note: One quart of filling makes one 9-inch pie.

Cilantro Cream Sauce/Dip

Monica Moore

• 1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1 TBL sour cream or plain yogurt
• 1 (7 oz.) jar Herdez Salsa Verde
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. celery salt
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 bunches fresh cilantro, no need to chop
• 1 TBL. fresh lime juice
• Cayenne pepper to taste

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, pepper, celery salt, cumin, garlic, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a serving bowl.

This is not a family recipe; I actually found it on line but couldn’t stop eating it. It goes great with Green Chili and Lime corn chips from H.E.B. !

Ingredients
3 cups chopped peeled tart apples
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Topping
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Combine apples, cranberries, sugar and flour. Pour into a greased 11×7-in. baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until fruit is tender.

Recipe by Courtney Lehman (Phillips)

I do need to preface, that I do not follow recipes explicitly, I almost never measure the ingredients and tend to work with what’s on hand. The quantities I do include below will be based on one pound of cranberries. If you want extra to give away, make two batches!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound fresh cranberries (about 4 cups)
• 1 (20oz) can pineapple chunks/diced
• 2 cups sugar (I do half honey, half sugar or half brown sugar)
• 1 tbs vinegar (white or apple cider)

Spices – There is lots of wiggle room here. If you don’t care for something, omit it. The sauce is sooo sweet that you really have tons of room to play with spice – I have added nutmeg and even mace to recipes. You can use a hot chili or pepper of your choice to give it a kick and a different palette.

• 1/2 tsp dried or 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt

Optional Add Ins:

• small diced apples
• 1/2 c raisins (any style)
• 1/2 walnuts
• diced orange or lemon

PROCEDURE:

1. Strain out all the pineapple juice into an appropriately sized sauce pan. This will “pop” so a deeper or oversized pot is helpful.

2. Add all the spices and sweeteners, vinegar and cranberries, raisins.

3. Cook on medium-medium high heat until the cranberries start to pop stirring occasionally so that the bottom does not burn. Cook until most of the cranberries are all the way popped. If you find the chutney too thick slowly add some orange or apple juice. (Up to 1/2 cup).

4. Add the pineapple chunks and any other fruit in the last 15 minutes of cooking.

5. Add nuts in last and remove from heat. Cool completely before sealing in glass jars.

OTHER NOTES

It will keep in the fridge very well.

It pops and crackles like bacon grease so be careful.

It will completely stain any wooden utensils you use.

I’ve recently read a few mods that add fresh cherries into the mix.

You may find that you need more liquid if you add lots more fruit. Cook it to your desired consistency. It will thicken up when cooling. I usually make mine so that it’s over stuffed and almost no bites are only cranberry, but you could also put less of everything to make it more bland.

When I cook a double batch I put it in a stock pot; a single, usually in my “spaghetti pot”

This was Monica’s entry at the Iola Chili Cook-off this year:

5 pounds 80/20 hamburger
2 70 ounce medium picante sauce
2 14 ounce Slovacek’s all-beef sausage
2 10 ounce Rotel (original)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 15.5 ounce cans red beans, drained
2 packages 2 Alarm Chili kit (no masa)
2 32 ounce beef broth

Brown and drain hamburger.

Place in 18 quart roaster pan.

Cut up sausage in 1/2″ pieces, brown, drain, and add to hamburger.

Add picante sauce.

¾ cup butter (softened)

1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsps. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

½ tsp. ground cloves

½ tsp. ground allspice

Granulated sugar for rolling dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy.
2. Add egg and molasses to butter mixture and cream until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix together.
5. Form balls (I use a melon baller) and roll in granulated white sugar.
6. Place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 11 to 13 minutes. (I bake at 360 in my gas oven for 11 min.)
8. Remove and place on cooling rack.