Pie Crust

This is my Aunt Jeanie's pie crust recipe!  This past Thanksgiving she made 5 different pies!  Each was delicious!  She says the beauty of this recipe is that it's so moist.  It's super easy to roll out without splitting and cracking.  The recipe makes two two crust pies.

3 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup of butter, softened (use butter not shortening)

scant tsp. of salt

2 Tbsp. white sugar

1 oz. vegetable oil (not olive oil, more like Canola)

5/8 cup cold water (5/8 cup =1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp.)

My aunt doesn't bother sifting the flour, but you can.  Put flour, salt, butter in large mixing bowl.  Cut with a pastry blender until mixture resembles cornmeal.  Drizzle oil over it all.  Toss lightly from underneath with fork to moisten.  Drizzle water over.  Toss in the same manor again to thoroughly moisten.  Mixture should be quite wet.  If it's not you can add a little more water. 

Here's where you use a gentle touch.  Pat it all into a ball with floured hands.  Divide into two balls.  Roll out one ball for one pie.  Fold and arrange on top seal and flute the edges.  Make slits in the top crust to let the steam escape.  Roll out the other ball to use and make another pie crust.

Jell-O Cookies

These are light and tasty!  They are easy to make and you can make them in whatever color or flavor you want.  I'm already thinking about making them in school colors or team colors.  Your cookies can now match your party color scheme!  Only a girl would get excited about stuff like this!

3 1/2 cups of flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups of butter, softened

1 cup of sugar

2 pkg. (4 serving size each) jell-o brand strawberry flavor

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a separate bowl mix flour and baking powder, set aside.  Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.  Gradually add sugar and one package of dry jell-o.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla, mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended after each addition.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls.  Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.  Flatten with bottom of a clean glass.  Sprinkle lightly with remaining dry jell-o.

Bake 8-10 mins. or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove from baking sheets to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

Makes 5 dozen cookies or 30 servings, 2 cookies each.

Create a festive cookie platter.  Make a second batch using jell-o lime flavor.

Peppernuts

This fabulous recipe is from the kitchen of Kim Reno (my high school best friend's mom)  I spent many years eating her delicious treats.  Actually anything she made was awesome!  Thank you for the recipe.  I saved it and have made this almost every year!  These are great with tea or coffee.  

1 cup of butter

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. baking soda

5-6 cups of flour

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.  In a sauce pan heat the butter, corn syrup, sugar, cinnamon, all spice, cloves and ginger, till the butter is all melted.  Remove from heat and add the teaspoon of baking soda.  Stir till foamy.

Add 5-6 cups of flour.  Just stir in 1 cup at a time.  Dough will be really thick.  Use your muscles!  Roll into 1/2" thick ropes and cut into 1/2" pieces.

Place on cookie sheets, spaced so they don't touch and have room to expand a little.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven.  Peppernuts will be soft when you first pull them out.  As they cool they become crunchy.  I'd guess this recipe makes 200 peppernuts.  I put them in cute bags and give them as gifts.





Potato Soup

This is my mother-in-laws recipe.  It's a creamy and hearty soup!  One of my husband's favorite soups.

4 potatoes (medium size, peeled, cut bite size)

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 minced garlic clove

6 slices of bacon (cooked and crumbled)

4 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

5 Tbsp. butter

5 Tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

1/3 cup chopped green onion

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cook bacon in stock pot.  Remove bacon and drain some of the fat.  Crumble bacon.  Keep half the bacon out for the topping.  The other half goes back in the stock pot.  Using the left over bacon drippings, sweat the onion and celery for 5 mins.  During the last minute add the minced garlic.  Add cut potatoes, pepper and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 mins.

In a separate sauce pan, melt butter.  Whisk in flour for 1 minute.  Stir until thick.  Slowly stir in milk.  Keep stirring, no lumps.  Stir over medium heat until thick, 4-5 mins.  Pour milk mixture into the potato stock pot.  Stir well.  Cook soup another 15 minutes.  Serve in soup bowls with crumbled bacon on top, shredded cheese on top and green onions on top.

Ham can be subbed in for the bacon.  Or you can keep the bacon out completely.  Just use olive oil when sweating the vegetables.  It's up to you!  Enjoy! 

Apple Cider

Here's an easy hot apple cider recipe.  It's yummy and makes the whole house smell delicious!

4 qts. (1 gallon) apple juice or apple cider

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. whole allspice

1 1/2 tsp. whole cloves

3 cinnamon sticks

2 orange slices

cheesecloth

caramel ice cream topping

whip cream

cinnamon to sprinkle

Pour apple juice or cider into a 4-5 quart crock pot.  You can add the brown sugar at this point, but I never do.  I think it makes it too sweet.  Tie whole allspice, whole cloves and cinnamon sticks in cheesecloth.  Place your cheesecloth spice packet in the crock pot.  Put orange slices in.  They will float on top.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.  Remove orange slices.  Remove cheesecloth spice packet.  Ladle apple cider into mugs.  Top with caramel ice cream topping, whip cream and cinnamon. 



Scalloped Potato Gratin

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for broiling

Butter

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a saucepan, heat up the cream with the rosemary, chopped garlic and nutmeg.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish. Place a layer of potato in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Remove cream from heat, then pour a little over the potatoes. Top with some grated Parmesan. Make 2 more layers. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Sprinkle some more Parmesan and broil until cheese browns, about 5 minutes.

Apple Pie Enchilada's

Wow, what a surprise this recipe was!!

At first I wasn't sure how it would turn out (apples and tortillas) but to my surprise it was very tasty and a great way to use up any apples I didn't use for our Thanksgiving apple pie! 

1- (21oz.) can of Apple Pie Filling (or your left over apple pie mixture)

6- (8inch) flour tortillas

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup water

Preheat your oven to 350. 

Spoon apples evenly onto one tortillas, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Roll up totillas and place seam side down on lightly greased 8x8 backing pan. 

Bring butter, sugars and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan . reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Pour sauce evenly over tortillas, sprinkle with extra cinnamon on top if desires. 

Bake for 20 min. 

Sever hot with Ice Cream ...... Enjoy!