Basic Pie Crust
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
5-6 tbsp. ice water
Combine flour and salt. Sift together. With a pastry blender cut shortening into the flour until the shortening is the size of small peas.
Sprinkle the water, a tablespoon at a time, over the mixture, mixing lightly with a fork until all the flour is moistened. Use only enough water as is needed to allow the dough to stick together.
Gather the dough together with the fingers so that it cleans the bowl. Press into a ball and divide into 2 equal parts. Roll out on a lightly floured board to 1/8 ". Place dough over pie pan and flute edges.
Bake crust at 425° for 15 minutes or til lightly brown. (If to be baked without filling, prick dough with a fork before baking. If to be baked with filling, don’t prick.)
Makes enough for a 2 crust, 9" pie.
Tip:
Put bread crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, or cookie crumbs on bottom of raw crust when baking a two crust pie to keep the bottom crust from becoming soggy.
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Apple Pie
| For 9" Pie ¾ to 1 cup sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon (or to taste) 6-7 sliced, pared apples 1 ½ tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. flour | For 8" Pie ½ to ¾ cup sugar ¾ tsp. cinnamon (or to taste) 4-5 sliced, pared apples 1 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. flour
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Heat oven to 425°. Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon, then mix lightly thru apples. Heap in pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter.
Cover with top pastry and make venting slits in pastry. Seal and flute. Cover edge with strips of aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.
Bake 50 – 60 minutes or until crust is nicely browned and apples are cooked through. (Test with fork.)
For a shiny, sugary crust, brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar just before baking.
Note: A lattice style top crust may also be used
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Pumpkin Pie
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
Heat oven to 425°. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and
salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust.
Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°; bake an additional 35 to 40
minutes or until knife inserted 1-inch from crust comes out clean. Cool.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Garnish as desired.
Cover and store leftovers in refrigerator.
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Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
3 beaten egg yolks 3/4 c. tightly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 c. cooked pumpkin 1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1 envelope gelatin
1/4 c. cold water 1/4 c. granulated sugar
3 stiffly beaten egg whites
Combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, pumpkin, milk, salt and spices. Cook in double boiler until thick, stirring constantly. (Approx. 10 min.) Soak gelatin in cold water. Stir into hot mixture. Chill 1 to 2 hours until partly set. Beat egg whites, add granulated sugar, and beat stiff. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour into baked pie shell and chill until set. Garnish with whipped cream.
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Lemon Chiffon Pie
Filling:
1/2 c. sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 c. water
4 slightly beaten egg yolks
Blend thoroughly in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until mixture comes to a boil.
Stir in 1/3 c. lemon juice and 1 tbsp. grated lemon rind. Place pan in cold water. Cool until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon. Pour into baked pie shell.
To make meringue:
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar, 1/2 c. sugar.
Beat egg whites with tartar until frothy. Beat in sugar, a little at a time. Beat until glossy and sugar is dissolved. Spread meringue on top of filling making sure to seal all around the edges of the crust. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks.
Bake at 325° for about 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Refrigerate the pie until the filling is completely cool and set, about 4 hours.
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Cherry Cheesecake
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can cherry pie filling
In a medium mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Gradually stir in sweetened condensed milk until thoroughly blended. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into crust.
Chill 2 to 3 hours (or overnight). Top with cherry pie filling before serving.
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Famous Woolworth Ice Box Cheesecake
Note 1) Make cheesecake 1 day prior to serving.
Note 2) Take out cream cheese and bring to room temperature.
Note 3) Put can of condensed milk in refrigerator to get chilled.
CRUST:
2 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar, mixing well and making sure there are no dry spots. Reserve ¼ cup crumbs for topping and set aside.
Grease a 9x13 pan with vegetable spray or
oil.
Pour mixture into the pan and press it firmly in the bottom of the pan and a little bit up the sides of the pan. (Use a spoon or bottom of measuring cup. Pack it firmly but don’t overdo it as it will become too hard if over packed.)
Chill crust for a least an hour before filling.
FILLING:
1 8 oz. package Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 12 oz. can condensed milk, chilled
1 3 oz. package lemon jello
1 cup boiling water
Cream together the room temperature cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer.
Wash the mixer beaters and place beaters and large bowl in the freezer for ½ hour.
In a separate small bowl, add the jello and boiling water. Whisk together until the jello has dissolved and place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for a few minutes. The jello will not set; it will just be in the fridge while you whip the evaporated milk.
To whip the evaporated milk, take the bowl and beaters out of the freezer. Add the evaporated milk to the bowl and beat on high for about 5 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Soft peaks will just briefly ‘stand’ on their own before falling back into the milk.
Add the
jello mixture from the refrigerator and beat an additional 30 seconds or so.
Add the cream cheese mixture and beat for
another 30 seconds.
Pour the mixture into the pan, over the graham cracker crust.
Top with the reserved 1/4 cup of graham crackers and chill the dessert in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Leftovers can be stored, covered, in refrigerator 5 to 7 days.
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Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour 1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar ½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup water 2 eggs
¾ cup sour cream 4 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup shortening (cooled)
1¼ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour oblong pan, 13x9x2 inches, or two 9-inch or three 8-inch round layer pans. Measure all ingredients into large mixer bowl. Mix ½ minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly. Beat 3 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan(s).
Bake oblong 40 to 45 minutes, layers 30 to 35 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly with finger. Cool. Frost with Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting.
Note:
If using self-rising flour, reduce baking soda to ¼ tsp. Omit salt and baking powder.
For cupcakes, pour batter into paper-lined muffin cups, filling each ½ full.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cupcakes.
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Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 oz. melted unsweetened chocolate (cooled)
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
½ cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix butter and cooled chocolate thoroughly. Blend in sugar. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.
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Swedish Rice Pudding
2 cups long grain rice 2 cinnamon sticks
1 large can Milnot Evaporated Milk ⅓ cup sugar
½ Milnot can of water 4 tbsp. butter
1 handful of golden raisins 1 gallon whole milk
1 blanched almond (for good luck!)
Rinse rice, first with warm water, then cold. Soak overnight in cold water.
Drain.
Add Milnot and water to start rice cooking in double boiler.
Add raisins and cinnamon sticks, sugar and butter.
Keep adding milk as rice thickens.
Watch carefully – cook all day, uncovered, stirring often.
Put pudding in large serving bowl…hide almond in pudding just before serving. Serve with a large pitcher of milk and cinnamon sugar.
Makes about 8 to 10 cups of pudding.
Notes:
Use Riceland Rice or Uncle Ben’s Rice for best results.
Plan to have an extra gallon of whole milk on hand.
Traditionally, the one who finds the almond will be the next to marry in the next year.
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Bread Pudding with Brandy Sauce
Pudding:
2 cups milk 2 slightly beaten eggs
2 cups (1 inch) day old bread cubes ½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt ½ cup seedless raisins
Combine milk and eggs. Add rest of ingredients and pour over bread cubes.
Pour mixture into an 8" greased baking dish. Place baking dish in larger shallow pan on oven rack. Pour hot water around it, 1" deep.
Bake at 350° about 45 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between center and outside comes out clean.
Cut into serving pieces, place on plate and spoon brandy sauce over top.
Brandy Sauce:
½ cup sugar 1½ tsp. cornstarch
dash of salt 1 cup hot water
2 tbsp. brandy 1 tbsp. butter
pinch of nutmeg (optional)
Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add hot water and stir over moderate heat until thickened and clear. Add brandy and butter. A pinch of nutmeg sometimes is added.
Note: Use a good brandy.
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Blackberry Cobbler
2 ½ cups fresh or frozen blackberries 1 cup sugar + ½ c. for batter
1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt 1 cup milk
½ cup butter, melted whipped cream/ice cream
In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and 1 cup sugar. Let stand about 20 min. or until fruit syrup forms. Heat oven to 375°. In large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder , salt, milk and ½ cup sugar. Stir gently. Stir in melted butter until blended. Spread in ungreased 8 inch square pan. Spoon blackberry mixture over batter. Bake 45 to 55 min. or until dough rises and is golden. Serve warm with whipped cream.
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Cannoli
This recipe makes enough to fill 6 large cannoli shells.
1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese (don't use skim or fat free)
1/2 cup powdered sugar (+ 2 or 3 tbsp.)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cannoli shells
ground pistachio nuts
To strain ricotta cheese, place a strainer over a small prep bowl, and line it with cheesecloth. Add the ricotta, and using a rubber spatula, gently push and spread the ricotta into an even layer. Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator. Let the ricotta cheese strain overnight, or at least for 8 hours. Discard the accumulated liquid in the bowl.
Cannoli filling should be sweet but not saccharine.
When you're ready to make the filling, place the drained ricotta in a large mixing bowl. Beat with handheld mixer on medium speed to help smooth out. Beat for a minute or two. Turn the speed on the lowest setting, and begin adding the powdered sugar slowly through a fine mesh sifter. Mix the sugar into the ricotta, then when fully incorporated, add some more sugar until you use everything up. Add the vanilla, and continue to beat the mixture until ingredients are very well combined. You should have a pretty smooth consistency. Give it a taste and add more sugar if you want it sweeter.
For easy piping, take a gallon sized plastic storage bag with Ziploc and transfer the ricotta mixture to the bag. At this point, if you want to fill your cannoli later you can just pop the bag in the fridge until you're ready to fill. When ready to fill, take one bottom corner of the bag and cut off the edge of the corner creating a pastry bag. Take a shell and begin to squeeze the mixture into the shell on one end. Turn and fill in the other end. Repeat with remaining shells.
When shells have been filled, dip ends in pistachio nuts. Place on platter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Note: Cannoli are best when you have the crunchy shell and smooth filling. They're best if eaten right after filling, or within an hour or two. The more time they sit, the soggier they'll get.
Filling will last 5 – 7 days in the refrigerator.
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Basic Crepe
1½ cups all-purpose flour 2 cups milk
1 tbsp. sugar 2 tbsp. butter, melted
½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. salt 2 eggs
In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the remaining ingredients; mix until smooth.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately ¼ cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Stack the finished crepes by putting wax paper between each one. Keep covered with a dry cloth until ready to eat.
You can put anything in and on crepes -- fruit, fruit spread, fruit and whipped cream, chocolate sauce, chicken salad, ham salad, ham and cheese, mushrooms and cheese, even eggs. Use any type of jam or jelly with a little cream cheese - fold or roll up and sprinkle with confectioner sugar.
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Powdered Sugar Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 – 4 tbsp. milk