by Beth Wiseman
Twitter: @VannettaChapman
Facebook: VannettaChapmanBooks
RECIPES FROM BETH WISEMAN’S
Under the Harvest Moon
Pearl’s Florentines
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups sliced, blanched almonds (about 5 ounces)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons)
¼ teaspoon fine salt
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Topping, optional:
2 to 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
Directions:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Pulse the almonds in a food processor until finely chopped, but not pasty. Stir together the nuts, flour, zest and salt in a large bowl.
Put the sugar, cream, corn syrup and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a rolling boil and sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour mixture into almond mixture and stir just to combine. Set aside until cool enough to handle, 30 minutes.
Scoop rounded teaspoons (for 3-inch cookies) or rounded tablespoons (for 6-inch cookies) of batter and roll into balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, leaving about 3 to 4 inches between each cookie since they spread.
Bake one pan at a time, until the cookies are thin and an even golden brown color throughout, rotating pans halfway through baking time, about 10 to 11 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve.
Optional chocolate topping:
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with 1 inch or so of water to a very low simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)
For sandwiches: Drop about ½ teaspoon chocolate onto on the flat side of half of the cookies and press together with remaining halves. Return to rack and let chocolate set.
For chocolate decor: Drizzle melted chocolate over Florentines as desired. Set aside at room temperature until chocolate is set.
Busy baker’s tips: Store baked cookies carefully, separated by parchment or waxed paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Florentines are best stored separated from moist cookies and cakes.
Copyright (c) 2007 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved
From Food Network Kitchens
© 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Naomi’s Roast, Potatoes, and Carrots
1 blade roast about 4 inches thick and weighing approx. 5 lbs.
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper
1 cup water
6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut in 2 inch cubes
3 medium onions, peeled and quartered
Directions:
Sprinkle roast well with salt and pepper, then place in a large roasting pan.
Add water, cover, and cook for 1 ½ hours at 325 degrees.
Uncover and arrange vegetables around roast in pan.
Recover and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours longer or until meat and vegetables are both fork tender.
Tip: Sometimes Naomi adds 1 can of cream of mushroom soup and reduces water to ½ cup for a creamier gravy. Psst . . . don’t tell.
RECIPES FROM AMY CLIPSTON’S
Love and Buggy Rides
Black Raspberry Pie
2 unbaked pie shells
1 cup *Therm Flo
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar
1 quart fresh raspberries
Directions:
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, moisten 1 cup *Therm Flo with ¾ cup water.
Whisk together, then whisk into boiling water.
Add ¾ cup sugar.
Remove from heat and add one quart fresh raspberries.
Pour into pie shells (don’t overfill, you may have extra).
Top with pie crust; cut holes in dough to allow steam to escape.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
*Therm Flo is a modified food starch derived from waxy maize. It is used in canning and freezing home-prepared foods as a clear thickener.
Barbecue Meat Loaf
1 ½ lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
¾ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together the onion, milk, oatmeal, egg, salt, chili powder, and pepper. Add mixture to a medium-size bowl with the ground beef and combine.
Topping:
1 cup ketchup
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 ½ teaspoon vinegar
Mix topping ingredients and spread over meat loaf.
Bake for one hour at 350 degrees.
RECIPES FROM KATHLEEN FULLER’S
A Quiet Love
Amish Chicken
6–8 chicken pieces, cleaned
1 cup flour
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoon paprika
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
1 ½ cups water
Directions:
Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour and spices and arrange skin side up in a baking dish. Mix the cream and water and pour over the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until the skin is golden brown. This chicken makes its own gravy while baking.
*Recipe from Food.com, original recipe found in an Ohio Amish cookbook
Amish Potato Rolls
1 cup mashed potato
1 cup sugar
½ cup butter
3 eggs, beaten
1 ½ teaspoon salt
2 packages yeast
1 cup warm water
5 cups flour
Directions:
Mix together first 5 ingredients. Dissolve yeast in the warm water, then add it to the mixture. Stir in about 3 cups flour. Add the remaining flour while kneading. Knead until no longer sticky but still moist. Let rise until double.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough to ¾–1” thickness. Cut into bun shapes with round cookie or biscuit cutter. Place on greased cookie sheet about 2” apart. Let rise until puffy but not doubled. Brush with milk. Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Yield: 3 dozen
*An Amish recipe from Food Network
RECIPES FROM VANNETTA CHAPMAN’S
Mischief in the Autumn Air
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 ¾ cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour and baking soda in small bowl. Beat butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Press down slig
htly with bottom of glass dipped in granulated sugar.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set but centers are still soft. Cool on baking sheets for 4 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Strawberry Lemon Water
15 fresh strawberries
One sliced lemon
Water
Directions:
Add 15 fresh strawberries, washed and finely sliced to a ½ gallon glass jar. Add one sliced lemon with rind on. Fill with water. Let sit 4 hours (to overnight) in fridge and enjoy.
Homemade Hot Chocolate
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar
½ to 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Optional Ingredients:
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne
½ teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Add the sugar and cocoa powder into a cup with the cayenne and salt.
Mix together with a fork.
Pour the milk into a measuring cup and heat in the microwave for 2 to 2 ½ minutes, or until nice and hot.
Pour milk over dry ingredients and mix with a fork.