Bake Until Golden: A Novel (The Potluck Catering Club)

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Bake Until Golden: A Novel (The Potluck Catering Club) Page 29

by Linda Evans Shepherd


  Incredible Peach Cobbler

  1 stick butter (do not use margarine)

  fresh peaches, cut up

  1 cup self-rising flour

  1 cup sugar

  Set butter out to room temperature. Butter should not be left out any longer than 30 minutes. Cut up fresh peaches (enough to fill about ½ to ¾ of a 6-by-9½-by-2 Pyrex pan). Place peaches in pan. Then, using a fork, crumble butter, then stir in flour and sugar. Blend until all three are nice and crumbly. Sprinkle on top of fruit.

  Place in oven. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then turn oven back to 350 for half an hour.

  Lizzie’s Cook’s Notes

  Other fruit options: fresh pears (cooked) or blueberries. If you use blueberries, you will have to add water about 2/3 the way up the fruit once you have it in the pan.

  Peanut Brittle

  2 cups sugar

  1 cup clear corn syrup

  ½ cup water

  ½ stick butter, softened

  3 cups peanuts

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  Blend sugar, syrup, water, and butter. Using a candy thermometer, cook on stovetop to 230 degrees. Add peanuts, stir constantly, and cook to 305 degrees. Remove from heat. Add baking soda and stir quickly until mixture foams. Quickly pour onto large greased baking sheet. Spread thinly over entire surface of pan. Cool until hard. Break into small pieces.

  Evangeline’s Cook’s Notes

  This is one time you don’t want to substitute margarine for the butter.

  Cashew Chicken Wraps

  Dressing

  ½ cup mayo

  6 tablespoons honey mustard

  1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  ½ teaspoon salt

  dash pepper

  Meat Mixture

  3 cups chicken, cooked

  2 cups celery, chopped

  ½ cup cashews, chopped

  ¼ cup onion, chopped

  6 flour tortillas, 10-inch

  ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

  In a large bowl, create the dressing by stirring together mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Next, add the chicken, celery, cashews, and onion to the dressing. Stir well. Scoop ½ to 1 cup of chicken mixture into the center of each tortilla then sprinkle with shredded cheese. Fold like envelope and roll up.

  Lisa Leann’s Cook’s Notes

  These little wraps are perfect when you have to eat on the go. I like to make them for car trips. I put them in the cooler and eat them cold, though they are delightful warm from the microwave as well. Just heat each for about 30 seconds for best results.

  Baked Corn

  1 (1 pound) can cream-style corn

  1 cup milk

  1 egg, well beaten

  ¾ teaspoon salt

  ¾ teaspoon pepper

  1 cup cracker crumbs (Ritz, Saltines)

  ½ cup buttered cracker crumbs

  Preheat oven to 350. Heat corn and milk. Gradually stir in egg. Add seasonings and cracker crumbs. Place in a greased 1½ quart baking dish. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top. Bake for one hour.

  Serves 4–6.

  Goldie’s Cook’s Notes

  Buttered crackers can be butter-flavored, Ritz-type crackers. I prefer to use Ritz crackers all the way through the recipe.

  Apple Salad

  1/3 cup flour

  ¾ cup sugar

  1 large can crushed pineapple

  ½ stick margarine

  4 large apples peeled and diced

  Cool Whip

  ½ cup pecans, chopped

  ½ cup cherries

  Combine flour and sugar; add crushed pineapple with juice. Cook on medium heat until thick. Add margarine. Let cool. Fold in apples. Put into 3 quart Pyrex dish and spread with Cool Whip. Sprinkle with chopped pecans and cherries.

  Evangeline’s Cook’s Notes

  Personally, I like the little maraschino cherries, drained, but fresh cherries are good too.

  Onion and Cheese Meatloaf

  1 1/3 cups French’s French Fried Onions

  1½ pounds ground beef

  1 (10 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

  2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

  1 egg

  1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

  In bowl, crumble 2/3 cup of fried onions then add meat, 1/3 cup of soup, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and cheese. Knead ingredients into meat then shape into a loaf (approximately 8-by-4 inches). Place meatloaf in shallow baking pan then bake for an hour at 350 degrees.

  Drain meatloaf then spoon remaining soup over top. Sprinkle with remaining fried onions. Bake another 5 minutes or until onions are crunchy.

  Vonnie’s Cook’s Notes

  I’ve made a lot of meatloaf in my life, but this one is my favorite.

  Gold Rush Brownies

  2 packages graham crackers, from box of three

  2 cans Eagle Brand milk

  1 package chocolate chips

  1 cup pecans, chopped

  Set oven for 350 degrees. Put crackers into a Ziploc bag and crush into crumbs with a rolling pin. Mix crumbs with Eagle Brand milk, chocolate chips, and pecans.

  Spray a 9-by-13 pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour. Press brownie mixture into pan and bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden.

  Donna’s Cook’s Notes

  I’ll never forget all my cooking lessons at Vonnie’s. Thank goodness she was there for me. I think about her every time I make these treats.

  Scrambled Egg Gourmet

  6 eggs

  ¼ cup sour cream

  salt and pepper, to taste

  1 tablespoon onion, minced (optional)

  2 tablespoons butter

  4 slices bacon, cooked

  Beat eggs and sour cream together; season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a skillet (if onions are used, sauté in butter). Pour egg mixture into skillet; scramble egg mixture, tossing lightly in hot butter until done. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over eggs.

  Serves 3–4.

  Lizzie’s Cook’s Notes

  Sometimes I prepare this on Saturday evenings to have for breakfast before church on Sunday morning. A perfect way to start the Lord’s Day!

  Prissy Pecans

  2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee

  ¼ cup sugar

  ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  2 tablespoons water

  dash salt

  2 cups pecan halves

  Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil 3 minutes. Stir constantly. Spread on waxed paper and separate pecan halves as they cool. Pecans will be sugar coated, not sticky.

  Goldie’s Cook’s Notes

  These make a wonderful teacher’s gift, for Christmas or the last day of school. They’re also a nice gift for family and friends. Perfect for “noshing.” Simply place them in a Mason jar, seal, cover the lid with a pretty piece of material, then tie off with a bow. Fun for the children too!

  Smash Cake

  1 cup canola oil

  1 box brown sugar (2 cups, packed)

  3 eggs

  1 teaspoon vanilla

  1¼ cups self-rising flour

  ½ cup pecans, chopped

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In mixing bowl, add oil and brown sugar and beat until well mixed. Add 1 egg at a time, beating well. Stir in vanilla. Add self-rising flour until blended. Stir in chopped pecans. Spread dough into well-greased and floured 9-by-13 pan. Bake 20–25 minutes. About 15 minutes into baking, open the oven and shake the cake so that it will fall. Put the cake back into the oven and continue baking. When the cake is done, take the cake out of the oven and shake pan so cake falls. Then with the bottom of a glass or ceramic mug, gently smash cake. This will give the cake the consistency of a brownie/pie.

  Lisa Leann’s Cook’s Notes

  You wouldn’t think that shaking a cake-like brownie into a denser version of itself would be so delicious or such a hit with the crowd. When I take this to parties, I’ve seen grown men fight over the last p
iece. Try making it yourself and watch it disappear.

  Sunshine Cake

  1 package moist yellow cake mix

  4 eggs, slightly beaten

  ½ cup vegetable oil

  1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges with half the juice

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In large bowl, lightly beat (with spoon or whisk) cake mix, eggs, oil, and oranges with juice into a batter. Pour the batter into either one or two greased and floured 9-by-13 pans. Bake about 20 minutes for two layers, or about 35 minutes for one layer. Cool on wire rack.

  Note: you can use two 9-by-13 pans so you will have two thin layers with frosting in the middle; or, if you use one pan, you can cut cooled cake in half if you want frosting in the middle.

  Frosting:

  1 (12–16 ounce) frozen whipped topping, thawed

  1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding

  1 (15 oz) can crushed and drained pineapple

  1 cup fresh blueberries (optional)

  Mix together whipped topping, pudding, and crushed pineapple. Place in refrigerator to set. Frost when cake has thoroughly cooled. Garnish with blueberries, if desired.

  Donna’s Cook’s Notes

  This recipe of my mother’s is one of my favorites.

  Fred’s Barbecue Chicken

  BBQ Sauce

  ½ cup ketchup

  1 tablespoon prepared mustard

  1 tablespoon molasses

  1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

  2 cloves garlic, minced

  Chicken

  skinless chicken parts

  covered grill

  foil

  2 cups water

  Stir together ingredients for sauce in a large bowl. While grill is heating to medium-high, shape foil into a pan-like shape and place on the grill. Pour 2 cups of water into foil “pan.” Add chicken parts to water and close lid.

  After 20 minutes, baste with BBQ sauce. Repeat basting procedure every 5 to 10 minutes, closing lid between bastings. Chicken will be done in about 50 minutes of cooking time.

  Vonnie’s Cook’s Notes

  Fred finally figured out a way to keep his barbecue chicken from burning. This is a moist, delicious way to go to the grill.

  Cinnamon-Buttermilk Coffee Cake

  2 cups all-purpose flour

  2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

  ½ cup butter, softened

  1/3 cup all-purpose flour

  1 egg

  1 cup buttermilk

  1 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  ½ cup chopped nuts

  Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine 2 cups flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside 2/3 cup crumb mixture. Combine remaining crumb mixture and 1/3 cup flour. Add egg, buttermilk, baking soda, and cinnamon; stir until mixture is moistened.

  Pour batter into a greased 9-inch square pan. Combine reserved crumb mixture with nuts; sprinkle over batter. Bake for 1 hour or until done. Cut into squares.

  Serves 9.

  Evangeline’s Cook’s Notes

  This makes a quick and easy breakfast sweet dish. Unless, of course, you expect to serve the state law enforcement while they question you as though you are a suspect in a murder case. Ahem.

  Waikiki Meatballs

  1½ pounds ground beef

  2/3 cup cracker crumbs

  1/3 cup minced onion

  1 egg

  1½ teaspoons salt

  ¼ teaspoon ginger

  ¼ cup milk

  1 tablespoon shortening

  2 tablespoons cornstarch

  ½ cup brown sugar, packed

  1 (13½ ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve syrup)

  1/3 cup vinegar

  1 tablespoon soy sauce

  1/3 cup green pepper, chopped

  Mix thoroughly beef, crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger, and milk. Shape mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls into balls. Melt shortening in large skillet; brown and cook meatballs. Remove meatballs from skillet. In a mixing bowl, mix cornstarch and sugar. Stir in reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth. Pour into skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Add meatballs, pineapple tidbits, and green pepper; heat through.

  Serves 6.

  Lizzie’s Cook’s Notes

  Great for a meal or a party!

  Potatoes Gourmet

  6 medium potatoes

  ¼ cup melted butter or margarine

  2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

  1 (8 ounce) carton sour cream

  3 green onions, chopped

  1 teaspoon salt

  ¼ teaspoon pepper

  2 tablespoons butter or margarine

  Peel potatoes and then cut into medium-sized cubes. Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Combine ¼ cup melted butter and cheese in a heavy saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese is partially melted. Combine potatoes, cheese mixture, sour cream, onion, salt, and pepper; stir well. Spoon potato mixture into a greased 2-quart shallow casserole dish and dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until done.

  Serves 6–8.

  Goldie’s Cook’s Notes

  Olivia was right. This is delicious!

  Pineapple Ginger Chicken

  1 (14 ounce) can pineapple chunks

  leftover pineapple juice, from can

  3–5 whole or split chicken breasts

  ½ teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon pepper

  1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

  10–12 green onions

  2 teaspoons candied ginger, finely chopped

  Pour juice from can of pineapple chunks into bowl, then set aside. Next, rub chicken with salt, pepper, and rosemary before placing it in a shallow pan for baking. Chop green onions and sprinkle over chicken. Add candied ginger to pineapple juice then pour over the chicken and onions. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees until the chicken is done, about 45–55 minutes. Periodically baste the chicken with juices from the pan. Ten minutes before the chicken is done, spoon pineapple chunks over chicken then continue baking.

  Serves 4–6.

  Vonnie’s Cook’s Notes

  This really is a tasty dish. Whenever I make it, I always wonder why I don’t make it more often.

  Almond Bark

  1 teaspoon butter

  1 cup whole blanched almonds

  1 pound white chocolate

  Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray, then add butter and almonds to plate. In microwave, cook almonds and butter at maximum power for 2 minutes. Stir then cook another 2 minutes. Stir again. If the almonds are not yet toasted, cook another ½ to 1 minute before stirring a final time. Set the almonds aside. Use the microwave to melt chocolate in microwavable bowl at maximum power for 2½ to 3 minutes, or until softened. Stir almonds into bowl and pour mixture onto a wax-paper-lined baking sheet. With spatula, spread soft mixture across wax paper until desired thickness. Refrigerate. When bark is set, break it into serving-size pieces.

  Yield: 1½ pounds.

  Lisa Leann’s Cook’s Notes

  Nothing could be more decadent yet easy to create than this little treat.

  Doreen’s Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

  1 (10 ounce) package saffron yellow rice (Vigo)

  1 (10 ounce) can premium chicken in water

  1 can cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

  ½ cup milk

  French-fried onions

  cheese

  paprika

  Cook rice as directed on package, except only simmer for 15 minutes instead of the 20–25 minutes called for on package.

 

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