Perfect Pie Crust

Perfect Pie Crust

(from The Essential Mormon Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups Crisco shortening

3 cups flour

1 Tb vinegar or lemon juice

5 Tb ice cold water

1 egg, beaten

In a medium bowl, cut shortening into flour, making 1/4 inch bits.
Make a well in the center. Pour in the vinegar or lemon juice, ice cold water, and beaten egg. Mix from the bottom to the top with a fork until the dough barely sticks together. 

Divide into two balls. Place one ball between two pieces of waxed paper. Place pie plate on top of dough so that the pie plate is upside down. Flip the pie plate and dough over. Remove last piece of waxed paper. 

Fill and bake according to individual recipe or bake at 350^oF for 10 minutes (until golden) for a single-crust, baked pie shell. Makes two 9-inch pie crusts.

Banana Pudding

Southern Banana Pudding

(from NYC's famed Magnolia Bakery)

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups ice cold water

1 (3.4 oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)

3 cups heavy cream

1 (12 oz) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions)

4 cups sliced ripe bananas

In a small bowl, on the medium speed, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding milk and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixture, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5 quart capacity. Arrange 1/3 of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then 1/3 of the bananas and 1/3 of the pudding. 

Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

Southern Mac and Cheese

Southern Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

4 cups dried macaroni

1 whole egg, beaten

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups whole milk

2 tsp (heaping) dry mustard, more if desired

1 lb cheese, grated

1/2 tsp salt, more to taste

1/2 tsp seasoned salt, more to taste

1/2 tsp ground pepper

Optional spices: cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain. 

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. 

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking  constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. 

Add in cheese and stir to melt. 

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! Don't undersalt!

Pour in undrained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine. 

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese and bake at 350^oF for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 boxes Betty Crocker Spice Cake mix

2 (15 oz) pumpkin filling

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Sugar glaze ingredients:

1 cube butter, melted

3 cups powdered sugar

milk

vanilla

Mix all cake ingredients together.

Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

Bake at 350^oF for 35-40 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes and poke holes in the cake with the end of a wooden spoon.

Bake for another 5 minutes and  frost with sugar glaze.

Sausage Egg Casserole

Sausage Egg Casserole

Ingredients:

3/4 lb ground pork sausage

1 Tb butter

4 green onions, chopped

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

10 eggs, beaten

1 (16 oz) container low fat cottage cheese

1 lb Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded

2 (4 oz) can diced green chile

Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown.

Drain and set aside. Melt butter in skillet, and cook and stir the green onions and mushrooms until tender.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cottage cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, and chiles. Stir in the sausage, green onions, and mushrooms. 

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350^oF. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 in baking dish.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the melted butter. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake 40-50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

3 Tb unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

3 cups quick cooking oats

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 Tb vanilla extract

Heat cocoa, sugar, milk and butter over medium heat. 

Boil these verrrry slowly (they will turn out better) When they reach the boiling point, boil them for no longer than 90-120 seconds.

Stir together oats, peanut butter, and vanilla with a big wooden spoon or Kitchen Aid. 

Pour the hot mix over the oatmeal mix and drop on wax paper.

Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz) package spaghetti noodles, prepared

1 Tb sugar

3 cups grated cheese

1 lb ground beef; browned, seasoned, and drained

1 small can sliced mushrooms

1 (10 1/2 oz) can tomato soup

1/2 cup milk

1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce

In a medium bowl, mix tomato soup, milk, and spaghetti sauce. Set aside. 

Spray 9 x 13 pan with Pam.

Layer ingredients as follows:

1/2 the noodles

1/2 the sugar

1/2 the cheese (save a little for the top)

1/2 the meat

1/2 the mushrooms

1/2 the sauce

REPEAT

Top with the extra cheese

Bake for 1 hour at 350^oF, until bubbly.

Homemade Oreos

Homemade Oreos

Sift together:

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Cream and add to dry:

10 Tb butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

Scoop ball and flatten with glass covered in sugar.

Bake cookies at 325^oF for 9 minutes.

Frosting:

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Blend until creamy. Put in pastry bag, with no tip.

Lasagna

Add:

1 lb ground beef

1 cup onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 (6 oz) tomato paste

1/2 lb mushrooms

1 Tb Worcstershire sauce

4 cup tomato juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 Tb parsley

1 tsp oregano

Simmer for 30 minutes in sauce pan.

Layer a casserole pan with lasagna noodles, Ramono cheese, Parmesean cheese, and simmered mixture. Layer ingredients. 

Cover pan with foil.

Cook at 350^oF for 40 minutes.

Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes. 

Let it cool for 20 minutes before serving. 

Judy's Chicken Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

8 crescent rolls

2 cups (or cans) chicken, cooked and cubed

2 cups cheese

2 cans cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

Mix together the cubed chicken, cheese, and cream of chicken soup. 

Fill crescent rolls with chicken mixture and place rolls in casserole pan. 

Top with: 

1 can cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup milk

Sprinkle with grated cheese on top.

Cover pan with foil. Bake at 350^oF for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake again for 20 more minutes.

French Toast Souffle

Ingredients:

8 slices French bread

12 eggs

1/3 cup syrup

2 cup milk

Cut the French bread into cubes and put in 13 x 9 pan. 

Beat eggs, syrup, and milk together. Pour mixture over bread.

Refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350^oF for 45 minutes.

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven to 325^oF.
Mix peanut butter, sugar, and egg until well blended.
Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Roll peanut butter mixture into 18 balls.
Place 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten each ball, in a criss cross pattern with fork.
Bake 18-20 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool 5 minutes.

Gingerbread Cookies from Nauvoo

Scovil's Gingerbread Cookies

(From Scovil Bakery in Nauvoo, Illinois)

Lucius Scovil joined the church in 1837 in Kirtland, Ohio. He and his family were faithful members of the church who followed the migration of the early Saints. He served his first mission a month after he was baptized. He made 5 trips from Kirtland to Missouri helping other families make the difficult journey. His family finally settled in Nauvoo, Illinois where they faced sickness and trials. He oversaw the construction of the Masonic Hall, served in the Nauvoo Legion, and built and ran the Scovil Bakery.
Lucius lost 2 children and his wife along the Mormon trial. He shortly received a mission call to England and had to make the difficult choice to leave his children, parentless and along on the prairie, to serve. To earn money for his family while he served, Lucius sketched the Nauvoo Temple and turned it into a plate which was popular among the Saints. The decision to leave his children was difficult, especially at such a uncertain time for the Saints. Of this decision, Lucius wrote:

"This seemed like a painful duty for me to perform, to leave my family to go into the wilderness and I to turn and go the other way. It cost me all that I had on this earth ... (but) I thought it was best to round up my shoulders like a bold soldier of the crop .. and assist in rolling forth the kingdom of God."  

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

3/4 cup oil or lard

1/2 cup hot water

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 heaping tsp ginger

6-7 cups flour (use 1/3 whole wheat)

Combine sugar, molasses, oil or lard, and hot water. 

Rinse molasses out of cup with hot water.

Add the eggs and mix.

Mix together the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and flour. Then combine to molasses mixture.

Refrigerate dough. Roll out and cut with cookie cutter.

Bake at 350^oF for 10 minutes. 

Jean Campbell's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar together. 

Mix in eggs and vanilla. 

Sift together dry ingredients; add gradually to creamed mixture. 

Chill dough 3-4 hours. Once chilled, roll out onto well-floured surface, also using more flour on top of dough, so it's not too sticky. 

Cut into shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 375^oF for 8-10  minutes.

Blonde Brownies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup melted butter

2 cup brown sugar

2 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 350^oF for 20-25 min.

Wendy's Chocolate Trifle

Ingredients:

1 package brownie mix

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix

1/2 cup water

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (12 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (1.5 oz) bar chocolate candy

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions and cool completely. Cut into 1 inch squares.

In a large bowl, combine pudding mix, water, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix until smooth, then fold in 8 oz whipped topping until no streaks remain.

In a glass serving dish, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture, and half of the 12 oz container of whipped topping. 

Repeat layers. 

Shave chocolate onto top layer for garnish. Refrigerate 8 hours before serving.

Italian Vegetable-Chicken Stew

In a large soup pan, saute these ingredients in oil for 5-10 minutes (until mostly soft):

1-2 Tb olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup yellow squash, thinly sliced

Add the following 6 ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30 minutes:

1 Tb dried Italian seasoning

1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

2 cans chicken broth

1 pkg fresh pre-sliced mushrooms

1 6 oz can tomato paste

After letting simmer for 30 minutes, add these ingredients and let cook 5-10 more minutes until desired temperature. 

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can corn niblets, drained

1 can green beans or Italian cut green beans, drained

2 chicken breast, boiled and shredded

1/4 cup fresh or dried parsley, chopped

Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 Tb butter

5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cup water

1 Tb chicken base

1 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup flour

3 cup milk

Saute onion in butter. Add potatoes, salt, water, and soup base. 

Cook 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 

In separate bowl, blend cream cheese and flour until smooth. 

Add cream cheese mixture to potato mixture and stir quickly until smooth (no lumps).

Add milk, then heat until boiling (stirring constantly).

Add extra soup base to taste, as well as salt and pepper. 

Funeral Potatoes

Funeral Potatoes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

2 cups sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 lbs frozen hashbrowns

Blend together melted butter, pepper, salt, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and cheddar cheese.

Add frozen hashbrowns.

Pour into buttered 9 x 13 pan. 

Bake at 350^oF for 45-50 min.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

3 Tb butter

1 cup rice

1 clove garlic

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 or 2 canned green chilies, chopped

salt and pepper

2 Tb cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup stuffed green olives, chopped

Saute onion in butter, add rice and garlic. 

Cook until rice is golden (about 5 minutes)

Add all ingredients except cilantro and olives.

Cook for 20 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients. 

Let stand covered, 10 minutes.

Makes 4-6 cups.

Buttermilk Cornbread

Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients:

1/2 pound butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

2 cup cornmeal

2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

In a saucepan, melt butter. 

Remove from heat and add sugar, eggs, and blend. 

Add buttermilk, baking soda, salt, and mix. 

Add cornmeal and flour. 

Mix until ingredients are moist but still lumpy. 

Bake in greased pan at 375^oF for 30-40 minutes.

Olive Garden Breadsticks

Ingredients:

1 cup + 2 Tb warm water
1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 Tb sugar
3-3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 Tb vegetable oil

Garlic butter topping:
2 Tb butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Measure warm water in a liquid measuring cup. Add yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar and mix until yeast dissolves. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, add yeast mixture, remaining 1 Tb + 2 tsp sugar, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and vegetable oil. Mix to combine.
Add in remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and knead mixture for 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but still be slightly sticky. Add remaining 1/4 cup of flour, if needed.
Transfer dough to a large, greased bowl and cover with a dry towel or plastic wrap. Allow to rest in a warm place until double in size (about 1 hour)
Once risen, punch dough down and divide into 12 equal parts. Roll each piece of dough into a 9 inch rope and transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise again for 1 hour.
Bake at 425^oF for 10-12 minutes.
While breadsticks bake, mix the garlic butter topping ingredients together. Brush butter mixture over the tops of the hot, cooked breadsticks. Serve warm. Store in a airtight container. 

1 Hour Light and Buttery Dinner Rolls

1 Hour Light and Buttery Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

1 Tb instant yeast

2 Tb granulated sugar

2 Tb unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp table salt

4 cups all purpose flour

For topping:

3 Tb unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp sea salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar until creamy, about 5 minutes.

Add the butter, salt, and 2 cups of the flour and mix on low-speed until the ingredients begin to come together. Still on low speed, add 1 cup of the remaining flour and mix for 1 minute. 
Add the remaining 1 cup flour. Mix on low-speed until the final addition of flour is fully incorporated into the dough. 
Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (When the dough starts making slapping sounds against the side of the mixer, it's done) 
Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover it with a dish towel.
Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form it into an even ball. Cut the dough in half vertically, then each half vertically again into thirds so you have 6 equal strips of dough. 
Cut each strip of dough into fourths by cutting horizontally to make 24 little squares of dough. 
With lightly floured hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball. 

Place each rolled piece of dough into a lightly greased 9 x13 pan in rows of 4. Cover the rolls with a dish towel and let them rise while your oven is preheating, about 20 minutes. 

Lightly brush the rolls with about half of the melted butter before baking. Bake until golden brown, 13-15 minutes at 400^oF.

 Immediately after removing the rolls from the oven, brush them with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with salt.  
Flip the pan over to remove the rolls. Serve immediately.