Blue Cook Book

Craig’s Cherry Cheese Pie

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So good and so easy!  And think about using blueberry or peach pie filling.

Ingredients:

  • 1 9″ graham cracker pie crust
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 14 oz can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/3 c lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 12 oz can cherry pie filling

Directions:

  1. In a large mixer bowl, beat cheese until fluffy.
  2. Gradually beat in milk until smooth.
  3.  Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
  4. Pour into pie crust.
  5. Chill 3 hours.
  6.  Top with pie filling (slightly drained).
  7.  Refrigerate.

Serves:  8

Source:  Craig Underwood from the Eagle Brand lable

 

Cranberry Orange Nut Bread

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Another good thing from Bisquick.  Use those leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving that never got made into that “special” cranberry sauce.  Then stick the bread in the freezer for Christmas morning.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 c orange juice
  • 1 Tab grated orange rind
  • 3 c Bisquick
  • 3/4 c nuts, chopped
  • 1 c cranberries, chopped

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

Mix sugar, egg, juice, rind and Bisquick.

Beat vigorously 30 seconds.  Batter may still be lumpy.

Stir in the nuts and cranberries.

Pour into well greased 9x5x3 loaf pan.

Bake 55 – 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Crack in the top is typical.

Remove from pan.

Cool before slicing.

Serves: 1 -4

Source:  Bisquick Cookbook

Baked Caramel Corn

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You know that pretty cookie/candy tin you saved – fill it with this for a great (cheap) hostess gift.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c butter
  • 2 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 c corn syrup, light or dark
  • 1 t salt
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 6 qts popcorn, popped (about 1 1/4 c raw)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 250°.
  2. Melt butter in the largest pot you have.
  3. Stir in the sugar, syrup and salt
  4. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  5. Boil, without stirring for 5 minutes.
  6. Remove pot from the heat.
  7. Stir in the soda and vanilla.
  8. Gradually pour over the popped popcorn, mixing well.
  9. Turn into 2 large shallow greased baking pans.
  10. Bake for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
  11. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
  12. Break apart and store in a tightly covered container.

Serves:  Makes 5 quarts:

Source: Sunsational, Junior League of Orlando-Winter Par, FL

Mudslides

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Just a wonderful nightcap/dessert!  The adult milkshake.

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz        Kahlua
  • 8 oz        rum
  • 1/2 gal   chocolate ice cream

Directions:

1. Place liquor in blender.
2. Add small portion of ice cream.
3. Blend.
4. Add rest of ice cream in 2 batches.

Serves: 6-8

For single serving:  1 oz Kahlua, 2 oz rum, 2 c ice cream

Source: Carol Chesarek, Stanford 1983

Notes:  Infinite variations are possible, ie. Amaretto with vanilla ice cream (avalanche), Drambue with chocolate or vanilla ice cream (Loc Ness), Tia Maria with chocolate ice cream (Revolution),  etc.

Lucia’s Paté

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Lucia was an old friend of ours who would visit her four children each year and bring us the best recipes.  They have stood the test of time!

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz  liverwurst 
  • 1 c sour cream
  • ½ envelope onion soup mix (1 ¼ ounce)
  • 2 drops Tabasco sauce

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and beat with mixer.
  2. Let stand over night in the refrigerator.
  3. Serve in bowl or mounded on plate.
  4. Serve with crackers.

Serves: 12

Source: Lucia Henderson

Sourdough Biscuits

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Biscuits are faster to make than bread – and 4th graders cannot wait!

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 c primary batter (See Sourdough Starter)
  • 1 c flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 c butter, melted

Directions:

  1. Wash your hands!
  2. Mix ingredients, except butter, gently. Dough will be very soft.
  3. Turn out on floured board and knead for approximately 1/2 minute.
  4. Roll out with floured rolling pan (or pat with floured hand until about 1/2 inch thick.
  5. Cut with floured biscuit cutter.  Or small empty juice can)
  6. Carefully lift and dip in butter.
  7. Place close together on pan.
  8. Place in warm place for proofing for 30 minutes.
  9. Bake 30 – 35 minutes at 375º.

(I have been know to cheat and add a little yeast to insure the kids had successful biscuits.)

Serves:  Makes 12 biscuits

Source:  Ginger Kleerup

Sourdough Starter

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Actually quite easy – I have done this with 4th graders studying the gold rush in California.  What you are doing is capturing wild yeast.  You can experiment by placing jars of milk in different places – your house, a friend across town, etc.  You should be able to taste a difference.

Starter Ingredients:

  • 1 c milk
  • 1 c flour

Instructions:

  1. Place milk in a glass jar or bowl.
  2. Cover with cheesecloth.
  3. Let it sit for 24 hours.
  4. Add flour and stir.
  5. Let it sit out in the open (best outside) for 5 to 7 days.

It will get disgusting looking and smell like a winery.  That is good – it is fermenting and that is what makes it “sour”.  The liquid is actually “hooch”.

Primary batter:

  • 1 c sourdough starter (from the jar you have stirred a bit)
  • 1 1/2  c flour
  • 1 c warm water

Instructions:

  1. Mix in a large bowl.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap.
  3. Place in a warm, draft free area for about 12 hours for proofing.  It should get bubbly.
  4. Stir.
  5. Remove one cup and put back in the starter container for next time.

Use to make biscuits, bread, pancakes, waffles, whatever.

Source:  Ginger Kleerup

Crab Pizza

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Pretty impressive for as simple as it is.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz soft cream cheese
  • 2 Tab milk
  • cocktail sauce, the bolder the better (or tomato sauce mixed with horseradish)
  • ½ lb crab meat (fake ok)
  • 1 T. fresh parsley, minced
  • zest of one lemon
  • Club crackers, or any other plain cracker

Directions:

  1. Mix cream cheese with enough milk to make it spreadable.
  2. On a large plate or pretty platter, spread cream cheese into about a 9 inch circle or square.
  3. Spread with cocktail sauce, maybe about 1/2 cup, just depends on how much you like.  But do be sure it is bold with plenty of horseradish!
  4. Sprinkle with crab meat followed by a sprinkling of parsley and lemon zest.
  5. Chill until ready to serve.

Serves: 8
Source: Big Red Kitchen, Robin Sue

White Gazpacho

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This can be served in pretty mugs for something different with  margaritas or sangria.   As an main dish you can add bacon or shrimp, or avocado, or grated cheese, or croutons, or diced green pepper, or, or, or (use your imagination!).

Ingredients:

  • 3 c peeled chopped (seeded if necessary) cucumbers
  • 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 1/2 c water
  • 1 or 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 c sour cream
  • 2 c plain yogurt
  • 2 Tab white vinegar
  • 1 – 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • chives, sunflower seeds and diced tomato for garnish

Directions:

  1. Process cucumbers, garlic.
  2. Add chicken  broth in food processor until pureed.
  3. Add sour cream, yogurt, white vinegar, salt and white pepper.
  4. Process until pureed.
  5. Pour into bowl.
  6. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled.
  7. Ladle into each soup plate or cup and garnish with chives, sunflower seeds and diced tomato.

Serves: 16 1/2 cup servings – about 2 quarts

Source: Sherman Gardens, Corona del Mar, CA