Beth and I used these as a thank you for the people who helped with a Girl Scout beach event. The tops can be decorated with sea shells or fabric to match an event, tied with a ribbon. Be sure to include direction for additional ingredients and baking.
GK
Brownies or Fudge Cake
Mabel Rice was my Grandfather’s (Margie’s great grandfather) sister. Things were simpler in those days!
Ingredients:
- 1 c sugar
- 1 c flour
- 1/2 c butter (melt if you prefer)
- 2 tsp cocoa
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c or more of broken walnut meats
Directions:
- Preheat oven 350° (I presume that is moderate.)
- Combine the sugar, flour, butter, cocoa, and salt. (Probably not an electric mixer!)
- Add the eggs, one at a time beating then in as you add. (Get our that wooden spoon.)
- Add walnuts.
- 1/2 inch deep in pan. ( I am guessing that it is a greased 9×9 inch pan.)
- Bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes.
- Bake soft. They will harden as they cool.
Serves: Depends on how you cut them!
Source: Mabel Rice
Strawberry Pie
It is not spring without strawberry pie!
Ingredients:
- 1 refrigerated pie crust
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 c sugar
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1 box strawberry pie glaze-filling (Salada Danish Dessert brand for our family)
- 2 pints (4 cups) strawberries
- 1 pt whipping cream
Directions:
- Heat oven to 450°F.
- Bake pie crust as directed.
- Cool completely.
- In large bowl with electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy.
- Gradually beat in sugar and almond extract until well blended.
- Spoon into cooled baked shell.
- Arrange strawberries, pointed side up, over cream cheese mixture.
- Prepare glaze according to box directions.
- Spoon over strawberries.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until set.
- Whip cream with a little sugar and almond extract.
- Top pie with whipped cream.
- Store in refrigerator.
Serves: 6
Source: GK
Note: Occasionally I mix the whipped cream with the cream cheese and drizzle chocolate on the top.
Eric’s Almond Tort
Eric, Margie’s brother, made this one year for Christmas Eve. It was wicked good! You an alternately use blackberries and blackberry jam etc.
Crust Ingredients:
- 2 c flour
- 1 pinch salt
- 8 Tab butter, melted and cooled
- 2 Tab milk
- 1 tsp lemon peel grated
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
Filling Ingredients:
- 7 oz almond paste, refrigerated
- 3/4 c powdered sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 6 Tab unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 1/4 c flour
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 jar seedless raspberry jam
- 2 T Kirsh or other liquor
- 25-30 oz raspberries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Mix flour, sugar and salt.
- Add butter, milk, lemon peel and egg yolks to the dry ingredients and mix into a smooth dough.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Grate almond paste in food processor with fine grater.
- Change to sharp blade and add powdered sugar.
- Process until fine crumbs similar to grated Parmesan are formed.
- Cream butter and beat in egg yolk and almond extract.
- Stir in almond mixture.
- In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
- Fold into almond paste mixture.
- Stir in flour one-half cup at a time until smooth.
- Roll out the refrigerated dough to 1/4-inch thickness between sheets of wax paper.
- Press into buttered and floured 10-12 inch tart pan with removable rim.
- Carefully spread almond mixture into crust.
- Bake for 25 -30 minutes until crust is lightly brown and filling is just beginning to brown at edges.
Cool completely. - Gently melt jam add liquor, thin if needed with lemon juice and cool slightly.
- Spread in thin layer on top of tart.
- Arrange berries densely on top.
Serves: 10-12 inch torte pan
Source: Ask Eric
Pepper Crusted Pork Loin with Sour Cream and Onion Sauce
Much of this can be done ahead and refrigerated – great for dinner parties or busy days. The Sour Cream Sauce is also delicious served over cooked vegetables as well as mashed potatoes.
Ingredients for the pork loin:
- 2 pork tenderloins (3/4 pound each)
- 3 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ingredients for the onions:
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
Ingredients for the sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Directions for meat:
- Place tenderloins side by side and tie together with kitchen string.
- In a small bowl, combine the mustard, Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.
- Rub over the surface of meat.
- Place in a shallow roasting dish. Cover and bake at 425° for 20 minutes.
- Uncover; bake 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°.
- Remove from the oven, cover with tin foil and allow the meat to rest while creating the sauce.
Directions for sauce
- In a heavy duty pan, such as a cast iron skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Once melted, add the rings of onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until onions are soft and edges begin to brown and caramelize.
- In a separate skillet, blend chicken broth and corn starch.
- Bring to a boil, and with a whisk, stir continuously.
- Reduce heat and add sour cream and salt.
- Continue to whisk until a smooth sauce has formed.
- Add cracked black pepper and remove from heat.
- To serve, slice the pork loin.
- Top each slice of pork loin with one spoonful of sautéed onions then drizzle with sour cream sauce.
Serves: 6-8
Source: Breakstone’s Sour Cream
Double Chocolate Souffles
These can be prepared ahead. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days or freeze up to 1 week, do not thaw frozen soufflés before baking. Makes for a really impressive (and delicious) dessert.
Ingredients:
- 2 T (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 2 T flour
- 1 c whole milk
- 8 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped
- 6T sugar, divided
- 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1/4 t salt
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
Directions:
- Butter eight 3/4 cup ramekins or custard cups.
- Dust with sugar.
- Arrange dishes on rimmed baking sheet.
- Melt 2 T butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Add 2 T flour.
- Whisk until the mixture is bubbling, about 1 minute.
- Increase heat to medium high.
- Gradually whisk in 1 c milk.
- Cook until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Add bittersweet chocolate, 4 T sugar, and unsweetened chocolate.
- Whisk until melted and smooth.
- Pour soufflé base into large bowl.
- Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk egg yolks into soufflé base.
- Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in medium bowl until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add remaining 2 T sugar, beating until stiff and glossy.
- Fold 1/4 of whites into soufflé base.
- Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions.
- Divide soufflé mixture among prepared ramekins.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Bake soufflés uncovered on rimmed baking sheet until puffed and centers move slightly when baking sheet is shaken gently, about 17 minutes for fresh or chilled soufflés or 22 minutes for frozen.
- Server chocolate soufflés immediately with sweetened whipped cream.
Serves: 8
Source: A mystery! Found it in my “desserts” file.
Five Minute Bread – The Master Recipe
Yes, I know you can buy frozen bread dough. But sometimes it is fun to “do it yourself”. Warning: the dough is quite wet – and that is ok. Just have faith in the directions.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 Tab granulated yeast (1 1/2 packets)
- 1 1/2 Tab kosher or other coarse salt
- 6 1/2 cups unsifted, unbleached, all-purpose white flour, measured with the scoop-and-sweep method usi ng a 1 cup measuring cup.
- cornmeal
Directions:
Mixing and Storing the Dough
1. Warm the water slightly: It should feel just a little warmer than body temperature, about 100 degrees F.
2. Add yeast and salt to the water in a 5-quart bowl or, preferably, in a large resealable, lidded (not airtight) plastic food container. Don’t worry about getting it all to dissolve.
3. Mix in the flour- kneading is unnecessary: Add all of the flour at once, measuring it in with dry-ingredient measuring cups, by gently scooping up flour, then sweeping the top level with a knife or spatula. Mix with a wooden spoon, a high capacity food processor (14 cups or larger) fitted with the dough attachment, or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook until the mixture is uniform. If you’re hand mixing and it becomes too difficult to incorporate all the flour with the spoon, you can reach into your mixing bowl with very wet hands and press the mixture together. Don’t knead- it isn’t necessary. You’re finished when everything is uniformly moist, without dry patches. This step should only take a matter of minutes, and should yield a dough that is wet and loose enough to conform to the shape of its container.
4. Allow to rise: Cover with a lid (not airtight). Don’t use any screw-top jars, which could explode from trapped gases. Allow the mixture to rise at room temperature until it begins to collapse (or at least flattens on top), approximately 2 hours, depending on the room’s temperature and the initial water temperature. Longer rising times (up to 5 hours) will not harm the result. You can use a portion of the dough any time after this period. Fully refrigerated wet dough is less sticky and is easier to work with than dough at room temperature. The authors recommend that the first time you try this recipe, you refrigerate the dough overnight (or at least 3 hours) before shaping a loaf.
On Baking Day
5. The gluten cloak:**** don’t knead, just “cloak” and shape a loaf in 30 to 60 seconds. First prepare a pizza peel (or a cookie sheet or cutting board) by sprinkling it liberally with cornmeal to prevent the dough from sticking to it when you slide it into the oven. Sprinkle the surface of your refrigerated dough with flour. Pull up and cut off a 1-pound (grapefruit-sized) piece of dough, using a serrated knife. Hold the mass of dough in your hands and add a little more flour as needed so it won’t stick to your hands. Gently stretch the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Most of the dusting flour will fall off; it’s not intended to be incorporated into the dough. The bottom of the loaf may appear to be a collection of bunched ends, but it will flatten out and adhere during resting and baking. The final product with be smooth and cohesive. The entire process in this step should take no longer than 30 to 60 seconds.
6. Rest the loaf and let it rise on a pizza peel: Place shaped ball on cornmeal-covered pizza peel. Allow the loaf to rest on the peel for about 40 minutes (it doesn’t need to be covered). You may not see much rise during this period; more rise will occur during baking.
7. Twenty minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F., with a baking stone placed on the middle rack. Place an empty broiler tray for holding water on any other shelf that won’t interfere with the rising of the bread.
8. Dust and slash: Dust the top of the loaf liberally with the flour, which will allow the slashing knife to pass without sticking. Slash a 1/4-inch-deep cross, scallop, or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using a serrated bread knife.
9. Baking with steam: After a 20 minute preheat, you’re ready to bake. With a quick forward jerking motion of the wrist, slide the loaf off of your cornmeal covered surface and onto the preheated baking stone. Quickly but carefully pour about 1 cup of hot water from the tap into the broiler tray and close the oven door to trap the steam. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and firm to the touch. Because you’ve used wet dough, there is little risk of drying out the interior, despite the dark crust. Allow the loaf to cool completely, preferably on a wire rack.
10. Store the remaining dough in the refrigerator in your lidded (not airtight) container and use it over the next 14 days. The dough “matures” over the 14 day period, improving flavor and texture of your bread. Cut off, shape and bake more loaves as you need them.
Tips:
*I halved the recipe and ended up baking up two loaves within the week.
*I didn’t have a pizza peel, so I used a cutting board coated with cornmeal to let the bread rise. The first loaf I made, I didn’t use enough cornmeal and my dough stuck a bit to the board. I had to knudge it onto the pizza stone and it looked a little mishapen and wobbly. When it came out of the oven though, it was a perfectly baked round loaf. On my second try, I made sure to coat my board liberally with cornmeal and had no trouble at all sliding it onto my pizza stone.
*Since you can cut off as big a piece of dough as you want to bake, the method is perfect for large and small families alike.
*I’m excited to try out other recipes in the book using the base dough- from other rustic loaves and rolls to sweet treats.
Other things you can do:
Mix the dry ingredients first. Then store the “Dry Mix” in portioned zip-lock bags. In the morning, you mix in the water for as many loaves as you think you’ll need that night and let it rise while you’re at work. This method allows you to substitute some of the water for various other “wet” ingredients like buttermilk, beer, yogurt, eggs etc.
Also worth noting, is that many breads use the same proportions of the same ingredients, but the texture (and to a lesser extent, the taste) is altered by how much you work the dough. Many breads you may wish to make require 2 rises. Letting dough sit in the refrigerator for prolonged periods will break down the gluten bonds that give the bread it’s proper consistency. Ever wonder why grocery store Italian bread in no way resembles anything close to real Italian bread? It always has a consistency more lite French bread which uses a very similar recipe. The biggest reason for this is that the pre-made dough sits too long, the gluten is degraded and after the second rise it puffs up too much, becoming flaky and light instead of dense and moist as it should be. If you insist on mixing the wet ingredients in immediately and storing an active dough, don’t make more than you’ll use in the next few days if you want a heavier bread. For light breads it makes little difference.
For an easy time saver, combine 4 egg whites with 2 Tbsp of White vinegar, 1 Tsp salt, 1 Tsp of olive oil, and 2 Tsp water. Mix until you have a homogeneous solution (no floating egg slime). Now load into a clean food-grade spray bottle and store in the refrigerator. Shake before using. This egg-wash will apply evenly, is pre-made and you won’t mess up another bowl, whisk and brush every time you make bread.
If, like me, you brew your own beer, use the active beer yeast after your first racking. Breads and perhaps more important, Pizza Dough taste much better with a good ale yeast.
Another helpful tip: You’ll still need to flour surfaces or apply corn meal to your sheet pans. Store these in empty Twist-open 20oz Soda or Beer bottles. Hit the hardware store and buy a screen cap (sold for faucets and garden hoses). They’ll fit on the bottle and keep bugs out, and allow you to sift the flour as you pour it for a more even distribution and no lumping.
**** (from the web site – because who knows what “gluten cloak” is). The next day, or even a few hours later, the dough from the fridge will be much easier to handle.
About an hour before baking, pull the bin of dough out of the fridge, remove the lid, and dust the surface of a corner of the dough with a bit of flour. Dust your pizza peel (or cutting board, or rimless baking sheet) as well.
Make sure your hands are well floured. Reach into the bin and pull out a grapefruit-sized hunk of dough, cutting it off with the serrated knife.
GENTLY pull the outer surface of the dough around to the bottom of the ball, forming a gluten “cloak” around it. Less is more here. Don’t manhandle or squeeze the dough. This should take less than 30 seconds. Don’t worry about what the bottom looks like.
Yield: Makes four 1-pound loaves. The recipe is easily doubled or halved.
Toasted Cheese Rounds
“Hot canapes infer kitchen bondage, but this need not be true with today’s may conveniences. This mixture can be prepared in advance and spread before your company arrives. It’s a triumphant combination, yet very simple. The aroma alone is a teaser!”
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 c Parmesan and Romano cheese
- 3/4 c mayonnaise
- 1/2 c chopped red onion
- 1 loaf party rye bread
Directions:
- Mix the cheeses, mayonnaise and onions.
- Spread on rye rounds.
- Broil until bubbly.
- Keep warm on a hot tray.
Serves: 4 – 6 guest
Source: Dorothy Newgen
Note: The party rye that once was round is now square. Cut then on the diagonal.
Quick Chicken
Chicken, Turkey, Pork – all can be used interchangeably in recipes – well, maybe not chicken wings (or anything with a bone). Here are some quick things to do with a chicken breast/thigh, or piece of pork or turkey. Baking time depends on what it is and how big/thick. Use an instant thermometer – chicken/turkey 170°, pork 160°
| coat with | top with/add | ||
| apricot jam, prepared mustard, soy, lemon- add apricot nectar to pan | Bake 350° | ||
| apricot jam mixed with Russian dressing, dry onion soup mix | Bake 300° | ||
| butter, basil | basil, butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic pd, s/p | grill/bake | |
| basil, butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic pd, s/p,add the same in a glob after cooked | grill/bake | ||
| basil, mayo, honey | Bake 375° | ||
| blue cheese dressing, Parmesan cheese | Bake 375° | ||
| blue cheese dressing, Worcestershire, onion pd | grill/bake | ||
| oil, garlic, rosemary/basil | Brie – under broiler, last minute | Bake 350° | |
| mayo/Miracle Whip | cheddar cheese +Parmesan cheese | Bake 350° | |
| mayo/Miracle Whip | cheddar cheese | Bake 350° | |
| sour cream (1”thick) | cheese cracker crumbs, melted butter | Bake 350° | |
| s/p | brown | chutney added to pan | saute |
| cinnamon, honey, lime, sherry, garlic,s/p. marinate over night, drain, reserve marinade and use to baste | Bake 350° | ||
| mayo/mw | corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, s/p | Bake 350° | |
| Cranberry sauce, lemon, soy sauce, butter | Bake 350° | ||
| curry powder, butter, mustard, honey | Bake 350° | ||
| s/p, garlic salt | Dijon mustard, sour cream, season bread crumbs | Bake 375° | |
| Dijon, brown sugar, lemon juice cayenne pepper | Bake 400° | ||
| Dijon, mayo/Miracle Whip, jack cheese | Bake 400° | ||
| s/p | honey (re-brush with honey)garnish with toasted almonds | Bake 350° | |
| honey mustard, mayo, tarragon/thyme, parsley, panko, bread crumbs, s/p | Bake 350° | ||
| Honey, mustard, teriyaki sauce, marinate 1-2 hrs in half sauce, bake in other half | grill/bake | ||
| place on pineapple slice | honey, prepared mustard, sesame seeds | Bake 400° | |
| lemon, oil | Marinate ½ hr,roll in bread crumbs, garlic, salt | Bake 375° | |
| Miracle Whip, lemon, honey, basil | Bake 350° | ||
| brown | mushrooms, saute , wrap in puff pastry | Bake 400° | |
| Mix oil, s/p lemon ,garlic, nutmeg, thyme, wine & brush on meat (add bananas brushed w/dark corn syrup, last 10 min) | Bake 350° | ||
| orange juice concentrate, butter |
Dip in orange juice, then crumbs, almonds, parsley |
Bake 350° | |
| brown | oj, honey, chopped onion, s/p garnish w orange slices | saute | |
| s/p | onion, saluted, add tomato, cook down, add basil, whip/sour cream | Bake 400° | |
| pesto | panko | Bake 400° | |
| butter, s/p | panko | Bake 400° | |
| miracle whip | Parmesan cheese, wrap in puff pastry | Bake 400° | |
| ketchup-2c | Pour over Pepsi-16oz | Bake 400° | |
| ranch dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, s/p (cheddar woks too) | Bake 375° | ||
| mayo/Miracle Whip | Ritz cracker crumbs, skin side down, turn | Bake 350° | |
| Russian dressing, onion soup mix, water | Bake 375° | ||
| brown | Salsa serve with sour cream & guacamole | Bake 350° | |
| s/p, paprika, flour, butter | sesame seeds, minced scallions, sauterne | Bake 400° | |
| season bread crumbs | brown | spagetti sauce, mozzarella | Bake 350° |
| flour | tarragon, butter, lemon, garlic, s/p, wrap in crescent roll | Bake 375° | |
| Tarragon, butter, parsley, chives, | grill/bake | ||
| tarragon, sour cream, onion, lemon,parsley sage | Bake 375° | ||
Source: Lots of family dinners, potluck dinners, cookbooks, friends who are good cooks and just plain dumb luck.
Impossible Broccoli Quiche – Large Quanity
Good old Bisquick! Feel free to vary this (leave out the broccoli)- add spinach, bacon, ham, taco meat, diced chils, mushrooms, different cheese, whatever. It all works! Bonus – it can be made the night before and refrigerated. Just cook a little longer. See Impossible Ham and Swiss Cheese Quiche for smaller quantities.
Ingredients:
- 9 c Bisquick (1 box = 8 c)
- 3 qt milk
- 2 ct Easy Eggs (1 carton = 18 eggs)
- 5# cheddar cheese – grated
- 90 oz broccoli, chopped – frozen
- 4 c diced onion – frozen
- 1 t salt
- ½ t pepper
Directions:
- Heat oven 400°.
- Really Pam 6 small foil pans. (1/2 steam table size, approx 9×11. The center does not cook enough in larger pans.)
- Thaw and drain broccoli – squeeze dry.
- Mix eggs, milk, Bisquick, salt, pepper
- Add broccoli, onion and 3# cheese
- Pour into pans.
- Bake 35 to 45 minutes (maybe longer) until knife comes out clean.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Bake until cheese melts.
- Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves: 48 (cut 2×4) or 70 (cut 3×4)
Source: Bisquick, Girl Scout Camp Scherman