RECIPE GALLERYPUMPKIN WALNUT MUFFINS
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup applesauce
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pitted dates (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (about 3 ounces)
Preheat oven to 400° F. and grease twelve 1/2-cup muffin cups.
Melt butter and cool slightly. In a bowl whisk together butter, applesauce, pumpkin, buttermilk, eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Into a large bowl sift together flours, baking powder, spices, salt, and baking soda and whisk in brown sugar. Make a well in center of flour mixture and add pumpkin mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in dates and divide batter among cups. Sprinkle walnuts evenly over batter in each cup and bake muffins in middle of oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until puffed and a tester comes out clean. Cool muffins in cups 5 minutes and turn out onto a rack. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.
If you don't like (or are allergic) to nuts, these are just fine without the walnuts, too.
Makes 12 muffins.
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ALMA JUNIOR'S FUDGY CHOCOLATE CHUNK BROWNIES WITH WALNUTS
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
3 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups chopped toasted walnuts
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Let cool 10 minutes.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, espresso powder and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Add melted chocolate mixture and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir just until blended. Fold in walnuts and 6 ounces coarsely chopped chocolate.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth top. Bake until top looks dry and tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and store at room temperature.) Cut brownies into squares and serve.
Makes about 15.
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EDNA'S QUICK AND EASY BISCUITS
Many find that just one of these biscuits isn't enough. Fortunately, this quick recipe can easily be doubled.
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 425°F. and lightly grease a baking sheet.
Into a large bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut 5 tablespoons butter into bits and with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream, stirring with a fork until just combined. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and gently knead about 3 times until it just forms a dough. Pat dough into a 6 1/2-inch round (about 1/2 inch thick).
Using a 2 1/2-inch round cutter cut out biscuits and arrange about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Gather and pat out scraps and cut out more biscuits.
Melt remaining tablespoon butter and lightly brush onto biscuits. Bake biscuits in middle of oven until pale golden and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Makes about 6 biscuits.
Variations: Can make with milk instead of cream if you are worried about fat...but Edna never does. She knows Ellery likes the ones made with cream the best. And now Ennis is partial to them, too.
For cheese biscuits: add some grated cheese (sharp cheddar is best, but asiago works nicely, too)
Herb biscuits: a teaspoon or so of Italian seasoning is a nice touch, along with a clove or two of minced garlic.
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BEEF CHILI RECIPE:
3 pounds lean beef (eye, top and bottom round are the leanest)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 (28-ounce) can no salt added stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (12-ounce) can no salt added tomato paste
1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
Trim excess fat from beef and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Spray a large stockpot with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add half of the meat and cook until browned. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining meat.
Spray stockpot again with non-stick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, red pepper, and garlic and sauté 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return the cooked meat to the pot and add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender.
Makes 12 Servings
Serving Size: 12 ounces
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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cup "Ellery" Pie
Layers of chocolate ice cream, hot fudge topping, and peanut butter cups fill a chocolate cookie crust in this heavenly four-ingredient dessert.
Prep: 13 minutes
Other: 6 hours
4 cups no-sugar-added chocolate ice cream
1/2 cup chopped miniature peanut butter cups
(about 11 candies), divided
1 (6-ounce) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie
pie crust (such as Oreo)
1/4 cup fat-free hot fudge topping
1. Let ice cream stand at room temperature 5 minutes or until slightly softened.
2. Combine ice cream and 1/4 cup chopped candy in a large bowl. Spoon ice cream mixture into bottom of pie crust. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup candy over top. Cover and freeze at least 6 hours or until firm. Drizzle each slice with hot fudge topping. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 slice and 1 1/2 teaspoons hot fudge topping).
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EDNA'S COMMON APPLE PIE
This is my recipe for a straightforward apple pie. It reflects not only my preferences but also countless influences. It is intentionally imprecise because there are so many variables to consider. To get it right, you pretty much have to taste as you go along or trust your instincts.
Double 9-inch Butter and Lard Crust, unbaked
For the filling:
8 or 9 large apples of several different cooking varieties (Delicious apples will NOT do), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
Juice of 1 large lemon
Sugar
Ground cinnamon
Pinch of both ground mace and ground nutmeg
Unsalted butter
1 large egg white beaten with a little water, for brushing
For the Butter and Lard Crust:
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, chilled
1/4 cup sugar (except for savory pie crusts)
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 pieces
1/3 cup lard, chilled and cut into small pieces
6 to 8 tablespoons iced water
To make the pie:
Preheat oven to 450° F.
Prepare the pastry. Line a 9-inch pie pan with half of the pastry and set aside in the refrigerator, along with the unrolled half, while you make the filling. Taste a few slices of the apples to gauge how much sugar you'll need to make them sweet. In a large bowl, mix the apple slices in the lemon juice. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon to taste, then add the mace and nutmeg. Pour the apple mixture into the prepared pastry shell. Mound toward the center and dot with butter. Roll out the remaining pastry and carefully lay it over the apples. Seal the edges, cut vent holes, and decorate with extra pieces of dough cut into decorative shapes. Brush the egg wash over the surface of the pastry. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet (to catch any spill over) and cook in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 350° F. and continue to cook for about another hour, until the top crust is a beautiful golden brown. If the edges start to darken too much, cover with a ribbon of aluminum foil.
To make the butter and lard crust:
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. With the top off, sprinkle the butter and lard over the ingredients. Re-cover and pulse a few times until small clumps form. Begin to add the iced water through the feed tube, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing quickly until the dough begins to form into a ball. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. As you wrap the dough in the plastic, form it into a disk. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Take the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 2 pieces, one slightly bigger than the other. Wrap the smaller piece in plastic wrap and return to the refrigerator. Roll out the bigger piece on a lightly floured surface until it's slightly larger than the pie pan. Drape one end of the dough over the pin and gently lift it up, then slip the pan underneath the dough and lower it into the pan. Press the dough gently — and quickly — against the sides of the pan. Leave about an inch of dough hanging over the sides of the pan and cut any excess away. Refrigerate the crust for at least 30 minutes before either filling or prebaking.
If you are making a pie with a top crust, after you have filled the pie, take the smaller disk from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it's a little bigger than the pie. Drape one end of the dough over the rolling pin, lift it gently, then drape it over the top of the filling. Press the edges together and crimp to seal. Slash a few vents across the top of the crust to allow steam to escape and bake the pie according to the directions in the recipe you are using. (If you are not making a pie with a top crust, either freeze the second dough disk or make an extra bottom crust.) Makes a double 9-inch crust
Serves 6.
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EDNA'S "Oooops! I Discovered the Vaseline!" COLE SLAW
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
1 Granny Smith apple
1/2 medium green cabbage, halved lengthwise and sliced very thin
(about 4 cups)
1/2 medium red cabbage, halved lengthwise and sliced very thin
(about 4 cups)
2 carrots, shredded fine
Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Shred apple coarse and add to dressing with cabbage and carrots. Toss cole slaw well.
Serves 8.
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VEGETABLE AND PASTA CHICKEN SOUP
12 ounces boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 cups carrots, diced
1/2 cup red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh green peas
8 ounces cauliflower florets
4 1/2 cups low-sodium low-fat chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried herbs
4 1/2 ounces small shaped pasta
2 green onions, chopped
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for accompaniment (optional)
Finely dice the chicken, discarding any skin.
Heat the oil and quickly saute the chicken with carrots and cauliflower until they are lightly colored.
Stir in the stock and herbs. Bring to a boil and add pasta.
Return to boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (cook until pasta is almost tender).
Add beans and green onions. Cook until pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Serve with crusty bread for a complete meal.
Serves 4.
CHERRY MUFFINS
1/2 cup softened unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling atop muffins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and chopped, or 1 (12-ounce) package frozen cherries, defrosted and chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1. Grease muffin tin or line with muffin papers. Preheat oven to 350*F (175*C).
2. With electric mixer, cream butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then egg.
3. Sift 2 cups flour with baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture in batches alternating with milk.
4. Fold in cherries (and lemon zest and pecans if desired). Batter will be thick. Spoon into muffin tin, filling each cup halfway. Sprinkle tops with a little sugar.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and finish cooling on baking rack. These may be frozen.
Makes 12 muffins.
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EDNA'S RICH CHOCALATE CAKE:
275g (10oz) Soft Brown Sugar
225g (8oz) Plain Flour
225ml (8 floz) Milk
135g (5oz) Butter
3 Eggs
50g (2oz) Plain Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
1 tbsp Black Treacle
2 level tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
½ level tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
¼ tsp Salt
Icing
450g (1lb) Sugar
150ml (¼ pint) Milk
110g (4oz) Butter
50g (2oz) Plain Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids)
1 heaped tbsp Cocoa
1 tbsp Golden Syrup
Preheat oven to 180°C: 350°F: Gas 4.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Place the chocolate and milk into a bowl over a saucepan that is over a very low heat and allow to slowly melt, then allow to cool.
Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy.
Beat the eggs and gradually add to the butter and sugar mixture, adding a little of the flour.
Stir in the treacle and vanilla essence, mixing well.
Fold in the remaining flour.
Gradually add the chocolate mixture to form a thick batter.
Divide the mixture between two 18cm (7 inch) sandwich tins.
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.
Turn out on to a wire rack and allow to cool.
To make the icing
Place the all of the ingredients into a heavy based saucepan, heat gently until the sugar is fully dissolved.
Bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then beat until think enough to spread.
Use half of the mixture to spread between the two layers of cake.
Use the remainder to spread on top and sides of the cake.
Work quickly using a knife dipped into warm water.
(To be continued ..)
