Today's recipe is from this blog's first guest blogger. Lynn Heinmuller Fisher, one of my Davidge relatives, is an East Coast native who relocated with her family to Midland, Texas earlier this year. She's been busy with her holiday cooking and last night sent me this message to share with all of you:
Here is what is in the oven right now. I highly recommend this EASY and excellent recipe. Can be frozen too! A note about volume, this calls for a 9 inch pie shell, I have 2 9 inch deep dish pie shells and have extra filling - perhaps a 10 or 12 inch pie shell would work better.
1 9 in pie shell
2 Cups cooked and cooled sweet potatoes
1/4 lb butter softened
2 eggs separated
1 Cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each Ginger, Cinnamon, Nutmeg
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
1/4 Cup white sugar
_________________________________
BEAT all ingredients except egg whites and sugar
WHIP egg whites and sugar to Stiff Peaks
FOLD egg whites into sweet potato mixture
BAKE @ 400 for 10 minutes then 350 for 30 min.
YUM!
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Banana Bread
This recipe is from Shirley Murray, who worked at Camp Rice Moody in Reading, Mass., the Girl Scout day camp my grandmother Norma Cox (Coxie) ran for many years. I spent many summers at that camp beginning when I was too young to be a Brownie Scout; one summer while in college I worked as a swimming instructor/lifeguard at Rice Moody.
Shirley Murray had two daughters and what I remember about all three of them is that they always wore their hair in braids: Mrs. Murray wrapped hers around her head and the two girls each had two long braids.
I've made this banana bread for years, as has my mother, and when she was alive, my grandmother. It is quick, easy, and delicious.
Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3 or 4 very ripe bananas mashed with fork
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted shortening (I use butter)
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
1 egg
Mash bananas, add shortening and sugar, mix with fork.
Sift dry ingredients onto banana mix.
Add vanilla and nuts if using.
Drop in unbeaten egg.
Bake in standard loaf pan for 45-50 minutes.
May also be made in 3-4 miniloaf pans; bake 30-35 minutes.
When done, remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on wire rack.
Run knife around edge of loaf to loosen; invert pan and remove loaf, leave on wire rack until cooled completely.
Wrap; may be frozen.
Shirley Murray had two daughters and what I remember about all three of them is that they always wore their hair in braids: Mrs. Murray wrapped hers around her head and the two girls each had two long braids.
I've made this banana bread for years, as has my mother, and when she was alive, my grandmother. It is quick, easy, and delicious.
Banana Bread
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3 or 4 very ripe bananas mashed with fork
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted shortening (I use butter)
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cups chopped walnuts (optional)
1 egg
Mash bananas, add shortening and sugar, mix with fork.
Sift dry ingredients onto banana mix.
Add vanilla and nuts if using.
Drop in unbeaten egg.
Bake in standard loaf pan for 45-50 minutes.
May also be made in 3-4 miniloaf pans; bake 30-35 minutes.
When done, remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on wire rack.
Run knife around edge of loaf to loosen; invert pan and remove loaf, leave on wire rack until cooled completely.
Wrap; may be frozen.
Cranberry Orange Bread
For many years I made and gave Christmas cookies to co-workers: several different kinds. The past two years the cookies haven't happened until after I start my Christmas vacation; what do I give my co-workers?
When giving gifts, I try to give only things that are consumed; things that get'used up' rather than taking up space. Last year I decided to give miniloaves of quick breads: cranberry orange (a favorite since childhood - my mother's is still the best..), banana bread (quick, easy, and tasty), and pumpkin bread.
Today's recipe: Cranberry orange bread. A childhood favorite of mine. Moist, flavorful, and tasty. A Thanksgiving and Christmas staple in our house.
Cranberry orange bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 orange
2 tablespoons melted butter
boiling water
1 egg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped raw cranberries
Sift first five ingredients together.
To juice and grated rind of orange, add 2 tablespoons melted shortening, and boiling water to make 3/4 cup liquid.
Add with beaten egg to dry ingredients, mix well.
Add nuts and cranberries, mix well.
Bake in standard loaf pan for 1 hour or in three or four mini loaf pans for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into center of loaf should come out clean when done.
Cool for 10 minutes, in pan, on wire rack. Run knife around edge of pan, turn breads out of pan(s) onto rack and cool completely. Wrap well. May be frozen.
When giving gifts, I try to give only things that are consumed; things that get'used up' rather than taking up space. Last year I decided to give miniloaves of quick breads: cranberry orange (a favorite since childhood - my mother's is still the best..), banana bread (quick, easy, and tasty), and pumpkin bread.
Today's recipe: Cranberry orange bread. A childhood favorite of mine. Moist, flavorful, and tasty. A Thanksgiving and Christmas staple in our house.
Cranberry orange bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 orange
2 tablespoons melted butter
boiling water
1 egg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped raw cranberries
Sift first five ingredients together.
To juice and grated rind of orange, add 2 tablespoons melted shortening, and boiling water to make 3/4 cup liquid.
Add with beaten egg to dry ingredients, mix well.
Add nuts and cranberries, mix well.
Bake in standard loaf pan for 1 hour or in three or four mini loaf pans for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted into center of loaf should come out clean when done.
Cool for 10 minutes, in pan, on wire rack. Run knife around edge of pan, turn breads out of pan(s) onto rack and cool completely. Wrap well. May be frozen.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving Pies (you have to have more than one....)
Pies. One of my favorite things. My mother makes the best pies in the world. Her secret? Her homemade crust. She takes flour, shortening, and water and turns it into a magnificent taste sensation.
I've tried her recipe; I can't replicate her touch. Instead, I rely on Pillsbury pre-made piecrust dough in the rectangular red boxes. In the refrigerator section. People who eat my pies (and didn't grow up eating pies made by my mother) love them.
Our Thanksgiving traditions include a lot of pies: pumpkin or squash (sometimes both), pecan, apple, mince; and the old New England standby, Indian pudding with vanilla ice cream. This year I'm baking pecan and trying out making pumpkin tarts instead of a pie; I'll let you know how they turn out.
On to the pie recipes: pecan and pumpkin:
Pecan Pie
Serves 8
Preheat oven to 350º
1 cup Karo syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shelled pecans
1 unbaked 9” pie crust
Stir the first 5 ingredients thoroughly using a large spoon. Mix in pecans.
Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Store pie in refrigerator.
Tips: Pie is done when center reaches 200º F. Tap center surface of pie lightly; it should spring back when done. For easy cleanup, spray pie pan with cooking spray. If pie crust is over-browning, cover edges with tin foil.
Recipe from the Karo container.
New England Pumpkin Pie
1 15 ounce can ONE-PIE pumpkin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt (scant)
1 ½ teaspoon butter (melted)
1 ½ cups milk or 1-12 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup molasses
2 eggs (beaten)
1 unbaked 9” pie crust
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Sift sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together. Mix this with contents of one can pumpkin. Add eggs, beaten, melted butter, molasses, and milk. Add a dash of lemon juice if desired.
Line a 9” pie plate with pie crust, pour in mixture. Bake at 450º for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350º and continue to bake for 50 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
I've tried her recipe; I can't replicate her touch. Instead, I rely on Pillsbury pre-made piecrust dough in the rectangular red boxes. In the refrigerator section. People who eat my pies (and didn't grow up eating pies made by my mother) love them.
Our Thanksgiving traditions include a lot of pies: pumpkin or squash (sometimes both), pecan, apple, mince; and the old New England standby, Indian pudding with vanilla ice cream. This year I'm baking pecan and trying out making pumpkin tarts instead of a pie; I'll let you know how they turn out.
On to the pie recipes: pecan and pumpkin:
Pecan Pie
Serves 8
Preheat oven to 350º
1 cup Karo syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shelled pecans
1 unbaked 9” pie crust
Stir the first 5 ingredients thoroughly using a large spoon. Mix in pecans.
Pour into prepared pie crust.
Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool for 2 hours. Store pie in refrigerator.
Tips: Pie is done when center reaches 200º F. Tap center surface of pie lightly; it should spring back when done. For easy cleanup, spray pie pan with cooking spray. If pie crust is over-browning, cover edges with tin foil.
Recipe from the Karo container.
New England Pumpkin Pie
1 15 ounce can ONE-PIE pumpkin
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt (scant)
1 ½ teaspoon butter (melted)
1 ½ cups milk or 1-12 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1/8 cup molasses
2 eggs (beaten)
1 unbaked 9” pie crust
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Sift sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together. Mix this with contents of one can pumpkin. Add eggs, beaten, melted butter, molasses, and milk. Add a dash of lemon juice if desired.
Line a 9” pie plate with pie crust, pour in mixture. Bake at 450º for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350º and continue to bake for 50 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Creamy Carrot Parsnip Soup: Third Time's a Charm...
Growing up we always had fresh vegetables. We had a garden, as did my grandparents so many of the vegetables on our table where ones we had grown ourselves. My favorites have always included root and other vegetables I associate with fall: fresh from the ground carrots, turnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, and parsnips; butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.
Today, from June to December, most of my fruits and vegetables come via my membership in the Farm Direct Coop, a local community supported agriculture group. Each Thursday I drive to the pick up spot and discover which produce is ripe that week. The days when my basket is filled with kale, swiss chard, arugula, and bok choy make for challenging menu planning, but these choices are often supplemented by radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and lettuce - vegetables I find easier to plan menus around. Then in the fall, my favorites tend to be among the choices and I spend Sunday afternoons cooking, often making soup or roasting vegetables.
Today's recipe for Carrot Parsnip soup is new to me: I've only made it three times. The first time I loved it, the second time it was rather tasteless, and today - perfect. The difference? Today I followed the recipe exactly. I advise you do the same. The taste will be worth it.
Creamy Carrot Parsnip Soup*
Medium crock pot: makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons rice
1 pound carrots, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into small pieces
1 pound parsnips, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into small pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ground walnuts
Combine the rice, carrots, parsnips, vegetable broth, and water in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, about 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
Using a hand held blender, puree the vegetables. (Or transfer vegetables to a regular blender, then return to the crock pot.) Stir in the milk and pepper. Heat the soup until hot, about 5 to 10 minutes. When serving, sprinkle each bowl with walnuts.
* Recipe from the Complete Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carol Heding Munson.
So how did I improvise? The first time I made the soup I used skim milk rather than evaporated and I believe I cut back on the water. The second time, I didn't pay attention to the recipe and used more parsnips than carrots and put skim milk into the crock pot with the raw vegetables. The soup was tasteless: I made it edible by adding half and half each time I heated up a bowl...
Today, from June to December, most of my fruits and vegetables come via my membership in the Farm Direct Coop, a local community supported agriculture group. Each Thursday I drive to the pick up spot and discover which produce is ripe that week. The days when my basket is filled with kale, swiss chard, arugula, and bok choy make for challenging menu planning, but these choices are often supplemented by radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and lettuce - vegetables I find easier to plan menus around. Then in the fall, my favorites tend to be among the choices and I spend Sunday afternoons cooking, often making soup or roasting vegetables.
Today's recipe for Carrot Parsnip soup is new to me: I've only made it three times. The first time I loved it, the second time it was rather tasteless, and today - perfect. The difference? Today I followed the recipe exactly. I advise you do the same. The taste will be worth it.
Creamy Carrot Parsnip Soup*
Medium crock pot: makes 4 servings
2 tablespoons rice
1 pound carrots, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into small pieces
1 pound parsnips, scrubbed or peeled, and cut into small pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons ground walnuts
Combine the rice, carrots, parsnips, vegetable broth, and water in the crock pot. Cover and cook on low until the vegetables are tender, about 5 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
Using a hand held blender, puree the vegetables. (Or transfer vegetables to a regular blender, then return to the crock pot.) Stir in the milk and pepper. Heat the soup until hot, about 5 to 10 minutes. When serving, sprinkle each bowl with walnuts.
* Recipe from the Complete Slow Cooker Cookbook by Carol Heding Munson.
So how did I improvise? The first time I made the soup I used skim milk rather than evaporated and I believe I cut back on the water. The second time, I didn't pay attention to the recipe and used more parsnips than carrots and put skim milk into the crock pot with the raw vegetables. The soup was tasteless: I made it edible by adding half and half each time I heated up a bowl...
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Moon River Root Beer Floats
As always happens, hearing Andy Williams singing "Moon River" brings me back to Auntie Vi's den, sitting on her sofa with my sister Polly, watching Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Drinking root beer floats out of Auntie Vi's tall, colorful aluminum glasses, using her silver iced tea spoons to fish bits of vanilla ice cream into our mouths. We loved spending the night at Auntie Vi's as our beloved great aunt let us stay up 'late' to watch movies - a real treat as we sometimes did not have a television at home, although we did have set bedtimes.
In honor of Auntie Vi, who would now be 113, and Polly, who would be 52, I offer my memory of our Moon River Root Beer Floats.
Put a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream (no low fat or frozen yogurt please....)into a tall glass, then fill the glass with a good quality root beer.
Stir with an iced tea spoon.
In honor of Auntie Vi, who would now be 113, and Polly, who would be 52, I offer my memory of our Moon River Root Beer Floats.
Put a scoop of your favorite vanilla ice cream (no low fat or frozen yogurt please....)into a tall glass, then fill the glass with a good quality root beer.
Stir with an iced tea spoon.
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