#3187 - Homemade Soft Caramels

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 cup Carnation evaporated milk (NOT condensed)
1 cup Kayro corn syrup
1 cup Domino's brown sugar (packed)--use dark brown sugar for darker caramels
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter + extra for buttering pan
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Butter an 11 x 15 jelly roll pan (including the sides). In a large saucepan add white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, evaporated milk, heavy whipping cream and butter--cook/stir over medium heat. Place a candy thermometer in the mixture and cook/stir until temperature reaches 250 degrees (it can take a LONG time to get to 250 degrees). Remove from heat and add vanilla--stir well to mix. Pour the mixture evenly into the buttered jelly roll pan. Hold the lip of the pan and slide it back and forth to even out the caramel in the pan, then pick up the pan an inch off of your counter and drop it to the counter (do this a few times to remove any air bubbles). Cool completely. Use a sharp knife to the cut the caramel mixture into squares. Cut squares of wax paper to use for wrapping. Place one caramel into one wax paper square--wrap it and twist the ends. Repeat with all caramels.

#704 - Schnitz and Knepp

(by Grandma Pauline (Tharp) Herman)

1 - 3lb. ham end
2 quarts ham broth (you'll get this from cooking the ham)
4 cups dried apples (these are called "schnitz")
2 TBSP brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 beaten egg
2 TBSP melted butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
milk, enough to make the dumplings ("knepp") stiff

Wash the dried apples in cold water--place them in a bowl, cover them with cold water, place saran wrap on the top and let them sit on the counter overnight. Cook the ham end with water for about 3 hours until it's tender. Pour the ham broth into a large container. Measure out 8 cups (which makes 2 quarts) and pour it into a Dutch oven--if you don't have enough to make 8 cups use water as a substitute. Cut the ham into bite sized pieces and add to the broth in the Dutch oven. Drain the apples and add them to the ham/broth. Bring to a boil, then boil for 1 hour (stir every 15 minutes or so). While the ham/apple mixture is cooking, make the dumplings (knepp)--in a bowl add flour, salt, pepper, and baking powder--stir. Add the beaten egg-stir. Add melted butter--stir. Add enough milk to make the batter stiff. After the ham/apple mixture has boiled for an hour, add the brown sugar and stir. Drop tablespoonsful of the dumpling dough into the ham/apple mixture. Put a lid on the Dutch oven and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat (DO NOT take off the lid before the 15 minutes are up or the dumplings will fall and get heavy). Serve.

#608 - Black Cake

(by Aunt May [Herman] Cook)

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour

In a mixer add butter, brown sugar and white sugar--beat. Add egg yolks--beat. In a bowl add the boiling water, cocoa and baking soda, then add to the batter in the mixer--beat. Add vanilla and baking powder--beat. Add flour--beat. Add egg whites last--beat. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Frost as desired.

#322 - Teriyaki Chicken Wings

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. ginger
2 green onions - thinly sliced
16 chicken wings, separated at the joints, wing tips discarded

Combine water, pepper, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, and ginger in a small saucepan. Gently heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Stir in green onions. Place chicken wings in a large ziploc freezer bag. Pour in the teriyaki marinade. Squeeze out the air and seal. Turn bag to distribute the marinade over the wings. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with foil. Place chicken wings on the foil and cover with the marinade from the bag. Cover pan with more foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes to crisp up the skin.

#267 - Oreo Cookie Cheesecake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs; 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1/3 cup melted butter; 1 tbsp. cinnamon
Batter: 4 - 8oz. packages Philly cream cheese; 2 tbsp. flour; 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 cup chopped Oreo cookies; 1 1/4 cups white sugar; 2 extra large eggs; 2 egg yolks; 1 tbsp. vanilla
Topping: 2 cups sour cream; 1/4 cup white sugar; 1 tbsp. vanilla; extra crushed Oreo cookies to sprinkle on the top

Using a spoon and a bowl, combine the crust ingredients above and line the bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. To make the filling mix the cream cheese, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and heavy whipping cream together in a mixer. Fold the chopped Oreos into the filling. Remove crust from oven and pour cream cheese mixture into the baked crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for 50 minutes more. Remove from oven. To make the topping, turn the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the sour cream, vanilla and sugar together in a mixer. Spread the topping on top of the warm cheesecake. Bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then refrigerate. Garnish with crushed Oreo cookies.

#261 - Pumpkin Bread

(by Rachel Guarini - friend)

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup Miracle Whip Dressing
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 tsp. Calumet baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup Planter's Chopped Pecans


Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Add sugar, pumpkin, Miracle Whip and milk - mix well. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until moistened. Gently stir in pecans. Pour batter into greased and floured loaf pan. Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely. Cut into slices to serve.

#252 - Hermit Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups dark brown Domino's sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups Sun Maid raisins
1 cup chopped dates

Cook raisins in water--boil water, then cook them for 5 minutes. Drain the raisins. In a mixer, combine butter/margarine, sugar, eggs and beat until smooth. In a separate bowl, add baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and flour--use a spoon and mix these dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk to the mixer and blend. Slowly add the dry ingredient mixture to the mixer and mix. By hand with a wooden spoon, add the dates, nuts and raisins to the batter and stir until well mixed. Drop heaping teasponsful on a greased cookie sheet about 2" apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Test with your finger--if you lightly touch a cookie and it gets dinged, put them back in a minute or two longer.

#251 - Oat Chocolate Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter:
1 cup softened butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups uncooked Quaker quick oats

Filling:
1 - 12oz. package Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 cake pan. In a mixer, combine 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla and mix. Mix in flour, 1 tsp. salt and baking soda. Add the Quaker oats and mix well--if it gets too stiff for mixer, continue by hand with a wooden spoon. Press 2/3 of the batter into the greased cake pan--save the rest for later. Filling: melt the chocolate bits in a saucepan with Eagle milk, 2 TBSP butter, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt--cook over medium heat and stir constantly. Remove from heat as soon as chocolate is melted. Pour this mixture on top of the pressed oat mixture in the cake pan. Sprinkle the nuts over the melted chocolate filling. Crumble the other 1/3 remaining oat mixture over the top of the walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into bars when cooled.

#245 - Whole Wheat Soda Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
2 TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP cold butter or margarine
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup Quaker old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet. By hand in a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add butter and mix with your hands. Stir in the whole wheat flour and the oats. In the center of the dough, make a large hole and pour buttermilk in the hole. Mix the dough and buttermilk with a fork until well blended. Drop the dough on to a floured countertop. Knead the dough for 1 minute. Shape dough into a ball and place on the cookie sheet. Flatten out the dough into a 6" circle. Use a knife and cut a cross into the top of the loaf. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until brown.

#155 - Cinnamon Flop

(by Hannah Garman - friend)

2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup Parkay margarine
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
brown sugar
cinnamon
butter

In a mixer, combine Parkay, sugar and eggs. Add baking powder, vanilla, milk, and slowly add the flour. Mix until smooth. Grease a 9 x 13 x 2 cake pan. Spread half of the dough in the pan. Sprinkle the top with brown sugar, cinnamon, and dot with butter. Pour the rest of the batter in, then sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and dot with butter again. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

#152 - Apple Crisp

(by Aunt Betty [Herman] Arnold)

5-6 cups baking apples
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 unbeaten egg
1/3 cup melted Parkay margarine
cinnamon

Peel and slice apples. Grease an oblong deep glass baking dish (3" high). In a bowl, use a fork to mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and the egg - mix until you have a crumb mixture. Layer the apples in the glass baking dish and pour the crumb mixture evenly over the apples. Pour melted margarine evenly over the top of the crumbs. Sprinkle entire top with cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Test with a fork for doneness - apples should be soft.

#148 - Edison Celery Seed Salad Dressing

(by the Edison Hotel, Sunbury, PA)

1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. grated onion
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar

Mix sugar, salt, dry mustard, celery seed, and grated onion by hand in a bowl. Add canola oil and cider vinegar and stir. Pour everything in a blender. Beat on low speed for 15 minutes. Keep refrigerated.

#135 - Pecan Crispies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup Parkay margarine
2 1/2 cups dark brown Domino's sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans

In a mixer, combine Crisco, margarine and brown sugar. Add the eggs and beat well. Sift dry ingredients, add to the batter and blend well. Add the pecans and stir them in by hand using a spoon. Drop teaspoonsful on to greased cookie sheet 2" apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

#124 - Candied Sweet Potatoes

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 large whole yams
1/2 - 3/4 cup dark brown Domino's sugar
canola oil
salt

Peel yams and cut each yam into quarters. Put yams in a saucepan. Cover yams with water and add a pinch of salt. Turn heat on medium. After water comes to a boil, cook 10-12 minutes (they won't be completely done until later). Drain water from yams. Use a frying pan and add 2 TBSP canola oil. Add yams to frying pan and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top of the yams (1/2 cup brown sugar for not-so-sweet; 3/4 cup brown sugar if you like them sweeter). Put a lid on the frying pan and cook on medium heat for 15-20 minutes, turning them every 5 minutes.

#115 - Brown Sugar Icing

(by Aunt Florence [Herman] Brosius)

(good for chocolate cakes/cookies/cupcakes)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cups Domino's powdered sugar

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir. Add milk and then bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Add powdered sugar and beat with a spoon. Ice your cake, cookies, or cupcakes.

#98 - Baked Pork & Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 - 1lb. cans pork 'n beans
6-8 slices bacon (fried and cut in small pieces)
1 level tsp. French's yellow mustard
3 heaping TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar
3 TBSP King Syrup molasses
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup

Open the cans of beans. Use a spoon to throw out the juice that is on the top in each can, but do not drain the beans. Remove the pork pieces from the pork 'n beans and throw away. Spray a 2 qt. casserole dish with Pam. Put the beans in the casserole dish. Add the fried bacon along with 2 TBSP of bacon grease that resulted from frying the bacon. Add mustard, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup. Stir all ingredients with a spoon until well mixed. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour (uncovered). Stir them when they are cooked halfway (30 minutes).

#97 - Baked Lima Beans

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 - 1lb. cans buttered lima beans
6-8 slices bacon (fried and cut in small pieces)
1 level tsp. French's yellow mustard
3 heaping TBSP Domino's dark brown sugar
3 TBSP King Syrup molasses
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup

Open the cans of beans. Use a spoon to throw out the juice that is on the top in each can, but do not drain the beans. Spray a 2 qt. casserole dish with Pam. Put the beans in the casserole dish. Add the fried bacon along with 2 TBSP of bacon grease that resulted from frying the bacon. Add mustard, brown sugar, molasses, ketchup. Stir all ingredients with a spoon until well mixed. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour (uncovered). Stir them when they are cooked halfway (30 minutes).

#81 - Peanut Butter Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Parkay margarine
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
1 TBSP vanilla
1 cup Jif peanut butter
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda

In a mixer, combine margarine, both sugars, eggs and beat until creamy. Add vanilla, salt, baking soda, peanut butter and add flour a cup at a time. When you get to the third cup it might be too stiff for the mixer so you may need to continue by hand. Drop teaspoonsful on a greased cookie sheet. Use a few TBSP of sugar in a small dish. Use a fork and put one criss cross on the first cookie to get the fork sticky. Dip fork in the sugar each time as you add criss cross pattern to all of the cookies. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until brown.

#76 - Pineapple Coconut Cookies

(by Aunt Betty [Herman] Arnold)

1 cup Parkay margarine (2 sticks)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup Dole crushed pineapple (do not drain)
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional--use pecans or walnuts)
1 - 7oz. bag Baker's coconut

In a mixer, blend Parkay, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs and beat until creamy. Add pineapple including the juice, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and add coconut and nuts (optional). Blend in flour a cup at a time. If it gets too stiff for the mixer, mix the batter by hand. Drop teaspoonsful on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

#71 - Kiddie Cookies

(by Hannah Garman - friend)

1 cup melted butter or margarine
1 cup dark brown sugar (packed)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups Quick Mother's Oats oatmeal
1 1/2 cups Kellogg's Corn Flakes
1 - 7oz. bag Baker's coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a mixer, combine melted butter/margarine, brown sugar, white sugar, and eggs. Beat until creamy. Add vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, oatmeal and beat. Add corn flakes, coconut and slowly add flour. Beat with mixer. Add nuts if you wish, then beat. On a greased cookie sheet, drop one heaping teaspoonful of batter per cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown. Don't eat too many at one time!