#3788 - Quick and Easy Pie Dough

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup Crisco shortening
4-6 TBSP cold water (as necessary)

(This recipe makes TWO pie crusts)
 
In a bowl add flour and salt--whisk together. Add Crisco--mix with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Sprinkle 1 TBSP cold water at a time over the crumbs, then mix with your hands until the pie dough stays together. Roll the dough into a ball, then cut dough in half. Roll each half into a dough ball. Flour your counter, sprinkle one dough ball with flour, then roll out to 1/8" thick with a rolling pin. Repeat with second pie dough. When inserting bottom pie dough into a pie plate, spray Pam into the pie dish first, place the bottom dough into the pie dish, then spray the inside of the dough with Pam before adding your filling. Once you've added your filling, place the second pie dough on top and crimp/flute the edges closed. Use a sharp knife to make a few slits in the top dough before baking.

#3722 - Amish Scrambled Eggs

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 TBSP flour
6 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper (optional)
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 TBSP butter
shredded cheese (optional)
cooked/crumbled bacon (optional)


In a bowl add the flour and milk--mix well until there are no lumps. In a separate bowl add eggs--beat. Pour eggs into the milk mixture and add the salt--mix well. In a skillet over medium heat add the butter--melt. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet--cook while shredding the mixture with a fork until eggs are done. Place on plates and top with fresh ground black pepper, shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

#3621 - Quick Biscuits and Gravy

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 - 1lb. can refrigerated Grands biscuit dough
12oz. pork sausage
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups milk

Separate and bake biscuits according to can directions. While biscuits are baking, remove sausage casings and crumble the sausage into a skillet. Cook/stir sausage over medium heat until sausage is browned. Add flour, salt and pepper to sausage while stirring. Slowly add milk to the sausage mixture while stirring--cook/stir until mixture is gravy consistency and is hot. Serve the pork gravy mixture over the warm biscuits.

#3431 - Dutch Oven Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

3 cups bread flour OR all-purpose flour
1 tsp. active dry yeast (make sure the yeast is not too old)
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 TBSP white sugar
2 TBSP cornmeal

In a bowl add flour, yeast, white sugar and salt--stir to mix. Add the warm water--stir until mixed. Cover the bowl with Saran wrap, set the bowl on your counter and set a kitchen timer for 19 HOURS. After 19 hours, lightly sprinkle some flour on your counter. Place the dough (which will be "gooey") on the floured counter and turn/fold it a few times, adding more flour if necessary. Cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, sprinkle some more flour on the dough and use your hands to roll the dough into a ball. Sprinkle 1 TBSP of cornmeal on a towel to roughly the size of the dough ball. Place the dough ball on the cornmeal. Sprinkle the other 1 TBSP of cornmeal over the top of the dough. Place another towel over the top of the dough. Let the dough rise until doubled in size (about 3 hours). Place your Dutch oven (including the lid) in your oven and set the oven at 475 degrees. Once the oven is heated to 475 degrees, remove the hot Dutch oven, place the dough ball in the center of the Dutch oven, put the lid on the Dutch oven and put the whole thing in the oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue baking another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and place the Dutch oven on a wire rack for 1 hour before removing bread and slicing it.

#3390 - Crispy Fried Fish

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour + extra for drenching
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. white sugar
1 TBSP canola oil + extra for frying
1 cup water
fish fillets (skins removed)

Batter: in a bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and white sugar--stir to mix. Add canola oil and water--whisk until mixed and smooth--set aside. Fill a cast iron skillet 1/3 full with canola oil--turn heat to medium and heat oil until bubbling hot. Lightly drench a fish piece in a small bowl of flour, then dip the fish piece into the batter and place it directly into the hot oil. Repeat with other fish pieces but don't let them touch each other in the skillet. Fry until bottom sides are browned and crispy, then flip and fry the other sides. Place fried fish on paper towels to drain off extra grease.

#3346 - Amish Biscuits

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
4 TBSP Crisco shortening
1 cup buttermilk

In a bowl add flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda--stir to mix. Add the Crisco--mix with a pastry blender to make crumbs. Add the buttermilk--mix just until combined (dough will be sticky). Flour your counter, place the dough on the flour, flour the top of the dough and roll dough out to 1/2" thick. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter or the top of a drinking glass. Place the biscuits on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 425 degrees for 13-15 minutes.

#3102 - Cooked Flour Frosting

(by Shirley McNevich)

5 TBSP flour
1 cup whole milk
1-2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar

In a bowl add the milk and the flour--beat with a whisk until well mixed. Pour the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat--cook/stir until mixture gets very thick, then cool completely. In a mixer add softened butter and white sugar--beat until fluffy. Add vanilla--beat well. Add the cooled mixture to the mixer--beat well.

#2965 - Turkey Gravy

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 quart turkey broth
1 tsp. salt
3 heaping TBSP flour
6oz. water

After cooking your turkey, save the broth from the bottom of the pan. In a jark add the water, add the flour and screw the lid on the jar--shake well until mixed. In a saucepan over medium heat add the turkey broth and salt--stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, slowly start adding the flour/water mixture while quickly stirring--only add enough of the flour/water mixture until the gravy is the thickness that you like. By using flour rather than cornstarch, when you heat the gravy for making leftovers, the gravy won't be lumpy. If you heat up the gravy the next day, add a little more turkey broth and stir well.

#2610 - Creamy Coconut Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

3/4 cup softened butter
1 - 3oz. box Jell-O INSTANT coconut cream pudding
1 1/2 cups flour

In a mixer add butter and pudding mix--beat well. Slowly add flour--beat. Roll out the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet in a rectangular shape (approximately 9" x 6"). Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 24 squares (cut but do NOT separate). Use a butter knife to cut each square into two triangles (cut but do NOT separate). Bake at 325 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool the whole sheet for 10 minutes, then use a butter knife to carefully cut and separate the cookies (you should end up with 48 triangle cookies). Frost if desired.

#1729 - Chopped Tomato Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 pint home canned tomatoes OR 1 pint chopped tomatoes in a can
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
1 TBSP butter
2 TBSP flour
a pinch of baking soda
salt and pepper to your taste

In a saucepan add tomatoes--cook over medium heat and stir until soft. Add flour, butter and baking soda--stir until mixed. Remove from heat--let it cool for 20 minutes. Add milk, cream, salt and pepper--stir until mixed. Return to stove--heat just until hot enough to serve.

#1554 - Baguette Bread

(by Shirley McNevich)

(makes 3 loaves)
4 cups flour
1 TBSP yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups water (warm but not hot)

In a large bowl add flour and salt--stir. In a separate bowl add yeast and warm water--stir. Add half of the flour mixture from the other bowl to the yeast mixture--work with your hands until dough forms. Cover the top of the dough bowl with a tea towel and let it sit on your counter for 3 hours. At this point, the dough will be triple the size it was when you covered it. Remove the tea towel and start adding the other half of the flour mixture to the dough--keep working it with your hands until all flour has been used. Flour your counter, then place the dough on top of the flour. Use your hands to knead the dough for 10 minutes (no less). Spray the inside of a bowl with Pam, then place the dough in the oiled bowl and cover it with a tea towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. After one hour, cut the dough into three equal sized pieces, form each into a baguette loaf shape, and place them on a cookie sheet. Once they are on the cookie sheets, let them sit for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a bowl of water on a separate cookie sheet in the oven. Place the cookie sheets with the bread doughs into the oven. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove the bowl of water. After removing the bowl of water bake the bread for 10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Ovens vary, so keep a close eye on them when making them for the first time. Also, the two outside loaves on the cookie sheet may get done quicker than the inside loaf.

#1474 - Microwave Apple Crisp

(by Shirley McNevich)

6 cups baking apple slices (washed, peeled, cored and sliced)
3/4 cup + 1/3 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
1 cup flour
1/3 cup Quaker quick oats
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Grease an 8 x 8 square glass microwaveable baking dish. Spread the apple slices evenly in the dish. Sprinkle 3/4 cup brown sugar all over the top of the apple slices. In a bowl add flour, 1/3 cup brown sugar, oats, butter and cinnamon--mix with your hands or a pastry blender until it makes crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the apple slices. Microwave on high for 9-12 minutes or until apples are tender.

#1463 - Pumpkin Cheesecake Squares

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup flour
1/3 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
5 TBSP softened butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Batter: 1 - 8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened); 3/4 cup white sugar; 1/2 cup Libby's canned pumpkin; 2 eggs; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1 tsp. vanilla

In a bowl add flour, brown sugar, softened butter and chopped pecans--mix well. Remove 3/4 cup of the pecan mixture--set aside. Press the remaining pecan mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and let it cool to room temperature. In a mixer add cream cheese, white sugar and eggs--beat. Add cinnamon, vanilla and pumpkin--beat until smooth. Pour batter over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the 3/4 cup of the pecan mixture (that you saved earlier) over the top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely, then refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares.

#1416 - Sour Cream Noodles and Beef

(by Shirley McNevich)

1lb. ground chuck
1 chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 TBSP flour
1 - 10.75oz. can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
3 cups egg noodles (cooked according to bag directions)

Cook egg noodles according to bag directions--set aside. In a skillet add ground chuck, chopped onion, salt and pepper--cook until meat is browned. Add flour--stir and cook for 5 more minutes. Add soup--stir and cook until boiling, then turn heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Add sour cream--stir and cook until hot. Serve the beef mixture over the cooked egg noodles.

#1357 - Scratch Strawberry Shortcake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 egg
1 cup white sugar
2 TBSP Crisco shortening
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1 quart fresh strawberries
1/2 cup white sugar

Grease and flour a 9" x 9" pan--set aside. In a bowl add egg--beat it with a fork. Add 1 cup white sugar--stir with a spoon. Add shortening--beat with a spoon. Add baking powder, milk, and flour--stir until mixed, then beat with a spoon. Pour the batter into the prepared pan--smooth it out with the back of a spoon until even. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool completely. While the shortcake is cooling, wash and de-stem 1 quart of fresh strawberries. With a potato masher, mash the berries. Add 1/2 cup white sugar to the berries and stir--taste a small spoonful--add more sugar if it's not sweet enough. To serve, place a piece of shortcake in a bowl, crumble the cake into small pieces, pour some berries over the top, and add a little cold milk.

#1337 - Cream of Celery Soup

(by Shirley McNevich)

10 cups water
3 cups finely chopped celery
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to your taste
celery salt to your taste
1 cup milk (hot but not boiling)

In a saucepan add water and chopped celery--bring to a boil, then cook until celery is very tender--drain. In a separate saucepan add butter--melt. Add flour--stir. Slowly add 1 cup milk--cook and stir until thick. Spoon the celery into a sieve over a bowl--push celery through the sieve using a spoon--discard anything caught in the sieve. Pour the bowl of celery into the saucepan with the milk mixture--stir. Add salt, pepper and celery salt to your taste--stir. Keep the heat on simmer, and simmer the celery soup for 10 minutes. Add the cup of hot milk to the celery soup--stir and cook until hot.

#1294 - Apple Danish Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

Crust: 2 1/2 cups flour; 1 tsp. salt; 1 cup Crisco shortening; 1 egg yolk; milk
Filling: 1 cup Kellogg's corn flakes (crushed fine); 8 cups of tart apple pieces (granny smith or macintosh); 1 cup white sugar; 1 tsp. cinnamon; 1 egg white
Frosting: 1 cup Domino's powdered sugar (sifted); 3 tsp. milk

In a measuring cup add egg yolk--save egg white for later. Use a fork to beat the egg yolk, then add enough milk so the egg yolk/milk mixture measures 2/3 cup. In a bowl add flour, salt and Crisco--mix with your hands or with a pastry blender. Add egg yolk mixture--mix with your hands or with a pastry blender until you end up with a ball of dough. Separate the dough ball into two equal pieces. Place flour on your counter--place one dough ball on the flour, flour the top of the dough and roll it out into a rectangle using a rolling pin (to the size of the following pan). Spray a 15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1" jelly roll pan. Place the rolled dough on the greased jelly roll pan--form it using your hands so it fits in the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Spray the inside of this dough with Pam. Sprinkle the finely crushed corn flake crumbs evenly over the crust. Wash, peel, core and cut apples into slices--once you have 8 cups of apples, spread them evenly on top of the corn flake layer. In a bowl add white sugar and cinnamon--stir. Sprinkle the cinnamon mixture on top of the apples. Roll the second dough ball (as you did previously) and make it large enough to cover the top of the pan. Carefully add the dough to the top--spray the touching edges of each dough with Pam and pinch them together so the apples won't bake out. Use a sharp knife and cut slits in the top dough. In a cup add egg white--beat with a fork until foamy. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the dough with the egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until golden brown. In a bowl add powdered sugar and 3 tsp. milk--stir. Drizzle the frosting evenly over the top crust. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

#1292 - Rhubarb Sponge Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 unbaked pie crust dough (9")
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites (beaten)
1 cup white sugar
2 TBSP flour
1 TBSP butter (melted)
1 cup milk
2 cups rhubarb (bite sized pieces)

In a mixer add egg whites--beat until stiff--set aside. In a bowl add egg yolks--beat with a fork. Add white sugar, flour--stir. Add melted butter--stir. Add milk--stir. Add rhubarb--stir. Add beaten egg whites--stir. Spray a 9" pie plate with Pam. Add the unbaked pie dough--spray the inside of the dough with Pam and flute the edges. Pour the batter into the unbaked crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until set. Cool completely.

#1291 - Cheesy Cauliflower

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 head of cauliflower (washed and broken into bite sized pieces)
1 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

In a saucepan over medium heat add cauliflower, salt and enough water to cover the cauliflower--bring to a boil, then cook 5-8 minutes or until almost tender. Remove from heat--drain and set aside. In a saucepan over low heat add butter, flour and pepper--stir until melted. Slowly add milk--stir constantly so it doesn't burn. Add shredded cheddar cheese--cook and stir until cheese melts. Add cauliflower pieces--stir until coated and hot.

#1290 - Peanut Butter Tea Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter: 2 cups flour; 1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed); 2 tsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/4 tsp. salt; 1 cup milk; 1/2 cup Jif peanut butter; 2 eggs; 1/4 cup butter (softened)

Crumb Topping: 1/2 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed); 1/2 cup flour; 1/4 cup Jif peanut butter; 3 TBSP butter (softened)

In a bowl add 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 3 TBSP softened butter--mix with your hands or with a pastry blender until it makes crumbs--set aside. In a mixer add 1 cup brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter--beat. Add eggs and 1/2 cup peanut butter--beat. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt--beat. Slowly add milk--beat. Slowly add flour--beat until mixed, then beat on high speed for a few minutes. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Sprinkle the crumb mixture that you made earlier evenly over the top of the batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely.