Saturday, November 12, 2011

A Night Of Thanksgiving: Recipes



Laura Bush's Corn Bread Dressing
Michelle Gibby
Makes 12-14 Servings
Corn Bread:
1/2 c Vegetable Oil
2 c Stone Ground Cornmeal
2 c All Purpose Flour
2 T Baking Powder
4 t Sugar
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
2 c Whole Milk
Salt to taste (about 1 t)

Dressing:
3 c Chopped Onion
3 c Chopped Celery
1 c (16 T) Unsalted Butter
1 T Olive Oil
1/2 c to 1 c Fresh Sage, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste (about 1 1/2 t Salt and 1/2 t Pepper)
3 c Turkey Stock or Canned Chicken Broth

Step 1: Make Corn bread
-Heat Oven to 450 degrees. Pour oil into 9x13 metal pan. Heat oil in oven until hot about 5 minutes.
-In large bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Stir in eggs and milk. Pour hot oil into cornmeal mixture; mix. Pour into heated pan.
-Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes; crumble.

Step 2: Make Dressing
-Reduce oven to 350 degrees
-In large skillet, saute onion and celery in 12 T butter and olive oil until vegetables are softened about 7 minutes. 
-In bowl, mix onion mixture, sage, salt, pepper, and cornbread. Spoon in 9x13 glass or stone baking dish.
-Melt remaining butter, drizzle over the top, with stock. Cover with foil.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10 minutes or until brown.


Orange Whip Cream Salad

2-12 oz tubs of Cool Whip thawed
3 oz Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 Scoop (1/3 c) Tang Drink Mix
2 c Water
1-2 Cans Mandarin Oranges drained
2-3 c Marshmallows (colorful)-optional

Mix Tang and pudding together with the water. Fold into the Cool Whip. Add mandarin oranges and marshmallows.


Easy Sausage Dip
Jami Gardner
1-16 oz Jimmy Dean Sausage
1-8 oz Cream Cheese
1-16 oz Salsa

Cook sausage per instructions. Mix sausage, salsa, and cream cheese in crock pot on high until cheese is melted and bubbly. Turn to low, stir often. Serve from crock pot with chips.


Pumpkin Pie Squares
Lynda Barton
Crust:
1 c Flour
1c Quick Oats
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1/2 c Butter

Mix together and put in 9x13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes

Filling:
2 cans (15 oz each) Pumpkin
4 eggs
2 t cinnamon
1/2 t cloves
2 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk
1 1/2 c Sugar
1 t Ginger 
1 t Salt

Combine everything and pour over the crust. Bake for an additional 45 minutes.

Topping:
1/2 c Brown Sugar
2 T Butter
1/2 c Chopped Pecans

Melt the butter on the stove add the sugar and nuts. Crumble over the top and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.

Brachs Autumn Mix & Candy Corn

- Use as a table decoration as well
Reminder: Purchase after Halloween and get it 50% off!

Savory Chicken Taco
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves: 6

Was Served with Doritos at Relief Society Activity

Ingredients:
- Canola Cooking Spray
- 1 Slow Roasted Rotisserie Chicken (Shredded)
- 1 (12 oz) Frozen Steamable White Rice
- 1 can diced Salsa Style Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Frozen Sweet Corn
- 1 cup Shredded Cheese
- 1 (16 oz) Jar Verde Enchilada Sauce
- 1 package Crisp Taco Shells
- Sour Cream (optional)

Directions:
PREHEAT  oven to 450 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients except taco shells into large bowl. Spread evenly into baking dish. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon into crispy corn taco shells and serve with sour cream. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 (8 oz) Pkg Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 (9 inch) Prepared Graham Cracker Crust
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree
1/8 Teaspoon Allspice

Directions:
- Preheat Oven to 325 degrees
- In a large bowl combine, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in 1 egg at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust, set aside.
- Add pumpkin and spices to remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
- Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set.
- Allow to cool and then top with whipped topping.

Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

- 4 Cups Sweet Potato, cubed
- 1/2 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 4 Tablespoons Butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
-1/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 3 Tablespoons butter, softened
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with water to cover. Cook over medium high heat until tender; drain and mash.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk and vanilla extract. mix until smooth. Transfer to 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown.

Apple Streusel Bars
Jessica Springer (www.ourbestbites.com)

Sweet Pastry:
2 Cup Flour
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Real Butter, softened (no substitutions!)
1 Egg, beaten

Apple Filling:
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
4 Cup (about 3 medium) sliced, peeled baking apples. I use Gala since they are my favorite!

Glaze:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
About 3 Tablespoons Milk (whole milk is best)
1 Teaspoon Almond Extract
(I halve the glaze recipe when I make these since it makes a lot! I also like to add a tiny bit of Vanilla Extract!)

- To prepare crust, mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blonder or two knives until you have pea-sized crumbles. Gently mix in beaten egg. 

- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gently pat about 2/3 of the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and set aside.

- To prepare apple filling, combine flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Toss with apples and spread apples out on prepared crust. Sprinkle reserved crust mixture over apples evenly and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. When finished, allow to cool completely.

-To prepare glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Place glaze in a Ziploc bag and cut off a very small portion of one of the corners. Drizzle glaze over cooled pastry and allow to harden (you can place it in the freezer to hurry things along). Cut into bars and serve.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Makes 2 Large Loaves
Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cup Pumpkin
3 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
2/3 Cup Water
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
4 Eggs
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Tablespoon Nutmeg
3 1/2 Cups Flour
Chocolate Chips.

Directions:
Combine pumpkin and sugar. Then add oil, water, vanilla, and eggs. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Then add chocolate chips. Spray two large bread pans with cooking spray. Distribute mixture evenly in both. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean!

Cheesy Ranch Dip
Jessica Springer
1- 8 oz Package Cream Cheese
1 Cup Cottage Cheese
One Ranch Dip Packet
Mix all ingredients together with electric mixer. May need to add more cottage cheese to your liking. Dip crackers or veggies!












Monday, November 7, 2011

Pie Night With Kristen St. Jeor



Thanksgiving Pies

Tips for perfecting your favorite pie crust:

1. Start with cold ingredients. Your goal is to cut butter into flour without melting it.
2. Handle with care.  Over working the dough can make it tough.
3. Add ice water gradually.  Too much makes the crust tough; not enough makes it crack.  The dough should just form clumps.
4. Use as little flour as possible when rolling out the dough. It can change the flour to fat ratio and make the dough tough.
5. Turn the dough every few rolls of the pin. Then gently ease it into the plate (without stretching, which will cause it to shrink).
6. Chill 1 hour before baking.  This will prevent shrinkage, and relax any gluten that may have developed.


Perfect Pie Crust
Kristen St . Jeor  
*For best results chill butter and shortening
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 t. salt 
1t. sugar
3/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 c. chilled shortening
1/2 c. cold water
1 T. white vinegar
    In a food processor, pulse together flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and shortening; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs and some of the butter is the size of peas. (Or use traditional method of cutting  fats in with a pastry cutter).
    In a measuring cup, combine water and vinegar. While processor is running, drizzle in just enough water-vinegar mixture to form dough (may be slightly dry, but should hold together when pressed between fingers).
    Halve dough, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and press into disks. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Freeze up to 2 months. Makes 2, eight-nine inch or larger pie crusts.
    Back at 400 degrees for 16-20min until golden brown. 

Pie Glazes:
1. For a glossy top crust, brush with slightly beaten egg white, for a deep golden color brush with a beaten whole egg or egg yolk. Sprinkle with granulated sugar for sparkle.
2. When making crust for cream pies as soon as pie shell come out of the oven brush lightly with beaten egg white, making sure to cover areas pricked with a fork. This will seal the crust and prevent sogginess. Cool Completely before filling.


Southern Pecan Pie
   Kristen St. Jeor
1-9 inch pie shell
Combine on low heat in a saucepan:
1 c. sugar
1 c. light Karo syrup
1/2 c. butter
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Cool.
Add:
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
Mix well and add:
1 c. chopped pecans (less if using lots on top)
Pour into unbaked pie shell. Decorate the top of the pie with whole pecans as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for about 55-60 min. Cover edge of pie crust after 30-45 min with foil round.

French Apple Pie
Kristen St. Jeor
*Also great for a double crust apple pie.
" This slightly cooked apple filling insures that the apples are done and the juice thickened."
8-9 inch unbaked pie crust, chilled
In a covered saucepan bring to a boil:
2 Heaping quarts of peeled thinly sliced apples (I prefer Golden Delicious).
1/4-1/3 c. water
Reduce to med low heat. Cook 5-8 min. until partially done. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula.
Meanwhile; mix together
3/4 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1 t. cinnamon
Add to cooked apples and continue cooking 30 seconds to 1 minute. Until juice thickens. Remove from heat and add: 1 t. lemon juice
Cool and pour into chilled pie crust. Spoon streusel topping evenly over the apples.

Streusel Topping:
Mix together with a fork or pastry cutter until blended but crumbly.
1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. butter (slightly softened)
Bake 400 degrees on a cookie sheet for 40-50 min. Watch topping to not over brown. Cool on a baking rack.
*For a 2 crust pie: use 1c. sugar (instead of 3/4 c.) in the thickening part of the pie filling. Cover with a top crust, crimp edges. Sprinkle top with sugar or brush with desired milk or egg wash and bake 50-60 min. until pie is bubbling and top crust is golden brown. Cool on baking rack.


Basic Cream Pie
(Revised from Lion House)

8-9 in baked pie shell
5 T. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt 
2 1/2 c. milk
3/4 c. half & half
3 egg yolks
2 T. butter
1 t. vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar and salt in a glass bowl or glass measuring cup. Add milk and half & half stirring with a wire whip until smooth. Cook in microwave on high power stirring frequently with wire whip until mixture begins to thicken (8-10 min.) Add a small amount of mixture to egg yolks and blend thoroughly with whip, then pour back into bowl and continue cooking another 1-2 min., stirring frequently until mixture is completely thickened. Remove from microwave, add butter and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Pour  into baked pie shell, Press plastic wrap lightly on surface and chill 3-4 hours.

Coconut Cream: Add 1/2 c. coconut to filling. Pour into shell. Cool 3-4 hours and top with whipped cream and another 1/2 c. coconut. (I like to toast coconut for the top).

Chocolate Cream: Melt 6 oz Milk Chocolate Hershey Bar, or Symphony Bar in the microwave on very low power. Add to the filling when adding the butter and vanilla. Chill and top with real whipped cream and chocolate curls from remaining chocolate bar.

German Chocolate Cream: Make like the Chocolate Cream recipe, but use 6 oz. Symphony Milk Chocolate Bar, pour about 1/2 inch of cooked filling into the crust, add 1/2 c. chocolate chunks( from chocolate bar) 1/3 c. chopped pecans and 1/4c. coconut. Cover with plastic wrap, chill and top with cream and chocolate curls.

Banana Cream: Make basic cream pie, before serving top with sliced bananas and whipped cream.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

A Night of Thanks Giving

November 8, 2011
7:00pm
Kristen St. Jeor will be teaching us how to make pies

Bring a pie plate, a rolling pin and a can of pie filling
(you will go home with a pie to bake for your family)
Kristen will demonstrate how to make a crust, how to make it look pretty and how to make a yummy cream pie filling in the microwave.

We will also have a tasters table with your favorite thanksgiving side dishes.

A nursery will be provided