Baked Peaches From The Piedmont
Ingredients & Directions 6 Ripe peaches 1/3 c Sugar 8 Italian macaroons; crushed -such as Amaretti di Saronno 1 Egg yolk 4 tb Unsalted butter; melted Try this with white peaches, if available, for a subtle variation on the original. PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 350F and set a rack in the middle level. Rinse, halve and pit the peaches. Puree 2 of the peach halves in a food processor. Place the puree in a bowl and add the sugar, crushed macaroons and the egg yolk. Cover each peach half with this filling and place the peach halves in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining butter over the peaches and bake for about 30 minutes, until the peaches are baked through and the filling is a deep golden color. Serve hot or at room temperature. From Yields 8 Servings
Dutch Apple Tart
Ingredients & Directions 1 x *pastry 5 ea Apple 1 T Flour 1 c Sugar 1/4 t Nutmeg 2 t Butter Line a deep dish with pastry. Sprinkle the flour and cup of the sugar on bottom of the crust. Peel and quarter the apples and place cut side down. Cover with the balance of the sugar, dot with the butter and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Bake at 350-F about 35 minutes or until apples are baked and rich syrup has formed. Yields 1 servings
Inca Festival Bread
Ingredients & Directions 8 tb Butter -cubes 3/4 c Milk 1/2 c Coarsely chopped hot 2 lg Eggs -chilies, fresh or canned 8 oz Can cream style corn 4 oz Can whole-sweet red 1 1/4 c Water ground cornmeal -pimentos, roasted 1/2 cut -(white) -into long strips, 10 oz Sharp cheddar cheese —- Other 1/2 coarsely chunked -1/4 cup coarsely grated 1/2 ts Baking soda Remainder cut into 1/4 inch 1 ts Salt In a small saucepan, melt 6 Tbsp. butter over low heat. Do not brown. Preheat oven to 400. Put remaining 2 Tbsp. butter into an 8 inch diameter baking casserole; heat in oven no more than 4 to 5 minutes to avoid browning butter. Rotate and tilt casserole to coat inside. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat milk and eggs. Smoothly blend 1 cup white cornmeal, melted butter, corn, diced cheese, chillies, chopped red pimento, baking soda, salt. Mix thoroughly. It should have the consistency of southern cornbread, moderately runny but not down right liquid. If it seems to runny work in 1 or 2 tbsp. white cornmeal. Give butter in casserole a final swizzle, then pour in batter, smoothing it level. Sprinkle grated cheese over top and decorate with pimento strips. Do not cover. Place casserole, exactly in center of oven. Bake until a knife lightly pushed in center comes out clean and dry- usually 40 to 50 minutes. Serve at once. Cut into fairly thin, pie – shaped wedges. (You can let the bread cool to room temperature.) It stores well tightly wrapped in the refrigerator, but it is best not to serve it cold. One loaf makes about 8 servings. Yields 8 servings
Apricot Brandy Pound Cake 3
Ingredients & Directions 3 c Sugar 2 Sticks real butter (not -margerine) 6 Eggs 1/4 ts Baking soda 1/2 ts Salt 3 c Flour 1 c Sour cream 1 ts Orange extract 1/4 ts Almond extract (I -omitted…nut allergy) 1/2 ts Lemon extract 1 ts Vanilla extract 1/2 ts Rum extract 1/2 c Apricot brandy -GLAZE- 2 c Confectioners sugar Apricot brandy Grease and flour a large tube pan or 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine sour cream, flavorings, and brandy. Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixture to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan or pans. Bake for about 70 minutes. A crack will usually form in the center. Cool for about 30 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar, or glaze, if desired. Glaze: Mix just enough brandy with the sugar to form a thin mixture. Use a brush to cover the surface of the cake. Helpful hint: I buy small paintbrushes when they are on sale, and use these for such jobs. I put them in the dishwasher. When they get worn, I toss them and get new ones. They are great for brushing on bbq sauce on grilled meats, glazing cakes, and many other uses. Yields 1 Servings
Chicken Cacciatore Pie
Ingredients & Directions 1/2 lb Canned peeled tomatoes; -chopped and drained, -reserving 3-1/2 Tbs. juice 3/4 sm Onion chopped 3/4 sm Green bell pepper; chopped 1 Clove garlic; minced 1/3 c Plain breadcrumbs 1 Egg 1 1/4 ts Italian herb seasoning 1 lb Ground chicken breast 1/3 c Shredded fat-free mozzarella -cheese 2 tb Grated Parmesan cheese Prep: 15 min, Cook: 40 min. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine reserved tomato juice and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add half the Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Add ground chicken and mix well. Pat mixture evenly into lightly oiled 10 inch pie plate, pushing up sides to form a shell. Bake 25 minutes. While meat shell is baking, combine tomatoes, remaining Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste in a non-reactive saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Set aside. Remove meat shell from oven. Discard excess liquid. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Add tomatoes, sprinkle with Parmesan and bake 15 minutes until meat shell is cooked throughout. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Yields 1 Servings
Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients & Directions 1/2 c Crisco shortening 3/4 c Jif creamy peanut butter 1 1/4 c Light brown sugar; firmly -packed 3 tb Milk 1 ts Vanilla 1 Egg 1 3/4 c Flour; all-purpose 3/4 ts Salt 3/4 ts Baking soda 1. Heat oven to 375o F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies. 2. Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. 3. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. 4. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slighty in crisscross pattern with tines of fork. 5. Bake at 375oF for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely. Yields 24 Servings
Camp Biscuits
Ingredients & Directions 2 c Self-rising flour 1/4 c Butter-flavored Crisco; -butter or other shortening 3/4 c Milk Cut in shortening into the flour. Mix in the milk and knead and roll out on floured board. Cut biscuits with a cup. Place in a greased pan that will fit into a preheated Dutch Oven. (Cast Iron best). Set Dutch oven on a small pile of coals. Put 3 or 4 small stones in the bottom of the Dutch oven to place the pan of biscuits on. Put lid on, place coals on lid and bake about 8-10 mins. or until lightly browned. Yields 1 Servings
