8/31/2004
It’s time for another recipe critique session here, Kaitlyn. Below I’ve included a listing of recipes most recently tried. Most were culled from Internet postings but for posterity, Grandmother has included a fond one of her own. Complete with Kaitlyn instructions that Granddaughter will properly prepare for a grandmotherly visit.
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Lemon Crisps
1 (2 layer) lemon cake mix(w/the pudding in it)
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 c. butter or margarine; melted
1 large egg
Shape dough into 1" balls; place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased
cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 for 9 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool on cookie
sheets 1 minute; remove to wire racks and cool completley.
Yields about 4 dozen
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Rating: out of a possible 5=0
Comments: I perhaps shouldn’t even include this recipe, Kaitlyn Mae, in that I require that it NEVER be made for my presence in any manner. In fact, I had to throw the entire batch of baked cookies directly into the compost, my only consolation being that they are, as I type, being consumed by micro-organisms to become valued fodder for the gardens.
First, Kaitlyn, do the world a favor. If you ever concoct a recipe to post for public consumption, include the ounces required for packages included in the recipe. That bit about a 2-layer lemon cake mix with pudding, go on. Grandmother went to the largest grocer in this area and they had no such thing. I did find a package for lemon cake but no pudding was added per the instructions.
So grandmother added her own small package of pudding and one could argue that it was THIS action which ruined the result.
Perhaps.
I doubt it as I added but ½ cup of instant pudding and no way that would account for the absolutely horrible taste of these cookies.
The cookie dough needed to be “wetter”, Grandmother could see this during the prep.
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Pineapple Macadamia Nut Cookies
a.. 1/2 cup shortening
b.. 1/2 cup sugar
c.. 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
d.. 1 egg
e.. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
f.. 2 cups flour, stir before measuring
g.. 1 teaspoon baking powder
h.. 1/2 teaspoon salt
i.. 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
j.. 1 cup (8 ounce can) crushed pineapple, undrained
Cream shortening and sugars; beat in egg and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with pineapple. Fold in chopped macadamia nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls 4 inches apart onto greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes, or until set and lightly browned.
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Rating-out of a possible 5=2
Comments: This has been given a rating of two, Kaitlyn, though by grandmother, in all honesty, it should be a zero. The cookies did not, however, need to be thrown to the compost due to a horrific taste.
Grandmother’s dislike stems more from the fact that these cookies has no particular taste. I’m not convinced, Granddaughter, that pineapples belong in cookies. Finally I gave the entire batch (Grandmother ate about two) to a gang of hungry teenagers and they were devoured for stomachs that gobble anything.
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Peanut Butter Silk Pie
a.. graham cracker crust for 9-inch pie*
Fudge Layer
a.. 1 cup granulated sugar
b.. 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
c.. 1/3 cup evaporated milk
d.. 1 tablespoon corn syrup
e.. 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
Filling
a.. 8 ounces cream cheese
b.. 1/2 cup peanut butter
c.. 1 cup powdered sugar
d.. 1 tsp. vanilla
e.. 1/2 cup milk
f.. 2 cups whipped topping
*Purchase a large graham cracker crust or make your own:
Mix 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine; pat into a 9-inch pie plate and chill for about 30 minutes before filling. If a crispier crust is desired, bake at 375° for about 7 minutes before filling.
In a medium saucepan, cook sugar, chocolate, milk, corn syrup together, stirring occasionally, to the soft ball stage (see below), or about 234° to 240° on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter. Beat lightly for a few minutes; pour into bottom of pie crust. Chill thoroughly before filling.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with peanut butter, powdered sugar and milk. Fold in whipped topping until well blended. Spoon into fudge-layered pie crust and garnish with chocolate curls and/or chopped peanuts. Chill thoroughly before serving.
To test for soft ball stage:
Use fresh cold water each time you test the candy. In about 1 cup of cold water, spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of hot candy. Put you hand into the water and push the candy to form a ball. Gently pick the formed ball up (if it will not form a ball, it is not done) - the soft ball will flatten slightly when removed from water.
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Rating: out of a possible 5=4.5
COMMENTS: Pies are all the rage at Grandmother’s house, Kaitlyn, in that husband Billy will eat them with a vigor he rarely gives to other foods. Pizza, chicken wings, steak and pie pretty much encompass his foods of choice. Thus Grandmother bakes pies frequently.
Many of the pies of husband’s preference are gooey affairs, usually some combination of whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, and other “stiffening” agents designed to result in a properly molded but very sweet pie concoction.
This pie stands out above those sorts of pies even though the ingredients are of the same standard of gooey and sweet. I think it’s the extra effort required for that fudgy underlay. The peanut butter is not overwhelming, but is scant enough to leave a pleasant peanutbutter taste when folded into the whipped cream.
You may, Kaitlyn, prepare this pie for Grandmother during any expected visit.
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Lemonade Icebox Pie
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
¾ cup lemonade concentrate
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in milk until blended. Beat in lemonade concentrate. Fold in whipped topping and food coloring if desired. Pour into crust. Cover and refrigerate until set.
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Rating: out of a possible 5=4.0
Re-read Grandmother’s comments above as concerns pies and such around her house. The above recipe is an example of the sort of pie Billy likes and it is certainly easy enough to make.
While this pie will remain a solid entry in Grandmother’s pie database, do not bother to prepare it for Grandmother. You may use it for your family and someday you too may have a husband who adores this sort of thing. Husbands do, Grandmother asserts after having four of them, tend to have insatiable sweet tooths.
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Tomato BisquePrep. Time: 0:30Serves: 6-81/4 cup butter1 sm. onion - minced1/3 cup all-purpose flour2 cups whole milk2 2/3 cups tomato juice28 oz. can chopped tomatoes2 Tbls. cup granulated sugar1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce1 tsp. kosher salt1/2 tsp. ground oregano1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
-Sauté onions in butter until transparent. -Sift flour over onions, stirring constantly.-Whisk in milk and simmer, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes, or until thickened.-Stir in remaining ingredients; heat to boiling, stirring constantly.Notes: Can be frozen up to 6 months======
Rating: out of a possible 5=3.5
Though it was dead middle of Summer, Kaitlyn, Grandmother decided to prepare the above soup in that the notion of tomatoes, then so plentiful, in a soup seemed ideal. Yes the recipe calls for a CAN of tomatoes for the prep, Grandmother decided to prepare the soup exactly per the directions and perhaps adjust it for the use of fresh ripe tomatoes had the result turned out well.
It isn’t that this soup is bad, Kaitlyn. Indeed Grandmother has been eating a bowl for lunch each day this week.
There is an elusive “something” in a soup that Grandmother seeks. I do not necessarily want a soup filled with “stuff”. In fact, it is the broth or cream base that Grandmother most enjoys about soup.
A soup with a full and hearty bodied broth, Kaitlyn, AH, that is heaven. And all too rare.
Grandmother makes a mean chicken stock, Granddaughter, and it’s taken me years to perfect the technique. The preparation requires a previously used chicken carcass simmered all day in water enhanced by onions, celery, garlic and herbs from Grandmother’s gardens. The resulting broth is deep and soulful. I use the broth as a base for other soups, to flavor mashed potatoes and to flavor gravy.
Grandmother thinks this soup needs some of Grandmother’s chicken broth added and the next time I prepare the recipe I shall do just that.
Without this, the soup above lacks any depth or special taste beyond tomato flavored hot milk.
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Grandmother’s own Baked Beans
Okay, Kaitlyn, Grandmother is going to attempt to give you her “recipe” for flavorful baked beans. This is no sort of “official” recipe in that it is prepared in that manner of grandmothers. There are some basic truths to making fine baked beans, Kaitlyn, so read on.
Use a large can of baked beans, preferably Bush’s baked beans. You can, Kaitlyn, use generic beans, even cheap. At this point in her life Grandmother can afford a named brand such as Bush’s but if using this brand, use the plain, not any of the “doctored “ varieties such as onions or BBQ.
Use any size, Kaitlyn, but adjust any extra ingredients accordingly.
Drain the beans first thing. Baked beans should not be all runny with that thick salty sauce canned beans often have. While the beans are draining, put a dollop of butter in a fry pan and melt. Add a chopped onion and fry until the onions are soft and translucent. If you are going to have the beans with ground beef, Kaitlyn, a nice alternative, you would fry up both the onions and beef.
If you are going to “bake” the beans in a crock pot, Kaitlyn, you would now put the drained beans into the vessel. If baking the beans in a real oven, use a dutch oven.
Grandmother frequently makes these beans in a crock pot as so very often I serve this dish for company and nothing beats the ease of a crock pot for cooking AND serving. They can be baked in the oven. Crock pot cookery tends to produce dishes that have more liquid in them then those baked in an oven. Keep this in mind when adding the following ingredients:
Catsup or BBQ sauce-enough to wet down but not so much as the beans have as much liquid on them as in the original can.
Spicy mustard-just a tablespoon or so
The fried onions or ground beef and onions.
Fresh herbs-Grandmother has an herb garden, Kaitlyn, so this recipe addition can be replaced with dried or not at all according to taste. Fresh oregano is wonderful when added to anything so if there is some around, throw it in. Also some parsley, even rosemary!
Brown sugar-about a quarter to half a cup.
If Grandmother doesn’t add browned ground beef, I will always add some sausage. Polish sausage, smoked sausage, cooked Italian sausage, whatever the choice. Cut into thin sausage coins and toss them in.
Let’s those beans bake as long as possible, and as slow as possible. The flavors need to meld and this slow cooking allows this.
Give Grandmother some piping hot cornbread and a bowl of these beans and I’ll be right over Kaitlyn Mae.
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