MINT BROWNIES

1 C butter

2 C sugar

Blend together then add

9 Tb Cocoa powder

3 Tb oil

1 Tsp vanilla 

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

Last add 4 C flour

Can add mint flavoring but I just put it in the frosting.

FROSTING

1/4 C butter

1 tsp mint flavor 

2-3 cups powdered sugar 2-3

Enough cream or milk to make the right consistency

Green food coloring 

SHRIMP COCKTAIL DRINK

3 quarts tomato juice
1 14 oz bottle catsup
1 tablespoon horseradish
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cans shrimp

Chill.  Serves 25.

CREPE CAKE WITH WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups whole milk

6 large eggs

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

For the whipped ganache:

10 ounces chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups heavy cream

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Continue to cook, while stirring occasionally, until browned. Set aside and let cool slightly.  Meanwhile, heat the milk in another saucepan until steaming and small bubbles appear at the edges. Set aside and let cool slightly.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or with a hand-held mixer, mix the eggs, flour, sugar, and salt until combined. While mixing on low speed, add the butter and milk slowly until incorporated. Cover and chill until ready to make crepes.

Heat a 9-inch skillet over medium heat and grease with a small amount of butter. Add approximately 1/3 cup of batter to the skillet and swirl to coat the pan evenly. Cook for a few minutes until edges begin to brown. Flip and cook for an additional minute. Repeat until the batter is gone, stacking crepes and letting them cool to room temperature.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the heated heavy cream over the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth and chill for at least 2 hours. Whip to medium peaks.

To make the cake, layer the crepes with a thin coating of chocolate ganache. Garnish cake with powdered sugar or cocoa, if desired and chill for 2 hours before serving.

PLUM & BLACKBERRY CRUMBLE SUNDAE

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

8 ounces cream cheese, 2 ounces cold, 6 ounces room temperature

2 ounces blueberries (about 1/3 cup), plus more for serving

2 ounces strawberries, hulled & diced (about 1/3 cup), plus more for serving

3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for serving

1 ¼ cups heavy cream

This recipe makes four blueberry & four strawberry shortcakes. Coat 2 parchment-lined baking sheets with cooking spray.  Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, & baking soda in a large bowl.  Incorporate butter & cold cream cheese into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Transfer to freezer & chill 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425° with racks in upper & lower thirds.  Transfer half of flour mixture to another large bowl.  Add blueberries to 1 bowl & strawberries to other bowl.  Gradually stir 6 tablespoons buttermilk into 1 bowl, gently folding with rubber spatula until a sticky dough forms.  Do not over mix.  Divide dough into 4 even mounds & place 2 inches apart on 1 baking sheet.  Bake, rotating halfway through, until shortcakes are golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Let cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Meanwhile, beat together remaining 6 ounces cream cheese & confectioner’s sugar with a mixer until smooth.  Gradually add cream, beating just until mixture becomes smooth & thick, about 1 minute.  Do not over beat.  Serve alongside shortcakes & berries, with confectioner’s sugar for sprinkling.

BANANA BREAD

1 cup sugar

1 egg

¼ cup margarine

½ cup applesauce

2 bananas 

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix together.  Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350°. Makes one large loaf or two small loaves.

SIRACHA, HONEY, LIME CHICKEN SKEWERS

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Juice of one lime

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-2 teaspoons Siracha

Red pepper flakes, to taste

2 tablespoons cilantro, chipped

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

In a small bowl, combine your ingredients, through the cilantro. Mix thoroughly.  Pour marinade over chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.  Grill on medium high heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side, until juices run clear.

GRANDMA BINGHAM'S CHEESEBALL

3 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup green pepper finely chopped

Lemon juice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Almonds or walnuts, optional

Combine cheeses, peppers, lemon juice and worcestershire sauce.  Roll in slivered almonds or chopped walnuts.  Serve with crackers.

BBQ CHICKEN

1 cup ketchup

½ cup cider vinegar

3 tablespoons molasses 

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon dried mustard

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 cup water

Kosher salt and pepper to taste 

Chicken to grill

Simmer first seven ingredients until thickened, about 30 minutes. Preheat a grill to medium-high on one side. Season 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves (or thighs or drumsticks)with salt and pepper. Grill over direct heat until golden and crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 cup of the sauce. Place on the cooler side of the grill; cover and cook, basting once, until the meat is glazed and reaches 165°, 25 to 30 minutes.

PIONEER WOMAN’S PERFECT POT ROAST

1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 whole Onions

6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)

Salt To Taste

Pepper To Taste

1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)

2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock

3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste

3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.  Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).  Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.  Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.  If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.  When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275°F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

JUMBALIA

1 whole chicken

¼ cup oil 

1 ½ lbs kielbasa sausage, sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 cups chopped onions

4 cups chopped celery 

2 cups chopped green peppers 

2 chopped garlic cloves

6 cups reserved chicken broth

3 cups rice 

2 teaspoons salt

Cayenne pepper 

Place chicken in a large pot, cover with water, add salt and boil until tender. De-bone and save broth.  Heat oil in large pot.  Sauté onions, peppers, celery and garlic. Add brown sugar to caramelize.  Add chicken and sausage (brown sausage).  Add liquid and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Add rice and cook until rice is tender.

SWEET POTATO, SAUSAGE & GREEN PEPPER HASH

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch slices

12 oz bulk pork sausage

1 fresh Anaheim or green pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cups spinach

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ medium orange

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 eggs

Crushed red pepper

In a very large skillet heat 2 tablespoons water over medium head.  Add sweet potatoes.  Cover; cook 12 minutes.  Uncover skillet; add sausage and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is brown and sweet potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally to break up sausage.  Drain fat if necessary.  Stir in spinach and cumin; squeeze orange half over spinach.  Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted.  Transfer to a serving dish; cover to keep warm.  

Add oil to skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Crack eggs into skillet; sprinkle with crushed red pepper and salt.  Cover; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until desired done-ness.  Serve over hash.   

FLAKY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda

Mix all above ingredients and then add:

1 cup chilled butter

Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry cutter and then add:

1 1/3 cup buttermilk

Mix with a fork, then knead dough a couple of times on a lightly floured counter top.

Roll dough out to about ½ inch thick. Use a circle cookie cutter, place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 450° for about 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 30 biscuits.

BISCUITS & SAUSAGE GRAVY

10 Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits

1 lb. pork sausage

2 tablespoons flour

1 pint half & half

1 tablespoons butter

Pepper, to taste 

Brown sausage in a large saucepan.  Add flour, butter, and half & half.  Cook on medium-low until thickened (5-10 minutes). Season with crushed black pepper. Add a little more flour if you want to make it thicker, or a little milk if you want to make it thinner.

SWEET POTATO, SAUSAGE & GREEN PEPPER HASH

2 small sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into ½-inch slices

12 oz bulk pork sausage

1 fresh Anaheim or green pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cups spinach

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ medium orange

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 eggs

Crushed red pepper

In a very large skillet heat 2 tablespoons water over medium head.  Add sweet potatoes.  Cover; cook 12 minutes.  Uncover skillet; add sausage and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat until sausage is brown and sweet potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally to break up sausage.  Drain fat if necessary.  Stir in spinach and cumin; squeeze orange half over spinach.  Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until wilted.  Transfer to a serving dish; cover to keep warm.  

Add oil to skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Crack eggs into skillet; sprinkle with crushed red pepper and salt.  Cover; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until desired done-ness.  Serve over hash.   

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