Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Cream together:
1 stick butter
1 c. Sugar
1 c. Brown sugar

Mix dry ingredients and then add to creamed mixture:
2 c. Flour
1/2 t. Salt
1 t. Baking soda

Fold in 2 c. Rhubarb

Pour into 13 X 9 pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped pecans.
Bake at 350 for 50 min.

Hot Chicken Salad

2 c. Diced chicken
1 c. Diced celery
2 T. Diced onion
1/2 c. Mayonnaise
1 T. Lemon juice
3 boiled eggs, sliced or chopped
1/2 c. Slivered almonds
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/8 t. Pepper
1/2 c. Crushed crackers
1/4 c. Water


Mix all ingredients except water and crackers. Put into casserole dish. Pour water over casserole. Sprinkle crushed crackers over casserole. Bake at 350 for 40 min.

Apple Dumplings

Make pastry for a two crust pie. Roll out pastry slightly less than 1/8 inch thick and cut in seven-inch squares. Cut pastry into 6 squares. Pare and core 6 medium tart juicy apples.
Place an apple on each square of pastry. (Vickie chops the apples)
Fill cavity with the following sugar and cinnamon mixture:
1/2 c. Sugar and 1 1/2 t. Cinnamon.
Dot with 1 T. Butter. Bring opposite points of pastry up over apple, moisten and seal. Place a little apart in baking dish. Pour hot syrup around dumplings.

Syrup

1 c. Water
1/4 lb. Butter
1 1/4 c. Sugar
1 1/2 t. Cinnamon
1/2 t. Nutmeg

Bake until crust is nicely browned and apples are done, about 40-45 min. In 425 degree oven. Serve warm with syrup the ice cream or whipped cream.

This is from mom (Helen Johnson)---printed in Kingsport Times News dated 9/24/86
"Helen Johnson First place winner Central Bakery at Dobyns-Bennett High School"

Go Nuts with Vickie

2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 lb nuts (cashews, pecans, or almonds)
1 1/2 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Combine egg whites, water and vanilla and beat until frothy. Pour nuts into mixture and coat the nuts well. Combine cinnamon and sugar then pour over nuts. Coat nuts well. Bake for 45 minutes at 275 degrees. Turn nuts every 15 minutes. Cool on wax paper. Go nuts!

Prize Winning Brown Sugar Cookies

14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup Granulated sugar
2 cup brown sugar packed
2 cup unbleached flour plus 2 Tablesoons
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between fingers, until well combined; set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder together in medium bowl; set aside.

3. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups brown sugar and salt to bowl with cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but it will take 3 batches.)

5. Bake one sheet at a time until cookies are browned and still puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo below), 12 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overbake.

6. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

Bacon Cream Cheese Rollups

8 oz cream cheese softened
1 tablespoon milk
25 mixed grain or white sandwich bread (remove crusts)
25 bacon strips cut in halves
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teasponss garlic powder
1 small onion, minced

Combine all ingredients except bread and bacon. Stir to spreading consistency. Spread about 2 teaspoons on each slice of bread and roll up jellyroll style. Slice each roll into two equal pieces. Wrap each roll with 1/2 bacon slice. Place on broiler pan. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until bacon browns. Cook best on convection setting - otherwise turn over at 15 minutes. These freeze well. Thaw before cooking.

Kickin' Cranberry Relish

2 cups whole raw cranberries, washed

1 small onion

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar

Grind the raw berries and onion together. Add everything else and mix.

Put in a plastic container and freeze.

Freeze until needed. Thaw morning of dinner.

The relish will be thick, creamy, and pink.

Asparagus Gratin

2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots (about 2 large)
1/2 loaf french baguette, cubed
1/4 cup pine nuts (1 1/4 oz)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Butter a 2- to 2 1/2-quart shallow ceramic flameproof baking dish.

Cook asparagus in a 5- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander, then transfer to baking dish and keep warm, tightly covered with foil.

Meanwhile, heat oil and butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Add bread and pine nuts and cook, stirring, until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add pepper, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, tossing to combine.

Preheat broiler.

Toss warm asparagus with mascarpone, remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined well.

Sprinkle bread-crumb mixture evenly over asparagus. Broil 5 to 7 inches from heat until topping is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Overnight Lasagna

1 # Ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 t. salt (optional)
1 32 oz. jar of Spaghetti sauce
2 t. oregano
1/4 t. sugar
15 oz. Ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
8 oz. Mozarella cheese
12 oz. lasagna noodles
1 c. water
dash pepper
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 t. parsley

Brown beef, add onion, and salt. Drain.

Combine in medium bowl:
Spaghetti sauce
oregano
water
pepper
sugar

In another bowl combine:
egg
mozarella cheese
parsley
Ricotta cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Cover bottom of 13 X 9 pan with spaghetti sauce mixture. Alternate layers of UNCOOKED noodles, cheese mixture, ground beef, and spaghetti sauce, ending with sauce.   Top with remaining 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese.
 Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered, uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Caramel Cream Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped sweetened flaked coconut
1 recipe Pecan Pie Cake Batter
1 recipe Pecan Pie Filling
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
Garnishes: raspberries, fresh mint sprig
Preparation
1. Stir 1 cup finely chopped coconut into Pecan Pie Cake Batter; spoon batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.

2. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

3. Spread Pecan Pie Filling between layers. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top and sides with toasted pecans and toasted coconut. Garnish, if desired.

PECAN PIE BATTER
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
Preparation
1. Beat 1/2 cup butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well until blended. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

2. Combine flour and baking soda; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition. Stir in pecans.

3. Beat egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form; fold one-third of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining beaten egg whites just until blended. Use immediately.


PECAN PIE FILLING

Ingredients
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a heavy 3-qt. saucepan until smooth. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; whisk in butter and vanilla. Place a sheet of wax paper directly on surface of mixture to prevent a film from forming, and chill 4 hours.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended; stir in vanilla.