Easy Caramel Pie (Dulce de Leche)

1 graham cracker pie crust
3 small cans of sweetened condensed milk

Put all 3 cans unopened into a pot of water. (Make sure that there is enough water to cover the cans.). Boil water for 3 hours occasionally checking to make sure that the cans are covered with water. Carefully take the cans out of the water after the 3 hours. Place a towel over the cans when opening them to catch the steam. Pour into the pie shell. Let set.

Possible toppings:

• Sprinkle brown sugar over top and put under the broiler for a minute or two for caramelized sugar
• Banana
• Chocolate Chips

Dahlia's Butter Rolls

Yeast Mix –
¼ Cup Warm Water
2 T. Yeast
¼ Cup Sugar
Set aside

Flour Mix –
6 ½ Cup Flour
½ Cup Instant Powdered milk
1 T. Salt
Set aside

Egg Mix-
2 Cups Warm Water
½ Cup oil
2 well beaten eggs

Add in the Yeast Mix and mix well. Then add in the Flour mix a bit at a time till it’s all combined. The mix will be sticky. Let dough rise in a warm moist place until double (about 45 mins). Roll dough in flour and knead. Roll out to ½ inch thick and cut out 3 inch circles. Put small slice of butter in the middle of each circle and pinch the ends together.

Bake at 375* for about 12 mins or until lightly golden brown.

Red Mashed Potatoes

Red Potatoes with skins
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Sour Cream
Butter

Boil water and salt. Once it's boiling, add quartered red potatoes with skins. Boil for about 10-15 mins until firm but soft. Put in bowl and mash. Add salt, pepper, parsley, sour cream and butter (melt garlic in butter before adding if you want garlic potatoes). Gradually add cream to get desired consistency. Don't add too much liquid or they will be gluey.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

I used to make this regularly at home from the time I was about 8. Soooo good! the dough is delicious Plus the cookies are soft and thick!

3/4 c shortening
1 1/4 c brown sugar
Cream together until well combined.

2 T milk
1 T vanilla
Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

1 egg
Add & mix well.

1 3/4 c flour
1 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
Mix dry ingredients together and then add to wet mixture.

1 c chocolate chips
Add chocolate chips. Mix well.

Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes. (...or if you have a weird oven like mine at 300*)

Mushroom Stuffing

Makes 5 cups. You make 1/2 cup of stuffing for each pound of bird. Multiply the recipe as many times as needed.

1 onion chopped
1 cup mushrooms sliced
saute onions and mushrooms in margarine

Mix together:
4 cups bread
1/4 cup parsley
3 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup browned sausage meat (or 1 cup ground beef with extra salt, pepper, garlic and anise seed)

Add and mix together
enough chicken broth to moisten (about 2 cans)

Cornbread Dressing

1 13x9 cornbread
1 whole chicken, boiled
seasoned chicken broth (garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, sage)
2 stalks celery
1 onion
butter
egg?

Make the cornbread.

Boil the chicken. Tear the meat off the cooked chicken.

Finely chop 1 onion and about 2 stalks of celery. Saute in butter.

Combine cornbread, chicken, broth, onion, and celery (and egg?) until at batter consistency.

Bake at 350* for 30 minutes.

Grandma Cutchen's Southern Fried Chicken

The successful accomplishment of making Mama’s fried chicken requires “hands on” experimentation as she never measured anything in a scientific manner. She went by “feeling” the consistency of the batter that was on her chicken before putting it in the frying pan, which always had enough oil, usually peanut oil, to cover the chicken. She always recommended using small chickens that weighed around 2 ½ lbs. Thus, the chicken was young and tender and the pieces would cook uniformly—and done. I learned how to cut up a chicken by watching Mama. She would buy 2 chickens for Sunday dinner (lunch, for you non-southerners) and we never knew how many people would be sharing dinner with us. (We had a family of ten—my father’s sister lived with us, so there was Mama and Daddy, Aunt Emma, and us seven children. During WW II, we always had missionaries, soldiers from Fort Rucker (then called, “Camp” Rucker), Army Air Corp cadets from Napier Field, and/or family cousins, who lived out in the “country”, come home with us after Sunday School. With chicken, we would have potato salad, green English peas, and Banana Pudding (for dessert) made in a pan the size of a “Dutch oven”—about a 5 quart pan. Often more than 20 people! This was the norm for Sunday’s all my growing-years.

I have often pondered on this tradition as I have raised a family. I have been amazed that we always had plenty to eat, and even had leftovers when feeding so many people with, what I would consider today, to be so little. I have concluded that in our home, we experienced an on-going miracle of the “loaves and fishes”. I am so thankful for having such wonderful parents who were always so kind and generous to so many. I know that they will be numbered with those “who did it unto the least of these my brethren” and, therefore, did it unto the Savior.

Now for the Fried Chicken.

Use a heavy chicken frying pan that will tolerate high heat without warping, and will retain the heat. Mama used to use an iron skillet, but she switched to using a heavy aluminum pan later. Use an oil that will tolerate a high temperature without burning, like peanut oil. Put enough oil in the pan to go to the top of the chicken pieces, about 1 ¼ inches. Do not get the oil too hot, or it will brown the chicken on the outside and the inside of the chicken will not be done. But, if it is not hot enough, the chicken will soak up the oil and then you will have greasy chicken! (This is one of the reasons frying chicken requires experimenting.)

Take a small fryer, no more than 2 ½ pounds, and cut it up into frying pieces. Believe me, the chicken-fried flavor comes from the chicken pieces frying in the hot oil.

Mama would take a can of evaporated milk and pour some of it over the cut up chicken. (Nowadays, I remove the skin from my chicken before putting milk on it.) Salt and pepper your chicken. Now that the chicken is wet with the milk and is flavored, Mama would take some self-rising flour and put it by handfuls on the chicken, mixing it around until the flour became a stiff batter on the chicken pieces. This is the part that comes by experience. Sometimes, one has to add a little more milk, or flour until it looks and feels “right”.

I recommend testing the hot oil to see if it is the right temperature before putting a piece of chicken in. You can put a small piece of the batter in the hot oil. If it browns quickly, you know your oil is too hot. I usually fry chicken on med-high, but it depends on the stove. It usually takes about 20 minutes to fry a pan of chicken—turning it one time. If your chicken is large—3 pounds or more, you will need to put a lid on the pan so it will cook the chicken to the bone before it gets too brown—this will necessitate a lower temperature, too.

The goal is to have crispy, not greasy, fried chicken that is done—and tasty.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Beat together with mixer:
3 Cups Mashed, cooked sweet potatoes
1 Cup Sugar
2 beaten eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1/3 Cup Milk
“Some” cinnamon—to taste

Topping:

1 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
½ cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

Sprinkle on top of casserole and bake at 350° for about 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Buddy Cups

(Grand Prize Student: 3rd Place Cookies, 1994 National Peanut Recipe Contest)

1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter
4 T butter or margarine, softened
1¼ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
¼ t salt
2 cups Nestle Toll House milk chocolate morsels, divided

In a large mixer bowl, beat peanut butter and butter until smooth. Beat in sugar and eggs, and vanilla. Beat in flour and salt. Stir in 1 ½ of chocolate chips. Spread in ungreased 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake in preheated 350º oven for 25-30 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Sprinkle with remainder of chocolate chips while warm. Let cool completely before cutting.

Bean Salad

1 can cut green beans
1 can cut wax beans
1 can kidney beans
1 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 small onion diced (Vidalia if available)

Sauce
¾ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
½ cup vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
½ cup light oil
COMBINE vegetables, pour sauce over all and marinate for 24 hours.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Cake

Sugar, Cream Cheese, Cocoa, and Butter Mixture ( Will be used as both icing and in batter)

1 8 ounce package cream cheese
2 sticks butter or margarine
About 2½ pounds powdered sugar, sifted
1 scant cup or less of evaporated milk
6 Tablespoons cocoa
2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix butter and cream cheese
Warm the evaporated milk and add to butter/cream cheese
Continue mixing, and ADD the 6 Tablespoons cocoa or a little more. (If the icing mixture is too stiff, you can always add some more canned milk to make it more pliable.) .
ADD 2 teaspoons vanilla.

This cake usually is about 7 or 8 cake layers, so dip out two serving-size spoonfuls of the icing for each layer to go on the layers—about half of the mixture.

Cake Batter

3 Cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons soda
1 teaspoon salt (less if you like)
SIFT the flour with the soda and salt
1 stick softened margarine
2 cups buttermilk
4 eggs.

MIX all of the above ingredients.
Continue mixing and add the remaining sugar and cocoa butter mixture that has been saved.
ADD another teaspoon of vanilla to the batter.

PUT one cup batter, (or ½ cup batter if you want a 16 layer cake,) in a 9 inch pan that has been spread with Crisco and sprinkled with flour.

I set my oven at 350° (about) BAKE quick. TAKE out of the oven just when done. Try not to let the layers dry out so that the cake will be moist. Keep it covered so as not to dry out. This is a good cake.

(Mama’s note to me: “Marjorie, take this out and put it where you can see it until you learn how to make the cake without the recipe. I decided to write this down for you. If it is not plain, call. I may can fix it so you can understand”)

Cream Cheese Lemon Cake

1 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2½ cups plain flour
5 eggs

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Mix all together. Grease and flour 3 (9”) cake pans. Measure the batter in a ½ cup for making thin layers. If you want thicker layers, measure 1 cup batter. Bake at 350º or a little higher if you want to bake the layers quicker. I just watch my layers until they are done. Take the layers out as soon as you can. That is how to have a moist cake.

FILLING FOR LEMON CHEESE CAKE

Mix together:
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
3 T flour
2 whole eggs
Juice and grated rind of 2 lemons 2 T flour mixed with1 cup of evaporated milk
Cook until thick and spread on the top and side of the layers. (Mama says: If I want a layer cake I just make 2 recipes. One will get 9 or 10 layers. If the filling lumps up, you can run it through a strainer while it is warm. Also, spread the filling on while it is still warm.) Mama’s comment may sound strange, but she always made one extra cake to be given away. Marjorie

Peanut Pie

First Place Pies, 1994 National Peanut Festival Contest, Dothan AL

1 (8 oz) pkg. Cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter
½ cup milk
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping,
thawed
1 9-inch graham cracker crust or chocolate
cookie crust
¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts, toasted

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Fold in whipped topping; spoon into crust, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts. Drizzle with melted chocolate or melted peanut butter chips. Cover and chill 8 hours. Yield: 1 (9 inch) pie.

Split Second Pound Cake

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.

3 Sticks butter or margarine
1 lb. box powdered sugar
6 eggs
1 lb. empty powdered sugar box of sifted all-purpose flour (The box was her measuring unit.)
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix sugar, butter and eggs at medium speed. Add flour; add almond and vanilla extracts. Line 10” tube pan with wax paper. (Mama would grease and flour the pan also so sides wouldn’t stick.) Bake in large tube pan 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Mama would modify by using 1 T Crisco and 2 large spoonfuls of sour cream (about ½ Cup), 2
teaspoons lemon juice, 2 t vanilla—instead of the almond flavor--sometimes an extra egg. She also might add ½ t salt and ¼ t soda. That’s Mama!

Crispy Coconut Date Balls

If you just happened to drop by Mama’s at Christmastime, you might have been one of the lucky ones to enjoy some of her candy treats. My favorite was her divinity candy with lots of chopped pecans. But these “Crispy Coconut Date Balls” are also delicious!

1 8 oz package pitted dates—chop fine
½ Cup butter or margarine, softened
1 C. sugar
2 eggs, well beaten

3 C crisp rice cereal
1 Cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Roll in 2 Cups flaked coconut

Combine dates, sugar, butter, and eggs in sauce pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until dates are dissolved, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. When mixture has cooled add nuts and rice crispies. Shape into balls the size of walnuts, and roll into coconut to coat. Makes about 6 dozen balls. DELICIOUS!!

Lane Cake Icing

1 Box ground up seedless raisins
1 fresh coconut, grated
2 Cups chopped pecans
10 egg yolks, beaten
1½ Cups sugar

COOK egg yolks and sugar in a double boiler until it thickens. If it sugars, put a little pineapple juice in, let it cook until thick, then stir in the other ingredients. (Sometimes, she would add some Welch’s Concord Grape Juice before spreading. Although Southern tradition would use Bourbon) Spread on four white cake layers. Decorate with candied cherries on top. Christmas!

MAMA’S COCONUT CAKE

Bake a 2-layer yellow cake using moist cake mix. Split the layers so as to have four layers.
Frost with Coconut/Cool Whip Frosting.

COCONUT/COOL WHIP FROSTING

1 9 oz. Cool Whip
2 Cups Sour Cream
1 lb. Box of powdered sugar
2½ Cups coconut (Mama used fresh frozen coconut.).

MIX together. Frost the split-layered yellow cake. Let sit covered in refrigerator for about 3 days before serving.



CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Lucille Cutchen

One 8 oz. Pkg. of cream cheese (softened)
Two lbs. powdered sugar
Two sticks margarine or butter (softened)
One or two teaspoons vanilla
1½ Cups chopped pecans

(May add a little evaporated milk if too stiff OR may use less powdered sugar and less margarine if you want thinner icing.)} CREAM together first 3 ingredients, ADD vanilla and mix well. Stir in nuts.

Arroz con Leche

1/4 cup uncooked rice
2 cup water
1/2 t salt
4 cup milk
1 cinnamon stick
2 T butter
1 t vanilla
About 2 “ of lime rind
1 cup sweet. cond. milk

Directions: Pre-soak rice. Cook in boiling water. When tender, add milk, cinnamon, and rind. Bring milk to boil stirring. Add sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly until it begins to thicken in about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and butter.

Spicy Penne

Penne
Mushrooms
Broccoli or some other veggie
Butter/Oil
Spices: onion powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper etc

Cook the penne like normal while sauteing some mushrooms and in butter and oil in a frying pan. Add spices to the mushroom & garlic (onion powder, paprika, crushed red pepper, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper) Just get it to get a flavor that you like.

Strain the cooked pasta and then throw it onto the frying pan with the mushrooms and garlic. Add some butter so it doesn't stick together and mix together until coated in spices. Add fresh Parmesan until somewhat melted over the pasta.

I usually put the pasta/mushroom stuff on plates for everyone and cover it with fresh Parmesan again.

Gyros

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 pounds of boneless pork loin, shoulder, or fresh ham
• white wine vinegar
  
• ----------
• Seasoning Mixture:
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of finely crushed (powdered) Greek oregano (rigani)
• ----------
• For Sandwiches:
• 6 pieces of thin pita bread
• 1/2 cup of tzatziki (see below)
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• french fries (optional)
• olive oil

PREPARATION:

Make the Gyro Meat:

In a small bowl combine paprika, salt, pepper, and oregano.

Slice the meat against the grain as thin as possible and pound with a meat mallet to less than 1/4-inch thick.

In a flat-bottomed container, arrange one layer of slices, sprinkle liberally with seasoning mixture, then with a little vinegar. Spread the vinegar over the meat so that all pieces are moistened. Add layers, spices, and vinegar until all the meat has been marinated. Cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour to 2 hours.

Note: If there's any seasoning mix left over, store in an airtight jar and use again for gyro or as a rub for pork souvlaki.

Remove meat from the refrigerator and slice into strips about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch wide and 2 to 2 1/2 inches long. Dry fry (without any oil) in a non-stick frying pan until browned and slightly crisp.

Alternate cooking method: Do not cut the meat into strips before cooking. Cook on the grill until the edges of the meat begin to crisp, then slice and serve.

Yield: serves 8-10

OR OR OR

1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded
2 pounds ground lamb
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows

Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.

Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl.

To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.

To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.

Preheat the grill to high.

Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.

Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt

Use Fage Greek yogurt or any other brand of Greek yogurt for the 
Tzatziki Sauce. If you use regular supermarket yogurt drain it 
overnight in the fridge to get rid of the water and make it thick 

like Greek yogurt and then proceed with the recipe.

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups