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Here are our favorite country recipes that have appeared in our quarterly
newsletter. Enjoy!
Blond Brownies a
la Mode
Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Coconut Macaroon Pie
Creamy White Chili
Festive Spinach Dip
Gourmet Eggnog
Lemon Bars
Maple Apple Crisp
Mini-Christmas Cheesecakes
Old Fashioned Lemonade
Rosemary Lemonade
Thick Rich Hot Cocoa
Blond Brownies a la
Mode with Maple Cream Sauce
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped
Maple Cream Sauce:
1 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
Vanilla Ice cream and chopped pecans
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating
well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and
salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Spread into a greased
13x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick
inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
For sauce, combine syrup and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and
stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in milk. Cut brownies into
squares. Top brownie with a scoop of ice cream maple syrup and pecans.
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Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 whole chipotle pepper (from can in adobo sauce), chopped
1 teaspoon adobo sauce from can of peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
Put cubed potatoes into steamer and place steamer into a large pot of simmering
water that is no closer than 2 inches from the bottom of basket. Allow to steam
for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Add butter to potatoes and mash with potato masher. Add peppers, sauce, and salt
and continue mashing to combine. Serve immediately.
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Coconut Macaroon Pie
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 cups water
1/8 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2 cups macaroon coconut (see note)
2 tablespoons butter
Prepared double crust for an 8-inch pie
Combine sugar and cornstarch. Add water and almond extract. Cook over medium
heat until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in coconut. Cool
to room temperature.
Pour filling into pie crust and dab butter around filling. Cover with top crust
and seal. Make slits in the top crust or a single hole in the center to vent
steam. Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes, or until crust is golden or filling
can be seen bubbling through the center hole.
Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream
Note: Macaroon Coconut is a finely ground form of coconut that resembles sand in
texture. It can be found in cake or baking supply stores or in some health food
stores.
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Creamy White Chili
1 lb. chicken breast (cubed)
2 15.5 oz cans Great Northern Beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
8 oz. canned chopped green chiles
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sauté chicken, chopped onion and garlic powder in oil.
Add beans, broth, chiles, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer
uncovered for 30 minutes.
Add sour cream and heavy cream, heat until hot (do not allow to boil).
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Festive Spinach Dip
1 box chopped frozen spinach (10 oz.), thawed with water squeezed out
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, chopped
1 can water chestnuts (8 oz.), drained and chopped
1 pkg. Knorr Vegetable Soup mix
Mix all ingredients except spinach.
Let sit 1 hour then add spinach and mix well.
Cover and chill for 2 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers or vegetables.
Rudolph and the all the other reindeer love this on Christmas Eve!
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Gourmet Eggnog
(nonalcoholic)
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
3 eggs
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cream
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (if desired)
Ground nutmeg to taste
If using vanilla bean, split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds, set
aside.
In a double boiler (or a bowl over simmering water), whisk together the eggs,
sugar and vanilla bean seeds or extract. Keep whisking until thick and the
mixture has been heated to 140 degrees. Hold it at this temperature for 2-3
minutes, and allow the mixture to thicken. Stir this mixture into the milk. Stir
in the cinnamon.
Refrigerate this for 2 hours or until cold. Whip the cream and add it to the egg
mixture. Sprinkle the top with the nutmeg before serving.
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Lemon Bars
For the crust
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more to decorate the finished bars
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the lemon filling
7 large egg yolks, plus 2 large eggs
1 1/8 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup lemon juice from 4 or 5 medium, plus 1/4 cup finely grated zest
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Crust
1. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Fold two
16-inch pieces of foil or parchment paper lengthwise to measure 9 inches wide.
Fit 1 sheet in the bottom of the greased pan, pushing it into the corners and up
the sides of the pan (overhang will help in removal of baked bars). Fit the
second sheet in the pan in the same manner, perpendicular to the first sheet.
Spray the sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the flour, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a food processor and
process briefly. Add the butter and process to blend, 8 to 10 seconds, then
process until the mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse meal, about three
1-second pulses. Sprinkle the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly
with your fingers into an even layer over the entire pan bottom. Refrigerate for
30 minutes.
3. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350°F
(175°C). Bake the crust until golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Filling
1. In a medium non-reactive bowl, whisk together the yolks and whole eggs until
combined, about 5 seconds. Add the granulated sugar and whisk until just
combined, about 5 seconds. Add the lemon juice, zest, and salt; whisk until
combined, about 5 seconds. Transfer the mixture to a medium non-reactive
saucepan, add the butter pieces, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring
constantly with a wooden spoon, until the curd thickens to a thin sauce-like
consistency and registers 170°F (76°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 5
minutes. Immediately pour the curd through a single-mesh stainless steel
strainer set over a clean non-reactive bowl. Stir in the heavy cream; pour the
curd into the warm crust immediately.
2. Bake until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center 3 inches jiggle
slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature,
about 45 minutes. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil or parchment
handles and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 2 1/2 inch squares, wiping the
knife clean between cuts as necessary. Sieve confectioners' sugar over the bars,
if desired.
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Maple Apple Crisp
Filling:
5 apples – peeled, cored and sliced thin
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup maple syrup
Topping:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup rolled oats
pinch salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Filling:
Combine flour, nutmeg & cinnamon, mix with apples. Place the apples mixture in
an 8x8 inch dish. Combine vanilla and maple syrup. Pour over the apples.
Topping: In a bowl, cream together the butter, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in
remaining ingredients—Do not over mix—Sprinkle the oat mixture over the apples.
Bake for 35 minutes, until golden and bubbly and apples are tender. Serve with
whipped cream or ice cream.
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Mini-Christmas Cheesecakes
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine
2 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
2 packages cream cheese, softened (3 oz each)
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 can (21 oz) cherry or strawberry pie filling
Combine flour, sugar, and cocoa; cut in butter until crumbly. Slowly add water,
mixing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Shape into 24 balls. Place in
greased mini muffin cups; press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of each
cup.
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in milk and
vanilla. Add egg; beat on low just until combined. Spoon about 1 tablespoon into
each cup. Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 30
minutes. Remove from pans to cool completely. Top with pie filling. Store in
refrigerator.
Yields 2 dozen.
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Old Fashioned Lemonade
Yields a generous 1 1/2 quarts, serving 6 to 8
10-12 medium lemons, scrubbed well, halved pole to pole, all halves sliced thin
1 1/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt (optional)
5 cups cold water
Mash lemons and sugar (and salt, if using) in large, deep bowl or saucepan with
potato masher or wooden spoon until lemon slices give up their juice, sugar is
dissolved, and juice is thickened to syrup consistency, about 4 minutes. Pour
half the lemon slices and syrup through large sieve over bowl or saucepan; press
on solids with masher or back of wooden spoon to release as much liquid as
possible. Discard solids; transfer liquid to serving pitcher. Repeat process
with remaining lemon slices. Stir in water until blended. Chill well and stir to
blend before serving, over ice if desired.
If you like, scrape the pulp from a couple of mashed lemon slices into the
pitcher to make a more pulpy lemonade.
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Rosemary Lemonade
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
Mix rosemary, sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a
simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl and set aside to cool.
Add this mixture to the Classic Lemonade recipe to the left, or to two quarts of
your favorite fresh lemonade recipe. This also tastes good with the frozen
lemonade concentrate found in the freezer section of your local grocery store.
Serve over ice, garnished with sprigs of fresh rosemary. Makes 2 quarts.
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Thick Rich Hot Cocoa
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste (optional)
Hot water or Milk
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly.
In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water or milk.
Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine.
Keeps indefinitely in the pantry.
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