Angel Biscuits

Another recipe from Mary Miller...

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Sprinkle the yeast over warm water and sugar, and allow to stand 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients thoroughly. Cut in shortening.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the yeast and water. Add the buttermilk adding enough buttermilk to make the dough very sticky.

Heat well buttered ramikins in preheated oven - Drop dough by spoonfulls – fill about 2/3 full.

Bake at 400°F for 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly to well browned. Biscuits stay in ramilins for serving. Serve in ramikins on a butter plate.

Mary's notes: My family likes to put an X in them and put butter and honey in them, and eat with a fork. The next day- split with fork and heat in broiler and enjoy.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

This is Mary Miller's recipe...

1 (9 inch) frozen unbaked pie shells (or your own recipe)
Pie filling
1 cup sour cream
2⁄3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 cups tart apples, peeled and sliced
Crumb topping
1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
1⁄3 cup flour
1⁄4 cup butter, room temperature
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Beat together sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and egg. Add apples, mixing carefully to coat well.
Pour filling into a pie shell and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minute.
While pie is cooking mix together all ingredients for crumb topping until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Don’t overmix.
Remove pie from oven and sprinkle with crumb topping. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.
Let cool for an hour before serving.

Judi’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2.5 cups oatmeal
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1 teas. salt
2 teas. pure vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

Combine ingredients in order given.
Drop on lightly greased baking sheet
Bake at 350 degrees for 11- 12 minutes. DO NOT overbake (if smaller cookie size bake 10 minutes)
The key is undercooking. Remove cookies from the baking sheet right away so they don’t keep cooking.

These cookies get hard within 1 – 2 days so you have to eat all the day they are baked !!

Optional: use cranberry-raisins instead of raisins and add almonds

Another Chocolate Frosting

The was found on recipegirl.com

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
(double this recipe if you want to pipe the frosting)
1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (or chopped dark chocolate)

Directions:
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium, and slowly add milk and vanilla, beating until smooth.

Microwave the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals. Gradually add melted chocolate to mixture; beat until blended and smooth. If the frosting is too soft for piping, cover and refrigerate for a few minutes until it firms up a little bit. Otherwise, spread frosting on top of cupcakes and decorate as desired.

Sour Cream Chocolate Frosting

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 2 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Preparation:
Melt chocolate chips with butter in top of double boiler over hot water. Remove from hot water; stir in sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Slowly beat in confectioners' sugar until desired spreading consistency is reached. Makes enough chocolate sour cream frosting for a tube or bundt cake or 2-layer cake.

Note - Plan to double this recipe

Chai Liqueur

Success! This turned out delicious. I utilized an article from Googobits - Make Delicious Liqueurs and Wines at Home...

http://www.googobits.com/articles/406-make-delicious-liqueurs-and-wines-at-home.html

And came up with this "recipe"...

2 cups vodka
2 inch knob of ginger (could use more the next time)
4 2 inch cinnamon sticks
2 tea bags (or 2 T chai tea - loose)
2 c. water
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 T. allspice (whole - slightly crushed)
2 T. cloves (whole)
1/2 whole nutmeg (grated)

Combine the vodka, ginger and cinnamon sticks and let sit for two days. After two days add several black tea bags (I used about 2 T of chai tea. Let the vodka absorb the tea flavor for several hours while making the simple syrup.

Heat the water, sugar and remaining spices till the sugar is completely dissolved. Let the mixture cool completely.

Pass the simple syrup through a mesh strainer and remove the ginger and cinnamon sticks from the vodka and combine the vodka with the simple syrup. Slowly pour the chai mixture through a coffee filter and store in an airtight bottle. Wait a week or two before serving.

Salmon Mousse

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup cold water
½ cup boiling water
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated onion
Dash of Tabasco
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 cups finely flaked poached fresh salmon or canned salmon, skin and bones removed
1 cup heavy cream
Watercress, for garnish
Toast, pumpernickel, or crackers, for serving


Soften the gelatin in the cold water in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the boiling water and whisk the mixture slowly until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, grated onion, Tabasco, paprika, salt, and dill. Stir to blend completely and refrigerate until the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 20 minutes.

Fold in the finely flaked salmon. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it is thickened to soft peaks and fluffy. Fold gently into the salmon mixture.

Transfer the mixture to a 6- to 8-cup bowl or decorative mold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Garnish with watercress, and serve with toasts, pumpernickel, or crackers.