Grandma’s Blackberry Cobbler

  Crust:

 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup shortening (she used lard)

1/2 cup buttermilk, (saved from making butter)

1-1/3 cups flour

Filling:

1-1/2 lb. blackberries

1-1/3 cups granulated sugar

3-1/2 Tbsp. flour

1-1/3 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 Tbsp. melted butter

2-1/2 tsp. granulated sugar

Directions

 Mix all filling ingredients and put into prepared pan.

 For top crust: Mix sugar, baking powder, salt, shortening, buttermilk and 3/4 cup of flour to form a sticky dough. Spread remaining flour on a work surface and knead dough until most of the flour is incorporated and dough is manageable. Roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into large pieces. Cover blackberry filling with dough, overlapping pieces, patchwork style.

 Drizzle melted butter over dough and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbly, about 50 minutes. Top with a scoop of ice cream or a whipped topping.

Jelly Glaze

What do you do with leftover jelly or jam? Make a glaze for chicken or pork.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup jelly or jam
• 2 Tbsp. Dijon-style or brown mustard
• 2 tsp. lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp. Soy or Worchester Sauce

Directions

Combine all ingredients. Heat just long enough to melt the jam or jelly and combine the flavors. Thin with water, as desired.

You also could add dried or fresh herbs. And don't be afraid to play with the formula, which includes a balance of sweet, tangy and salty elements. Spicy would be good, too.

Source: This was in an insert in the May 7, 2008 edition of the Denton Record Chronicle. Denton, Texas.

My blackberries are starting to ripen. Can't wait , I love my blackberries.

Texas Blackberry Pie

Honey Lime Chicken

1/4 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
juice of one lime, about 2 T.
zest of one lime, about 1 T.
18 whole chicken wings, tips removed or 10 boneless, skinless thighs

1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. season salt, optional
oil for frying

Mix the first six ingredients together. Place the flour and salt in a zip top bag and add chicken. Shake well until chicken is coated. In a large iron skillet heat about one inch of vegetable oil to 325°. Add chicken about 5 pieces and fry for 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Fry the rest of chicken. In a large bowl toss chicken with honey lime sauce. Serve immediately. Serves 5-6.

Note- I doubled the sauce so that there would be extra for the rice. I also heated the sauce with 3 T. water and 1 T. cornstarch for a thicker glaze. Cook sauce until clear, shiny and slightly thickened. If you get it too thick just thin it with a little water. If you do not want to fry, then skip the flour dusting and bake in 450° oven for about 15 minutes then toss in glaze.

Amish Onion Pie

4 thick slices of bacon, diced
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
9'' pie shell, unbaked, (or you can use your own recipe too.)
caraway seeds optional

Saute bacon in a large skillet until evenly browned. Drain, but reserve 2 Tbsp drippings. Crumble bacon and set aside.
Saute onions in reserved bacon drippings until clear.
Return crumbled bacon to skillet.
Stir in sour cream, eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Pour filling into pie crust
Sprinkle with caraway seeds, if you wish.
Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour, or until onions are golden brown.
Makes 6-8 servings

Chocolate Chunk Shortbread

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 squares (1 ounce each) semisweet chocolate,
coarsely chopped
Additional confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Gradually add the flour and cornstarch. Stir in the chocolate. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with a glass dipped in additional confectioners sugar. Bake for 30-33 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Yield: about 3 1/2 dozen

Taste Of Home - recipe by Brenda Mumma

Buttery Crescents

1 pkg (1/4 oz) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 F)
1/2 cup warm milk (110-115 F)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
additional butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add the milk, butter, sugar, egg, salt, and 2 cups of flour. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a flour surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. Turn onto a floured surface. Divide in half. Roll each portion into a 12 inch circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll up the wedges from the wide end and place pointed end down 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheets. Curve ends to form crescents. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375 F. for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Remove from the pans to wire racks to cool.
Yield: 2 dozen

Taste Of Home - recipe by Kevin Weeks

Flautas is Spanish for flutes. Chicken flautas are traditionally served with rice and beans. You can also use beef or black beans as fillings for flautas.

• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups Tomatillo Sauce
• grated cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
• cooking oil for frying
• shredded lettuce
• Crema or sour cream
• Guacamole

Combine the chicken with the tomatillo sauce, heat, and keep warm.

Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-hot. Lay a tortilla on the hot surface for a few seconds, then turn and heat the other side. This will make the tortilla pliable enough to roll in a tight flute. (See Note, below.) The fresher the tortilla, the better.

Spread 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken/tomatillo sauce mixture along one side of the tortilla, and roll the tortilla into a flute -- as tightly as possible without tearing the tortilla. Lay the tortilla flute flap down, and continue filling and rolling the rest of the tortillas.

Heat about an inch of cooking oil in the skillet. The oil should be hot enough to make a few drops of water sizzle when sprinkled into it, or 375°F. Carefully lay the flautas, three at a time, in the hot oil, flap side down, and cook until they are golden and crisp. Drain and keep warm until all flautas are cooked.

Makes four servings of three flautas each. Garnish with crema or sour cream. On the plate include lettuce, chilled, ripe tomato wedges, and a scoop of guacamole.

As a side, serve Mexican Red Rice.

Note: The best flautas are made with homemade corn tortillas because you can press them thinner than those from the store, not to mention the fact that they taste so much better. See our article on How to Make Corn Tortillas.

An alternative method for softening the tortillas is to dip each one into hot oil (use tongs) just until it becomes limp. Remove at once, drain, and repeat with the remaining tortillas. Don't forget to turn off the heat under the skillet while you fill the tortillas.

http://www.texascooking.com/recipes/chickenflautas.htm

Cake Mix Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• 1 full-sized box of spice cake mix
• 2 cans peach pie filling
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 12 ounces lemon lime soda (Sprite, Seven-Up, etc.)

Directions

Spray a 13x9x2 inch cake pan with Pam. Spread the pie filling in the pan. Dump the dry cake mix over the pie filling. Sprinkle the oatmeal over the cake mix. Pour the butter all over the top of the oatmeal. Pour the soda over the butter. Bake at 375 degrees F preheated oven for 45 minutes. Cool and eat with ice cream.

Summer Peach Mousse

This is so good, especially if you love peaches!

Ingredients

• 3 oz. package peach flavor Jello
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sliced peeled, ripe peaches*
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup whipping cream,whipped
• Fresh peach slices
• fresh blueberries or raspberries

Directions

In large bowl, dissolve Jello in boiling water. In blender or food processor bowl, with metal blade, combine peaches, honey and almond extract. Blend until smooth. Stir peach mixture into Jello. Cover, refrigerate until thickened but not set (1-1 1/2 hours). Beat gelatin mixture at high speed until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold in whipped cream. Pour into 1 1/2 qt bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours.

One way to serve is to place serving of mousse in center of individual small plates. Arrange fresh fruit around mousse.

Refrigerator Pops

With summer almost here (YEA!), I found some really good but healthy Refrigerator Pops for the kids.

Strawberry-Banana Cream Pops

Ingredients

• 2 (8 oz.) cartons of strawberry yogurt
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 ripe banana
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 8 (3 oz.) cold drink cups
• 8 wooden sticks

Directions

In your blender or food processor bowl with metal blade, combine yogurt, strawberries, banana and honey; blend till smooth. Fill each cup with about 1/3 cup yogurt mixture. Place cups in freezer until partially frozen, (about 1 hour). Insert sticks, freeze until firm (about 2 hours). Remove drink cups and serve.

MMMM, now I want one! I am not trying to be funny but I am thinking summer and having one of these!

Pineapple Orange Pops

Ingredients

• 8 oz. carton plain yogurt
• 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 6 oz. can frozen pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 8 (3 oz.) cold drink cups
• 8 wooden sticks

Directions

In blender or food processor in bowl with metal blade, combine yogurt, pineapple and pineapple-orange juice concentrate, blend until smooth. Fill each cup with about 1/3 cup pineapple mixture. Place cups in freezer until partially frozen, (about 1 hr). Insert sticks then freeze till firm, about 2 hours. Remove cups and serve.

Icy Watermelon Pops

Cut watermelon into slices about 1 1/4 inches thick. Cut each slice into pie shaped wedges of desired size. Using a sharp knife, pierce rind, insert wooden stick. Place on waxed paper lined pan or tray, freeze till firm. Wrap individually in foil or plastic wrap. Store in freezer.

Fresh Spearmint Ice Cream

 From Martha Stewart Living magazine

1 cup packed fresh spearmint leaves, preferably Kentucky Colonel
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

1. Prepare an ice water bath. Cook mint in a small saucepan of boiling
water until bright green, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer
mint to ice-water bat. When cool, drain, and squeeze out excess water.
Reserve ice-water bath.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

1 1/4 cup flour                                    
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
3 small ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

* combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, then make a well in the center
* combine bananas & remaining ingredients, add to dry mixture, stir just till moist.  Spoon batter into muffin pan, (greased or use liners) & bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.