Amish Circle Letters (29 page)

Indeed, together with Elias, she had been at the helm of their family for so long, now. A pillar of moral support. She had been a good wife to Elias and a good mother to their children. A matriarch of sorts. Yet, together with that mental fatigue came a peaceful sensation; a sensation of having rightly stood by her beliefs, of having done her very best to raise her children right gut, the way she herself had been raised and her parents before her, true to her faith in the Creator, true to her Amish heritage.

And, looking at all those letters with these very different yet so familiar handwritings, some of which that she had herself helped forge and strengthen throughout the years, Miriam Fisher came to realize that this circle that she had started just a few months ago, this
circle of letters
was, actually, her own
circle of life.

The Sequel

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to order the Second Round of Letters.

Recipes

Amish Meadow Tea

Recipe from Miriam Fisher

1. Boil one gallon of water.
   
2. When bubbling, put in a healthy handful of mint tea leaves from garden (about two huge fistful of cuttings).
   
3. Take off of the heat and let sit for 7 minutes.
   
4. Remove tea leaves from water.
   
5. Add 1.5 cups of sugar (more or less to suit your taste).
   
6. Put pot of water in a sink of cooler water (to cool down).
   
7. Refrigerate before serving.
   
8. Might need to be adjusted to accommodate your needs.
   

HINT: Growing tea plants in your garden is a wonderful adventure but be careful. Tea can take over your garden. You also need to cut the stalks BEFORE they flower. If they get spindly looking, cut them down and they will grow back. Most tea gardens can get 2-3 batches each season.

Amish Corn Flake Sugar Cookies

Recipe from Rachel Fisher Zook

Ingredients

•
        
1 cup shortening 

•
        
1 ¾ cups brown sugar 

•
        
2 eggs

•
        
2 cups flour

•
        
½ teaspoon salt

•
        
3 teaspoons baking powder

•
        
½ cup whole milk

•
        
2 cups corn flakes

•
        
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. After creaming the shortening and sugar together, add the eggs and vanilla. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy.
   
3. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients (except corn flakes). Sifting is recommended.
   
4. Add corn flakes to the dry ingredients and mix by hand.
   
5. Add dry ingredients and milk to the cream mixture. Stir until smooth.
   
6. Use a soupspoon or melon ball maker to drop the mixture onto a greased baking sheet. Leave space between each, as they will spread when cooking.
   
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes and let cool before serving.
   

Shoofly Pie

Recipe from Leah Fisher Miller

Ingredients

•
        
2 cups molasses

•
        
2 cups hot water

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3 cup light brown sugar

•
        
1.5 teaspoon soda

•
        
5 cups flour

•
        
1 cup shortening

•
        
.5 teaspoon cream of tartar

•
        
3-4 unbaked pie shells

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   
2. Mix molasses, hot water, 1 cup light brown syrup, and 1 teaspoon soda together. This is the syrup for the bottom of the pie.
   
3. Mix the rest of the ingredients. This is the crumb topping.
   
4. Pour the syrup into unbaked pie shells.
   
5. Divide crumbs on top.
   
6. Bake for 10 minutes then lower heat to 350 and bake for an hour.
   

Apple Crunch
[5]

Recipe from Anna Fisher

Ingredients

_•
  
5 to 6 apples, pared and sliced

_•
  
1 cup flour

_•
  
1 1/2 cups sugar

_•
  
1 tsp baking powder

_•
  
3/4 tsp salt

_•
  
1 egg

_•
  
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled

_•
  
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Place apples in a 9X13 inch baking dish.
   
2. Mix next 5 ingredients with a fork until crumbly.
   
3. Sprinkle over apples.
   
4. Pour melted butter or margarine over mixture.
   
5. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
   
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.
   

Cinnamon Minis
[6]

Recipe from Lizzie Fisher Stoltzfus

Ingredients

_•
  
2 cups flour

_•
  
2/3 cup & 2 tbsp. Crisco

_•
  
6 tbsp. water

_•
  
1 stick butter- softened

_•
  
1 cup sugar

_•
  
1-2 tbsp. cinnamon

Directions

1. In a large bowl, add flour and cut in Crisco. When flour and Crisco are combined well, add in water and form into dough ball.  Lightly flour the working surface. 
   
2. Roll dough into a ¼” thick rectangle shape.
   
3. Spread butter over entire surface (more butter can be added if desired).
   
4. Mix together sugar and cinnamon.  Coat the entire rectangle with the sugar mixture. 
   
5. Tightly roll your dough and then cut into slices about a half-inch thick. 
   
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
   

Lima Bean and Corn Salad

Recipe from Sylvia Fisher Esh

Ingredients

•
        
1 cup butter, divided

•
        
2 cups fresh (or previously frozen) lima beans

•
        
½ teaspoon salt

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¼ teaspoon pepper

•
        
4 fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped

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2 teaspoons white sugar

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2 cups fresh (or previously frozen) corn kernels, cut from the cob

Directions

Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in lima beans, salt, and pepper. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, testing the lima beans to make certain they are tender. In a separate saucepan, heat tomatoes, sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter. Cook until tomatoes are tender (approximately 15-20 minutes). Combine the tomatoes into lima beans and add corn. Cook 10 minutes more. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Pennsylvania Dutch Potato Filling
[7]

Recipe from Lovina Fisher Weaver

Ingredients

•
        
6-8 med. Potatoes

•
        
1 med/large onion

•
        
1 stick butter for sauté and 1/2 stick for pats on top before putting in oven

•
        
1 c. milk

•
        
2 slices white bread, torn in sm. pieces and soak in 2/3 cup milk

•
        
1 lg. egg

•
        
1 bunch curly parsley

•
        
Salt & pepper

Directions

1. Boil potatoes in salted water until done. Sauté chopped onion and cut up parsley in butter until soft and yellow.
   
2. Drain potatoes and mash using about 1/3 cup milk. Mix in sautéed onion parsley and butter, bread, egg and parsley.
   
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin to desired consistency with the rest of the milk. Beat thoroughly for a minute or two.
   
4. Pile in buttered baking dish. Dot with butter. Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 1 hour.
   
5. Serve with gravy and any kind of meat and vegetables. Serves 8, to make enough for more, double the recipe.
   

Amish Chow-Chow

Recipe from Ella Riehl

Ingredients
:

•
       
1 cup of the following: lima beans, cauliflower, onions cucumber, green beans, yellow beans, and carrots

•
       
1/4 c. salt

•
       
2 tsp. mustard seed

•
       
2 tsp. celery seed

•
       
2 c. vinegar

•
       
2 c. sugar

Directions

1.
     
Cook all of the vegetable ingredients until tender.

2.
    
Drain and let cool.

3.
    
Chop them until they are same size.

4.
    
Mix all ingredients.

5.
    
Heat to a boil.

6.
    
Best served cold.

7.
    
To store, pack in jars and seal by boiling jars in water for at least ten minutes.

Amish Apple Crisp
Recipe from Mimi Hostetler

Ingredients
:

•
       
6 large apples

•
       
¾ cup sugar

•
       
¾ tsp. salt

•
       
1 tsp. baking powder

•
       
1 large egg

•
       
1/3 cup cream

•
       
Dash of cinnamon

Directions

1.
     
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.
    
Peel, core, and slice the apples.

3.
    
Arrange in a 9x13-baking pan.

4.
    
Mix together the sugar, salt, baking powder and egg. Combine with the apples.

5.
    
Pour the cream on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

6.
    
Bake for 30 minutes or until apples are done.

Amish Wedding Cake

Ingredients
:

_•
  
1 cup sugar

_•
  
1 1/2 cups flour

_•
  
1/2 cup milk

_•
  
1/2 teaspoon salt

_•
  
1 cup dates (pitted)

_•
  
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

_•
  
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

_•
  
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder