Miss Kay's Duck Commander Kitchen (31 page)

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup cold water minus 2 tablespoons

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Mix the shortening into the flour with the pastry blender. Add the egg and mix by hand for a few minutes.

2. Stir the vinegar into the measuring cup with the water. Slowly pour the liquid into the bowl, stirring with a fork. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes to blend everything.

3. Divide the dough into four parts. Wrap any pieces that you aren’t using in plastic wrap and refrigerate them.

4. Sprinkle flour on a clean countertop and put down a piece of dough. Sprinkle the dough with flour, and with a rolling pin, roll the dough to about
¹
/
₈
inch thick, to fit the pie pan you are using. (For a 9-inch pan, roll the dough to a circle about 12 inches in diameter.) Fit the crust into the pan and gently press it down to fit. Roll as many piecrusts as you need, flouring the counter each time.

5. If your recipe calls for the piecrust to be already baked, bake it at 350°F for 25 minutes.

A Note from Miss Kay

I wasn’t sure about including this recipe, because most cooks today are happy with a store-bought piecrust, but I decided you should know how to make one anyway. At Christmastime, you never know when company might be coming and you don’t have time to go to the store. And it really isn’t that hard. Trust me, you can do it! Note: this
apple pie
has a homemade crust as well.

Alan’s Cream Cheese Pie

Makes 1 (9-inch) pie • Electric mixer

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (I use Eagle)

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/
₃
cup lemon juice

1 store-bought 9-inch graham cracker crust or make your own (recipe for Easy Vanilla Wafer Piecrust below)

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling, or your favorite fruit pie filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, with the electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the condensed milk and lemon juice, and beat until no lumps remain. Pour into the prepared piecrust and refrigerate for at least four hours. Overnight is best.

2. Top with the pie filling.

A Note from Miss Kay

Even the grandkids request Alan’s pie year-round, not just at Christmas! Yep, this man’s a keeper! Good looking, loves his wife and family, loves God, and cooks!

Easy Vanilla Wafer Piecrust

Makes enough for 1 (9-inch) pie • 9-inch pie pan

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers

³
/
₄
stick (6 tablespoons) butter, melted

¹
/
₂
cup pecans, crushed

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Pat into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown, then line the sides with vanilla wafers. Let cool before filling.

A Note from Miss Kay

Here’s another great piecrust that’s easy to whip up. You can also use it for
Alan’s pie
or for any cream-type pie.

Carrot Cake

Makes 1 (9-inch) cake • Electric mixer • 3 (9-inch) round cake pans • Wire cooling racks Nonstick cooking spray and flour, for the pans

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1
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/
₂
cups vegetable oil

4 large eggs

3 cups grated carrots (about 1 pound)

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/
₂
cups chopped pecans

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick (
¹
/
₄
pound) butter, softened

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 package (1 pound) powdered sugar, sifted

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour the cake pans.

2. Make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

3. In another large bowl, with the electric mixer, beat the sugar and oil until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Sift the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. Stir in the carrots and pecans; mix well.

5. Pour the batter into the pans. Bake until the layers start to pull away at the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of a layer comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

6. Let the layers cool in the pans for a few minutes, then run a spatula around the sides and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

7. While the layers are cooling, make the frosting: Beat together the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar with the mixer until fluffy. (The frosting will appear stiff at first, but will soften as you mix it.)

8. When the cake layers are cool, frost the top of one layer, then place another layer over it, frosting that layer, then put the last layer on top. Frost the top and sides.

A Note from Miss Kay

I love a good recipe for carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and this one is excellent! Even “anti-carrot” people will love this cake. Our family does!

Phil’s Famous Eggnog

Makes 8 servings • Electric mixer • Mugs, chilled in the freezer, for serving

6 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon sugar

1 to 1
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/
₂
quarts vanilla ice cream, softened

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/
₂
cup bourbon (don’t worry, it’s just a tad)

Freshly grated nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, with the electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. (The peaks will stay standing when you remove the beaters.)

2. In a separate bowl, with the mixer (you don’t have to wash the beaters), beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 7 to 8 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and falls in ribbons when you lift the beaters.

3. Using a large spoon, add the ice cream to the egg yolks. With the mixer, beat on low until it is the consistency of a malt, thick and creamy. Dribble in the bourbon (just a bit to taste), mixing on low speed.

4. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites by hand.

5. Serve immediately in frozen mugs with nutmeg sprinkled on top.

A Note from Phil