The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (33 page)

Orange Frosted Cookies

⅔ cup shortening

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

½ cup orange juice

2 T. grated orange rind (optional)

2 cups flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Cookies

Mix together shortening, sugar, and egg. Stir in orange juice and rind. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes. Cool and then frost.

Orange Butter Frosting

2½ T. butter, softened

1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted

1½ T. orange juice

Blend together the softened butter and powdered sugar. Stir in orange juice and blend until smooth. When cookies are cooled, frost with a swirl of frosting on top.

Peach Custard Pie

6 peaches, pared and sliced

1 unbaked pie shell

¼ cup flour

¾ cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

Filling

Arrange peaches in pie shell. Mix together the ¼ cup flour and ¾ cup sugar and then add cream. Blend thoroughly. Pour over peaches.

Topping

⅓ cup flour

⅓ cup sugar

3 T. butter

Combine the
⅓
cup flour,
⅓
cup sugar, and butter and mix until the size of coarse peas. Sprinkle over pie filling.

Bake at 425° for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350° and continue baking until custard is set, approximately 30 minutes.

Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.

Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup water

½ tsp. salt

2 cups peanuts

2 T. butter

2 tsp. baking soda

In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, heat and stir sugar, Karo syrup, and water until the sugar dissolves. Add salt. Cook over medium heat. When the temperature reaches 250° (use a candy thermometer), add the peanuts. Continue cooking, stirring, to hard crack stage (290°). Remove from heat.

Quickly stir in the butter and baking soda. Beat to a froth for a few seconds. Pour at once onto 2 well-buttered jelly roll pans, spreading with a spatula. Work quickly. Break up peanut brittle when set and completely cool.

Pear Pudding Cake

1 cup flour

⅔ cup sugar

1½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

small pinch of cloves

½ cup milk

2 cups chopped pears (skinned)

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup butter, melted

¾ cup boiling water

Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Add milk and beat until smooth. Stir in pears and nuts. Turn into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish.

In a separate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, melted butter, and boiling water. Pour evenly over the batter.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes.

Pecan Pie

3 eggs

1 cup corn syrup

¾ cup sugar

2 T. butter, melted

1 tsp. salt

1 cup chopped pecans

1 unbaked pie crust

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Add corn syrup, sugar, melted butter, and salt and mix well.

Place pecans in the bottom of unbaked pie shell. Pour egg mixture over pecans.

Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Popcorn Balls

5 quarts popped corn

2 cups sugar

1½ cups water

½ tsp. salt

½ cup light Karo syrup

1 tsp. vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

Keep popcorn warm and crisp in a large roasting pan in oven turned to 300° while preparing syrup.

Grease sides and bottom of a large saucepan and add the sugar, water, salt, Karo syrup, and vinegar. Cook until candy thermometer reaches 250°. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.

Slowly pour the syrup evenly over the popped corn, mixing well with a large buttered spoon to coat. Butter your hands and press into approximately 25 balls, being careful not to burn your hands as you work.

Popcorn Birthday Cake

12 cups popped corn (unsalted)

1 12-ounce package peanuts, no paper skins

6 T. butter

1 10.5-oz. bag marshmallows

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. salt

1 12-oz. package mini M&Ms

Generously butter a tube (bundt) pan and set aside. Place the popcorn and peanuts in a very large mixing bowl.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and marshmallows together, stirring constantly so the mixture doesn’t burn. Add the vanilla and salt and stir to blend. Immediately pour the mixture over the popcorn. Butter your hands and mix with your hands quickly. Add the M&Ms and finish mixing, still using your hands. Press firmly into the prepared cake pan and let stand for at least 1 hour.

When ready to serve, unmold the cake onto a serving plate and add candles.

Pumpkin Coconut Pudding Dessert
 

1 cup flour

1 cup shredded coconut

½ cup shortening

Crust

Mix the first three ingredients together thoroughly and press into the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.

Pudding

1 quart canned pumpkin

1½ cups sugar

4 eggs

½ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. cinnamon

While the crust is baking mix together the canned pumpkin, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon for the pudding, in the order given. Pour over the crust and continue baking at 350° for another 40-50 minutes.

Quick Leftover Rice Pudding
 

1 large package vanilla instant pudding mix

2 cups cold milk

1 cup cooked rice

In a bowl, combine pudding mix and milk; beat for 1-2 minutes until well blended. Stir in the rice. Chill well.

Revel Bars

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2½ cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

3 cups oatmeal

1 T. butter (for filling)

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

2 cups chocolate chips or butterscotch chips

1 cup chopped nuts

In an electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and blend thoroughly. Next beat in the eggs and vanilla.

In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the oatmeal and stir again. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the butter and brown sugar mixture. Set aside for now.

In a medium saucepan, combine the 1 T. butter, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate (or butterscotch) chips. Over low heat, cook until the chips melt, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in the nuts.

Press
⅔
of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15 × 10-inch baking pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the top. Using a spoon and your fingers, dot the remaining oatmeal mixture over the chocolate.

Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Chocolate mixture will still look a bit moist. Cool and then cut into bars or squares.

Rhubarb Chess Pie

2 cups rhubarb, cut into small cubes

1 unbaked pie shell

1¼ cups sugar

4 T. butter, softened

3 eggs

1 T. cider vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla

red food coloring (optional)

cinnamon

Place rhubarb in the pie shell.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs slightly and then add the vinegar and vanilla. Add to the sugar mixture and mix well. Tint with a bit of red food coloring, if desired. Pour over the rhubarb and sprinkle cinnamon over the top.

Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until the pie is puffed and golden.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake

1½ cups sugar

½ cup butter

1 egg, beaten

2 cups flour

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

2 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 tsp. vanilla

cinnamon sugar

Cream together sugar and butter. Beat in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with the sour milk. Gently stir in rhubarb and vanilla. Spread in a lightly greased 9 × 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until done.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

3 cups fresh rhubarb, diced

1 unbaked pie shell

½ cup sugar

2 T. cornstarch