Basic Pie Pastry – Shirley Carpenter

Prep time – 20 minutes, plus chilling – yields 2 pastry shells

Ingredients: 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons shortening, 6 to 7 tablespoons of lemon-lime soda, chilled. 

Directions:  In a food processor combine flour and salt, and add shortening.  Cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Continue processing while gradually adding soda until dough forms a ball.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour until easy to handle.  For two single crust pies, on a lightly floured surface, roll out half the pastry to fit a 9 inch pie plate.  Transfer pastry to pie plate, trim pastry to a half inch beyond the edge of the plate and flute edges; repeat with remaining pastry.  Fill and bake according to recipe directions.

Makes a very flaky pastry that is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:  one 29 ounce can of peaches, cherries or other fruit, undrained; 2/3 cup of sugar; 3 tablespoons of butter; 2/3 cup brown sugar; 1 ½ cup all purpose baking mix; 1 1/3 cups buttermilk. 

Directions: Combine the fruit with the sugar; pour into a 9 x 13 inch baking dish; dot with butter.  Then combine the brown sugar and the baking mix and stir in the buttermilk until smooth.  Pour it over the fruit.  Bake about 50 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Shirley Doolittle

Ingredients: 2/3 to 1 pkg crushed Oreo cookies; 1/3 cup melted butter; ½ gallon ice cream; softened, flavor of your choice; 1 to 1 ½ jars of hot fudge topping, unheated; 1 container Cool Whip topping

Directions:  You will need a 9 x 12 inch pan.  Crush Oreo cookies in a plastic bag and add to the butter, reserving some of the cookies to put on top of the cake.   Press the Oreo/butter mixture into the bottom of the pan to form the crust of the cake. Take the softened ice cream and spread over the Oreo layer.  Spread the unheated hot fudge topping over the ice cream layer.  Spread a layer of Cool Whip topping over the hot fudge layer.  Finally, top with additional crushed Oreo cookies.  Freeze the cake for several hours to set.  Remove from freezer 15 minutes prior to serving.    

Shirley Carpenter

Pot pie ingredients: 4 cups cubed, cooked chicken, one 12oz package frozen broccoli in cheese sauce, two 10 ¾ oz cans Cream of Chicken condensed soup, one 10 ¾ oz can Cream of Mushroom condensed soup (all three cans undiluted), 2 medium potatoes, cubed, ¾ cup of chicken broth, 2/3 cup sour cream, ½ cup frozen peas, ¼ teaspoon pepper, shredded carrots if desired.

Topping: 1 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix, ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese or mild cheddar cheese, ¾ cup of 2% milk, 3 tablespoons of melted butter.

Directions:  In a dutch oven, combine the pot pie ingredients, bring to a boil and then transfer to a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.   In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients, mix and pour over top of the chicken mixture.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until top is bubbly and golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  

Karen Hise, Hot Springs

Ingredients: 1 16 ounce can pear halves in syrup, undrained;  1 cup boiling water; 1 package lime flavored gelatin dessert; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon lemon juice;  3 packages cream cheese softened; 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Directions:  Drain pears, reserving ¾ cup of the syrup; dice the pears and set aside.  Stir boiling water into gelatin and salt in medium bowl at least two minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in reserved syrup and lemon juice.  Pour 1 ¼ cups gelatin mixture into a 4 cup mold or an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan.   Refrigerate for an hour or until set but not firm. 

Meanwhile, stir remaining gelatin mixture into cream cheese in a large bowl with a Wisk until smooth; stir in diced pears and cinnamon.  Spoon over gelatin layer in the mold and refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.  Unmold and garnish as desired. Makes approximately six servings.

Easy English Trifle

Karen Hise, Hot Springs

Prep time – 15 minutes, plus time to refrigerate

Ingredients: 1 pkg Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened;  2 cups of milk divided;  1 pkg vanilla flavored instant pudding and pie filling;  2 ½ cups cubed pound cake; ½ cup strawberry preserves;  1 16 ounce can of sliced peaches, strained and chopped. 

Directions: Mix cream cheese and ½ cup of milk in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended;  add pudding mix and remaining 1 ½ cups milk, beat on low speed for 1 minute;  layer one half of the cake, preserves, peaches, and pudding mixture in a 1 ½ quart serving bowl;  repeat layers with remaining half of the ingredients;  cover and refrigerate.  This makes about 8 servings.

Stuffed Peppers

Gaynelle Siron, Monterey, VA

Ingredients: 6 medium green peppers; 1 pound ground beef; 1 onion; 2 cups stewed tomatoes; ¾ cup precooked rice; 1 cup shredded cheese; 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce; salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Brown meat & onion, add tomatoes, rice, salt & pepper. Cover & simmertill rice is almost tender, add cheese & stuff peppers.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until pepper is soft.

Gaynelle Siron, Monterey, VA

Ingredients: 1 ½ cups Mayonnaise;  ½ cup sugar; ½ cup milk; 2 tablespoons Vinegar; pepper to taste; cabbage.

Directions:  Mix all ingredients together and combine with cabbage.  May have to double recipe for larger amounts of cabbage.   

Joanne’s Nutty Fudgy Frosting 

Joanne Cunningham, Hot Springs

Ingredients: 1 stick of real butter; 4 squares of unsweetened chocolate; 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla; confectioner’s sugar; soft tub margarine.

Directions:  In a medium sauce pan, heat the butter until it begins to brown a bit.  Remove from heat and add chocolate squares.  Melt chocolate in butter, then add vanilla and stir.  Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar until mixture begins to get stiff.  Add enough margarine to achieve a spreadable consistency.  Very good on Angel food cake.

Bootsie Hodge, Hot Springs

Ingredients: 28 Oreo cookies; ¼ cup of margarine, melted; ½ gallon of coffee ice cream; 1 cup sugar; 1 small can of evaporated milk; 1 teaspoon of vanilla; 4 squares of semi-sweet chocolate; 6 tablespoons of margarine; 1 12 ounce container of Cool Whip;  1 cup of chopped toasted almonds. 

Directions: Crush the cookies and mix with ¼ cup margarine, spread in 9 x 13 pan, freeze.   Soften ice cream, spread over frozen cookies, re-freeze.   Bring to a boil sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla, chocolate and margarine, boil one minute.  Cool, pour over ice cream and re-freeze.  Mix Cool Whip with nuts and spread over ice cream mixture, re-freeze.   Serves 12-16 people.

Jeff’s Chili

Joanne Cunningham, Hot Springs

Ingredients: 1 ½ pound lean ground beef; 2 medium onions, chopped;  1 medium green pepper, chopped fine; 1 pound of fresh mushrooms, chopped;  2 large cans of tomatos, diced; 1 large can of tomato sauce; 2 packages of chili seasoning mix; a dash of Tobasco sauce or Texas Pete. 

Directions: Brown beef, onions and peppers in a kettle.  Add mushrooms and cook until tender.  Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in chili seasoning and Tobasco or Texas Pete.  Simmer on low for about one hour.  Salt, pepper, and more chili seasoning and Texas Pete can be added to taste for those who prefer hotter chili. 

Bootsie Hodge, Hot Springs 

Ingredients: 2 cans pineapple drained, reserve juice; 1 cup sugar; 6 tablespoons flour; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese; 1 stick butter; 1 cup Ritz crackers, crumbled

Directions: Mix sugar, 6 tablespoons of reserved pineapple juice, flour, cheese and butter together and place in an 8 x 8 pan.   If doubling recipe, use a 9 x 11 pan.  Put cracker crumbs on top, bake for 20 to 30 minutes for a single or 45 minutes to an hour for a double.

Banana Split Cake

Caleb Walkup – Buckeye Winners 4-H Club

Ingredients: 2 cups graham cracker crumbs; 1 stick of butter; 1 cup of confectioners sugar; 2 sticks of butter, not margarine, room temperature, not melted; 1 teaspoon of vanilla; 2 eggs; maraschino cherries, 20 ounces; canned crushed pineapple, drained and excess juice squeezed out; eight ounces of Cool Whip; chopped walnuts; 3 bananas that are sliced. 

Directions: Melt one stick of butter and mix with graham cracker crumbs; spread evenly over the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Beat together the confectioners sugar, 2 sticks of butter, eggs and vanilla with an electric ixer for no less than 20 minutes.  Pour over the graham cracker crust, layer with bananas and pineapple; then spread Cool Whip over the top.  Decorate with cherries and nuts, refrigerate and enjoy!

Blueberry Crunch

Gabriel Walkup – Buckeye Winners 4-H Club

Ingredients: One large can of pineapple, do not drain; 3 cups of blueberries, fresh or frozen, ¾ cup of sugar; 1 box yellow cake mix; 1 stick of butter, melted; 1 cup of pecans. 

Directions:  Butter a 9x13 baking dish; put ingredients in pan as listed, do not stir.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

Logan Burks, Buckeye Winners 4-H Club

Ingredients:  2 cups flour, 3 egg yolks, ½ teaspoon salt, water, 3 cans chicken broth

In a bowl mix the flour with the egg yolks and salt, add just enough water to make dough stiff.  On a floured board, roll out the dough and cut into thin strips.  Boil noodles in chicken broth for 30 minutes, strain and serve.

Banana Drop Cookies By Trevor Jordan

Ingredients: 

1 ¼ cup sugar

2/3 cup shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, unbeaten

1 cup ripe mashed bananas (about 3 or 4)

2 ¼ cup sifted all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Topping

¼ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cream sugar, shortening and vanilla until light and fluffy, add eggs and beat well.  Stir in mashed bananas.  Sift flour with baking powder, soda and salt, add to wet ingredients and mix well.  Stir in nuts and chill dough 30 minutes.  Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on greased baking sheet.  Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over top of cookies.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Cranberry Hootycreeks Cookie In A Jar

By Tiffany White of Mustoe, Va

Layer the following ingredients in the order listed in a 1 quart or 1 liter jar

5/8 cup all purpose flour

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup white sugar

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup white chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. 

In a medium bowl, beat together ½ cup softened butter, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy.  Add the entire jar of ingredients, mix together by hand until well blended. 

Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet and bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. 

Cool on baking sheets or remove to wire racks to cool.  

Line a 9x15 inch cookie sheet with graham crackers.
Combine: 1 c. butter, 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. evaporated milk,
1 egg, slightly beaten
Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Let Cool. When cool add:
1 c. coconut
1 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. chopped nuts
Spread over graham crackers and top with another layer of graham crackers. Ice with a thin layer of white icing. (I add sprinkles to the top of the icing.) Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Cut in squares.

Mom’s Swedish Meatballs - Jenna Crummett Hot Springs VA

Ingredients: 2 lbs. Hamburger, 1 pkg. Onion Soup Mix, 2 Small Cans of Mushroom Soup or 1 Large Can, 1 pt. Sour Cream

Mold Hamburger into 1 inch diameter balls. Brown meatballs in skillet. Drain fat. Put Meatballs in bowl. Mix soups and sour cream in skillet until hot. Add the meatballs to the mixture. Serve. Also good over top of egg noodles.

Hawaiian Skillet Beans - Iris Hooke

Preparation time: 5 min.
Cooking time: 15 min.

8 slices bacon, 2 cans (1 lb. each) pork and beans, 2 slices pineapple, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar.

Cook bacon in skillet until crisp; drain on paper towel; crumble coarsely. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings; sauté' pineapple until lightly browned; remove pineapple from skillet. Combine beans, brown sugar and crumbled bacon in skillet; heat through. Top with pineapple slices; heat until bubbly. Makes 5 servings.

Barbecued Beans and Franks - Iris Hooke

Preparation time: 10 min
Baking time: 40 min.

3 (1 lb.) cans pork and beans, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce,1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco, ¾ cup catsup,1/4 teaspoon oregano, 2 tablespoons vinegar, 2 lb. frankfurters

Combine beans, brown sugar, catsup, vinegar and seasonings in shallow baking dish. Arrange frankfurters on top. Bake in moderate over (350 degrees) 35 to 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

All recipes ©2010, WVMR.