Chicken Pot Pie

I love chicken pot pie.  It is comfort food in it's best form.  This recipe is from a couple of different recipes that I combined.  

3 celery sticks, diced small

3 carrots, peeled and diced small

1 yellow onion, diced small

1 large red potato, diced small,

            optional

½ cup frozen peas, optional

2-3 cups cooked chicken, cubed

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

2 cups chicken broth

2-3 T. cream, if I have it or milk

1-3 pinches thyme to taste

Heat oven to 400º.  Melt butter in large pot.  Add celery, carrots, onion, and potato.  Sautee until the vegetables begin to turn translucent and are barely tender.  Sprinkle the flour over and stir to combine.  Add the chicken broth and gently stir until thickened.  Add peas and chicken and stir.  Place in baking dish or small baking dishes.  Cover with pastry.  Bake for 30 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve hot.  Makes 6 personal size or serves 6.

**I usually double the sauce recipe because the crust recipe makes about double what is needed.  Or roll the leftover pastry up with a piece of parchment and put in a Ziploc bag and freeze to use later.

Pie Crust

3 cups flour

1 t. kosher salt

1 t. baking powder

½ cup butter, room temperature

¾ cup shortening.

Mix flour, salt and baking powder.  Add butter and shortening and cut in with a pastry cutter or two knives.  Add ½ cup ice water and mix until it comes together.  Add a bit more if needed.  Roll out for pot pie.

This crust is perfect for a pot pie.  Flaky and flavorful.

I like using a rotisserie chicken from the store to make it faster.

Pot pies can be baked and then frozen or frozen before baking and then baked later.  If baking right from the freezer, cover with foil for 30 minutes and then bake another 20 minutes without the foil.

White Bread

White Bread              Made_______________

Olympus 5^th Ward Neighborhood cookbook, pg. 48

6 cups hot water                               ¾ cup oil

2 Tablespoons yeast                           2 Tablespoons salt  

¾ cup sugar or honey                       Approximately 13 cups flour 

(prefer half white/wheat flour mix)

Soften yeast in hot water.  Add Sugar, oil, salt, and flour, one cup at a time.  Add enough flour to make a smooth dough.  Let rise 1 hour.  Grease 6 bread pans.  Punch dough down.  Divide into 6 pieces, shaping each into a loaf.  Let rise 30-60 minutes.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes, until golden brown. 

Makes 6 loaves. ____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Sour Cream Brownies

This recipe is from Lorna Millward who makes a divine brownie.  Yesterday I was going through my pile of recipes that I either haven't made or haven't filed properly and saw this one.   I had some leftover sour cream so - perfect.  

This is denser than Texas Sheetcake/Buttermilk Brownies and the frosting is a deeper, darker chocolate. 

1 ½ cups butter

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ cups water

3 cups flour

1 ½ t. soda

½ t. salt

3 cups sugar

3 eggs, beaten

¾ cup sour cream

2 t. vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa powder and water in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk.  Remove from heat and cool.  Mix flour, soda and salt in a large bowl.  Stir in sugar, eggs and sour cream.  Slowly add the cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix until well blended.  Pour into greased baking tray, 12x17-inch with 1-2-inch sides.  Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until baked through.

While brownies are baking, make the frosting.  When brownies are done, let them cool 5 minutes and then pour frosting over warm brownies in small amounts spreading as you go. 

Frosting

½ cup butter

6 T. milk

6 T. cocoa powder

3 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

Combine butter, milk and cocoa in a saucepan over medium heat and stir with a wire whisk until melted.  Pour into mixing bowl and beat in the powdered sugar until blended.  Stir in vanilla.  Let brownies cool completely before cutting them with a knife dipped in cold water.

Tips:  You can also add ¾ cup chopped walnuts to the frosting, then frost.  Or sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the frosting.

If you like a more milk chocolate frosting:

1 square baking chocolate

4 T. butter

¼ cup milk

3 – 3 ½ cups powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate, butter and milk together.  Mix in with the powdered sugar.

Chocolate Mixed Nut Pie

Chocolate Mixed Nut Pie

From Better Homes and Gardens

Not really a pecan pie but mixed nuts and a kick of chocolate in every bite.

1 recipe pastry for single-crust pie

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 ¼ cups dry-roasted salted mixed nuts, coarsely chopped

3.3 oz. Dove dark chocolate bar, chopped

Vanilla ice cream or Cinnamon whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350º.   On a lightly floured surface, slightly flatten pastry. Roll into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate, fold pastry under even with rim, and crimp as desired.

In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, and butter until combined. Stir in nuts and chocolate.

Carefully pour filling into pastry shell and carefully place in the middle of the oven. To prevent over- browning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake 25 minutes; remove foil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes more or until pie seems mostly set. Cool on a wire rack. Cover; chill within 2 hours. Serve with cinnamon ice cream or Cinnamon whipped cream.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

In a chilled small bowl beat ½ cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. vanilla, and 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon with a mixer on medium until soft peaks form.

Mackinac Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Mackinac Lemon Blueberry Muffins

From Cooks Country

This recipe is from Stacie and is a light blueberry muffin with a zip of lemon.  Actually, when we made them, I forgot to put the lemon zest in the muffin batter and they still had a nice lemon flavor with the lemon in the topping.

Topping: 

¼ cup sugar

2 t. lemon zest

Muffins:

2 ½ cups flour

4 t. baking powder

¾ t. salt

1 ½ cups sour cream

5 T. butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 ¼  cups sugar

1 T. grated lemon zest

1 ½ cups frozen blueberries

Heat oven to 400º.  Spray 12-cup muffin tin, including top, with baking spray.  Combine ¼ cup sugar and 2 t. lemon zest in small bowl; set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.  Whisk sour cream, melted butter, eggs, sugar and lemon zest together in large bowl.

Using wooden spoon, fold flour mixture into sour cream mixture until just combined.  Fold in blueberries until evenly distributed; do not overmix.  Using greased 1/3-cup measuring cup or #12 scoop, portion batter in prepared muffin tin.  Brush batter with 2 T. melted butter and sprinkle with topping mixture.

Bake until muffins are golden brown 20 to 25 minutes, rotating muffin tin halfway through baking.  Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Serve warm.  Makes 16 to 18 muffins.

Hint: If using muffin cup papers, spray them with a bit of baking spray and the papers won’t stick to the muffin.

Challah Bread

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 T. yeast
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups flour
2 t. kosher salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup oil
1 t. almond extract

Combine the yeast, 1 T. sugar and warm water in a small bowl and let sit to soften.  In a large bowl or Bosch mix the sugar, flour, and salt.  Whisk together the eggs, oil and almond extract.  Add the yeast and egg mixture.  Mix and knead for 7 to 10 minutes until smooth.  Add more flour if needed (but I usually don't)

Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Put out on a tea towel that is lightly dusted with flour.  Divide in 2 or 3 portions.  Take a portion, divide in 3 and roll in a long rope.  Lay on a parchment lined baking sheet and braid the bread, tucking the ends under.  Brush lightly with an egg wash: 1 egg whipped with 1 T. water.

Let rise for 30 minutes.  Bake in a preheated 375º oven.  Begin checking for doneness at 25 minutes.  Bake until golden brown.  

Zucchini Cupcakes

What a fantastic way to use Zuccchini!  The frosting is carmely and I love the taste of these - Certainly a new fall staple.  Kids / Adults all like these.

Taste of Home Sept./Oct. 2016 magazine recepe here

INGREDIENTS

• 3 eggs
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1-1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• CARAMEL FROSTING:
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 to 2 cups confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini.

Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

For frosting, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm.

Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes.Yield: 1-1/2 to 2 dozen.

Originally published as Zucchini Cupcakes in Taste of Home August/September 1997, p25

NUTRITIONAL FACTS

1 cupcake: 327 calories, 12g fat (4g saturated fat), 45mg cholesterol, 305mg sodium, 52g carbohydrate (38g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.