Currently browsing: milk

No-Bake Cookies

Note: Also called “Unbaked Cookies”

These are a bit tricky to make … not so much in the mixing of ingredients, more in forming the cookies themselves. These take a bit of practice and patience — and it helps if you make them on a day that the air is dry! (moisture in the air makes them take longer to dry/set)

This recipe came from my grandmother. I don’t know where she got it, but my mother used it all of my life. They are really easy to mix up, and spooning them out into ball-like shapes (or “heaps” LOL) takes a bit of practice.

The great thing about these cookies are: it doesn’t care how bad you think they look, they still taste great!

This is a photo of the recipe card that my mother has:

Little by little, I’m trying to get digital copies of the recipes that my mother has that I love …

Recipe Source: my grandmother, by way of my mother

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
3 cups uncooked oatmeal
1 cup coconut
6 tablespoons (unsweetened) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nuts

Directions:

Combine sugar, butter and milk in saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes. Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Pour hot mixture over and mix well. Drop onto a large sheet of wax paper using tablespoons.

Cookies are best stored after they have “set” (dried completely and are not sticky anymore).

Louise Piper’s Oil Pastry

Nicki’s Note:

I ran across this recipe via Slashfood today. I have always had a hard time making the “perfect” pie crust. This article gives me hope!

Recipe Source: The Oregonian, via Slashfood

Makes one 9-inch double-crust pie.

Louise Piper is a perennial pie winner at the Iowa State Fair, one of the biggest in the country, and she’s been using this crust for almost 40 years. If you substituted olive oil for the vegetable oil, and water for the milk, you’d have my mother-in-law’s crowd-pleasing — and vegan — pie crust recipe instead. Cut the recipe in half for a single-crust pie. Before using, check your oil to make sure it’s not rancid. Sticky oil and a musty, off-odor are clues. To measure the flour, spoon it into the measuring cup and level off.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cold whole (or 2 percent) milk

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Measure the oil and milk into the same liquid measuring cup but do not stir. Add to the flour and mix briskly to combine. The dough will pull together into a ball.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out each half to 1/8 inch thick between 2 sheets of wax paper. Use as directed in your recipe. Note: Because this is made with oil, the dough must be used right away. After a day in the fridge the oil will start to separate and seep out.

– From “Pie” by Ken Haedrich

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

Recipe Source: Lauren @ southernmamas.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts (I USE CHOCOLATE!)
(garnish with chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, or anything chocolate!)

Directions:

Beat together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

Spoon into two 9 inch graham cracker pie shells; cover, and freeze until firm.

Laurie Colwin’s Gingerbread

Recipe Source: Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin, care of Marisa McClellan of Slashfood.com

Directions: (all parenthetical notes belong to Colwin)

1. Cream one stick of sweet butter with 1/2 cup of light or dark brown sugar. Beat until fluffy and add 1/2 cup of molasses.
2. Beat in two eggs.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and one very generous tablespoon of ground ginger (this can be adjusted to taste, but I like it very gingery). Add one teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1/4 teaspoon of ground allspice.
4. Add two teaspoons of lemon brandy. If you don’t have any, use plain vanilla extract. Lemon extract will not do. Then add 1/2 cup of buttermilk (or milk with a little yogurt beaten into it) and turn batter into a buttered tin.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for between twenty and thirty minutes (check after twenty minutes have passed). Test with a broom straw and cool on a rack.

Marisa’s notes:

I used a fairly shallow 9 inch round cake pan and had a mess all over my oven. I think next time, I will use a deeper, square 9 x 9 pan. Also, in my oven, which runs fairly true to temperature, this cake took nearly an hour to bake. I don’t know if that had something to do with my choice in baking vessel, but don’t be discouraged if it takes far longer than her instructions indicate.

Cheesy Bacon Bites

Recipe Source: Ganet, Hueytown Baptist Church / Hueytown, AL

Ingredients:

1 can flaky buttermilk biscuits
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped onions
1 jar real bacon bits
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Separate each biscuit into 3 layers. Press each layer into bottom of mini-muffin pans. Mix cheeses, bacon bits, milk, and onion; place a small amount on each biscuit. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Chocolate Mocha Trifle

Recipe Source: Chanonn (via NWC Forums)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (450g) brownie mix
1 3/4 C. milk
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
1/4 C. warm water
4 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 C. thawed, frozen whipped topping
3 bars (39g each) buttery toffee crunch

Directions:

Lightly spray a rectangle baker with vegetable oil. Prepare and bake brownies according to package directions. Cool completely.

In a bowl, whisk pudding mix into milk until mixture begins to thicken. Dissolve coffee granules in warm water; add to pudding mixture, mixing well. Fold in whipped topping.

Cut brownies into 1 inch cubes. Chop crunch bars. Layer 1/3 of brownie cubes onto bottom of bowl. Top with 1/3 of the pudding mixture and 1/3 of the chopped bars. Repeat layers two more times. Chill 30 minutes before serving.

Yields 12 servings.

Per serving: 343 calories; 4 g protein; 16g fat; 48g carbohydrate; 280 mg sodium

Note from Chanonn: I have just discovered Trifles…they are so beautiful and easy to make…I have tons of recipes for them if interested:)

Whoopie Pies

Recipe Source: Jen at thebarmybaker.blogspot.com, (adapted from Chocolate American Style by Lora Brody)

Makes: 9 large pies, 18 smaller ones

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (5 ounces..I used the weight measurement instead of volume for this one)
3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup whole milk (I used buttermilk instead of the whole milk and lemon juice cause I love the moisture buttermilk brings to the party)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla extract (or a little more if you like, I used 3 tsp or 1Tbsp of it)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 large egg

Cake Directions:

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare two sheet pans by lining them with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl, set aside.

Mix the milk, lemon juice and vanilla together and set aside (the mixture will thicken and curdle while it sits).

Cream together the brown sugar, butter and egg until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer down to low and begin to add the flour and milk mixtures alternately. Starting with 1/3 of the flour adding 1/2 of the milk, 1/3 of the flour, the rest of the milk and then the rest of the flour mixture. Mix until just blended.

Measure the batter out with a 1/4 cup (if you want 9 large pies) or about 2 tbsp each for smaller pies. Drop this batter onto the prepared sheet pans leaving about 2 inches between the cakes. Tap the sheets gently on a counter before baking to remove a bit of the air.

Bake the cakes for 12-15 minutes (shorter time is needed for the smaller cakes, I’d say 8 to 12 minutes) until they are firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet pans.

Filling Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups marshmallow cream or fluff ( I tried this with marshmallow cream, but it did not work out for me. I ordered the fluff and it really did make a difference….maybe it was just to warm here that one day for cream..)
2 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste if you have it on hand to add little beautiful vanilla specs to the filling)

Filling Directions:

Place everything but the vanilla in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat everything until it is blended, then stir in the vanilla.

Spread half the little cakes with this mixture, then top with the other half of the cakes.

Jen’s Notes:

The Whoopie Pies may be wrapped individually in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to a week. I love to make these for road trips or picnics, they would be perfect for the Fourth of July. Next time anyone asks you where the best place to make whoopie is, you can smile and reply “in the kitchen, of course!”.

Whooooooopie! Happy Baking.

Christmas Seafood Casserole

Recipe Source: Down Home Soul Food Cooking Blog

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
2 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons butter
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 pound crabmeat
1/4 pound lobster meat
1/4 pound medium shrimp
1/4 pound scallops

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet, and saute the onions and celery until tender.

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat, and mix in the flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons butter until well blended. Gradually blend the cheese into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, mix the onions and celery with the cheese sauce mixture. Toss in the crab meat, lobster, shrimp, and scallops. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until the seafood is opaque and the surface is lightly browned.

Maine Lobster Cakes

Recipe Source: Mimi in Maine / recipezaar.com

Prep/Cooking Time: 40 mins / 30 mins prep

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lbs lobsters
2 slices bread(no crust)
1-2 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon parsley
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg(beaten)
1 tablespoon butter(to fry in)

Directions:

Cook the lobsters and take out the meat; don’t forget to take out the large vein in the tail. Make crumbs out of the bread.

In a bowl put all the ingredients except for the butter. Mix well.

Make cakes–trying not to pat them too firm–just so they hold their shape.

Melt the butter in a fry pan and put the cakes inches.

Fry slowly till golden.

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Recipe Source: “Soul Food Recipes Learned on a North Carolina Tobacco Farm” by Willie Crawford

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon beef bullion powder
1 large green pepper (seeded and chopped)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 pound shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 cups milk
4 tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt

Directions:

Fry bacon in medium pot. Remove bacon from grease and leave 1 1/2 tablespoons bacon drippings in pot. Stir in onion, celery and green pepper, lightly cook until done. Stir in the ground been and cook over medium heat until browned.

Slowly stir in the beef bullion and the seasoned salt. Stir in the flour, mixing well. Turn down heat to low and mix in the milk slowly. Mix thoroughly. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.

Serve hot sprinkling some of the crumbled bacon bits in each bowl.