October challenge

Chicken with Ginger and Onions

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “[My daughter] Lucy made this for me. It was wonderful!”

  • 4 skinned chicken breasts
  • 4 teaspoons sherry
  • 8 spring onions (scallions)
  • 2 1/2 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 teaspoons fresh crushed ginger
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1. Cut chicken into cubes.
2. Chop onions.
3. Heat oil over medium heat in a large fry pan. Sauté onion, ginger, and salt for 1 minute.
4. Add chicken and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Wheat Rusks

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “This is great warm with garlic butter or any other spread.”

 

  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 1 Tablespoon Honey
  • 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds

Mix and knead all ingredients together. Roll the dough 1/4″ thick. Cut into short strips. Place on oiled cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. (about 15 – 20 minutes)

Mom’s Apple Cake

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper

  • 1 cup canola oil

  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon real vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cup flour – do not sift
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chopped apple
  • 2 cups chopped nuts

Mix oil and sugar.  Add eggs and mix good.  Add vanilla, baking soda, salt and cinnamon – mix well.
Add half of the flour and stir.  Add 2nd half of the flour and stir.
Add apples and nuts and stir.

Add to greased and flour 13 x 9 pan.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (I’ve always found closer to one hour) at 350 degrees.

Holiday Muffins

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “On the first day of school each year my quilting group “The Material Girls” and I would bake 6 different types of muffins and drop them off at the teachers’ lounges at all the schools in the district (Granted there is only one high school/middle school and two elementary schools). This was by far the teachers’ favorite!”

  • 1 1/4 cups sugar

  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup coconut
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 large apple finely chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup pecans chopped
  • 1 cup oil

Mix it all together.  Fill muffin tins 3/4 full
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Monster (Big) Cookies

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “[My daughter] Maggie and her best friend, Anna Ruhland, are cookie nuts! Anna gave this recipe to Maggie when she was 10 years old.  I know what your thinking…why would you want such a MONSTER recipe? Well if you have to do some serious bake sale baking or a project with a bunch of Brownie Girl Scouts it is a great recipe! Maggie thinks it’s the best!”

  • 6 Eggs
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 1/2 pound butter softened
  • 9 cups of oatmeal
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 pound chunky peanut butter
  • 12 ounces chocolate chips
  • 1 pound plain M & M’s

Mix the ingredients in the order given.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes

Makes 12 Dozen

Note: you do not have to bake the whole batch at one time. Place extra cookie dough in the refrigerator until ready to bake. It will be good in the refrigerator for a week.

Conversions:
2 pounds = 4 2/3 cups
1 pound = 2 1/3 cups
1/2 pound = 1 1/6 cups

Maple Pumpkin or Squash Pie

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes:  “This recipe is from Sally Jasper, my husband Hank’s mom. The Jaspers homesteaded their farm over 140 years ago. “Jasper’s Sugar Bush” has been making Maple syrup for 4 generations.”

  • 1 cup pumpkin or winter squash
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/3 cup real maple syrup
  • 2 eggs, beaten

Beat pumpkin or squash until smooth.
Add cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; Mix thoroughly.
Add melted butter, milk and maple syrup and mix.
Stir in eggs

Pour into 9-inch unbaked pie shell and bake 15 minutes at 450 degrees and then lower to 325 degrees and continue baking for 40 minutes or until done.

You will know it is done when a clean knife blade is inserted and it comes out clean.

Aunt Catherine’s Scotch Shortbread

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper, who writes: “Aunt Catherine Rehfus Riggs made these and had them on hand almost every time we went visiting. They were our favorites!”

 

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar – pack it tight then sift
  • 2 cups sifted flour

Blend all ingredients.
Roll out on cookie sheet (ungreased).
Bake at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 degrees.
Bake about 20 minutes or until very slightly browned.

Cut into squares and let cool.

Grandma Agatha Kenny Rehfus’ Pinapple-upside-down Cake

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Submitted by Diane Caylor Jasper

  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • Enough canned pineapple rings to cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet, save juice from can
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 7 Tablespoons pineapple juice from the can
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees

 

In a cast Iron pan:

Melt butter and brown sugar.  Arrange canned pineapple rings to cover bottom. (save juice)
Set aside.

 

Batter:
Separate the eggs.  Beat the whites, then beat the yolks in a separate bowl.
Combine white sugar to the yolks.  Add vanilla, pineapple juice, flour, baking soda, and salt.  Combine all ingredients and pour batter over first mixture in the cast iron pan.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

When slightly cooled flip cake out onto large round platter or plate.

Buttercream Frosting

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Submitted by Joyce Bayer, who writes:  “[This] frosting stays soft.  Unlike frostings that use powdered sugar and harden down, this doesn’t.  It really helps to have a stand mixer, though, because beating it until the sugar is dissolved seems to take forever if you’re standing there holding a mixer.”

  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup vegetable shortening
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Flavoring (such as vanilla, lemon or orange extract, or when putting it on a spice cake, I’ve used allspice)
  • 1 egg white

Bring milk to a boil. Set aside until cool. Skim off top.

Cream shortening and butter together. Add sugar slowly, beating constantly. Add flavoring. Beat egg white until stiff. Add to sugar mixture. Beat well. Add cooled milk. Continue beating until all granules are gone.  You cannot overbeat this frosting. It will stay soft and fluffy forever.

Cucumbers A la Marsha

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Submitted by Joyce Bayer, who got this from Marsha Avrushin.

 

  • 1 C water
  • 3/4 C vinegar
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

 

Peel and slice cucumbers. Put them in layers, alternating with the onions, sprinkling each layer with salt.

Mix the dressing until all sugar granules have disappeared.

Thoroughly rinse all salt off cucumbers. Make sure all salt has been rinsed off. Don’t let any salt remain on the cucumbers. Squeeze onions and cucumbers until all liquid is out.

Pour dressing over cucumbers. Seal container. Allow to sit in refrigerator at least overnight.