Country Cooking Recipes: 2009

Dec 31, 2009

Cheesey Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 stick butter, melted

3/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar

1/3 cup shortening

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 cup self-rising flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together using a fork; cut in shortening until it resembles cornmeal. Add cheese. Stir in buttermilk all at 1 time just until blended. Do not over stir. Drop by tablespoonfuls, or use an ice cream scoop, onto a well greased baking sheet. Brush dough with melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Baked French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

dash salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoon sugar

1 cup milk

8 large eggs

2 cup half-and-half

Butter, for pan

1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)

Praline Topping, recipe follows

Raspberry Syrup, recipe follows

Praline Topping:

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2-teaspoon ground nutmeg

Raspberry Syrup:

1 cup raspberry preserves

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (recommended: Framboise)

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9X13 casserole dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup.

Praline Topping:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Raspberry Syrup:

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.

Cornbread Deluxe

Cornbread Deluxe

1 teaspoon butter

1 pound bulk sausage

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup white cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

8 ounces grated cheddar cheese (about 2 cups)

15 ounces black-eyed peas, cooked

3/4 cup creamed corn

1/2 cup canned chopped green chilies

1/2 cup canned pickled jalapeno, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a 9"x13" baking dish with butter and set aside.

Break sausage meat into chunks and put into a skillet over medium heat. Add

onion and cook, breaking up sausage with a slotted spoon, until meat is lightly

browned and JUST cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to paper

towels to drain.

Whisk cornmeal, flour, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Beat

eggs, buttermilk and oil together in a separate bowl. Add egg mixture to

cornmeal mixture, stirring until cornbread mixture is just moistened (batter

will be lumpy). Stir in sausage mixture, cheese, peas, corn chilies and

jalapeno.

Pour batter into prepared dish, smoothing with the back of a slotted spoon.

Bake until golden brown, in preheated 350� F oven, 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool

for ten minutes before serving.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BREAD

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BREAD

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

2/3 cup dried cherries

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1 large, very ripe banana, mashed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Soak dried cherries in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly and

set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar and butter on high

speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add

eggs, one at a time; beat until smooth. Beat in sour cream, banana and

vanilla until well blended, about 1 minute.

In another bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda

and salt. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture to banana mixture

until just combined. Fold in nuts and reserved cherries.

Pour into a greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated

350-degree oven for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center

comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool

completely on wire rack.