Southern Biscuits

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon lard

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons butter, frozen

2 tablespoons lard, frozen

1 teaspoon bacon drippings

1 cup buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F  lightly grease a baking sheet with 1/2 teaspoon of lard.

Mix together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Grate the frozen butter and 2 tablespoons frozen lard into the flour mixture with a cheese grater; stir lightly 1 or 2 times to mix. With your fingers, make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and pour the bacon drippings and buttermilk into the well. With just the tips of your fingers, stir lightly and quickly to just bring the dough together before the butter and lard melt. Dough will be sticky.

 

Scrape dough out onto a floured surface, and gently pat the dough flat. Sprinkle the top of the dough with flour, and fold it in half; pat down, fold again, and repeat until you have folded the dough 4 or 5 times. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a square about 1 inch thick. Cut the biscuit dough into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or the floured edge of a drinking glass by pushing straight down (twisting the cutter will seal the edge and keep the biscuits from rising). Lay the biscuits onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven until risen and lightly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

 

 

Old Fashioned Tapioca Pudding

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup Tapioca

1/2 cup Cane Sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

 

Directions

Stir together the milk, tapioca, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then stir constantly and reduce the heat to low. cook and stir 5 minutes longer.

Whisk 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten eggs slowly tempering the eggs add 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated.

Stir the egg mixture back into the tapioca until well mixed. Then bring the pudding to a gentle simmer over medium low heat cook and stir 2 minutes longer until the pudding becomes thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon.

Remove it from the heat then stir in the vanilla.

Refrigerate several hours until cold and keep any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Hungarian Goulash

Ingredients

1 lb beef, cut into cubes
2 medium white onions, minced
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1  teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon malted vinegar
6 tablespoons tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons flour
1 (6 ounce) package noodles

Directions

Brown the meat on all sides in heavy frying pan or Dutch oven then add onion lightly brown the onion.

Once the onion is lightly caramelized, combine the mustard, paprika, brown sugar, salt.

Combine Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, tomato sauce add to the mustard mixture then add to the meat 1 cup of the water stir then cover.

Cook over low heat covered 2 hours or until meat is very tender.

Blend flour with remaining 1/2 cup of water then stir until thickened.

Boil noodles in salted water until tender and drain them.

Serve meat mixture over noodles with a spoonful of sour cream on top

Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Ingredients

2 – 8 oz packages of cream cheese

1/2 cup butter ( softened )

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

Directions

in a large bowl cream together butter and cream cheese until it is creamy. stir in the vanilla and then with a whisk ( or a electric hand mixer on low ) slowly mix in the powdered sugar until it is a stiff creamy texture and will hold on its own.

This recipe is great on warm cinnamon rolls on a cold winter morning. Any leftovers must be covered and placed in a refrigerator.

Honey Pizza Dough

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1 cup luke warm water ( comfortable to the touch )

2 tablespoons yeast

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

In a large mixing bowl dump the water in and then dissolve the honey, sprinkle the yeast on top ( do not mix ) let it sit till the yeast is active ( you will see a off white foam on top of the water ) usually about 10 minutes.

Then add your olive oil,salt or any herbs you want in the dough ( try rosemary ) then add in 1 cup flour and mix till it is completely incorporated reserving the other 2 cups. loosely cover and let it double in size.

Once doubled in size  slowly add in 1 more cup till it starts to form a ball, lightly flour a surface you can work the dough on and then continue to kneed the dough till the last cup is completely mixed in. ( don’t be shy, be rough with it the rougher you are the better it turns out )

Lightly oil a mixing bowl, then place the dough in the bowl and flip once to cover both sides lightly in oil. Let it rise one last time doubling in size.

Grab your pizza pan or pizza stone and lightly cover the surface in corn meal ( it keeps the dough from both sticking and helps it cook more evenly. with the palm of your hand evenly press the dough out till it is in the shape of a pizza.

Take a fork and about every inch stab the dough, this will help prevent air pockets forming.  Depending on how many toppings,cheese,sauce you place on the dough will all depend on what temperature and how long to bake it.

Traditionally as long as you do not get crazy with the toppings the cooking time is 475 f for 25- 30 minutes. you can always tell when the pizza is done when you can take a spatula and lift the crust to see the center on the underside.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups fine graham cracker crumbs ( 14 crackers crushed finely )

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter melted

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Crush your graham crackers to make fine crumbs place them into a bowl, add your sugar,salt and melted butter. Mix them together.

grab your pie plate and with a firm push, press it onto the bottom and sides then place into a refrigerator to chill completely. ( must be chilled before you fill with a pie filling and bake )

Luscious Apricot Bars

 

Ingredients

2/3 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/3 cup sifted four

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped almonds

Directions

preheat oven at 350 f

Rinse the apricots then place in sauce pan and cover with water simmer them for 10 minutes then drain cool and chop the apricots.

Combine the butter, sugar and flour mix until crumbly. Then add in the apricots and mix lightly until well distributed.

Pack the mixture into a 9″ square pan and bake for 20 minutes.

 

Cuban Pork

Ingredients

3 large oranges juiced or 1 cup Orange Juice

1 -12 oz bottle of beer ( corona/pacifico etc. but I prefer some thing more hoppy myself like a Belgium Bock )

2 Teaspoon lime juice

1 Teaspoon Garlic salt

1 Tablespoon Cumin

2 Teaspoon Chili Powder

2 Tablespoon Dried Cilantro

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Sage

1 Teaspoon Beef Bouillon

4 med chicken breasts or 5 med pork chops ( to make a pork roast triple the recipe )

Directions

This is enough Marinade for 4 chicken Breasts or 5 Pork Chops. This is a time consuming recipe but completely worth every second.

Make sure every thing is Mixed completely then Place the meat in the marinade and let sit for at least 2 hours ( but over night is best )before grilling.

Place the marinade in the refrigerator, then grill the meat till it is done.

Once the meat is done place the marinade in a pan large enough for the meat and the marinade. Simmer on Med/Low Heat for 2 hours flipping after the first hour.

Remove the meat from the pan and let cool and rest for 10-20 minutes, once done the meat should fall apart.

Use a thick crusted bread for the sandwich Traditionally it will have ham as well as the pork roast, Swiss cheese, pickles, mustard and Cuban bread.

But in most areas like mine you cant get Cuban bread so French bread is an okay substitute.

Lemon Jello Cake

Ingredients

1 package Yellow Cake Mix

1 3 oz package lemon jello

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

Frosting ingredients

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 lemon juiced

Directions

Mix all ingredients together making sure to mix well.. then bake the cake  for 25 – 35 minutes at 350 f

remove the cake from the oven and pierce with a fork every inch till the entire cake is pierced.

Mix frosting ingredients by whisking together till it forms a thin syrup ( must be thin ) and then spread over the cake letting sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

Depression Apple Pie

Created at a time when fresh food was both scarce and expensive. It uses chemical reactions to simulate a fresh apple pie without the use of any apples with both taste and texture.

 

Ingredients

1 – 9 inch double  pie crust

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

25 table water crackers

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 f

Place water in a saucepan bring to boil,  in a bowl mix ingredients reserving crackers. add ingredients to the boiling water and dissolve. then add in the crackers 1 at a time, boiling for 2 -3 minutes ( do not stir it )

After 2- 3 minutes remove from heat

Pour the mixture into the un-baked pie crust, sprinkle cinnamon  over the crackers and dot the top with butter. layer the top with pie crust and cut vents into it, seal the edges by pinching.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and let cool completely before serving.