Thursday, December 10, 2009

Lib's Southern Baked Beans

Lib's Southern Baked Beans

Whenever we are invited to supper with our friends and family, more often than not, we are asked to bring over Lib Gurkin's recipe for baked beans. Because quite simply, they are the best we've ever tasted. Enjoy!
  • 1 (31 oz) can pork and beans
  • 2 onions, diced
  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced
  • 6 slices cooked, crisp bacon
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. mustard
  • 2 tbsp. Grandma's molasses
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Fry bacon; pour most of grease out of pan. Saute onions and bell perpper in pan bacon was cooked in, until soft. Mix all other ingredients in baking dish along with cooked onions, bell pepper, and crumbled bacon. Bake about 1 hour, uncovered, in oven. 

Serves 8.

North Carolina Coleslaw

North Carolina Coleslaw

Our coleslaw is tangy and not too sweet - and no mayo.
  • 3/4 cup coarsely grated onion (grated on large holes of box grater)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
  • 1 medium head of green cabbage, cored, thinly sliced (about 10 cups)
  • 2 cups coarsely grated peeled carrots (about 3 large)
Whisk first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Add cabbage and carrots; toss. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Hot Mulled Wine

Hot Mulled Wine

If you prefer a drink that is hot and spicy instead of cold, try making this mulled wine recipe. Guaranteed to take the chill out of you!
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup bourbon
  • 1 (750-milliliter) bottle cabernet sauvignon or other dry red wine
  • 1 sachet mulling spice blend
  • Cinnamon sticks (optional)
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer; cook 20 minutes. Discard sachet. Serve warm. Serve with cinnamon sticks, if desired.

Candy Apple Rum Punch

Candy Apple Rum Punch

If there ever was a punch that has the look and taste of Christmas, this is it. Bright red and tasty. If you prefer a non-alcoholic punch, substitute water for the rum.
  • 6 cups cranberry-apple drink
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup spiced rum
  • 15 hard cinnamon candies
  • 1 (6-ounce) can thawed limeade concentrate, undiluted
Combine all the ingredients in a large pitcher. Cover and chill 8 hours or until candies are dissolved. Pour mixture into a large Dutch oven, and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated.

Ham with Apple and Raisin Sauce

Ham with Apple and Raisin Sauce

We love a fresh ham at Christmas. The apple and raisin sauce goes perfect with it. And the best thing is that this recipe is real easy to make.

Ham
  • 1 fresh ham (12 lbs)
  • 2 tbsp. self-rising flour
  • 3 tsp. dried thyme
  • 2 tbsp. salt
  • pepper to taste
Apple and Raisin Sauce
  • 1 cup apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup apple butter
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
Put the ham, thyme and salt in a large pot, cover with hot water, and let simmer for 2 hours. Remove the ham from the pot and let it cool. When the ham is cool, cut off the skin and fat. Mix the salt and pepper with the flour, and sprinkle the ham with the flour mixture. Place the ham in a baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the ham sit inside for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the ham from the pan and pour the juices into a cup or small bowl. Set the cup in cold water to harden the fat; remove the fat when it becomes solid. Serves 8.

Apple and Raisin Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until bubbly. Makes 2 1/4 cups.

Eggnog Cheesecake

Eggnog Cheesecake

This cheesecake recipe will leave you warm and cozy - who needs a fire?!? You can make this cheesecake, cover it, and refrigerate it for up to three days. If you like, you can top it with your preferred candied fruit or pie filling.
  • 5 tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1-1/4 cups whole-grain nugget cereal (such as Grape Nuts)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • dash of salt
  • 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1 tbsp. pure vanilla
  • 1 tbsp. bourbon
  • 1 tbsp. dark rum
  • 1 tbsp. brandy
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9 or 10 inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter; set aside. In a food processor bowl, process cereal about 2 minutes, until a fine crumb forms. Add the 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt; process to combine. With processor running, add remaining butter through feed tub just until combined. Press crumb mixture on bottom and 1 inch up sides of prepared pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

In a clean food processor bowl (using an electric mixer, beating on medium speed), process the cream cheese until smooth. Add 1 cup sugar until combined. Add eggs and process until creamy, scraping down sides once or twice. Add eggnog, vanilla, bourbon, rum, and brandy; process until combined. Gently pour filling into baked crust. Bake 45 minutes or until sides are slightly puffed (center will be soft). Turn off oven and leave door ajar. Let cheesecake stand in oven for 1 hour.

Transfer to a wire rack; cool 15 minutes. Using a small thin knife, loosen the crust from sides of springform pan. Cool 30 minutes. Remove slides from the pan; cool 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. 

Makes 12 servings.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Christmas Brownies

Christmas Brownies

Here's an old-fashioned Brownie recipe that we love to make at Christmas.
  • 8 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp. cherry brandy (optional)
  • 2 tbsp. vanilla
  • 1-1/4 cups granulate sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped candied cherries
  • 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with foil and lightly grease it. In saucepan stir semisweet chocolate and butter over low heat until melted. Remove from heat. Stir in brandy and vanilla. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add sugars and eggs. Beat on medium until well-combined. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to chocolate-egg mixture. Beat on medium until well-combined. Stir in cherries and chopped chocolate. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and allow to cool completely. Gently cut in bars or sticks using a sharp knife (to make slicing easy, let the pan of brownies cool completely before cutting in bars). Makes about 48 bars.

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

This is a great homemade cinnamon roll recipe for those cold, December mornings - especially Christmas morning. The smell throughout your house will be warm and inviting.
  • 2 pkg. active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
  • 2 tbsp. butter, softened
In a bowl, combine yeast and 1/4 cup warm water (about 115 degrees). Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in milk, molasses, 1/4 cup brown sugar, the egg, oil, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Stir in as much flour as you can. Turn dough out onto floured surface. Kned in enough remaining flour for moderately soft, smooth, elastic dough (5 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in greased bowl; turn once. Cover and let rise until double the original size (1 hour). Punch down. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Grease a 13x9x2 inch pan. For the filling, in a bowl combine 1/4 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Roll dough to 12x8 inch rectangle. Spread butter on dough. Sprinkle filling to within 1 inch along one long side. Roll the dough up, beginning at the long side of the filling. Pinch the dough to seal. Cut 12 slices. Place in pan. Cover and let rise until nearly double the original size (45 minutes).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake dough for 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let stand 5 minutes and then invert onto the platter. Drizzle with Glaze. Makes 12 rolls.

Glaze - combine 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Whisk in enough milk (4 to tsp.) for drizzling consistency.

Peanut Butter Christmas Star Cookies

Peanut Butter Christmas Star Cookies

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup all-vegetable shortening
1-1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tbsps milk
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and beat until blended. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and add to creamed mixture at low speed. Drop by rounded tbsp 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly and draw star pattern with edge of fork. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely. 

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Snow Cream

Snow Cream

It is very rare to get snow in December, in North Carolina. The first snow is always the most special. My Mom would be just as excited as we kids were when it started snowing. After there were several inches on the ground, Mom would say "Who wants Snow Cream?!?". She would give us a large mixing bowl and tell us to fill it up. But you had to make sure that you scraped away the very top layer of snow - and avoid the snow closest to the ground. And stay away from yellow snow!
  • Large mixing bowl of fresh snow
  • 1 - 2 cups of Milk (whole milk is best)
  • 1 - 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract or other flavoring
  • 1/2 - 1 cup sugar
Take the large bowl of snow and stir the snow around a little to fluff it up. Then quickly stir in just enough milk to make a similar consistency to ice cream. Start with 1/2 cup of milk and keep going until you have enough to make the snow creamy. If you add too much milk and it becomes runny, just add some more snow. Then stir in a little vanilla and sugar to taste. That's it! Eat it as fast as you can before it melts!

Mom - I Swear I Saw Santa!

Mom - I Swear I Saw Santa!

I have a lot of memories of Christmas as a young boy. It's amazing how children's imaginations can open up whole magical worlds to explore - like the movie "Polar Express".

I can remember one Christmas eve - I must have been 4 or 5 years old, when I swore I saw Santa. It was a full moon that night and I woke up from a deep sleep after hearing bells - the kind of bells that would be on a sleigh. It was very late at night and everyone in the house was fast asleep.

I jumped up out of bed and looked out my window. The light of the moon was so bright, it was almost like daytime. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walking from in front of my house towards my neighbor's house. That someone had on a red coat, a red hat, a beard and a large bag slung over his shoulders. It was Santa!

My Mom had always told me that Santa wouldn't come to our house unless all the children were fast asleep. So I quickly got back in bed and tried my best to go back to sleep. But there was no way I could - I had just seen Santa walking away from our house! And so that meant he had already left presents for us. But, I thought that he might come back and take our presents away if he sensed we weren't all asleep - because you know Santa knows when you're awake! My heart was pounding!

I managed to fall back asleep at some point - but I woke up again just before dawn and jumped out of bed, ran into the living room. Lo and behold, there were Santa's gifts under the Christmas tree! I ran and woke up my Mom to tell her that I had saw Santa that night. She said, "Of course you did!" and I knew she didn't believe me. So I said, "Mom - I swear I saw Santa last night!". She said, "Well if he really came, did you check and see if he ate the cookies that we left for him?" I ran back into the living room, and sure enough, he had eaten all the cookies except for half of one last cookie. And he had drank half of the glass of milk we had left for him too.

These memories are the ones that I can still remember in vivid detail, even though they were long, long ago. I only hope that my children have had similar memories that they can share when they grow old. Because that is what Christmas is all about. You know - I always wonder who that "Santa" was walking in front of my house that Christmas eve - or did I just imagine it. It must have been the real thing.

-Rick Gurkin

Lib's Chocolate Eclair

Lib's Chocolate Eclair

This is another one of Lib Gurkin's wonderfully quick, easy and delicious recipes that I know for a fact that Chuck Gurkin is crazy about. I guarantee that if you close your eyes and take a bite, you will swear that you just tasted the real thing.
  • 1 box Graham Crackers
  • 2 small boxes (or 1 large box) French Vanilla Pudding
  • 1 large Cool Whip (9 oz)
  • 1 can Hershey Chocolate Frosting
  • 3 cups cold milk
Mix milk and pudding. Fold in Cool Whip. Place a layer of crackers. then a layer of pudding, etc. End with crackers on top. Spread with Frosting and cool overnight.

Quick Peach Cobbler

Quick Peach Cobbler
  • 2 large cans sliced peaches (32 oz.)
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar or Splenda
  • 2 ready-made pie shells
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2tsp. vanilla flavor
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix peaches, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla flavor and lemon juice. Pour in deep cooking pan. Cover top of pan with ready-made pie shells. Sprinkle with with 1/4 cup sugar (splenda) and 1/4 cup butter, melted, over pie shells. Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until pie crust is done and serve. Allow to cool 30 minutes.

Fried Pie Dough (Applejacks)

Fried Pie Dough (Applejacks)

When we came home from school we would usually have a snack waiting for us. Generally it would be a baked sweet potato and a piece of frying pan bread, but sometimes it would be applejacks. Ymmm Mmm!
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • Fruit of your choosing (apples, peaches etc.)
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until well mixed. Combine vinegar and water. Dribble in a small amount at a time and use a fork to mix. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and leave about 30 minutes, then pinch off small balls and roll out in circles. Fill half the circle with fruit. Fold over the other half and dampen all around with water. Press together with the tines of a fork. Fry in deep oil.

Note. We generally used apple and called them Applejacks. Today apple pie filling out of a can would work very well, or any other filling you desire.

Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk Pie

This is an old Southern recipe that was really popular in the south from the late 1800s up through the 1950s. We still enjoy it.
  • 1 unbaked pie shell
  • 4 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 stick of butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1-1/2 cups sugar or Splenda
Put eggs in mixing bowl. Add and mix remaining ingredients. Bake in uncooked shell at 350 degrees for about 45 mins or until done.

Ice Box Fruit Cake

Ice Box Fruit Cake

This recipe is so old that it literally meant an ice box. When I was a youngin, we used to get a delivery of ice every Wednesday. Us kids would gather at the back of the ice truck and sometimes the iceman would chip off a piece of ice for us after he had put a large block of ice in the oak and zinc icebox in the kitchen. The great thing about a fruit cake is that if you didn't eat it at Christmas, you could always use it as a door stop!
  • 1 1/2 cups evap. milk (If you want it extra rich you can use 1 cup evap. milk and 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk)
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 4 cups marshmallows
  • 8 oz candied cherries (red and green)
  • 4 cups nuts (English walnuts and pecans)
  • 8 oz candied pineapple (You can substitute mixed candied fruit for the pineapple)
  • 1 16 oz bag of coconut
  • 16 oz of raisins (or less, if you desire)
  • 1 box graham crackers (Be sure to crush them to crumbs)
Mix butter, milk and marshmallows over a low heat. Stir constantly till completely melted. Be careful to keep the heat low and stir so you won't scorch the milk. Pour the mix over all of the other ingredients that you have placed in a large bowl. Mix it well. Place waxed paper in the containers you choose. (Baking pan, bowls, etc.) Be sure to pack the mixure in tightly. (In the old days, we would even use small cardboard containers, such as your raisin box. But whatever you use be sure to put waxed paper in first) Next put it in your refrigerator for approximately 24 hrs or till its firm. As long as it's kept covered this cake will keep for four or five weeks.

Miz Beasley Gets Religion

Miz Beasley Gets Religion

When I was a young lad my grandmother used to take me to the Dismal Swamp Baptist Church of the Holy Ghost. Later, our type of church was called a "Holy Rollers" church. I don't know if you ever saw the church scene in the movie "The Blues Brothers", but that would get somewhat close to a Holy Rollers church. One family in our church was the Beasley family. Mr and Miz Beasley and their seven or eight children. I don't recollect ever seeing the kids still enough to count, so that number is approximate. Mr Beasley stood about 5' 4" tall in his boots and was too skinny to throw a shadow. Miz Beasley was only about two or three inches taller, but she was bigger around than she was tall. When she came walking down the road you just had to stop and watch her go by. I honestly believe you could have stopped one of those Dreadnought Battleships before you could have slowed Miz Beasley. A fine, fine woman.

In the Dismal Swamps it can get awfully hot during the summer and the time I'm speaking of took place on the second Sunday of August. It had been mostly quiet in the church and Parson McCloud was speaking in "tongues" and a few of the men had started saying Amen's and some of the ladies would give out a chirp or "Oh Lawd, hep me" just another typical Dismal Sunday. In the meantime Miz Beasley had slipped out the door and made her way to the little necessary house behind the Church. After doing her business she scooped everything up and came on back into the church. Just as she slipped into the back of the aisle a bumblebee made it clear to Miz Beasley that he had gotten scooped up with everything else. I mean he made it known with a vengeance.

Well sir. You ain't never. Miz Beasley made the most blood curdling screech I have ever heard come from anyone, even including a rebel soldier. For a big woman she would have put the Olympics gymnasts to shame. She did two forward flips, a cartwheel, a backwards flip and ended up doing a really great split. The whole time she was carrying on like the spirit had hit her something fierce. I would give a hunnerd dollars if I could yodel half as good as she did whilst doing everything else. Well, you ain't heard the last of this yet. Miz Beasley sprang up from the floor and started ripping off her clothes and the members of the congregation thought that the Holy Spirit had flung itself upon her and joined in too. The yodeling, screeching, and praising God and the clothes flying through the church made Parson McCloud get right out of the mood of talking in tongues and he just held on to the podium and stood there with his mouth hanging open.

Finally, Miz Beasley had gotten down to where she just barely had enough clothes on for modesty and ran and jumped right through the only stained glass window we had and took off to the pond on a dead run with the rest of the congregation right behind her. Well heck fire, us kids never missed an opportunity to get in the water so we just came right along. Parson McCloud took the opportunity, while everyone was in the water, to baptize the entire congregation again.

I must admit that was the best Sunday I have ever spent in church!

-Bob Gurkin