Lemon Curd

6 large egg yolks
12 oz. (1 1/2 cups) lemon juice
6 large whole eggs
zest of 6 lemons
21 oz. (3 cups) granulated sugar
12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter

In a 4-qt. heavy-bottomed stainless steel pot (or other non-reactive cookware), combine the eggs, yolks, and sugar. Whisk until fully integrated. Add the lemon juice and zest, whisking thoroughly. Remove the whisk and trade it in for a heat-resistant flexible spatula. Place the pot onto your heat source, with the heat turned down to medium low. Add the butter and stir continually until the butter melts. Turn your heat source down to low and continue to stir until the curd has thickened and begins to bubble ever-so-slightly. Remove from the heat and strain immediately. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and place in the cooler overnight.

From Two Tarts Bakery

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Graham Crackers

3/4 cup butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs. honey
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Beat butter, sugars, and honey until smooth; add dry ingredients.
2. Divide dough in half and roll each half between two pieces of parchment paper into a 10"x12" rectangle. Slide onto baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pull off top parchment paper. Cut dough on pans into 2 1/2" x 4" rectangles. Bake until deep golden brown, 13-18 minutes. Cut crackers again on lines.
4. Let crackers cool on pans 2-3 minutes. Separate pieces and transfer to cooling racks.

From Diana

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Pumpkin Bars

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
4 eggs, beaten
1 15-oz can pumpkin
1 cup cooking oil

1/2 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting

Combine dry ingredients; stir in eggs, pumpkin, and oil until combined. Spread batter into jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

From: Betty Crocker Cookbook

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Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
5 1/2 - 6 cups powdered sugar

Mix ingredients with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

From: Betty Crocker Cookbook

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Wendi Bracken’s Sugar Cookie Recipe

3 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened  (It’s important to use butter, not margarine and to chill the dough.)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture.  Mix well.  Take dough and place 1/3 of it between two pieces of waxed paper.  Roll it out to desired thickness and then place it into the refrigerator.  Continue with the rest of the dough.  Chill dough for 2 hours.  Remove top sheet of waxed paper.  Cut out desired shape with cookie cutter.  Reroll left over dough between wax paper.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 35 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until edges begin to turn light brown.  Makes 3-4 dozen.

From Wendy Bracken

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Chicken Pot Pie

Note: I never measure the vegetables.  The original recipe calls for 1 C carrots, ¾ C celery, and 1 C frozen peas and no other vegetables.  I like all the other vegetables so I’ve always just thrown in what I have. I usually cut up all the veggies and boil them and then add enough to the sauce so that the sauce to vegetable ratio seems correct to me.  I make this in a 9” deep dish pan and always use at least twice the amount of vegetables than what’s listed below. I also double the sauce recipe for my 9” deep dish pan. There’s usually extra filling that I freeze and use another time.  

Crust
2 Unbaked Pie Crusts (9” each).  I usually just buy the pre-made refrigerated ones.  

Filling
4 large Potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks

1 C Carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks

3/4 C Celery, cut into bite-sized chunks

3/4 C Cauliflower, cut into small florets/bite-sized pieces

3/4 C Broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces1 C Frozen green peas

1 pound Shredded, cooked chicken (I usually throw some chicken breasts in the crock pot the day before and shred it while it’s hot and then store in the refrigerator until I’m ready to assemble the pie)

Boil potatoes, carrots, celery, and cauliflower for approximately 8 minutes (so they’re almost tender, but not quite done).  With about 2 minutes left, add broccoli. Remove from heat and drain

Sauce
1/3 C Butter
1/3 C Chopped onion
1/3 C Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 C Chicken broth
2/3 C Milk

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, boiled vegetables, frozen peas, and the sauce. Stir together until the sauce is evenly distributed among the vegetables. Add salt to taste.

Place one pie crust in the bottom of a pie plate.  Place the chicken/vegetable/sauce mixture into the pie crust.  Cover with the second pie crust, seal edges, and remove excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

If making ahead of time—cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.  Remove from fridge about an hour before baking.

Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  

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Chocolate Brownie Cake

1 chocolate cake mix
1 brownie mix
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup water
1 cup oil
1 can store-bought chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, brownie mix, eggs, water, and oil. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Cool cake completely; melt chocolate frosting in microwave and drizzle over cake.

From here.

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Chicken Fajita Pasta

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 envelope (3 tablespoons) taco or fajita seasoning 
• 2 cups diced onion (about 1 whole onion)
• 2 cups diced bell peppers (2-3 bell peppers)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 (10-oz) can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
• 8 oz (about 3 cups) penne pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Season with half of taco seasoning. In a 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. When the oil is very hot, carefully add the chicken in a single layer and cook without stirring until one side is seared and browned, about 1-2 minutes. Flip the chicken to the other side and cook until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet with the heat still on high. When the oil is very hot again, add the onions, bell peppers, and remaining taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are slightly blackened. Turn heat to low, add minced garlic, and stir until fragrant and well combined, about 30 seconds. Remove the veggies to the plate with the chicken.
3. In the same skillet, add the broth, cream, diced tomatoes, uncooked pasta, and salt. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes until pasta is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed. Add the chicken and veggies back into the skillet and stir to combine until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with buttery garlic bread and enjoy!

From here

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Brown Sugar Balsamic Pork

Ingredients:

1 (2 lb) boneless pork tenderloin
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 c water

Glaze
1/2 c brown sugar
1 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c water
2 Tbs soy sauce

Directions:
Combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Rub over roast.  Place is slow cooker with 1/2 c water.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  About 1 hr before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in a small sauce pan.  Heat and stir until mixture thickens.  Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking.  Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

From here

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Twice Baked Potatoes

Wash potatoes, poke at bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Let potatoes cool slightly; cut off the top 1/3 of each potato. Scoop the insides of potatoes into a bowl (keep the skins). Mash cheese (3 Tbs. per potato), milk (2 Tbs. per potato), salt and pepper (to taste) to potatoes (while potatoes are still warm).

Put mashed potatoes back into potato skins. Place in baking dish, sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

From Diana Baumgartner

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Nancy J's Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together above ingredients; mix in:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Chill 1 hour. Roll out dough and cut into shapes.

Bake at 400 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes.

From Nancy Johnson

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Spinach and Proscuitto Grilled Cheese

I saw Giada make this on the Food Network so I decided to try it. But I didn't follow the directions exactly since I didn't have a food processor on hand, and I had proscuitto not pancetta. I also halved the recipe. Take a look at the link if you want the original recipe.

4 pieces proscuitto
4 Tbs. butter (can probably use less)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. oil
1 cup packed chopped baby spinach
bread

Bake proscuitto at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until crispy and brown. Remove from oven and place proscuitto on paper towel to drain and cool.

Combine softened butter, cheese, oil, and spinach. Spread mixture onto a slice of bread - top with one slice of crumbled proscuitto. Top with another piece of bread. Grill on panini grill/press (I just used my George Foreman) until cheeses are melted.

Makes approximately four sandwiches.

From here

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Martha's Mac and Cheese

Diana found this recipe and we made it this weekend - it was quite yummy! The website says that it was adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. We found that it made double the amount of sauce that we needed, so we might try halving it next time.

8 Tbs unsalted butter, plus more for casserole
6 slices white bread, crust removed, torn into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
5 1/2 cups whole milk (we used skim and it still turned out yummy)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp coarse salt (we used regular table salt), plus more for water
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (left out because we didn't have any - again, turned out fine)
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18oz) grated sharp white cheddar cheese (ours was sharp yellow cheddar)
2 cups (about 8oz) grated Gruyere cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish (we used a 9x13 pan); set aside. Place the bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs butter. Pour the melted butter into the bowl with the bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside.

Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt the remaining 6 Tbs. butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When the butter bubbles, add the flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.

While whisking slowly pour in the hot milk, a little at a time to keep mixture smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick, 10-12 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere; set the cheese sauce aside.

Cover a large pot of salted water, and bring to a boil. Cook the macaroni until the outside of the pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone, 3-5 minutes. Transfer the macaroni to a colander and drain well. Stir the macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere, and the breadcrumbs on top. Bake until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer the dish to a wire rack for 5 minutes; serve.

From here

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Break the Fast Miracle Bars

2 C oats
1 ¾ C brown sugar
1 ½ C flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 C margarine or butter, softened
½ C chopped nuts (I usually never add these)
2 C chocolate chips (I think the Nestle Toll House ‘mini’ ones work perfectly)
1 egg
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 C creamy peanut butter

Mix oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and softened butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs (I use a pastry cutter or 2 knives)

For topping stir together 1 ¾ C of crumb mixture, nuts, and chocolate chips. Set aside.
For crust stir egg into remaining crumb mixture. Press into bottom of an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan (I just use a 9 x 13 inch pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

For filling, stir together sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter. Pour over partially baked crust and then sprinkle the topping mixture on top. Bake for 12-15 minutes more.

These taste DELICIOUS fresh from the oven, but only if you’re OK ‘scooping’ into a bowl, eating with a fork, and don’t care about beauty/presentation. If you’re actually serving these to someone else this is what you do (and while time consuming it’s totally worth it!):
• Let the pan cool completely and cut into bars or squares.
• Remove from the pan with a spatula and place separately onto a sheet of waxed paper so that the bars are not touching each other.
• Cover with a kitchen towel or another sheet of waxed paper and let sit overnight (or all day). This allows the bars to ‘solidify’ so that they won’t fall apart when eaten.
From Diana

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Flourless Chocolate Cake (Red Star Restaurant)

1 1/4 lbs chocolate (shaved/chopped)
1/3 C cream
3/4 lbs butter
1 1/2 C sugar
1/2 C cocoa
9 eggs

Melt butter with cream until hot. Pour over shaved chocolate, mix until melted. Add cocoa; mix well. Temper in eggs (I think that means mix in one at a time by hand). Bake in baine marie (water bath) at 325 degree oven about 30 minutes until skewer comes out mostly clean (I baked it in a springform round pan it took a LONG time to bake--maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The time above is if you're making small, individual cakes).

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