Hometown Get-Togethers - Candace Floyd [70]
5. To prepare the top layer, spread the whipped topping over the middle layer. Sprinkle the chopped peanut butter cups on top. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Walnut Dainties
Betty Maithonis, Canyon Country, California
Serves 16
“I have made this recipe for fifty years, and every time I make it, I’m asked for the recipe.”
¾ cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
Whipped cream, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed. Add the egg and vanilla; mix well.
3. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the flour, baking powder, salt, and walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned. Cool completely. Serve with whipped cream, if using.
Ultimate Apple Pie
Barbara Schindler, Napoleon, Ohio
Serves 6 to 8
“This pie is asked for at all of our family get-togethers. I usually bake two pies—but ten would not be enough!”
CRUST
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shredded Cheddar
¼ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FILLING
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
7 or 8 baking apples, such as Gala, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
GLAZE
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
TOPPING
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 cup maple syrup
1. To prepare the crust, combine the flour, Cheddar, and salt in a bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the vanilla and 4 or 5 tablespoons ice water. Blend until the mixture forms a ball.
2. Divide the dough into two sections, one twice as large as the other. Roll the larger portion on a floured board or between two pieces of wax paper to form the bottom crust. Fit into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, letting the excess dough hang over the sides.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. To prepare the filling, combine the tapioca, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Add the apples and orange zest; mix well. Spoon the filling into the prepared crust. Roll out the remaining dough. Place over the apple mixture, pinching the crusts together. Cut slits in the top.
5. To prepare the glaze, combine the egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. Brush lightly over the crust. Sprinkle with the sugar, if using.
6. Cover the pie lightly with foil. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the apples are almost tender when pierced through the crust with a fork. Remove the foil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until the crust is browned.
7. To prepare the topping, combine the dates, walnuts, and maple syrup. Spoon over the entire pie or on top of individual servings.
Buttermilk Pie
Tommie Haferkamp, Gatesville, Texas
Serves 6 to 8
“My mother was born in 1900 and was one of twelve children, seven of whom were girls. Grandma Powell, her mother, was a good cook, as were all the daughters. They were famous for their Buttermilk Pie.”
1½ cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, well beaten
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish piecrust
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a bowl; mix well. Blend in the eggs. Add the butter, buttermilk, and vanilla; mix well. Pour the mixture into the piecrust.
3. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. The center may still look wet.
Coconut Cream Cheese Pies
Carolyn Lawson, Kannapolis, North Carolina
Serves 12 to 16
“I’ve used this recipe