CHOCOLATE CHIP BUNDT CAKE

OOPS!  Meant to post this on my Ladybugs Sweet Treats Blog as it is not from my old-fashion recipe collection.  When I realized I had made a mistake, I decided to just apologize and leave it anyway!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups miniature chocolate chips
Marshmallow Cream Glaze (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt cake pan; set aside.

In large mixer bowl cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each one.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until smooth after each addition.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 65 to 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto the serving platter and allow to cool completely.

Make the glaze below and spoon over the cake:
Creamy Chocolate Glaze:
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 tbsp marshmallow cream
1 to 2 tsp hot water

In a saucepan, bring the sugar and the 2 tablespoons of water to a boil; remove from the heat.  Stir in the chocolate chips, stirring until they are melted.  Blend in the marshmallow cream.  Add the hot water, half a teaspoonful at a time, mixing until the glaze is of your desired consistency.

Yield: 12 slices of glazed cake

Note: I like to decorate with sliced raw almonds and well drained maraschino cherry halves; see picture below.

GRANDMA HAWKINS

As you who follow this blog know, I grew up in Southern Indiana and most of my favorite recipes can be traced to my roots there.  I grew up next door to my grandparents and my grandmother had a great influence on my cooking.  She was always happy to share her secrets and let me make a mess in her kitchen, although I was expected to clean up said mess! (Another good idea when teaching someone to cook!)  She was always very eager to be a taste-tester and always gave me an honest answer.  If there was a problem, she was generous in her approval and subtle in her corrections.  On Christmas Eve I found this picture of her and my grandpa.  I wanted to give her due credit and post her picture on this site.  This picture was taken around 1940.

1 Xs 4 COOKIES

Have always loved this easy to remember recipe!

1 cup sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together and mix well.  Shape batter into small balls.  Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees until the cookies are light brown and flattened.  Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

clipart

OLD TIME THREE CHEESE ENCHILADAS

8-oz Monterey Jack cheese, grated
8-oz Cheddar cheese, grated
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cut-up
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cans chopped green chilies
1 can (12-oz) evaporated milk
1 lb hamburger
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
8-oz tomato sauce
22 flour or corn tortillas, your choice

In a skillet cook the hamburger and onion until meat is crumbled and browned and onion is transparent.  Drain and return to skillet.  Add the chili powder, cumin, and tomato sauce; cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat.  Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheeses.  Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the evaporated milk, green chilies, undiluted cream of chicken soup, and Velveeta cheese.  Heat over low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.  Set aside.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a long casserole dish.  Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture down the center of each tortilla; roll to form the enchiladas.  Place side by side in the prepared casserole dish.  Spoon the cheese/soup mixture over the enchiladas.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

CAN-CAN STIFFNER

Does anyone else remember the days when we girls wore the stiff mesh slips that made our dresses stand out like crazy? I remember being caught up in that craze as a preteen and hating myself everytime I sat down in one of those crazy things! In going through a box of my mother's old hand-written recipes, I found her recipe for the rinse she used to dip these "petticoats" in when she laundered them for me and my sister. Her notes say she copied this from a caller on a local radio show called, "The Backyard Fence," where friends and neighbors called in to share recipes, items they wanted to sell, giveaway, etc. Here is the famous recipe:

3/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons turpentine
2 tablespoons borax
1 quart cold water
Stir up.
Dip in & iron dry

Lord, have mercy. We must have been crazy!!

OYSTER STEW

1/4 cup butter
1 pint fresh oysters
2 cups milk
1/2 cup light cream
1 tsp salt
dash of freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the oysters including the liquor and cook while stirring over low heat just until edges start to boil.

In another saucepan, heat the milk and cream. Stir in the salt, pepper, and oysters.

Yield: 4 cups

BAKED HAMBURGERS WITH SAUCE

This is another old recipe from my childhood. My cousin used to make these and I though they were the best hamburgers ever!

2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
4 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped onion

Combine the salt and pepper with the ground beef in a large bowl, mixing in well. Form the mixture into patties and place in a large baking pan or dish.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, water, ketchup, and onion. Stir with a whisk to combine well. Pour the mixture over the patties.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

OLD GERMAN GREEN BEAN SOUP

This recipe is older than my children and I am the grandmother of seven, one in college!

2 cups leftover ham + the ham bone
1 pound fresh green beans
2 large potatoes, cubed
3 quarts water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium onion, minced
4 slices bacon, cubed
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk

Place the ham and the ham bone with the beans, potatoes, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a Dutch oven. Boil covered for half an hour or until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile fry the bacon and onion together; add to the Dutch oven. Mix the flour with the milk until smooth and stir into the soup, stirring constantly while adding. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Serves 6 to 8 people.

Please note: This picture is a file photo.

SALMON-POTATO CHIP CASSEROLE

This is an old recipe cut from a brand of potato chips that were popular in Indiana when I was a kid. The brand was CHESTY and we loved our CHESTY chips. Couldn't believe it when I ran across this 50 something year old recipe!

1 pkg CHESTY potato chips (I would say a regular family-size bag of today's chips.)
1 can (7-oz) salmon
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Break up the potato chips, flake salmon. Alternate layers in a well-greased baking dish, starting and ending with potato chips. Combine the soup and milk and pour over the layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned. Garnish with the hard-boiled eggs.

file photo