Grandma's Pie Crust

My grandma swears by this recipe for pie crust. It turns out well everytime. She says that she often will make more than she needs and then wrap it well in saran wrap and freeze it. She then puts it in the fridge to thaw the day before she needs it. She claims that it rolls out better after it's been frozen than it does when it is fresh. I have yet to try that little trick though. :)

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 egg
5 Tablespoons cold water
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Mix flour and shortening together until mixture looks like cornmeal. Then add egg, vinegar, and water slowly until you get a nice ball of dough formed. Freeze overnight. Thaw in fridge until workable.

Grandma's Bread Pudding

3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups scalded milk
1/4 cup butter
5 slices white bread, toasted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Beat eggs, add sugar and nutmeg, and beat until smooth. Add scalded milk. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a shallow dish. Cut each piece of toasted bread into 3 pieces and dip in butter. Add custard mixture to toast, making sure toast is soaked very well. Add a handful of raisins if desired. Mix 2 Tablespoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes or until custard is set.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Another recipe from my grandma...my daughter just made some of these last week...simple recipe and totally delish!

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour with soda and salt. Cream shortening and both sugars together. Add beaten eggs and mix until smooth. Add peanut butter, stir well, then add flour mixture. Mix to a stiff batter, then add vanilla. Form into balls and press onto a greased cookie sheet. Press with the back of a fork to make the waffle design. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

My grandmother got this recipe out of the Betty Furness Westinghouse Cookbook (1954). These are the sugar cookies I grew up eating. It's a simple recipe and quite timeless. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family does. :)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour together with baking powder and salt. Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg is added. Add vanilla and flour mixture. Beat vigorously until flour is completely blended. Refrigerate dough until chilled - about 2 hours. Divide dough in half. Roll each half out on a lightly floured surface. Roll until dough is about 1/8" thick and cut out into shapes. Sprinkle with colored or plain sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until lightly browned around the edges. ***If you roll the dough out as this as the recipe says to, you will get a very thin, crispy cookie. I like to roll it out a little thicker for a softer cookie. Also, instead of rolling out the dough, you can roll it into balls and then flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.***

Oatmeal Bread

3/4 cup rolled oats
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup hot water (125-130 degrees)
1/2 stick butter

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Combine water and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for approximately 2 1/2 minutes or until it reaches the desired temperature. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and knead. Let rest for 15 minutes. Dough will be really sticky. Press evenly into a well greased loaf pan and let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-30 minutes. This bread browns well and sounds hollow when tapped.

Carmen's Whole Wheat Bread

When we first moved into the house we are in now a couple of years ago we were invited to dinner by one of our neighbors that we go to church with. They are an older couple that has already raised their children, but Carmen still cooks from scratch quite a bit. She served the most wonderful wheat bread I have ever tasted and was kind enough to share the recipe with me. She said it was a bit of a struggle to write the recipe down because like my grandmother, she often doesn't measure when making the recipes that she has made repeatedly. So you may need to play with the amounts just a little to get it just right.

7 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups white flour
2 Tablespoons yeast
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 Tablespoons salt

Gradually add 1 1/3 quarts hot tap water, 1/2 cup molasses, and 1/3 cup oil.

Knead and if necessary add a little more flour gradually. Let rise until doubled then place in pans and let raise to top of pans. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (time may vary depending on loaf size).

Pao de Queijo

Brazilian cheese bread. It is so very yummy. I got this recipe from Patrick & Heather. So Heather, if I have any of the recipe wrong, please be sure and correct me! I have it written down on a scrap of paper and I haven't made it in forever because I haven't been able to find povilho azedo. LOL

3/4 cup oil
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
5-6 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Blend for one minute. Add 2 cups povilho azedo (sour starch) a little at a time. Once blended, pour into a mini-muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Do not overcook.

I haven't made this in forever, but it is one of the yummiest foods!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Another recipe from my grandma. :) I absolutely love sweet potatoes and don't just eat them for Thanksgiving. While most people think of having this with turkey as part of all of the trimmings, it is absolutely wonderful served with roasted chicken for a Sunday dinner.

6 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Miniature marshmallows

Wash and boil potatoes. Remove skins and mash potatoes. Add crushed pineapple and nuts. Place in a greased casserole dish and cover with marshmallows. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until marshmallows are melted and slightly brown.

Scalloped Potatoes

I grew up eating scalloped potatoes as a side dish. I never seem to make them quite the same way as my grandma does....but they are delish nonetheless. Often times, I will add diced ham and some very thinly sliced onion to it and make it a main dish with a salad and steamed veggies. Keep in mind that the measurements are approximate and may need to be adjusted a little since it is one of my grandma's recipes and she doesn't measure well. She just throws stuff together and it always turns out good!

6 medium potatoes
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
black pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and slice thin. (I leave the peel on) Make a white sauce out of the butter, flour, salt, and milk. Stir until thickened and remove from heat. Add grated cheese. Place potatoes in a greased casserole dish. Cover with hot cheese sauce. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Check after 1 hour and leave the foil off for the last little bit of baking so that the cheese can brown on top.

Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

Here's a really good old fashioned oatmeal cookie recipe...courtesy of my grandma once again. :) She has this really old cookbook that is falling apart and has been well used over the years. I think she got it as a wedding present and it has some of the best recipes in it. Of course, I am sure that most of us have a well used, falling apart cookbook in our kitchen. Ours is a pioneer cookbook put together by the Austin Oak Hills Stake quite a while ago. I just love cookbooks that are a collaborative effort of everyone's "tried and true" recipes. Anyways, enough of my rambling. I hope everyone has a great week!

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 Tablespoons sour milk (buttermilk)
2 cups all purpose flour - sifted before measuring
2 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly. Add vanilla and salt. Pour boiling water over raisins and let stand a few minutes. Drain. Add to creamed shortening mixture. Dissolve baking soda in milk and add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Add oatmeal. Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees.

Sourdough Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 cup sourdough starter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening with sugars. Add egg and water. Beat until light and fluffy. Add sourdough starter, vanilla, baking soda, salt, and flour. Mix well. Add rolled oats. If desired add raisins and nuts. Dough will be thick. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Dough usually bakes better if it has been slightly chilled first. It keeps it from spreading out too much while baking. This recipe is also good with chocolate chips in place of the nuts.

Sourdough Peanut Butter Brownies

1/4 cup shortening
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt shortening with chocolate over low heat. Blend in sugar and peanut butter. Add eggs, sourdough starter, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Spread in greased 9x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Sourdough Applesauce Brownies

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sourdough starter
2/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream together shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs, sourdough starter, vanilla, applesauce, and milk. Mix together dry ingredients and stir into creamed mixture. Stir in chopped nuts. Spread in greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.

Sourdough Blonde Brownies

1/2 cup sourdough starter
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and sourdough starter. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to sourdough mixture along with the vanilla and nuts. Spread into a well greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Be careful not to overbake.

Sourdough Pancakes

Mix together:

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup flour
1 egg
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Blend in:

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons sugar

Let mixture bubble and foam for a minute. Drop by spoonfuls onto hot griddle.

Quick Sourdough Bread

2 cups sourdough starter
1 teaspoon dry yeast
3 Tablespoons warm water
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons powdered milk
2 Tablespoons melted shortening or cooking oil
3-4 cups all-purpose flour

Measure out sourdough starter. In small separate bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add to sourdough starter along with the sugar, salt, powdered milk, and oil. Mix well. Slowly add the flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl (it may not take all of the flour so it's very important to add it gradually). Turn out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary. Shape the dough and place in a well greased loaf pan. Cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise until it is doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until done. Makes one loaf.

Sourdough Refrigerator Biscuits

I learned how to use sourdough starter years ago when my two oldest were just toddlers. I had some sourdough starter given to me at that time and had no clue how to use it for anything other than the Amish Friendship Bread recipe that was going around and was all the rage at the time. So I called my grandma and she quickly gave me all sorts of tips for using it and some recipes as well. I confess I don't know how to make starter myself, I've always gotten it from someone else. If you do a google search on how to make it, there are lots of pages that will pop up.

The most important tips for working with sourdough starter are to 1.) not use any metal on it. Only use non-reactive utensils such as plastic or glass. 2.) If your kitchen is 80 degrees or above, keep it in the fridge.

1 package dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening or margarine (I use butter flavor Crisco)
2 cups sourdough starter
2 cups buttermilk

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside for 5 minutes. In large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in dry ingredients. Combine sourdough starter, buttermilk and yeast and add all at once to the dry ingredients. Stir only until well moistened. Place in large greased covered plastic container. Refrigerate.* Use when needed. Dough should remain good for 3-4 days. Carefully roll out on a well floured surface to 1/2" thickness. Cut into biscuit shape. Place on lightly greased baking pan with sides touching. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until done. Makes 4 dozen biscuits.

*dough should be made at least 8 hours before needed so that it has time to rise.*