RECIPES

MOMS GOOD BISCUITS

I never mastered the art of making biscuits or dumpling.

I prefer to open a can of biscuits. Mom always served

biscuits with her fried chicken for Sunday dinner. Uncle Guy

would compliment Mom on how good everything was, “especially

your biscuits, Loretta, and could I have the last of that good gravy too?”

Mom always waited until he asked her for it. Makes me smile!

Set oven to 400°

In a bowl:

1 cup of flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/8 tsp salt

1 tblsp sugar

Stir lightly with a fork.

Add:

1/4 cup cold butter, cut in chunks

Cut butter in with two knives or a pastry blender until butter is fine crumbs.

Grandma used her hands an “rubbed” the butter (or lard) into the flour.

Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cold milk and stir lightly until dough comes away from the bowl.

Dump on a floured board, roll out and cut with round glass dipped in flour.

Bake on a cookie sheet 10 t o12 minutes. Makes one dozen.

Mom liked honey on her biscuits. We especially like her jellies and jams or when

Uncle Guy brought peaches from the Western Slope, Grand Junction, and she

made peach jam. The very best on a warm biscuit!

Gail makes biscuits by patting the dough into a square 8 x 8 pan, cut in squares, bakes them for

15 minutes and recuts them to serve.

HOT CROSS BUNS

For the bread machine, although you can adapt this to the oven.

Place in order given into machine:

1/3 cup warm water

1 1/4 cup rm temerature milk

5 1/4 cups flour

3 eggs at rm temp

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp grated orange or lemon peel

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp dry yeast

1/2 cup finely chopped candied fruit or

mix in golden raisins-I use Craisins.

1 cup currants or raisins

Set bread machine on dough setting and push down batter with spatula from sides of machine. If doughs seems to soft, add no more than 1/4 cup flour. Let machine go through the kneading cycle. Remove dough and divide into fourths, then each fourths into eights. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on oiled cookie sheet. Cover and let rise, about 45 minutes until dooubled. With a very sharp knife or razor blade, cut a shallow cross in each bun.

Brush with egg yolk blended with 2 tblsp water. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown. Cool on rack.

Lemon frosting

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tsp lemon juice

3 to 5 tsp milk

Stir and with tip of a teaspoon, spoon frosting into the slashes while buns are warm. Let frosting set on buns to harden. Best served warm. Makes 32 buns.

GRANNIE ANNIE’S EASTER BREAD PUDDING

This is a combination of serveal recipes.

1 1/2 loaves of white day old, slightly dry bread. Or a combination of favortie breads. Do not use garlic or Italian bread.

Cube into 1 inch pieces and place in a large pan, like a lasagna pan.

Sprinkle and toss throughout dry bread cubes, 1 can drained pineapple tidbites, sliced once.

In a large mixing bowl, with spout if possible:

2 cans evaporated milk

2 cup regular milk

1 cup solid pack brown sugar

6 to 8 eggs slighrly beaten into the milk and sugar

Add:

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tblsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix until well incorporated.

Pour milk mixture onto the bread cubes and pineapple.

Press bread into milk mixture. Do not stir. Cover and refrigerate 5 to 6 hours, preferrable over night.

Set oven at 375°.

Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 cup each, Craisins and walnuts.

Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon.

Place in middle rack of oven and bake for a least one hour, maybe 1 1/2 hours, until inserted knife comes out clean.

If you continue to bake after an hour – cover and continue to bake for another half hour.

Serve with the following:

Lemon hard sauce:

1 cup sugar

2 tblsp cornstarch.

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 cups boiling water

4 Tblsp butter

3 tblsp lemon juice

Mix dry ingredients and gradually add hot water and lemon juice. Cook, stir constantly until thick and clear.

Stir in butter, blending in after taking off stove. Serve warm over bread pudding.

NOTE: Mom made wonderful bread pudding out of her left over homemade bread.

We always poured cream and sugar on ours.

Try frying squares of cold bread pudding in butter and serve with butter and maple syrup. Good breakfast!

IN A HURRY?

Easy Lemon Hard Sauce.

1 pkg instant lemon pudding

2 1/2 cups cold milk

Stir to blend and let set to lightly thickened.

HAVE A HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER.