Recipes

I love to cook. Therefore, so do my characters. I peruse cookbooks and watch hours of culinary shows to glean ideas and basic proportions of ingredients to create personal versions of old favorites. I tend to be a pinch-and-a-handful kind of cook who seasons to taste, so I make no guarantees as to the accuracy of the measurements listed.

If you try any of my character's recipes, please send me an e-mail to let me know how it turned out or if you have any problems or questions.

Check back soon for something new and delicious.

ABBY'S CINNAMON WALNUT COFFEE CAKE

from The Memory of You

1 stick of butter

2 cups of self-rising cake flour (like Presto)

1 cup sugar

1 t cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 Eggs

1 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts

1 C milk

Preheat over to 350 degrees

1. Blend butter, sugar, eggs, cinnamon & vanilla with a mixer until creamy

2. Gradually beat in flour and milk, alternating ingredients a little at a time

3. Fold in 1 1/2 C of walnuts

3. Grease and flour a tube pan and fill with half of the batter, and sprinkle half the filling/topping mixture over it.

4. Add the rest of the batter

5. Add 1/2 C chopped walnuts to remaining topping and sprinkle over the top.

FILLING & TOPPING MIXTURE

1 1/2 T cinnamon

8 T Sugar

4 T Flour

1/2 C Chopped walnuts

Cut approximately 2-3 Tablespoons of chilled butter into small pieces and scatter over the top of the batter

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out dry and the top is springy.

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ABBY'S Fatten-up-Mac GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

(not for those watching their weight)

from The Memory of You

20 Ounces frozen French cut green beans

1C Onion finely diced

8 Ounce box of. sliced fresh mushrooms

3 ½ T Butter (divided)

1 T Flour

2 t Sugar

1 C Sour Cream

1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup

8 Ounces of sliced Swiss cheese

½ t Salt

½ t Black pepper or to taste

3C Cornflakes

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Cook green beans in lightly salted water until almost tender and drain thoroughly. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Sautee diced onion and mushrooms in 1½ T butter until lightly browned. Stir in 1 T flour and 2 t sugar. Blend in 1 C sour cream and 1 can of mushroom soup. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Fold in well-drained green beans(I blot them with a paper towel) and pour into a 9X13 baking dish. Top with slices of Swiss Cheese and bake at 350 F degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and top with 3C of cornflakes sautéed and toasted in 2 T butter. (Canned fried onion rings may be substituted for buttered cornflakes, but Abby prefers the less greasy cornflakes).

Return the casserole to the oven and bake another 10 minutes. ENJOY!!!

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MAGGIE'S AMAZING PECAN PIE

from A Little Bit of Déjà Vu

Pecan Filling:

1/2 cup(s) white sugar

1/2 cup(s) (packed) brown sugar

1/2 cup(s) maple syrup

1/2 cup(s) dark corn syrup

5 tablespoon(s) butter melted

1 tablespoon(s) bourbon

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon(s) cinnamon

4 large eggs

2 ½ cup(s) pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Line 10 ” pie pan with refrigerated dough. Cover rim of pie with foil.

3. Prepare Pecan Filling: In large bowl, mix sugars, syrups, butter, vanilla, bourbon, and eggs until blended. 4. Beat in pecans and then pour the filling into the pie shell.

5. Bake 10 minutes and reset oven control to 350 degrees F.

6. Bake another 25 mins. until filling is puffed and set at edges but still jiggles slightly in center. Remove foil rim and bake another 10-15 minutes to allow browning. Cool on wire rack.

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HANNAH'S HEAVENLY CINNAMON-ALMOND SQUARES

from Hypnotic Seduction

PREHEAT OVEN to 350 degrees

1 C Butter

1 C Granulated Sugar

1 Large egg separated

1 t Almond extract

2 C Flour

¾ C Chopped Almonds

3 T Sugar

1 t Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, and almond extract together. Blend in Flour. Spread dough on an ungreased sheet pan 10X15 and press into a flat rectangle about ¼-inch thick. Beat egg white until foamy. Brush foam evenly over dough. Scatter nuts over the top. Combine 3T sugar and 1t cinnamon and sprinkle over nuts. Bake at 350 degrees about 25 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow to partially cool and cut into 2 to 3-inch squares.

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SAMANTHA'S Keep-Dani-Healthy GREEK OMELET

from The Great Bedroom War

Serves two

4 Eggs

2 t Olive oil

3 T Scallions chopped

2 C Fresh spinach chopped

1 T Chopped fresh dill

1/8 t Garlic powder

1/8 t Black Pepper

1/8 t Salt

2 t Butter

2 ozs Feta Cheese crumbled

2-3 Slices Provolone Cheese (depending on how cheesy you like it)

Beat eggs to a froth. In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, sauté scallions for one minute then add spinach, chopped dill, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and sauté quickly just until the spinach starts to wilt. Combine the spinach mixture in the eggs and stir in crumbled feta cheese. Rinse the skillet. Melt 2 t butter in the pan over a medium heat. When the butter sizzles, add beaten egg mixture to the pan. Gradually move the cooked edges to the center with a spatula while alternately tipping the pan in a rotating motion to allow uncooked mixture to move to the clear edges of the pan. When the eggs are nearly set, flip the omelet.and lay slices of provolone cheese over ½ of the hot, cooked side of the omelet and fold. Cook for another ½ minute, flipping it halfway through to melt the cheese inside. Cut in half and garnish with a sprig of dill.

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ANNIE'S Fill-'Em- Up-on- a-Budget ZUCCHINI BAKE

from The Parent Pact (coming soon)

It's not the most slenderizing dish, but it's the only way Annie can get Noah and Rachel to eat zucchini

PREHEAT OVEN to 350 degrees

Blend together in large mixing bowl:

4 eggs

1/3 C LIGHT Olive Oil

4 Tbsp. Melted Butter

½ -1 tsp. Garlic Powder—depending on how garlicky you like things.

3 T. Finely Chopped Fresh Parsley (If dehydrated use only 1T)

1/2-2/3 C Grated Parmesan or grated sharp provolone Cheese

½ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Black Pepper

Stir in:

3/4 C Jiffy or Bisquick Baking Mix

Plus 1 tsp Baking Powder

Fold in:

4 C PEELED, thinly sliced zucchini (approximately 3 medium) PACK the measuring cup.

2/3 C Finely Chopped Onion

Place in a 9X13X3 well-greased pan. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350º for 25 minutes (or until almost done). Cover with a thin layer of sliced Provolone (a little thicker layer if you like things extra cheesy) and bake another 5-10 minutes.

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CASEY'S Consolation and Celebration CARROT CAKE

From No Exchanges, No Returns (coming soon)

PREHEAT OVEN to 325 degrees.

With a mixer, blend the following wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth:

1 C Sugar

1 C Dark Brown Sugar (Packed)

4 Large eggs

1 C Canola or other vegetable oil

2 t Vanilla

1 T Grated orange peel

Mix together in a separate bowl:

2 C Flour

1 t Baking Powder

1 t Baking Soda

1 t Salt

2 t Cinnamon

Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet, beat until smooth.

Then add:

3 C Finely shredded carrots (Packed)

3/4 C Chopped walnuts

Grease and flour 9X13 pan. Bake cake in 325 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. When the cake is tone the center should spring back to the touch. Also insert a toothpick into the center. When it comes up dry, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before flipping onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Wait until it’s completely cool before frosting. Be sure to refrigerate the cake since it has cream cheese in the icing. I generally prefer cake chilled, anyway.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(This recipe makes quite a bit of frosting, which Casey needs because she usually cuts the cake into two layers and puts some icing in the middle. If you don't care for a lot of frosting, you can cut this in half and still probably have enough to cover the cake without filling it.)

12 ozs. Cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 C 1 stick of Butter (room temperature--NOT MARGARINE)

1 t Vanilla

1 lb. Box of confectioners sugar

1-2 t Lemon zest to taste.

OPTIONAL -- 1/2 C toasted shredded coconut or chopped nuts sprinkled on top of the cake

Blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together with a mixer and gradually add confectioners sugar until it is the consistency and sweetness you prefer. Then add lemon zest to your taste. After frosting the cake you can sprinkle chopped nuts or toasted coconut on top before decorating. (Casey prefers the grated toasted coconut. She uses a half a bag of grated coconut and browns it on a cookie sheet in the oven for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Coconut browns fast, so watch it carefully so you don't burn it.)

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