Category: Grandpa’s Use Only

Alton Brown’s Shoofly Pie – with a tweak by Grandpa
Lancaster, Pennsylvania has the best shoofly pie bakeoff

• 9 inch pie crust
  1. Dock crust
  2. Lay parchment down
  3. Cover with beans of a baking chain
  4. Blind bake 425 for 10 minutes
  5. Remove chain or beans
  6. bake 7 more minutes

• Food process the following
  • 5.5 oz ap flour
  • 2 TBL butter
  • 4 oz brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
• Save 1/4 C for later
• Combine the following in a large mixing bowl
  • 4 oz Brown sugar
  • or make your own brown sugar:
    • 1 pound regular sugar and 3 oz  molasses
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 C boiling water
  • 8 oz molasses
  • one egg
  • one tsp vanilla
• Whisk together
• Add crumbs to the liquid and whisk to combine
  • will be like a thich pourable batter
• sprinkle reserved 1/4 C topping on the pie
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes
• Cool 90-120 minutes

 

 

1. Grease glass baking dish
2. Add a layer of shredded cheese
3. Add a layer of potato slices that have been cut VERY thin on mandolin or par boiled for 5 minutes
4. Optionally add shredded spinach, sausage, scrambled egg, bacon bits, tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, garlic, ricotta cheese, etc
5. Add more cheese, salt to taste
6. Create several layers
7. Bake covered 30 minutes at 350º
8. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes

1. Place 4 eggs in a small saucepan; add cold water to cover.
2. Bring to a boil; remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 3 minutes.
3. Carefully drain, then fill pan with ice water to cool eggs.
4. Gently crack shells and carefully peel under cold running water.
5. Place eggs in a bowl of cold water; cover and chill until cold. 
6. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
   
7. Place flour in a wide shallow bowl and crushed corn flakes in another wide shallow bowl.
8. Divide sausage into 4 equal portions.
9. Pat 1 portion of sausage into a thin patty over the length of your palm.
10. Lay 1 soft-boiled egg on top of sausage and wrap sausage around egg, sealing to completely enclose.
11. Repeat with remaining sausage and eggs.
12. Whisk remaining 2 eggs in a medium bowl to blend.
13. Working gently with 1 sausage-wrapped egg at a time, dip eggs into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in egg wash.
14. Roll in corn flakes to coat. 
15. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated, uncovered.
    
16. Attach a deep-fry thermometer to side of a large heavy pot.
17. Pour in oil to a depth of 2” and heat over medium heat to 375°.
18. Fry eggs, turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature of 350°, until sausage is cooked through and breading is golden brown and crisp, 5–6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer eggs to paper towels to drain.
19. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
20. Serve warm with mustard.

• Cast Iron Corn Bread
• Scratch Corn Bread
• Grandpa’s Corn Bread
• Corn Dogs
• Corn Meal Snack
• Small Loaf of Corn Bread
• Classic Corn Bread
• Corn Dogs for Kids
• Hush Puppies
• Corn Tortillas
• July 4 Corn Dog Bites
• Savory Corn Bread Pudding
•  

 

Grandpa’s Grits

• 2 C whole milk
• 1/2 C lowfat buttermilk
• 2 C water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1-2 C coarse ground grits (not from a box)
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 4 TBL unsalted butter
• 1/2 C Tilamook sharp Cheddar, shredded
• 1/2 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4 C minced onion

1. Bring milk, water and salt to a quick boil in a heavy (cast iron) pot
2. Add the grits slowly while whisking continually
3. Once all of the grits have been added, decrease the heat to a low simmer and cover
4. Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking.
5. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until mixture is creamy.
   NOTE: Coarse grits may cook for up to 90 minutes.  Test and taste them before serving them to your family.
6. OPTION: Puree 1/2 C whole kernel canned corn to add with the next step for a real corn taste
7. Remove from the heat, whisk in the pepper and butter.
8. Mix in half of your grated cheese
9. Top with the other half of your grated cheese and serve immediately.

It’s been said that when using boxed grits, pour the grits into a bowl, then eat the box.

Simple Grits

1. Bring 16 oz water and 16 oz heavy cream to a boil
2. Add 4 oz cold butter tabs and 8 oz stone-ground grits
   NEVER quick grits or instant grits
3. Reduce to a simmer and stir until the butter melts
4. Stir only intermittently to keep the grits from sticking
5. Cook for a total of 30 minutes
6. Add more butter, salt and pepper to taste
7. Serve warm

• Pie Dough
• 4 Apples – peeled, deseeded, and rough chopped
• Flour for rolling dough flat
• 2 tsp CInnamon
• 1 tsp Alspice
• 1/4 C Heavy cream
• 1/4 C Sugar

1. Peel, cut and toss applies in spice mixture
2. Prepare pie dough and roll flat on floured surface
3. Cut circles using biscuit cutter
4. Butter a muffin tin
5. Put circles into each receptacle and press down
6. Cut off excess and reserve for lattice at the very end
7. Put apples into each cup
8. Trim lattice with pizza cutter and arrange on top
9. Brush with egg wash
10. Bake 400º for 10 minutes
11. Reduce heat and bake for 350º for 10 more minutes
12. Let cool before removing from muffin pan

• Put the following into a muslin bag
  • 10 cloves
  • 10 alspice berries
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • ground ginger
  • nutmeg
• 1 full bottle Madeira wine (750 ml)
• 72 ounces top fermented English beer (1 – 6 pack)
• Put pan on low heat
• Put in spices
• Add Madeira
• Add ale
• Bring to 120º
• Add 6 eggs – separated
  • Bring whites to stiff peaks
  • Beat yolks to ribbon stage
  • Work white foam into the yolks
• Temper hot ale into the eggs,
• Remove spice bag, and then eggs return to the pot

From Alton

•  6 small Fuji apples, cored
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 72 ounces ale
• 750 ml Madeira
• 10 whole cloves
• 10 whole allspice berries
• 1 cinnamon stick, 2-inches long
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 large eggs, separated

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put the apples into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish.
3. Spoon the brown sugar into the center of each apple, dividing the sugar evenly among them.
4. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
5. Pour the ale and Madeira into a large slow cooker.
6. Put the cloves, allspice, and cinnamon into a small muslin bag or cheesecloth, tied with kitchen twine, and add to the slow cooker along with the ginger and nutmeg.
7. Set the slow cooker to medium heat and bring the mixture to at least 120 degrees F. Do not boil.
8. Add the egg whites to a medium bowl and using a hand mixer, beat until stiff peaks form.
9. Put the egg yolks into a separate bowl and beat until lightened in color and frothy, approximately 2 minutes.
10. Add the egg whites to the yolks and using the hand mixer, beat, just until combined.
11. Slowly add 4 to 6 ounces of the alcohol mixture from the slow cooker to the egg mixture, beating with the hand mixer on low speed.
12. Return this mixture to the slow cooker and whisk to combine.
13. Add the apples and the liquid from the baking dish to the wassail and stir to combine.
14. Ladle into cups and serve.

• 8 oz frozen spinach
• 1/2 C ricotta cheese
• 1 egg plus 1 yolk
• 1/2 C AP flour to mix – 1/4 C flour to dredge
• 4 C water
• 1/2 C (1 oz) grated Parmesan to mix – 1/4 C cheese to dredge
• salt and pepper to taste
• butter

1. Squeeze excess moisture from spinach
2. Add ricotta, cheeses, and eggs
3. Stir to combine
4. Fold in flour to mix
5. Form 6 balls
6. Dredge in flour
7. Drop gently into water on a high simmer
8. Cook 1-2 minutes or until dumplings float to surface
9. Remove with slotted spoon to baking dish
10. Roll in the Parm cheese intended for dredge
11. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes

 

• 1 can (30 oz) Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
• 2/3 C (5 oz) Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 2 large eggs (3 medium) eggs, beaten

1. Mix pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk, and eggs in a large bowl
2. Prepare Grandps’s Crust – below
3. Pour pie mixture into baking shell
4. Bake in preheated oven at 425º for 15 minutes
5. Reduce temperature to 350º then bake 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
6. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
7. Serve warm or cover with plastic and refrigerate.
8. NOTE:  DO NOT FREEZE

Pumpkin Pie Easy Crust

Here where I live they give us crackers with almost every meal.  I have bags of crackers at home, so here is a way that I use them:

• 8 packets of cracker (about 16 crackers)
• 1/2 C AP flour
• 1 TBL sugar
• 2 TBL lard (cold)
• 1/4 C butter (cold) pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Pulse till it’s all pulverized and mixed
2. With food processor running, drizzle in ice water about 1 TBL at a time, until it starts to come together and “the sound changes.”
3. Roll out to about 1/8 inch thickness
4. Line pie plate with the pastry

The first winter in Plymouth was very cold and very hard. Food was scarce. Many died. For days on end, each person was issued only five kernels of corn per day. After weeks of this, they were on the verge of starvation, but finally spring arrived. They took the remaining corn to plant a new crop.

Today we can remember that first winter, and the hardships and sacrifices made, by taking these five kernels of corn with us on Thanksgiving Day, and setting them next to the bounty we have all come to enjoy so many years later.

1. Cut chicken breast into golf ball-sized pieces – one breast per person
2. Mix 1 TBL each sake, sesame seed oil, soy sauce, mashed mango, mirin, sugar, and grated ginger
3. Marinate for 30 minutes
4. Drain each piece and toss in corn or potato starch
5. Ideally, refrigerate on a tray overnight (up to 48 hours)
6. Fry in peanut oil at 325-330º until golden brown
7. Remove to paper towel to drain while you finish the first fry.
8. Fry again at 355-365º
9. Put on paper towel to drain, and salt while still hot

 

 

The difference between a sopapilla and Indian Fry Bread is that fry bread uses water (or half water and half milk)  They are essentially the same though.  In Washington, these are called Elephant Ears.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon honey1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• Shortening, (or canola oil, peanut oil or lard, for frying)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the honey and whole milk.
3. Using your hands, mix the dough together until it forms a sticky mass.
4. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
5. Heat shortening, canola oil or peanut oil or lard in a cast-iron skillet (or medium pot), add enough fat so it reaches 2-inches up the sides of the skillet/pot.
6. Heat up your oil to 350 degrees.
   1. For a sopapilla, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. If the dough is at all sticky (it shouldn’t be after it rested) feel free to sprinkle it with a bit of flour so it doesn’t adhere to the surface.  Flatten to about 1/8 inch thick.  Continue to Step 7
   2. For Fry Bread make a ball, then flatten the ball as thinly as possible with your hands and fingers.  Continue to Step 8
7. Cut the dough into 4 x 3-inch rectangles. Again, the measurements don’t have to be exact, you can definitely eyeball this.
8. Before you fry them up, be sure to get your honey and powdered sugar ready.
9. Line a baking sheet or plate with a few layers of paper towels or clean kitchen towel.
10. Heat the oil up again to 375 degrees F.
11. Gently slide the dough into the hot oil, frying two at a time, for about a minute, flipping them over at the halfway point.
12. They should be lightly golden brown—not too crispy.
13. Transfer them to the bed of paper towels to drain, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
14. Repeat with the remaining dough.
15. Best when eaten hot.
16. Serve them with honey and fruit preserves.

1. Get a ball of pizza dough from your local pizzeria – about $5
2. Cut into 8 pieces for standard pretzels, 16 pieces for pretzel bites
3. Roll them into ropes
4. Twist into pretzel shapes for regular pretzels, or cut into pieces or tie into small knots for pretzel bites
5. Let rise for 60-90 minutes
6. Start large pot of boiling water and put in 1/2 C baking soda
7. Plunge pretzels into water for 30-45 seconds – stir every few seconds
8. Remove to paper towel, and dab off extra water
9. Make an egg white wash – 2 eggs, and 1 TBL water
10. Set onto parchment paper on a baking sheet
11. Sprinkle with Maldon salt
12. Bake at 440º until golden brown
13. Serve with a sweet mustard dipping sauce

Suggestion:  1/4 C each Dijon and sour cream and 2 TBL honey

 

 

Ingredients

1 PKG dry yeast
1 ½ CU warm water
2 tsp salt
¼ cup honey
5 TBL sugar (divided use)
3½ CU flour
3/4 CU Whole Wheat flour or Mesquite Meal
1 TBL cinnamon
4 TBL butter (melted)

Instructions

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water and 1 TBL of the sugar
2. Add salt and honey, let rest 10 minutes
3. Heat oven to 450 degrees F
4. Line baking sheets with foil
5. Mix water with all flour
6. Turn dough and knead lightly
7. Divide into 16 pieces
8. Roll into a 10 – 12 inch long rope
9. Shape each rope (dough will expand slightly)
10. Bake shapes for 15 – 20 minutes
11. Stir together remaining 4 TBL sugar and cinnamon
12. Brush pretzels with melted butter
13. Sprinkle sugar/cinnamon on top

By CHOW Food Team

The flavor of these chewy beauties will beat any street vendor’s wares. Our pretzels are an excellent match with beer; try serving them at your next party with Fig Mustard, Sweet Hot Mustard, Honey Mustard, or even an Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue.

This recipe was featured as part of both our Oktoberfest Food photo gallery and our Make Your Own Mustard project.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
Makes: 16 pretzels

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
Vegetable oil
2 3/4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
6 cups water
1/4 cup baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place the warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is slightly bubbly, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture does not bubble, either the water was not at the correct temperature or the yeast is old.) Meanwhile, coat a large mixing bowl with a thin layer of vegetable oil and set aside.
2. Place the flour, sugar, and measured salt in a large bowl and whisk briefly to break up any lumps. Once the yeast mixture is ready, dump in the flour mixture, place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and mix on the lowest setting until the dough just comes together – about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is elastic and smooth, about 8 minutes.
3. Form the dough into a ball, place it in the oiled mixing bowl, and turn to coat in the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 30 to 35 minutes. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and coat the paper with vegetable oil. Place a piece of plastic wrap (the same length as the baking sheet) over the oil on each sheet and press to coat; set the baking sheets aside.
4. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it until it’s smooth and springs back when poked, about 1 minute. Using a dough scraper or knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 1 1/2 ounces each). Place the pieces spread apart underneath the plastic wrap on the prepared baking sheets (8 per sheet).
5. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll a 16- to 18-inch-long rope.
6. Twist pretzels – SEE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
7. Let the pretzels rise in a warm place until almost doubled in volume, about 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 425°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Bring the 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat and set 2 wire racks nearby.
8. When the pretzels are ready, remove the plastic wrap. Stir the baking soda into the boiling water (the water will foam up) and place 2 pretzels, bottom side down, in the water. Boil for 30 seconds, flip using a slotted spoon, and boil another 30 seconds. Remove with the slotted spoon and place on one of the wire racks. Repeat with the remaining pretzels.
9. Sprinkle the pretzels evenly with salt. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through the baking time, until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes at 350º. Transfer immediately to a rack to cool.
10. Brush with melted butter

Pretzel twisting instructions:

1. Hold one end of the rope in each hand and cross the two ends.
2. Cross them again to form a twist.
3. Lay the twisted end over the opposite side of the rope and press gently to adhere.
4. Lift up the oiled plastic wrap, transfer the pretzel to the baking sheet, and cover.
5. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces, fitting 8 pretzels per baking sheet.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
• 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
• Vegetable oil, for pan
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• Pretzel salt

Step by Step

1. Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top.
2. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam.
3. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined.
4. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil.
6. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
7. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
8. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
9. Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
10. In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces.
11. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope.
12. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.
13. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
14. Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds.
15. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula.
16. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt.
17. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes.
18. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown, 2007

Ingredients

• Stick pretzels or any little type of cocktail pretzel.
• 1 C chocolate
• 1/2 C peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 stick butter
• 2 TBL melted food quality parafin

1. In double boiler melt chocolate
2. Add all other ingredients (except pretzels)
3. Once everything is mixed, gently fold pretzels in
4. Set out to dry on waxed paper
5. Sprinkle with coarse salt or turbinado sugar, depending on what taste you prefer

• 2 TBL butter plus 2 TBL sugar – cook to start caramelization
• Add 4 C apple cider (not juice) and heat to near boiling
• Pour into caraffe
• In heatproof glasses, add 2 TBL each
  • allspice liqueur, amaretto and calvados
• Put 1 tab of butter into each glass
• Add the hot cider, and stir with your straw before drinking