White Crawfish Pie

This is a tasty and simple recipe that can be made by anyone with basic kitchen skills. You can bust my chops for using canned soup and pre-made pie shells. But I am writing this for people on a limited budget and lack of time. I will post a more ambitious version of the recipe later. If you can't find crawfish tails you can substitute peeled raw shrimp.

Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dry
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
• 1 cup yellow onions chopped
• ½ cup bell peppers diced
• ½ cup celery chopped
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1¼ cup half and half
• 1 pound of crawfish tails
• 5 tablespoons cornstarch
• enough pie dough for double crust 9" pie or 2 premade pie shells.

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat a sauté pan on medium heat.
3. Pour the olive oil into the pan, then add the butter.
4. Wait till the butter melts and you hear a sizzle.
5. Sauté onions, bell peppers, celery.
6. Add the garlic to the vegetables last and sauté.
7. Add milk and soup; bring to medium boil, stirring frequently.
8. Add crawfish, bring to medium boil again.
9. Add the corn starch and thyme, stir as needed.
10. Lower heat and simmer until thick.
11. Let the filling mixture cool for 15 minutes.
12. Divide the dough and roll out both pie crusts
13. Use a 9" pie pan as a template to test for proper size.
14. Grease the pie pan liberally with butter.
15. Carefully place bottom pie crust in the pan.
16. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork.
17. Pour the thickened mixture into the bottom pie crust.
18. Put on the top crust and seal the edge.
19. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
20. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.
21. Serve while still warm.

King Cakes

The King Cake is an oval-shaped bakery delicacy rich in flavor and history. The Cake is made with a rich Danish dough which is a cross between a coffee cake and a French pastry It is covered with a poured sugar topping and decorated with the traditional Mardi Gras-colored sugars. Purple which signifies "Justice" Green for "Faith" and Gold for "Power."

Hundreds of thousands of King Cakes are consumed at parties every year, making the King Cake another fine Louisiana tradition. A Mardi Gras party just wouldn't be a Mardi Gras party without a King Cake!

The King Cake Story

The King Cake is believed to have been brought to New Orleans, Louisiana, from France in the 1870's. It evolved from the Twelfth Night or Epiphany pastry made by those early settlers. They added their own touches with the Spanish custom of choosing Twelfth Night royalty. A King Cake is shaped like a crown to represent the kings.

A dried bean or pea was hidden inside the cake and whoever found it received a year of good luck and was treated as royalty for that day. Starting around the 1930s, a tiny naked baby was used instead of the bean or pea. The baby can be pink, brown, or golden. Some people believe that the baby represents the baby Jesus because Twelfth Night was when the three kings found the baby in Bethlehem.

The payback for being king or queen for the day is that person has to buy the king cake for the next day. That can cost from $4.00 - $6.00 for a small, plain grocery store cake to well over $25.00 for an elaborately filled and decorated cake. The good thing is it keeps the party rolling along throughout the holiday season.

King Cake season lasts throughout Mardi Gras from Epiphany until Mardi Gras Day. The royal colors of purple, green and gold on the cake honors the three kings who visited the Christ child on Epiphany.

The three colors appeared in 1872 on a Krewe of Rex carnival flag especially designed for the visiting Grand Duke of Russia. He came to New Orleans just for the carnival, and the universal colors remain his legacy.

Bring the Mardi Gras celebration to wherever you live! Bake a King Cake and start the tradition. Once you have tasted a homemade King Cake, those you buy from the grocery store can't hold a candle to it. This recipe may look long and complicated, but it really isn't.

King Cake

(From Southern Living 1990 Annual Recipes)

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter or margarine
• 1 (16-oz.) carton sour cream
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1 t. salt
• 1 pkgs. dry yeast
• 1 T. sugar
• ½ c. warm water (105° to 115°)
• 2 eggs
• 6 to 6 ½ cups all-purpose flour, divided
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 ½ t. ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• Colored icings
• Colored Sugars

Preparations

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan
2. heat until butter melts, stirring occasionally.
3. Let mixture cool to 105° to 115°.
4. Dissolve yeast and 1 T. sugar in warm water in a large bowl
5. Let stand 5 minutes.
6. Add butter mixture, eggs, and 2 cups of flour; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or by hand until smooth.
7. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.
8. Turn dough out onto a lightly-floured surface
9. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).
10. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top.
11. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from drafts, for 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk.
12. Combine ½ cup sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
13. Pinch dough down and it divide in half.
14. Turn one portion of dough out onto a lightly floured surface
15. Roll to a 28" X 10" rectangle.
16. Spread half of the butter and half of the cinnamon mixture on the rolled out dough.
17. Roll dough, jelly roll fashion, starting at the long side.
18. Gently place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet.
19. Bring ends of dough together and form an oval ring.
20. Tuck a tiny plastic baby or a large, dried bean into the seam before sealing.
21. Moisten and pinch the edges together to seal.
22. Repeat this procedure with the second half of the dough.
23. Cover and let rise in a warm draft free place, 20 minutes or until doubled in bulk.
24. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
25. Decorate each cake with bands of colored icings
26. Sprinkle with colored sugars.

Makes 2 cakes.

Note: If you prefer, you can replace the cinnamon and sugar inside the roll of dough with a cream cheese filling or a pie filling in the flavor of your choice... just spread it thinly on the center of the rectangle before you roll it up. Popular flavors are blueberry, cherry, and lemon.

Christmas Cookies Part 2

This is another old holiday family favorite.The cookie is rich, flavorful and chewy. I got the recipe from my mother. She got it from her mother, and now I give it to you. I hope you enjoy.

Hedgehogs

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped English Walnuts
• 1 cup chopped Pitted Dates
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 cups shredded Coconut
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Combine the following ingredients:
   • Brown Sugar
   • Eggs
   • Dates
   • Walnuts
   • 1 cup Coconut
3. Form a bit of the mixture into a 1" by ½" log.
4. Roll the log in the remaining coconut.
5. Place on a greased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes

makes about 60 cookies

Peppermint Pie

My grandmother Jessie was in love with peppermint candy. So it was no surprise that she would make a peppermint pie. She was a very intuitive cook who did not always write recipes down, or measure. Either you watched and figured out her tricks or you were left in her dust as she whipped up her delicious dishes.

One of my sisters wanted the recipe and I started thinking back to the days when I watched my grandmother make this dessert. I had a rough idea of the recipe and with a bit of searching and remembering I came up with something very close to her original recipe. The only real difference was using whipping cream instead of condensed milk.

Candy Cane Chiffon Pie

Ingredients

• 1 - 9" pie crust, prepared
• 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
• 1/2 cups cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon. peppermint extract
• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cups whipping cream, whipped
• 1/2 cups crushed peppermint candy canes

Preparation

1. Have the baked pie crust ready.
2. Soften the gelatin in water in a 1-quart saucepan.
3. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat.
4. Cook until the mixture bubbles and the gelatin is dissolved.
5. Remove from heat. Cool.
6. Stir in the peppermint extract.
7. Beat the egg whites in a 3-quart bowl with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form.
8. Beat in the sugar gradually until stiff and glossy.
9. Beat in the gelatin mixture at low speed until mixed.
10. Fold in the whipped cream and candy.
11. Heap into shell.
12. Decorate with small candy canes if desired.
13. Chill 2 hours or until firm.
14. Sprinkle with crushed candy just before serving for an added sparkle.

Yields: 1 - 9" pie

Preparation Time: 45 minutes, plus chilling time

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potatoes are a good food. They are fairly inexpensive, tasty, and very good for you. Personally I like sweet potato pie better than pumpkin pie. The bright color and flavor are wonderful. Add the fact that fresh ingredients are better than canned ones, it makes it a clear choice for me. Have you ever tried to prepare fresh pumpkin? It can be a lot of hard work, and that is the last thing I want when preparing for a holiday dinner.

Pie Crust:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cups lard or shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 - 6 tablespoons water

Preparation

1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
2. Work it into the flour till it is a uniform grainy consistancy.
3. Mix the water into the mixture but do not overwork the dough.
4. Form a ball and wrap it in a plastic wrap.
5. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for later use.
6. Once the dough is chilled roll the dough into the shape you need.

The pie crust can be prepared in advance and frozen. You can either freeze prerolled pie shells, or as slabs you can thaw and roll out as needed.

Filling

ingredients

• 4 large potatoes
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 stick unsalted butter (¼ pound)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 2- 8 inch pie crusts
• 1 cup evaporated milk

Preparation

1. Boil potatoes in their skins until tender.
2. Let them cool
3. Peel the sweet potatoes
4. Put the potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
5. Mash them thoroughly with a potato masher.
6. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg.
7. Melt the butter. Pour it into the potatoes.
8. Add vanilla, spices, salt and evaporated milk.
9. Stir the mixture until well mixed.
10. Pour the potato mixture into the pie crust.
11. Put into an oven preheated to 375°.
12. Cook for about 35-45 minutes.
13. If a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, it's done.
14. Let the pies cool for at least 1 hour before cutting and serving.

Makes 2 pies.

Simply Delicious

Pound Cake

A pound cake is one of life's simple pleasures. This golden, rich cake is the basis of many wonderful desserts. Making a pound cake is a very simple project..

This cake gets it's name from the fact that each of the ingredients used in the recipe weigh one pound. Try this recipe, you will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 1 pound cake flour
• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 pound granulated sugar
• 1 pound egg (8 large eggs)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Generously butter 2- 9 inch loaf pans.
3. Place a sheet of parchment in the bottom of the pan.
4. Cream the sugar into the butter.
5. Add the vanilla extract to the creamed sugar.
6. Mix the eggs into the mixture, one egg at a time.
7. Gradually fold ithe flour and salt into the mixture.
8. Mix until the ingredients are completely combined.
9. Pour the batter into the pans.
10. Tap the pans on a firm surface to remove any air pockets,
11. Bake the cakes for 1 hour.
12. Remove the pans from the oven.
13. Test with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, the cakes are done.

Christmas Cookies- Part 1

Kolatchkis

No matter how you spell it these Polish or Ukrainian Christmas cookies are wonderful addition to any Christmas cookie list. These flaky pastry like delicacies were always the first to disappear during the holidays. My mother would make them by the gross. It was a very big family and they all were Kolatchki junkies. You can use any flavor filling you prefer, but most of the ones I have seen were either apricot, cherry, and almond. If you do not have a large family, or you are a dainty eater, you can scale the recipe easily. Just scale down the amount of flour, butter, cream cheese and filling.

Ingredients

• 1 lb unsalted butter
• 4 cups flour
• 1 lb Cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water for egg wash
• 2 cans Solo canned filling

Preparation

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl until combined.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until pale and creamy.
3. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
4. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and wrap each in plastic wrap.
5. Chill until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
6. Put oven rack in middle position
7. Preheat oven to 375°F.
8. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
9. Divid the dough into 8 equal pieces
10. Roll the dough between sheets of well-floured wax paper into an 11" square.
11. If dough gets too soft, and chill until firm.
12. Discard top sheet of wax paper
13. Trim dough with a pastry wheel or sharp knife into a 10-inch square.
14. Cut square into 4 equal strips
15. Cut crosswise in fourths again to form a total of 16 squares.
16. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling in center of each square.
17. Brush 2 opposite corners with egg wash
18. Bring the coated corners together and pinch firmly to adhere.
19. If dough becomes too soft, freeze it on a baking sheet for a few minutes.
20. Arrange cookies 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
21. Bake 17 to 20 minutes until golden brown.
22. Transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.
23. Sprinkle with powdered sugar .
24. Make more cookies with remaining dough and filling on a lined cooled baking sheet.

makes around 128 cookies.

Thai BBQ Chicken with Sticky Rice

Ingredients

• 1 whole (about 3 pound) chicken, cut in half
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Teaspoon white pepper
• 1 Teaspoons minced cilantro
• 2 Tablespoon cognac, whiskey, or rice cooking wine
• 2 Tablespoon coconut milk
• 1 Teaspoons fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1 Teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
• 2 Tablespoon soy sauce

Preparation

1. Rub the entire chicken with the marinade ingredients .
2. Marinade the chicken for at least 15 minutes.
3. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes
4. Then broil or grill for 10 minutes until done.
5. Cut into smaller pieces before serving.

Serve with Sticky Rice