Juliana Schatz’s Latkes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 tablespoons matzo meal
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as chives or parsley, for garnish
• Sour cream
• Applesauce

Directions

Peel the potatoes and shred them in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade; transfer the potatoes to a large bowl as the food processor fills up. Repeat with the onion. Transfer the onion to the bowl with the potatoes and stir in the matzo meal, egg, baking powder and salt.

Fill a large skillet with 1/2 inch oil. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil is very hot but not smoking. To test if the oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of potato into the oil; if the potato sizzles steadily, the oil is ready.

Working in batches, scoop the potato mixture by 1/4-cupfuls and add them carefully to the skillet, flattening each latke slightly with a spatula. Fry, turning the latkes once, until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Remove any loose bits of potato mixture between batches with a slotted spoon.

Serve the latkes immediately, or keep them warm in a 200 degree F oven. Serve with sour cream and/or applesauce.

(If you need to fry a lot of latkes, it’s best to make multiple batches rather than one double batch. The longer the mixture sits, the wetter it becomes which makes the latkes fall apart more easily as they coo).

Juliana Schatz’s Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons seltzer water
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, 1 cup of the sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of the apple pie spice in a medium bowl until well mixed. Stir the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon apple pie spice together in a shallow dish. Set aside.

Whisk together the eggs, melted shortening, lemon zest and 1/2 cup seltzer water in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture. Add the remaining seltzer water, a teaspoon at a time, just until the dough comes together in a soft and shaggy ball.

Turn the dough out onto a generously-floured cutting board (it will be a bit sticky). Sprinkle the top with flour and pat out until it is about 3/8-inch thick. Cut out as many circles as possible using a 3-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, then cut out doughnut holes from the center of each with a 1-inch round cutter. Reserve the doughnuts and holes. Gather the scraps together and pat them out again to 3/8-inch thickness. Continue to cut doughnuts and doughnut holes, reworking the scraps, until all the dough is used.

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until a deep frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 375 degrees F. Working in batches, fry the doughnuts and holes until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and cool slightly. While still warm, roll in the spiced sugar until well coated.

Makes 12 doughnuts and 12 doughnut holes.

 

 

 

 

 

Amy Gravely’s Christmas Morning Breakfast

Ingredients

• Hard boil 1 dozen eggs

Directions

Cook ½-1 pound bacon until crisp, then crumble

Over medium-low heat, combine ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup flour by stirring constantly.   Add 1 cup light cream and 1 cup milk.  Add 1 pound grated sharp cheddar cheese, and stir until melted.     Add ½ tsp each of thyme and basil.  Add 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley.

Pour half of the sauce into a 9 x 13 pan and spread to cover the bottom of the pan.  Add sliced eggs and sprinkle the bacon over the eggs.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the top.   Crumble 5-6 crackers on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Pam Mowbray’s Corn Pudding

A sweet and delicious southern soufflé best served as a side with a meal of Smithfield Ham.

Ingredients

• 2 cans yellow corn drained
• 2 cups whole milk
• 4 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 Tbl. Melted butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.  Scald the milk in a pan on the stove top.  Be careful not to burn it!  Set aside and beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until blended.  Add milk, melted butter and salt.  Mix well until incorporated.  Add flour a little at a time and mix well after each addition.  Fold in drained corn and hand mix well.  Pour into a greased soufflé dish.

Bake 15 minutes and remove from oven and stir contents well, scrapping the bottom to get any flour that has settled up and mixed.  Return to the oven and bake 35 more minutes or until set and golden brown on top.

Pam Mowbray’s Sweet Potato Biscuits

Serve warm with Smithfield Ham.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼  cup all purpose flour
• 2 Tbl. Sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup room temperature salted butter
• 2 Tb. Whole milk
• Melted butter for tops

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a non metal bowl.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix sweet potatoes with room temp butter until well incorporated.  Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix into a soft dough.  Add the milk one tablespoon at a time and mix well between each.  You may not need the milk or only one tablespoon, depending on the moisture content of your sweet potatoes.

Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll to ½” thick.  Cut with biscuit cutters or cut into 2 ½” squares (something different) with a sharp chef’s knife.

Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and brush tops with melted butter.  Bake 15 minutes or until slightly risen and golden.

Serve with thinly sliced Smithfield Ham and Honey Cup or Cherrchie’s Honey Cranberry Mustard.   YUM!

 

 

 

 

 

Chip Carter’s Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 large potatoes peeled and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried marjoram

3 cups whipping cream

1 teaspoonsalt

¾ cup water

¾ teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ tablespoons fresh or 1 ½ teaspoons dried marjoram

¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Garnish: fresh marjoram sprigs

Directions

Combine first 6 ingredients in small bowl and set aside.

Arrange one-third of potato slices in a lightly greased shallow 3-quart baking dish; sprinkly with cheese mixture. Repeat layers with remaining potato slices and cheese mixture, ending with potato slices.

Combine whipping cream and water: pour over top layer. Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 1 ½  (or 1 ½ teaspoons) marjoram. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish if desired. Serves 12.

 

 

 

 

 

Bobby Knaupp’s Apple Sausage Stuffing

Ingredients 

1 lb. bulk sausage

1 cup diced bacon (10 strips)

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

2 apples, cored and diced

1 cup chopped parsley

2 tsp. poultry seasoning

2 loaves (2lbs.) torn white bread

2 cups chicken broth (may need more—should be moist, not soggy)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Fry sausage and bacon in large skillet until brown and crispy.  Add remaining ingredients except for bread and broth. Sauté 5-10 min. until veggies are soft. Add to bread pieces; add broth to moisten (slowly, so it doesn’t get soggy).  May use to stuff turkey or bake in well-greased casserole for one hour at 350 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

Mindy Guyer’s Pumpkin Trifle

Ingredients

2 – 14oz package of gingerbread mix

1 – 5.1oz package of cook n’ serve vanilla pudding

1 – 30oz can of pumpkin pie filling

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 teaspoon cinnamon

1 – 12oz container of cool whip

1 package of heath bar bits

Directions

Bake gingerbread.  When cool, break up half into the bottom of a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix together the prepared pudding, pumpkin pie filling, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Put half of that mixture on top of broken up gingerbread.  Spread half of the cool whip on top.  Sprinkle half of the bag of heath bar bits.  Do a second layer of everything (ie, repeat).  Put in fridge until ready to serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Sandy Dunkum’s Oven Baked Caramel French Toast

Ingredients

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

6 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1 dash salt

6 -8 slices French bread (sliced diagonally 1 inch thick)

Directions

Spray 13×9 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In medium saucepan, combine topping ingredients and mix well.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.
DO NOT BOIL!
Spread topping in baking dish.
Beat eggs in a large shallow dish.
Add milk, vanilla, and salt, and blend well.
Dip each bread slice in egg mixture, making sure all egg mixture is absorbed.
Place bread over topping in baking dish
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, heat oven to 400 F degrees.
Bake uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until toast is golden brown and sauce is bubbly.
Let stand 2 minutes.
Invert baking dish onto large platter, scraping any extra topping onto toast.
Serve immediately.