Pecan Butter Balls

2 c. Flour
1/4 c. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt
1 c. Butter
2 t. Vanilla
2 c. Finely chopped pecans (can be chopped in a food processor)
Fine granulated sugar

Add flour, sugar and salt to food processor. Pulse several times to sift ingredients. Add butter and vanilla, then pulse and process until butter is combined. Add chopped pecans, then process briefly to combine. Shape into 1 inch balls by. Bake on a cookie sheets at 325 degrees about 25 minutes. Cookies are fragile when they are hot. Let them cool for a bit and while still a bit warm, roll gently in fine granulated sugar.

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen

Super-Duper Chocolate Cookies (Marygin's)

½ c. butter
4 oz. bitter chocolate (I use 12 T. cocoa and 4 T. oil instead.)
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ c. chopped nuts (optional)


Melt butter and chocolate (or melt butter and add cocoa and oil). Add sugar and vanilla and heat. Take it off the heat while it’s still thick and grainy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add dry ingredients and nuts. Mix. Chill over night.

Form into small balls and roll in powdered sugar. Bake 8-12 minutes at 350 degrees.

Nutella-swirl poundcake

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 and 1/4 cups sugar

one 13ou jar Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan, tapping out excess flour. In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk the 1 and 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

2. In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer (I used a stand mixer), beat the butter with the sugar at medium high speed until fluffy. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in three batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

3. Spread 1/3 of the batter in the prepared pan (next time I'd do a little more, the Nutella sinks), then spread the Nutella on top (heat the Nutella in the microwave for 30 seconds before doing this - take the lid off the jar first!). Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella. Top with remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

4. Bake the cake for about one hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wrire rack, turn it rightside up and let cool completely, about two hours.

Bessie's Baked Beans

Bessie’s Baked Beans (serves 10-12)

5 cans butter beans
½ C. brown sugar
½ C. white sugar
7 oz. katsup, picante sauce or salsa
1 tsp. mustard
½ lb. bacon
1 large onion, chopped

Brown the bacon and crumble. Brown the onions. Mix all ingredients together.
Bake 2 hours at 350. (I cover it for the 1st hour, then uncover for the last hour)

Margueritas on the Rocks

1 can frozen limeade (regular size, not the tiny ones)
1 can/bottle cheap beer (12 oz)
Tequilla -- 1/3 to 1/2 of limeade can full (or to taste!)

Mix all in a pitcher, pour over ice. To salt rims of glasses: Pour marguerita salt onto a small plate, rub rim or glass with a damp clean sponge/cloth, press rim into salt, tap gently to knock off loose salt.

Makes 4-5 drinks. Easily doubles (or triples, etc.!)

Grandma Leggiero's Easter Rice Pie

Sweet Crust

• 3 C Flour
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1/3 C sugar
• 3 t. baking powder
• 1 egg plus milk to equal 3/4 C
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla
• 3/4 Shortening (can be half shortening, half butter)

Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Cut shortening/butter into dry ingredients until shortening is pea sized. (Food processor works great) Mix in wet ingredients just until dough holds together. Gather into a ball and refrigerate for 20-30 min. Don't overwork the dough.

Filling

• 2/3 C rice
• 1 qt milk
• 6 egg yolks
  
• 2 C sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 1/2 lbs ricotta
  

Cook rice about 10 minutes in water, then drain. Add rice to milk and cook gently until all milk is absorbed. Stir frequently to keep rice from scorching. (about 1 hr). Let rice mixture cook completely. Stir in sugar, vanilla and ricotta.

Roll out dough to fit a 9x13 baking dish and fold back edges to make a rim. Fill with filling mixture. Bake at 350 for 1- 1.5 hours until filling is set in the middle and a knife inserted comes out dry. Don't overbake.

Several smaller pies can be made from this recipe. The baking time will be less.

Mapo Tofu (Stir-Fried Tofu in Hot Sauce)

Ingredients:

1 block silken tofu (medium firm)(19 oz box)

1/4 lb ground pork (or beef)

3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (Available in any Chinese grocery store. Show them these Chinese words 辣豆瓣酱, and they will understand it-- jie)

3 dry red chili peppers (cut into 3 pieces)

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder) (Hard to find in US, and i did not use it today. --jie)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 stalk of green onion (chopped into small pieces)

3 pieces of garlic (chopped)

1 small piece of ginger (chopped)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the tofu into small cubes. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, spicy bean paste, and chili pepper. Stir-fry till the flavor come out. Add ground pork and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in the tofu, soy sauce, salt, sugar and water. Stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens.* Dish out and add the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and the chopped green onion on the surface. Serve hot.

*Depending on how thick the sauce is at this stage, stir in some of the cornflour-water mixture and turn up the heat to medium. The sauce should start to thicken.