Hearth and Home

Crust:
Curst for 2 crust 9 inch pie
Filling:
1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
1 (16 oz)can whole berry cranberry sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Glaze & Topping:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3 to 4 teaspoons water
1/4 cup almond slices

Heat oven to 400. In large bowl mix cherry filling, cranberry sauce, cornstarch and cinnamon. Spoon into crust. Top with top crust, seal edges, flute, and cut slits to vent. Bake at 400 for about 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. You can cover crust with strips of tin foil after about 15 or 20 minutes to prevent crust from turning dark brown. Remove pie from oven. Immediatly in small bowl blend powdered sugar, corn syrup, and enough water to make a drizzling consistancy. Drizzle over hot pie. Decorate or spirnkle with almonds. Cool at least one hour before serving. Makes 8 servings.

The Custard:
3 eggs beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Strawberries:
You can slice fresh strawberries onto custard or you can make this strawberry mixture:
1 quart of strawberries (crushed)
1 cup sugar

Combine eggs and sugar in top of double boiler; beat well. Add flour , stirring until smooth. Gradually add in milk and whipping cream. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly with a metal spoon. 10 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats the spoon. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. [Note: For those like me who don't have a double boiler just use a small pan on the bottom with water and place a medium or larger pan on top to cook the ingrediants. Pour mixture into six 6-ounce custard or dessert cups. Cover and chill throughly.
Mix strawberries & sugar and then spoon into custard. Serve chilled for best results. Yeilds 6 servings

Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks butter (total of 1 cup)
2/3 cups confectioners sugar

Filling:
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 or 2 cups whipped topping

Topping:
1 qt crushed strawberries
1 1/8 cup confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: For crust mix flour and powdered sugar. Then blend in butter. Press into baking pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 350. Cook throughly. Then cool. For the filling cream together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped topping. After the above crust is cooled spread filling mixture. For the topping mix all the ingredients. Work until thickened. Spead on filling. You can garnish with strawberry halves.

4 Cups seeded 1-inch watermelon chunks
1/4 cup thawed frozen unsweetened pineapple juice concentrate
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Fresh Melon balls (optional)
Fresh Mint leaves (optional)

Place Melon chinks in a single layer in plastic freezer bag; freeze until firm, about 8 hours. Place frozen melon in food processor container fitted with steel blade. Let stand 15 minutes to soften slightly. Add pineapple juice and lime juice. Remove plunger from top of food processor to allow air to be incorporated. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of container frequently. Spoon into individual desert dishes. Garnish with melon balls and mint leaves if desired. Freeze left overs. Makes 6 servings Variations:
Honeydew Ice:
Substitute honey dew for watermelon and unsweetened pineapple-guave-orange juice concentrate for pineapple juice concentrate.
Cantloupe Ice:
Sunstitute cantaloupe for watermelon and unsweetened pineapple-guava-orange juice concentrate for pineapple juice concentrate.
Recipe by Tabby

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Mix together all ingredients except granulated sugar. Chill 4 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350F. Shape in balls the size of walnuts and dip one side in granulated sugar. Place sugared side up on ungreased cookie sheet 2 to 3 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes.

Two Lemon Icebox Pies
Filling
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
3 lemons (probably would have used four if I had them)
1 scoop of sugar (about 1/3 cup)
6 egg yolks
Meringue
6 egg whites
1 scoop of sugar (about 1/3 cup)
Crust
Vanilla wafers (about 1 box), some will be crushed, some will be whole.
1/2 stick butter

Preheat Oven 325 or 350 degrees.
To prepare the crust crush up about 1/2 box of vanilla wafers. Then melt 1/2 stick butter. Add some crumbs and half the butter you melted to each pie plate. Use a fork and spread evenly. Then add a few dry crumbs on top and help fill in any gaps. Do this for two pies. Set aside.
For the filling mix in blender sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and sugar. While its blending cut up your lemons and squeeze the juice out of them. Get rid of any seeds. Now add that to the blender and continue to blend for a couple more minutes. Pour half of mixture into each pie plate with prepared crust. Then push around the edges vanilla wafers to line pie.
For the meringue use blender or hand whip 6 egg whites. Once frothy, add sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
Spread meringue over filling and bake in preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
Once they are done, remove from oven, and let cool. Then place in the fridge for at least an hour or until well chilled.

This is a handwritten recipe found in my old cookbook that dates 1824. This recipe is certainly Victorian in age. The name of this recipe is:

To Stew Pears

Peel 25 nice pears (any cooking sort will do) lay in the bottom of a stewpan with 1 lb loaf sugar. The rind of a lemon cut in thin strips, a little of the juice, with enough liquid cochineal to make it a nice bright color, let them stew slowly 'till down, try them with a silver fork take them up and add about a tablespoonsful of arrowroot mixed with water to the syrup to thicken. do not take off the stems in peeling the pears & keep a little of the syrup in another basin to throw over them when dished.

Well we are supposed to be getting the needed supplies soon to make a couple of the candies I posted below. But today, despite an oncoming headache, I could not help myself at making a batch of chocolate cookies. With two little helpers in the kitchen to assist { aka 'my boys' } they turned out delectable. You will find these are a refreshing change of pace from the ordinary chocolate chip cookies. So strap on your apron and try this lovely, and did I mention easy, little recipe for Chocolate Cookies...

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

First melt your chocolate in a small saucepan. In a mixing bowl cream your butter. Gradually add the brown sugar to the butter, being sure to mix well. Then add the egg and vanilla to the butter mixture, giving it a through beating. Now add your melted chocolate to the butter mixture. Beat till smooth.
Now in another bowl mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add to creamed mixture, stirring well. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches. Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes, or until done. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire rack or marble slab, as we do.

If you don't have enough of the squares, as was the case for me, then you can substitute 3 tablespoons of powdered cocoa with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to equal 1 (1-ounce) unsweetened chocolate square. I just added it to my bar of chocolate and melted all together.