Aunt Judith's Southern Pecan Pie

Aunt Judith’s Southern Pecan Pie

 

1.   Prepare a 9" pie shell (see Judith's Whole Wheat pie crust recipe)

2.   In a medium bowl, use a mixer to beat 4 eggs well

3.   In a glass bowl, melt 1/4 C butter

4.   Mix into butter:  1 C sugar, 1 C light corn syrup, 1/2 Tbl flour

5.   Blend in the eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt

6.   Add 2 C pecan halves

7.   Pour mixture into pie shell

8.  Bake at 350* for about 50-60 minutes. (In my oven, it took at least 60 minutes so I put the tin foil over to keep the pecans from burning.)  The middle should jiggle SLIGHTLY.

9.   Let cool for one hour until the filling has set

10.  For an extra touch, melt chocolate chips with some Canola oil and stir it until it's thin.  Drizzle back and forth over the top. (I put the melted chocolate into a little plastic baggy, snipped off a corner, and used that as a pastry bag to drizzle the chocolate.  But be careful, the chocolate is hot.)

11.   Serve with fresh whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Made with Xylitol and Coconut Palm Sugar

By Kimberley Stewart

Makes 3 dozen

 

Beat together:

·         1+1/3 cup butter

·         1+1/2 cup Xylitol sweetener

·         1/2 cup Coconut Palm Sugar

·         1/2 cup brown sugar (I cut back the CPS because it had a strong flavor, but it didn’t taste strong once it was mixed into the batter, so you may want to try a full 1 cup of CPS and omit brown sugar.)

Mix in:

·         2 eggs

·         2 tsp vanilla

·         1 tsp baking soda

·         1/2 tsp salt

Stir in:

·         1+1/2 cups whole wheat flour

·         2 cups white unbleached flour

Mix in:

·         2+1/3 cups chocolate chips (more or less)

Pre-heat oven to 350 d.  Once dough is ready,  spoon drops of dough (small golf ball size) onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-11 minutes.  The bottoms and sides of cookies will brown, but the top will stay soft and moist, not crunchy on top.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack…or into your stomach!  I think they taste the same as a regular soft chocolate chip cookie – I would never know the difference, and I am EXTREMELY picky about my chocolate chip cookies!

Info on Xylitol and Coconut Palm Sugar:

Xylitol is a sweetener naturally produced by your body.  Manufactured Xylitol is used in sugar-free gum, mints, and other similar foods.  It has 40% less calories than sugar, is low-glycemic and gluten-free, and can be replaced 1:1 with regular granulated sugar.  It can be used in cooking and baking, but not for any yeast product.  As an added benefit, numerous peer-reviewed studies have shown that regular consumption of Xylitol helps fight tooth decay and reduced cavities over time.  Many dentists are starting to promote Xylitol products to their patients to help protect their teeth.

I am always skeptical of sweeteners that claim to “taste just like sugar” and be as sweet.  Usually, it is too sweet and has a weird aftertaste.  But upon recommendation by my dentist, I ordered a 1 lb bag of Xylitol to see if I could actually bake with it, and make really delicious chocolate chip cookies without sacrificing texture or taste.  When I opened the bag and sampled the Xylitol crystals, I really liked the taste!  No aftertaste at all for me, although some people online have reported a “cooling” sensation as the crystals melt.  And they actually do melt in your mouth – sort of like eating cotton candy.  So, I was hopeful!

Next I opened the bag of Coconut Palm Sugar (CPS) I had also ordered.  CPS is also a sugar substitute, made from the nectar of coconut palm blossoms.  The nectar is dried and then crushed into granules. CPS is preferable to brown sugar because it is not refined sugar cane, but a natural sweetener that retains its nutrients, incl. potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, vitamin C, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6.  It has a low glycemic rating of 35 so it slowly absorbs in your bloodstream.  It looks like coarse brown sugar, and the taste is a little strong (to me), like burnt caramel.  I was hesitant to switch it 1:1 with brown sugar in my recipe.

The brands I bought were made by XyloBurst:  http://www.xyloburst.com/index.php

However, I found the same XyloBurst sweeteners for a cheaper price at: http://hudsonhealthfood.com/categories/Xylitol-Sweeteners-/

Christmas Persimmon Bread

This recipe comes courtesy of the Salt Lake City Junior League cookbook from years ago.  Persimmons are a winter fruit, so this is the perfect holiday bread for eating and gift giving!

 

    ~ Kimberley Stewart

Christmas Persimmon Bread

Yield:  Two loaves

Combine:

·         2 C chopped persimmons (3 persimmons.  Should be soft.  Do not peel.)

·         1-1/2 tsp baking soda

Pour into a bowl and slightly stir:

·         2-1/2 C flour

·         2 C granulated sugar

·         1-1/4 tsp salt

·         1 tsp cinnamon

·         1 tsp nutmeg

Barely blend in:

·         3 eggs, slightly beaten

·         3/4 C vegetable oil

·         1/2 C raisins (optional)

·         1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour two 4.5” x 8.5” bread pans.  Distribute the mixture evenly between the two pans.  Bake for 45 – 60 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.  Refrigerate if not eating immediately.

 

Peanut Sauce Perfection

I have spent 12 years married to a man who adores peanut sauce. And I have spent 12 years perfecting th recipe! I finally found the perfect peanut sauce recipe, and I want to make sure it is on the food blog forever!

-peanut butter (1/2 cup)
-hoisin sauce (2 tbsp)
-soy sauce (1tbsp)
-garlic (1 mashed clove)
-dark brown sugar (1 tbsp)
-sesame oil (1 tbsp)
-chile – garlic paste (1 tsp)
-lime juice (from 1 lime)
-rice vinegar (1 tbsp)
-ginger (1/2 tbsp)
-hot water

Add all ingredients but water in a food processor and blend. There are times when I don't have an ingredient or two, and it always still turns out fine! Peanut sace is fun, because you can put it over everything and toss. You add the water to determine thickness of your sauce depending on at you are using it for. 

I cook rice, and stir fry carrots, broccoli, chicken and cabbage. When cabbage wilts, I leaves a lot of water behind so, I don't add any water to the sauce, I just put spoonfuls on top of my stir fry and It gets bended in. Serve over rice or toss with pasta! It's very versitile! 

Original Joes

This has been a family favorite for a long time. But I lost track of it for a while. I made it this week and got RAVE reviews from my kids. Always great when a recipe you make has spinach, and gets RAVE reviews.. RIGHT?

Original Joes

1 lb Ground Beef (I use turkey, always)
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
1/2 Onion, Chopped
Fresh Chopped Mushrooms (to taste)

Saute until meat is browned, and add

3/4 cup Ketchup
3-4 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
Fresh Spinach
Fresh Chopped Tomatoes
4-5 Slices of Pastrami

Italian Seasoning, to your liking... salt and pepper. Cover, and let spinach wilt.

In the end, put grated mozzarella cheese on top and let melt. Serve on buns (Hoagie Style). It is a great meal, with lots of veggies!