Funnel Cakes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
Vegetable oil for frying
Confectioner’s sugar

DIRECTIONS

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Make a well in center of flour mixture.

Beat egg in a small bowl. Add milk and mix well. Pour mixture into the well in the flour mixture. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Preheat vegetable oil in a large skillet.

Pour 1/2 cup of the batter at a time into a funnel, holding finger over spout. Drop batter in a swirl pattern into the hot oil.

Fry, turning once with a slotted utensil, until crisp and lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter. Drain funnel cakes on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

Serves 4

Chocolate Pie

DIRECTIONS

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup orange juice, chilled
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whipping cream, whipped
1 (9 inch) chocolate crumb pie shell
Chocolate shavings, optional for garnish

DIRECTIONS

Sprinkle gelatin on top of orange juice in a medium saucepan. Let stand for 1 minute. Add sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring continually, until the sugar and gelatin are dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Add chocolate chips to the orange juice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat eggs in small bowl. Add a small amount of the chocolate mixture to the eggs and mix well. Stir eggs into chocolate mixture.

Cook the mixture, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches 140°F on an instant thermometer, about 2 1/2 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract. Chill, covered, for 30 minutes.

Fold whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Spoon into pie shell. Chill, covered, for 3 hours. Garnish with chocolate shavings, if desired.

Serves 8

Crispy Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups cornflake crumbs
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups ranch salad dressing
3 lbs. chicken pieces (breasts, legs, thighs)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 13×9 inch baking dish.

Combine cornflake crumbs, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.

Pour salad dressing in medium bowl. Dip the chicken pieces in the salad dressing, coating well. Dredge the coated chicken pieces in cornflake crumb mixture.

Place chicken pieces in prepared baking dish. Bake until juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife and a thermometer reads 180°F, about 50 to 55 minutes.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
2 or 3 bananas, mashed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped, divided

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium high speed until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs.

Add flour, bananas, peanut butter and baking soda to a creamy mixture and mix well.

Add 6 tbsp. peanuts to peanut butter mixture and mix well.

Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with the remaining peanuts.

Bake bread until a toothpick inserted in center of bread comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Tomato Pasta Soup

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 lbs. fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. each dried basil, marjoram and oregano
1 tsp. fennel seed
1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup uncooked small pasta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, broth, basil, marjoram, oregano, fennel seed and pepper.

Bring tomato mixture to a boil; reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Puree tomato mixture in batches in food processor or blender. Return to saucepan; bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender, about 7 to 9 minutes.

Transfer the soup to bowls and sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Yeast Waffles

INGREDIENTS

2 cups milk
1 envelope dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
3 cups flour
5 1/3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Place milk in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until scalded, about 130°F; do not boil. Cool the milk to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a large bowl.

Add flour, scalded milk, butter, salt and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer set at medium speed until the batter is smooth.

Chill batter, covered, for 8 to 12 hours.

Add the eggs and baking soda to the batter and beat until well mixed. Cook on a waffle iron.