Altrusa Recipes
Enjoy!
Roasted Pecan Clusters
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups pecan pieces (sometimes I use pecan halves)
3/4 pound (6 squares) chocolate or almond bark (I use white almond bark)
Melt butter in a 15.10x1 inch jellyroll pan. Spread pecans evenly in pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Melt bark squares in top of a double boiler; (I use the microwave oven); remove from heat, and stir until smooth. Cool 2 minutes; add pecans, and stir until well coated. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto waxed paper. Before serving, let cook completely.
Pasta with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
3 large boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 carrot, peeled, cut into matchstick-like strips
¼ finely chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
12 ounces fettuccine, freshly cooked
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until brown and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to large bowl. Keep warm. Add onion, garlic and fennel seeds to skillet and sauté until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in carrot and sun-dried tomatoes and continue cooking until carrot is crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl with chicken. Add pasta and Parmesan and toss well.
Sour Cream Pound Cake
2 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour
½ teas. baking soda
½ teas. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
1 tablespoon lemon flavoring
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together. Alternately add flour and sour cream to cake mixture (beginning and ending with flour). Beat well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and lemon flavorings. Pour into a well-greased tube pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes (or until cake springs back when pressed lightly on top). Cool on baking rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Betty Crotty
Savory Miniature Quiches
by Pat Featherstun
1 stick margarine, softened
1 3-oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup flour
1 cup finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ jar bacon bits (or ½ cup crumbled bacon)
½ cup milk
1 egg, beaten with a fork
dash dry mustard
dash Worcestershire sauce
Mix margarine and cream cheese; add flour and mix to form dough. Divide into 24 balls and form shells in tiny muffin tins. Divide cheese and bacon evenly among shells. (Can be done ahead and refrigerated at this point.) Mix together remaining ingredients and drizzle evenly in shells, using about 2 tsp. in each. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Yield: 24 quiches
CHEESE STRAWS
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese (Kraft in 8-oz. package)
2 sticks butter/margarine blend (Country Morning in gold/brown package)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups all purpose flour (Pillsbury works best)
Have cheese and butter at room temperature. Grate cheese and mix with butter. Add salt, pepper, paprika and sugar. Mix well. (I do this with my hands as heat from hand helps the mixture to blend.) Mix in flour and knead lightly. Place in cookie press and press onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly brown. (Watch carefully—if they burn they are terrible!) Remove to wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container. Makes approximately 12 dozen small “S’s”.
Note: No store in Martinsville now carries Country Morning butter/margarine blend. I get mine at Harris Teeter in Danville. Using one stick of butter and one stick of margarine works fine.
German Chocolate Cake Squares
Dianne Vann
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
8 oz. cream cheese
1 stick margarine
1 box powdered sugar
Grease a 9 x 12 pan. Pour coconut and pecans into pan. Mix cake mix according to package directions. Pour batter over coconut and nuts. Mix well cream cheese, margarine and sugar. Drop by spoonfuls on top of cake mix. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. (I check for doneness after 50 minutes since my oven tends to be hot).
FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
1 Loaf French Bread (slice into 1” slices) (may not take entire loaf)
8 eggs dash nutmeg
3 cup milk 1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp sugar
Generously butter 13 x 9 glass baking dish.
Butter top side of each bread slide; arrange in single layer in bottom of dish.
Beat eggs, milk, sugar, nutmeg, salt and vanilla; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
TOPPING
¼ cup melted butter ¼ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. Maple syrup ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Combine and spread on bread slices. Bake 350 degrees uncovered for 50-60 minutes ( my oven cooks fast so I baked mine 45 minutes) until bread puffs and is light brown.
Serve with apples, pears, peaches, bacon, sausage or ham.
CABBAGE PATCH STEW
Pat Featherstun
2 tbsp. salad oil
1 lb. learn ground beef
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 - 15 oz. can kidney beans, undrained
1 tsp chili powder (or more to taste)
2 envelopes low sodium beef bouillon
1 tbsp. sugar or Splenda (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown ground beef in oil; add onions and celery. Cook until onions and celery are transparent. Add water and cabbage and cook for 15 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 additional minutes (or longer).
TURTLE DESSERT
Linda Dorr
17 ice-cream sandwiches
1 (12.25-ounce) jar caramel topping
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans, toasted
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
3/4 cup hot fudge topping, heated
Place 8 1/2 ice-cream sandwiches in a 13 x 9-9nch baking dish. Spread evenly with caramel topping, and sprinkle with 1 cup pecans. Top with 2 cups whipped topping and remaining ice-cream sandwiches. Spread remaining whipped ;topping evenly over sandwiches. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pecans. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours. Let stand 5 minutes before serving; cut into squares. Drizzle with fudge topping. Yield: 10 servings.