Apple Jacks

Whether you call them Apple Jacks or Apple Turnovers, this fruit filled pastry is a holiday treat enjoyed by all of our family.

Apple Jacks

Ingredients - Apple Filling
6 each....................large apples (almost any apple will do)
2 cups....................granulated sugar (or add sugar to taste)
1/2 stick.................unsalted butter (or add butter to taste)
1/4 tsp...................apple pie spice (or add apple pie spice to taste)

Preparation - Apple Filling
*Peel,core and slice apples
*Place slice apples into a pot filled a small amount of water to allow apples to cook without scorching
*Cook until apples are soft (a filling consistency similar to chunky apple sauce)
*Once apples are cooked, take off heat and allow to cool completely

Ingredients - Pastry Dough
*Prepare biscuit dough (see Mimi's biscuit recipe) or use prepared pastry shells
*Roll out individual apple pastry shells about the size of a grapefruit in diameter
*The the individual pastry shells about 1/8 inch in thickness or thick enough that the shell does not tear when filled with fruit filling


Preparation - Pastry Dough
*Fill each pastry shell with fruit filling  (do not overfill)
*Fold pastry shell over to create a half shell with pastry filling inside
*Crimp pastry shell around the edges to seal pastry filling inside



Cooking
*Always use a cast iron frying pan and crisco shortening
*Use enough crisco to fry the apple jack one side at a time. 
*Let the crisco heat up pretty hot, but not hot enough to allow jacks to brown without burning before time to flip them:) You will have to adjust the temp of the crisco as needed and probably
will need to use two pans as to keep the crisco clean from charred dough and burnt crust.
*After frying the apple jacks, place them on a plate with plenty of paper towels to absorb the crisco as they cool.

Comment(s) by Aunt Gail:
"Truly this is all there is to it.  Make them to your taste and doneness.  As Mom always said, "The ugliest ones are usually the best ones."

Comment(s) by Chase Goode:
"This is one of my favorite desserts because of its wonderful taste and texture, plus it has linked three generations...my Grandmother to my Mother to my Sister.  All experts at making Apple Jacks."



 



 

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Aunt Louise is one of the best cooks that we know.   She ventures outside the box with new recipes that seem to always be loved by the immediate and extended family members.  She loves to entertain and a visit to her home for the holidays is one long remembered for great food and gracious hospitality.  Here is her version for a homemade holiday treat that compliments the traditional holiday meal.

Ingredients
1 bag..............................Fresh Cranberries
2 boxes..........................Cherry Jello
1/2 cup...........................Orange Juice
1/2 cup...........................Crushed Pineapple
1 cup..............................Chopped Pecans
2 cups............................Sugar
3 cups............................Water


*Grind the fresh cranberries in a food processor to a course consistency
*Add sugar to cranberries and mix well.  Let sugar and cranberries stand for at least 1 hour
*Add orange juice to mixture and stir
*Add crushed pineapple to mixture and stir
*Bring water to a boil and add cherry jello
*Pour the cherry jello and chopped pecans into the bowl with other ingredients and mix well
*Pour jello mixture into a mold or pyrex dish to congeal
*Place into the refrigerator at least 3 hours
*Serve cold

Plain Pound Cake

Mimi has done it again!  She has given up her pound cake recipe to the benefit of all the family who have tasted this wonderful treat at past family gatherings.  Nothing and I mean nothing beats the taste of Mimi's pound cake fresh and still warm from the oven.  It is a slice of heaven on earth.

Plain Pound Cake
3 cups           sugar
3 sticks          butter (salted)
5 each            eggs (large)
3 cups            flour plain
1 cup              milk
½ tsp              salt
1 tsp               lemon extract
1 tsp               vanilla extract


*Oil and flour a large Bundt cake pan (remove the excess flour)
*Blend sugar and butter (softened) together with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl
*Add eggs one at a time to the blended sugar and butter while continuing to mix the first two ingredients
*Add flour and milk slowly alternating each until integrated with the other ingredients to form a batter
*Add salt, lemon extract and vanilla extract to batter and mix thoroughly
*Pour batter into the Bundt cake pan
*Place the Bundt cake pan into a cold oven on the middle shelf
*Turn the oven on and set the temperature a 325*F
*Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes or until done


Comments from Mimi:
  "Always start with a cold oven and do not open the oven door for at least an hour as you risk the cake falling."


Comments from Chase Goode:
  "This is a Win-Win dessert.  If it comes out perfect from the oven, I am a happy camper.  And if the cake falls while in the oven, I am still a happy camper.  The fallen cake is a little more dense in its texture, but it is still great."

Chicken Stew

One of the culinary delights of the entire spectrum of food is chicken stew.  It is a concoction that once eaten is never far from one's mind when hungry.  If chicken soup is good for the soul, then chicken stew is better for the soul.  Throw in a few hush-puppies on a cold, fall/winter day and you have one of the great gifts to mankind.  My father-in-law has what I consider to be one of the best chicken stew recipes ever created and now I am sharing it with you.

Chicken Stew
5 each      large chicken breasts with bone-in
5 each      large baking potatoes
3 each      large sweet onions
1 can       tomato soup
2 cans      creamed corn
1 can       cream of mushroom soup
1 can       crushed tomatoes (without bell pepper)
1 stick      salted butter
1 quart     whole milk

*Place chicken in a large soup pot and cover with water
*Boil chicken in a large soup pot until done
*Remove chicken from pot (and retain chicken broth in the pot)
*Chop the chicken breast to a shredded consistency
*Return chopped chicken to the large soup pot retaining the chicken broth
*Peel and cube uncooked potatoes (cubes should be about 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch)
*Place cubed potatoes into soup pot with shredded chicken
*Peel and finely chop onions
*Place chopped onions into pot with other ingredients
*Add can of tomato soup to the pot
*Add cans of creamed corn to the pot
*Add can of crushed tomatoes to the pot
*Add stick of butter to the pot
*Add can of cream of mushroom soup to the pot
*Stir all ingredients together and simmer until potatoes are done
*Add salt and pepper to taste
*When potatoes are done slowly add milk and bring to a low boil
*Serve hot with homemade hush-puppies (or cornbread)

Comments by my Father-In-Law:
  "This is quick and easy recipe that the entire family loves."


Comments from Chase Goode:
  "If you placed some of this chicken stew on top of your head, your tongue will beat your brains out trying to taste it.  It is REALLY that good!"

Scampi

While scampi is synonymous with shrimp as the main ingredient, a slight variation uses chicken breast cut into small pieces similar in size to medium shrimp.  While both recipes are equally delicious, the chicken appeals to those cooks seeking to prevent possible allergic reactions to seafood.

Scampi Success
3 each        large Roma tomatoes (finely chopped)
2 tbsp.        extra virgin olive oil
2 each        whole bay leaves
2 cloves      garlic (or prepared garlic)
1/4 tsp.       salt
1/4 tsp.       black pepper
20 each       fresh jumbo shrimp (or 2 each large chicken breasts cut to size)
1/4 cup       whole milk
1/3 cup       self-rising flour
3/4 cup       extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp.        salted butter
2 cloves      garlic (or prepared garlic)
2 tbsp.        lemon juice
2 sprigs       parsley (finely chopped)
1 box         linguine pasta

Place chopped tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, bay leaves, 2 cloves garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until tomatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic and bay leaf. 

Peel, devein and butterfly shrimp.  Dip shrimp in milk, then in flour, shaking off excess flour. Sprinkle shrimp lightly with salt. In large skillet, heat remaining olive oil. Add about half the shrimp at a time.
Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until shrimp are done, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towel.

In another small pot, melt butter; cook chopped garlic in butter until tender. Add tomato pulp and lemon juice; mix well. Drain olive oil fromshrimp pan. Pour tomato sauce over shrimp. Sprinkle with parsley. Mix gently with cooked linguine and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Comment from Chase Goode
  "Shrimp scampi was one of my Mom's favorite meals." 

Great Grits

Grits are more than food to true Southerners.  They are a reminder of our heritage and survival under some of the more harsh conditions in our past.  Regardless of the jokes, negative comments and ridicule endured by Southerners, grits will always belong in a Southern home.

Great Grits
1 cup        grits (white or yellow)
2 cups      water
½ cup       whole milk
1 stick       salted butter
½ cup       sharp cheddar cheese (shredded) - This is optional


Place grits and water into a pot
Boil until the grits are tender (remember to stir constantly to prevent sticking to the pot)
  Note:  Bring to a high boil and then turn down to a low boil
Add milk and stir until the grits begin to thicken
Place on plate (grits should no run (spread out))
Add butter, cheese, salt and black pepper to individual taste (it is OK to add cheese)


Comment from my Wife
  "Grits are like fresh air and sunshine when they are cooked correctly.  They lift one's spirit; especially,  for breakfast on a cold morning."

Comment from Chase Goode
  "A man has not lived life until he has tasted grits cooked in a true Southerner's home."

White Fruit Cake

This fruit cake recipe was a favorite of Grandma.  She detested citron in fruit cake and worked diligently to find a recipe free of citron.  We think that she hit a home run with her citron free recipe that we call White Fruit Cake.

White Fruit Cake
2 sticks            salted butter
1 cup               sugar
¾ tsp               baking powder
2 cups              plain flour
½ lb                 red candied cherries
½ lb                 green candied cherries
½ lb                 candied pineapple
1 cup               blond raisins
1 cup               dark raisins
1 cup               chopped dates
1 quart             shelled pecans (uncooked)
2 tsp                vanilla extract
1 tsp                lemon extract
5 each              large eggs

*Preheat oven to 300ºF
*Cream butter with mixer or by hand
*Add sugar and continue creaming the butter mixture
*Beat eggs in a separate bowl and slowly add to the butter mixture
*Add vanilla and lemon extract to mixture
*Add pecans to mixture
*Place all fruit into a separate bowl 
*Pour flour over the fruit and stir until fruit is coated with the flour
*Pour butter mixture and fruit into a large container and mix thoroughly
*Grease and flour a large Bundt pan
*Pour mixture into Bundt pan
*Place in oven on middle rack
*Place a shallow pan of water on lower rack (maintains moister)
*Bake for 2 hours (do not open oven door for at least 2 hours unless severe browning has occurred)
*Stick fruit cake with a wooden toothpick.  If it comes out clean the cake is done.

Comments from my Wife (a Grand Daughter):
  "I have made grandma's white fruit cake and it is a labor of love.  It tastes nothing like commercial fruit cakes and rarely has anyone who has tasted it make corny fruit cake jokes again."

"I too have a distaste for citron and dry fruit cake.  This fruit cake is moist and the taste is fabulous."
                                                                                                              Chase Goode