Easy Cambria Key Lime Pie

Just in time for Summer!  This recipe is from my friend, Bonny Spencer of Cambria, and uses Key West Lime Juice found at the Cookie Crock in Cambria and it is SO good!

One 9" graham cracker pie shell or crust of your choice
One 14oz. can unsweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (whites not used)
1/2 cup Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice (found at the Cookie Crock Grocery Store in Cambria)

Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice.  Blend until smooth.  Pour filling into pie shell and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating.  Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream and garnish with lime slices.

Lavosh Roll-ups

This is a quick instant hors d' oeuvre or lite luncheon idea that is always a hit.

Lavosh is an Armenian flat bread that looks like a great big cracker and is in a big round paper wrapping at the store.  It has sesame seeds on it and is yummy just like it is with soup, dip, cheese, etc.  OR ~ you can cover it with a damp towel for an hour or so (to soften it) and then spread with cream cheese mixed with dill, olive tapenade or any spread of your choosing.

Then add a layer of thinly sliced meat, some spinach or big lettuce leaves, olives ~ just about anything that you would put in a sandwich, roll it up, cut it in pinwheel slices and serve.  It looks pretty on a platter and serves a lot!

Now for the great news!  Trader Joes carries Lavosh or Lavash ~ spelled there a little differently, and it is intended for wraps.  It is RECTANGULAR and is already SOFT and ready to go!  There are several sheets to a package and it is found in the bread department.  It's what's for lunch!

Potato Corn Chowder

Here's something that I made one rainy evening from what I had in the pantry.  All I really wanted for dinner was to curl up in a blanket with a warm bowl of tasty soup!

3 Russet potatoes, cubed
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 can whole kernel corn
About 1 quart milk (I used low fat)
2 T. butter
Wondra flour (about 3 T)
1 tsp. Seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup or so grated cheese

Peel and cut potatoes into cubes and boil with chopped onion. While that is cooking, in a 2 qt. saucepan melt 2-3 T. butter. Add Seasoned salt and pepper. Whisk in Wondra flour (it doesn’t make lumps!) Slowly whisk in milk until mixed well. Bring to boil and let it thicken some. Remove from heat. When potatoes and onions are soft, drain in colander. Add to milk mixture and add corn and heat through. Serve with a little grated cheese on
top and with some good crusty bread ~ yum!

Note: you can adjust the milk according to your taste ~ thicker or thinner ~ I like it thick!

Breakfast Cookies

I wanted to make these cookies just so I could tell my Grandkids they could have cookies for breakfast!

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 tblsp. vanilla
1 cup oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup Craisins
3 cups Cheerios
1 cup chopped pecans 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking soda, salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl.  Beat in water, egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in flour. Beat in oats, raisins, Craisins and nuts.  Then by hand, mix in Cheerios so as not to crush them.  Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet forming balls about 2” across.  Pat down slightly.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool on wire rack.  Cookies can be frozen, but not the raw dough.  Makes about 36 cookies.

Want an easy, new twist to an old standby?  This recipe combines apple butter and pumpkin for a light, spicy, yummy pie!

1 cup apple butter (comes in 30 oz. jar ~ see "note" below)
1 cup mashed pumpkin (comes in 16 oz. can)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
3 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup evaporated milk (comes in 12 oz. can)
1 unbaked 9" piecrust in metal pan (frozen ones come in pkg of 2)
Whipped cream for garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl.  Stir in the eggs.  Gradually add the milk and mix well.  Pour into piecrust.  Bake on lower rack for about 40 minutes until set.  Cut in wedges and serve with whipped cream!

Note from Bonnie:
I discovered as I was making this that the jar/can ingredients will make enough for 2 pies, so may as well make two at a time and share one with the neighbors!  Bon Appétit!

Cream Cheese Pastry:
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
8 oz. cream cheese
2 cups flour
Place in food processor or mixer and pulse until large "cottage cheese size curds" form.  Remove and form a ball of dough.  Wrap in Saran wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Filling:
Raw (uncooked) top sirloin or flank steak 8-12 oz. cut in a fine dice and placed in a mixing bowl.
Cut all of the following in fine dice or pulse in a food processor and place in the bowl (careful not to puree!):
1 small onion
1 small rutabaga or turnip
1-2 large carrots (grated/small dice works best)
1 large potato
Add:
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
pinch of salt and pepper to taste
1-2 OXO or beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 1/4 c. boiling water
Note: Quantities vary by number of pasties you want to make.  This filling is enough for nearly double what you'll need for the above pastry recipe.  You can double the pastry recipe ~ or freeze the left over filling for another time.

Here's where the fun starts:
Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4" or slightly less and cut out 4" circles or use an empanada tool.  Spoon 1+ Tablespoons of the filling and fold circle in half.  Moisten edge and seal closed with fork.  Brush tops with a beaten egg.  Cut 2-3 slits in top to vent.  Bake at 425 degrees 10-12 minutes until golden.  Yield 24 pasties.

From Bonnie:
I tried this recipe last night just to see if I could make them and was very pleased with the results!  It took about 1 & 1/2 hours from start to finish and I had to work to get them to seal (I used the juice from the filling instead of water as it seemed to want to drip out anyway) and used a 3" cutter first and then changed to a 4" one, as it was easier to handle that size.  Tina makes such lovely little ones and I hope with a little practice mine might measure up to hers!  Bon Appétit!

1 can creamy Vanilla frosting
1 12-oz. package Vanilla milk chocolate chips
1/4-tsp. peppermint extract
4 drops red food coloring
2 tablespoons crushed peppermint candy

Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil with a 2-inch overlap on the edges.  Butter lightly (or use spray).  Melt chips over low heat in double boiler until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in frosting and extract.  Spread in pan.  Drop food coloring on fudge and swirl with a knife.  Press crushed candy into top of mixture.  Refrigerate.  When thoroughly chilled and set, lift out of pan, peel off foil, and cut into pieces of desired size.  Recipe may be doubled and put into a 9x13 inch pan.

Put selection of pieces on candy dish, sit down, get your favorite book, and enjoy.  Yum! ;0)

Use a medium sized cookie sheet with raised edges (jelly roll pan). Fill it with Keebler Club crackers, single layer, not overlapping. Melt 2 cubes butter minus 2 tablespoons, then add 1/2 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and boil just 2 minutes--NO LONGER! Pour over crackers, covering each one. Sprinkle chopped pecans over all (or any nut you prefer). Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on foil. Don’t scrape up any extra topping and add it to a cookie--looks ugly!  Scrape up all the excess into a ball and let it cool and eat it! Yum!