Sugar Cookie Murder (24 page)

½ cup cranberry sauce (use whole berry, not jellied)

Crumb Topping:

½ cup white (granulated) sugar

1/3 cup flour

¼ cup butter, softened

Grease only the bottoms of a 12-cup muffin pan (or line the cups with double cupcake papers — that’s what I do at The Cookie Jar.) Melt the butter in a bowl with the dried cranberries and set them aside to plump up and cool. Measure out the sugar in a large bowl and add the beaten eggs, baking powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly.

Stir in the butter and plump dried cranberries. Add half of the flour to your bowl and mix it in with half of the milk. Then add the rest of the flour and the milk and mix thoroughly. Then add ½ cup cranberry sauce to your bowl and mix it in.

Fill the muffin tins ¾ full and set them aside. If you have dough left over, grease the bottom of a small tea-bread loaf pan and fill it with your remaining dough.

Crumb topping: Mix the sugar and the flour in a small bowl. Add the softened butter and cut it in until it’s crumbly. (You can also do this in a food processor with chilled butter and the steel blade.)

Fill the remaining space in the muffin cups with the crumb topping. Then bake the muffins in a 375 degree F. oven for 25-30 minutes. (The tea-bread should bake about 10 minutes longer then the muffins.)

While your muffins are baking, divide the rest of your cranberry sauce into half-cup portions and pop it in the freezer. I use paper cups to hold it, and freeze them inside a freezer bag. All you have to do is thaw a cup the next time you want to make a batch of Cranberry Muffins.

When your muffins are baked, set the muffin pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 30 minutes. (The muffins need to cool in the pan for easy removal.) Then just tip them out of the cups and enjoy.

These are wonderful when they’re slightly warm, but the cranberry flavor will intensify if you store them in a covered container overnight.

GINA’S STRAWBERRY BREAD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

This recipe is from Gina, Father Coultas’ cousin, and she always brings a loaf when she comes to Lake Eden to visit. She says to tell you that if you keep this bread in an airtight container, it’ll taste even better the second day. It’s also wonderful if you toast and butter it.

½ cup butter (1 stick, ¼ pound)

1 cup white (granulated) sugar

½ teaspoon strawberry flavoring (or vanilla, or almond)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour (no need to sift)

1 cup crushed or chopped fresh strawberries (or a 10-ounce package of frozen strawberries, thawed and well drained, then chopped)

Melt butter. Mix with sugar and strawberry flavoring. Set aside and let cool.

Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for later. When the butter/sugar mixture is warm but not hot to the touch, add the egg yolk one at a time, stirring thoroughly after each addition.

Stir in baking powder, soda, and salt.

Stir in half of the strawberries. Stir in half of the flour. Add the second half of the strawberries, then the second half of the flour.

Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold them into the batter.

Coat a loaf pan( 9 x 5-inch bread pan) with nonstick cooking spray, then line it with wax paper and spray it again.

Turn the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the bread in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from the load pan and continue to cool on the rack. Wait another 10 minutes or so before removing the wax paper.

SALLY’S BANANA BREAD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Regina Todd got this recipe from her cousin, Sally Hayes, who got it from her brother’s neighbor, Connie. Regina tried to teach Andrea to bake it, but that was a lost cause, and she gave up.

¾ cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups white (granulated) sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 ½ cups bananas (3-4 overripe bananas, the ones with lots of black spots on the peel)

2 cups flour ( no need to sift)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Mix the butter and sugar together until they’re nice and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs and stir it all up.

Peel and mash the bananas. (You can do this with a fork, if they’re ripe enough.) Measure out 1 ½ cups of mashed banana and add it to your mixing bowl. Stir well.

In another bowl, measure out the flour and mix in the baking soda and salt.

Add half the flour mixture to your mixing bowl. Stir well. Add half of the buttermilk (you don’t have to be exact) and mix that in. Add the rest of the flour mixture, stir well, and then mix in the rest of the buttermilk. Stir thoroughly.

Mix in the nuts at this point, if you decided to use them.

Coat the inside of a loaf pan (the type you’d use for bread) with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon in the banana bread batter and bake at 350 degrees F. For approximately one hour, or until a long toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can also bake this in 3 smaller loaf pans, filling them about half full. If you use the smaller pans, they’ll need to bake approximately 45 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack in the pan, loosen the edges after 20 minutes, and turn the loaf out onto the wire rack.

Regina usually sends this banana bread home with Bill. (She knows by now that Andrea doesn’t bake, and I guess she figures it’s the only way her son will get anything homemade.) Andrea likes it sliced, toasted, and buttered for breakfast.

SODA BREAD

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

This recipe is from Bridget Murphy. She makes it every year on St. Patrick’s Day and many times in between.

¼ cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup flour

In a large bowl, cut the butter into the cup of flour with a fork.

Add the following ingredients to the bowl:

3 more cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup white (granulated) sugar

½ teaspoon cardamom (or coriander)

In a separate bowl, mix the following:

1 ¾ cups evaporated milk (or buttermilk)

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups golden raisins (optional)

Add the milk and eggs (and the optional raisins) to the bowl with the flour and stir thoroughly. Turn out on a floured board.

Bridget says to make sure this step doesn’t scare you off. Anyone can knead bread. Just put some wax paper on your counter, and sprinkle it with flour.

Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Then cut the mass in two with a knife you’ve sprayed with nonstick cooking sprya. Shape each half into something round.

Coat two 9-inch pie plates with nonstick cooking sprya. Put the dough inside the pie plates, press it down, and use a sharp knife to cut a half-inch deep X on the tops. (Bridget says you might have to spray the knife again to keep it from sticking.)

Bake the soda bread at 375 degrees F. for 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature, turn out onto a breadboard, and slice to serve.

This soda bread is especially good with John Brady’s Quick Irish Chili, or Irish Roast Beast.

BAKED FISH

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Geraldine Goetz contributed this recipe. Her husband goes fishing with Lisa’s dad, Jack Herman.

9-12 fillets of fish (any firm white fish will do)

juice of one lemon

2 teaspoons Mrs. Knudson’s Season Salt

2 teaspoons pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced or mashed (you can also use jarred garlic)

½ cup dry white wine

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup butter, melted

Rinse and dry fish fillets with paper towels. Rub with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle or spread minced or mashed garlic in the bottom of a greased baking pan (a 9 x 13-inch cake pan will do fine.)

Place the fillets in the pan and pour the wine over the top. Sprinkle with parsley, green onion, and breadcrumbs. Melt the butter and spoon it on.

Cover the pan loosely with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes. Take off the foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

Pour off most of the liquid before serving. This fish is wonderful served with crusty bread and a tangy green salad.

BARBECUED ANYTHING

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Norman Rhodes says this is the easiest barbecue anyone could ever dream up. I’ve tasted is barbecued ribs, and they’re absolutely delicious.

4-5 pounds ribs, cut up into 2-rib servings.

Barbecue Sauce:

½ cup catsup (Norman uses Heinz)

2 tablespoons firmly backed brown sugar

¼ cup bottled steak sauce (Norman uses Heinz 57)

¼ cup prepared mustard (Norman uses honey mustard)

2 tablespoons wine vinegar (or apple cider, or plain white)

½ teaspoon Mrs. Knudson’s Season Salt

½ teaspoon liquid smoke

½ onion, minced (if Norman’s in a hurry, he uses dried chopped onion)

Place the ribs on a rack in a baking pan and brown them at 400 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Turn them over and brown them on the other side for an additional 15 minutes. Drain off the fat.

Spray 5-6 quart Crock-Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Place the ribs in the Crock-Pot and pour on the sauce. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

These ribs are great cooked entirely in the slow cooker. If you want to use your grill, pre-cook them in the Crock-Pot for 5 hours, refrigerate them, and finish them up outside on the grill.

Norman says to tell you that this barbecue sauce also works for chicken or sausage cooked entirely on the grill. For chicken, it’s even better if you leave out the steak sauce and increase the mustard to ½ cup.

Norman also says that if you’re pressed for time, you don’t have to make the barbecue sauce. Just use a good bottled sauce. The secret is slow-cooking the meat in the Crock-Pot — that’s what makes it so tender and tasty.

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

You can do this in a 5-quart slow cooker, or a 325 degree F. oven, rack in the middle position.

This is Janice Cox’s recipe, and Eleanor and Otis swear it’s going to land them a son-in-law soon.

12 skinless, boneless chicken breasts *

2 can (10 ¾ ounces each) cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)

1 can (10 ¾ ounces) cream of chicken soup (undiluted)

1 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons paprika

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

½ teaspoon onion powder

salt to taste

one-pound package wide egg noodles, cooked

• You can also use boneless skinless thighs, chicken tenders, or a combination of the three.
  

Coat the inside of a 5-quart slow cooker or a large roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Put the soups, the sour cream, and the seasonings in the pan and stir them around to combine them. Add the chicken and make sure it’s covered with the soup mixture.

For the slow cooker: Cook on LOW for 5-6 hours. If you’re in a hurry, cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours.

In the oven: Bake in a tightly covered roaster for 4 hours at 325 degrees F. Then take off the cover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or so.

Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Yield: Feeds at least 8, unless you’re talking about a threshing crew that’s been working the fields all day.

COUNTRY HAM CASSEROLE

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

This is Loretta Richardson’s recipe. Her daughter, Carly, makes it every time she gets together with her old high school friends.

4 slices of bread, cut into one-inch cubes

1 pound leftover ham, cut into small pieces (or thinly sliced deli ham)

24 spinach leaves, roughly chopped

12 eggs

1 cup sour cream (or ½ cup sour cream and ½ cup cream cheese)

1 cup half-and-half (light cream)

1 teaspoon ground pepper

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup chopped green onion

1 cup grated Swiss cheese (or cheddar, or Monterey Jack)

Grease a 13 x 19-inch cake pan. Sprinkle bread cubes over the bottom. Cover the bread cubes with the ham. Cover the ham with the spinach leaves.

Whisk together eggs, sour cream, half-and-half, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder in a large bow. Set aside.

Sprinkle the chopped green onions in the casserole. Add the cheese on top. Pour the egg mixture on top of that, cover the pan with foil, and let it sit in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

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Sprinkle the chopped green onions in the casserole. Add the cheese on top. Pour the egg mixture on top of that, cover the pan with foil, and let it sit in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Take off the foil and bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees F. for approximately one hour, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: Serves 6-8 people for brunch.

E-Z LASAGNA

Mother says to tell you she has to give credit where credit is due. She got this recipe years ago from her friend Lois Meister.

8-ounce package lasagna noodles (not cooked!)

32-ounce jar plain spaghetti sauce (Mother uses Ragú)

1 cup milk

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons dried chopped onion (or one small onion, finely chopped)

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese

2 cups cottage cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten