Aunt Jay's mashed potato casserole

Serves 10-12

5 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, cut in large chunks

8 oz sour cream

6-8 T butter

1/2 c sour cream

1/4-3/4 c milk/half-and-half/cream

12-16 oz mushrooms, cremini or white, thickly sliced

2 medium sized yellow onions, cut in half, then into 1/4" slices

Boil potatoes in salted water until a knife pierces them easily. Dump in a colander to drain, and throw the butter in the hot pot to melt. As soon as you can handle the potatoes, peel (if desired) and then add back to pot. Pour in a little of your liquid dairy and mash lightly, making sure to incorporate the butter from the bottom. Add sour cream, and more dairy as needed and mash to desired consistency (pretty smooth but not whipped). Season with salt as needed and lightly with white pepper.

While potatoes are cooking, saute mushrooms in enough olive oil to keep them from sticking, lightly salted and peppered. In a separate pan, do the same with the onions. If you cook them in the same pan, they will likely not be done at the same time.

To assemble, butter a large casserole dish and transfer half of the potatoes to it. Spread the onions on the top, then the mushrooms. Carefully put the rest of the potatoes on top of the mushrooms (they may not spread easily so use your fingers if needed). Top with shredded fontina, grated parmesan, or any other cheese that suits your fancy.

Bake covered for 40 minutes, uncover, and continue cooking until hot through and cheese is melted.

oven caramel corn

18 c popped corn
2 c light brown sugar
1 c butter or marg
½ c light corn syrup
1 pinch of salt
½ t soda

Mix sugar, butter, syrup, and salt; boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add soda and mix well. Pour over corn; stir until corn is coated fairly evenly. Spread on cookie sheets and bake for 1 hour at 200-225º F., stirring every fifteen minutes. Spread on clean countertop to cool, breaking to separate as it cools.

Gramma's coconut macaroons

2 eggs
1/8 t. salt
¾ c. sugar
½ c. flour
1 T. melted butter
2 c. coconut
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 t. grated lemon rind
1 t. vanilla

Beat eggs & salt until foamy. Gradually add sugar, beat until thick and ivory colored (6-7 minutes). Fold in flour and melted butter, stir in coconut, chips, lemon and vanilla. Drop by teaspoons on lightly greased and floured cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees 12-15 minutes.

boiled chocolate cookies

2 c sugar
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 c milk
3 T cocoa
1/2 c peanut butter
2 c quick oats

Combine sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa in a heavy saucepan and boil for 90 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add peanut butter and quick oats and blend well. Drop by spoonfuls quickly onto wax paper and allow to set.

chocolate rum cake

1 package Duncan Hines Devil's Food Cake mix
1 small package chocolate instant pudding mix
1 c sour cream
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4-1/2 c cold coffee
1/4-1/2 c dark rum
4 eggs
2 c chocolate chips
1/2 c butter
1/4 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c dark rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, cold coffee, dark rum, and eggs. Mix until blended. Beat at medium speed for one minute. Scrape sides of the bowl and beat one more minute. Fold in chips. Pour into greased Bundt pan or tube pan. Bake 40-60 minutes or until cake springs back when touched. Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes, turn onto platter.

While cake is baking, melt butter in pan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Poke small holes in the cake with a toothpick. Pour glaze onto cake. It is best to make this a day ahead of time, so that the chocolate chips harden.

tequila lemon/lime mousse

3 lemons or limes
3 eggs, separated
1/2 c castor sugar
4 t gelatin
3 T tequila
2/3 c cream

Zest the lemons, then juice them.

Put a few inches of water in a saucepan, place over medium heat. In a large bowl over the saucepan, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and lemon rind until smooth.

In another large-sized bowl, put tequila and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Leave to soften about 5 minutes. Place over a saucepan and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the lemon juice.

Stir the gelatin-lemon juice mixture into the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Whip the cream and fold in. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the other ingredients. Transfer to serving bowls. Allow to set in the fridge for a few hours.

We actually like this with lime just as well as with lemon. Use decent tequila if you can, but nothing too aged.

Aunt Beatrice's Dinner Rolls

1 c lukewarm water
1 rounded T yeast

Mix gently and let set 5 minutes.

3 rounded T sugar
2 T melted crisco
1 beaten egg
about 3 c sifted flour (White Lily bread flour)
1 t salt

Combine sugar and crisco, add a small amount of the sifted flour, then the beaten egg. Add flour a little at a time with a wire whip, then with your hand. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours or til doubled. Punch down. Knead a little bit. Roll out and cut. Let rise, covered. When transferring to the pan, dip the bottom half in butter. Put in the pan, fold over, and mash with your finger to keep from popping up. Be careful not to use too much flour when rolling out to cut. Bake at 450 degrees, when they start browning, brush the tops with melted butter.

savory zucchini muffins

3 c unpared zucchini, cut in quarters and thinly sliced
1 c Bisquick
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1 t seasoning salt
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t marjoram
1/4 t white pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c chopped onion
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Grease muffin tins thoroughly with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients except zucchini. Add zucchini and put immediately in muffin tins (1/2 c per muffin, if using full-sized pans). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 muffins until golden brown.

Airlie's Onion Herb Bread

1/2 c milk
1 1/2 T sugar
1 t salt
1 T butter
1 pkg yeast
1/2 c warm water
2 1/4 c flour--white, wholewheat, or combination
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 t dill (1 1/2 t chopped if fresh)
1 t rosemary (1 T chopped if fresh)

Scald milk and dissolve in it sugar, salt, butter. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add cooled milk, part of the flour, onion, and herbs. Add rest of flour and stir til smooth. Cover with towel and let rise til triple in bulk (45 min). Stir down and beat vigorously for a few minutes. Turn into greased loaf pan. Let stand 10 min in a warm place. Bake in pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 min to 1 hour (until golden brown).

Gramma's Angel Wings

2 1/2 c flour
1/4 t salt
5 jumbo eggs, yolks only
3 T granulated sugar
1/4 t lemon rind
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
5 T sour cream

Roll very thin, cut into strips, and make a loose knot; deep fry in Wesson oil. Should be pale.

Butter Mints

1/3 c light corn syrup
1/4 c butter
1 t peppermint extract
1/2 t salt
1 lb confectioners sugar
food coloring, if desired

Combine corn syrup, butter, peppermint extract, and salt. Mix well. Sift in sugar and stir slowly to combine. Mix dough together with hands until smooth ball can be formed.

If using food coloring, divide dough into however many colors you want. Add one drop food coloring to each section. Knead each color into the dough until it is an even tone throughout.

Shape the dough into small balls. Set the balls on a waxed-paper-covered cookie sheet or tray. Flatten balls by pressing with tines of fork. Let mints sit out in the air overnight or at least 4 hours to air dry.