Here's a nice place to post some of your favorite recipes to share with your fellow IMWANKERS. Anything that's great for holidays, everyday meals, snacks or treats, good recipes should be shared so I thought this thread would be a welcome idea.

I hope many will contribute to the IMWAN recipe thread.

I only ask that you have personally tried, enjoyed, and recommend any recipes you post.


Thank You.

CORN MUFFINS
(Mix this all in a 4-cup Measuring cup for easy pouring into cupcake papers)

1 - cup milk
1/4 - cups canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1/2 - cup white sugar
1/4 - cup brown sugar
1/4 - cup sour cream (just a dollop) optional
1/4 - teaspoon almond extract (I love this, but if you don't, skip it and double the vanilla)
1/4 - teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 - teaspoon salt
2 - teaspoons baking powder (NOT baking soda)
1 - cup yellow cornmeal
1 - cup all-purpose flour

Cupcake papers (12).
400-degree oven
15 to 20 minutes (toothpick test)

While baking the muffins, mix Two Tablespoons of Brown Sugar with 2 teaspoons of water. Brush this mixture on the tops of the muffins while they are cooling. This adds a sweet, crunchy texture to the muffin top.

PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOM COOKIES
This double batch of peanut butter blossom cookies is a great holiday treat and it makes about 120 cookies.

0.5 lbs. Butter (Two quarter pound sticks of salted butter is fine)
1 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
1 Cup of White Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 - 16 to 20 oz. Jar of Peanut Butter (Chunky or Creamy Style, as you wish)
1 teaspoon of Salt
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
3 Cups of Flour
A Bowl of Sugar (to roll dough balls in to coat)
A Bag of real milk-chocolate stars (Use as many as you can - starless cookies are appreciated, too)

Melt the butter for 1 minute in a large mixing bowl (plastic) that fits in your microwave. Add brown sugar, white sugar, the eggs, the salt, the baking soda, and the extract and stir to a soupy consistency. Carefully remove all of the foil cover from the jar of peanut butter (if you leave any foil, sparks may fly). Microwave this for 30 seconds and it may all come out very easily into the bowl. Mix this together until consistent.

In stages, add flour a cup at a time and stir in by hand. When all flour is incorporated, kneed the ball of dough with your fists and fingers. If it's too sticky, add more flour. If it's too dry and crumbly, add a touch of cooking oil and a dash of water and kneed this in. Eventually, you get a consistency that makes a tiny ball of dough (slightly smaller than a jack ball and larger than a large marble) that fits in the palm of you hand. Make five, toss each into a waiting bowl of white sugar, and roll them around to coat. Place these balls on a greased cookie sheet and make five more. Keep this up until the pan is full. These cookies do not spread out, so they can be rather close. However, you should mash each ball with a fork to flatten it. First right to left, then up and down so a crosshatch pattern is upon the flattened cookie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees while making your first pan of cookies. They take about 12 minutes to bake, so you have 6 minutes to ready your second pan. Slide in the second pan, make your third. At the 12-minute mark, take out the first and put in the third, etc. until done.

After you take a pan out of the oven, press a milk-chocolate star into the center of each cookie (until you run out of stars). Use a spatula and remove the cookies to a cool countertop. The chocolate stars will melt from the heat, but then re-solidify as they cool down. You will have to use a spatula later to free them from the counter later. Freeze in Ziploc freezer bags if desired.

Enjoy



BTW, you can skip the peanut butter and use 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips - for great Chocolate Chip Cookies - or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips and 1 cup caramel bits - for Chocolate/Caramel Chip Cookies.

In the theme of corn meal - these are no wheat pancakes so they are good for people with celiac disease. I just like 'em for their corny goodness.


Cornmeal Pancakes
source: The Live Longer Cookbook: cooking with natural foods by Leonard Levinson

2 cups corn meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (optional)
2 TBSP butter
1 3/4 cup boiling water
1 cup evaporated milk*
1 TBSP vinegar
1 egg

Combine corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in food processor and pulse to blend.. Work butter into corn meal mixture by pulsing, or use a bowl and mix dry ingredients together before working butter in well using pastry blender or fork. If using food processor, transfer mixture to a largish bowl, add boiling water and beat until well mixed. Mix evaporated milk and vinegar together and stir into corn meal mixture. Beat in egg. Drop by spoonfuls onto very hot griddle. Flip over when small holes appear on uncooked side.
Yield: 20 pancakes


Maria’s Comments

*I have found no change in quality by substituting evaporated skim milk, 2% milk or even skim milk for the evaporated milk.

Fresh or frozen corn is a very nice addition.

If the batter is thick you will get a more pancake like shape. If it is a little on the thin side, you get these wonderful lacy, crunchy edges, my personal preference.

I have adapted this recipe for a food processor, so don’t be intimidated if you don’t have one. The original mixed everything in a bowl by hand.

JIM'S HOLIDAY FROZEN CHEESECAKE CUPCAKES

This recipe makes 12 cupcakes - (or 36 for the triple batch in parenthesis)

Ingredients (Batter):

08 ounces of Cream Cheese (24 ounces).
5 to 6 ounces of Sour Cream (16 ounces)
03 ounces of Heavy Whipping Cream (8 ounces)
0.6 cups of Sugar - 1/2 cup plus 5 teaspoons (1.75 Cups)
1/12th teaspoon of Salt - you know, a pinch - (1/4 teaspoon)
1 Tablespoons of Flour. (3 Tablespoons)
1 Large Egg (3 Eggs)
1 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract (1 Tablespoon)
3 drops Yellow Food Coloring (9 Drops) Optional

Ingredients (Crust):
0.5 Cups of Flour (1.5 Cups)
Two pats of Butter (One Stick - that's 1/4 lb.)
4 firmly packed teaspoons Brown Sugar (0.25 Cups)

1 Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 1/16th cup (FYI)

Making The Crust: Mix the ingredients for the crust together until crumbly. Layer a teaspoon or so of crust into the bottom of each cupcake paper. When done, distribute the rest evenly or where you think one cup looks light. With your thumb, pack the crust down evenly in each paper cup. Refrigerate until the batter is ready.

Making The Batter: Mix the ingredients for the batter together and beat with a blender until creamy smooth. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Now, while the oven is heating up, carefully spoon two Tablespoons of liquid batter into each cup. Try to avoid spills and drips by working carefully. I use a measuring spoon to ladle and a regular spoon to catch drips. When each cupcake has two Tablespoons, distribute any remaining batter evenly or where you think a cup looks light.

Carefully wipe off any drips on the pan. Now bake it for 25 minutes. Unlike the large cheesecake, these small cupcakes bake quickly, so 25 minutes is plenty. Now shut off the oven, open the door, and let cool in the oven for an hour. Finally, place the whole pan into the freezer. The next morning remove from pans (use a butter knife to pry them out) and store cupcakes flat in Ziploc freezer bags. Keeps well for months. Thaw five minutes before serving. If you wish, each cupcake may have one spoonful of Coolwhip spread on top just prior to serving it. Due to contraction, there is usually a small depression in the center of each cupcake so it will hold a little topping quite nicely, like cherry pie filling or other flavors.

1/12th teaspoon (1/4 teaspoon) of What?

Cooking rice in a microwave
Ingredients

• One cup rice
• Two cups water

Pour one cup rice and two cups of water in a microwavable container with a lid and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Microwave again on half power for 15 minutes.

Tuna Rice Salad
Ingredients

• One 5 ounce can of tuna (preferably in oil)
• One 8.5 ounce can of peas, drained
• One and a half cups cooked white rice (freshly cooked or heated)
• One half medium red onion, diced
• Four round tablespoons green pickle relish
• Four heaping tablespoons Miracle Whip® or mayonnaise

Place all items in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Put salad in container and refrigerate. Eat either by itself or on bread.

Spicy Mashed Root Vegetables (also posted on Facebook and in my return thread)

• One large parsnip, diced
• One large carrot, diced
• One medium turnip, diced
• One small russet potato, diced
• One cup of cauliflower florets
• Three cloves of garlic
• One cup cheese, shredded
• One tablespoon butter
• Salt
• Monosodium glutamate
• White pepper
• Thai yellow curry powder
• Milk
• Water

Boil parsnip, carrot, turnip, potato, florets, and garlic in water seasoned with salt, MSG, white pepper, and Thai yellow curry powder. Boil until hardest items are mash tender. Pour off water. Add cheese and butter and begin mashing. Add milk as needed to smooth out the mash.

This is from a Martha Stewart recipe book and its good and easy!

Hot & Sour Soup
Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 4 cups), stemmed, caps thinly sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 package (7 ounces) soft or firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, drained
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 scallions, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS
In a large (5-quart) pot, combine broth, soy sauce, crushed red pepper, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; reduce heat, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons vinegar and cornstarch. Add to pot; simmer, stirring, until soup is thickened, about 1 minute.
Add egg through a slotted spoon, and stir to form ribbons. Stir in tofu. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 1 minute. Put ginger in a small sieve, and squeeze to release juice into soup (discard solids). Taste; add remaining tablespoon vinegar, if desired. Serve sprinkled with scallions.

Sorry. Salt. Just salt. Got lost in the translation. I fixed it now. Thanks.

PECAN PIE

Ingredients:

4-Large Eggs
1-Cup Sugar
1-Cup Light Corn Syrup
1 Cup Pecan Halves (Pieces are fine, too, though not as nice looking)
4-Tbs Butter (4 pats, or a half of a stick) (melt in microwave for 30 seconds)
3-Tbs Flour
1-teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1-teaspoon Rum Extract or 3-Tbs Real Rum. (Optional, but I like it.)
1/2-teaspoon Salt.

1 - 9 inch deep-dish single-crust pie shell (frozen), or make your own preferred crust.

Thaw pie shell on counter while assembling other ingredients. Take a large mixing bowl, about the diameter of the pie tin, and invert it, and then cover bottom with a sheet of aluminum foil, making a dome shape. Set aside for later. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Now, bend foil pan rim upwards around perimeter. Turn dough lip down and form it so little aluminum is showing. This makes the deep dish even deeper, which is necessary since the batter may otherwise overflow the shell's rim. The batter should cover the dough so it won't burn, and it should not overflow the pan.

Now, in the mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the pecans and blend until smooth. Then add the pecans and stir them in by hand so they don't get broken up into smaller pieces. Place the empty shell on the cookie sheet, for necessary support, and then pour batter into the pie shell. Cover the pie with the aluminum dome, crimping it into place. This dome prevents the custard surface from becoming over done. Place it all in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, remove foil dome, decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees, and then bake an additional 20 minutes. When this is done, turn oven off, open door slightly, and let the pie stand in the oven for about an hour as it slowly cools down. Then remove and place on counter top until ready to serve. It is not necessary to refrigerate this pie.

Enjoy

BANANA BREAD

INGREDIENTS: {Three Loaves} (Two Loaves) [One Loaf]

DRY:
All-purpose flour - Cups {6} (4) [2]
Baking Soda - teaspoons {3} (2) [1] - - - - -NOT TABLESPOONS !!!
Salt - teaspoons {1} (2/3) [1/3]

WET:
Butter - 1/4 Pound Sticks {3} (2) [1] FYI 1/4 lb = 1/2 Cup
Brown Sugar - Cups {3/2} (1) [1/2]
White Sugar - Cups {3/2} (1) [1/2]
Vanilla Extract - teaspoons {1.5} (1) [0.5]
Lemon or Orange Extract - teaspoons {1.5} (1) [0.5]
Eggs, Beaten {6} (4) [2]
Mashed Overripe Bananas. {12 to 15} (8 to 10) [4 to 5] Medium Sized Bananas

For maximum flavor, freeze bananas. Thaw immediately prior to making the bread. This ruptures the cells and lets the banana flavor out.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease, then lightly flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan for each loaf (a flour spray coating after greasing is good).

DRY: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt and whisk to mix.

WET: In a separate, larger bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar and add the extracts. Stir in the eggs. Peel bananas and then blend them in. A blender works well for this as it chops up bits of overripe bananas easily. Stir flour mixture into batter until it's all incorporated and wet. If it seems too thick, add a shot of milk and stir this in so it will pour better.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake around 60 to 70 minutes (when moist spots on top are done enough).

Bake in a preheated oven. Remove, then let bread cool in pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack after turning them over so they are right side up. There may be some moist spots on the top, but these will be absorbed into the rest of the loaf as they rest.
Once cool, brush tops with a 3-to-1 Brown Sugar/Water mix.
Use about 3 tablespoons of Brown Sugar to 1 tablespoon of Water for each loaf.

I see the tell-tale signs of Yankee Cornbread.

You should see the sweet version.

Well, the true measure is the non-muffin version of cornbread. Because a corn muffin does commonly have those sweet touches.

Yankee cornbread is cornbread that has ingredients more like a corn muffin, I suppose.

In any event, we eat both. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to have another name for Yankee cornbread.

Anyone have a recipe for chilled monkey brains?

Yeah, the "sweet touches" make them good for days, while without those they tend to be good while warm and fresh - otherwise I find them bland and dry. But one can always leave out some sugar if it's too much for their diet or taste.

The brown sugar, BTW, is used instead of more white sugar since it hangs onto moisture better.

Brownies (From Six Ingredients or Less, by Carlean Johnson)

1 cup softened butter or margerine
2 cups sugar
3 1-oz squares of unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly. Add melted chocolate, then eggs, then stir in flour. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan and bake a 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until done. Cool and cut into squares.

It's a very simple recipe that doesn't take a whole lot longer than using a mix, but tastes soooooo much better. My staff go crazy whenever I bake these. Somebody needs to write a book about management by baking.

Brownies are indeed food of the gods. It is the one thing that I time scrupulously. 25 minutes and out. I don't even test. And a pox on those who use margarine. Butter makes all the difference. Just use it wisely.

This post coming right after Jimbo's makes such an interesting juxtaposition....

BROWNIE ICE CREAM DESSERT
Quick and easy
1 13x9 pan of brownies either homemade or a mix
Freeze
add a layer of vanilla ice cream
add layer of cool whip
squeeze on choc. syrup and caramel syrup
top with 2 ozs chopped nuts (I use pecans because John doesn't like it with walnuts)
Put back in freezer
Take out about 10 minutes before serving

Welcome, Siska!