"Chocolate Lovers" Fudge Brownie Pie

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3 - 1 oz. squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup dark karo corn syrup
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 9 inch graham cracker crumb crust or chocolate crumb crust
  

1. In a 2 qt saucepan, stirring constantly, melt the margarine and the chocolate over very low heat.
2. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, corn syrup. flour, vanilla and salt until well blended. Stir in the eggs.
3. Pour into pie crust and place on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake in 350 degree oven 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is puffed and the center is firm. Cool.
5. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Party Chicken Bake AKA Gooey Chicken

I found this recipe in the newspaper back in the '70's. (now you know how old I am!) I made it regularly as my children were growing up and when they would ask what was for dinner I would tell them that it was "that gooey chicken". Thus, in our family it became known as Gooey Chicken. It is easy and always a winner.

• One envelope dry Italian Salad Dressing
• 2 T. melted butter or margarine
• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 4-oz pakage whipped cream cheese w/ chives
• 1/3 cup dry white wine

1. Combine 1/2 package Italian Salad Dressing mix with the cream cheese. Gradually add the soup and then the wine. Mix until smooth and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with the remaining salad dressing and brown slowly on both sides until golden.
3. Place the chicken in a 12 x 7 in. baking dish.
4. Spoon the soup and cream cheese mixture over the chicken.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes
6. Serve over hot rice.

Buttermilk Biscuits

This is a friendlier version of Shirley Corriher's "Touch of Grace" Biscuits.

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 butter-flavored Crisco shortening
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream *
  
• 2/3 cup buttermilk **
• 3 Tablespoons butter, melted
  

1. Place rack of oven slightly below center and place baking stone on it.
2. Preheat oven to 425 F for 45 minutes to ensure stone is good and hot.
3. Spray a 9" cake pan with non-stick spray.
4. In large bowl whisk together , flour, sugar, salt thoroughly.
5. Work in shortening with fingers until lump free.
6. Gently stir in heavy whipping cream.
7. Then add half of the buttermilk to flour mix folding gently. Then add remainder of buttermilk (more if necessary) until dough resembles cottage cheese. Dough should be wet and loose.
8. Using a round ice cream scoop or equivalent, scoop dough and place into prepared pan with dough balls pushed against each other. If you run out of room, make space with a spatula and get another ball in pan.
9. Place pan on stone and bake for 25 minutes or until nicely browned.
10. Invert onto one plate and back again to another plate.
11. Brush with melted butter.
12. Serve immediately with your favorite preserves.

* Substitute for heavy whipping cream: 1/3 cup milk and 1/4 cup melted butter.
** Substitute for buttermilk: 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar.
Check my other blog: Southern Flavor Zone

Artichoke Bread

Servings: 40

• 1/4 C Butter
• 3 Clove Garlic, minced
• 2 tsps Sesame Seeds
• 14 Ozs Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 C Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
• 1 C Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1 C Sour Cream
• 2 Ea Best Bread Ever
• 1/2 C Cheddar Cheese, Shredded, grated

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
3. Add garlic and sesame seeds.
4. Saute until lightly browned.
5. Remove from heat and stir in artichoke, monterey jack, Parmesan and sour cream.
6. Cut bread in half lengthwise.
7. Scoop out center of each piece, leaving a 1 inch shell.
8. Add approximately 1/2 of the removed bread pieces to the artichoke mixture.
9. Stir to blend.
10. Spoon artichoke mixture into french bread shells and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
11. Place on baking sheet and cover with foil.
12. Bake for 25 minutes.
13. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more.
14. Cool slightly and cut into slices.

Check my other blog: Southern Flavor Zone

Anchor Bar Buffalo Wings

Serves 7
Yield: 30

• 6 Tbsps Hot Sauce
• 4 Tbsps Margarine, not butter
• 1 Tbsp White Vinegar
• 1/8 Tsp Celery Seed
• 1/8 Tsp Cayenne
• 1/4 Tsp Red Pepper
• 1/8 Tsp Garlic Salt
• 1 Dash Black Pepper
• 1/4 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tsp Tabasco
• 1/2 Lb Celery Sticks
• 1/2 Lb Carrot Sticks
• Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
• 30 Chicken Wings, Fried, separated
  

1. Make sure the wings are fresh, not frozen.
2. Wash them in cold water, split them at the joint and remove the tips.
3. This is the real key. Place them on a rack on a pan and refrigerate overnight to let the blood and water drain out of the wings.
4. Heat peanut oil or Melfry slowly to 365 F. Fry wings in small batches about 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Toss warm wings with sauce.
6. If using prepared sauce, use Durkey Frank's red hot sauce.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Chicken

This is a favorite on our catering menu.

Serves 8

• 8 Ea Chicken Breast, No Skin, No Bone
• 8 Ozs Cream Cheese With Chives, sliced into 8 even squares
• 16 Slice Bacon, cooked, but not crisp
• 20 Ozs Cream of Chicken Soup
• 3 Tbsps Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 1/4 C Onion, finely chopped
• 3/4 C Milk
• 1/2 C Sour Cream
• 1/2 C Mayonnaise, or sub sour cream
• 1/4 Tsp Salt, to taste
• Black Pepper, to taste
• 2 C Cheddar Cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 325 F
2. Butter baking pan.
3. Pound chicken breast until flat (just enough to roll up).
4. Place 1 slice cream cheese in the middle of each breast.
5. Roll up the breast (it doesn't matter of a little of the cream cheese comes out of the sides).
6. Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast, then secure with toothpick, then place into prepared baking pan.
7. Mix undiluted soup with Parm cheese, sour cream, mayo, milk, onion, salt and black pepper; mix until well combined then pour over chicken.
8. Bake for about 45 min or until the chicken is 160 F.
9. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheddar cheese then return to oven for a few min. to melt cheese.

NOTE:
If I do not have Cream of Chicken Soup on hand, I substitute a Bechamel sauce with chicken bouillon added.

Carrot Cake

This recipe was inspired by Cooks Illustrated. I did just a little tweaking. This cake is fabulous. The difference between this recipe and many others is the method. Emulsifying the sugars and eggs makes all the difference in the world. It would be interesting to see if this emulsification method would improve your favorite carrot cake recipe. Go and experiment and post your results!

Yield: 1 - 9" x 13"
CAKE

• 1 cup walnuts, toasted
• 1 Tbl butter
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ozs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lb. (6-7 med.) carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sour cream
  
• 4 lg eggs
• 1 1/2 cups safflower, canola, or vegetable oil

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 5 Tbl unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 12 oz cream cheese, softened but still cool
• 3 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Tbl orange liqueur

CAKE DIRECTIONS

1. Place baking stone on rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Chop walnuts and toast in oven for about 10 minutes. Pour nuts into small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of salt immediately upon removal from oven.
3. Spray 13" x 9" pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with parchment paper and spray again.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in bowl and set aside.
5. Shred carrots in food processor fitted with large shredding disk. This should yield about 3 cups. Transfer carrots to bowl and set aside.
6. Wipe food processor bowl clean and fit with metal blade.
7. Process granulated and brown sugars and eggs until frothy and thoroughly combined, about 20 seconds.
8. With machine running, stream in oil through feed tube. Process until light in color and well emulsified, about 20 seconds longer.
9. Scrape mixture into another bowl. By hand, stir in carrots, nuts and flour mixture until well incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.
10. Pour into pan and level batter. Drop pan on counter a few times from a height of about 4 inches.
11. Place pan in oven on top of baking stone and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doness.
12. Cool cake in pan on rack for about 2 hours.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1. Cream butter with electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add cream cheese and continue beating until smooth.
3. Add vanilla and orange liqueur and mix to incorporate well.
4. Add sugar 1 cup at a time and mix on low to moisten and then on high to smooth.
5. Chill until ready to use.

NOTE:
It seems to me, if 1/2 cup of oil is omitted, 1 cup of coconut and 1 small can of crushed pineapple could be added and the moisture should be just about right. One could add fresh orange zest to the frosting for flavor and a speckled look.