Good Eats!
(Favorite Recipes from Grandma's Kitchen)
Molasses Cookies - (good with warm jersey milk!)
1 cup brown sugar 1 1/3 cup shortening 1 3/4 cups black strap molasses
2 eggs 2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup honey
Blend the brown sugar, shortening and salt until creamy. Add the two whole eggs and continue to blend. Now add the molasses and honey.
(Grandma (Ritter) Bilger probably used lard rather than shortening, which likely would have given a slightly different flavor and darker color when baked, but for the sake and well-being of our hearts, you'll want to use shortening.)
Now add the following ingredients:
3/4 cup hot water 5 1/2 cups flour 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. baking soda (dissolved in hot water before adding to mixture)
Continue mixing approximately 2 - 3 minutes, scrapping the bowl as you go. It is best to refrigerate the dough overnight. Roll on well floured surface, cut and bake on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for approximately 15 - 20 minutes. Makes 2 - 3 dozen cookies.
Spaetzle mit Saur Kreme (German drop noodles with sour cream)
3 whole eggs 3 cups flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1 cup milk 24 oz. sour cream
2 qt./64oz. chicken broth 1 tsp. paprika 1/2 tsp. black pepper
In a 4 qt. pan, begin to bring the chicken broth to a boil, adding the pepper and paprika.
With
an electric mixer, beat the eggs until they a frothy. Add milk, salt and
flour and work till it is well blended.
Once the broth is boiling, use a colander and with a spatula (or an actual spaetzle maker, see photo), work the dough through the holes, allowing it to drop into the boiling broth. Stir occasionally to keep the spaetzle from sticking together. Allow to cook for approximately 1 minute after the last of the dough has been worked through or until all the spaetzle has risen to the top, then turn the heat to low. Add the sour cream, stirring constantly. Add additional pepper and/or paprika to suit your own tastes. If allowed to cook very slowly, the spaetzle will thicken nicely making a nice side dish. This is a traditional side dish at our house especially during the cooler months of the year around Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays.
Spaetzle may also be cooked in plain boiling water and after straining served in a variety of ways as the above recipe will produce 4 - 5 cups. The traditional German (Swabian) meal of spaetzle is served browned by frying in butter and bread crumbs. I'm told that the German's often serve it with a sauce or gravy poured over it as well. We often find that spaetzle is especially good in place of regular noodles in chicken or beef soup. Hamburger gravy over spaetzle is also another good meal taking the place of traditional potatoes.
Lumpia (Philippine style 'eggroll')
Ingredients for approximately 60 rolls
1) 1 lb Pork sausage
2) 1 lb Hamburger
3) 2 tbs Sweet Pickle relish
4) 1 tsp Garlic salt
5) 7-8 Water chestnuts - chopped fine
6) 2 packages of Menlo or similar brand of lumpia wrappers - 30 count package*
7) 1 egg - beaten
Thoroughly hand mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl! After following the directions on the package regarding the thawing of the lumpia wrappers, remove them from one package and
separate them only as needed, otherwise they dry out too quickly, rendering them useless. Using approximately a tablespoon of the meat mixture, spread it in a thick bead along one edge of the wrapper to within a thumb width of each end and then roll up this bead until only one/third of it's length remains. Fold in both the ends and continue rolling until only a thumb width again remains. Using the beaten
egg, apply a thin coating to seal the wrapper with a brush as you finish rolling it the remainder of the way. Continue rolling these until all of the first package of rolls are used up, then open and use the second package, i.e. never open more than you can use in a single session of rolling.
Place the finished rolls in a container which could be frozen if they are intended for later use. Seperate layers of lumpia rolls with wax paper and seal the entire pan/container with another layer of waxed paper followed by a tight fitting seal of aluminum foil to keep the moisture in.
Prepare the lumpia by deep frying at 350-400° in vegetable shortening, or other type of oil such as peanut or olive. Frying time is normally 3 or 4 minutes per 5-6 lumpia but the surest way is to listen to the sound as it fries. It will be quiet when you first put them in, but gradually it gets noiser as they get closer to being done and many times they will rise to the top when they are close to being finished. When this happens, allow them about 20 more seconds of cooking time and then remove them from the fryer. Allow ample time to drain and then place them on a platter lined with paper towl to soak up any more oil. Serve with soy sauce or eat as is.
A variation of this recipe is what is known as Shanghi lumpia where raisins are also added to the above mix.
We find that the Lumpia does not remain around for long once they are cooked as
they are a great snack and a real treat anytime we have visitors as not many
people have heard of them, but once tasted, it is hard to resist having another
one!
* Lumpia wrappers can be purchased from most oriental food stores.
Please note that these are NOT eggroll wraps as those are too thick, rather,
these are VERY thin flour wraps that needs to be used fresh out of the
package. I have mentioned Menlo brand as that is they seem to be the
easiest to work with and consistent in size and shape, but any similar brand
will do.