88-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 15, 2003
If you are looking for a recipe but can't find it, send
your recipe request to Lou Ann Good, Cook’s Question
Comer, in care of Lancaster Farming, P.O. Box 609,
Ephrata, PA 17522. There’s no need to send a self-ad
dressed stamped envelope. If we receive an answer to
your question, we will publish it as soon as possible.
Check your recipe to make sure you copy the right
amounts and complete instructions for making the reci
pe. Sometimes we receive numerous answers to the
same request, but cannot print each one.
Answers to recipe requests should be sent to the same
address. You may also e-mail questions and answers to
LGOOD.EPH@LNPNEWS.COM
QUESTION J. Howdyshell, Bridgewater,
Va., would like to know how to preserve honey.
She was given some honey on the comb and
would like to preserve it for future use.
QUESTION - David Manilla, Worcester, and
his family have enjoyed road side and fire
house chicken barbecues. He would like the
recipe for the spray that is applied at several
intervals in cooking. This spray, he says, ap
pears to be a combination of cider vinegar,
Worcestershire and soy sauce, butter or marga
rine, and an assortment of seasonings. There is
also a variety of seasoned rubs that may or may
not be applied in conjunction with this spray.
He is interested in a non-commercial rub that is
not over powering.
QUESTION A reader would like a recipe
for McKinley Pie and any history on the pie.
QUESTION - Nancy Wallace, New Holland, is
looking for a place in Lancaster County that she
can purchase fresh coconut that is already
grated. She needs it to make Easter eggs and
fresh coconut cake for Easter. Years ago, she
writes, it could be purchased at farmers mar
kets.
QUESTION Peggy Thoman, Hanover,
writes that her church is planning for the first
time a pancake breakfast for Easter morning.
She would appreciate recipes for various
syrups other than the traditional syrups par
ticularly fruit syrups.
QUESTION Peggy Wilson, while reading a
1911 Inglenook Cookbook, found recipes call
ing for Graham flour. In the miscellaneous sec
tion of the book she found that Graham flour
was listed as 20 pounds wheat flour, five
pounds bran, and 2'/a pounds short. Peggy
would like to know what “shorts” are. In the
same book she found recipes were mixed in a
double boiler with boiling water underneath,
then put in a fireless cooker. She would like to
know what a fireless cooker is. Another utensil
that was used to bake breads was called a Gem
pan, and she was wondering what a Gem pan
was.
QUESTION - Eileen Schuler, Fleetwood,
asks where chocolate confectioners’ sugar can
be found. The ingredient was listed in the prize
winning recipe for the Greatest Cocoa Cake
contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Sever
al other readers also inquired about this. We
asked the person who baked the prize winning
cake. She said it can be purchased at Weis
Markets in the Adams County area. However,
several people who looked for it in other areas,
said that Weis did not carry chocolate confec
tioners sugar. No problem, according to the
champion, Krista Cunningham. She said, “Make
your own.” She adds about Va cup baking cocoa
powder to a pound of regular confectioners’
sugar or more to taste. If any of our readers
know where chocolate confectioners’ sugar can
be purchased, let us know.
QUESTION Helen Ross, Coatesville, wants
the recipe for the starter to make Amish friend
ship bread. She has the recipe for the bread.
QUESTION Richard Deckner, Quakertown,
wants a recipe for a dropped Welsh cookie.
QUESTION Joyce Shoemaker wants a reci
pe to make old-fashioned caramel custard. She
remembers the butter and sugar is caramelized
until it is hard like taffy. Milk is poured in to
dissolve the caramelized sugar. Then the cus
tard is boiled with some other ingredients until
thickened.
QUESTION Doris Myers, Hughesviiie,
writes that her mother, who is 88 years old, lost
her mother at a young age. She remembers her
mother baking bread and reserving some of the
liquid to bake a chocolate cake. Doris would
like to surprise her mother by baking a cake
like that if someone can send in the recipe. The
cake was baked the same day as the bread.
QUESTION T.C. Wills, Frederick, writes
that her mother made a cheese pineapple pock
et during the Easter season. The dough was
neither like a pie crust nor a pastry dough. It
was sort of a solid dough. Wills has tried to du
plicate the filling and the dough but cannot.
She thinks it may be a Polish dessert, and
would appreciate a recipe.
QUESTION R. Diehl, Bloomsburg, wants a
recipe for hamburg pin wheel with gravy.
QUESTION Shirley Schwoerer, Wysox,
wants to know if sesame seeds can be
sprouted. She is familiar with alfalfa seed
sprouting.
QUESTION Ralph Kieffer, Halifax, wants a
recipe for Aunt Flossie’s tomato soup, which he
heard is printed in a Lancaster County cook
book.
ANSWER For the reader who requested
low-fat recipes and diabetic recipes that other
readers have tried and liked, Irene Horning,
Mifflinburg, sent in the following recipes.
Pumpkin Creme
2 cups cold skim milk
2 packs sugar-free instant pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup whipped topping
Mix all ingredients together and beat for one
minute. Makes eight servings.
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon yeast
2Vz cups warm water
Vs cup sugar
1 1 /« teaspoon salt
Five cups flour
Beat egg whites in a large bowl until foamy.
In another dish add yeast to warm water. Add
this yeaSt mixture, along with sugar, salt, and
flour enough to make a sticky dough. Knead
on a floured board until smooth. Let set in a
large bowl about one hour. Divide into three
loaves and put in a pan. Let sit about one hour.
Bake at 350 degrees 35-30 minutes. Calories
per slice: 90.
Low-Fat Cherry
Angel Dessert
14-ounce can low-fat sweetened condensed
milk
1 cup cold water
1 package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
mix
8-ounce carton plain fat-free yogurt
16-ounce container light whipped dessert
topping
1 baked angel food cake, cubed
20-ounce can reduced-calorie cherry pie fill
ing.
In a bowl combine sweetened condensed
milk, water, and pudding mix. Beat until well
combined. Chill for 15 minutes. Fold in the yo
gurt and dessert topping. In a three-quart bak
ing dish, layer half of the pudding mixture.
Place all of the cake on top. Top with cherry pie
filing, then the remaining pudding mixture
cover and chill before serving.
Sugar Free
Strawberry Pie
1 small box sugar-free strawberry gelatin
1 small box sugar-free cooked vanilla pud
ding
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups water
1 Vi cups fat-free whipped topping
1 cup strawberries
Reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust.
Mix first four ingredients together in a sauce
pan. Bring to a boil. Let cool. Add whipped top
ping and strawberries. Mix together. Pour into
crust. Refrigerate. Serves 8.
J. Howdyshell, Bridgewater, Va., sent in the
following recipe.
Soft Chicken Tortillas
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cut into cubes
15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drain
ed
1 cup salsa
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
6 (8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
Optional toppings: shredded lettuce,
shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour
cream
In a skillet that has been coated with non
stick cooking spray, cook chicken until juices
run clear. Add beans, salsa, and taco season
ing; heat through. Spoon chicken mixture down
the center of each tortilla. Garnish with top
pings of your choice fold or roll up. One taco:
271 calories, 2 grams fat, 23 grams protein.
ANSWER A. Shull writes that she tried
two different recipes to make pull taffy recent
ly and was unsuccessful. One batch, before it
No-Fat Bread
was cool enough to start pulling became ex
tremely brittle. She thought perhaps she over
cooked it and tried a second batch, which
turned white and chalky as it cooled. Glenna
Eisentrout, Bruceton Mills, W. Va., sent in her
own recipe and taffy pull procedure.
Pull Taffy
1 cup sugar
V 2 cup water
Vs cup white corn syrup
Vi teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan Cook
to 248 degrees. Remove and add flavor and
color. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet until
cool enough to handle. Shape into a bail and let
flatten naturally. Wrap in plastic wrap and store
at room temperature overnight. Put on a cookie
sheet and heat for six minutes at 300 degrees.
Put butter on hands and be ready to pull.
ANSWER Lynne Numidia, wanted a recipe
for pickled mustard eggs that tastes like those
sold at the State Farm Show. Thanks to a read
er who sent in the following recipe.
Pickled Mustard Eggs
10-12 hard boiled eggs
3 tablespoons mustard
1 cup water
Vs cup sugar
Vi cup vinegar
Pinch salt
Mix all ingredients together except eggs and
heat until warm. Add eggs and store in refriger
ator for a day or so to develop the flavor. A
blender or hand mixer makes the mustard mix
ture smoother.
ANSWER Albert Condon, New Windsor,
Md., wrote to ask for a recipe for old-time fash
ioned ginger cookie cakes. Thanks for Fawn
Bartleson, Martins Creek, for sending her reci
pe.
Molasses Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 Va cup sugar
1 egg
Va cup molasses
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Vz teaspoon ground ginger
1 Vi teaspoon ground cloves.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, in a large bowl,
beat together butter, sugar, and egg until light
and fluffy. Beat in molasses, corn syrup, and
milk. Add dry ingredients and beat in until well
blended. Shape dough into 1 1 /2-inch balls. Roll
in sugar and place on ungreased cookie shefets
three inches apart. Bake 12-14 minutes until
golden. Do not overbake or they will not be soft.
Cool 1-2 minutes on sheet, then remove to
racks to completely cool. Makes 40 cookies.
Sarah Keeny, York, sent in the following reci
pe. Keeny writes that when she was a teenager
in the 40s and 50s she used to assist her moth
er in baking these cookies for market.
Old Fashioned
Ginger Cakes
1 Vz cups Brer Rabbit molasses, dark
IVz cup sour milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
% teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ginger
3 teaspoons baking soda
1 Vz teaspoons cinnamon
1 Vz cups very soft lard
1 tablespoon baking powder
All-purpose flour
Beat three eggs, add sugar. Beat until mix
ture is light in color. Add lard and beat thor
oughly on slow speed. Dissolve baking soda in
sour milk and add to mixture. Put spices and
salt in V*. cup hot water. Mix well, add to first
mixture along with the molasses. Mix well. Add
flour and baking powder, mixing well. Continue
to add flour until batter is stiff enough to hold
its shape when dropped from a spoon. Beat one
egg in a small bowl. Using a spoon, dip into egg
and then gently rub the tip of each cookie as it
is dropped onto the cookie sheet. This will give
a smooth shiny topping on each Bake at 375
degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove from
pan onto rack to cool.
Additionally, Sharon Longenecker, Eliza
bethtown, sent in the following recipe. It is a fa
vorite recipe of hers for dark molasses cakes
handed down from her husband’s Grandmother
Garber.
Sugariess Molasses Cookies
1 quart baking molasses
% pint thick milk (sour milk or add one table
spoon vinegar per cup of milk)
% pint melted shortening
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
9 cups flour
(Turn to Page B 9)