Corn Puffs

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 2 cups milk 
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

1. Preheat dutch oven or conventional oven.
2. Using saucepan, combine and cook cornmeal, milk, butter & sugar.
3. Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes.
4. Mix in baking powder, as evenly as you can get it.
5. Drop batter by the spoonful in dutch oven or on baking pan in conventional oven.
6. Cook for about 10-15 minutes or until edges are brown.
7. Enjoy.

Jerky Gravy

Ingredients:

• Chopped jerky
• Lard
• Flour
• Salt & pepper
• Milk

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, heat grease and add jerky until crispy
2. Remove jerky from grease
3. In a small bowl, form a paste with milk & flour.
4. Pour slowly into grease, stirring constantly to avoid clumping.
5. Add jerky back into the mixture and season to taste.

Cornmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp molasses
• 2 eggs (optional)

Directions: 

1. In small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk & molasses.  
2. In separate larger bowl, mix dry ingredients.  Then mix all ingredients together.
3. Grease & preheat skillet.  
4. Cook for about 20 minutes. 
5. Serve hot & enjoy.

Cornmeal Mush

Ingredients:

• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 tbsp lard, coconut oil or bacon grease
• 1 tsp salt
• dried currants or other dried berries

Directions: 

1. Cook the currants in boiling water for a few minutes
2. Add cornmeal, stirring constantly to avoid clumping
3. Add in lard and salt.  Stir for 3 more minutes
4. Remove from heat and serve immediately
5. **You can also add butter or molasses for flavor

Soda Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 3  1/3 cups of flour
• Milk
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Pour flour in a bowl 
2. Mix 2 tbsp milk with baking soda & salt
3. Slowly add 1 tbsp milk at a time, to form a stiff dough.
4. Roll out the dough until it is nice & thin
5. Cut circles or shapes out of the dough
6. Cook in either dutch oven or in regular oven until sides are brown and biscuits are no longer doughy.
7. Top with your favorite spread and enjoy.

Quick and Simple Fudge

Serves 42 1 1/2" squares


Ingredients

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick) cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk
1 12oz pkg of semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts



Directions

Stir Butter, milk, and chocolate chips in a medium sauce pan over low until smoothly melted
Pour into mixing bowl and add sugar and vanilla, beat at medium speed scraping sides often
Stir in walnuts
Spread into greased 8" square pan
Cover and refrigerate until firm (1 1/2 to 2 hours)
Cut into pieces and store in fridge

Chilled Stuffed Bananas

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas
1 bag of marshmallows
2 bars of melting chocolate
1 tbs of coconut oil



Directions

Melt marshmallow and chocolate (add coconut oil for smoother texture)
Cut off top of banana (with peel on)
Gently squeeze banana out of peel so that the peel doesn't break
Mash bananas in a bowl
Mix marshmallow, bananas, and chocolate together.
Put mixture into emptied banana peels (however works best for you)
Let chill in fridge, it should harden.
When ready to serve, cut peel and eat like a regular banana!

Arroz Con Gandules

Ingredients

1/2 pound dry pigeon peas
1 packet Sazón Goya con Culantro y Achiote
4 slices bacon chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup onion chopped
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup green pepper chopped
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups rice
1 small ham hock



Directions

Soak beans and drain
Combine 7 cups water and beans in a 6-8 quart pot
Cook bacon in skillet until crisp
Drain bacon drippings leaving 1 tbsp in pan
Cook onion, pepper, and garlic until tender
Stir mixture into beans in pot and add ham hock
Bring to boil
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender (add more water if needed)
There should be about 4 cups of of water left at this point
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer covered for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender

Soaking Methods
To 1/2 lb dry beans, add 3 to 4 cups hot water, boil 2 minutes and set aside for 1 hour.
Or
Let stand in 3 to 4 cups cold water overnight. Drain and rinse beans.

Easy Raspberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter of margarine melted

3 8oz pkg softened cream cheese

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup fresh raspberries 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Stir together crumbs and butter or margarine in small mixing bowl

Press onto bottom and about 2 inches up the sides of a nine inch pan/ set aside

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed

Add eggs and beat at medium speed until just combined

Pour half of cheese mixture into crust

Sprinkle raspberries and pour remainder of mixture on top

Bake 40-45 minutes or until center is almost set

Cool and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight

Lemon-Blueberry Crumb Bars

Ingredients 

1/2 cup butter

1 pkg (2 layer) yellow cake mix

2 eggs, divided

16 oz cream cheese softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp zest and 3 tbsp juice from lemon

2 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions

Heat oven to 350

Line 13x9 inch pan with foil with ends of foil extending ever sides

Melt butter and add cake mix and 1 egg

Beat until blended

Press 2/3 of the dough onto bottom of prepared pan

Beat cream cheese on sugar until blended.

Add remaining egg, zest, and juice; mix well

Pour over crust/top with berries

Pinch small pieces of remaining dough between fingers

Press lightly into cream cheese layer

Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Cool completely then cut

Whipped Sweet Potato Bake

Ingredients

3 15oz cans sweet potatoes drained

1/4 cup butter or margarine melted

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

Heat oven to 350

Beat potatoes, butter, and spices until well blended

Spoon into 1 1/2-qt casserole sprayed with cooking spray; top with marshmallows

Bake 15-20 minutes or until or until potato mixture is heated through/marshmallows lightly brown

Marshmallow Treats

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter or margarine

5 1/2 cups of marshmallows

6 cups of cereal of choice

Directions

Melt butter in large bowl and add marshmallows

Toss to coat marshmallows and heat again

Marshmallows should be fully melted

Stir until well blended 

Add cereal immediately after stirring mixture

Cut into servings

Lava Cake

Lava:

7/8 bar of 60% Cacao Chocolate Baking Bar, broken into 1/2 inch pieces

Pinch Salt

1/4 cup milk

3 Tbsp softened butter, cut into chunks

Instructions: 

- Put the chocolate & salt in a small bowl

- Bring milk to a simmer and immediately pour over chocolate.

- Shake bowl to submerge chocolate and cover it with plastic wrap for 3 minutes.

- Uncover and whisk until chocolate is completely melted.  Add butter and whisk until completely blended. 

- Refrigerate until mixture is form enough to scoop, about 2-3 hours.

- Use a spoon or small scoop to shape 8 balls, place them on a wax paper lined dish and put into the freezer until needed.

Cakes: 

2 bars 60% cacao baking bars

6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into chunks

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 large eggs, separated and at room temperature

3 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 tsp cream of tartar (or 1 1/2 tsp white vinegar)

1/3 cup sugar

Optional Powder sugar for sprinkling

As needed - Sugar to coat the cups

Instructions:

- Spray eight 6-oz custard cups or ramekins with vegetables oil spray and coat them with sugar, tapping out the excess.

- Put chocolate, butter and salt in a medium heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel) and set it directly in a wide skillet of almost simmering water, stirring frequently until the chocolate is almost entirely melted.

- Remove the bowl from the skillet and stir to finish melting the chocolate. 

- Whisk the cocoa powder, flour, and egg yolks into the warm chocolate. Set aside.

- In a large bowl, beat the 6 egg whites and cream of tartar (or vinegar) on medium speed until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted.  

- Gradually beat in the sugar on high speed until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

- Fold one quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.  Scrape the mixture over the remaining egg whites and fold until just incorporated.

- Divide the batter evenly among cups (being careful not to deflate it by extra mixing or handling).

- Center a ball of lava on top of the batter in each cup.  Push the lava into the batter until is about 1/4 inch below the surface.  It should not touch the bottom of the cup.  Spread the batter to cover the lava ball.

- Cover the cups with plastic wrap until ready to bake.

- Fix one of your oven racks to the bottom 1/3 of the oven.  Now, preheat the oven to 400 F.

- Uncover the cups, set on a baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes until cakes are puffed and a tooth pick inserted in the center meets no resistance and emerges coated  with sauce that feels slightly warm when you touch it.  Please do not put hot chocolate sauce to your mouth.  If it is too hot, you can scald yourself.

- Let cakes rest for 3 minutes.

- Run a thin knife around the inside of the cup, pressing against the sides to avoid tearing the cake.  Cover each cup with a serving plate, invert and lift slowly. 

- Dust cakes with a little powdered sugar (if desired) and serve immediately.