Recipes
August 9, 2007

Best Pecan Pie
Eura Lee Jones, Mt. Sterling
1 cup dark syrup
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons melted margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans
1 unbaked pie crust
Mix all together; add nuts last. Pour into pie crust and bake at 400º for 15 minutes; reduce to 350º and bake 30 minutes more.

Lemon Cheese Cake
Suzette Taylor, Irvine
1 large (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 -9 inch baked pie shell
1 (21 oz.) can lemon pie filling
whipped cream
lemon twists
Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Blend in condensed milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into crust. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Top with pie filling and chill. At serving time garnish with whipped cream and lemon twists.

Fast and Easy Mexican Dish
Suzette Taylor, Irvine
1 lb. hamburger
1 can kidney beans
4 cups crushed Fritos
1 jar hot taco sauce
1 cup grated cheese
Brown hamburger. Mix together taco sauce, kidney beans and one-half Fritos. Add hamburger. Put in 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining Fritos on casserole. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Cranberry Salad
Rhonda Anderson, Florida

1 small box cherry Jell-O
1 cup hot water
Mix together and allow to thicken slightly. Add:
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 cup chopped pecans
Chill until set.

Candy Coated Crackers
Ima Jean Flynn, Louisville
1 box golden rounds (Ritz, etc.)
peanut butter
24 oz. pkg. white bark coating
Make sandwiches of the crackers and peanut butter, may use whole box or fewer if desired. Put the cubes of white bark in a microwave-safe bowl on High in the microwave for one minute and 30 seconds. Check if not melted, set for 30 seconds (15 seconds), checking each time to see if bark has melted. Stir the bark. Either dip or ice the crackers on both sides and the center and let them cool on wax paper. Store in covered container. Dark chocolate can also be used.

Zucchini Patties
Anna Puckett, Irvine
2 cups zucchini, shredded and drained
2 1/2 cups bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon minced onion
Mix together and fry as patties in greased skillet.

Zucchini Cupcakes
Anna Puckett, Irvine
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
Caramel Frosting:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil, orange juice and extract. Combine dry ingredients; add to the egg mixture and mix well. Add zucchini and mix well. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. For frosting, combine brown sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 1 1/2 to 2 dozen.

Sweet Potato Casserole
Jean Sparkman, Georgetown
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter
Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted
Combine all above ingredients until smooth. Pour into 2 quart casserole dish. Mix all topping ingredients and spread over sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350º for 35-40 minutes.

Fluffy Pumpkin Cheese Cake
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 container (8 oz.) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz. or 9-inch)
Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl with wire whisk or electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Gently stir in whipped toping. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Garnish with additional whipped topping, sliced kiwi and curled orange peel. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon, if desired. Store leftover cheese cake in refrigerator.