Cooking with Norma and Dianne

Cooking with Norma and Dianne

RECIPES

NORMA'S MEAT PIE

1-1/2 lbs very lean hamburger
1 tsp butter
1 large onion
6 slices of American cheese
(or 1 cup of shredded cheese of choice)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 to 1/3 tsp cloves

Work the hamburger and butter in frying pan until the meat crumbles to very fine pieces and is cooked through. Add onion, cinnamon, and cloves and mix well to blend flavors. Add the cheese and stir until melted into the mixture and turn the heat off. Then turn the oven on to 450 degrees. Roll out a round of pie crust on a floured surface and fit it into the pie pan making sure it hangs over the edge by at least an inch. Pour the mixture into the pie pan on top of the crust. Then put the other round of pie crust on top and pinch the edges together. Cut a design into the top of the crust to make vent holes. Brush milk over the top of the crust so it will brown evenly. Put it into the oven and bake until the top is golden brown.

TIP: Scrape back the mixture from the bottom of the pan and if the liquid runs out fast it should be reduced a little longer. Once most (but not all) of the liquid in the mixture has been eliminated, turn the heat off and let it stand. American cheese will produce more liquid than mozzarella or provolone.

TIP: Sometimes the filling bubbles out so you may want to put aluminum foil on the oven rack under the pie.

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1-2-3 CHILI

1 pound fried hamburger
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed
2 quart jars tomatoes
2 cans store-bought kidney beans
3 tbsp. chili powder
3 tbsp. ketchup
3 tbsp. mustard
3 tbsp. A-1 sauce

Put everything into a crock pot and cook on low all day.

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CORN MUFFINS

3/4 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
2 tbsp. butter (or margarine)melted
½ cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter into medium mixing bowl. Let cool slightly, then
beat in egg. Add dry ingredients all at once, then gradually add milk.
Mix until well blended. Pour into greased muffin
tins or loaf pan and bake about 20 minutes until golden brown.
(Loaf pan may take longer).

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GRAHAM TORTE

One box of graham crackers
One pint of heavy cream
One pint of whipping cream
½ cup (approximately) Hersey’s Chocolate Syrup

First open the box of graham crackers and unwrap all of
them.  Have a large plate or platter ready.  Whip the creams together in a
large bowl until it’s quite stiff.  Add the chocolate syrup – just squirt
it from the bottle.  Fold and whisk by hand so as not to reduce the volume of
the cream.  When the chocolate is incorporated the color should be a very light
brown.  Now slather some on the plate and lay the first layer of crackers.  Use
at least four crackers to shape a square.  Then put more cream on top.  Cross
pile the second layer and put more cream on top.  Cross piling the layers of
crackers as you build will prevent the torte from collapsing as it gets higher.
When you’ve used all the crackers, cover the outside of the torte
completely with the remaining cream.  At this point if you like, you can
decorate with anything – a little of the syrup, jimmies, candies, etc. 
Then place it in the refrigerator overnight.

Note:  You MUST use real cream and you must make it at least 12 hours before serving.

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FROZEN PEANUT BUTTER PIE

½   8-ounce package (4 ounces) of cream cheese - room temperature
1    cup powdered sugar – sifted
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
½   cup milk
9    ounces of Cool Whip
1    9-inch graham cracker pie crust
Canned or jarred mandarin oranges as a garnish (optional)

In a large bowl, place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and
peanut butter and whip until creamy.  Then add the milk a little at a time,
whipping as you go.  When fully incorporated, the mixture will be smooth but
somewhat thin.  Then you put the cool whip in all at once and fold until
everything is mixed together.  You may see some very light streaks of a little
browner color.  That’s okay.  It’s ready to pour into the pie
shell.  Put it into the freezer for at least four hours.  The pie will have the
consistency of ice cream and you must store any remaining pie in the freezer.

Note:  You can use any flavor pie shell you like, including a
regular baked pie crust.  Just make sure it’s completely cooled.

Tip:    When I make this I make two.  I double everything
and then I can use the whole package of cream cheese, one 12-ounce and one 6-ounce container
of Cool  Whip.

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