The Homestyle Amish Kitchen Cookbook (37 page)

Cornbread

Follow the recipe for Corn Muffins but pour the batter into a buttered 8 × 8-inch baking dish. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with honey butter.

Honey Butter

1 cup butter, softened

1¼ cups honey

Blend together the butter and honey using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Store in refrigerator.

You can also add cooked, crumbled bacon, shredded Cheddar cheese, onions, and herbs to your corn muffins or cornbread for a tasty alternative
.

Master Oatmeal Muffin Mix

3 cups flour

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

3½ tsp. baking powder

1½ tsp. salt

½ cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1½ cups shortening

3 cups rolled oats

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, dry milk, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix well; add the brown sugar and mix well again. Add the shortening and work with a pastry cutter until shortening has been well incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in oats and mix well. Place in an airtight container or large plastic storage bags. Store in a cool, dry place. Date the container and use within 3 months.

Oatmeal Muffins

3 cups Master Oatmeal Muffin Mix

1 egg

⅔ cup water or milk

Put Master Oatmeal Muffin Mix in a medium size mixing bowl. Combine the egg and water or milk and pour all at once into the dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened; the batter will be lumpy. Fill buttered muffin tins
⅔
full and bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Master Pancake Mix

10 cups flour

2½ cups instant nonfat dry milk

½ cup sugar

¼ cup baking powder

2 T. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place in an airtight container or large plastic storage bags. Store in a cool, dry place. Date the container and use within 8 months.

Basic Pancakes

1½ cups Master Pancake Mix

1 egg, beaten

1 cup water

3 T. oil

Put Master Pancake Mix in a medium mixing bowl. Combine egg, water, and oil and mix into the dry ingredients. Add more water for thinner pancakes. Blend well. Let stand 5 minutes and then cook pancakes, turning once, until golden on both sides.

Oven Puff Pancakes

4 T. butter, divided

⅔ cup Pancake Mix

4 eggs

⅔ cup milk

Preheat oven to 450°. Divide butter between two 9-inch pie plates and place in the oven to melt the butter. Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour batter in the two pie plates and return to the oven. Bake about 18 minutes or until pancakes have puffed up and are golden brown. Do not open oven door while the pancakes are baking or they will fall. You can serve these with butter and syrup or a fresh fruit topping and a dollop of sour cream.

Mexican Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

½ cup green pepper flakes or dehydrated green pepper

4 tsp. salt

5 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. dried basil

Combine all ingredients. Stir until very well blended. Put 1½ cups rice mix into three 1-pint airtight containers. Store in a cool, dry place. Date the container and use within 8 months.

To Use

1½ cups Mexican Rice Mix

2½ cups cold water

1 T. butter or oil

Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and cook for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and rice is done.

Orange Float Mix

4 cups instant nonfat dry milk

2 cups powdered orange drink mix (such as Tang)

1 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Place in an airtight container or large plastic storage bags. Store in a cool, dry place. Date the container and use within 6 months.

To Use

½ cup Orange Float Mix

1 cup water

2 ice cubes

Mix together all ingredients in a blender and serve immediately.

Variations: You can add frozen or fresh fruit or berries, flavored or plain yogurt, or anything that suits your taste
.

Onion Dip Mix

1 T. instant minced onion

1 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1½ tsp. instant beef bouillon

¼ tsp. garlic salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Place mix onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold in edges to seal airtight. You can make a number of these packets at one time; place all the packets in a large storage container or bag. Date the container and use within 4 months.

To Use

1 packet Onion Dip Mix

1 cup sour cream

Mix together Onion Dip Mix and sour cream. Chill well before serving.

Variations: Substitute 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 8-oz. package of cream cheese for the sour cream
.

Onion-Flavored Rice Mix

4 cups uncooked long-grain white rice

2 packages dry onion soup mix

1 T. parsley flakes

1 tsp. salt

Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Mix very well. Put 1
⅓
cups rice mix into three 1-pint airtight containers. Store in a cool, dry place. Date the container and use within 8 months.

To Use

1⅓ cups Onion-Flavored Rice Mix

2¼ cups water

1 T. butter

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and cook for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is done.

When an Amish couple gets ready to retire and hand over their farm—usually to the youngest son and his wife—they will stay on the farm in a
Dawdy
house.
Dawdy
houses are often attached to the main house, with a separate entrance and kitchen. Older homes might have 2
Dawdy
houses, where grandparents and great-grandparents live alongside the young couple.

Playdough

1 cup white flour

¼ cup salt

2 T. cream of tartar

1 cup water

2 tsp. food coloring

1 T. oil

Mix the flour, salt, and cream of tartar in a medium pot. In a separate bowl, combine the water, food coloring, and oil and add that to the flour mixture and mix together. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3-5 minutes. It will look like a globby mess while you are stirring.

When the mixture forms a ball in the center of the pot, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it looks like Play-Doh. Store in an airtight container or a plastic storage bag.

Ranch-Style Dressing and Dip Mix

For Each Packet

2 tsp. instant minced onion

½ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. garlic powder

1 T. parsley flakes

2 T. buttermilk powder

Combine all ingredients until very well mixed. For each packet, place the mixed ingredients onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. You can make a number of these packets at one time; place all the packets in a large storage container or bag. Date the container and use within 6 months.

Dressing

1 packet Ranch-Style Dressing and Dip Mix

1 cup mayonnaise

¾ cup water

Combine all ingredients in a quart jar and shake until well blended. Chill before serving.

Dip

1 packet Ranch-Style Dressing and Dip Mix

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients in a quart jar and shake until well blended. Chill before serving.

Red Beet Eggs

1 15-oz. can beets; do not drain

1 onion, thinly sliced

12 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and left whole

¼ cup sugar

½ cup vinegar

Drain liquid from the beets and place in a saucepan. Place the beets, onion, and eggs in a large bowl (do not use plastic or metal).

To the beet liquid add the sugar and vinegar and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly before pouring over the beets, onion, and eggs. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for at least a day. Two or three days are better because the longer they sit, the deeper the color of the eggs and onions.

An industrious wife is the best savings account.

Snitz

Peel and core apples and slice into eighths. Place in a 200° oven and leave the oven door open to let the steam escape. Stir apples often. Drying can take as long as 24 hours.

Store in jars, but not necessarily airtight.

To use the snitz, soak overnight in cold water to soften.

Spicy and Sweet Barbecue Sauce

1 quart water

2 10-oz. cans tomato paste

2 lemons, seeded and cut into eighths

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

6 bay leaves

1 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. pepper

1½ tsp. ground red pepper or pepper flakes

2 tsp. salt

1½ cups brown sugar, packed

1½ cups cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Remove the lemon slices and bay leaves and discard.

When slightly cooled, transfer the barbecue sauce to sterilized jars with tight-fitting lids and refrigerate. This sauce can keep indefinitely if kept refrigerated.