Illinois'
FINEST COOKING

Homemakers Extension Association of Cumberland County dedicated its 1996 cookbook to all former and deceased members of the organization and all Charter Members. The cookbook is spiral-bound and has 378 pages of recipes and helpful hints. Purchase the cookbook for $10 plus $2 postage from Betty Yocum, 538 Country Road 1475 E, Toledo, IL 62468 or call her at (217) 923-5547.

The Women's Guild of Church of Peace, U.C.C. in Kewanee presents its 1996 third edition cookbook. It is spiral-bound and has 132 pages. Order from Phyllis Hepner, 27989 E. State Road, Kewanee, IL 61443 for $6.50 plus $1.50 postage, or call her at (309) 853-5052, or Church of Peace Women's Guild, 28358 N. 900 Avenue, Kewanee, 1L 61443; phone (309) 853-5052.

LIL' CRAB CAKES
Michelle Black

1/2 C. butter, melted 3 egg yolks 1/8 tsp. Tabasco® 1 1/2 lb. crabmeat 4 T. butter

6 slices bread, crusts trimmed
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Worchestershire
3 egg whites
 

Pour the melted butter over the bread and soak 15 minutes, then mash the bread and add yolks, salt, Tabasco, and Worcestershire. Blend in crab and fold in egg whites. Shape into 25 small cakes. Melt remaining butter in a skillet and brown cakes on both sides. Serve hot.

CHERRY COFFEE CAKE
Pauline Yocum

1 loaf frozen bread dough 1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie   filling

1/2 C. butter
1 1/4 C. flour
1 1/4 C. sugar

Place dough in greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan; thaw. Spread in pan. Spread with pie filling. In bowl mix butter, flour, and sugar until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

CHICKEN CASSEROLE
Jeanne Strohl

4 cooked chicken breasts,   cut in pieces 1 can cream of chicken soup 1/4 C. chopped onion 1 tsp. lemon juice

1 pkg. Rice-A-Roni® (chicken flavor),
   cooked (use more than 1 if feeding more)
3/4 C. salad dressing
  (Miracle Whip®)
 

Mix all this together.

Top with:

1 C. corn flakes, crushed 1/2 C. slivered almonds

1/2 stick butter,
  melted

Bake at 350°, uncovered, for 1 hour.

MANWICH CASSEROLE
Kaye Auk

7 oz. macaroni 1 lb. ground beef 1 can Manwich®

1/4 C. sugar (may use less)
1 1/2 C. shredded Colby or
   Cheddar cheese

Boil macaroni and drain. Brown ground beef. Add Manwich and sugar to cooked ground beef; add macaroni. Put in 2 quart casserole. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 350° until cheese is melted.

CRAZY CRUST PIZZA
Luella Will

2 eggs 2/3 C. milk 1 C. flour 1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper
1 or 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. oregano
 

Grease cookie sheet. Mix eggs with milk. Add other ingredients. Pour crust in pan. Add desired toppings. Add 8 oz. shredded Mozzarella cheese over toppings. Spoon on 8 oz. can (or more) tomato or pizza sauce. Bake in 350° oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

SUGARLESS SPICE CAKE
Eileen Fogleman

2 C. raisins 2 C. water 1 C. unsweetened    applesauce 2 eggs. beaten 2 T. liquid artificial    sweetener

3/4 C. vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking soda
2 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Whipped cream (optional)

In a saucepan, cook raisins in water until water evaporates. Add applesauce, eggs, sweetener, and oil; mix well. Blend in baking soda and flour. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream if desired. Yield: 20 servings,

24 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING JANUARY 1998

QUICK AND EASY FAT-FREE PUMPKIN-SPICE RING
Geniece Abbott

1 angel food cake mix 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 C. solid-pack pumpkin
  (not pumpkin pie mix)

Sift dry ingredients together. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once. Stir until dough follows fork. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 8 to 10 times. Roll out dough 1/2 to 1 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet Bake at 450° for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 16.

PRIZE BAKING POWDER BISCUITS
Betty Yocum

2 C. sifted flour 2/3 to 3/4 C. milk 1/2 C. shortening 1 tsp. salt

4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. sugar
 

In small bowl combine pumpkin and spice; set aside. Mix angel food as package directs, then gently fold in pumpkin. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake at 400° for 45 to 55 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and invert onto bottle or funnel; cool completely in pan. Loosen cake and place on cake plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

HAM PINWEELS
Kendra Heise Showalter

9 oz. cream cheese with chives or   8 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 T. chili sauce

1 can Underwood deviled ham
  spread
1/8 tsp. Tabasco® sauce
1 loaf bakery bread, sliced lengthwise

Blend cream cheese and deviled ham until smooth. Add chili sauce and Tabasco sauce. Spread mixture on long bread slices. Trim off the crust edges and roll bread slices lengthwise (like a jelly roll). Refrigerate for at least one hour. Cut into slices and serve.

RUMAKI
Kathy Manthe Hefner

1 1/2 tsp. honey 1 T. soy sauce 2 T. oil

1/2 garlic clove
3 cans whole water chestnuts
1 pkg. bacon

Mix honey, soy sauce, oil and garlic. Drain chestnuts. Marinate chestnuts in honey mixture for at least 1 hour or all night. Cut bacon slices into thirds. Wrap chestnuts with bacon and secure with a toothpick. Broil 5-7 minutes on each side. Serve immediately.

ANNA'S CORN CHOWDER
Martha Hepner Corley

4 C. diced new potatoes 2 C. boiling water 1 lg. onion, diced 2 C. frozen corn 2 C. milk

1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4-5 slices bacon, diced (or
  substitute
1 C. Kielbasa®
  sausage

Drop potatoes in boiling water for 15 minutes. Fry onions and bacon together. Add this to the potatoes. Add the corn and cook until potatoes are done. Add milk and seasonings. Bring to boiling point. Serve very hot.

ITALIAN TORTELLINI SOUP
Audrey Hepner Becker

4 tsp. beef base 11 oz. Italian sausage 1 lb. meat tortellini 2 C. shredded cabbage 1/2 C. chopped green pepper 8 oz. sliced zucchini

1/2 C. chopped red onions
2 chopped fresh tomatoes
8 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 qt. water

Brown the Italian sausage. Shred the cabbage (pack it lightly in the measuring cup). Chop the green pepper, red onion and fresh tomatoes. Slice the zucchini. Combine all ingredients in a large kettle and boil until the tortellini is done, about 10 minutes. If you will not be serving the soup for awhile, leave tortellini out until 10 minutes before you're read to serve so the tortellinis don't fall apart Makes 12 1-cup servings.

TWICE BAKED POTATO CASSEROLE
Virgie Cathelyn

8 to 10 large potatoes salt & pepper to taste 1/2 C. butter 1/2 C. sour cream

1/2 C. Cheez Whiz
1 egg
1 pkg. potato topping
milk as needed

Peel and cook potatoes as you would for mashed potatoes. Drain. Add butter, sour cream and Cheez Whiz and mash. Add some milk if too thick. Turn into a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish and top with dots of butter. Beat one egg and pour over top. Add potato topping and bake at 350° for 1 hour.

CREAMY SPINACH CASSEROLE
Elissa Kuster

4 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen,   chopped spinach 1 can water chestnuts,   chopped

2 cans cream of celery soup
1 (3oz.) can French-fried
onion rings
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook spinach as package directs. Drain well. Place spinach in 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with chestnuts and cheese. Blend soup and half of the can of onions. Spoon on soup mixture. Bake in 350° oven until bubbly, about 25 minutes. Arrange the rest of onions over the top and return to oven until golden brown.

BARBECUE CHICKEN
Debora Nanninga

3 to 4 lbs. chicken parts 1 jar apricot jam

1 sm. bottle French dressing
1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix

Arrange chicken parts in single layer in pan 2 inches deep. Mix together jam and dressing. Sprinkle chicken with soup mix. Pour dressing mixture over chicken. Bake 1-1/2 hours at 325°, basting chicken with pan juices twice during baking.

WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE
Norma Hepner

1 C. butter or margarine 1 C. water 2 C. all-purpose flour 2 C. sugar 2 eggs, beaten

1/2 C. sour cream
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

In large saucepan, bring butter and water to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda until smooth. Pour into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20 to 22 minutes or until cake is golden brown and tests done. Cool 20 minutes.

Frosting:

1/2 C. butter or margarine 1/4 C. milk 4 1/2 C. confectioner's sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 C. chopped walnuts
 

Combine butter and milk in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Add sugar and extract and mix well. Stir in walnuts and spread over warm cake.

JANUARY 1998 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 25