Illinois' FINEST COOKING

'Tis the season

Our thoughts are centering on holiday entertaining and gift giving. Why not consider some of our featured cookbooks for gift giving or for yourself as you plan your holiday entertaining? We showcase some of the cookbooks we featured this past year. Place your order with these shown or from past issues of the magazine.

Friends of the Palestine Library Friends of the Palestine Library's 1997 cookbook has 133 pages of recipes and helpful hints. Purchase the cookbook from Palestine Public Library, Attention: Sue, 116 South Main Street, Palestine, IL 62451. The cost is $8 for one or $7.50 for each additional with $2 each for shipping.

WASSAIL
Betty Griffith

2 qt. natural apple cider
2 C. orange juice
1 C. lemon juice
1 orange peel, sliced thin
1 lemon peel, sliced thin
1 stick cinnamon
4 T. honey
1 medium orange cloves

Combine apple cider, juices, orange and lemon peel, cinnamon stick and honey in a large pot. Simmer for 10 minutes. Punch holes in the orange and poke cloves in each hole. Let orange float in hot wassail.

CORNISH HENS
Mary Swartz

3/4 C. chopped onion
3/4 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. butter or margarine
3 C. cooked rice
3/4 C. raisins
1/3 C. chopped walnuts
3 T. honey
2 T. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
6 Cornish hens (20 oz. each)

In a skillet, saute onion and celery in 3 T. butter until tender; remove from heat. Add rice, raisins, walnuts, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and pepper; mix well. Stuff hens. Place on a rack in a large shallow baking dish. Soften remaining butter; rub over skins. Bake, uncovered at 375 for one hour or until the juice runs clear.

Jasper County HEA, Newton Jasper County HEA's cookbook has past and new recipes from 1996-97 members. It has 323 pages. Order from Evelyn Holsapple, c/o Jasper County Extension, P.O. Box 31, Newton, IL 62448. The cost of the cookbook is $12 which includes postage.

ENGLISH PEA CASSEROLE
Selma Milliman

1 stick margarine
1 C. celery
1 C. onion
1 C. bell pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans drained English peas (can use regular size peas)
1 small can water chestnuts, finely cut
1 small jar pimento

Melt margarine, add chopped fine: celery, onion and pepper. Add English peas, water chestnuts, pimento and cream of mushroom soup. Mix well and put in casserole dish. Cover top with buttered bread crumbs. Bake at 350° until bubbly and bread crumbs are brown. (May double recipe by doubling peas and mushroom soup to other ingredients. This casserole freezes well. Add the bread crumbs just before baking).

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE
Norma Ferguson

3 C. cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
2 eggs, beaten slightly
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1 C. white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients well and put into buttered casserole dish.

Topping:

1/3 C. flour
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1/2 C. chopped pecans

Mix well and sprinkle over casserole. Bake 30 minutes at 350°.

22 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • DECEMBER 1999

Edinburg Lioness Club

The Edinburg Lioness Club's cookbook has 122 pages of recipes and helpful hints. The cookbook can be purchased from Treva Sample, 111 E. Harrison, Edinburg, IL 62531. The cost of the cookbook is $7 plus $1 postage.

SHRIMP LOUIS DIP
Barb Payne

1 C. Hellmann's Light reduced calorie mayo
1 C. sour cream
1/3 C. finely chopped green pepper
1/4 C. chili sauce
1 T. prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 C. finely chopped, cooked shrimp

Stir all ingredients until well mixed. Cover; chill. Makes 3 cups.

FAMOUS STORE CAKE
Fran Dillard

Bottom layer:
1 box German chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 C. chopped nuts
1/4 C. oil

Mix by hand. Spread in bottom of 9x13-inch pan.

Top layer:
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese
1 lb. box confectioners sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C. chopped nuts

Mix ingredients using mixer until smooth. Pour evenly over cake. Bake in 325° oven for about 1 hour or until top looks like meringue.

TROPICAL PUNCH

1 (46 oz.) red Hawaiian Fruit Punch
1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (6 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate
3 1/2 C. chilled ginger ale

Combine all ingredients except the ginger ale. Pour over ice ring in punch bowl. Resting bottle on rim of punch bowl, carefully pour in the ginger ale.

American Business Women's Association

The American Business Women's Association's cookbook is nationally created. It is a three-ring-binder and has 229 pages of quick, healthy and taste-tested recipes. Order yours from Gwen Husek, RR 3 Box 431, Bloomington, IL 61704. The cost of the cookbook is $15.95 which includes shipping.

FAT-FREE TRIFLE
Vickie Chunn

4 C. skim milk
2 (3 oz.) pkg. sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 (12 oz.) angel food cake 4 oz. light whipped topping
1 (16 oz.) pkg, each individually frozen strawberries and blackberries
1 (10 oz.) pkg. individually frozen raspberries

Process the milk and pudding mix in a blender until mixed. Break the cake into large bite-sized pieces. Reserve one strawberry for garnish. Layer 1/3 of the cake pieces and 1/3 of the pudding in a 9x13-inch dish. Add the strawberries. Add layers of half the remaining cake and half the pudding. Add the raspberries. Layer the remaining cake, pudding and the blackberries in the dish. Top the layers with whipped topping. Garnish with the reserved strawberry. Chill in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours. The berries will thaw slowly while the trifle flavors meld. 15 servings.

This is a correction from the November issue. CRUNCHY PEACH COBBLER Pastry for double pie crust 5 C. sliced peaches 1 C. sugar 1/4 C. water 3 T flour 1/4 C. sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring butter Roll half of the pastry very thin and line a 2" deep baking dish. Roll and cut the other half into strips. Bake half the strips on a cookie sheet in a 375° oven until brown. Put fruit, 1 C. sugar and water in a saucepan; cook until fruit is soft. Mix flour, sugar, and salt; add to fruit. Cook, stirring until slightly thick. Stir in flavoring and cooked pastry strips (crumbled). Spoon in the crust-lined dish, dot with butter, and cover with uncooked strips. Bake at 400° until brown. Serves 8.

PUMPKIN ICE CREAM DESSERT
Sue Alberti

1-1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/4 C. melted butter
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1 1/2 C. mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/8 tsp. cloves
1 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened

Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and pecans in a bowl; mix well. Press the mixture over the bottom and up the sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes. Combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a bowl; mix well. Fold in the ice cream. Spoon over the baked crust. Cover and freeze until 20 minutes before serving time. Soften in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Cut into serving squares. 16 servings.

DECEMBER 1999 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 23