Terrific Chicken

It's a damp, gloomy day outside. Christmas cards need to be written. Christmas cookies need to be baked. It's a perfect day to make one of Grandma Bach's recipes to fill the house with happy memories of Grandma Bach's kitchen. Something warm and healthy, and filling so I don't chow down on too many of the Christmas cookies and something that will be ready for Santa when he gets off duty tonight. This dish is so good that we forgot to take the picture when it came out of the oven. This is what it looked like after dinner.

Terrific Chicken from Grandma (Janet) Bach

10 boneless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 small container of sour cream
Fresh mushrooms
Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice (brown box)

This fat Pie Eating Swede uses Rice Select Royal Blend Whole Grain (Texmati Brown and Wild Rice with soft wheat and rye) instead of the Uncle Ben’s) and portabella mushrooms doubling the recipe on the rice jar. Cook rice as directed. Combine soup, sour cream and sliced mushrooms. Spray PAM on a 13” x 9” baking pan. Lay rice on the bottom, chicken breasts on top of that. Cover with the soup mixture. I used the Campbell's Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic soup. It adds more flavor and color to this dish. Bake at 3750F for 50 – 60 minutes. This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the second day.

Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs

When I was growing up in Wisconsin we used to go to the State Fair. Everything was interesting, so much to see, the crowds were intimidating, and the cream puffs were ***pure heaven***. This summer my brother, Ed, and his wife, Sharon, went to the Wisconsin State Fair. It was so hot and the lines were so long they had to go home without any cream puffs. Just the thought of that brings tears to this Fat Pie Eating Swedes eyes. Do not dispair. This story has a happy ending. My most marvelous sister-in-law Sharon made them at home. Here is a picture of her heavenly creation followed by her recipe.

Wisconsin State Fair Cream Puffs from my most marvelous sister-in-law Sharon Toman

INGREDIENTS for 12 Cream Puffs
1 cup water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 teaspoon iodized salt
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
4 eggs
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2 cups whipping cream, whipped with vanilla extract and sugar (see below)
Sifted powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour one very large or two small baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.


2. Pour water into heavy saucepan. Cut butter into small pieces and add to water. Add salt. Place saucepan over medium-low heat so butter melts before water boils. Bring water just to boil.


3. Remove pan from heat and add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until dough forms into a ball and bottom of pan is filmed with flour. Let dough rest 5 minutes.


4. Add whole eggs, beating in one egg at a time. Dough should be stiff but smooth.


5. Immediately drop 1/4 cupfuls of dough 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. (Or for a neater appearance, use pastry bag with 3/4-inch plain tip and pipe dough onto baking sheet.) This Fat Pie Eating Swede would put baking parchment on the baking sheets too.


6. Combine egg yolk and milk in a small bowl. Brush each puff with glaze mixture, taking care not to let liquid drip onto pan.


7. Bake 35 minutes, until puffed, golden brown and firm.


8. Cool puffs on wire racks, pricking each with a toothpick to allow steam to escape, or leave them in a turned-off oven with the door propped open for about an hour, until firm. (If baked pastry is filled before cool and firm, it will be soggy and may collapse.) Baked puffs should have hollow, moist interiors and crisp outer shells that are lightly browned.


9. Cut off tops; fill with whipped cream (use pastry bag with star tip or scoop the whipped cream with a large spoon). Replace tops of the puffs and sprinkle with powdered sugar.


My brother Ed enjoying a cream puff. What a lucky guy!

Egg-Free Apple Cake

It is a cold gloomy, rainy day here. Here is a recipe that is easy, makes the house smell fabulously warm and spicy, and of course tastes soooooo good. I think it should have a nicer name because Egg-Free Apple Cake sounds much more healthy than tasty. I am posting this recipe in the exact form that I received it in from my baking diva sister, Barb, because it is perfect just as it is.

Egg-Free Apple Cake by Christine Holmes, Mineral, Virginia via Barb Bach

4 cups diced peeled Granny Smith apples
2 cups golden raisins
2 cups unsweetened apple juice
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

In a large saucepan, bring the first eight ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, combine flour and baking soda; fold in apple mixture. Transfer to a 10-inch fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 F for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 16 Servings
Nutrition Facts: 1 slice equals 286 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 508mg sodium, 60g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 3g protein

Served with Blue Bunny Vanilla ice cream, my husband, Sam rates this recipe 5 Star

Helen's Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie

The Fat Pie Eating Swede, yes, that's me. I love good food, I particularly love cookies, pies, and cakes and plan to share some of my favorite recipes, tips, and tricks with you. This is my latest favorite pie recipe. It is adapted from a Pillsbury pie recipe.

My husband, Sam, loves it even though he is not a big fan of nuts.

Helen's Topsy-Turvy Apple Pie

INGREDIENTS
Glaze and Crust
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
2 tablespoon corn syrup
1 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® pecan halves
1 box (15 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box
Filling
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
8 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples (8 medium Granny Smith)
Topping
Whipped cream, if desired

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray pie plate with cooking spray. In 9-inch glass pie plate, mix brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Spread evenly in bottom of pie plate. Arrange pecans over mixture. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie, placing bottom crust over mixture in pan.

2. In small bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour and cinnamon. Arrange half of apple slices in crust-lined pie plate. Sprinkle with half of sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining apple slices and sugar mixture. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

3. Place pie on sheet of foil on middle oven rack in oven; bake 8 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 35 to 45 minutes longer or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. Immediately run knife around edge of pie to loosen. Place serving plate upside down over pie; turn serving plate and pie plate over. Remove pie plate. Serve warm or cool with whipped cream.