French Apple Slices

Every fall, I enjoy apple-based desserts. Apple pie is a traditional Thanksgiving dessert, but these French Apple Slices could be an excellent substitute. This recipe from Mom's recipe box is similar to the Chicago-area bakery specialty that could be filled with any fruit including apple. This dessert can travel well, possibly better than apple pie. So if you need a dessert to take to a pot luck, this one is worth trying.

When I made this recipe, I ended up using a 9x9 pan, instead of the 13x9 pan, so I adjusted the amounts a bit. The dough puffed up a bit more than I expected and the slices were thicker overall, but the result was delicious. I especially liked the cinnamon seasoning in this recipe.

French Apple Slices 

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter, divided
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 6 apples, peeled, cored, sliced
• cinnamon
• confectioner sugar

Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter. Beat eggs with lemon juice and vanilla. Stir into flour mix, blending well. Divide dough in half. Roll one half on floured board to fit bottom of 13x9 pan. Arrange apple slices on dough; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon to  taste. Dot with remaining butter. Roll out remaining dough and fit over apples; seal edges against pan and prick top to allow steam to escape. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350; bake for 45 minutes. Dust with confectioner sugar. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Brown Sugar Squares

This dessert is easy to make, but a little messy to eat. When I made this recipe, they came out a bit gooey and did not hold their shape well. Nevertheless, these Brown Sugar Squares are quite delicious and worth trying. 

The recipe calls for using an eight-inch square pan. I did not have that size pan handy, so I used a slightly smaller pan, resulting in taller bars. The change in pan might have caused the gooey outcome. While baking, it seemed as if the batter remained liquid, but right at the end of the time, the batter seemed to solidify a bit more and a toothpick inserted in the middle came out clean. It is possible that I should have left the pan in the oven for a few more minutes to have a less gooey outcome, so I guess I will have to try this recipe again to find out.

Brown Sugar Squares 

• 1 egg
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Grease an eight-inch square pan. Stir together the egg, brown sugar, and vanilla. Quickly stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add walnuts. Spread in pan and bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Cool in the pan. Enjoy!

Texas Chili

When the temperatures start to drop and you are looking for comfort food, give this chili recipe a try. There are many variations of chili, and this recipe is just one version. But it is a classic version that makes a large pot to feed a crowd or give you leftovers for days. Chili is a flexible dish that can be a side or a main. It goes well with pasta, bread, on hot dogs, or even on its own.

Chili is easy to make. This recipe comes together fast and sits on the stovetop on simmer for awhile. By using canned beans, this recipe is even quicker. But, if you want, you could use dried beans with a little more effort. This time, I made beer bread to go with the chili. It was a delicious combination.

Texas Chili 

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 (15 1/2 oz.) cans small red beans, undrained
• 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1-2 Tbsp. chili powder

In a large skillet or pot, brown beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Drain fat. Stir in rest of ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Recently we had family over for Saturday dinner. We enjoyed some family classics, including this blog's namesake, Spaghetti and Gravy. For dessert, I looked for a recipe that might be one that does not travel easily. I found this pie recipe, and it was perfect. The apple with nutmeg and cinnamon was perfect for Fall. And the sour cream lent the pie a tangy and creamy flavor. 

This pie is a great make-ahead pie because it is best served cold. When I made this pie, the pie pan was filled and some pie filling spilled out causing smoke and setting off the smoke detectors. Next time, I will bake the pie with a pan underneath to catch any drippings.

Sour Cream Apple Pie 

• 9-inch pie crust
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 cups diced apples
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Have pie crust prepared and placed in pie pan. Sift together 2 tablespoons flour, salt, and 3/4 cup sugar into a bowl. Add egg, sour cream, vanilla, and nutmeg. Beat to a smooth and thin batter. Blend in apples and pour into crust. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then at 350 for 30 minutes. Prepare topping by blending 1/3 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Remove pie from oven. Sprinkle pie with topping. Brown for 10 minutes in 400 degree oven. Allow to thoroughly cool, then refrigerate. Enjoy!

Strawberry Squares

These Strawberry Squares are a delicious treat. I found that I inadvertently bought an extra box of strawberry jello. When I saw this recipe in Mom's recipe box, I knew that I had give it a try. The squares are a nice treat, but they smelled more of strawberry than they tasted. 

These squares are sort of a strawberry version of toffee bars. When just out of the oven, the squares are soft. But you need to cut them quickly because that harden into a nice crunchy cookie. Although the recipe calls for almond extract, I realized too late that I was out of almond extract, so I just used vanilla. 

Strawberry Squares 

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 package (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour
• 1 egg white
• Red sugar crystals

Beat butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and gelatin gradually. Add egg yolk, extract; beat well. Stir in baking powder and enough flour to make a soft dough. Spread and pat down on a buttered 15x10 pan. Beat egg white with fork until foamy. Brush over dough. Sprinkle top with sugar crystals. Bake at 300 for one hour or until firm on top. Remove from over. Cut into squares while still warm and in the pan. Cool. Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin

This sweet and sour pork tastes just like the dish you might order from your local Chinese restaurant. Mom loves Chinese food, so it is not surprising to see recipe cards for various favorites from Chinese restaurants. Growing up, sweet and sour pork or chicken was a regular part of our family's order. 

This recipe is easy to make and delicious to eat. While this dish might be more sweet than sour, it is delicious. The recipe calls for using pork tenderloin, but I used boneless pork chops. You could also use another meat or a non-meat substitute. I served this dish with rice, but it would also be good with noodles or bread.

Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin 

• 1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 pork tenderloin (about 1.5 pounds)
• 2 Tbsp. butter or oil
• 2 green peppers, sliced
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained

In a heavy saucepan, combine tomato sauce, water, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Blend vinegar and corn starch; stir into tomato mixture with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened. Brown pork in butter or oil in heavy skillet. Add green pepper, onion, and pineapple; brown lightly. Pour sauce over all. Cover and simmer about 35 minutes, or until meat is done. Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies

Not long ago, I posted a sugar cookie recipe. Upon further search in Mom's recipe box, I learned that those previous cookies were not Mom's favorite sugar cookie recipe. When I found the recipe card shown below, I knew I found Mom's favorite sugar cookies. The recipe card was so frequently used that it is nearly impossible to read. Luckily the ingredients and their quantities had been retraced, so I knew what to use. It looks to me as if the original writing is my Grandma's handwriting, with the retracing done by Mom. As for the instructions, I remembered the basic instructions from the many times I made the cookies with Mom. These sugar cookies are classic cookies with a nice crisp taste. They are delicious dunked in coffee.

Sugar Cookies 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup powder sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 pinch salt

In a large mixing bowl, blend butter, oil, sugar, powder sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Blend in baking soda, flour, cream of tartar, and salt. Blend dough well. Roll tablespoon ball of dough in sugar and place on baking pan. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!