In the Kitchen With Ann Lee

 in Favorite Recipes / Now Magazines by

These recipes were contributed by Ann Lee, a Waxahachie resident, and originally appeared in the WaxahachieNOW October 2015 issue.

Great-great-grandma Mayne’s Coffee Cake

  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 3/4 cup Crisco shortening
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • Cinnamon, to taste
  1. Mix first 4 ingredients thoroughly; cut in the shortening with two table knives or you can use a pastry blender. The mixture will be very coarse. Remove 1 cup and reserve for later use.
  2. Add eggs and milk to the coarse mixture, beating until smooth using a wooden spoon. (The mixture will be a bit lumpy by today’s standards, but this recipe includes the order: Do not mix with an electric mixer!)
  3. Grease and flour 2 baking pie pans. Divide the batter evenly into the two containers. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the reserved mixture on top of each cake. Then sprinkle each cake generously with cinnamon.
  4. Bake in a 350 F oven for 35-40 minutes. Edges will be brown. Test center with a toothpick, making sure toothpick comes out clean. Cool a bit, but serve warm.

 

Honey-apple Pie

  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • Dash of salt
  • 2 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
  • 6-8 medium cooking apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 pie crusts (Use your favorite recipe.) 
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 Tbsp. coarse sugar
  1. In a large bowl, combine honey, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the butter. Add the apples, making sure to coat well with honey mixture.
  2. Fill a pastry-lined pie pan with the apple filling. Cover the top with the second crust. Finish the edges in your usual way.
  3. Create 3 leaf cutouts from excess dough. Artistically place the leaves on top of the pie. Brush top with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Cover the edges with foil to prevent burning.
  4. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 30 more minutes or until filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

 

Mushroom Salad

Makes 5 cups.

  • 3/4 cup salad oil
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (about 1/2 bag of crinkle cut carrots)
  • 1 lb. fresh, sliced mushrooms (or 2 6-oz. cans)
  • 1 cup green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup onion, sliced in thin rings
  • 2 Tbsp. dried basil
  • 1 cup red bell pepper, diced (or 1 4-oz. jar sliced pimento)
  1. In a large saucepan, combine oil, vinegar, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Add the carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms, green bell peppers and onion. Mix, cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
  4. Add basil and red pepper or pimento. Put salad in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 24 hours.

 

Holiday Occasions Salad

Salad:

  • Mixed greens of your choice
  • 1 8-oz. can mandarin oranges, drained and chilled
  • 1/3 to 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 15-oz. hearts of palm salad cuts
  • Sliced almonds, toasted (optional)

Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Dash of tabasco
  1. Right before meal, toss the salad ingredients together. 
  2. Mix the dressing ingredients together and pour over salad, blending well. Serve immediately. (This salad does not save well, so consider how much you can use immediately with none leftover.)