Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
I hope you like raisins because we've got lots of them this week.
First up, pie for JoAnn Breedlove.
"I have used this recipe for 60 years, and my guys love it with a tall glass of milk," writes Sue Rownd.
Raisin Pie
2 unbaked pie crusts
2 cups water
2 cups golden raisins
2 eggs beaten
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a pie plate with one of the unbaked pie crusts.
In a heavy saucepan, combine the water and raisins and cook until raisins are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not drain.
In a bowl, beat eggs with the flour. Add to raisin mixture and stir. Add sugar and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches desired thickness. Add butter and stir until melted.
Pour mixture into the prepared pie plate. Top with a gashed or lattice crust.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown.
"This recipe was given to me by my high school friend Linda Nutt of Malvern back in the early '60s," Judy Whitis writes.
"It was a favorite in her family, and then mine. Happy to share it once again for Lena Scroggins, who recently requested a raisin cookie recipe!"
Raisin Cookies
2 cups raisins
1 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Boil raisins in water for 2 minutes; add soda and set aside to cool.
Cream shortening and sugar together and add beaten eggs.
Sift together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt.
Stir the raisins (with liquid) into the creamed mixture, then the sifted dry ingredients. Add vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.
Completing the raisin trifecta are these muffins from Jean Brown.
The recipe does not contain oil, flour, eggs or sugar.
Healthy Cake/Muffins
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
2 1/2 cups applesauce
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 large apples, chopped
1 cup walnut pieces
1/2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Baking spray (and paper liners for muffin)
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
For a cake, coat a Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 375 to 400 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.
For muffins: Line cups with paper liners. Coat paper liners with spray before filling with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.
REQUESTS
Requests for beloved dishes from The Villa Italian restaurant continue to pour in:
• Chicken Parmesan like the dish served at The Villa for Karen Branton.
• Lasagna like the one at The Villa for Ron Blome.
Send recipe contributions, requests and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:
kbrant@arkansasonline.com
Food on 08/31/2016