IDEA ALLEY : Presto! Coconut pie bakes its own crust
Posted on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Last week, Elaine H. Walizer of Conway shared a recipe for a yeast bread using cottage cheese, answering a request by Mary K. Brady of Jacksonville. Walizer had a request of her own; a recipe for a coconut pie that forms it own crust. We have that recipe in our files, and gladly repeat it for Walizer. If you need a last-minute dessert, this pie is a quick and delicious solution.
Magic Coconut Pie 2 cups milk 3 / 4 cup granulated sugar 1 / 2 cup baking mix, such as Bisquick 4 eggs 1 / 4 cup butter, melted 1 / 2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup flaked coconut Heavily grease a 9-inch pie plate. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In an electric blender place milk, sugar, biscuit mix, eggs, butter and vanilla. Cover and process at low speed for 3 minutes. Pour into prepared pan. Let stand about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with coconut and bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Makes 8 servings. After we printed the cottage cheese-yeast bread recipe for Brady, she wrote this week to tell us that two people sent a recipe directly to her. One was a no-kneading-required Dilly Casserole Bread baked in a casserole dish. She has passed it on for other Alley readers.
Dilly Casserole Bread 1 package dry yeast granules 1 / 4 cup warm water 1 cup cottage cheese, heated to lukewarm 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon instant minced onion 1 / 4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon butter 1 egg, unbeaten 2 teaspoons dill seeds 1 teaspoon salt 2 1 / 4 to 2 1 / 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour Soften yeast in the warm water. In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, sugar, onion, baking soda, butter, egg, dill seeds and salt. Add yeast mixture. Add flour to form a stiff dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until light and double in size, 50 to 60 minutes. Punch down and turn into a well-greased, round 1 1 / 2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Let rise in a warm place until light, 30 to 40 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. This grits recipe is from Diane Graham, Little Rock, which she says she adapted from Southern Living magazine.
Green Chili Cheese Grits 4 cups water 1 1 / 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup quick-cooking grits (not instant ) 6 tablespoons butter 1 1 / 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 1 / 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce 1 tablespoon white wine 8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese OR 1 jar Cheese Whiz OR 1 tube garlic cheese 1 beaten egg (see note ) 1 can chopped green chilies, drained (see note ) Paprika or ground red pepper (cayenne ) In a large saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add grits and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, white wine, cheddar cheese, egg, chopped green chilies. Mix well, putting back on low heat to ensure all cheese and butter has melted, if necessary. Sprinkle top with paprika or ground red pepper. Pour mixture into a well-buttered 9-by-13-inch casserole (if using a full recipe ) and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Let rest about 15 minutes and it will be firm and slice well. Leftovers may be microwaved, if covered. Notes: If cutting recipe in half, use entire egg. Use large or small size can green chilies, depending on how hot you like it. When we printed a recipe for Jail House Rolls back in April, we wondered how it got the name. Here’s what Frank Miles of Little Rock, who gave us the recipe, has to say: In the 1860 s, Miles’ grandfather’s aunt, Marta Meisenheimer, lived in Jefferson, Texas, then a city of about 30, 000 people. When her husband, a successful merchant, was killed in the final days of the Civil War, she turned her large, two-story home into a boardinghouse. She was already noted as an excellent cook, having been employed to provide meals for prisoners at the city jail. The yeast rolls she served gained popularity. After Miss Martha’s death, the new owner of her house continued to operate it as a boardinghouse for 25 years. In the 1970 s it became a popular bed and breakfast and one of Texas’ most popular tourist attractions. Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Irene Wassell, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P. O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; e-mail iwassell@arkansasonline. com Please include a daytime phone number.
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