The Destiny Series

Recipes

Cara’s Pumpkin Dump Cake

Featured in Return to Destiny. Recipe Courtesy of Heather Osborn.

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
¾ cup butter, melted
1 ½ cups chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Mix well, and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.

Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top, then drizzle with melted butter. Top with pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or Cool Whip on top.

Edna's Old Fashioned gingerbread

Featured in Christmas in Destiny. Recipe courtesy of Renee Norris. 

1 1/2 cups sifted flour (all purpose, sift before measuring)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg
1 cup light molasses
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1/2 cup hot water

Preheat oven to 375 F lightly grease and flour8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan.

Into medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a large bowl, using mixer (or portable mixer) beat egg, add molasses, butter and 1/2 cup hot water until well combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture, beating until smooth.

Turn into prepared pan.  Bake 25 minutes or until test with knife in center comes out clean. Let gingerbread cool 10 minutes. Cut into 9 squares and then turn out of pan.

Serve warm with sauce, whipped cream or ice cream.  Delicious plain with powdered sugar dusted on top.

Makes 9 servings.

Anna’s Blackberry Cobbler

Featured in Half Moon Hill, courtesy of Amanda Beverly of Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1stick) butter

• 2 cups self-rising flour

• 2 cups white sugar

• 2 cups milk

• 4-5 cups blackberries (enough to fill dish to brim)

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.  Once oven temperature is reached, melt butter in a 9"x13" pan.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and milk (2% milk would be the best).  The batter will be slightly lumpy.  Pour mixture on top of melted butter in baking pan.  Do not mix butter and batter together. 

Drop blackberries into batter (if more crust is desired, add less blackberries).  (Yes, the batter goes in first, then the berries.  Don't worry, when you take the cobbler out of the oven, the berries will be on the bottom and the batter will have formed a crust on the top.)

Bake in preheated oven for one hour (60 min.) or until golden brown. 

SUE ANN'S CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Appearing in the back of Holly Lane, this recipe has been passed down through my family for generations. I hope you and your family will enjoy it too!

Cookie Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter or margarine

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp cream of tarter

• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

Cookie Directions

Cream together first 5 ingredients. Combine salt, soda, and flour in separate bowl, then mix gradually into creamed mixture. When well-blended, cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight. 
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough to approximately 1/4 inch or less, if possible. Cut into desired shapes and place on cookie sheet. (Or the dough can also be shaped into a log for chilling, then sliced for simple round cookies.)

Bake on lower over shelf until cookies are slightly puffed, then move onto upper shelf and bake until edges begin to turn lightly golden. Entire baking time is approximately four to six minutes, depending upon cookie thickness. Do not overbake. Cool on rack. Eat cookies plain or cover with glaze:

Glaze Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioner's sugar

• a dash of salt

• 1 tsp vanilla

• add milk to desired consistency (but be careful not to add too much)

Glaze Directions

Stir ingredients together, then add food color if desired. Apply to cooled cookies with pastry brush.

About Destiny

• Series Overview 

AMY'S SIMPLE BUCKEYE CANDIES

Featured in Holly Lane, courtesy of Sarah Patrick.

Ingredients

• 10 oz. of peanut butter chips

• 16 oz of vanilla cake frosting, from a can is fine

• 12 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate

Directions

Melt peanut butter chips in the microwave. Stir them into vanilla cake frosting. Form one-inch balls with the peanut butter/vanilla candy mixture and dip into melted chocolate with a toothpick leaving only a small circle of candy visible at top, then set on wax paper.

TESSA'S PUMPKIN BREAD

Featured in Whisper Falls. Courtesy of Cathy Lowe

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 4 eggs, lightly bean

• 16 oz canned unsweetened pumpkin

• 3 1/2 cups flour

• 2 tsp salt

• 2 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp nutmeg

• 1 tsp allspice

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp cloves

• 2/3 cup water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9 by 5 loaf pans. Stir together sugar and oil. Stir in eggs and pumpkin. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients and water into wet mixture, alternating. Divide batter between two loaf pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool. Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 30 min. Yeilds: 2 loaves.

MRS. SHERIDAN’S CHICKEN SOUP

Featured in Whisper Falls. Courtesy of Renee Norris

Ingredients

• 1 Chicken –Whole roaster @ 3 to 5 pounds

• 1 yellow onion medium to large

• 6 stalks celery

• 2 slices red pepper chopped tiny

• 3 cloves of garlic chopped or put through garlic press

• 1 bag of peeled carrots or 4 whole carrots cut in bite size pieces

• Olive oil

• Spices: salt, pepper, basil, parsley (fresh if you have it) amount varies depending on taste

• 1/4 cup white wine

• a stockpot

• wide egg noodles

Directions

Put stock pot on stove top over medium heat and add about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Chop onion, celery, red pepper and carrot, and add some salt, pepper and basil to pan. Stir and cook until onions are translucent (about 1-2 minutes) and add garlic. Add whole chicken, salt, pepper. Brown the chicken a bit. Add the wine and let it simmer for about a minute, then add enough water to the pot to cover the chicken. Bring to boil and then turn down the heat to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours. Remove the chicken from the pot, remove the meat from the bones, then return the meat to the pot. (If desired, add a chopped tomato and some fresh parsley and continue to simmer on low.) Add wide egg noodles and cook for another 10 minutes or until noodles are tender.

EDNA'S APPLE PIE

featured in Sugar Creek. Courtesy of Jackie Floyd

Ingredients

• Pastry for 9-inch two-crust pie (recipe below) or ready-made pie crusts from the dairy case (if you must)

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• Dash of salt

• 7 cups peeled, cored and sliced tart apples (about 8 medium Granny Smith apples)

• 3 Tbs margarine or butter

• 1 tsp of sugar combined with a dash of cinnamon

Directions

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pie plate with the first crust according to directions. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Stir in apples, coating them well. Mound them into pastry-lined pie plate and press them down. Dot with dabs of margarine or butter. Place the second crust on top of the filling. Flute the edges between your thumb and index finger or press with a fork. Trim extra crust from the edge of the pie with a knife. Cut slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle the top crust with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover the edges of the pie with a 3-inch strip of aluminum foil and place the pie in the center rack in the oven. Remove foil after 30 or 35 minutes. Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream to a piece of slightly warm pie and it will taste like heaven.

Pastry Ingredients

• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening (or lard, if you're a pie crust purist)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 4 to 5 Tbl cold water*

Pastry Directions

Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are the size of small peas. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork until all the flour is moistened and the pastry almost cleans the side of the bowl (*1 to 2 additional teaspoons of water can be added if necessary.) Divide pastry into halves and shape into 2 round balls. Roll one of the balls with a floured rolling pin until it's 2 inches larger than the inverted pie plate. Fold pastry into quarters; place in pie plate and gently unfold, easing it into place and pressing firmly against the bottom and sides of the plate. Fill the pie. Roll the other ball of pastry with a floured rolling pin until it it is 2 inches larger than the pie plate. Fold the upper crust into quarters and position on top of the pie filling. Gently unfold and and press into place. Flute the edge by pressing between thumb and index fingers or sealing all around the edge with the tines of a fork. Trim overhanging edge of pastry. Cut slits in the top crusts. Bake as directed for your favorite pie recipe.

JENNY'S LEMON BARS

Featured in One Reckless Summer. Courtesy of bookseller Gina of Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, Kentucky

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted Butter, softened

• 1/4 c. firmly packed Brown Sugar

• 1 c. plus 2 TBSP. unbleached Flour

• 1 tsp. grated Lemon Peel

• 2 lg. Eggs

• 1 1/4 c. Confectioner's Sugar (powdered sugar)

• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

• juice of 1 Lemon (3 TBSP.)

• 1/4 c. sweetened flaked Coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 350; grease 8 inch baking pan. In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Blend in 1 cup flour and lemon peel; mix til small pelets form. Press down into pan to form crust and bake 20 min. Meanwhile stir together powdered sugar, 2 TBSP. flour and baking powder. Beat in eggs and lemon juice. Pour over crust; sprinkle w/coconut. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until set. Cool completely before cutting into small bars. Sprinkle w/powdered sugar before servin. Store in refrigerator.