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Sauces

Erie Greek Sauce

Fran New | Fairview, PA

This sauce is a local favorite... it’s not Greek.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 small onions, chopped
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

Directions

  1. Cook beef in a large skillet until it is completely browned. Drain.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring it to a boil.
  3. Lower the heat and simmer at least 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. The flavor will intensify the longer it simmers. (If making a larger batch, use a slow cooker and let it go for several hours.)
  4. Use it as a topping to your hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries.

Marinara with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ann Silverthorn | Erie, PA

What do you do when you want to serve a no-frills dish that’s easy to transport, serve, and consume, but you don’t want to just open a jar? You get creative!

"I was recently asked to make a main a dish for a gathering of fellow committee members from a World War I centennial project. My suggestion of pasta fagioli was well received, but since this was a casual event, I pictured people walking around the chairperson’s home, trying not to slosh soup on themselves and elsewhere."

"So, I decided to bring penne with marinara sauce, but to just boil some pasta and open a jar (like I do all the time) didn’t seem like it would be worthy of our special group. After searching for recipes (and remembering my mother-in-law’s awesome sauce), I resolved to create my own marinara. Adding sun-dried tomatoes seemed like it would make my version a bit different and create some texture for those craving a meatball."

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in water and sliced
  • 1 (28 ounces) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
  • 1 (28 ounces) can tomato puree
  • 1 (28 ounces) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon oregano
  • ½ tablespoon sweet basil
  • ½ tablespoon parsley
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Black pepper to taste
  • 3 cups water
  • Fresh basil

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil at medium. Add the onions, and when they begin to shimmer, add the garlic and sauté, but do not brown, or it will be bitter. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and sauté some more.
  2. To the sautéed mixture in the pot, add all the canned ingredients and stir in the spices. The mixture will be thick, so add three cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer on low heat for two to three hours, stirring occasionally. At the end, stir in some ribbons of fresh basil.
  3. The sauce will have cooked down to a nice consistency. If you like it thicker, remove the lid, and turn up the heat to medium-high, stirring frequently. If you like a thinner sauce, just stir in some more water.
  4. Add some basil ribbons to the top for garnish. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy! Tip: Boil penne pasta and mix it with some of the marinara. Cook it in a slow cooker and pour more sauce over top.

Poultry Gastrique

Bradley Thompson | Fairview, PA

My wife, Shauna, and I wanted to make a special turkey dinner for her mom, Edna Petrone’s, birthday one year. I wanted to utilize vinegar and brown sugar as part of the recipe. So that’s where I started. I ended up creating this gastrique. I baked the turkey with the sauce in an oven bag and it turned out amazingly flavorful! My mother-in-law still requests it.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Combine the vinegar, honey, syrup, and brown sugar in a large bowl.
  2. Mix until all of the sugar is blended in.
  3. Add the dry seasonings and mix in. Tip: Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment.
  4. Put your poultry into an oven bag as per the directions.
  5. Add your gastrique to the bag and baste the poultry with it really well.
  6. Close the bag and bake according to directions on the box.

Soups

Slow Cooker Cabbage Roll Soup

Jocelyn Taylor | Albion, PA

This soup is so much easier than rolling individual cabbage rolls — and it’s delicious! You can also add cooked rice right before you serve, but I prefer mine without.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups cabbage, chopped
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 24 ounces tomato sauce
  • Two cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

Directions

  1. Add onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, ground beef, and salt to a skillet on medium heat.
  2. Cook until the ground beef is browned.
  3. In a slow cooker, add cabbage, oregano, basil, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, and ground beef mixture and stir to combine.
  4. Cover and cook on low heat for 8 to 10 hours until cabbage is soft.

Turkey Meatball Alphabet Soup

Shannon Ferrare | Fairview, PA

It’s comfort food in a bowl. When anyone in my family is sick, they ask specifically for this soup. My young children love it anytime!

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground turkey (Preferably 94% lean)
  • ¼ cup finely diced onion
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon parsley flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg

For the Soup

  • 64 ounces low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup finely diced onion
  • 1/2 cup dried alphabet egg noodles (Preferably Manischewitz brand)
  • 4 cups baby leaf spinach, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon (or two chicken bouillon cubes)

Directions

  1. To make meatballs, combine all ingredients and roll into small meatballs (about the size of a silver dollar) and set aside on a greased sheet pan.
  2. In a Dutch oven or deep kettle, sauté the carrots and onions in a teaspoon of olive oil (about 3-5 minutes or until soft). Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and cover, heating on high until boiling. Add the alphabet egg noodles, Better than Bouillon, and drop in each meatball one at a time.
  3. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
  4. To finish, remove from heat, uncover, and add uncooked baby leaf spinach, then let sit covered until spinach is wilted.
  5. Serve with croutons and parmesan cheese on top.

Veggies

Sauteed Okra

Nahtanha Klingensmith | Erie, PA

Ingredients

  • 0-12 fresh okra
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

  1. Clean okra and cut into 1/4” slices.
  2. In a medium fry pan, melt butter over medium high heat.
  3. Add okra and season to taste.
  4. Sauté until lightly golden or “slime” disappears.
  5. Serve warm.

Main Dishes

Best-Ever Tofu Scramble

Ann Silverthorn | Erie, PA

You’ll find a thousand tofu scramble recipes on the Web and in cookbooks, but none more easy and delicious than this one. I took my favorite recipes and combined them into a one-pan dish, ready in about 30 minutes.

"Ann Silverthorn is not a chef, nor is she a nutritionist, but she knows her way around a kitchen pretty well and can use knives without injury, most of the time."

Ingredients

  • 14-16 ounces package extra-firm tofu
  • 3-4 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup shredded vegan cheddar
  • 2 tablespoons Earth Balance buttery spread
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • 1/2 red pepper, chopped
  • 16 ounces frozen hash browns

Note: Substitute Bragg’s Liquid Aminos with soy sauce or tamari, if necessary.

Directions

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together amino acids, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, sea salt, turmeric, and the olive oil.
  2. Drain tofu and crumble into small pieces. Add to the bowl and toss lightly. The tofu should turn light brown or yellow. Mix in shredded vegan cheddar. Set aside.
  3. In a large, non-stick fry pan, heat the buttery spread over medium-high heat. Brown onions and peppers, stirring occasionally until they soften. Add the tofu and fry until it starts to brown.
  4. Push tofu and vegetables to the center of the pan. Surround with frozen hash browns and add a few tablespoons of water, if necessary. Cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
  5. Uncover and stir together all ingredients. Cook over medium heat for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Jennifer Allen | Erie, PA

This recipe is from my grandmother, Lola Reynolds Riedesel (1922-2016), who got it from her sister-in-law, Beatrice Hayner Riedesel (1922-2013). Whenever my grandma let me choose a meal at her house, this is what I chose. The smell of this baking transports me back to my grandma’s kitchen whenever I make it now.

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
  • 1 cup cream of celery soup
  • 8 ounces sour cream
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 cups zucchini cooked slightly (cubed, boiled, don’t peel or slice)
  • 8 ounces of breadcrumbs
  • 1 stick of butter

Note: Grandma’s original recipe calls for 1 stick of butter, but 4 tablespoons work just as well.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Melt butter and mix with breadcrumbs. Spread half of crumb mix on bottom of casserole dish.
  3. Spread chicken over crumb mix. Spread zucchini over the chicken.
  4. Mix together the soup (straight from the can), sour cream, and mayonnaise. Spread evenly over the zucchini layer.
  5. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Cover with foil if casserole starts burning.

Hot Wings Perfected

Andrew Borner | Wethersfield, CT

Years of trials and this is where it’s at.

Ingredients

  • Frozen chicken wings
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Frank’s RedHot sauce
  • Butter

Directions

  1. Cook wings in a slow cooker on low for three hours. Add some Worcestershire sauce and Frank’s RedHot sauce for the slow cook.
  2. Air fry for 15 minutes at 350°F flip and repeat. While the wings are in the air fryer, mix more Frank’s, Worcestershire, and butter in a pan on low heat.
  3. Put wings in a bowl and add wet sauce.

Onorato Family Pasta Dough

Jean Thompson | Fairview, PA

My grandmother, Jean Thompson (Onorato), taught me how to make this dough with my father, Dennis Thompson, when I was a little boy. She was blind my entire life, but she never let that slow her down. We would spend an entire day stretching, rolling, and drying the different pasta types. Then, at every holiday, Grandma Jean and Aunt Sheila would get out some of the pasta we made for our family dinner. It was one of the most memorable dishes every year. I think the work we put into it made it taste even better!

— Bradley Thompson

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 2 large eggs (or 3 small)
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons water

Directions

  1. Combine flour and salt on a board. Make a well in the center and break eggs into it. Beat eggs with a fork, add oil, and gradually incorporate flour. Add water as needed.
  2. Mix/knead dough for 10 minutes, adding flour as needed until dough feels smooth and tender.
  3. Cover with damp towel and let rest for 3 hours or more.
  4. When ready to cut pasta, divide dough into pieces. Work one piece at a time. Flatten out each piece with a rolling pin (or press). Run through pasta machine on widest setting and work down to a thinner size.
  5. Pass dough through the desired thickness in machine (or hand cut).
  6. Lay on a floured cotton cloth or a pasta drying rack.
  7. Allow to dry a couple hours and flip, dry another couple hours.
  8. Freeze on cookie tray and bag.

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

Angela Snyder | Girard, PA

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 6 cups thinly sliced potatoes (peeled is preferred)
  • 1 1/2 cups fully cooked ham (cubed if using ham steaks, chopped if using thin-sliced lunch meat)
  • 1 small onion
  • 4-6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoon butter.
  2. Whisk in flour, parsley, salt, thyme, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil. Cook and stir constantly for two minutes.
  3. Grate or mince onion. Tip: Use a food processor to “juice” onion for flavor with no onion texture and smaller pieces.
  4. Add one layer (about half) of the potato slices in a greased 9” x 13” glass casserole dish.
  5. Add a layer of ham (about half) on top of the potatoes.Add a layer of onion (about half) on top of the ham.
  6. Pour half the sauce over the dish.
  7. Repeat layers (potatoes, ham, onion, sauce).
  8. Top with a thick layer of shredded cheddar cheese.
  9. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 75 minutes.
  10. Remove the foil and dot with remaining 2 tablespoon butter.
  11. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and cheese is browned.

Stromboli

Christine Dodson | Altoona, PA

This is a family favorite and can be amended to everyone’s liking! Sometimes we do a pizza one with pepperoni, mozzarella, mushrooms, and banana peppers — whatever you like!

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf frozen white bread dough
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1 tablespoon parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 pound pepperoni
  • 12 slices salami
  • 8 slices ham
  • 8 slices mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Thaw bread dough and roll into a rectangular shape.
  2. Combine egg yolks, parmesan, oregano, olive oil, parsley, garlic powder, and pepper. Spread evenly on bread dough.
  3. Layer pepperoni, salami, ham, and cheese on top.
  4. Roll into a log and brush with egg whites then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  5. Make 8-10 cut marks on top of stromboli to prevent blow outs.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
  7. Slice and use your favorite sauce for dipping.

Desserts

Cherry Pie

Betty Roberts | Fairview, PA

Grandma Betty would make this pie the most when the cherries were in season. But she always squirreled away some frozen bags to surprise us with a cherry pie during the holidays!

— Bradley Thompson

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sour cherries, thawed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup tapioca, dry
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • Butter
  • Salt
  • 2 pastry crusts, 9’’ each

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F
  2. Soak tapioca in cherry juice (or with cherries) for 15 minutes.
  3. Add cherries, sugar, tapioca, almond extract, cornstarch, and salt. Mix together.
  4. Place one 9” crust into a 9” pie plate. Pour mixture into crust and dot top with butter.
  5. Top with upper crust and flute edge. Cut vent holes in top.
  6. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, reduce temperature to 375°F for 45 minutes.

Csoroge (Love Knots)

Betty Chernek | Fairview, PA

Csöröge are sweet and crispy Hungarian pastries made with a dough consisting of egg yolks, flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Traditionally, the dough is twisted into thin ribbons or bows, and then deep-fried before sprinkling powdered sugar over top.

"My grandma Nana, Betty Chernek, would make these cookies at Christmas when I was a little boy. I would help her bake during the cold weather, when I didn’t have as many outdoor chores on their farm. She would always make sure we were well fed after a hard day’s work. These cookies were so good to eat!" — Bradley Thompson

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 cups flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • frying oil
  • 1 tablespoon rum or whiskey (optional)

Directions

  1. Add the flour and the egg yolks together to make a soft dough. Add the sour cream. Knead until smooth.
  2. Roll out the dough very thin. Cut into diamond shapes. Make a 1 ½-inch slit in the center of the diamond. Pull one corner through the center slit.
  3. Heat fry oil on the stove top. Fry the cookies until light brown.
  4. Pull out and dry on a rack or paper towels. After cooling, dust with powdered sugar.

Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

MaryBeth Santucci | Erie, PA

Our family loves homemade chocolate chip cookies. When we want them - we want them FAST!

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs, large
  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup peanut butter, natural creamy
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • flakey sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a small bowl mix together the oats and baking soda; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl mix together peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then gently fold in chocolate chips.
  4. Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. BARELY flatten the top of the cookie with your hand.
  5. Bake cookies for 9-12 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown.
  6. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle each cookie with flakey sea salt. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Mini Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

Halle Sullivan | Erie, PA

I make these ALMOST every Valentine’s Day. I make some without the ganache for my husband, Dan, who has no sweet tooth, and that leaves the *extra* ganache for me. This has only been a ‘family’ recipe for a few years, but it’s a winner, so I think it has many years ahead of it. Full disclosure: I probably stole or modified this from the Food Network ... or possibly the ORIGINAL “Food Network,” PBS / Create :)

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup hot brewed coffee
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Pinch of salt
  • 8 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Directions

  1. Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, and brown sugar in a large bowl; add the hot coffee and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
  2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg, egg yolk, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Spoon a scant tablespoon of batter into each mini-muffin cup. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
  3. Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and whisk until smooth, then let cool to room temperature. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a medium bowl; then carefully place it in the ice water and let sit, stirring every few minutes, until the frosting is thick enough to spread, about 15 minutes.
  4. Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag. Fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes.

Nut Roll

Karen Signorino | Erie, PA

Nut rolls were always a part of my family growing up – my heritage is Polish and Czechoslovakian. This is my mother’s recipe, who at age 94 still makes them. She always made nut rolls for me until I retired, and then she insisted that I learn to make them. I now make them myself, mostly at Christmas and Easter. Our family still enjoys them, and I give many away as gifts.

"I hope that my daughter and granddaughters will eventually learn to make the nut rolls and keep this family tradition alive for many years."

Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup Crisco
  • 4 jumbo eggs, separated
  • 1 stick margarine (Parkay or Imperial)
  • 1 cup warm milk (105-115°F)
  • 1 small fresh yeast cake (or 1/2 large)
  • 4 cups finely ground walnuts
  • 1 cup sugar

Directions

  1. Cut the Crisco and margarine into the flour, sugar and salt, until finely mixed. Beat the egg yolks and add to the flour mixture. Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk (the temperature is CRITICAL!), and then add to the flour mixture.
  2. Mix well by hand for about 5 minutes. The mixture will clean the bowl. You may add a little flour if too sticky.
  3. Take out of bowl and put in aluminum foil; seal loosely, and place in refrigerator for 2 hours.
  4. Beat the 4 egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the 1 cup of sugar. Fold in the ground nuts.
  5. After the 2 hours in the refrigerator, divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into an oval shape. Spread ¼ of the filling over dough. Roll up into a log shape, and place on a greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). Pinch the ends and fold under.
  6. Place 2 rolls on a cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and let raise for 1 hour. Take an egg and beat with a little milk; brush on rolls and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes.
  7. For the raisin loaf, soak about ¾ cup white raisins in hot water and drain. Add the raisins on top of the filling that is spread out on the dough.

Peanut Butter Pie

Sean Wolfrom | Mill Village, PA

No special story behind this recipe, it’s just easy and good!

Ingredients

Crust (9” aluminum pie plate)

  • 18 whole chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 ounces (half container) whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Crust

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Crush the cookies until they’re fine crumbs, using a food processor.
  3. Place the butter in a small bowl and microwave on high at 20-second intervals until butter is melted. Pour over the top of the crumbs and stir with a fork to combine.
  4. Press into an aluminum pie pan and press firmly on the bottom. Bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Filling

  1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the peanut butter and beat until combined.
  2. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
  3. Add in the thawed whipped topping and beat until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
  4. Pour the filling into the crust, evening out the top with a knife or spatula.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.

Raspberry Chocolate Ganache Cake

Kenna Stevens | Albion, PA

This has been the birthday cake recipe of choice for years in our family. No other recipe is as moist, tender, and richly chocolatey. We’ve perfected the little details and really made this recipe our own, perfect to pass down from generation to generation in our family - and yours!

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch processed is best)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup mild vegetable oil
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup boiling water

For the Jam:

  • 8 ounces seedless raspberry jam

For the Ganache:

  • 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, less than 61% cacao, chopped or chips
  • 1 2/3 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup

For the Chocolate Mascarpone:

  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup) mascarpone
  • 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, sifted to remove large lumps
  • 1/2 heaping cup ganache, see above

For the Garnish:

  • 12-18 ounces fresh raspberries, washed and dried

Note: Also delicious with raspberry buttercream, if pressed for time. Inspired by Carlsbad Cravings.

Directions

Chocolate Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cake pans, 8-9” diameter, at least 2 1/2” deep, with parchment paper. Springform is preferred, as the cake is very tender and moist. Grease the pans and paper with butter or butter-flavored vegetable shortening, then “flour” with cocoa powder. Set aside.
  2. Sift dry ingredients into a medium bowl – flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda. Whisk in sugar and salt and set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk all wet ingredients except water until combined. Add in dry ingredients, and gently whisk until just combined. Whisk in boiling water until just combined and batter is thin. DO NOT OVERMIX!
  4. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and drop/tap on counter several times to get rid of air bubbles. Use a toothpick to pop large bubbles if they do not pop on their own.
  5. Bake 8” pans for 32-38 minutes and 9” pans for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center shows moist crumbs. DO NOT OPEN OVEN during baking, or the cake may fall in the center. Wait at least minimum time and use oven window when possible, to observe baking progress.
  6. Cool cakes in pans for ~10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temp before frosting. When fully cool, level cakes if needed.

Chocolate Ganache

  1. Start ganache ONLY when cakes are cooled, because it must be used within ~20 minutes to frost the cake.
  2. Add heavy cream to a large, microwave safe bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave until barely boiling, ~2-3 minutes. Remove from microwave and add chocolate. Let stand one minute to warm chocolate, then whisk vigorously until smooth. Whisk in corn syrup.
  3. Remove heaping 1/2 cup ganache for mascarpone and let the rest cool at room temperature until thickened but spreadable.

Chocolate Mascarpone

  1. Start immediately upon completion of ganache, so you can assemble the cake while the ganache cools.
  2. With a mixer, combine mascarpone, cream, sugar, and vanilla on low until no lumps remain. Add ganache and mix on medium high until thick (stiff peaks). Do not overbeat, as it may curdle.

Assembly

  1. Cut cooled cakes in half horizontally with a long, serrated knife (e.g., bread knife) to create 4 even layers. Using two same-sized wooden spoons or similar items alongside the path of cutting can help keep the knife level and steady as you cut.
  2. Place bottom layer on serving plate or cake pedestal, cut side up. Spread ~1/3 cup raspberry jam on cake layer, then top with one even layer of chocolate mascarpone, approximately 1 cup. Place second cake layer on top of mascarpone, cut side down, and repeat jam and mascarpone layers. Repeat with third layer. Top with final cake layer, cut side down.
  3. Use ~ 1 cup of ganache to frost cake with crumb coat. Place in freezer ~30 minutes to set ganache. After the crumb coat is set, frost with remaining ganache. If that ganache has begun to harden, add 1 teaspoon mild vegetable oil and microwave for 10 seconds, then whisk.
  4. Arrange fresh raspberries as garnish. Optional: dust with powdered sugar.
  5. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Rosmarino Salad

Judy Bortnick | Conneautville, PA

This makes a large dish. Good for church supper and graduation celebrations.

Ingredients

  • One package Rosmarino orzo pasta
  • 1 can (20 ounce) of crushed pineapple
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cans mandarin oranges
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 (16 ounce) container whipped topping

Directions

  1. Drain juice from pineapple and oranges and mix it with the sugar, flour, eggs, and salt. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until sauce is thickened. Let sauce cool.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Mix pasta with cooled sauce. Let stand in refrigerator overnight.
  3. Next day, mix in fruit and one large bowl of whip topping. Garnish with cherries.

Texas Pecan Pie

Tamara Tanner Peterson | Houston, TX

This recipe comes from my Texas-born and bred beloved mother, Mavis Casey Tanner. She was famous in our extended family (99 percent of whom remain in Texas) for her pecan pie. She was frequently asked to bring it to family gatherings. My mom died in 2019 at the age of 96. People talked longingly about her pecan pie at her funeral.

"I appreciate this opportunity to honor my mother. She made these pies from pecans my dad shelled. This recipe originally came from someone she greatly admired, “Lady Bird” Johnson, wife of former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. (Both of them were native-born Texans.)"

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 10” unbaked crust

Directions

  1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
  2. Add syrup and salt, then beat well.
  3. Beat eggs and add them to mixture; beat well. Add pecans.
  4. Bake in unbaked crust at 350°F for 35-50 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean when inserted half-way between the center and the outside rim of pan).
  5. Cover the crust after 30 minutes, then finish cooking.

Whoopie Pies

Sonja Meehan | Erie, PA

This recipe was handed down from my great-great-grandmother who was a Mennonite originally from Zurich, Switzerland. When my mother made them, my husband called them “gobs” as he is from Johnstown, PA where “gobs” are popular. Hence, a debate ensued about whether these cakes are “whoopie pies” or “gobs”. If anyone in my home wants me to make this cake, they have to call them “whoopie pies,” as they are a recipe handed down five generations.

Ingredients

For the Cookie Cake:

  • 1 cup cocoa
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 cup sour milk
  • 4 cups flour

For the Filling:

  • 2 egg whites (not beaten)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 level tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 cup Crisco

Directions

  1. Mix cocoa, butter, sugar, salt, soda, baking powder, and vanilla in a bowl. Add in hot water, egg yolks, sour milk, and flour.
  2. Drop mixture with a teaspoon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  3. Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes.
  4. Mix egg whites, vanilla, flour, confectioners’ sugar, milk, and Crisco. Add in remaining box of confectioners’ sugar and mix. Spread between cookie cakes.

Digestivo

Limoncello

Gabe Fulgenzio | Erie, PA

You’re not meant to treat this drink like a shot, but I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. You can enjoy this however you like. You can drink it straight (best way in my opinion), add some seltzer, or use it as a base for a lemon drop martini.

Ingredients

  • 7 organic lemons (can be Meyer lemons. You’ll just have to clean them more thoroughly than you would with organic to remove any possible pesticides.)
  • Granulated sugar
  • 750 ml Everclear

Hardware

  • One 2-liter jar with a clamp lid or any lid that can clamp well.
  • 1-2 glass bottle(s) for finished product. (Note: you may need two bottles.)

Directions

  1. Peel your organic lemons making sure to leave out the pith (white residue on inside of lemon peel). If a little pith makes it into the mixture, it’s not a big deal. If there’s too much, you run the risk of the limoncello being too bitter.
  2. Place lemon peels in jar.
  3. Add 750 ml of Everclear to the jar.
  4. Close the lid, clamp it down, and let it rest for 30 days in a cool dark area.
  5. After 30 days, make 2 cups of simple syrup with 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup water. To make simple syrup you just boil water, turn off the heat, and add the sugar, mixing until dissolved in the water.
  6. Once the simple syrup is cooled down add it to your 30-day lemon Everclear mixture in a larger pot. This is your limoncello.
  7. Using a funnel, fill up your glass bottle with the limoncello.
  8. Once full, close the glass bottle of the limoncello and place it in the freezer. The drink will not freeze due to the high alcohol content.
  9. After 24 hours your bottle will be thoroughly chilled and ready to serve.
  10. Serve in a chilled shot glass.
Appreciate