Staff report
As the holidays near, The Pagosa Springs SUN is asking readers to share special family recipes. The SUN will share selected recipes with our readers during the upcoming holidays.
Please submit your recipes to editor@pagosasun.com beginning now and not later than Dec. 16.
To kick off recipe sharing, following are some of the recipes shared by SUN readers last year.
The SUN staff looks forward to receiving your family recipes.
Candy Cane Coffee Cakes
Submitted by Linda Rizzoto Manley. Sent in by Dawn Marie Olson.
2 packages active dry yeast
2 teaspoons baking power
1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
5 1/2 to 6 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup chopped, drained maraschino cherries
1 jar apricot jam or jelly
Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add buttermilk, sugar, margarine, eggs, baking powder, salt and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.
Turn dough onto well-floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Let dough rise about 1 hour. Divide into three equal parts. Roll each part into rectangle, 15x6 inches. Place on greased cookie sheet. Make 2 inch cuts on 15-inch sides of rectangles at 1/2 inch intervals. Mix apricots and cherries.
Spread jam onto surface of dough lengthwise down center and then add cherries and apricots. Crisscross strips over fruit mixture. Stretch each rectangle to 22 inches, curve to form cane. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375 F. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
Glaze (drizzle on cakes when still warm)
Mix 2 cups powered sugar, 1/4 cube butter or margarine and 2 tablespoons milk until smooth and desired consistency. Add l teaspoon almond extract.
Decorate with cherry halves or pieces if desired.
Mama Stamberg’s
Cranberry Relish
Submitted by Lisa Scott.
This is a recipe we got from NPR. We love it so much, it’s become a family tradition. For those that like cranberry and the tang of horseradish, this is a great accompaniment for the holiday dinner. It goes with any meat and is fabulous on a sandwich.
2 cups whole, raw cranberries, washed
1 small onion
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons horseradish from a jar (“red is a bit milder than white”)
Grind the raw berries and onion together. (“I use an old-fashioned meat grinder,” said Stamberg. “I’m sure there’s a setting on the food processor that will give you a chunky grind — not a puree.”)
Add everything else and mix.
Put in a plastic container and freeze.
Early Thanksgiving morning, move it from freezer to refrigerator compartment to thaw. (“It should still have some little icy slivers left.”)
The relish will be thick, creamy and shocking pink. (“OK, Pepto Bismol pink. It has a tangy taste that cuts through and perks up the turkey and gravy. It’s also good on next-day turkey sandwiches and with roast beef.”)
Makes 1 1/2 pints.
Ma’s Cinnamon Rolls
Submitted by Kim Bristow.
My grandmother, Betty Warner, grew up dirt poor in Gene Autry, Okla. When I was a kid, she was a school cafeteria cook. She and her co-workers could transform government commodities into delicious, filling meals from scratch for hundreds of kids. My favorite baked good from her kitchen at school and at home would be, hands down, her cinnamon rolls. These haven’t been adjusted for altitude, but I’ve made them dozens of times in Pagosa and they always turn out delicious.
Dough
4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 packages rapid-rise yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons butter
1 egg (room temperature)
Filling
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon butter, soft
Icing
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Combine 2 cups flour with the sugar, dry yeast and salt until blended. Melt butter in the water, add to the flour mixture, add egg and beat for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining 2 1/2-3 cups of flour, beat for 2 more minutes until a ball forms. Knead on a floured surface. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
While dough is resting, combine sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
Roll dough into 15x10 rectangle. Spread soft butter on dough and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar filling. Roll the dough tightly and pinch the edge of the dough onto the roll to create a seal.
Cut into 12 equal pieces and place pieces equally separated on a greased half-sheet baking pan. Let rise until doubled (at least an hour). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes while you mix the icing. If you want a thicker icing, add less milk. Spoon icing in the middle of each roll (or drizzle if you like thin icing).
Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole
From the Everett family kitchens.
4 chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken (cooked and cut up into bite-size pieces or shredded)
1 26-ounce can cream of chicken soup
1 16-ounce carton of sour cream
1/3 can of water (in your soup can)
40 Ritz crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Desired seasonings: pepper, salt, garlic, onion powder, chili powder or whatever else you think would be good
shredded cheese (optional)
diced green chile (optional)
Mix cream of chicken soup, sour cream, water (add liquid until you reach desired consistency) and any optional ingredients with chicken and pour in 9x13 baking dish. Melt and pour butter or margarine over the crackers and add poppy seeds (this is a topping). Spread topping over chicken. Top with shredded cheese if desired.
Bake 30 minutes at 350 F.
