Mom's Old Fashioned Hot Cocoa Recipe

  photo: Linda Watts I have good memories drinking this cocoa with my Dad, after a hard morning of clearing snow off our steep driveway & many steps. Once in a while, I still enjoy a mug of Hot Cocoa, keep in mind, the taste is not the same as Hot Chocolate! See below for my Mom's recipe.   I remember how shocked I was when I saw her grab the salt shaker...  

Mom's Old Fashioned Hot Cocoa Recipe

Ky Cook's Mom

1/2 cup regular sugar
1/4 cup Cocoa
dash of table salt
1/3 cup of hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 tsp vanilla extract

In medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa and the salt.
Add the hot water & stir.
Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate mixture starts to boil.
Boil and stir for 2 minutes. Lower temperature a bit.
Add milk, stirring constantly, heat up to serving temperature.
Do not let the cocoa mixture boil.
Remove pan from the heat, add your vanilla.
Stir up real good.
Serve with a dollup of whipped cream or a few marshmellows on top.       Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

 

 Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

Ky cook

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Zesty Italian Dressing for marinating chicken
splash of olive oil for cooking chicken
2 to 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 Tbsp flour
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1 large can of veg all, drained
1/2 cup + or - water
1 - 2 pats of butter
1 box ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust, room temperature

Pre-heat oven to 375
brown bottom layer of pie crust in oven.
Cook marinated chicken in large skillet on medium heat with a little olive oil.
Add cream cheese, butter stir until melted
Stir in flour until blended.
Add soup and vegetables; stir, add a little water as needed to thin gravy.
Simmer 5 minutes.

Pour into 2 qt round casserole dish
cover with pie crust.
Cut slits in crust to permit steam to escape.
Bake 30 min. or until golden brown.         Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Old Fashioned Ice Box Coconut Pie Recipe

 

 

 

 photo: L watts

 

 

Old Fashioned Ice Box Coconut Pie 

Ky Cook - original recipe Aunt Lillie Ray

       
2 packages instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 oz)
2 and 3/4 cups Cold milk  
1 tsp coconut extract
8 oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed      
1/2 cup+ flaked coconut     
1 graham cracker crust (one 9” or 2 small    
Toasted coconut

In a large bowl, whisk together:
pudding mixes, milk and coconut extract for 2 minutes

Fold in whipped topping and coconut
Pour into the graham cracker crust
Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut
Chill until serving

How to toast coconut:
Pre-heat oven to 350°
Spread coconut evenly on a cookie sheet
Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown,
Be sure and stir occasionally

  Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Mamaws Baked Corn Pudding Recipe

 

  Mamaws Baked Corn Pudding Recipe Ky cook

1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
8 ozs sour cream
2 eggs, beaten
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
1 TBSP sugar
1 stick melted butter

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl
Pour into greased 9x13 dish
Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes.

variations:
can be doubled
can add freshly fried bacon pieces
leftovers can be frozen
        Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Old fashioned blackberry cobbler recipe

Fresh picked blackberries

~ old fashioned Blackberry cobbler recipe





old fashioned blackberry cobbler recipe
kycook

2 1/2 cups fresh blackberries, washed and picked over
1 C white sugar
1 C all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C milk
1 stick of butter, melted

pre heat oven to 350/375
In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar.
Let stand about 25 minutes, stir well.
In a large bowl:
By hand, stir together:
flour, baking powder, salt and milk
lastly, stir in melted butter.
stir until butter is well blended

Pour batter in ungreased dish.
Spoon blackberry mixture over batter.

Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until dough rises
and the top is golden brown.

Serve warm with cream, whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.









Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese recipe

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese recipe
entree or side dish

1/2 stick butter, divided
1/4 cup regular flour
1 cup milk
8 oz. Velveeta, cubed
2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked, drained
1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
8 + ritz crackers, crushed

preheat oven to 350

In medium saucepan;
melt 3 Tbls butter
whisk in flour
cook 2 min., stirring constantly.
Gradually stir in milk
cook until mixture boils and thickens, continue stirring constantly.
Add velveeta, stir until melted
Add macaroni.

Spoon mixture into a 2 qt. lightly sprayed casserole dish
sprinkle with Cheddar
In a small bowl:
Melt remaining butter, add cracker crumbs, stir
Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake about 20 minutes.



variations:

use margarine instead of butter
use 2 % milk
use lowfat velveeta or
use american cheese instead of velveeta
use club crackers insted of ritz
use crumbled homemade croutons, instead of crackers
use shredded cheese blend instead of shredded cheddar
add in 1/4 cup bacon bits when you add macaroni
or if you have any leftover ham, tear into small pieces and toss it in.
or add cubed / coined cooked italian sausage

serve with corn muffins or toast points as an entree.
serve as a side, goes great with any meat !







Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Kentucky Honey Butter Recipe

The following recipe makes a great butter to serve with hot biscuits or cornbread. This would also make an excellent side to give with a loaf of homemade bread for Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day or Birthdays. You can make this butter up in advance and freeze until you are ready to serve it or give as a gift.

Kentucky Honey Butter Recipe

1/4 pound butter
1/4 cup bacon drippings, strained
4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
2/3 cup honey

In a medium bowl;
beat butter until light and creamy.
add drippings and crumbled bacon.

Beat honey into butter mixture until light and fluffy.

Can be stored, frozen up to a year.
If you decide to freeze some of the butter, be sure and portion it out to the size you would like before freezing. That way you can thaw out just the portion you need - do not try to freeze- thaw and refreeze. Be sure and use real Butter, not margarine.







Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Old fashioned Irish Pancake Recipe

Old fashioned Irish Pancake Recipe

1/2 pound of sifted flour
2 beaten eggs
a pinch of salt
a pint of milk
1/2 oz butter, melted

Place all in a bowl and mix well to a smooth pancake batter.
Fry in hot lard to a delicate brown.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve hot.







Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Kentucky Egg and Tomato Scramble Recipe from 1800

Kentucky Egg and Tomato Scramble Recipe
from the 1800's

4 eggs, well beaten
2 medium, dead ripe fresh picked tomatoes
2 Tbls fat {bacon dripping or butter}
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Place abt 2 Tbls bacon drippings in skillet, preheat.
Peel tomatoes, cutting out all hard areas.
Slice them in quarters or eighths and place in hot skillet.
Add salt and pepper.
Cover.
Reduce the heat and let the tomatoes simmer until they become a 'paste'
about 15-20 minutes.
Stir often to prevent sticking.
Add the beaten eggs and stir until eggs are done.
Mixture will be fluffy and moist.

variations:
add in with the simmering tomatoes any combination of the following:
small diced onion or
1 or 2 Tbls diced green or red pepper
sprinkle of chopped chives
dash of tobasco or
worchestershire or
soy sauce.

Serve with freshly cooked bacon strips
hot buttered biscuits or toast points.

This dish was often served for lunch, brunch or Sunday night Supper. In the early 1900's in Kentucky, it was often served daily towards the end of tomato season. Nothing ever went to waste from the family garden.



Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Dixie Tea Cake Recipe pre civil war recipe

Dixie Tea Cake Recipe
pre-civil war recipe

Tea cakes, also known as plain cakes, were meant to be served with custards, whipped frostings, creams, sugared pie fillings or fresh fruits. I don't have an exact date for this recipe, the only thing I know for sure is that it pre-dates 1860.
I found the original recipe in a regional cookbook, when I first started collecting recipes -as a child, I did not always write the contributors name on the recipe.
~ky cook



Cake layer

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs, well beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder

~

optional topping layer
1 Tbls cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds or pecans


To make cake layer;
Measure out 2 exact cups of flour before sifting.
Sift once, and again and a third time after adding baking powder.
Cream sugar and butter.{You can use an electric mixer}
Add to this the sifted flour mixture and milk,
alternating flour, milk, flour, milk - until all is added
Lastly fold in the eggs and vanilla.
Pour into a long, well greased, rectangular biscuit pan
{make sure the pans sides are at least 1 and 1/2 inches}
Sprinkle on topping right before baking.

Bake in moderate oven {375 degrees} for 15 to 20 minutes
after cake cools, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares.
Especially good with a cup of hot tea, coffee or hot chocolate.











Diary of a Kentucky Cook

Kentucky Popover Old Time Recipe

Kentucky Popover Old Time Recipe
updated version, oven temps listed

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl butter, melted
2 cups milk
4 eggs, separated and beaten

Beat together flour, salt, melted butter and milk until smooth.
Add eggs, slowly one at a time, do not overbeat.
Grease your custard cups or large muffin pan generously.

Fill half full with batter.
Don't put any more or any less or popovers won't rise right.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes -leave your popovers in the oven;
Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 15 more minutes.

Serve with :
butter or
honey butter or
maple syrup or
molasses



Diary of a Kentucky Cook

How To Cold Pack Huckleberries Old Recipe

How To Cold Pack Huckleberries
Old Recipe

You need:
washed Huckleberries
2 cups sugar
1 cup boiling water

Make a syrup of the sugar and water
Pack clean berries in jars and add syrup.
Place your jars in water until it boils.
Remove from heat and seal.


*there were no other instructions or jar yields listed.
I have found in most of the old recipes or receipts as they were called, unfortunately some of the best cooks did not find it necessary to list every step they took when canning, baking or cooking.



Diary of a Kentucky Cook