Flavors of Kentucky

My next class is Holiday Dessert buffet on Dec. 3. To register for a class, call (859) 269-0312. Classes are held at Just Us Girls, 2392 Woodhill Drive, next door to Purdon Rental.

Here are recipes from the last class:
Here are recipes from last week’s cooking class at Just Us Girls and a presentation at the Paul Sawyier Library in Frankfort on Tuesday.

5 minute chocolate mug cake for one
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Serves one or two.

Cookie envelope

Cut an 8- by 8-inch square of tissue paper. Fold all four corners around the cookie. Seal with a sticker. You can monogram your stickers using initials or phrases.

Oatmeal cranberry white chocolate chunk cookies
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 6-ounce package Craisins
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in sweetened dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Fudgy pecan bites
1 (18 ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
2 cups chopped, toasted pecans
Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with vegetable spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix and brown sugar; blend. Add butter and eggs and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in nuts and mix completely. Spread batter evenly into pan (batter will be stiff). Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until bites test done. Cool completely in pan and cut into bite-sized pieces. Store in air-tight container.
Snowflake puff pastry
Cut thawed frozen puff pastry sheets with a snowflake or star cookie cutter. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Lightly dip tops of pastries into melted white chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sugar, or edible glitter.

Flavored butters

Soften the butter. Let it sit at room temperature (20 to 30 minutes to allow easier blending of ingredients. If you don’t have time to soften the butter, use a food processor.
Stir in the flavor. Roll the butter in plastic wrap, parchment or waxed paper and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. For longer storage, freeze in resealable plastic bag for up to 6 months.

Flavors to add:
Fresh strawberries and mint
Chopped olives, garlic and rosemary
Minced ginger and soy sauce
Stone-ground mustard and fresh snipped dill
Peach preserves and chopped habanero pepper
Grated lemon, lime and orange peel
Fresh blueberries and maple syrup
Pureed garlic and 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
Add a squeeze of lemon juice to butter made with two tablespoons fresh thyme
Mix 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into butter and beat. Add 1 tablespoon honey and mix
Add two tablespoons prepared cranberry sauce to softened butter
Add two tablespoons of your favorite jelly or jam

Sparkling holiday shortbread

½ cup butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
Edible gold or silver dust or decorator sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in small bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour. Beat until well mixed.

Press dough evenly into ungreased 9-inch round cake pan. Prick all over with fork. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan; cut into wedges. Brush with edible gold or silver dust, if desired. Makes 18 wedges.

Eggnog muffins with spiced butter

Spiced butter:
½ cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Muffins:
1 cup eggnog
1 /4 cup butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all butter ingredients in small bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Set aside.

To make muffins: Combine eggnog, 1/4 cup melted butter, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Add all remaining muffin ingredients; stir just until moistened.

Spoon batter into 12 greased or paper-lined (2 1/2-inch) muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly; remove from pan. Serve with spiced butter.

Honey, walnut and dried-fruit topping

½ cup walnut halves, toasted and cooled
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried apricots, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup good-quality honey

Stir together nuts and fruit; transfer to a 6-ounce jar. Top with honey. Topping can be refrigerated in jar up to one month. To serve, bring to room temperature. Serve with yogurt or oatmeal.

White chocolate macaroons
1 roll (16.5 ounces) Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies
2 ¼ cups coconut
1 ½ cups white chocolate chunks or white vanilla baking chips
2 teaspoons vanilla
½ teaspoon coconut extract
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or spray with cooking spray. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in all remaining ingredients until well blended. On cookie sheets, drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. (Surface of cookies will look underbaked.) Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Makes 40 cookies.

Big batch Cajun rub
1/3 cup mustard powder
1/3 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup celery seeds
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine the ingredients and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months. Instructions to include with your gift: Up to 2 hours before cooking, coat 2 pounds of chicken, beef, pork, or seafood with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 2 to 4 tablespoons of the rub. Cook as desired.

Key West ketchup

1 ½ cups ketchup
1 cup apricot preserves
2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ teaspoon mild curry powder or ground ginger

In a food processor or blender, combine the ketchup, preserves, honey, soy sauce, and curry powder or ginger. Pulse the mixture several times to mix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process until the mixture is well blended, about 30 seconds. Pour into jars or squeeze bottles.

Herb’n Renewal’s cheese spread
In a large bowl, cream 2 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese with 2 sticks softened butter. Add 1 heaping tablespoon of Cheese’n Season and blend well. Shape into a Christmas tree. Refrigerate to thicken. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 3 months.

Dianna’s salad dressing
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
Salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a shaker or jar. Blend well. Drizzle over salad greens, pecans and mandarin oranges.

Ale-8-One pound cake

2 sticks butter
½ cup vegetable shortening
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon extract or bourbon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
7 ounces Ale-8-One

Cream the butter, shortening and sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lemon extract or vanilla. Add the flour and Ale-8-One, alternately, beating after each addition. Pour the batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until cake tests done. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake plate.

Kentucky beer cheese

11/4 pounds extra sharp Cheddar cheese
2 cloves garlic
7-ounce bottle stale beer
1/8 teaspoon salt
Tabasco sauce to taste

Grate the cheese and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended. Spoon into a container and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Serve with saltine crackers, celery sticks and radishes.

October classes:

Rustic berry tart
1 sheet refrigerated pie crust, softened as directed on box
4 cups fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or a mix), rinsed and picked over
¼ cup granulated sugar; more to taste
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Pinch of salt
1 whole large egg, beaten
Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Whipped cream for serving, optional

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Unroll pie crust onto cookie sheet.
In small bowl, toss berries with sugar, flour, lemon zest and salt. If too tart, add as much as 2 more tablespoons sugar.
Spoon filling mixture onto center of crust within 2 inches of edge. Carefully fold 2-inch edge of crust over filling, pleating crust slightly as necessary.
In small bowl, beat egg and 1 tablespoon water; brush over edge of crust. Sprinkle sugar over crust edge. Bake 20 to 25 ­minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into wedges; serve warm. Cover and refrigerate remaining tart.

This recipe is from Sandy Hillen of Lexington. It appears in both volumes of Kentucky TALEgating: Stories with Sauce (Oakley Press, $21.95).

Chocolate chip cheese ball
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup miniature chocolate morsels
¾ cup finely chopped pecans, divided
Graham crackers, butter crackers, or pretzels
In a bowl, combine cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, butter, brown sugar and vanilla, beating with an electric mixer until smooth. Add chocolate morsels and ½ cup pecans. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. Shape mixture into a ball and roll in remaining ¼ cup pecans. Serve with ­graham crackers, butter cookies or pretzels. Makes 8 to 12 servings.

This dessert can go to the opening game in sweltering heat and a bowl game in chilling temperatures. Fresh berries or fall apples are perfect fillings for a rustic fruit tart.

Doritos salad
1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
16-ounces can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 bag of Doritos chips (squeeze bag to crush chips)
1 bottle French or Catalina salad dressing
In a large bowl, layer lettuce, beans and cheese. Toss with chips and salad dressing, and serve immediately.