Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredient:

½ pound elbow macaroni

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

3 cup yellow onion, finely diced

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon paprika

1 large egg

12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded

1-teaspoon kosher salt

Fresh black pepper

Topping:

3 tablespoons butter

1-cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it’s free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in ¾ of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss the breadcrumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Remember to save leftovers for fried macaroni and Cheese.

Meringue

WORKS BEST IF THE BOWL AND BEATERS ARE COOLED BEFORE HAND.

*MIX 6 EGG WHITES,
½ TSP CREAM OF TARTAR,
½ TSP VANILLA. BEAT

UNTIL SOFT PEAKS FORM. SLOWLY ADD 1/3-CUP SUGAR/ WHILE BEATING. BEAT UNTIL STIFF. BE SURE TO SEAL THE EDGES OF THE PIE WITH THE MERINGUE. BAKE AT 400 DEGREES FOR EXACTLY 8 MINUTES, MORE OF LESS.

Single- Crust Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening or lard

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

In a mining bowl stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening of lard till pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. Repeat till all is moistened. Form dough into a ball. On a lightly floured surface flatten dough with hands. Roll dough from center to edge, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll onto a 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim to1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate; fold under extra pastry. Make a fluted, rope-shaped, or scalloped edge. Do not prick pastry. Bake as directed in individual recipe.

Bake Pastry Shell: Prepare Pastry for single-crust pie as about, except prick bottom and side with the tines of a fork. Bake in a 450 degrees oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Pastry for Double- Crust Pie: Prepare pastry for Single-Crust Pie as above, except use 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 2/3 cup shortening of lard, and 6to 7 tablespoons cold water. Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough as above. Fit into pie plate. Trim pastry even with rim. For top crust, roll out remaining dough. Cut slits sor escape of steam. Pleace desired pie filling in pie shell. Top with pastry for top crust. Trim top crust ½ inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold extra pastry under bottom crust; flute edge. Bake as directed in individual recipe.

Pastry for Lattice-Top Pie: Preheat Pastry for Double-Crust Pie as above, except line a 9inch pie plate with half of the pastry. Trim pastry to ½ inch beyond edge of pie plate. Turn filling into pastry-lined pie plate. Cut remaining pastry into ½ inch- wide strips. Weave strips atop filling to make a lattice crust. Press ends of strips into rim of crust. Fold bottom pastry over the lattice strips; seal and flute. Bake as directed in individual recipe.

“CAN’T BELIEVE YOU ATE THE WHOLE THING” FILLING

SEPARATE 6 EGGS. BEAT YOLKS SLIGHTLY. COVER AND REFRIGERATE WHITES (FOR MERINGUE)

In a Large (2 Quart or More) Saucepan, mix these dry ingredients:

1 ½ Cups Sugar

2/3 Cups Flour

1-Teaspoon Salt

Slowly stir in 4 cups milk.

Cook these ingredients on medium heat, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Spoon 2 or 3 Tablespoons of this hot mixture into the egg yolks and mix well.

Add this egg yolk mixture back into the hot white sauce and stir. Return to heat immediately and boil for 2 minutes.

Remove form heat and stir in 4 tablespoons oleo (1/2 stick) and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Now add ingredients for the kind of pie selected, as:

Coconut Cream: add 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cup flake Coconut.
Coconut/ Chocolate: add ¼ cup coconut; 1/3 cup real chocolate chips.
Banana Cream: add 3 bananas, sliced.
Vanilla cram: add 1 more teaspoon Vanilla, or to suit taste.
Chocolate Cream: add ½ to 2/3 Cup real chocolate chips.
Strawberries Banana: add 1 Banana; slice and ¾ cup sliced fresh Strawberries.
And so forth- be creative. (Most additives are successful, although the peanuts and chopped avocado combination is not a favorite at my house).

Stir in additives, pour filling into pre-baked, cooled pie shell.

Plain Pastry

FOR ONE 8-, 9-, OR 10- INCH BOUBLE LATTICE-TOP PIE, TWO 8-,9-,10- INCH SINGLE CRUST PIE,OR 6 TO 8 TART SHELLS:

Ingredients: 2 cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour

1 tsp Salt

2/3-cup Shortening

5 to 7 TBSP Cold Water

*Sift flour and salt together; cut in the shortening with pastry blender till pieces are the size of small peas. (For extra tender pastry, cut in half the shortening till like cornmeal. Cut in remaining like small peas.) Sprinkle 1 TBSP water over part of mixture. Gently toss with a fork; push to a side of the bowl. Repeat till all is moistened. Form a ball. (For double lattice-top pie, divide the dough for lower and upper crust and form into balls) Flatten on lightly floured surface by pressing with edge of hand 3 times across in both directions. Roll from center to edge till 1/8 inch thick.

* To bake single-crust pie shells: fit pastry into a pie pate; trim ½ t o1 inch beyond edge; for under and flute edge by pressing dough with forefinger against wedge made of finger and thumb of other hand. Prick bottom and sides well with a fork (If filling is baked in pie DO NOT PICK). Bake at 450 degrees for 10 t o12 minutes or until golden.