Spruce Creek North Cookbook

Spruce Creek North COMMUNITY RECIPES 

Appetizers

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Entrees

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Desserts

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Drinks

Tried and True Recipes from the Cooks, bakers and mixologists of Spruce Creek North—Ocala, Florida

Recipes from the kitchen of

: ____________

___The Amazing Residents_____ ___of Spruce Creek North______ ___________________________

Photo by: Karen Danielsen Jones 2 2

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pruce Creek North is a beautiful, quiet, friendly and fun community filled with such talented 55+ residents!

From woodworkers and motorcyclists, crafters and quilters, gardeners and cooks, we’re not shy about saying that our residents are the most gifted people in the area! Take, for example, our amazing cooks, bakers and mixologists! Just to prove how great they are, we’ve put together some of our best tried and true recipes that have been taste-tested and served for years—with a seal of excellence! Enjoy browsing and trying these tasty recipes and let us know how well you enjoy them!

CONTENTS: Appetizers:

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Entrees:

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Desserts:

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Drinks:

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Extras:

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Photo by: Karen Danielsen Jones 33

Lemon Meringue Pie Submitted by: Suzanne Smith Jungers Ingredients: 1 Cup Sugar 2 Cups Water 4 Egg Yellows (Save Whites for Meringue) Zest of 2 Lemons

6 Tbls. Cornstarch 1/2 Cup Lemon Juice 3 Tbls. Butter 1/4 tsp. Salt 1 Pre-baked Pie Crust

In glass batter bowl, using a wire whisk, mix dry ingredients (cornstarch, sugar & salt) well. Add water, lemon juice & egg yellows—whisk well. Place in microwave on high setting for 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and mix well. Microwave again at 2 minute intervals until thick and creamy. Whisk after each interval. After microwaving add butter, mix well until butter has completely melted. Pour into pre-baked pie shell! Top with a 4 egg white Meringue (Recipe below) and bake at 350° F. for 25 minutes.

Cut with a serrated knife to help meringue stay in place.

Meringue: 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar 4 Egg Whites (Room Temperature) 1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar In a mixing bowl add Egg Whites. Turn mixer on high speed until egg whites are frothy. Add Cream of Tartar and slowly add Powdered Sugar. Beat until glossy soft-peaks form. Top a pie while filling is still hot. If using granulated sugar, make sure to egg whites are room temperature and beat on “low” speed giving sugar time to dissolve before turning up to “high” speed to fluff meringue.

Remember: Meringue is raw egg whites and must be cooked well for safety . Do not brown meringue on broil.

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CARIBBEAN BL ACK CAKE CHRISTMAS CAKE Submitted by: Caribman

Rob Allamani

Ingredients        

8 1/2 ounces Butter (unsalted, room temperature, divided) 1 cup Demerara sugar 6 Eggs (room temperature) 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract (or vanilla essence) 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon 2 teaspoon Baking Powder 2 cups all-purpose Flour (plus extra for dusting pan) 4 cups of rum-soaked Fruit (Recipe follows)

Directions 1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Place the baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350 F. 3. Grease a cake pan using 1/2 of an ounce of the butter. Rub it well all around the insides of the pan, sprinkle with flour, and swirl the pan to coat it with flour. Turn the pan over the sink and tap it to remove the excess flour.

4. Line the bottom of the pan only with a cut-out piece of parchment paper. Set aside.

5. Cream butter and sugar until the mixture reaches a pale cream color. If using a standing mixer, mix for 5 to 6 minutes. If working by hand, mix for up to 20 minutes then set aside.

6. Sift together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl and set aside.

7. Whisk eggs in a large bowl until frothy.

8. Add vanilla extract or essence to the eggs and continue to whisk until well incorporated, for about one minute.

1. 9. Pour whisked eggs into the bowl with the creamed butter and sugar mixture and stir gently using a rubber spatula. Keep stirring until incorporated. The mixture will look curdled but that's okay as it will change texture once all the ingredients are in.

10. Add the rum-soaked fruits to the egg-butter-sugar mixture and stir to fully incorporate.

11. Add the flour-baking powder-cinnamon mixture gradually to the wet ingredients and mix gently but thoroughly to incorporate. Do not over mix or beat the batter.

12. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to scrape all the mixture from the bowl. Lift the pan a little and let it drop back to the surface about 2 to 3 times to remove any bubbles in the batter.

13. Bake for 90 minutes or until an inserted skewer or knife comes out clean.

14. Remove pan from oven and let cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes. At the end of the 10 minutes, carefully and quickly invert the pan, removing the cake. Let the cake continue to cool completely on the wire rack.

15. Slice and serve at room temperature.

See next page for Rum-Soaked Fruit Recipe 5

CARIBBEAN BL ACK CAKE CHRISTMAS CAKE ( CON T ’D ) Submitted by: Caribman

Rob Allamani

How to make Rum (or liquor) soaked dry fruit: Ingredients 4 Cups of mixed, dry fruit (raisins, dry cherries, dry cranberries, currants, and finely chopped dates and prunes) ¾ Cup of Rum or sweet Wine

Directions Soak the fruits by placing them in a non-reactive bowl with the Rum or Wine. Mix well and leave to rest overnight or for a minimum of 8 hours, covered, mixing once or twice. If you believe the mixture needs more liquid, add more Rum or if you want to use less alcohol add 2 to 4 tablespoons of water. Once the fruit is soft, drain it well using a strainer and use as instructed in the recipe. You can choose any combination of fruit that you’d like, but a more varied fruit mixture adds a lot of different flavors and textures.

Christmas 2017 Photo: Karen Danielsen Jones

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Cream Cheese Cookies Prep Time: 15 min.

Submitted by:

Carol Zych

Cook Time: 10 min.

Ingredients

1/4 C. Softened Butter 1 (8 oz) package Cream Cheese 1 Egg Yolk

Servings: 36

1/4 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 (18.25 oz) box of Yellow Cake Mix

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the Butter and Cream Cheese. Blend in the Egg Yolk and Vanilla. Gradually beat in the Cake Mix. Dough will be stiff. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. (190°C.). Grease cookie sheets. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on to the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Cool on wire racks.

Note from Carol Ann: “This is really good when you substitute either strawberry or lemon cake mix.”

Christmas 2018 Photo: Karen Danielsen Jones

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Hungarian Pastry Submitted by:

Brenda Higgins

An old family recipe handed down in my husband’s (Greg’s) family. A Lemony Pineapple Pastry served on holidays.

Dough Ingredients: 1 1 3 2

Cup Granulated Sugar Cup Margarine (my mother-in-law used Imperial) Cups sifted Flour Tbls. Carnation Evaporated Milk

1 tsp Baking Powder 1 Lemon Rind (grated) 1 Egg + 2 Egg Yolks

Directions: In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream Sugar and Margarine until fluffy.

In a small bowl, mix Flour with Baking Powder then add to creamed sugar & margarine, mixing well.

Add Egg and Egg Yolks one at a time, mixing in between.

Add Evaporated Milk and Lemon Rind, mixing well. Dough will be moist.

Divide dough into thirds, placing 1/3 in fridge to stay cool.

Spread remaining 2/3 of dough evenly into the bottom of an oblong baking dish (9”X13”) .

Top with Filling, add an even layer of Crushed Walnuts and top with zig-zagged strips of remaining dough (directions below).

Filling Ingredients: 2—20 ounce cans Dole Crushed Pineapple (mostly drained) 1 Cup Sugar 4 Tbls. Corn Starch 1 & 1/2 Cups Chopped Walnuts

Directions: In a bowl, mix together Pineapple (mostly drained), Sugar and Corn Starch.

Spread this filling evenly onto the dough in pan. On a lightly floured board, roll out remaining 1/3 dough about 1/8” to 3/16” thick. Cut into long 1/2” wide strips. Roll each strip into spirals (for ease) and unroll to Zig-Zag the strips evenly across the top of the pastry (if you wish, leave some to go around the edges). Bake at 375°F for 25-35 minutes. Check for doneness (golden brown pastry). Cool and cut into small squares for serving.

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My Never Fail Cobbler Submitted by: Suzanne Smith Jungers

Preheat oven 350°F

Ingredients: 1 Cup Self-Rising Flour (or 1 Cup Flour with 1 & 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder and 1/4 tsp Salt) 2 Eggs (beaten) 1 tsp. Baking Powder 1/3 Cup Oil 3/4 Cup Sugar Milk (enough to make a cake-like batter) 1 can Fruit (Pie Filling) Apple, Cherry, etc. (I have used fresh fruit to make this cobbler. I put them in separate bowl adding sugar.)

Directions: 1. In a bowl, mix Flour, Baking Powder, Sugar. Add in Oil and enough Milk to make a cake-like batter.

2. Pour the batter into an 8” X 8” baking dish. Pour the Fruit filling over the top. The batter, when cooked, will rise over the fruit filling.

3. Bake at 350°F—45 to 50 minutes. Cobbler is done when inserted toothpick comes out clean.

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Pecan Crescent Cookies Submitted by:

Diane Keresturi

Ingredients PREHEAT OVEN TO 350°F 1 6 2 2 1

Cup Butter (2 sticks) Tbls Confectioner’s Sugar (1/4 Cup + 2 Tbls) Cups Sifted Flour tsp Vanilla Cup Chopped Pecans (finely chopped!)

Directions Sift together Flour and Sugar (I use a wire whisk) Cut in Butter (I use a pastry dough cutter) Add chopped Pecans and Vanilla Mix together with hands until a tight ball forms Scoop out ball about the size of a walnut, roll into a ball, and shape into a crescent shape Put on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes Let cool on parchment paper for a little bit then move to a cooling rack Dust with Confectioner’s Sugar after completely cooled

SCN Breakfast, Feb. 2020 Photo: Karen Danielsen Jones

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Buckeyes (candy) Submitted by:

Brenda Higgins

Some Ohioans carry a Buckeye nut for good luck, others say that Buckeyes are just a worthless nut (unless you’re talking about the Ohio State Buckeyes). But Buckeye candy is a great treat!

Ingredients: 1 & 1/2 Cups Smooth Peanut Butter 1 Cup Butter (softened to room temperature) 1/2 tsp Vanilla Flavoring 6 Cups Confectioners Sugar 2—12 ounce bags Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips Toothpicks (Note: If you wish to ship these candies, you can use a tablespoon of Paraffin Wax to the Chocolate—it helps it remain a bit more solid at room temperature.)

Directions: In a large bowl, using a mixer, mix together the Peanut Butter, Butter, Vanilla and Confectioners Sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

When all the Peanut Butter dough is rolled into balls, press a toothpick into the center of each one and chill in the freezer until firm, (about 30 minutes).

Melt one bag of the Chocolate Chips in a double boiler or a bowl placed over a pan of slightly simmering water on low heat. Stir frequently to smooth and melt the Chocolate.

Working by removing a few Peanut Butter balls from the freezer, using the toothpicks as a handle, dip each ball into the chocolate, coating well, but leaving only a small portion of the Peanut Butter showing (until it looks like a Buckeye nut). As needed, add more Chocolate Chips from the remaining bag to the “dipping” bowl, always stirring until smooth. After coating all the Peanut Butter balls, place each one on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and refrigerate to harden the Chocolate.

Store cooled Buckeyes in a tight container in the refrigerator.

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Chocolate Cookie Truffles Submitted by:

Carol Zych

Ingredients 15 Oz. Chocolate Sandwich Cookies 8 Oz. brick of Cream Cheese (softened) 16 Oz. Almond Bark Assorted Christmas Sprinkles Directions 1. Crush the Cookies in a blender or food processor to make fine crumbs.

2. Add the Cream Cheese and mix well.

3. Roll the mixture into 1� diameter balls. Place on wax-paper lined cookie sheet.

4. Chill in the refrigerator until firm.

5. Melt the Almond Bark, using instructions on the package.

6. Dip the cookie balls in the almond bark to coat. Sprinkle with Christmas Sprinkles.

7. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

Store in the refrigerator.

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