Mama Green's Cookbook

3/4 cups oj

1/3 cup lemon juice

a pound pitted prunes

a cup dark raisins

1/3 cup sugar, plus more if needed

1/4 tea cinnamon

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Place oj, lemon juice, prunes, raisins, and sugar in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat, tossing and stirring mixture until it softens and plumps the prunes and raisins, for about 8 – 10  minutes.  Be sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan; lower the heat if the mixture starts to boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and, with slotted spoon, transfer the fruit to the bowl of processor.  Reserve liquid.  Let the fruit cool for about 5 minutes.  Add cinnamon and walnuts. Process well to achieve a thick pastelike puree, adding liquid bit at a time as needed if the mixture is too thick.  Too much liquid will make it runny.  Taste and add more sugar if required.  The filling should be thick and moist.

Chill slightly before using.  The chilled mixture can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to two weeks or even frozen.

This makes enough for several (maybe even three) of my Hamentaschen Dough recipes.  If you don’t expect to bake too many hamentaschen, then half.

2  2/3 cup flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/4  t salt

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

zest from 1/2 large orange

1 egg

1 egg white

Insert steel blade and add flour, powder, and salt.  Add butter and pulse.  In a separate bowl mix, sugar, egg and egg white and zest.  Add that to the processor and pulse and mix.  Try not to over mix.   Make into two balls and put in fridge for at least 30 minutes. Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4″ thickness.  Cut into circles with open end of glass.  Place  teaspoon full of filling in center circle.  Pinch sides together forming a closed triangle.  When you  pinch together even better to slightly fold ends over to make a little flap.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for approx-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

makes a large jar… a typical salad dressing jar and then some.  lasts long time in fridge

4 T sherry or champagne vinegar

1 T and 1 t balsamic vinegar

4 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 small garlic cloves minced (I always rinse my minced garlic with water and let sit for about 15 minutes before using. It tastes better)

2 1/2 T dijon mustard

1 1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup canola

salt and ground pepper to taste

3 cups all -purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 cups butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 pint sour cream
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 t cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix flour, powder, soda, and salt. Set aside. Cream butter in large bowl of mixer until soft. Gradually add white sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each; add vanilla. Then add flour mixture alternating with sour cream, blending after each addition until smooth. Mix brown sugar, nuts, and cinnamon together. Put about a third of batter in WELL Greased and floured bundt pan. Sprinkle with a third of nut mixture. Repeat until all batter and mixture are used. Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 1 hour or until tooth pick clean. Let stand in wire rack for about five minutes before turning out. While cake is still warm, put on board for frosting, allowing mixture to run down sides. Serve cake slightly warm or room temp. Freezes well.

Confectioners Sugar Frosting
Sift 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar. Add 1/4 t vanilla and enough water to make frosting good spreading consistency.

NOTE: To bake in loaf pans, prepare batter as in above recipe and alternate layers of batter and nut mixture in thirds, as directed, in two well greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans lined on bottom with waxed paper. Bake 350 for 50 minutes. Rest same as above.

Combine ¾ cup sour cream, ½ cup prepared horshradish, and 1 T chopped fresh dill or 1 ½ teaspoon dry dill weed.