The Amish Cook from Oasis Newsfeatures

This recipe sort of combines two tastes from two different times of year....many Amish homes right now are using up the last of their fresh pumpkin in holiday goodies like pumpkin pie and pumpkin rolls, or just storing it away in canning jars.  Meanwhile, other Amish cookies are breaking out the ginger for cookies and breads.  This recipe melds pumpkin and ginger into a pie.  I've enjoyed this in a couple of Amish settlements around this time of year.  Give it a try!

• 2 cups cooked, strained pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cups lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystalized ginger, plus extra for garnish
• Grated zest of 1 lemon, orange or tangerine
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 1 tablespoon bourbon
• 1 partly baked 9 inch pie shell

• Preheat oven to 325. Combine all the ingredients for the filling and beat well. Pour into the partly baked pie shell. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the center of the pie is set. Garnish with a little crystalized ginger.

SIGH, is it pronounced car-uh-mel or carmel?  I never know...Anyway, "caramel pie" is an old Amish recipe that is gooey and sweet and caramel fans should definitely try it!  The recipe didn't make the cut for our baking book because we had too many similar pie recipes included already, but this is a good one.  This is one of these classic confections that show how resourceful Amish cooks have traditionally been about scratching tasty food out of few ingredients.  The recipe (ignore the space after the brown sugar, nothing is missing, just a tech glitch):

3 cups brown sugar

3 cups water
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
6 egg yolks

Boil brown sugar, water and butter together for 2 or 3 minutes for a good strong caramel flavor. In a separate bowl, mix flour, milk, and egg yolks.  Then slowly stir flour mixture into boiling syrup, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes and stir once. Pour into 2 baked pie shells. Top with either a meringue from the egg whites or allow pie to cool and top with whipped cream.

Lovina - as most Amish homemakers do - raises her own chickens.  These provide an excellent and accessible source of meat and eggs for the family. Fried chicken is a favorite among the Amish.  And while there are not 12 herbs and spices in Lovina's recipe, this still will give your chicken some good zing.

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
10 pieces of chicken

 Place oil and butter in a shallow cooking pan and place in 375ºF oven to melt butter, set aside. In a large paper sack, combine dry ingredients.. Roll the chicken pieces, 3 at a time, in butter and oil then drop into a sack and shake to cover. Place on a plate until all pieces are coated. Leave any excess butter and oil in pan. Place chicken in the pan skin side down (or its just as good if you remove all the skin first). Bake at 375ºF for 45 minutes.
 Turn chicken pieces over and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer or until the breading on the skin begins to bubble

I found this recipe in the old Amish Cook archives this morning.  In the instructions she says to run something through a "ricer."  I'm not sure what this is, but I am sure one of you knows. Otherwise, this sounds delicious! 

5 large potatoes

1 tablespoon butter

1 /2 teaspoon salt

1/ 8 teaspoon pepper

1 /2 cup cream

1 egg white, beaten

Dash of paprika

Bake the potatoes in a hot oven (450 degrees) for about 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cut into half lengthwise.  Scoop out the insides and pass through a ricer. Add butter, salt, pepper, cream, and whip until fluffy.  Beat egg white until very stiff and fold into mixture.  Pile into shell.  Dust with paprika and return to the oven until golden brown. Serves 6.