Reader Contributions

----------LIVER PUDDING--------

This recipe is often requested, and fortunately Earl had one to share with us. This is very popular among the Pennsylvania Dutch. Thanks Earl!

• 1 lb Pork Liver
• 1 1/2 lb Thick cut pork ribs, Boston butt or equilivalent (The amount of meat should slightly outweigh the liver).
• Water
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Pepper
• 3 tsp Rubbed sage

Place liver and ribs in a 4 quart pot. Cover meat with water and simmer, covered, until very tender. About 15 minutes for the liver and one hour for the pork. Remove meat from the pot as it becomes tender. Leave the cooking liquids in the pot.

Bone meat and along with liver put through a food grinder using the coarse blade. Return ground meat to the pot with all liquids. Add seasonings. Simmer uncovered until very thick but still some broth when lifted with a slotted spoon.

Serve on hot cakes for a delicious breakfast.

This freezes well and is best stored in family portions. A 13 ounce portion is adequate for two persons.·

Here's a few recipes from a fellow "surfer" who's family has some interesting Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Thank you Alisa for sharing these with us. Snitz und Knepp, Pig's Stomach and especially Shoo Fly Pie are especially popular. It seems you can't go into a restaurant or diner without seeing these on the menu. Enjoy!


Hookie House Special
4 lg. potatoes, peeled and diced (like for potato salad)
1 lg. onion, diced
1 lg. green pepper, diced
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into small pieces
Cover with water, add salt and pepper to taste, cook until potatoes are
done, then add: 1 can red kidney beans (don't drain)
2-3 Tablespoons of sugar
Heat to boiling point and thicken with flour water (just thicken slightly)
**sausage can be browned before cooking, if desired)
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Schnitz und Knepp (Apples and Dumplings)

2 cups sweet schnitz (apples)
1 hock end of ham
Soak the schnitz in water overnight. Next day, simmer the ham in water
until soft, add schnitz and the water they soaked in and 1/2 cup brown
sugar. Cook until tender. Boil together fro about one hour. Drop knepp
dough by the spoonful into the boiling stew. Cover tightly and steam for
15 min. Serve immediately.
Knepp Dough
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Beat the eggs, butter, and milk. Sift dry ingredients and add to the first
mixture. There should be just enough milk to make a fairly stiff batter.
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Pig's Stomach
(Roasted pig's stomach is a good example of the frugal ways of the
Pennsylvania Dutch.

1 pig stomach
6 potatoes, diced and raw
1 lb. smoked sausage and fresh sausage cut in pieces
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 onion, diced
salt and pepper
Mix all ingredients and stuff pig stomach. Sew up the opening. Place in
large pan with water and cook till done. ( about 1/2 hour.) Before
serving, brown sides in butter. Bake 3 hrs. 325 degrees

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Apis Cake

5 cups of flour
2 cups of brown sugar
1/2 cups shortening
Mix the above ingredients in lg. mixing bowl.
Combine the following in a standard measuring cup:
1 tsp. baking soda
drop of vinegar
1 egg
Beat with fork and fill cup with milk. Add to mixture. Form into small
cakes and bake. 350 degrees for 40 min.
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Shoe Fly Pie ( wet bottom )

11/2 C. molasses
11/2 C. water
Place molasses and water in pan and cook over low heat but don't boil.
Add 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda and mix well.
Crumbs:
41/2 C. sifted flour
2 C. sugar
1/2 C. butter or margarine
Divide liquid into 2 deep 9" pie plates. Place crumbs on top and press
some of the crumbs into the liquid with finger
Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 min.

Beef Tips

• 2 lbs. stew meat
• 1 can cambells french onion soup
• 2 cans cream mushroom
• 1 soup can of water

Here's a recipe for a delicious confection from Kimberly. It is a delicious rich, creamy, fondant made with heavy cream, flavored with vanilla and coated in pure chocolate liquor. It can only be found in the vicinity of Lebanon, PA.

• 1 pound 10X sugar
• 1 (3-oz) package cream cheese
• 1/4 pound butter, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• a few drops of milk to mix ingredients
• 1 box semi-sweet chocolate
• 1/4 bar paraffin

Give it a try and tell us what you think. Thanks Kimberly!!!

Here's a great side dish idea from Carol. It's a southern dish, using okra. Let me know what you think! Thanks Carol!

• 1 package of frozen okra
• 1 can of stewed tomatoes
• 1 bag of egg noodles, cooked and drained

Mix the okra and tomatoes into noodles. Spice with salt and pepper, add any spicey peppers you want.

FUNNY CAKES

I got these recipes from Sally. I've been getting requests for this "Funny Cake", it's different from the Wacky Cake, it sounds good. Thanks Sally for sharing these recipes with us.

Have ready 3 unbaked pie tins of crust.

FUNNY PART:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Let come to boiling point but do not boil it. While this is being heated, mix cake in order given:

CAKE:

• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour

Pour cake part into pie crusts, then pour funny part on top. Bake at 350 degrees.

PA. DUTCH SALAD DRESSING

• 2 heaping tbsp. flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• a little salt and mix; add
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. vinegar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups water

Cut about 8 or 9 slices of bacon in pieces about 1/4 inch wide and fry till crisp, do not drain. Put the above mixture in that pan with the crisp bacon and drippings; cook and stir till mixture thickens. Break lettuce up and pour dressing over it. Slice hard boiled eggs on top.

Serve hot with mashed potatoes separately. (Salad is eaten on top of the mashed potatoes.)

* This is a wilted lettuce salad. I like the lettuce crisp, so I put the dressing and hard boiled egg on my potatoes, and put the lettuce on top of it.

POTATO DUMPLINGS

Cook 7 medium potatoes and drain. Add 3/4 lb. (12 oz,) longhorn cheese, cut in pieces, and scant 1/4 tsp. pepper and mash.

DOUGH:

• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Mix. Add 1 cup water. If dough is too dry, add slightly more water. Knead dough slightly and roll it out. Place balls of potatoes in a row near the edge of the dough. Allow enough dough to fold over the potatoes and cut. Cut between potato balls to form individual dumplings and pinch edges together securely. Drop in boiling water in a large pot. Bring water to a second boil and cook 4-5 minutes. Do not overcook or potatoes will cook out. Drain in a collander. Serve with brown butter on them.

GRATED POTATOES

Grate about 4 medium potatoes. Add 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder and enough flour to the grated potatoes to make a kind of stiff dough. Cut another potato in pieces and cook in salt water. When it starts boiling, drop pieces of dough in the water from a spoon. Cook until potato pieces are soft. Drain in collander. Brown butter and pour over. *Use the finest grater you have, if the potatoes are stringy pieces, they don't get right.

Here's a simple recipe for Chicken Corn Noodle Soup from Justine. This is one of the favorites in this area.

Chicken Corn Noodle Soup

6 chicken legs with the thighs. Legs have the most juice. Cook in pot with 1/2 stick of butter, diced onion and a dash of Poultry seasoning.

Cook until they fall apart. Remove the bones and skin and put back into the pot.

Boil 6 large potatoes, drain and dice into small pieces and add to chicken.

Boil and drain egg noodles and add to chicken.

Cook a can or frozen corn, drain and add to pot with a dash of sugar to sweeten the corn. Cook one hour.

Here's a chilli recipe from Justine. Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

Justine's Chilli

2 large cans of dark kidney beans, drained and cooked in 2 large cans of tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of water until soft.

Fry 1 lb. of hamburger with diced onions and green peppers. (Hot peppers for those who dare.)

Sprinkle chilli powder and 1/2 pack of chilli mix.

Mix fried hamburger and kidney beans.Cook until hot and thick.

Here's a Potato Filling recipe from Justine. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Boil 10 lbs. potatoes, drain and dice.

Sauté in butter in frying pan: 5 large diced onions, a bunch of fresh parsley cut fine without stems. Sprinkle Poultry Seasoning and Marjoram Leaves. Break up pieces of one slice of bread and add.

Mash potatoes with an egg, no milk. Add sauté mixture. Put into baking dish or stuff the turkey and sew.

Justine also sent a recipe for Red Beet Eggs. Also a regional favorite.

Dark Red Beet Eggs. Dunkel in German means dark.

Boil 1 doz. eggs, cool and peel. Boil: 1 can of red beets, add 1/4 cup of water. 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar. 1/2 cup of cider vinegar. Cut up 1 onion in rings or slices and add a pinch of cloves , boil for 10 minutes. Pour over peeled eggs and let refrigerate over night.