The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
It seemed my grandmother never needed a recipe. She knew just what to add for a little extra zing to make a dish special. I think I’m starting to catch a glimpse into her secret. Cooking is like playing the piano. The more you practice, the better you become. You start to understand the underlying theories of how things go together, chords or ingredients. The more I cook, the more I learn. The more confident I become into trying new ideas.
When I was in Belfast, Ireland visiting family, I ate the best clam chowder ever. I asked the waiter what the little brown round things were in my soup (no, it was not a fly doing the backstroke!) He said they were capers. They added such a great different flavor. Five years later, I ventured into making my own version of this soup. It is a combination of several recipes ingredients and tips but I think it turned out pretty good.
The other recipes are adaptations from family members. Jonathon loves my caramel rolls but hates how long it takes. With two little ones, he and Libby need family friendly recipes, so they created their own version of caramel rolls. My sister Amy uses the King Hawaiian rolls to make an elegant but simple main course for her family. The final recipe I came across from facebook. If you have any Girl Scout Thin mints left, here is a great Easter dessert. Enjoy!
2 cans clams (next to tuna in grocery store)
1 ½ c. clam juice
2 TBSP butter
¾ c bacon bits
1 medium onion, diced
2 large potatoes, diced
1 c. whole milk
½ c cream
1-2 TBSP parsley
1 ½ TBSP capers (optional, next to tuna too)
Salt, pepper, paprika to taste
Drain clams, but save juice. Add water to juice to equal 1 ½ cups. Set aside. In pot, melt butter, add bacon bits and onion. Stir and cook till translucent. Add potatoes, reserved juice, salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat 6–8 minutes till potatoes are soft. Add clams, milk, cream, parsley and capers. Heat through. Do NOT boil! You can make this in the morning. Let it cool and put in the refrigerator till supper. This gives the flavors a chance to meld together. You can omit the bacon if you want to serve this during Lent. This will be a thin soup, but great with seasoned crackers. You can also add shredded carrots for color to the soup. If you would like a thicker soup, add 1 TBSP flour just after the onions turn translucent. Stir till bubbly. Then slowly add juice and potatoes.
Amy Thompson
1 package King Hawaiian Rolls
Thin sliced ham
Sliced Provolone Cheese
4 TBSP melted butter
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire Sauc`e
Leaving rolls intact, slice in half length ways. Put bottom half on a greased 9" x 13" pan. Layer rolls with sliced ham and cheese. Place top half of rolls on top of meat and cheese. Carefully slice into individual rolls.
In microwaveable bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Microwave till bubbly, about 1 minute. Brush on top of rolls.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes.
Amy will generally bake a couple of pans at a time. Big hit!
- Jonathon and Libby Schmitt
1 package King Hawaiian Rolls
¼ c. brown sugar
¼ c. butter
1 TBSP light corn syrup
Place rolls in greased 9 x 13 pan. In a saucepan, combine sugar, butter and syrup. Stir till melted and bubbly. Pour caramel sauce on top. Place in 350 degree oven for 10 – 15 minutes to heat through. You can use canned caramel sauce if you want to make it even quicker.
20 Thin Mint cookies
¼ c. butter, melted
16 oz (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened
¾ c. powdered sugar
2 c. cold heavy cream
1 tsp peppermint extract
26 thin mints, divided
Grease 8” spring form pan with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper. To make the crust, in a food processor, pulse 20 thin mints cookies till fine crumbs. Add butter and combine. Press into pan and refrigerate while making filling.
For the cheesecake: Beat cream cheese till light and fluffy, 2 minutes. Add sugar to combine then gradually add cream. Once combined, beat on high until stiff peaks form. Add extract. Crush 12 mints, not as fine as before for crust. Fold ¾ of them into cream cheese mixture. Spread mixture into pan. Sprinkle remaining crushed cookies on top. Refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
To serve: Release cake from pan. Press remaining cookies against the sides of the cake. Drizzle top with chocolate sauce.
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As their four children pursue dairy careers off the farm, Natalie and Mark are starting a new adventure of milking registered Holsteins just because they like good cows on their farm north of Rice, Minnesota. (Natalie grew up in Stronghurst, the daughter of Becky and the late Larry Dowell.)
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