Fudge-Filled Dessert Strips

This may not be a traditional Kentucky Derby recipe, but it has all the traditional ingredients, chocolate chips, walnuts, and rich pastry. I found this recipe in Taste of Home a few years ago and have made it tons of times. I didn't change one thing about this recipe, except I use Black Walnuts for at least half of the walnuts called for. But that's a personal choice.

Fudge-Filled Dessert Strips
about 36 servings
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1 cup butter, softened
1 package (8-ounces) cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups (12-ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14-ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups chopped walnuts, English or Black or half and half
Confectioners' sugar, optional

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add the flour and mix well.

Turn onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth, about 3 minutes. Divide dough into fourths; cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until easy to handle.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and milk; stir until smooth. Stir in walnuts. Cool to room temperature.

Roll out each portion of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet into an 11-inch x 6-1/2-inch rectangle. Spread 3/4 cup chocolate filling down the center of each rectangle. Fold long sides to the center; press to seal all edges. Turn over so the seam sides are down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 27-32 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Dust with Confectioners' sugar, if desired. Store in a tightly sealed cookie tin.

Black Walnut Pie Crust

I'm posting this pie crust with the Pecan Pie With Black Walnut Crust, but I can see where this crust would be heavenly with lots of other fillings. Let me know if you come up with something great!

Black Walnut Pie Crust
Makes one 10-inch pie shell
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1 1/2 cups crushed black walnuts
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About 1 teaspoon water

1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. The mixture should resemble cookie dough. If it does not, add a bit more flour or water as needed.

2. Turn the dough out into a well-greased 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Using your hands, press the dough from the center out toward the sides of the pan, making sure to cover the bottom and sides of the pan as evenly as possible.

3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. Do not freeze this pie crust.

Pecan Pie With Black Walnut Crust

Just saying the name of this makes my mouth water. I can remember as a kid helping Mom spread black walnuts outside on cardboard to dry in the sun. The hulling would leave my hands and fingernails stained black for a week. I didn't care, all I knew was that I loved black walnuts.

This would make a fabulous dessert for Kentucky Derby Day, May 7th, this year.

Pecan Pie With Black Walnut Crust
6-8 servings
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Make your Black Walnut Pie Crust first.

Filling:
3 eggs
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dark corn syrup (you can substitute light)
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups pecans, broken into pieces,
plus additional whole pecans for garnish, if desired

1 black walnut pie crust

For the whipped cream topping:
8 ounces heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons honey


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix well, Add the flour and mix well. Add the dark and light corn syrups and the pecan pieces and mix until well blended.

2. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust and, if desired, top with whole pecans. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pie filling is set.

3. Meanwhile, in a chilled medium bowl, whip the cream, ginger and honey together until the cream forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes if using an electric mixer set on high.

4. Remove pie from oven and cool on a wire rack. When cool, remove tart pan sides. Serve with the honey-ginger whipped cream.

Benedictine Spread

Many Kentucky communities had their noted confectioneries and restaurants. Of them all none are more highly regarded than Miss Jennie Benedict's in Louisville, Ky. Miss Jennie began her culinary career as a cateress but in 1900 took over a forty-year old business on Fourth Street and opened her own dining room and soda fountain. In 1911 her business had grown to such an extent that she moved to larger quarters on the same street, where her meals were rivaled only by her "decorative candy" pieces and her cakes, which were shipped to all parts of the United States and many foreign countries. Discerning vistors thought their stay in Louisville incomplete without luncheon or dinner at Miss Jennie's, and many a housewife relied upon her Blue Ribbon Cook Book, first published in 1904 and reissued in revised edition.

This recipe originated in the 1920's by Jennie Benedict. The spread became a regular feature at cocktail hours and weddings, and still is, and a must have for an appetizer at your Kentucky Derby Party. You can use this as a dip, but traditionally it is used as a filling for finger sandwiches.

It is said that Miss Jennie's mayonnaise was made of three ingredients, lemon juice, olive oil, and egg yolk. I'm more along the line of Hellmann's.

Benedictine Spread
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Grate on the large holes of a box grater
1 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 medium onion
Chop
1 small green onion

Measure 1/4 cup each of the cucumber and regular onion and combine in a medium bowl. Add in the chopped green onion. Wrap in cheese cloth or towel and squeeze to remove excess moisture.

Add:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon good mayonnaise
Pinch of ground red pepper (1/8 of a teaspoon)
Salt and pepper to taste (white pepper is nice)

Combine with wooden spoon or process.

Cut crust off bread, spread with Benedictine Spread, cut into 4 ribbons per sandwich. Make sure you have good bread, homemade or a good bakery bread.

COOK'S NOTE: You will find recipes calling for a dab of green food coloring. That's fine for St. Patrick's Day, but not for Derby Day. Miss Jennie would just die.

Henry Bain Sauce - New and Improved

This is the last week before the running of the Kentucky Derby this Saturday. This is a must have for any derby gathering. New and improved only means that now I know how to can this stuff and have added a fair amount of good Kentucky bourbon to the mix. It is a rich and unusual sauce and is excellent on all types of meat. Since you will have it already made and on the pantry shelf you can also use it for a quick gift. If you are interested in the history of this sauce just take a look at the original Henry Bain Sauce.

I'm taking this to Tuesdays at the Table. Come along for lots of wonderful recipes.

Henry Bain Sauce
4 1/2 pints
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2 cups Major Grey's chutney
2/3 cup coarsely chopped pickled walnuts
1 3/4 cups good ketchup
1 1/4 cups A-1 Brand steak sauce
1 1/4 cups Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups bottled chili sauce
2/3 cup good-quality Kentucky bourbon whiskey
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

Sterilize four 1-pint canning jars and one 1/2-pint canning jar; set aside. Place chutney and pickled walnuts in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Add ketchup, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chili sauce, bourbon and Tabasco sauce. Process until blended. Pour sauce into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal jars according to manufacturer's directions and process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath that covers jars by 2 inches. Cool jars completely before storing.

This can be served room temperature, cold or slightly warmed. Also makes a fabulous marinade.

Saint and Scriptures Sunday - Obstacles In Our Lives

One of my favorite meditations. I study this one often. I'm a slow learner sometimes.

In the face of an obstacle which it is impossible to overcome, stubbornness is stupid. -Simone de Beauvoir

Sudden obstacles, barriers in the way of our daily progress, doors that unexpectedly close, may confuse, frustrate, even depress us. The knowledge that we seldom understand just what is best for us, comes slowly. And we generally fight it, even after we've begun to understand. Fortunately, the better path will keep drawing us to it.

We may wonder why a door seems to have closed. Our paths are confounded only when our steps have gone astray. Doors do not close unless a new direction is called for. We must learn to trust that no obstacle is without its purpose, nowever baffling it may seem.

We may need to look to God when an obstacle has surfaced, after all He is in control. We may also need to remind ourselves that fighting an obstacle, pushing against a closed door, will only heighten our frustration. Acceptance of what is will open our minds and our hearts to the better road to travel at this time.

The obstacles confronting me invite me to grow, to move beyond my present self. They offer me chances to be the person I always dreamed of being. I will be courageous. I am not alone.

Let's visit Dianna at The Kennedy Adventures today to see what she has for Saint and Scriptures Sunday.

Warm Lentils and Spinach

This is a wonderful dish to serve with grilled fish or chicken. To be honest I can have this all by it's self, well maybe a little cornbread.

Warm Lentils and Spinach
about 6 servings
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3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
10 ounces fresh spinach, washed well, stemmed, and coarsely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lentils and toss to coat with the oil. Add 2 cups broth and the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are just tender.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in another skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, until softened. Add the spinach and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally about 1 minute, until it begins to wilt. Add the remaining 1/4 cup broth and cook until the spinach is tender and wilted.

3. Add the spinach and any cooking liquid to the lentils and toss together. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.