Easy Flaky Pastry Recipe

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
2 tbsp cold butter
2 tbsp cold lard
1 tbsp ice water, (approx)
2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vinegar

Preparation:

In bowl, combine flour with salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Whisk together water, milk and vinegar; drizzle over dry ingredients, stirring briskly with fork to form ragged dough and adding up to 1 tbsp more water if too dry. Press into disc. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes, or for up to 24 hours.

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Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients

1 tbsp  vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup  chopped leeks, (white and light green parts only)
1 cup  chopped celery
1 cup  chopped carrot
8 oz  cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup  all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp  salt
1/2 tsp  dried thyme
1/4 tsp  pepper
1/4 tsp  dried savory
6 cups  Homemade Turkey Stock Recipe
4 cups  chopped cooked turkey
1 cup  frozen peas
1 Easy Flaky Pastry Recipe

Directions:

In a pot, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, leeks, celery and carrot, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add flour, salt, thyme, pepper and savory; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly pour in stock, stirring and scraping up browned bits; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in turkey and peas. Pour into 6- to 8-cup (1.5 to 2 L) casserole dish. On lightly floured surface, roll out pastry to fit top of casserole dish. Press over dish; trim to leave 3/4-inch (2 cm) overhang. Fold overhang under pastry rim; flute to seal. Brush top with water; cut steam vents. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F (180°C); bake until pastry is golden and filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Fire Ant Anthill Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Icing
1/2 cup (125 mL) chocolate cookie crumbs
Sugar-coated green sour candy strips
Red candy-coated chocolate pieces, (such as M&Ms)
Mini red candy-coated pieces, (such as M&Ms Mini)
Black Royal Icing
White candy-coated mints

Preparation:

Place rectangular cake on serving tray; spread with two-thirds of the Cocoa Icing. Place dome cake on one narrow end for anthill; cover with remaining icing.

Sprinkle cake all over with cookie crumbs to look like soil. Press green candy strips onto bottom edges of rectangular cake for grass. Cut fringe along 1 edge of equal amount of green candy strips; press onto cake so grass stands above top edge. For ants, line up 1 large and 2 mini candy-coated chocolate pieces for each ant body. With piping bag and using black icing, pipe dots between candies; pipe line of icing along top to attach. Let dry. Turn over and pipe 6 legs; let dry. Press ants all over top of cake and anthill. Arrange white candy rocks on cake.

Devilled Giant Spider Eggs

*Cracking the shells then submerging them in dye gives them the cool spiderweb pattern.
1/4 tsp black paste food coloring
12 eggs
1/4 cup finely dices celery
1/4 cup finely diced sweet gherkin pickles
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp chopped green onion (green part only)
1/4 tsp chipolte chili powder
1/4 tsp salt

IN saucepan, whisk food coloring with6 cups water. Add eggs; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs, 1 at a time, to a paper towel. Using handle of wooden spoon, tap each egg gently in several places to crack shell without completely splitting it open. Transfer eggs to large bowl. Cover with cooking water, and refrigerate for 1 hour or until cool. Peel eggs and half lengthwise. Arrange whites o platter and transfer yolks to bowl. Add celery, pickles, mayo, onion, chili powder, and salt to yolks. Mash to combine, adding more mayo if desired. Spoon or pipe into egg whites.

Creamy Cricket Dip

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Chill: 1 hr
Serves well with plain chips, tortilla chips, and fresh veggies.

2cups frozen green peas
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried mint

In saucepan of boiling water, cook peas until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to food processor. Add cream cheese, mayo, garlic, lemon juice, slat and mint; puree until smooth. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Baked Mini Donuts

Donuts
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 milk
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp shortening, melted
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp HOT water

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly spray petite donut pan with cooking oil. IN a bowl, ix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add shortening, eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Fill each petite donut hole 2/3 full. Bake 8 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool. Remove from pan and dip in glaze. Decorate with sprinkles, nuts, shaved chocolate or coconut. Petite donuts may also be dipped into cinnamon sugar instead of glaze. When pan has cooled, wipe clean with cloth or paper towl and repeat process with remaining dough. Makes approx. 36 petite donuts.