Independence Day Cooking

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Ingredients
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
4 to 5 tablespoons
cold water
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
3 tablespoons` all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups fresh blackberries
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degree F. For the pastry, stir together 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon of water at a time, until flour mixture is moistened. Form dough into a ball on floured surface, roll dough into a 12-inch circle. Ease dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim to 1/2-inch beyond edge of plate. fold under extra dough. Crimp edge.

2. Line the bottom of a pastry-line 9-inch pie plate with a double thickness of foil. Bake in the 450 degree F oven for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes more. Remove the pie shell from the oven and cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degree F.

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the 3/4 to 1 cup sugar, the sour cream, 3 tablespoons flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Set aside.

4. Place the blackberries in the prebaked pastry shell. Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the berries.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and the melted butter or margarine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture on the sour cream mixture. 6. Cover the edge of the pie with foil and bake in the 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until the top of the pie is golden and the berry mixture bubbles slightly.

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
1/2 of a 12-ounce can (3/4 cup) beer
3/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup parsley
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 beef T-bone steaks, cut 1 inch thick (about 1 pound each), or 6 beef top loin steaks, cut 1 inch
thick (about 1-3/4 pounds total)
1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper

Directions

1. In a large glass baking dish combine onion, beer, chili sauce, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, paprika, and the 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place steaks in marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours or overnight, turning steaks over occasionally.

2. Remove steaks from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle both sides of steaks with the cracked black pepper.

3. Grill steaks on an uncovered grill directly over medium-hot coals for 5 minutes. Turn and grill to desired doneness, allowing 7 to 10 minutes more for medium (160 degrees F) doneness. If desired, garnish with fresh herbs.

Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small green sweet pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 ounces)
6 hamburger buns, split

Directions

1. In bowl, mix beef, Cajun seasoning, and salt. Divide into 12 portions. Shape into 3- to 4-inchwide patties.

2. In bowl, mix onion, pepper, and cheese. Spoon 1/4 cup of cheese mixture into the centers of 6 patties. Top with remaining patties. Press edges to seal.

3. Grill directly over medium heat*, uncovered, 14 to 18 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of burgers registers 160 degrees F., turning over halfway through grilling time. Serve on buns. Add your choice of accompaniments such as lettuce, sliced
tomatoes, cucumber slices, pickles, and carrot, and celery sticks, if you like.

Makes 6 burgers.

*Note: For medium heat, you should be able to hold your hand over heat at the height of food for 4 seconds.

1 1/2 c All-Purpose Flour
3/4 c Sugar
1 tb Baking Powder
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Ground Nutmeg
1/3 c Butter -- firm
1 c Blueberries
1 Egg
1/2 c Milk
1 ts Vanilla
Powdered Sugar

Pecan Streusel Topping

1/2 c Pecans -- finely chopped
1/2 c Brown Sugar- firmly packed
2 tb All-Purpose Flour
2 ts Ground Cinnamon
2 tb Butter or Margarine
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pecan Streusel Topping :

Mix the finely chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon with the melted butter. Pat half of the streusel mixture into a greased, floured 9-inch tube pan with a removable bottom; set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gently stir in blueberries.

Beat egg lightly with milk and vanilla; stir into berry mixture just until combined.

Spread half the batter in streusel-lined pan; sprinkle with remaining streusel, then with remaining batter.

Bake cake for about 40 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove pan sides. Dust cake with powdered sugar.