Reporter, Buffalo News; Ph.D. student ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

CHARLES DICKENS' CORNMEAL MUFFINS

(for guilt-free low-fat Christmas morning munchies)

1 cup Hodgens Mills Wheat Flour

2 cups Hodgens Mills Corn Meal Flour

1/3 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup cooking oil

30 raspberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use Pam to grease a Texas-size 6-muffin pan. Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Combine egg, skim milk, and oil in small bowl and whisk to blend. Add wet to dry ingredients and mix with a large wooden spoon. Be careful to avoid overmixing

Pour batter into pan and add raspberries now. Stick 5 raspberries into each muffin, pushing them down into the batter. Bake from 27 to 32 minutes. Test after 27 minutes by inserting a plain toothpick into the center of a muffin. When extracted, the toothpick should come out clean. Serve hot from the oven. No butter or preserves are needed.

THE MATH

CHARLES DICKENS' CORNMEAL MUFFINS

Item Qty. Meas. Cals. Fat cals

Flour 1 cup 800 0

Cornmeal 2 cups 224 0

Oil 1/4 cup 400 400

Salt 1 tsp. 0 0

Sugar 1/3 cup 75 0

Bake powder 4 tsp. 0 0

Egg 1 egg 80 64

Skim Milk 2 cups 160 0

Rasps 1/2 pt. 60 0

Total calories for 6 muffins: 1799 cal

Each muffin: 300 cals (approx.)

BARBARA WELKER

Graduate Student

CANDIED SAUSAGES

This recipe was invented by my great uncle who used to serve it in his bar. He was a Buffalo fireman for many years and has passed away. His legacy lives on in many ways, one of which is through this recipe:

Rope smoked Polish sausage 12 oz. can or bottle beer 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

Cut sausage into 1" slices and place in a large stockpot. Add as many cans of beer as it takes to cover sausage. For each can of beer used, add 1 cup packed brown sugar and 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (less can be used to taste, 1 T is quite zippy). Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until sauce becomes syrupy. Serve in a shallow casserole dish.

ELOISE BENZEL

Secretary Graduate Program COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

BUTTER PECAN TURTLE COOKIES

CRUST:

2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

CARAMEL LAYER:

2/3 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup whole pecan halves

1 package milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees-use ungreased 13x9x2 pan.

In a 3 quart bowl combine crust ingredients. Mix at medium speed, scrape bowl often until well mixed. Pat firmly into pan, sprinkle pecans evenly over unbaked crust.

Prepare caramel layer and pour evenly over pecans and crust. Bake in center of oven 18-22 minutes or until entire caramel layer is bubbly and crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven immediately-sprinkle with chocolate chips. Allow chips to melt slightly (2-3 min.) Slightly swirl to cover top. Cool completely and cut. (makes 3-4 dozen)

Caramel layer: In heavy 1 qt. sauce pan combine brown sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until entire mixture begins to boil. Boil 1/2 to 1 minute stirring constantly.

DEBBIE BUFFAMANTI

Director, Geographic Information & Analysis Lab DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY

LEMON POUNDCAKE

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus additional for greasing pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for pan

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 teaspoons grated lemon zest

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add the lemon zest, then the eggs, one at a time, mixing until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, mixing just to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Place on a rack.

3. Put the confectioners' sugar in a bowl and gradually whisk in the lemon juice. Brush some of the mixture over the top of the cake. Let stand for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan and brush the cake top, sides and bottom well with the lemon mixture. Repeat after 10 minutes. Slice and serve.

Yield: eight servings.

This is very refreshing after a hearty dinner! I found it in the N.Y. Times Magazine about 3 years ago and it's never failed to please. I usually add additional lemon zest to the icing mixture for even more zing!

JENNIFER GOTTDIENER

Transfer and Articulation Coordinator UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION

SAFTA'S POTATO PANCAKES

1 medium onion

2 big baking potatoes

1 egg

4 tablespoons matzo meal or flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

canola or soybean oil for frying

brown paper (bags cut open ok)

Peel onion and potatoes; keep in water to prevent oxidation. Chop onion very finely in processor or grate by hand. Into same bowl, grate potatoes. Add salt and stir well. Let sit for at least 15 minutes then pour into strainer and press as much moisture out as possible with a large spoon. Pour mixture into a bowl and add egg, pepper and matzo meal or flour.

Heat 1/8-1/4" oil in a fry pan or griddle until quite hot. Place heaping tablespoonfuls of mixture in pan and spread each evenly, about 1/4" thick. Fry till browned, turn, and brown remaining side. Remove and place between layers of brown paper to drain oil. Keep warm in 200 F oven until serving with side dishes of applesauce and sour cream.

KATHLEEN C. GRIECO

UNIVERSITY RESIDENCE HALLS

ELIZABETH'S WALNUT SURPRISE PUMPKIN BREAD

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

3 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 teaspoons vanilla (pure extract)

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

1 (29 oz.) can (approx. 2 cups) pumpkin-not pumpkin pie filling

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 6 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom only of two 9x5-inch loaf pans or three 8x4-inch loaf pans. In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; mix well. In medium bowl. combine oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs, pumpkin and water; blend well. Add to flour mixture; beat 1 minute at medium speed. Fold in nuts. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into greased pans. Bake at 350 F. for 60 to 70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean. Cool at least 30 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves.

Note: My niece had to help make a recipe of regular pumpkin bread in school for their discussion of Thanksgiving. She had asked for a copy of their recipe and I decided to change it to show that no recipe is ever made of stone, that you can always change it to make it your own. We left out the whole wheat flour but added same amount of all-purpose flour. We put in walnuts instead of pecans. We left out raisins altogether because I don't like them. We decided to add chocolate chips for a pleasant surprise. We also added vanilla extract-none was in the recipe. She has now learned that recipes can be worked with as a guide, but you can add what you want in there. Not that if you don't have all the items, you can't make the recipe. My niece is 9 years old-just a perfect age to want to learn. She was so pleased when she received compliments on "her bread."

DONNA M. KING

Admissions Secretary SCHOOL OF INFORMATION AND LIBRARY STUDIES

EASY CHERRY CRUMB CAKE

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 stick margarine or butter

1 can Comstock cherry pie filling (21 oz.)

Add the first three ingredients, stir well; cut in the margarine or butter and work mixture until fairly crumbly and margarine is about the size of a pea. Mix in the egg and fold throughout the crumb mixture.

Place 1/2 of the mixture on the bottom of a 8x10 pan, (I use a lasagna pan); spread the cherry pie filling on top and spread; sprinkle the remaining mixture and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool on rack and drizzle icing on top (if desired made up of confectionery sugar with a little milk). Enjoy, quick, easy and delicious!

LINETTE KOREN

Assistant Librarian SCIENCE & ENGINEERING LIBRARY

NUT CRESCENTS

4 cups flour (Robin Hood)

1 cup sugar

1/2 lb. butter (2 sticks)*

1/2 lb. margarine (2 sticks)*

1 cup ground walnuts

2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream sugar, butter and margarine with hands in large bowl. Add flour slowly. Add nuts and vanilla. Roll small pieces of dough between hands into a 2 to 2-1/2-inch "log." Bend this "log" into a crescent shape while placing on cookie sheet. Makes 3 rows of about 15 cookies each. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cool cookies and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

* Butter and margarine should be room temperature.

Yield: approximately 125 cookies.

My mother has been making these nut crescent cookies as long as I can remember. It is a recipe she got from her mother. While there is nothing seasonal about them in terms of ingredients or appearance, for some reason they are only made at the holidays. And because of this, they are highly anticipated! Requests for these cookies come from cousins as close as Rochester and as far as Florida. They want to make sure that these cookies will be waiting for them in ample supply upon their return to the Buffalo area for the holidays.

They are the best butter cookies I've ever had and just like Lay's Potato Chips, no one can eat just one!

CHRISTINE E. LEE, CDA

SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE

PEARS POACHED IN CHAMPAGNE WITH BLUEBERRIES

This is an elegant, easy, delicious, yet low-fat dessert.

2 cups water

2 cups champagne

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

6 large pears, blanched and peeled

1 pint blueberries cleaned (frozen will do if fresh is not available-thaw before using)

mint leaves for garnish

In large pot bring water, champagne, sugar and lemon zest to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until sugar is dissolved and mixture becomes syrupy, about 12 minutes. Add pears and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and allow pears to cool in syrup.

When pears are cool, slice them in wedges removing the seeds. Arrange slices on serving dish, sprinkle with syrup, cover, and chill for at least 6 hours (or overnight). When ready to serve, scatter with berries and sprinkle with additional syrup. Garnish with mint leaves. Enjoy!

JOHN MANSFIELD

Reverend; Adjunct Professor CAMPUS MINISTRIES/RELIGIOUS STUDIES

SOUR CREAM CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts; split in half

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons lemon juice

6 green onions, sliced finely

Oil a 13x9 pan; place chicken breasts in pan. Combine sauce ingredients; spoon evenly over chicken. Bake uncovered 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 4-8.

This is an easy-to-make meal that seems more dressed-up than it is. To create an appearance, serve the chicken on beds of lettuce, and sprinkle with a few more chopped green onion tips.

SHARON MURPHY

Senior Assistant Librarian HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY

Make a trip to the colorful Broadway Market on Buffalo's East Side for your celery root, where my grandmother purchased it for over 50 years. My German grandmother originally added two tablespoons of bacon drippings when combining the liquids and sugar. I like it made the vegetarian, low-fat way! I always think of my grandmother when I make this dish, for she filled my life with love and warmth.

GRANNY'S CELERY ROOT

1 medium celery root

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons sugar

salt

pepper

Cut celery root in quarters and peel. Slice as you would raw fries. Add vinegar, water and sugar.

Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until easily pierced with a fork and juice cooks away. Add more sugar if it's too sour.

SHERI RECOON

OAP-Higher Education Ph.D. student Graduate Assistant OFFICE OF ADMISSIONS

NEW YEAR'S DAY SOUFFLE

1 dozen egg whites

1 package defrosted and drained frozen spinach

1 package frozen and drained chopped broccoli

1 pound non-fat cottage cheese

1 cup grated fat-free parmesan

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 can mushrooms, stems and pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything and mix well. Pour into a large casserole or lasagna pan and bake for about 35-45 minutes. You'll know it's done when it begins to brown. Too brown is not good.

This recipe is good because it's easy to make, will help one to stick to their resolution to eat more healthfully in 1996.

PAMELA ROSE

Head, Acquisitions HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH APPLE-LEMON FILLING

A great combination, the tart filling contrasts nicely with the sweet chocolate. A nice change from traditional cookies. I often use a packaged chocolate cake mix and frosting, but you can go the whole nine yards and make the recipe below.

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup Crisco

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon. salt

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Cream sugar and Crisco; beat in eggs. Mix soda with buttermilk and add to mixture. Stir in dry ingredients and boiling water. Bake 350 for 45 minutes for 9 x13, or 30 minutes for 9" cake.

FILLING

1 cup sugar

1 egg

3 large apples, grated

juice and rind of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients and cook over low heat until thick. Cool and spread between baked layers. Top with your favorite chocolate frosting.

MELISSA TWARDOWSKI

Clerk I Central Technical Services Lockwood Library UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

PLACEK

(Polish Coffee Cake)

MIX:

1/2 cup margarine

3 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk

Add:

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup buttermilk

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Sprinkle with the following topping:

1-1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons margarine

Blend with pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Bake in 375-degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until done.

JOANNE WALLESHAUSER

RESIDENTIAL LIFE

CHUCK MARINATE!

1 chuck round steak

1 8 oz. bottle Russian salad dressing

1/2 bottle Italian salad dressing

4-5 tablespoons soy suace

Marinate for one hour (or more if you like). Then grill or broil. Comes out very moist and tender. (You can change the ingredients to your liking.)

STORY: This recipe came about as an experiment. We always are looking to marinate our meat in something different so we "experimented"! We love it.

MARJORIE WEINSTOCK

Graduate student COUNSELING AND EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

I got this recipe from my mother. Neither of us is sure why it is called "Japanese" Fruit Pie-that's simply what it's called.

JAPANESE FRUIT PIE

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup nuts (whatever type you like)

1/2 cup coconut

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Mix all ingredients together and pour into an unbaked pie shell. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Chill and serve.

VALERIE LIMPERT

Sr. Stenographer MANAGEMENT SCIENCE & SYSTEMS

DUMP CAKE

1 can apple pie filling

1 large can crushed pineapple (with juice)

1 box yellow cake mix

2 sticks margarine, melted

Crushed walnuts (3/4 cup)

Spread apples on bottom of 9" x 13" pan. Spoon crushed pineapple (with juice) evenly over pie filling. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pineapple. Pour melted margarine evenly over all and sprinkle with crushed walnuts. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 55 minutes. Cool. Cut into bars. For easy serving, place in cupcake liners.

PATRICIA DONOVAN

NEWS SERVICES

NINE TALES' CRANBERRY RELISH

WARNING: This is NOT for lovers of canned cranberry jelly-it's crunchy, chunky, pretty, sweet-tart and nutty. This has been a longtime favorite at the gang's annual New Year's Day dinner where we all drink too much glog and gang-sing "Leader of the Pack" in an Irish brogue, with a friend playing the accelerating Harley. Also, it's easy to make, since you almost can't mess it up. It's particularly good with goose, duck and other poultry that has been shot from the sky by guys in day-glo jackets.

1 bag of fresh cranberries

1 large box lemon Jell-o, prepared but not set

At least 1-1/2 cups of chopped walnuts

At least 1-1/2 cups of chopped celery

Several large, seedless, peeled oranges plus their grated zest

Sugar to taste

Chop up the cranberries, celery, walnuts and peeled oranges and put them in a bowl in roughly equal amounts. Add the lemon Jell-o (still in its liquid form), stir well, then add the grated orange zest and additional sugar to taste.

Mix well and let the whole thing set in the refrigerator until it screams, "Get me outa here!" This is not a Jell-o salad per se, so be sure to add enough of the other ingredients so that you can't even see the Jell-o.

REBECCA MESSENGER

CEP Graduate Student

Although Rebecca Messenger's entry for the recipe contest arrived too late for the judging, we are including her interesting recipe for UB recipe aficionados to try.

CHINESE NEW YEAR COOKIES

1 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

1 12 oz. bag of butterscotch chips

1 5 oz. can of chow mein noodles

2 cups of salted peanuts

Melt chocolate and butterscotch in large saucepan over low heat. When completely melted, stir in noodles and peanuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow to cool until chocolate is firm. Then ENJOY!

My best friend's mother makes these every year for the holidays. I don't know where she got the recipe but I know they're definitely not Chinese. I made them for some friends from Beijing, China and they informed me that the Chinese don't even have chow mein noodles like the ones used in this recipe. Oh, well. They loved them anyway.