PlaneLocket's Cookbook

• Start with 1 quart of water. Mix all the ingredients together in a large pot. Cover and simmer for 4 to 5 hours. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little hot water as it cooks. Stir frequently. Place cooked sauce in pint size containers and freeze until ready to use.

• Melt 1/2 of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes. Heat remaining butter in skillet over medium heat; whisk in flour to form a thick paste. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until flour has turned golden brown and begins to smell toasted, about 20 minutes.
• Whisk water, beef bouillon, and chicken bouillon into skillet until no lumps remain. Add pepper and bring mixture to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened to gravy consistency, 8 to 10 minutes.

• In 3 1/2-quart skillet, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until garlic is tender.
• Add chicken broth, spaghetti and pepper; heat to boiling. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed and pasta is al dente. Stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese and the whipping cream just until heated through.
• Serve immediately with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and parsley.

• In large bowl, mix sausage, beef, bread crumbs, onion, garlic and egg until well combined. Shape mixture into 24 (1 inch) meatballs.
• In Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add meatballs; cook 9 to 11 minutes, gently turning occasionally, just until browned on all sides.
• Stir in broth, pasta sauce and whipping cream; heat to boiling. Stir in pasta; return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 18 to 22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are thoroughly cooked (165°F), pasta is cooked to desired tenderness and sauce is thickened. Top with Parmesan cheese and basil.

• Heat lard in a cast iron skillet.
• Generously salt and pepper the roast and coat in flour. Brown roast until golden on all sides.
• Add potatoes, onion and carrot to crock pot. Cover with beef stock. Place roast on top of onions and carrots.
• Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
• As roast nears completion, cook and mash potatoes.
• Heat skillet and add 2-3 tbsp flour to butter and make a golden roux. Deglaze with broth from crockpot to desired consistency.
• Mash cooked potatoes. Serve open faced on Texas garlic toast.

• Place thawed venison shanks on rack, placed over a rimmed baking sheet, to catch drips. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before continuing with recipe to allow meat to come up to room temperature.
• Start oven at 300°F.
• Melt butter and olive oil together in Dutch oven.
• Brown shanks on all sides. Remove to plate.
• Add onions, carrot and celery to pan, if needed add more oil or butter. Sauté vegetables, scrapping up the browned bits room the bottom of the pan.
• Once golden brown, add red wine and continue to scrape bottom of pan.
• Add stock, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil.
• Add venison back to Dutch oven. Cover. Braise for 3 to 4 hours until shanks are very tender. Twist meat with fork. If it separates easily, the meat is done.
• Remove from oven and remove shanks to a plate.
• Add 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to a small bowl. Mix in enough water to incorporate all of cornstarch. Cook over low heat until sauce is thickened, dark and glossy. Add shanks back to sauce.
• Serve with mashed potatoes and your choice of vegetable.

• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
• Place the sugar, corn syrup, salt and water in a large, deep pan. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. This takes about 6-7 minutes.
• Add the butter to the pan. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees F. This takes about 15 minutes.
• Add the peanuts to the pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until a candy thermometer registers 305 degrees F.
• Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the baking soda.
• Pour the peanut mixture evenly onto the sheet pans. Spread to a 1/4 inch layer.
• Cool, then break into pieces and serve.

• Cut pastry sheet in half. Repackage and refrigerate 1 half for another use. On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining half into an 8-in. circle. Transfer to a 7-in. pie plate; flute edges.
• Line shell with a double thickness of heavy-duty foil. Bake at 450° for 4 minutes. Remove foil; bake 2 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and eggs until well blended. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Stir in chocolate and vanilla until smooth. Cool to lukewarm (90°), stirring occasionally.
• In a small bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture; beat on high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• In another large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners’ sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture.

For the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter 15x10x1-inch baking pan and line the pan with wax paper; buttering the paper as well.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix granulated sugar, flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons of the pumpkin pie spice and salt. Stir in eggs and pumpkin until well blended and smooth. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick test in center comes out clean.
• Place clean kitchen towel on work surface; dust with 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar. Loosen cake around sides of pan with small knife. Turn out onto sugared towel, wax paper-side up.
• Fold 1 side of towel over short side of cake, then roll up cake jelly-roll style. Cool cake completely.

For the Filling

• In a large mixing bowl; mix cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice until well blended and smooth. Add walnuts if desirec.
• Unroll cake onto towel. Peel off wax paper. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cake. Using towel, roll up cake and place seam-side down on serving platter. Trim ends of cake.
• Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Sprinkle cake with additional confectioners’ sugar just before serving.