FUNERAL SANDWICHES

  • 24-count package sweet dinner rolls
  • 24 slices Black Forest ham
  • 24 slices Swiss cheese

Directions

Slice rolls in half. Place on 11×15-inch sheet pan. Layer 1 slice each ham and cheese on each roll. Replace tops.

Sauce:

  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Mix together with a small whisk. Brush tops of ham and cheese rolls liberally with sauce, then pour remaining sauce over all. Cover pan with foil and refrigerate for 4 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls, covered, for 10 minutes, then remove foil and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Makes 24 dinner roll–sized servings. Serves about 12 if each person takes two rolls.

MARY’S BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2¼ cups cake flour
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1½ Tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup butter (very cold)—don’t use margarine!
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • ½ cup flour (for dusting the pastry mat and dusting while rolling)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter (melted)

Directions

Preheat oven to 475°F. Combine the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Add the buttermilk and mix just until combined. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat it into a horizontal rectangle that is about 1½ inches thick. Fold the left side of the rectangle over the right side and pat it out into a vertical rectangle. Then fold the bottom half up to the top and press it out into a horizontal rectangle again. Repeat the steps above three times for a total of six folds. Be careful not to overwork the dough while you are doing this. The folding is what creates layers in the biscuits. Sprinkle a little flour on the layers if the dough starts getting sticky, but just pat gently and handle the dough lightly. After making those six folds, gently pat the dough into a rectangle that is about 1 inch thick. Use a sharp circle biscuit cutter and press down through the dough, then lift up. Do not twist the cookie cutter. Just push down, then pull straight up. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter.

Bake at 475°F for five minutes, then reduce the heat to 425°F (without opening the oven) and bake for an additional 8–10 minutes. Allow the biscuits to sit for 2–3 minutes before serving. Serve warm. Makes about a dozen biscuits.

Buttermilk is recommended for the recipe, but if you don’t have it it’s easy to make by putting 1 tablespoon of vinegar in a measuring cup. Fill up the rest of the cup with milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. Now you have buttermilk!

ROASHT OR CHICKEN FILLING

  • 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) butter
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 2 loaves bread, cubed
  • 2 cups cooked and diced chicken
  • 6 eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in a skillet and sauté celery in it until soft. Set aside. Mix bread and chicken in large bowl. Add celery, eggs, and salt and pepper. Pour mixture into large baking pan. Bake 1½–2 hours. Serves 15.

CHOCOLATE CHESS PIE

  • 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (9-inch) deep-dish pie shell (unbaked)
  • Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, cocoa, eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and spread it evenly along the edges. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream (optional). Serves 8.