Category Archives: copycat recipes

Kentucky Fried Chicken Original Recipe (CopyCat)


Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)'s first branch in...

Image via Wikipedia

Chicken
6 pieces chicken-cleaned and trimmed of excess fat
Brine
Water to cover chicken
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 teaspoon MSG (optional, I didn’t use this…. for obvious reasons)

Flour
1 1/2 cup self-rising flour

Egg Wash
2 eggs-beaten
1/3 cup milk

Kentucky Fried Chicken Spice
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon oregano leaves
1 tablespoon powdered sage
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons onion salt
1 teaspoon accent or msg (OPTIONAL)

Add 2-3 Tablespoons mix to every 1 1/2 cup of flour for coating chicken.

OIL
6-8 cups Crisco shortening – This will depend on your deep fryer  (I used PEANUT OIL with great success, it has a higher flash point)

Directions
Place all those 11 herbs and spices ingredients in a grinder or in a blender and pulse for 3-4 minutes to pulverize. Store in an airtight container. Once ground spices will lose their flavor faster than when they are whole. This makes about 3/4 cup.

Flour
Add 2-3 tablespoons of the spice mixture to flour whisking well. Remove 1/2 cup flour/spice mixture and place in bowl or a plastic or paper sack for first coating of chicken. Add the remaining 1 cup flour/spice mixture in 2nd bowl or sack.

Egg Wash
Mix together in medium bowl for dipping chicken pieces.

Let’s get started.
Chicken – Step 1
In a large bowl place cleaned chicken in salted (1 Tablespoon salt + 1 teaspoon MSG, still optional) water to cover chicken. Let soak at least 2 hours in refrigerator.
Step 2
Dry chicken with paper towels. Dredge in 1/2 cup of the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Do all pieces of chicken, one at a time and set on rack until next step. If you have any remaining flour mixture from this 1/2 cup portion add to 2nd sack.
Step 3
Dip into egg/water mixture, allowing excess to drip off.

Step 4
Add any left over flour from the 1/2 cup used for the first coating step into bag with the 1 cup flour/seasoning mixture. Place chicken pieces one at a time, in bag with flour mixture and shake to coat well. Arrange chicken pieces on rack over large cookie sheet and let dry up to 30 minutes.For extra crispy coating, repeat egg wash and flour mixture.
Frying
Add FRESH Crisco to the deep fryer (or pressure fryer). Heat oil 350 degrees, gently add chicken to oil, one piece at a time. Do not add more than 3 pieces to each batch. Fry 12-15 minutes, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Drain chicken and keep in warm oven while frying remaining chicken. Cooking time may vary especially if using a pressure fryer.

‘Golden Corral’ Dinner Rolls Recipe


2-¼ tsp fast acting yeast (or 1pkg)–I used Fleischmann’s Bread Machine Yeast
¼ c warm water (105°F-110°F)
2 tsp sugar
1 c milk, just to scalding hot (do not simmer or boil)
⅓ c sugar
¼ c butter
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
3½ c bread flour (dough will be somewhat sticky, but the less you use, the lighter the rolls)
1 c whole wheat flour
¼ cup vital wheat gluten (optional)
2 T butter, melted, for brushing

1) Dissolve yeast in 1/4c warm water. Stir in the 2tsp of sugar. Let sit for about 5 minutes until mixture foams up.
2) Heat milk in microwave or in small saucepan on stovetop.
3) Add sugar, butter, & salt to hot milk and stir until butter is melted. Cool to 105°F-110°F.
4) Pour milk mixture into bowl of stand mixer.
5) Add the yeast mixture & egg and mix together.
6) Mix in all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, & vital wheat gluten, beating to form a soft dough. Knead with mixer for 5 minutes, adding extra flour, if needed.
7) Place dough in warm oiled or buttered bowl, turning greased side up. Cover with parchment paper and let rise in warm place* until doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes.
8) Punch dough down and hand-knead for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface.
9) Divide dough into 12 pieces and shape into round rolls. Place them, not touching, in greased 13×9×2 baking pan.
10) Cover with parchment paper & let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 30-45 minutes.
11) Bake at 375°F for 18-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
12) Brush tops of rolls with melted butter.

You can use your oven as a dough incubator, turning it on to 400°F for one minute, then turning it off, and placing your bowl of dough in the oven for the two rising times.
—I also like place a pan of water on the bottom of my oven. I’ve read that mimics a convection oven and helps bread to bake moist.

7-Up Pound Bundt Cake


7-Up Pound Cake

3 cups cake flour (yes, it really makes a difference so get the cake flour)

3 cups granulated sugar

1-1/2 cups of butter (3 sticks)

5 eggs

3/4 cup 7-Up

1 tsp lemon extract (I used 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 Tbsp lemon juice and just a few drops of lemon extract–just add enough for your taste)

……………………………………………..

Preheat oven to 325*.  Liberally butter and flour the Bundt pan.  Set aside.

Cream sugar and butter in a mixer.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well.  Add cake flour and 7-Up and mix through.  Add the lemon flavorings as desired, to taste.

Bake for an hour and 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when pierced.  The cake will be a deep golden color.

Cool completely on a rack, then invert over a serving plate.  Serve with a little powdered sugar sifted on top or the glaze/frosting suggestions to follow.

Glaze
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 TB fresh lemon juice
1 TB fresh lime juice

Whisk the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set

for 10 minutes.  Serve.   ( The cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)


 Here is a variation using a cake mix:

7-Up Cake

Cake:
1 small box vanilla instant pudding
1 (18.25 ounce) box white or yellow cake mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 (10 ounce) can 7-Up

Combine pudding mix, cake mix and vegetable oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend 7-Up into batter. Pour into three 9-inch cakepans that have been greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand for 10 minutes. Remove layers from pans and cool on racks. Place Filling between layers and on top of cake.

Variation: Use lemon cake mix and instant pineapple pudding mix.

Filling:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (4 ounce) can coconut
1/2 cup nuts

Mix sugar and flour. Add slightly beaten eggs and butter or margarine. Place in top of double boiler and cook until consistency of syrup. Add remaining three ingredients.

 

Moose Munch Popcorn


SERVES 6 -8

  1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips and Crisco.
  3. Microwave until chips look shiny about 2 minutes.
  4. Remove and stir until melted.
  5. Quickly stir in popcorn. Spread onto the prepared cookie sheet.
  6. Cool completely and break into pieces.

 

“Neiman Marcus” Chocolate Chip Cookies


Yields approximately 112 cookies.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups blended oatmeal *
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
24 oz. chocolate chips
8 oz. milk chocolate candy bar (grated) *
3 cups chopped nuts (I made these with California Walnuts)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Cream the butter and both sugars. On low speed, add eggs and vanilla till completely incorporated.

Add the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing till combined, then add the chocolate chips, grated milk chocolate, and nuts.

Roll into balls about the size of a ping pong ball and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for several minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Or not. A cold glass of milk or hot cup of coffee at this point would be awesome.

Notes:

* To make “blended oatmeal”, measure the amount of oatmeal and run through the food processor or a blender on high, till ground to a fine meal consistency.

* The “original” recipe called for an 8 oz. Hershey Bar, which I don’t believe even exists anymore so you can use some Hershey milk chocolate Kisses or the equivalent weight from a larger bar. In order to grate the chocolate, put it in the freezer for about an hour, then pulse  in your food processor.

* This recipe can be halved easily, but why would you want to?!?

Red Lobster’s Parrot Bay Shrimp


1/2 lb. Large Shrimp (butterfly the shrimp)
1 C. Sweetened Coconut Fakes
1 C. Plain Bread Crumbs
1/4 C. Corn Starch (mix with coconut and bread crumbs)
1/2 C. Pina Colada Mix
3 Tbs. Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 Tbs. Powder Sugar
1/2 C. Corn Starch
peanut oil for deep frying

Mix bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and coconut in a deep bowl and set aside. Combine Pina Colada mix, powder sugar and Rum in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Place 1/2 cup corn starch in a separate bowl. Heat oil for deep frying. Oil is ready for frying shrimp with it reaches 375 degrees. Coat shrimp first in corn starch, then into the Pina Colada mix, then dust shrimp in bread crumbs, coconut mixture. Second coating place back into Pina Colada mix, then again into coconut, and then the bread crumb mixture. Place prepared shrimp carefully into hot oil. Fry until golden brown, remove from fryer and drain.

Olive Garden Pasta Roma Soup


2 can garbanzo beans, drain, 16 ounce each
6 slices bacon, cook, drain, chop
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup onions, dice
1 cup celery, dice
1/4 tablespoon garlic, mince
1 cup carrots, julienne
1 1/2 cup canned tomatoes, drain, dice
1 qt chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/8 tablespoon ground rosemary
2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chop
1/2 cup miniature pasta, dry bowties, cooked

Add bean to food processor and process using on/off pulse until beans are well mashed. Scrape down sides as necessary. Reserve. Heat oil in a dutch oven. Add carrots, onions, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add remaining ingredients except pasta and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Keep warm. Add pasta to finished soup and serve immediately.

Hostess Style Cupcakes


Pastry cream:
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 egg yolks
2 cups milk, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cupcakes
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup milk, divided
4 egg yolks, divided
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 egg whites

Ganache:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup whipping cream

Pure white frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
To make pastry cream, mix 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Add egg yolks and mix until a paste is formed. Stir in 1/2 cup milk. Combine remaining 1.1/2 cups milk and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour hot mixture into a bowl, whisking constantly. Pour back into pan. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and stir an additional minute. Stir in vanilla and transfer to a bowl. Cover with buttered parchment paper touching top and chill a minimum of 2 hours or as long as 2 days. To make cupcakes, butter and flour a 12-cup and a 6-cup muffin tin. Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler or in a bowl over simmering water. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, 1/2 cup milk and 2 egg yolks. Whisk until combined. Add to melted chocolate and stir constantly (while cooking over simmering water) until mixture is shiny and thick, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a clean bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Add remaining 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix together, flour, salt and baking soda. Combine 1/4 cup whipping cream, vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl and reserve. Pour cooled chocolate mixture into creamed butter and sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add combined dry ingredients and cream mixture in three stages, alternating liquid and dry ingredients, and ending up with liquid. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold, all at once, into batter. Spoon batter into muffin cups, about 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Set aside to cool, in pan on rack, about 10 minutes. Invert and set aside on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper to cool, about an hour. To prepare ganache, place chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan bring 3/4 cup whipping cream to a boil. Pour into chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool until mixture is less than body temperature. To make pure white frosting, mix powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Using the tip of a small paring knife, cut a small cone from bottom of each cupcake. Reserve cones. Scoop out about 2 teaspoons cake from center of each cupcake (a grapefruit spoon works well for this step) fill a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip with pastry cream. Pipe cream into cupcakes, then replace reserved cones. Place bottom-side down on the lined sheet pan and chill. When ganache is room temperature, dip cupcakes in to coat tops. Chill for a few minutes to firm chocolate. Fill a plain-tipped pastry bag with frosting and decorate with a squiggle across each top, trying for 7 loops on each cupcake. Store in refrigerator until serving time.

Bit-O-Honey Candy


Ingredients:
Bit-O-Honey Candy
1 cup honey
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 cups dry powdered milk

Directions:

Melt honey and peanut butter together in microwave. Add dry powdered milk and knead well. Roll out on wax paper. Cut in strips and roll into pillows. Wrap in wax paper to store.

Bisquick Mix Recipe


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/8 cup flour
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

Sift together powder and sugar into flour. Sift together twice into large mixing bowl.

Slowly add oil, cutting in with pastry blender (or 2 knives), until mix is consistency of corn meal.

Store in tightly covered container at room temperature or may be refrigerated. Spoon lightly into cup and level with spatula. Use for pancakes, waffles, biscuits, coffee cake.

This recipe for Bisquick serves/makes 1.25 cups