Contributed by Betty Reimer, this recipe can be found in Mennonite Girls Can Cook (2011, Herald Press). Betty says: "This recipe is known by several names, such as monkey bread or pull-a-parts, but my favorite name for them is pluckets! This would be a perfect addition to a brunch. Wouldn’t it be fun to let your guests 'pluck at it'?"

Serves 8

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup butter
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon instant yeast
4 ½ cups flour, approximately

1. In a large-sized bowl beat eggs well.
2. Scald milk; then add butter, sugar, salt, and water. Let cool to lukewarm.
3. Add liquids to well-beaten eggs.
4. Add the yeast and just enough flour to make a very stiff batter. It will be sticky.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk. Punch down and let rise again.

Dipping Ingredients
¾ cup sugar, white or brown
3 teaspoons cinnamon
½ cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)
¼ cup butter

1. While dough is rising, mix sugar, cinnamon, and nuts, Set aside.
2. Melt butter. Set aside.

Preparing Pluckets

1. When dough has risen the second time, gently punch down. Grease your hands with butter, then pluck and roll or squeeze walnut-sized pieces of dough into balls.
2. Dip the balls in melted butter and then roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture.
3. Pile loosely in an ungreased one piece angel food or bundt cake pan. Put any leftover dipping mixture on top of the pluckets. Let the dough rise again for 25-30 minutes.
4. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Immediately flip pan upside down onto a plate. Wait a few moments before removing the pan.
5. Serve warm.

TIP: You could use any sweet or plain bun dough for pluckets. I prefer the light texture of this dough. –Betty

This recipe was contributed by Lovella Schellenberg and can be found in the cookbook, Mennonite Girls Can Cook (2011, Herald Press). Lovella says: “My mom often made this chicken noodle soup for Sunday lunch. She would leave the broth simmering gently on the stove. When we walked in the house after church, the fragrance welcomed us in the door. The Russian Mennonite version of chicken noodle soup did not include vegetables; the noodles were piled in the bowl and then covered with broth.”

Ingredients
1 chicken or 8 chicken thighs (with bone)
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
1 star anise
5 cloves
Small handful parsley, chopped
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon salt
12 cups water

1. Place chicken in a soup pot; cover with the water and bring to a boil.
2. Tie the spices, except for the parsley, into a small piece of cheesecloth and add to the soup.
3. Simmer 2-3 hours.
4. Remove from heat; remove chicken from the bones when cool enough to handle.
5. If you have used a whole chicken, remove the breasts and refrigerate for another use.
6. Add the remaining meat from the bones to the broth.
7. Add the salt, bouillon cube, and parsley.
8. Simmer for ½ hour, taste and adjust the salt if needed.
9. Serve the broth over cooked fine egg noodles.

Fine Egg Noodles
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 cups flour, approximately
1 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add flour and salt, stirring well.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until the dough rolls easily and does not stick to the surface.
3. Roll out very thinly and cut into 2-inch wide strips or use a hand-cranked pasta roller to create fine noodles.
4. Dust liberally with flour and stack the strips; then cut through all the layers to form very thin noodles.
5. Scatter the noodles on a floured surface to dry.
6. Bring a large pot of water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt. Cook the noodles just a few minutes, until they float to the surface.
7. Strain the noodles in a colander and serve with the hot broth.

TIP: Do not store leftover soup with noodles, as the noodles will continue to swell in the broth.

Find this recipe in Mennonite Girls Can Cook (2011, Herald Press). Contributor Bev Klassen comments: “This pot roast’s appeal comes from the delicious, full-flavored gravy.” Prepare this recipe in a slow cooker and have a great meal ready for the end of the day.

Serves 6

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 (3-4 pound) pot roast
Salt
¼ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ - ½ cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven on top of the stove. Add roast, browning slowly on both sides. Remove from heat.
2. Drain off fat; sprinkle roast with a little salt.
3. Combine all ingredients except for the last three and pour over roast. Return to heat.
4. Cover tightly; simmer 1 ¾ - 2 hours, or until meat is tender.
5. Transfer meat to serving platter. Loosely cover with foil and let stand while you make the gravy.
6. Skim off excess fat in Dutch oven. Heat pan juices to a slow simmer scraping down the brown bits with a spatula.
7. Mix cornstarch with water and brown sugar until blended.
8. Pour slowly, a little at a time, into pan juices, stirring constantly, and adding just enough to make the gravy smooth. Bring to a slow boil.
9. Remove from heat. Serve with sliced roast and roasted vegetables.

Roasted Vegetables
Carrots
Potatoes
2 tablespoons oil
Kosher salt, as desired
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground pepper

1. Thirty minutes before the meat is done, heat oven to 425°.
2. Cover a large baking pan with parchment paper.
3. Peel carrots and potatoes; cut into uniform pieces.
4. In a bowl, combine oil, salt, garlic, and pepper.
5. Toss vegetables in oil mixture and lay out on prepared pan.
6. Roast in prepared oven for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are browned and tender.

Recipe contributor Anneliese Friesen says: “Our extended family is blessed to have someone who regularly supplies us with these tasty little ‘pies-in-a-pocket.’ I consider it another one of those ‘labor of love’ recipes. I have pretended that I cannot make them, but I’m beginning to think that one day I may change my mind, because they will remind me of one of the most beautiful women in my life, my mom.”

½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

Filling

• 4-5 cups blueberries or finely chopped fruit such as apples and/or rhubarb
• 2 cups sugar mixed with ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup cornstarch if using apples, or 
• 2 cups sugar mixed with ¾ cup thickening mix (cornstarch and flour) if using berries.

1. Cut shortening and butter into dry ingredients with pastry blender.
2. Add combined beaten egg and milk. Stir with fork until everything is moist. If dough is too moist, sprinkle with a handful of flour and knead gently until dough holds together.
3. Refrigerate overnight or a few hours.
4. Divide dough in half and roll out each half to a square approximately 16 x 16-inches in size. Cut into 12-16 squares.
5. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the sugar mixture in the center of each square. Top with fruit and another 1-2 teaspoons of sugar mixture per square.
6. Brush edges of pastry with water. Fold corners of squares and pinch edges.
7. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets, not too closely together. Bake at 400° for 25-30 minutes.
8. If using parchment paper, let cool before transferring to a serving plate; if not using parchment paper, remove before they begin to cool and the juices harden.
9. Do not store in a sealed container except to freeze, because they will get soft. Uncover when thawing.

Find this recipe in Mennonite Girls Can Cook (2011, Herald Press). The pages for this recipe includes colorful photos showing each step and also includes a variation for making in long strips instead of squares. To purchase, click on the link above.

From the cookbook, Mennonite Girls Can Cook, Judy says, "The Ukrainians made Borsh, and the Mennonites of the Ukraine borrowed the soup recipe, substituting cabbage as the main ingredient rather than beets, and called it Borscht. At our home, Borscht was not an appetizer, but a thick and hearty soup that was eaten as the main meal. It was always served with white bread, fresh from the oven. With potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and dill in the garden and soup bones in the freezer, Borscht was easy to prepare and inexpensive, accounting for the term, “cheap like Borscht.” Then and now Borscht continues to be an inexpensive, substantial meal."

1. Cover soup bones with water and simmer for several hours until meat is tender.
2. Remove the bone and shred the meat.
3. Add more water to measure a total of 8-10 cups stock.
4. Add vegetables and seasonings. Place chili peppers and dill into a spice holder or cheesecloth. Cook until vegetables are tender.
5. Add tomato soup, diced tomatoes, and shredded beef; bring to a boil.
6. Serve with sour cream.

This recipe can be found in Mennonite Girls Can Cook and was contributed by author Charlotte Penner. Charlotte says: “This has been a Boxing Day tradition for many years. The brunch crowd keeps getting bigger. I have used as many as five dozen eggs and two dozen English muffins to feed my large crowd. Even the pickiest eaters have more than two helpings. Enjoy, then go for a long walk!

Serves 4

4 English muffins
8 eggs
8 round slices of ham or bacon
Hollandaise sauce (recipe follows)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
2. One at a time, break the eggs and slip them into the water.
3. Gently simmer the eggs for 3-5 minutes, or until whites are firm; remove using a slotted spoon.
4. Toast the muffins, topping one half of each with a slice of ham.
5. Place an egg on top of the ham.
6. Pour a little sauce over the egg. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup butter, melted and bubbling hot

1. In a blender, mix the egg yolks, lemon juice, and seasoning.
2. With the blender running on very low speed, slowly add the butter; with cover on, blend a little longer until sauce thickens.
3. Spoon sauce over the eggs. Serve extra sauce on the side.

TIPS:
• To reduce all the fuss that can come with making Eggs Benedict, poach the eggs in advance for 3 minutes and chill rapidly by putting them into ice water. They can be refrigerated in the cold water up to 2 days. To reheat, immerse in simmering water for 1-2 minutes.
• If making a large quantity, toast muffins using the broiler setting on your oven.
• Serve with steamed asparagus and a fresh fruit salad.

This recipe can be found in Mennonite Girls Can Cook (Herald Press, 2011) and was contributed by author Kathy McLellan. Kathy says: “Fleisch Perishky is a well-known meat bun among Mennonites. These buns were often served with soup or in place of a sandwich. My sister got this recipe from our mom’s cousin. It has become our tradition to bake these for our families at Christmas. In the summer I shape them into hot dog buns for our camping trips. They are best served warm with some whole grain Dijon mustard.”

2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup lard, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast
10 cups flour

1. Mix together water, milk, egg, and salt. Add melted lard.
2. Heat in microwave or on stove until very hot.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir yeast into 8 cups flour.
4. Pour hot liquid mixture over flour and yeast. Stir until it becomes too difficult to mix with a spoon.
5. Knead dough 8-10 minutes, adding up to 2 cups of flour, until it becomes soft but not sticky.
6. Cover dough with a cotton tea towel and let rise in a draft-free place for one hour.

Meat Filling
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 4-ounce package dry onion soup mix

1. Fry ground beef until it is barely cooked. Drain excess fat.
2. Add remaining ingredients; combine well and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Completely cool meat mixture before filling the dough.

Filling the dough
1. When the dough has risen, punch it down.
2. Pinch off golf-ball sized pieces of dough and flatten in the palm of your hand.
3. Place a teaspoon of cooled meat mixture in the center of the dough.
4. Make a little package by pinching the dough together.
5. Place the filled buns seam-side down on parchment-lined baking sheets.
6. Let buns rise 30 minutes.
7. Bake in 400° oven for 15-18 minutes.
8. Remove from pan to cooling rack immediately. Store in refrigerator or freezer.

TIP: The meat can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw in fridge until ready to use.

Because they are filled with meat, Fleisch Perishky must be refrigerated or frozen. To reheat, place thawed buns in a roasting pan, cover, and heat in 350° oven for 20 minutes. They will taste like you just baked them.

From the cookbook, Mennonite Girls Can Cook, Judy says: "Peppernuts or Pfeffernuesse, a traditional Mennonite Christmas cookie, are crispy, spicy, and usually anise flavored. It seems that everyone’s grandma had a slightly different version of this tiny nut-sized cookie, which most ofen has black pepper listed among the ingredients. The baking of peppernuts is a tradition worth continuing. But let me warn you: they are addictive! The recipe can easily be halved, but no matter how many you bake they will disappear like nuts."

1. Cream butter and brown sugar; add eggs and mix well.
2. Add syrup and buttermilk to which the baking soda has been added.
3. Mix together 4 1/2 cups flour and all the spices; add to butter mixture. Mix well.
4. Continue adding flour to form a soft, pliable dough.
5. Refrigerate dough. When the dough is chilled, roll it into 1/2-inch thick ropes. Place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Chill or freeze until ready to bake.
6. With a sharp knife, cut ropes into 1/3-inch slices and place on cookie sheets.
7. Bake at 350° for about 8 minutes.

This recipe comes from Simply in Season Children's Cookbook, which encourages children to make the connection between what they eat, where it comes from, and when it is in season. Did you know one third of the world's sugar supply comes not from sugar cane, but from a variety of beet known as the sugar beet?

Step 2:
2 cups beets
1/2 cup applesauce

Boil beets for 20 minutes. Drain, cool, peel, and chop. Purée with applesauce in blender. Set aside.

Step 3:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat together in large mixing bowl 2 minutes.

Step 4:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix into batter with beet mixture just until blended. Pour half of batter into greased bundt pan.

Step 5:
1 cup chocolate chips

Sprinkle on top of batter in bundt pan. Pour remaining batter on top. Bake in preheated oven 45-50 minutes.

A friend gets a recipe out of a book, makes some changes and sends it to you. You make more changes, and it becomes "your" recipe. That's what happened to Rebecca Thatcher Murcia in the butternut squash soup she talks about in this week's My Turn segment. Who to credit with the recipe? Let's just say it comes as many recipes do—from the hands of friends.

1 butternut squash, cut in chunks
1 large onion, cut into chunks
several cloves of garlic (to taste)
1/2 (or more) of a sweet pepper

4 cups water or broth

2-3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons curry powder
½ teaspoon basil

Sauté squash, onions, garlic and sweet pepper in olive oil about ten minutes or until the onions look pretty well cooked. Add water or broth, tomato paste and spices. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil until veggies are soft. Puree. Return to low heat. Add milk or cream until soup is the consistency you like. May add more salt if needed. Parsley and cream make attractive and tasty toppings.