Grandma Mabels Gnocchi Recipes

GRANDMA'S GNOCCHI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool slightly, and peel. Season with salt, then mash potatoes with fork, masher, or in ricer. Place in large bowl, and stir in egg and olive oil. Knead in enough flour to make a soft dough.
• On a floured surface, roll dough into a long rope. Cut the rope into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in gnocchi, and cook until they float to the top, about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with pasta sauce.

GRANNY MABEL'S BEST BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and baking soda. Mix in melted butter until evenly distributed. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand. In a small bowl, mix the caramel topping with the remaining flour; drizzle evenly over the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the remaining crust mixture evenly over the caramel layer and press down lightly.
• Bake for 15 more minutes in the preheated oven. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares.

GRANDMA MABEL'S GNOCCHI

Steps:

• For the gnocchi: Place the potatoes in a large stockpot, then fill with enough water to cover the potatoes three-quarters of the way. Set on the stove to boil until tender, about 45 minutes. Peel the potatoes and place through a ricer while still hot, then cool in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
• Place the eggs in a mixing bowl and add the salt. Whisk with a fork, then add the potatoes and blend with a rubber spatula until mixed. Add the flour and dump the dough on a nice rolling table, then knead the dough just until it is all mixed and there are no lumps, making sure the dough can hold shapes. Pinch off a piece about the size of a fist, then roll it out into a nice long snake that is the diameter of a quarter. Cut on the bias making about 1-inch cuts, and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan dusted with flour. Freeze for at least 6 hours and up to 8 hours.
• For the butter bacon onions: Cook the bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat until cooked and all the fat is rendered down. Transfer the bacon to a plate and cook the onions in the rendered bacon fat over medium heat until nice and caramelized. Add the bacon back to the pan along with the butter. Stir until the butter is melted and blended. (This can be made ahead of time, then cooled and used as needed.)
• To finish, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add about 25 frozen gnocchi and cook until they float to the top, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat up 5 ounces butter bacon onion sauce. Strain the gnocchi and add to the sauce. Cook until the gnocchi are coated all over, about 1 minute, then garnish with the Parmesan and chiffonade of basil.

JW POTATOES, MABEL'S STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes, place them on a baking sheet and bake until the thickest part is easily pierced with a knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool completely. Break them up by hand into rough 1- or 2-inch pieces. (This step can be done a day in advance; refrigerate the potatoes until needed.)
• In a small bowl, whisk to combine the mustard and vinegar. While whisking, add the olive oil in a steady stream to form an emulsion.
• In a deep-fryer or pot over medium-high heat, heat about 4 inches of peanut oil or lard to 360 degrees F. Fry the potatoes in batches until golden brown and crisp, using a slotted spoon or frying spider to turn them often, about 4 minutes. When the potatoes are done, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
• In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, scallions and enough vinaigrette to lightly coat (about 2 tablespoons) and toss to combine. Pour onto a platter, sprinkle with flaky salt and serve.

GRANDMA MABEL'S GUMDROP COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream the butter, margarine and sugar together.
• Add vanilla and the eggs one at a time until well blended.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together and add to egg mixture.
• Stir until mixed well.
• By hand, stir in the coconut flakes, chopped pecans, oatmeal and sliced gumdrops until just mixed.
• Refrigerate the dough until it is thoroughly chilled (at least 3 hours).
• (Chilling the dough will help the cookies keep their shape).
• Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Take a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball about the size of a walnut.
• Place on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet about 6 inches apart.
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until light brown.