Biscuits And Bourbon
Matriarch “Toogie” Dick, Betty Smith, and Charles Dick are the chefs/owners of this popular Nelson County hot spot located across the street from My Old Kentucky Home. If you haven’t dined at Kurtz’s Restaurant, you should. Hands down, this family owned business, which opened in 1937, serves up the greatest culinary traditions the Bluegrass has to offer. Dining rooms host many private parties, and dinner is quite an experience if you love Kentucky fare at its best. Steaks, Virginia baked ham, fried chicken, and locally cured country ham with red-eye gravy adorn the menu. Some of the best corn pudding around can be found here, along with other tasty side dishes that will make vegetarians sit up and take notice.
Kurtz’s Biscuit Pudding with Jim Beam Bourbon Sauce
1 cup raisins
3 Tbsps Jim Beam bourbon
12 (1 1⁄2-inch) biscuits, cooked
1 qt whole milk
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 Tbsps vanilla extract
2 Tbsps butter, melted
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1⁄4 cup water
1 egg
1⁄3 cup Jim Beam bourbon or more, if desired
Soak raisins in bourbon for 8 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Break up biscuits into small pieces and put in large bowl. Add milk and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Beat eggs with sugar and vanilla extract and add to bread mixture. Pour 2 Tablespoons melted butter and then biscuit mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Bake for 1 hour, until set. Serve warm with bourbon sauce.
Bourbon Sauce
Melt stick of butter in a heavy saucepan. Add sugar and water and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. In separate bowl, beat egg. Remove butter mixture from heat. Gradually add to egg, whisking constantly. Add bourbon and serve. Serves 10-12.
READER RECIPES
Apple Dumplings
2 cans crescent rolls (16 rolls)
4 apples (Granny Smith)
2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
1 (12-oz) can Mountain Dew
Grease 9” x 13” pan. Unroll dough. Peel, divide apples into quarters, and seed them. (Optional: lightly dust apples with cinnamon.) Wrap each apple quarter with dough of one crescent roll, completely enclosing apple. Arrange in pan. Melt butter, add sugar, and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Pour over dumplings. Then pour the Mountain Dew over dumplings. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Great with ice cream.
Submitted by Lillian Kazee,
Salyersville
Mrs. Cottle’s Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins
1 cup oats (1-minute oats)
1⁄2 cup buttermilk
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin* or applesauce
1 3⁄4 cups self-rising flour
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together until creamy. Oil the baking pan if using one with nonstick finish. Bake at 400° for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 18 muffins.
*I used fresh pumpkin but canned is fine.
Submitted by Maudie Nickell, Licking Valley RECC. Maudie writes: “Several years ago my son, Jeffrey, and I planted a garden. The pumpkins were a success, and he was so excited about his pumpkins that Mrs. Gay Cottle of West Liberty, a neighbor and Jeffrey’s substitute teacher, gave him this recipe.”
