Cook and Bake Ministry

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Is one of your love languages cooking? Our cook and bake min is looking for a few more volunteers. The ministry cooks for our clergy and special events as requested. Please see sign up link below.

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Some of our cook and bake members have shared their favorite holiday recipes on our website for you to enjoy. See below for our favorite holiday recipes!
Cranberry Christmas Cake
Submitted by Crystal Dietrich
Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour * see note below for gluten-free alternative
- 12 oz fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.
- Spread in a buttered 9×13 pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1"x2", so that they could be easily eaten at a party. Enjoy!
Southwestern Cranberry Sauce
Submitted by Rhetta Phillips

Those of us born and raised in South Texas, seem to have a need to spice up everything. Here is a super easy recipe to bring a little heat to your turkey or pork roast. Also makes a tasty appetizer served over cream cheese with crackers.
Ingredients
- 1 can wholeberry cranberry sauce
- 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 1 lime, squeezed
- 3 T cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients, let sit for a little while for the flavors to blend. ENJOY!
Microwave Pralines
Submitted by Nickie Moncada
Ingredients
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 pound light brown sugar
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk sugar and cream together in a microwave safe ceramic bowl.
- Microwave uncovered on high for 13 minutes.
- Remove from microwave and quickly mix in the pecans, butter and vanilla.
- Drop by teaspoonfuls on wax paper with newspaper underneath.
(It's a little tricky, like you have to play with the microwave time and such, but when you get it - MMMMMM!) Hope you enjoy!
Cold Eggnog

Submitted by Joyce Pulich

6 fresh eggs

1/2 lb. granulated sugar

1 1/2 oz rum

1 pt bourbon

1 pt heavy cream

1 pt milk

Beat yolks. Beat whites separately adding the sugar to the whites. Add well-beaten yolks to whites and beat both thoroughly together. Stir in the rum. Add the whiskey, the heavy cream and the milk. Stir all ingredients well.
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Submitted by ChaCha Guerrero

2 16 oz packages frozen extra fine whole french green beans (haricots verts) or fresh equivalent

1 lb thin cut bacon, sliced in half crosswise

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

couple of shakes of soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. melt butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave, add sugar and stir to melt, heating a bit more, if necessary. Add soy sauce and garlic.

2. Wrap bundles of 10-12 beans in a half strip of bacon and secure with a pick.

3. Place bundles in rows in a baking pan and pour sauce evenly over all the bundles.

4. Marinate overnight.

5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour until bacon is cooked and beans are tender and caramelized.

Notes* original recipe called for 3 cans of whole french beans, but this recipe is much better with fresh or frozen beans. Portions aren't critical. I make as many bundles as I have bacon and beans (3 bags sometimes) and use the same amount of sauce when feeding a crowd. They come out fine.
Holiday Beef Rib Eye Roast

Submitted by Kathy Hodapp

4 pound well-trimmed beef rib eye roast

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp dried rosemary leaves, crushed

Sauce:

1 jar (12 oz) brown beef gravy

1/4 cup currant jelly

1-1/2 tsp dry mustard, dissolved in 1 tsp water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine garlic, salt, pepper and rosemary; press evenly onto roast and into the roast. Place on rack in shallow roasting pan. Do not add water or cover. Roast approximately 18 to 22 minutes per pound for medium-rare to medium doneness.

2. Remove roast when it tests 140 degrees for medium-rare, 155 degrees for medium (use a meat thermometer and test in the thickest part, not the fat). Let stand for 15 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise to 145 degrees for medium-rare, 160 degrees for medium.)

3. Meanwhile in small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until bubbly, stirring occasionally.

4. Carve roast into slices. Serve with sauce. (Makes 8-10 servings)
Caribbean Truffle Pie

Submitted by Linda Halm

Crust:

1 refrigerated pie crust

1 Tbs coconut

Streusel:

1/4 c flour

4 tsp butter

1/4 c coconut

Filling:

1 (2.9 ox) pkg lemon pudding and pie filling (not instant)

1/2 c sugar

3 Tbs line juice

2 egg yolks

2 c water

1 tsp grated line peel

1 c vanilla milk chips

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

Garnish:

1/2 c whipping cream

lime slices

Heat oven to 450 F. Allow crust pouch to stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Place crust in a 9 in pie pan. Sprinkle coconut on crust and press lightly. Flute edges. Prick crust with fork generously. Bake at 450 F for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool crust while preparing streusel and filling. Reduce oven temperature to 425 F.

In small bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in coconut. Spread mixture in ungreased shallow baking pan. Bake at 425 F for 4-8 minutes or until ight golden brown, stirring every minute. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, combine pudding mix, sugar, lime juice and egg yolks. Mix well. Stir in water. Cook and sitr over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat. Stir in lim peel. In a small bowl, combine vanilla milk chips and 1/2 c hot pudding mixture; stir until chips are melted.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until ight and fluffy. Add vanilla milk chip mixture; beat until smooth. spoon and spread in baked crust. Stir sour cream into remaining pie filling mixture; blend well. Spoon and spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 2 hours or until chilled.

In a small bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Pipe around edge of pie and garnish with lime slices. Sprinkle streusel in center of pie. Store in refrigerator.

Pecan Pie Mini Muffins

Submitted by Frankie Schroeder

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

2/3 cup melted butter--no substitutions

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and pecans; set aside. Combine butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix well with a mixer.

Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fill greased and floured or paper-lined (my preference) miniature muffin cups two-thirds full.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Remove immediately to cool on wire racks.

Makes 24 mini muffins.
About Us

The Cook and Bake Ministry began in 2003 in response to an appeal from the volunteer services director at Safe Place as they were looking for groups who might be interested in providing a meal for the clients who participate in their 16 week LifeSkills training program. Currently, we provide all the meals during the school year for Wednesday meetings. We continue to provide this service to these clients who are working to get out of abusive relationships.

In 2004, the ministry expanded its scope of service to provide meals and refreshments for various parish and community events. In addition to Safe Place, our ministry regularly bakes home baked cookies that are provided for sack lunches that are distributed at the ARCH (Austin Resources Center for the Homeless).

We recently began cooking for our priests on a weekly basis as we recognized their very busy schedules were not allowing them time to cook for themselves, let alone go grocery shopping. This has been a favorite new addition to the members of our ministry.

One of the conveniences of this ministry is that it is an email based group. There aren't weekly meetings or monthly meetings, all correspondence is done via email.
Contact Us

Crystal Dietrich
cookbake@st-ignatius.org

Cook and Bake Ministry

Pecan Pie Mini Muffins