<![CDATA[Mary Mac Bakehouse - Recipes]]>Sun, 13 Sep 2026 19:08:58 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Banoffee Pie & Banoffee Trifle]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/banoffee-pie-banoffee-trifle
Mary Mac is back at the Five Farms Celtic Kitchen tent at the Pittsburgh Irish Festival with two new recipes to demo, Banoffee Pie & Banoffee Trifle!

Banoffee Pie

You will need

  • 1 9- or 10-inch graham cracker or cookie crust
  • 1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk, caramelized
  • Slow cooker
  • Aluminum foil
  • 3 large bananas, not overly ripe
  • 2 cups of whipping cream
  • 1 package of instant vanilla pudding (you need 2 Tbsp)
  • 1 Tbsp of Five Farms Irish Cream

Caramelized Sweetened Condensed Milk (the “toffee”)

  • I recommend doing 2 cans at a time because you can write the date on one can and store for up to 6 months in the pantry. I use the slow cooker method, which I think is the safest method.
  • Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of your slow cooker. Remove the labels from the cans and place the cans into the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with hot water until cans are covered by an inch of water.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn it on low, and cook for 8 hours. The cans need to be in simmering water for 4 hours, so 8 hours on low works well. I will set mine up before I go to bed, then in the morning I shut it off and unplug but leave the lid on the cooker and contents in the water until they are cooled, which takes another couple of hours. Once cool, your caramel/toffee is ready to use.

Whipped Cream

  • To 2 cups of whipping cream, add 2 tablespoons of vanilla pudding mix and 1 tablespoon of Five Farms Irish Cream.
  • Mix slowly at first to blend in the pudding mix, then whip on high for several minutes until stiff peaks form.

Assembling the Pie

  • First, open your caramelized can of sweetened condensed milk and carefully stir. Spoon the contents into your pie crust and smooth the top. Next, slice your bananas over the top of the toffee until you have 2 layers of bananas. Then top with the whipped cream.
  • Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving. This pie serves as many or as few as you like. 😉

Banofee Trifle

You will need

  • 1 small pound cake (about 1 lb hahaha), cut into small (1-1 ½ inch) cubes
  • 3 3-oz boxes of instant vanilla pudding 
  • 2 ¾ cups of whole milk
  • ¼ cup of Five Farms Irish Cream
  • 1 14-oz can of sweetened condensed milk, caramelized
  • 2 cups of whipping cream
  • 4-5 large bananas
  • Additional Five Farms Irish Cream to drizzle on the cake

Caramelized Sweetened Condensed Milk (the “toffee”)

  • I recommend doing 2 cans at a time because you can write the date on one can and store for up to 6 months in the pantry. I use the slow cooker method, which I think is the safest method.
  • Place a piece of aluminum foil in the bottom of your slow cooker. Remove the labels from the cans and place the cans into the slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with hot water until cans are covered by an inch of water.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn it on low, and cook for 8 hours. The cans need to be in simmering water for 4 hours, so 8 hours on low works well. I will set mine up before I go to bed, then in the morning I shut it off and unplug but leave the lid on the cooker and contents in the water until they are cooled, which takes another couple of hours. Once cool, your caramel/toffee is ready to use.

Pudding

  • Mix two 3-oz boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding with 2 ¾ cups of whole milk and ¼ cup of Five Farms Irish Cream. Mix well and refrigerate to set for 15 minutes. 

Whipped Cream

  • To 2 cups of whipping cream, add 2 tablespoons of vanilla pudding mix and 1 tablespoon of Five Farms Irish Cream.
  • Mix slowly at first to blend in the pudding mix, then whip on high for several minutes until stiff peaks form.

Assembling the Trifle

  • Place a small amount of pudding in the bottom of the bowl, about ½ cup. Top with half of the cake pieces. Drizzle the cake pieces lightly with about 2 Tbsp of Five Farms Irish Cream. Top with half of the toffee sauce by dripping it off of a spoon onto the cake. Top the toffee with a layer of banana slices, about 1 ½ bananas should do it. 
  • Now add a layer of half of the remaining pudding and top that with half of the whipped cream followed by the rest of the pound cake and a drizzle of Five Farms Irish Cream. Then top that with the rest of the caramel sauce and another nice layer of banana slices. 
  • Then top the banana slices with the rest of the pudding and top the pudding with the rest of the whipped cream. 
  • So your layers should go pudding, pound cake, Five Farms Irish Cream, toffee, bananas, pudding, whipped cream, pound cake, Five Farms Irish Cream, toffee, bananas, pudding, and lastly whipped cream…phew! 
  • Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving if desired or serve immediately. Enjoy!
]]><![CDATA[Homemade Baby Food]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 20:55:34 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/homemade-baby-food
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This week, Mary Mac shares how to save money by making your own baby food!

Prep

​Sweet Potatoes (not yams)

  • Scrub and remove any bad spots
  • Wrap in foil and set on a baking sheet
  • Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until cooked through
  • Remove from oven and let cool completely in the foil
  • Unwrap, remove skin and any remaining bad spots

Butternut Squash

  • Scrub thoroughly
  • Split in half with a large butcher knife. Place on cutting board and rock knife on the surface of the squash until you can get the knife to go in, then put pressure on it and it should split in half. Be careful, butternut squash is very hard
  • Scoop out seeds and any thread-like substance
  • Place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet with the open side down
  • Bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes. Check every once in a while to see if it's softening
  • Remove from oven and let cool completely
  • Scoop out the squash, removing any dark spots if it baked a bit too long

Apples, Pears, other fruits

  • Peel and seed fruit, cut into pieces
  • Simmer in ¼ inch of water OR steam until tender

Carrots

  • Peel and slice into coins
  • Simmer in ¼ inch of water OR steam until tender
    • You can also put a little water in a pan with them and bake at 350°F for 45-60 minutes

Canned Vegetables (Peas, Green & Yellow Beans, etc)

  • Look for cans that say "no salt added"
  • Drain liquid, set aside
  • When puréeing, if it's too thick add some of the liquid from the can
  • Note: if you're using things you canned yourself or for extra safety with store bought cans, bring it to a boil first to make sure there's no bacteria

Fresh Green & Yellow Beans

  • Remove stems, cut in small pieces
  • Steam until tender

Avocados

  • Remove pit and scoop out

Bananas

  • Make sure bananas are ripe, not yellow, but without bruising
  • Peel and remove brown spots

Peaches

  • Place peaches into simmering water for about 90 seconds
  • Remove and let cool, then remove the skin
  • ​Remove pit and any dark stringy flesh around the pit
  • Great for babies who are a bit constipated

Purée & Freeze

  • Purée in food processor or blender until smooth. As the baby gets older, you can pulse instead so it's a little chunky like jarred baby food
  • Carefully spoon into an ice cube tray
  • Cover with plastic wrap and freeze
  • Once frozen, pop out cubes of baby food and store in a freezer bag labeled with the type of food and the date prepared. Good for about a year in the freezer
  • To serve, remove one or two cubes and thaw to room temp or slightly warm (NOT hot)

Mashed Potatoes

  • Peel and boil potatoes as normal
  • Whip up to make sure there's no lumps
  • I don't recommend freezing because potatoes get gritty when frozen, so this works well if you're making mashed potatoes for yourself, just set some aside before adding anything to the potatoes
]]><![CDATA[Fresh Strawberry Pie & Toll House Pie]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 01:53:00 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/fresh-strawberry-pie-toll-house-pie
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Two pie recipes from our tenth episode way back on May 2, 2016, fresh strawberry pie and toll house pie. Both are fairly quick and easy recipes for a delicious dessert that people will think took much more effort than it did!

Cookie Crust

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ c flour
  • ½ c powdered sugar
  • ½ c butter
  • A little heavy whipping cream if you need extra liquid

Directions

  • Mix all ingredients together until it resembles large crumbs
  • Press into a pie dish (or pizza pan), making sure that you don’t have any loose pieces
  • Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, cool completely before filling

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust
  • 1 ½ quarts strawberries, divided – this pie also works well with blueberries, raspberries, etc
  • 3 Tbs cornstarch
  • ½ c water
  • ½ c sugar

Directions

  • Clean ½ quart of strawberries and smash them up in a heavy bottomed pan
  • Add cornstarch, water, and sugar to the berries
  • Cook on the stovetop until it forms a clear strawberry glaze
  • Remove from heat, set aside
  • Clean the remaining 1 quart of berries, leave whole or slice
  • Fill the cooled, baked crust with berries and pour glaze over top
  • Refrigerate until the glaze sets up a bit
  • Serve with whipped cream

Toll House Pie

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch pie crust – storebought works great for this
  • ¾ c sugar
  • ¾ c brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ c flour
  • ¾ c butter, melted & room temp
  • ¾ c chocolate chips

Directions

  • Press pie crust into a 9- or 10-inch pie dish. Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Beat eggs in a large bowl
  • Add sugar and brown sugar, mix well
  • Add melted butter, mix well
  • Add flour, mix well. You should have a cake batter consistency
  • Mix in chocolate chips, then pour batter into the prepared pie dish
  • Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes or until cooked. Test doneness with a knife or jiggle the oven rack
  • Serve warm or cool with whipped cream
]]><![CDATA[Dowjic (Kurdish Chicken Soup)]]>Tue, 19 May 2026 22:16:18 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/dowjic-kurdish-chicken-soup
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It was soup weather at the time of recording, but it will be again soon because the weather's always changing in Western PA. Dowjic is a delicious Kurdish chicken soup, we hope you love it as much as we do! Photo and original recipe from yeprecipes.com

YepRecipes Recipe

Mary Mac's Substitutions

  • Instead of bone-in chicken, I used boneless skinless chicken and added 1 Tbs of Better Than Bouillon to the water since I didn't have the bones
  • If you don't have fresh basil, use 1 heaping tsp of dried basil
]]><![CDATA[Lemon Lush]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:46:21 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/lemon-lush
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​This week on In The Kitchen with Mary Mac, we tell you how to make Lemon Lush! It's so lemony! Rich, delicious, why one might even say Lush!

Ingredients

  • 1 9-oz package of lemon bar cookies or sugar cookies
  • ½ c butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 8-oz package neufchâtel or light/regular cream cheese, room temperature
  • 4-6 c whipped topping (2 or 3 8-oz containers)
  • 1 c powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp lemon flavoring
  • 2 22-oz cans lemon pie filling - I like Lucky Leaf
  • 9x13 glass baking dish

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Grind the cookies in a food processor or blender until they’re fine crumbs
  • Add the melted butter to the cookie crumbs, grind to mix in the butter
  • Pour into the baking dish and press into a crust, covering the bottom of the dish. Once spread out, cover with a piece of wax paper and press down firmly so it’s packed well
  • Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, let cool completely before using
  • In a bowl, beat the neufchâtel until it’s all whipped up
  • Beat in powdered sugar
  • Gently fold in 2 c whipped topping and the lemon flavoring
  • Slowly mix with a mixer, then whip up until light and fluffy
  • Spread this evenly over the cooled crust, place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
  • Carefully spread the lemon pie filling over the first layer
  • Cover carefully with 2-4 c whipped topping
  • Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve
  • Garnish pieces with cookie crumbs, a whole cookie stuck in the top, or a bit of lemon peel. Serves 15-20

Substitutions

To make Sugar-Free:
  • use sugar-free cookies for the crust
  • instead of powdered sugar, use 3 packs of Equal
  • use sugar-free whipped topping
  • instead of pie filling, use fresh fruit
To make Vegan:
  • use vegan cookies for the crust
  • instead of neufchâtel, use vegan cream cheese or vegan sour cream
  • instead of whipped topping, use vegan whipped cream
Variations:
  • ​If you want to use a tube of pie filling, empty it into a bowl and mix in ½ c lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon flavoring. You can also make your own pie filling if you like
  • You can use fresh fruit or pudding instead of pie filling for different flavor combinations
  • Graham crackers, nilla wafers, oreos, and all kinds of sugar cookies work well for the crust
  • Flavors we think would be nice: graham cracker crust with lime pie filling; chocolate cookie crust with razzmatazz, raspberry pie filling, and chocolate pudding; chocolate cookie crust with kirsch and cherry pie filling, The possibilities are endless!
]]><![CDATA[Pulled Beef (again) and Smooshed Potatoes]]>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/pulled-beef-again-and-smooshed-potatoes
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This week on In The Kitchen With Mary Mac, we're solving the problems of what to do with a tough cut of beef and smallish potatoes. Enjoy!

Pulled Beef

Ingredients

  • 2-3 lbs beef – use an inexpensive cut like an English Roast or round steaks, whatever is on sale
  • 2 Tbs Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 1-2 c beef broth, depending upon how much juice you’d like for the finished product (bouillon dissolved in water works fine)
  • 2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tsp granulated or powdered onion
  • 1 tsp granulated or powdered garlic
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • Hard rolls and provolone cheese for serving

Directions

  • Cut beef into several smaller pieces. Remove excess fat and any gristle. Place into the slow cooker
  • Pour beef broth into the slow cooker, add the Worcestershire sauce, and sprinkle the seasonings over all
  • Set to cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8 hours. 
  • The beef is done when it falls apart easily. Remove beef to a platter, leaving the juice in the slow cooker. Let cool so you can handle it
  • Remove any leftover fat and shred with a fork. Once shredded, return to the pot and press down to cover the meat with broth. Your pulled beef is ready to serve and can sit at low or the keep warm setting until ready to serve
  • To serve: Make sandwiches using a hard roll or a sausage bun, top with provolone, broil for a minute if desired. You can serve the broth in small bowls for dipping if desired. This beef is also good in soft taco shells or wraps
  • This can be made a day ahead, or made ahead and frozen for later use

Smooshed Potatoes

Ingredients

  • Small golf ball-sized potatoes, as many as you like, with skins on
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

Directions

  • Clean your potatoes really well, removing any bad spots
  • Cook: I prefer mine baked, but you can also boil them
    • To boil- prick the skin of each potato with a sharp knife. Cover with cold water in a pot. Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes or until cooked. Drain and cool
    • To bake – place potatoes on foil, prick each with a sharp knife, sprinkle with salt, wrap securely and bake at 350°F for an hour. Cool in foil
    • Fast bake – prick each potato with a sharp knife, place on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 2 minutes. Place hot potatoes on foil, sprinkle with salt, wrap securely and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Cool in foil
  • When potatoes are cool enough to handle, heat a large frying pan or griddle to medium heat
  • On a cookie sheet sprinkled with olive oil, salt and pepper, carefully smoosh each potato using a pint jar with a concave bottom or a heaving drinking glass with a concave bottom. Press slowly with steady pressure until the potato is about ½ inch thick
  • Drizzle some olive oil in your heating pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, carefully add the smooshed potatoes one at a time, a small spatula helps here
  • Fry until crisp, then flip and fry the other side until crisp
  • Serve with pulled beef sandwiches and a variety of dipping sauces. We like sour cream, ranch dressing mixed with a bit of Red Hot, mayonnaise, or whatever you like
  • Enjoy! 
]]><![CDATA[Karpatka]]>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 23:41:46 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/karpatka
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If you love cream puffs but wish they were bigger, have we got the recipe for you! Karpatka, aka Carpathian Mountain Cake, is a cake made with choux pastry and pastry cream and it is absolutely delicious. Thank you to Laura at polishfeast.com for the recipe!

PolishFeast Recipe

]]><![CDATA[Slow Cooker Enchiladas]]>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:31:51 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/slow-cooker-enchiladas
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​It's cold outside, so warm up with this easy and delicious slow cooker version of enchiladas!

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef – can substitute shredded chicken
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp granulated onion
  • ½ tsp granulated garlic
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ¼ tsp chili powder
  • 1 15-oz can chili beans, whatever heat level you like
  • 1 19-oz can red enchilada sauce, divided
  • 1 16-oz pack soft corn tortillas
  • 2-3 cups of shredded colby jack cheese, divided
  • 4 quart round slow cooker or crock pot (round is preferred but use what you have)

Directions

  • In a large skillet, sauté ground beef and onions until the beef is cooked and onions are translucent
  • Drain any fat, and remove the meat & onions into a large bowl
  • Mix in 1 cup of the enchilada sauce and 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix until well blended
  • Open your can of chili beans, reserve ¼ cup of your remaining enchilada sauce. Put the rest of the sauce in a measuring cup with a spout 
  • To layer: put two heaping serving spoons of the meat mixture into the slow cooker, about half a cup, then about 2 tbsp of the chili beans with sauce on top. Cover with 1 whole tortilla and tear a second tortilla in half to cover the edges. Drizzle the tortilla with enchilada sauce. Repeat until you use the last of the meat and beans
  • Top with tortillas and pour the ¼ cup of enchilada sauce over the top
  • Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on medium for 3 ½ - 4 hours
  • About 20 minutes before you are planning to serve it, top with some of your remaining cheese, about ½ cup
  • Serve with more shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, and a side of rice
]]><![CDATA[Clafoutis]]>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 18:44:19 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/clafoutis
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​Happy 10th Podiversary! To kick off the new season, Mary Mac shares one of her favorite Julia Child recipes, Clafoutis!

Ingredients

  • 1 24-oz jar pitted sour cherries, in syrup or juice
  • 1 ¼ c whole milk
  • ⅔ c granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 Tbs vanilla
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • ⅔ c all-purpose flour, lightened or sifted
  • Powdered sugar for serving
  • Blender or food processor
  • Glass or ceramic baking dish, ​about 2" deep, 9" round or 9-10" square

Directions

  • Drain the jar of cherries (save the juice to use for something else)
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom & sides of the baking dish, set aside
  • In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and ⅓ c sugar
  • Put the milk, eggs, vanilla, and flour mixture into the blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high for one minute
  • Put ¼ inch of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 5 minutes so that a thin film settles on the batter
  • Carefully remove the dish from the oven and set on a heatproof surface
  • Place the cherries in a single layer on top of the batter and sprinkle with the other ⅓ c sugar
  • Pour the rest of the batter over the cherries, smooth with the back of a spoon
  • Place baking dish in the middle of the oven on the middle rack, bake about 1 hour at 350°F. The clafoutis is done when it’s puffed, browned, and a knife inserted comes out clean
  • Cool to just warm and sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving
]]><![CDATA[New Year's Pretzel]]>Tue, 30 Dec 2025 05:00:00 GMThttps://marymacrecipes.weebly.com/recipes/new-years-pretzel
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Happy New Year's Pretzel! This traditional Western Pennsylvania treat is a delicious way to ring in the new year, and can be topped with icing or a flavored glaze, whichever you prefer!

Ingredients

  • 1 c milk, heated to around 100°F
  • ¼ c sugar
  • ¼ c melted butter
  • 1 Tbs yeast
  • ½ Tbs salt
  • 3-4 c flour
  • 1 egg

Directions

  • Put 2 c flour into a large bowl, add yeast and salt. Mix well
  • Melt butter in a separate bowl
  • Add hot milk to butter, add sugar and whip up
  • Add hot mixture to flour mixture, stir
  • Beat egg slightly before adding
  • Add extra flour and knead for 10-15 minutes
  • Let rest in an oiled bowl for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size
  • Punch down dough and let rest
  • Roll out dough into a snake, about 6 ft long
  • Form into pretzel shape on a parchment papered baking sheet. Pinch ends and let rise on the baking sheet for 1 hour
  • Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Temp when finished should be 190°F and pretzel should be lightly browned
  • Top with icing or thin glaze of your choice
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