Raisin Filled Cookies

This started off as Golden Raisin cookies from King Arthur Flour. Some basic changes had to happen though because I don't like hard chewy raisins.  So I simmered the raisins in cinnamon water until they were soft and then chopped them up a little. The drawback to that was while they were really good, they don't keep over night. The raisins make the cookies soft, which was actually delicious as well.


2 c. flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick butter, frozen

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. coconut oil

7-8 Tbsp. ice water

Filling

2 c. raisins

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

water to cover

Cream

Coarse Sugar

Simmer the raisins together with the cinnamon. Once they are plump and soft drain and chop. Put them on a paper towel for a little while preparing the dough to dry out as much as possible.

Another change I made was cream on the top instead of egg with the sugar to top.

The rest of the directions are the same as on the King Arthur web site so you can look there for directions. 

Pumpkin Bombe

Just wanted to post this picture of something fun and tasty. The pumpkin recipe is my own, the cake recipe is not. And cake will work here, but the quinoa cake is perfect. It's rich, moist, and sturdy. 

Start with the bombe pan, I got mine on Amazon. Coat them with a layer of chocolate. Once it is set up, coat them with a second layer. Once they are totally first fill them with

Pumpkin chiffon

I made a little wellin the pumpkin and filled it with caramel. 

I baked a thin layer of the chocolate quinoa cake from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and used a cookie cutter to put it in to the right size to fit in the bottom. 

Then chill again to make sure the shell is firm to remove from the pan. 

I tried to remove them with the flat side up at first and stretch the pan away from it to loosen and I ended up cracking the chocolate. I found it was easier to have the flat side down and peel the pan away from the chocolate. Mine were stick from the caramel so I put them in muffin liners.

Oatmeal Scotchie Bars

My mom used to make a cookie with butterscotch chips called oatmeal scotchies. The recipe was the one on the back of the chip bag. I made this recipe up using my favorite cookie recipe, and of course a few tweaks. Cookies would be good, but bars are easier to make and taste just as good. 

I would have made this with all butter instead of the oil and syrup but I one stick was all I had. So if you aren't as neglectful as I am then try it with all butter and let me know how it goes.And I know corn syrup has a really bad reputation right now, but really, it's a dessert. What were you expecting?

1 stick butter, softened

2 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp corn syrup

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c. flour

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. oats

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 bag butterscotch chips

Beat together the butter, oil, and syrup. 

Beat in both sugars, the egg, vanilla, soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

Once mixed beat in the flours and oats then the butterscotch chips.

Spread evenly into a 9 x 13 pan. 

Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes until a dark golden brown. 

Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting into bars.

Fruit and Oat Muffins

This was created to use up a whole bunch of different odds and ends in my kitchen, so it's a jumble of flavors. My kids loved them and all had several right away and all of them where gone within the hour.

1/4 c. unsalted butter

1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. honey

1 egg

2 brown bananas, whole

3/4 c. white flour

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c. oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 oz. apple sauce

Preheat the over to 350

Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sugar and vanilla extract. When combined, beat in the honey, egg, and 2 bananas.

Next beat in the soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

Then beat in the white flour, whole wheat flour, and oats. Add the apple sauce and mix just until combined.

Line muffin pans with paper liners and fill 3/4 of the way full. Bake at 350. I only had to bake these for 15 minutes because I used mini muffins. This made 3 1/2 dz. mini muffins.

Frozen Crumble Pie

Apple Crumble pie with my moms home bottled apple pie filling

This has been my week of freezer cooking. 

So I wanted to share this little gem with you as well. 

It's not a freezer to oven thing, it does take some work,

but the hardest part is already done. 

To add nuts reduce the oatmeal to 1/2 c. and 

add a 1/2 cup nuts of your choice.

1/2 c.unsalted butter

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. oatmeal

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Large batch

6 sticks unsalted butter

6 c. brown sugar

4 1/2 c. flour

4 1/2 c. oatmeal

3 tsp. cinnamon

3 tsp. salt

Mix everything together really well. 

Sprinkle the mixture flat on a cookies 

tray and freeze until solid. 

When solid put into a freezer safe bag and freeze until ready to use. 

To use

1 pre-baked pie crust (optional)

2 can pie filling

1 recipe of frozen crumble

Pour the pie fillings in the baked crust and top with the frozen crumble. 

Bake at 350 for 35 - 45 minutes or until the crumb topping is browned and crisp. 
If you wish to make this without the pie crust to make cobbler, 
pour the pie fillings into the bottom of a glass baking dish and 
top with oat mix. Bake the same as with the crust

Honey Cornbread

 I found cornflour in the Hispanic section, I used a bag of Maseca masa. I love to make tamales with their tamale flour, it's slightly courser ground.

1 c. flour

1 c. finely ground cornflour

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/3 c. oil

1/4 c. honey

1 egg

1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400

In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients. 

In a separate bowl whisk together the honey and oil. 

Whisk in the egg and then the milk.

Mix the two together and stir until fairly smooth,

A few lumps are normal.

Grease your muffin pan really well or use paper liners.

This makes exactly 12, so divide the batter between the cups and bake

for 15 - 17 minutes until golden brown on top

Variations I have tried: (and liked)

Saute 2 chopped jalapeno peppers and add to the batter

A handful of shredded cheddar cheese

Soak 1/2 c. raisins in water for an hour, pour water and raisins 
in a blender until chopped a bit but not pureed, 
drain and add to the batter with a dash of pie spice

1/2 can corn, drained

Garlic powder

Bacon, cheddar, and sauteed green onions

SRC Gingerbread Cake

It's Secret Recipe Club Time again! This month I was awarded "The Novice Housewife" to peruse and test. The only problem I had with her blog was narrowing it down to ONE recipe. So while I may have only posted one, you can be sure there are several others bookmarked to be made later. 

Gingerbread cake seemed perfect for this time of year, though I did have to make a few changes to make it more kid friendly. And I used my vitamix on the wet ingredients so I wouldn't have to chop the ginger myself, being very fibrous I find it a time consuming step. If making without one, chop the ginger finely and mix the wet ingredients in a mixer or large bowl.

Next time I am adding chopped apple to the batter

Wet ingredients

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 c. sour cream (she calls for plain yogurt)

3/4 c. dark brown sugar

1 c. unsweetened applesauce (should have been 1/2 c. and I read it wrong)

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg

1 inch chunk of ginger, cut up a bit

1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all on high until the ginger is chopped but not enough to cook the egg

Dry ingredients

2 1/4 c. flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp. allspice

dash black pepper

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. coriander

1 tsp. ground ginger

Stir together the dry ingredients in a bowl to mix. Mix in the wet ingredients and pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 70 minutes, I had to bake it longer due to the extra applesauce, her directions say 35 - 40 minutes, but the texture was perfect, it was super moist. 

Twice-Baked Praline Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes

1/4 c. sweetened condensed milk

1/4 - 1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

3 egg whites

1 tsp vanilla

Scrub and poke the sweet potatoes with a fork all over. Microwave for 5 minutes on both sides or until cooked through. 

When cool enough to handle cut the potatoes in half and scrape put the centers leaving the skins intact. Mash the potatoes. Using a hand whisk, whisk together the mashed sweet potatoes, condensed milk, sugar, butter, spice, egg whites, and vanilla. Whisk it all really well, taste and adjust seasonings keeping in mind you want it a little sweeter than you want it to taste after it's cooked.

Spoon back into the skins. Top with the nut mix, and bake at 350 for 35 minutes until the nuts are cooked.

Nut topping:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. pecans

Dash pie spice and cayenne pepper

Combine all together. You can replace the nuts with oats if you have some one in you family who doesn't like nuts, or half nuts half oats to suit what you have on hand.

Mujadara

Orzo is a rice shaped barley pasta that is perfect in this hearty, tasty, and lightly spiced Middle Eastern dish. It makes a great meal in itself alongside a green vegetable or as a side dish in a Middle Eastern dinner. This dish is lightly seasoned so you really get the right flavor without the spices being so overwhelming you cant taste anything else. As one diner at my table said, "it's not what I was expecting, but its still really good"









While it may look like a long time to be cooking, the onions take almost an hour, its not really active time. Once you add the sugar you leave them to cook, just stirring every 10 minutes or if they start to crackle. It also looks like a LOT of onions, and it is, but they cook down quite a bit.

You can make it with other grains too in place of the orzo, such as barley, quinoa, or brown rice, you just have to adjust the cooking time. In the past when i have used brown rice I just boil the pot of water and then cooked the rice for 20 minutes before adding the lentils to the same pot.

I'm linking up again to Presto Pasta Night being hosted over at Girlichef this week. Check out the round ups, always something (usually most everything) looks delicious





6 - 8 large onions, sliced
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 cloves fresh minced garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/4 c. brown Lentils
1 1/2 c. Orzo

1/4 bundle Fresh Parsley, chopped

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, and cook over low heat until translucent. Add the sugar and continue to cook over low heat until caramelized, about 45 - 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in 3 cup water until soft enough to eat, immediately drain. Return to pan and add 4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer until tender. Drain and add seasonings and then toss with onions.

Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top and serve.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 c. quick cooking oats
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 sweet apples, cored, peeled and grated on the large side of a cheese grater

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the oil, eggs, milk, and vanilla, and mix into the dry ingredients. Fold in the grated apples. Pour into muffin tins and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Pumpkin Biscuits

4 c. flour, plus more for kneading
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
dusting of nutmeg
dash cloves
2 sticks cold butter
1 (29 oz.) can pure pumpkin

Unwrap the sticks of butter and put in the freezer for about 4 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425

Combine the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices in a bowl. Take the butter out of the freezer and using the large side of a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. Make sure you work really quickly with the butter or it will start to melt in your hand.

Stir in the pumpkin.

At this point the dough should still be quite sticky. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour over the top and dump out onto your kneading surface. Knead just enough to knead in the flour and make a dough that is just barely not sticky.

Beak the dough in half and flatten into 3/4 inch thickness. I used my hands for this but you can use a rolling pin. Cut the biscuits into whatever size circles you want and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

Bake for 10 - 12 until starting to turn golden on top.


\

Rosie said it looked like a twelve eyed monster with tons of legs

I cut them out really small, thats why they look almost round

4 c. flour, plus more for kneading
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
dusting of nutmeg
dash cloves
2 sticks cold butter
1 (29 oz.) can pure pumpkin

Unwrap the sticks of butter and put in the freezer for about 4 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 425

Combine the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices in a bowl. Take the butter out of the freezer and using the large side of a cheese grater, grate the butter into the flour mixture. Make sure you work really quickly with the butter to it will start to melt in your hand.

Stir in the pumpkin.

At this point the dough should still be quite sticky. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour over the top and dump out onto your kneading surface. Knead just enough to knead in the flour and make a dough that is just barely not sticky.

Beak the dough in half and flatten into 3/4 inch thickness. I used my hands for this but you can use a rolling pin. Cut the biscuits into whatever size circles you want and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until they are lighter in color and have risen a bit

Cinnamuffins

I was making cinnamon rolls for some friends today and I had three left, and was out of pans (I made a lot) So I plopped the in muffin liners and then dropped those into muffin tins. Now just to wait and see how they turn out...

Later that day: Yup, they taste good. I just wish that I had still Pam sprayed the inside of the muffin liners a bit, and shorten the baking time from what you think.


Plus I realized I forgot cream cheese for frosting, so I had to turn to my favorite penuche frosting recipe from my Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 c. powdered sugar

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and milk, and bring to a boil. Cool slightly, then beat into powdered sugar until smooth. Pour frosting into a plastic bag, cut a hole in the side, and drizzle over slightly cooled sweet rolls.