Cheddar-Apple Muffins

 Charley The Muffin Man

Muffin #1 - Cheddar-Apple Muffins

       So, when I adopted my pup from the SPCA of Texas in Dallas, in January, his shelter name was Muffin. However, he is most definitely not a "Muffin". His name is Charley and his very, first name is "Charley The Muffin Man". His Instagram page his @charleythemuffinman. This series of muffin recipes are for him. This recipe is in one of my favorite cookbooks. The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook published in 1996. It is one of the first cookbooks which I bought for myself. I used Colby-Jack cheese in lieu of plain cheddar, because that's what I had. I couldn't really taste the cheese in these muffins and I wished there was more flavor. Consider adding a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg or serving with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top. That said, I liked these muffins; they had a good texture. Try them and let me know what you think. Modification(s) in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar or Colby-Jack cheese (2oz)

1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

2 tbsps sugar

2 1/2 tsps baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup cooking oil

3/4 cup finely chopped, pealed apple

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease twelve large muffin cups (2 1/2-inch muffin cups) and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cheese, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside. In a separate medium-sized bowl, mix together the egg, milk and oil. Mix liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until combined; the batter should be a little lumpy. Spoon mixture into muffin cups so that they are about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes and remove from pan. Serve warm with butter and cinnamon-sugar if desired. 

Charley The Muffin Man and 
Cheddar-Apple Muffins

Chocoate-Walnut Pie

 Chocolate-Walnut Pie

    This pie recipe is in the Southern Living Annual Recipes - 2005 cookbook.  I made this pie to take to dinner with a friend and it was a hit! It was easy to make and I would make it again. The recipe calls for a 9-inch pan and I accidentally used a 9.5-inch pan. The pie turned out great, but I did have an extra bit of crust at the top. If you love crust, this is not an issue, so make it with a 9.5-inch pan if you like. I would make sure to try it with the 9-inch pan the next time. 

Pie Ingredients:

1/2  package 15 oz refrigerated pie crust or, one home-made pie crust (below)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup margarine, melted and cooled

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup shortening

3-4 tbsp very, cold water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit pie crust into 9-inch piepan; fold edges under and crimp as desired. In a large bowl, stir sugar, flour, margarine and eggs until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour filling into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until pie is set. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 servings.

Pie Crust Directions:

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Cut in shortening until pea sized. Using clean hands or spoon, stir in water a little at a time. Make dough into a ball; roll out into desired size, using dusting of flour to prevent sticking. 

Chocolate-Walnut Pie

Serving Suggestion - Serve wedges of pie with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Apple-Fig Bread w/Honey Glaze

 Apple-Fig Bread w/Honey Glaze

    Grrr. I already wrote this post once, but accidentally deleted it just before I could hit "publish".  This recipe is in the Betty Crocker The Big Book of Bread. I really like this book and have made several recipes from it. I've never made this one, and I'm glad I did not. If you don't have all-spice, do what I did and substitute with a little more cinnamon and some nutmeg. Serve with hot tea or hot coffee.  Serves about 12. 

Ingredients:

For the Bread:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

2/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chopped, peeled apple

1/2 cups chopped, dried fig

For the Glaze:

1/3 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tbsps honey (Heat slightly in microwave for about 10 - 15 seconds to make it easier to mix)

1 tbsp softened butter

dash allspice (or cinnamon)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare pan by spraying the bottom only of an 8x4 loaf pan with cooking spray. In a medium sized bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, beat oil and sugar for about a minute. Beat in egg, then egg yolk. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour and milk, alternating and mixing well after each addition. Mix in apples and figs to smooth batter. Pour into prepared pan and bake in oven for 55 to 65 minutes. Test for doneness, with a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides of the loaf from the pan to remove. Set loaf top side up on the rack and cool completely (about 2 hours). In a small bowl mix 1/3 cup powdered sugar, honey, butter and allspice or cinnamon until smooth. You can add more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. Spread glaze over loaf and allow to set. Serve immediately or wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. 

Apple-Fig Bread w/Honey Glaze

Apple-Fig Bread w/Honey Glaze

Appetizer #21 - Corn Dog Bites

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #21 - Corn Dog Bites

    This is my creation. I used hot dogs, but you could use kielbasa sausage as well. Serve these with your favorite dipping sauce, like mustard, honey-mustard or even ketchup.  You could also serve these as part of a meal with french fries or tater tots or a vegetable. But, it is fried, so you may as well have the fries or tots! I list a whole package of hot dogs in the ingredients, but you'll cut them up and use as many as you have batter for or that you want.

Ingredients:

1 package hot dogs

1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

oil

spicy seasoning/your favorite seasoning (optional)

Directions:

Place flour in a small bowl and set aside. Pour cornbread mix into a large bowl. Add in milk and egg, whisking until thoroughly combined. Add seasoning if using and stir to combine. Heat oil to appropriate temperature or test oil by dropping a tiny bit of batter in your oil.  Cut each hot dog into about 5-6 pieces; you want them to be kinda small; use your best judgement for sizing. Add a few pieces of hot dog into the flour and coat each piece. Dip pieces one at a time into the cornbread batter and thoroughly coat. Gently drop battered hot dog pieces into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove corn dog bites from hot oil and place onto plate/tray covered with paper towel. Continue frying until you have used all of the hot dogs and batter. Serve hot on a platter with your choice of dipping sauce. 

Corn Dog Bites

Corn Dog Bites

Appetizer #17 - Toasty Cheese Crackers

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #17 - Toasty Cheese Crackers

    My first comment is that the recipe says you can make about six dozen crackers with this recipe. I did not get near that many. This recipe comes to us from The Quaker Oats Wholegrain Cookbook published in 1978. This little cookbook has a lot of recipes that I want to try. For example they have Several "Add-A-Crunch" mixes that can be used how you like or in recipes they are included in.  Some of them would be awesome over plain, non-fat yogurt.  If you're watching your sugar, you could try making some of these with Stevia or other sugar substitutes.  Several recipes have special notations that show they are simple enough for kids to make (with the appropriate adult supervision of course).  This recipe is one of those. I'll show my modification in italics. 

    I am going to admit that this is definitely not my favorite appetizer that I've made, even with the addition I made of chipotle seasoning. I don't want this to deter you from trying it though! I didn't add a lot of chipotle seasoning, so it ended up not being really noticeable, but try it and add more if you like it. You could also experiment with adding your favorite seasoning or you could try the cookbook suggestions of oregano or basil.  

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Monterrey-Jack)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine

3 tbsps water

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 chipotle pepper seasoning (optional) or try your favorite seasoning

1 cup uncooked quick or old fashioned (Quaker Oats or whatever your favorite brand is)

Directions:

Mix together cheeses, butter and water until thoroughly combined. Add flour and salt and mix well. Stir in oats.  I ended up using plastic disposable gloves to make sure I got everything mixed together. Shape dough into a 12-inch log. Wrap securely and refrigerate for four hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cut into 1/8 or 1/4" slices and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly. My slices were pretty stiff and I couldn't flatten, so I just left them as is. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately remove from the baking sheet. Cool on a wire rack. Serve plain or add a dollop of salsa, savory dip or even pizza sauce.

Toasty Cheese Crackers

Appetizer #11 - Rosemary Shortbread

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #11 - Rosemary Shortbread

        All I can say is "Yummmmm". This was my first attempt at making shortbread and it turned out really well. While shortbread is really a dessert, I chose to make this as an appetizer,  because hey, we can have sweet & savory appetizers, right? This yummy recipe is in Southern Living's 50 Favorite Cookie Recipes, published in 2002.  It was super easy to make. Just make sure that when you're ready to make this, that you have softened your butter ahead of time. The original recipe calls for an electric mixer, but I mixed it by hand. Shortbread is a little "fragile" (at least mine was), so be careful when you are cutting pieces when your shortbread is cooled. I would definitely make this recipe again.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (two sticks), softened (I used salted butter)

3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

Directions:

Beat butter by hand or on medium with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and cornstarch. Beat well, then stir in flour and rosemary. The dough will be a bit stiff. Divide dough in half. Shape one half into a 6 1/2" round on an un-greased baking sheet. Using a fork, crimp edges of the round. Using a large knife, cut dough into 8 pieces, but do not separate. Repeat the procedure with the second half of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.  Before the hour is up, pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees. When dough has chilled for an hour, bake for 30 minutes (or until done). Remove from oven and cool on the baking sheet for five minutes. Remove both shortbreads to a wire rack and cool completely.  This recipe yields 16 wedges of shortbread.  Serve as an appetizer or as a dessert! 

Rosemary Shortbread

Appetizer #3 - Cheese Crackers

The Year of Appetizers 

Appetizer #3 - Cheese Crackers

    Published in 1991, this Whipping Up Something Good Cookbook was compiled by the Dallas School Food Service Association. Secretary, Jean Campbell from William Anderson Elementary, submitted this appetizer.  It took a little while to thoroughly mix up the ingredients and then to spread it on a cookie sheet, but it was worth it. These are yummy. Like Cheez-Its, only better, because these are homemade with butter and cheese. I would make these again. You could use them as crackers like the name suggests, or even use them in place of croutons on a salad (I've done that with Cheez-Its). 

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 stick butter (4oz)

red chili pepper flakes or Italian seasoning (Optional for an extra touch of flavor)

Directions:

Thoroughly combine ingredients (The original recipe says just use your hands, but I used both my clean hands and a wooden spoon) and roll into a ball. Flatten on a greased cookie sheet (I forgot to grease the stoneware cookie sheet I used and with the cheese and butter in there, they turned out just fine). I actually ended up breaking up the ball into chunks spreading it out so it covered the sheet. It took some time, but it.  was kind of fun. I lightly scored the dough, before baking, so it would be easier to cut and I think it helped, but you could probably wait to cut until you take them out of the oven. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool and cut into squares. I made mine small, but cut whatever size you like. 

Cheese Crackers

Uncut Cheese Crackers

Blueberry Muffins

 Blueberry Muffins

    From my favorite cookbook the Pillsbury Family Cook Book. Published originally in 1963, my copy is a sixth printing from 1970. I've been home sick for over a week (never did get confirmation on what virus I had), but on Saturday, I needed to eat and felt up to making some muffins. I'm trying to use up things I've had in my freezer, to make space, and had blueberries. So, I made these. It's a basic muffin recipe you can switch up as you like, with recipes for additions listed below the basic recipe. I baked these in my Pampered Chef square brownie bar pan. 

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil or melted shortening (I used canola oil)

1 to 2 cups blueberries (However much you want, but remember that the more blueberries, the heavier they will be; I used close to 2 cups)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Into a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar and salt. Into a small bowl, combine egg, milk and oil/melted shortening. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until there is no dry mix left. You need to stir until all is moist; being careful not to over mix. Stir in blueberries. Fill well-greased muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm with butter or your favorite topping(s).

Blueberry Muffins

Mystery Biscuits

 Mystery Biscuits

    I love the community/organization cookbooks in which members of the community or organization submit recipes. I have a copy of the Richardson Citizen Fire Academy Firehouse & Friends Favorite Recipes cookbook, published in 2009.  This recipe was submitted by Alicia M. The "mystery" ingredient is mayonnaise, which provides the fat in the recipe. This recipe was very, easy. The biscuits don't raise much during baking; they come out as nice "pillowy" biscuits. They are yummy and I enjoyed a couple with butter at dinner tonight. Give these simple biscuits a try!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 cup milk

1 tsp sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.   Stir in the sugar, milk and mayonnaise, ensuring the batter is thoroughly combined. Drop by rounded spoonfuls (I used a large soup spoon) onto a greased cookie sheet or fill 12 muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until slightly browned on top. 

Mystery Biscuits

Scalloped Cauliflower

 Scalloped Caulifower

    This recipe is based on the Harvest Cauliflower Scallop recipe in Back to Basics - Home Tested Recipes From A To Z. The original recipe calls for four hard-boiled eggs and I didn't want eggs on mine. I added bread crumbs in lieu of the eggs. I also added 1 1/4 cup milk instead of just 1 cup. I used butter not margarine and also added pepper and spicy seasoning. I would maybe use a round casserole dish or 9x5 pan instead of the 9x13 pan. I really liked this recipe and would definitely make this again. I'll give the original recipe and show my changes in italics. 

Ingredients:

1 medium head cauliflower (I used a giant head of cauliflower) 

3 tbsp margarine (or butter)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup milk (1 1/4 cup milk)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp spicy seasoning

4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced (Optional)

1 1/4 cup shredded American cheese (I used finely shredded Monterrey Jack cheese)

1/2 to 3/4 cup bread crumbs (Optional) (I used crushed ready made salad croutons)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cauliflower into flowerettes. In a large saucepan, cook cauliflower until tender-crisp and drain. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and place half of the cauliflower in the dish. Melt margarine or butter; blend in flour and gradually stir in 1 cup of the milk. Stir continuously and cook until thickened; thin with the additional 1/4 cup of milk if desired. Stir in salt, pepper and spicy seasonings. Remove from heat and dot spoonfuls of the white sauce onto the cauliflower. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese over the cauliflower and white sauce. Layer the rest of the cauliflower in the pan and dot with spoonfuls of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.  The original recipe calls for adding sliced hard-boiled egg over the first layer of cauliflower, sauce and cheese, but I just couldn't wrap my head around putting hard-boiled egg in this dish. 

Scalloped Cauliflower 

Scalloped Cauliflower

Jalapeno-Cheese Cornbread

 Jalapeno-Cheese Cornbread

    This recipe is based off of a cornbread recipe in Betty Crocker's The Big Book of Bread, published in 2013.  I have tried a number of recipes in this cookbook and have enjoyed all of them, including this Jalapeno-Cheese Cornbread. This recipe would have been perfectly fine plain (as in the cookbook); without jalapeno and/or cheese, but I wanted to "jazz" it up a little. I used fresh jalapeno from my garden, which was nice because I have all these pepper plants and trying to think of things to use them in. I used finely shredded Monterrey-Jack cheese, but you could use whatever shredded cheese you like. Finally, I used a 9-inch cast iron skillet for baking. I'd read recently about pre-heating the cast iron, before filling with batter. It's supposed to give it a crispier crust. It did and I liked it. You don't have to do that, but you should give it a try!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

1 egg

1 1/4 cup yellow, white or blue cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded cheese

2-3 diced jalapenos

Directions:

    Heat your oven to 400 degrees. If you are using cast iron, go ahead and put it in the oven after greasing the bottom and side of the pan, to pre-heat. If you are not using cast iron, grease the bottom and side of a 9-inch round or square pan. Mix together cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate large bowl, beat together milk, butter and egg with a whisk. Stir in the dry mixture all at once until moistened. You'll see some lumps. Stir in cheese and jalapeno. Take your heated skillet out of the oven and pour the batter into your skillet or other pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Jalapeno-Cheese Cornbread

Pie Number 13 - Miracle Custard Pie

 The Year of Pie

Pie Number 13 - Miracle Custard Pie

    The recipe says it makes it's own crust and I wanted to see what happened. The recipe is in Better Homes and Gardens: All Time Favorite Pies 169 Recipes!, published in 1978. The pie was tasty and I enjoyed it overall.  I didn't care for the crust, which really wasn't a crust. It's just that the bottom and sides of the custard mixture, thickens a bit and is a different texture than the rest of the pie. I would recommend letting it cool way down, before serving, because it will help it come out of the pan better. It was still a little too warm when I cut into it, to try it out. This was yummy with a good dollop of whipped cream on top. 

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter or margerine, cut up into little bits

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flaked coconut

ground nutmeg

Directions:

The original recipe uses a blender to mix the ingredients. I used a bowl and a hand mixer and a wooden spoon. 

In blender or with a hand mixer, combine milk, eggs, sugar, flour, cut-up butter or margarine, vanilla and salt until well-mixed (don't over blend). Stir in coconut and pour this mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle nutmeg lightly over top and bake in an oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Cool and chill before serving. 

Miracle Custard Pie

Miracle Custard Pie
(The pie set up nicely, but my piece fell apart a bit, because I didn't wait long enough for it to cool)

Banana Bread

 Banana Bread

    I made banana bread for a work team meeting recently and was so happy that my coworkers really enjoyed it.  This recipe comes from my favorite cookbook The Pillsbury Family Cook Book, published in 1963 and my copy is a 1970 sixth printing.  This bread came out so nice and moist. I made two recipes and got two beautiful loaves. 

  Ingredients:

2 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup softened butter or shortening (Ooops. I'm writing this a couple weeks after baking this and can't remember if I used butter or shortening)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup (2 medium sized mashed bananas)

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar (I used vinegar)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Sift flour with the soda and salt into a medium bowl. In a separate bowl cream butter/shortening and gradually add the sugar, creaming well. Blend in eggs and banana. Combine thoroughly and add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, alternating with the milk. Begin and end the dry ingredients, blending well after each addition. Stir in nuts and chips if desired. Grease the bottom of a 9x5x3 loaf pan. Pour in batter and bake for 60 to 70 minutes. You'll want the bread to spring back when lightly touched in the center. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan loosen the bread. Sit the pan on a baking rack to cool and remove from pan after the bread has cooled. 

Beautiful Banana Bread

Beautiful Banana Bread

Pie Number Six: Jack's Apple Pie

 The Year of Pie 

Pie #6 - Jack's Apple Pie

    Jack's Apple Pie is a recipe by Jack Jadkowski. Jack's recipe is in the Kalamazoo County Fair section of The County Fair Coobook, published in 1994. Jack has won numerous blue ribbons and won a Best In Show ribbon in 1992.  So, my crust didn't turn out great. Rolling dough is not my forte and while the top crust ended up with a nice texture, I did not like how the bottom crust was kind of soft.  I think if it had been thicker, it might have been better.  I also wasn't sure about the 4 tablespoons of butter in the filling. Overall though, and even with the crust problem(s), with the finished product tasted good. Modifications/What I did, in Italics.

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 to 6 tablespoons very, cold water

Filling:

6 to 8 McIntosh or Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 7 Granny Smith apples)

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 generous teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons butter, softened

Optional Serving Toppings:

whipped cream

vanilla ice cream

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Make your crust - Combine flour and salt, cut in shortening until the mix resembles course meal. Stir in water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap (I had wax paper) and refrigerate while you make the filling. Make your filling - Mix together in a large bowl, the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss the apples in this mixture, making sure to coat all of the apple. Finish your crust and assemble - Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out bottom crust and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Spread two tablespoons of the softened butter, evenly over the crust. Pour in apples and dot the remaining butter over top. Roll out your top crust. Cover the filling, crimp edges and cut vents for steam. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  

Jack's Apple Pie

Side View

The piece I had for dinner. It didn't come out of the pan nicely, but it tasted good.
Topped with whipped cream. 

McGregor Cake

 McGregor Cake

I've got a bonus recipe for you and boy am I glad I made it.  This cake came out better than I'd hoped. It is moist, and sweet, but not too sweet. You have a little crunch from the pecans and chewiness of the coconut. It is sooooo good.  Don't walk, run, and make this cake! I found this recipe while looking for a recipe to use for my #FiftyTwoInTwentyTwo project.  The recipe is in a thin, paper, recipe pamphlet, produced by Crisco Oil, in 1965. There's a little bit of prep work, but it is so worth it. Be careful when you get to the broiling part. I either had the rack too close to the top and/or just plumb broiled it for too long. I checked on my pan about half-way through the final step and the top was burning! I removed the pan and frantically scraped off the topping and managed to save the cake. Luckily I had enough ingredients to re-do the toppings and when I put my pan back in to broil, I watched it really closely and I think I just broiled for two minutes.  

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup Crisco Oil (or other vegetable oil; I actually used canola oil and it was just fine)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Frosting Ingredients:

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine (I used butter and softened it in the microwave)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup flaked coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13x2 inch pan. Add boiling water to oats in a bowl and let stand for 15 minutes. Thoroughly combine sugar, oil and eggs. Stir in the oatmeal. Sift dry ingredients and add to the batter, followed by 1/2 cup of the chopped pecans. Spread the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30 to 5 minutes. You can use a toothpick to help ensure the cake is done. For the frosting, combine butter/margarine, 1/2 cup brown sugar, evaporated milk, pecans and coconut. Immediately spread with the frosting and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned. 

McGregor Cake

McGregor Cake

The artwork on the cover page of the Crisco Oil recipe pamphlet

Week 42 - Fruit & Oat Squares

 Fruit & Oat Squares

Week 42 of 52

Dessert #6

    This yummy recipe comes from Best Loved Cookies published in 2000.  You can use your favorite flavor fruit preserves and I used peach preserves.  I liked that in this recipe, there aren't a lot of ingredients and it was pretty easy to make. This recipe makes 12 to 16 servings, depending how large you cut them.  Notes in italics.

Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup uncooked quick oats

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted (I used unsalted butter)

3/4 cup apricot, cherry, peach, or other fruit flavor preserves

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch square pan. I used cooking spray as the directions recommended in the book, but if you lightly grease with butter or margarine, that's just fine. Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Mix in margarine/butter with a fork until crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture (for the topping). Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of your greased pan. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned. Spread preserves over the crust and sprinkle the reserved crumble mix over top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. You can set the pan on top of a cookie rack, to help it cool quicker (what I normally do).

Fruit & Oat Squares

Fruit & Oat Squares
Ready to Enjoy!

Week 35 - Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte

 Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte

Week 35 of 52

Dessert #5

    This Summer I traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the first time. My oldest, friend, moved there after retiring, so I stayed with her, while another good friend was there to celebrate her 40th birthday. Being able to travel to help one friend celebrate her birthday, and to see another, was pretty awesome.  We all live in different parts of the country and I don't get to see either of them very, often. A bonus was that two of my best friends got to meet each other for the first time. 

    One of the fun things we did together, was visit The Mob Museum - National Museum of Organized Crime & Law Enforcement. That was a fun museum to visit. It was fun and educational. For an additional cost, you can add on one of three experiences to your tour and I can't remember off-hand, what they all are, but the one I did was the "Speak Easy Experience". You have to be 21 or older for that add-on experience. You learn about Prohibition in this "experience" and get to sample moonshines that the museum makes, sells and enters into competitions. You also have the opportunity to enjoy their Underground bar/speak-easy and to purchase keepsake bottles of moonshine. I bought the tiniest jar of moonshine they had, although I hadn't actually finished any of my samples (there were two 100 proof and one 90 proof samples and I just couldn't do it). Anyhow, I digress. In the museum's gift shop, I bought a copy of Henry Hill and Priscilla Davis' The Wiseguy Cookbook. The recipe are Henry Hill's favorites from his life as a "GoodFella" and on the run. The movie "GoodFellas" was based on Henry's life. This delicious Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte is the first recipe I've made from this book. It was not difficult to make and it turned out good. I liked the walnuts and the hint of orange from the zest. You should try it! If you do, let me know what you think. My notes in italics.

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened and more for greasing pan

3/4 cup flour and 1/8 cup for pan

10 ounces semi or bittersweet chocolate (1 3/4 cups) (I used a combination of dark chocolate chips and chocolate bar)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

7 eggs, separated (You'll use both the yolks and the whites)

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon orange zest (I used a little less than a tablespoon, because I'd gotten one orange and it's zest did not quite fill up a tablespoon)

1/4 - 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

whipped cream (optional)

shaved chocolate (optional for decoration)

fresh mint leaves (optional for decoration)

Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan. Cut out a circle of waxed paper or parchment paper and place in the bottom of the pan. Butter the paper and then lightly coat the bottom and sides with flour, shaking/tapping the pan upside down, to remove excess flour. Melt your chocolate (If you're using a chocolate bar, break it into smaller pieces)  in a double boiler, or small bowl over water. Myself, I actually just melted the chocolate in a pan, on the lowest setting, on my stove; stirring to ensure that it melted evenly and did not burn. Cool the melted chocolate to room temperature. 

    Mix together your flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in your orange zest and chopped walnuts. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar until a little fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time and beat until they are a pale yellow. Add your cooled chocolate and beat for about a minute, until it is well mixed. Mix in your flour mixture and thoroughly combine. 

    Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into the cake batter mixture. Pour into your prepared pan and bake for one hour. Cool to room temperature on the counter (which will take longer) or on a wire rack. Loosen sides, place a plate over the pan, turn it over and tap the bottom of the pan to remove the cake. Turn your plate right side up, and using a small sieve, shake powdered sugar on top of the cake. Shave extra chocolate bar over the confectioner's sugar for an extra little decoration and add fresh mint leaves for decoration. Serve with whipped cream or even a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.  

Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte

Chocolate Walnut Orange Torte - Side View

 

Week 34 - Salami-Cheese Pie

 Salami-Cheese Pie

Week 34 of 52

Meat/Fish Entree #5

    Well, this was something I never thought of making. I've never even made anything with salami. This recipe comes from the 1979 seventh printing of Better Homes and Gardens All-Time Favorite Casserole Recipes published in 1977. The recipe is on page 12, in the "home-style casseroles" chapter. I don't understand how it qualifies as a casserole and a number of recipes in this section are not casseroles. But, one of my goals of this year's Fifty-Two In Twenty-Two project, was to use recipes from cookbooks in my collection, which I haven't used. The other goal was to try things I've never had before. I couldn't remember if I had used any recipe from this cookbook, but I didn't think I had, so I kept it in the mix of books to choose this week's recipe from. And like I said, I've never made anything with salami. I am really glad I tried this and I'm very, pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. 

    Would I make this recipe again? Yes. Is it partly also because I bought the biggest sized package of salami at the store yesterday? Also, yes. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups of chopped salami and 1 cub cooked & cubed potatoes. You could probably do a 1/2 cup less of the salami and add a 1/2 cup more of potato.  I used fresh basil as a garnish, which isn't called for in the recipe, but I wanted a garnish, Fresh parsley would be lovely also. Serve with a side salad or vegetable and hot bread or rolls. My notes in italics. 

Ingredients:

Plain Pastry (below)

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup shredded American cheese (I used my standard Colby-Jack)

1/2 pound salami, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

1 cup cubed cooked potato

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped pimiento (I drained juice before measuring)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (You will turn the oven down to 350 degrees when you take the pie shell and cutouts out). In a saucepan combine flour and pepper. Blend in milk. Cook, stirring continuously until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted, then salami, potato onion and pimiento. Turn into pie shell and decorate the top with the baked cutouts. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes (I did 40 minutes). You want the center to be nearly set. Cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve with a garden salad or side of vegetables (I had cauliflower), with hot french bread or rolls and butter. It's a pie, so you could get six nice servings.

Plain Pastry

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening

3 to 4 tablespoons cold water (I used 4 tablespoons)

Directions:

Stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water at a time over the mixture and toss with a fork. You want it all moistened. Form a ball and roll out on a lightly floured baking mat, until you have a 9-inch round or if you are like me and your pastry rolling skills are sub-par, you have a large enough piece to entirely cover your pie pan). Gently lay your pastry in your 9-inch pie pan. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork (I forgot to do this before baking the pie shell by itself, but did when it came out of the oven before adding the filling, and it turned out fine). Mash the trimmings together into a ball, roll out and use mini or regular size cookie cutters (I used a mini heart cookie cutter from Pampered Chef) and set aside on a small baking sheet. Bake the pie shell for 10 minutes and the cutouts for 5 minutes. Remove the pie shell and cutouts, setting aside while you finish making the filling.

Salami-Cheese Pie

Salami-Cheese Pie - Take Two

Salami-Cheese Pie w/Fresh Basil Garnish and Cauliflower

Week 32 - Vee's Homemade Bread

 Vee's Homemade Bread

Week 32 of 52

Bread #5

    So I was a big fan of the show "Orange Is The New Black" and when I saw a copy of the Orange Is The New Black cookbook, published in 2014, at Half Price Books a couple years ago, I had to get it. In the show, the character Vee, was not a pleasant person, but I think the thing about that show, was no matter how bad a character was, you pretty much saw at least some shred of humanity/decency in them. I can't remember what that was about Vee, but there was something there to you remind, you that she was a person.

    I want to say that this bead smelled good while it was baking. It took a long time to make (over 3 hrs), but it was worth it. It's made from a mixture of whole-wheat flour and flour, with flax seeds (I used ground flax seeds) and honey, so it felt healthy-ish.  I'm planning to make some grilled cheese sandwiches with it this week.  Can't wait. So, let me know how you like this.  Modifications/Notes in italics.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons, olive oil, plus a little more for oiling the bowl and pan (Honestly, I just used cooking spray for oiling the pan, the bowl, the parchment and the foil I used)

1/4 cup honey

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup flax seeds (I used ground flax seeds)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

You can use an electric mixer or mix with a spoon (like I did). If using an electric mixer, use the dough hook. Combine all of the dry ingredients with the water, to form a "rough" dough. Rest the dough for 20 minutes, then knead by machine or by hand for 10 minutes, until it is smooth. It will stay a bit sticky-ish. 

Grease a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and cover with a clean dish towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. 

Grease a loaf pan (8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch). Shape the dough into a log shape, place in the loaf pan and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap (I used parchment paper, because I didn't have plastic; you could use parchment also as it worked just fine) lightly greased and let the dough rise for another hour. It could rise about 1 inch above the rim of the loaf pan. Mine didn't seem like it was an inch above the rim of the pan, but I think it turned out fine). Towards the end of this "rising", pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 

Remove the plastic wrap/parchment paper and place your pan in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes and then "tent" a piece of lightly oiled foil over your loaf and continue baking for another 25 minutes, or until firm and browned on top. Remove from oven, remove the loaf from the pan and cool on a wire rack, to cool completely (or at least 15-20 minutes, because you don't want to burn yourself) before slicing.

Vee's Homemade Bread