Hello!

Long time, no see! My family and I spent last week in bed with a stomach virus. It wasn't much fun. It took a while but I do believe I'm over that terrible experience now and can get back into the sewing room and kitchen. Actually, I've been back a little bit, not much has come out of the sewing room yet. The kitchen however is another story. I just baked this biscotti recipe. And oh. my. goodness. Are they ever divine!

A Dare

Good Morning One And All!

I spent the last several days at the home of a friend and while I was there I was introduced to this amazing person. Her name is The Pioneer Woman. I will introduce you to her gently {*wink*}.

 

Individual Raspberry Cobblers  

{A.K.A. Death By Butter}

Try them. I dare you. Warning: you may not survive.

Cranberry Thumb Cookies

Cranberry Thumbprints

{from Martha Stewart Living}

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 t salt
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla

1 egg

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. Combine butter and 1/4 cup sugar.
2) Add the vanilla and egg yolk to butter mixture, combine. Gradually add the dry.
3) Roll dough into balls, roll in egg white and then remaining sugar.
4) Place balls on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and press thumb into the middle of each cookie. Bake 15 minutes.
5) When done, fill the hole with jam or jelly of your choice.

Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

2) In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in the dry ingredients. Roll out dough and cut into circles. Place on cookie sheet.

3) Bake eight to ten minutes, or until golden. Let cool on wire racks.

Breakfast

Today's breakfast! Yes, I have finally brought this blog up to date!

Fruit Cobbler

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
Fruit of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 13x9" casserole dish. Combine flour and sugar in a small bowl. Add milk and mix well. Pour fruit into casserole dish with butter then pour flour mixture on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Enjoy!

On the Menu

I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning. The recipe is here.

Tres Leches Cake

Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1/2 teasp. vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teasp. baking powder


- 1 cup milk
- 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk


- 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teasp. vanilla extract


Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9" baking dish.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour and baking powder then add gradually to butter mixture. Pour batter into prepared dish and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Pierce top of cake all over with a fork.
3. Combine the three milks. Pour on top of cake. Cool cake to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least four hours.
4. Beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until thick. Spread over cake and serve.


Enjoy!

Strawberry Pie!

Ingredients:

3 tbsps. cornstarch

2/3 cup water

1 cup crushed strawberries

1 cup sugar

Dash salt

* * *

1 quart firm ripe strawberries

1 baked 9-inch pie shell

1/2 cup whipping cream

In a medium saucepan dissolve cornstarch in a little of the water; add the remaining water, crushed strawberries, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick. Arrange the whole strawberries, stem side down, in the baked pie shell; cover with the cooked mixture. Chill until set. Garnish with whipped cream.

Serves 8.

I was going to take a picture of the pies we made but I forgot. And now of course it's too late!

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

4 cup flour

1 1/2 cups milk add 2 tbsp vinegar to it

1 egg

1/4 cup soft butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup raisins

Photo by Mom

Instructions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork. Add egg and milk, mix well with a wooden spoon. Add raisins and blend. Put dough onto floured surface and knead about 2-3 minutes or until it is no longer sticky. Cut in 1/2 shape into 2 balls and put on greased baking sheet. Cut a cross in the top of each. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. When cool top with glaze.

Glaze:

1 c powdered sugar

1 tbsp hot water

1 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl mix all together. Spread on top of cool soda bread.

Thanks to Janice from the Sense and Sensibility message forum for the recipe.

Oatmeal Anyone?

Do you ever just want something but don't know why? I wanted oatmeal cookies. I went online and found this recipe. I changed it just a little and let me tell you, they were wonderful. Please don't ask how many I ate for that is a secret that cannot be revealed... (actually, I just don't remember, but I know it was quite a few *grin*).

Ingredients
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick), softened
1 1/4 cups Oatmeal
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Milk
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375° F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter until well blended. Add the oatmeal, egg, and milk, stirring well. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add to the oatmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in the vanilla. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls, spaced about 1 inch apart, onto a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Yield: About 2 Dozen

Cowboy Cookies

Hello! It seems like a long time since I posted. I've been pretty busy with school and sewing, as usual I have more projects going on than I can safely handle (do I have six or was it seven?). Anyway, I decided to bake cookies this morning so here is a recipe for you.

Cowboy Cookies

Wet and Sweet Ingredients:
1 cup Shortening

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Peanut Butter

1 Egg

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 cup Flour

Fun Ingredients:

Raid the pantry and see what you find!

Today I used 1/2 cup each of oatmeal, crushed bran cereal, raisins and milk chocolate chips. I have also seen them made with dried cranberries, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the Wet and Sweet ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the Dry ingredients and mix well. Add your Fun ingredients and mix again. Drop by the spoonful on a baking sheet and bake for ten minutes. Let sit on baking sheet for five minutes before removing.

Yield: About 2 Dozen

Sugar Bomb

Today was my Dad's birthday. I made him a Hershey Bar Cake and I thought you might like the recipe.

Hershey Bar Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 3.4 oz. box Vanilla Instant Pudding

3 Eggs

1 1/2 cups Milk

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

Icing Ingredients:

1 8 oz. block Cream Cheese

1 box Confectioner's Sugar

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1 8 oz. carton Cool Whip

1 Hershey Bar (optional)

To Make Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9" cake pans. Mix together eggs, milk and oil. Add cake mix and pudding mix and mix well. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool.

To Make Icing:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until icing looks smooth and creamy. If icing is too thin add more confectioner's sugar. Ice cake between each layer on top and on the sides. If you would like you can crush a milk chocolate Hershey Bar and sprinkle it on top of the cake. However, doing this will turn your sugar grenade of a cake into a sugar bomb. Enjoy!

When making chocolate cake flour the pans with cocoa powder.

Doesn't the batter look good?

I bet Livy could tell you.

I think they turned out well.

And the finished cake.