Category: DESSERTS

APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD

APRICOT PINEAPPLE MONKEY BREAD*
BREAD
1 cup scalded milk
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup rum
1/2 cup minced walnuts
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
4 1/2 – 5 cups flour
TOPPING
20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar, super firmly packed
1/2 cup apricot pineapple preserves**
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2+ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins*
1/4 cup rum*

  • Soften the yeast in the warm water.
  • Stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  • Soak the raisins in the rum until needed. Drain before adding to the bread.
  • Combine the milk, shortening, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
  • Add yeast to milk mixture and then the eggs, the raisins and nuts.
  • Add the flour. Mix to a soft dough.
  • Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl. Turn over once, cover with a cheesecloth and let rise until double in size.
  • Punch down and let stand ten minutes.
  • Prepare the topping while the dough is standing.
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan.
  • Add the preserves, brown sugar, cinnamon and almond extract. Cook until smooth and fairly thin.
  • Add the pineapple (and raisins if you’re using refrigerator rolls) and heat through.
  • Roll into many small balls about the size of golf balls.
  • Grease a Bundt cake pan. (I like to use my pineapple upside down cake pan.
  • Arrange a layer of the balls haphazardly in the cake pan.
  • Dribble about half the topping loosely over them.
  • Arrange the other half of the dough balls.
  • Pour remaining sauce over top.
  • Allow to rise until double in size (about 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours)
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
  • Enjoy
*You can cheat and use 3 cans of refrigerator biscuits instead if you’re in a hurry. If you still want the raisins you can add them to the topping instead.
**You can use pretty much any flavor you want – I also use raspberry, peach and blackberry depending on my mood. A lot of times I combine the peach and blackberry half and half.

APPLE BLACKBERRY COBBLER

1 cup blackberries, halved
2 apples peeled and sliced thin (I use Pink Ladies)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
  • Whisk in the milk.
  • Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
  • Pour into well greased bowls or baking dish.
  • Distribute alternately apples and berries evenly on top of batter.
  • Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle on tops.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

CHOCOLATE PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES

CHOCOLATE PINEAPPLE CREAM CHEESE PASTRIES
1 package Puff Pastry Sheets (2 sheets)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 egg, beaten
4 ounces Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1-8 ounce can crushed pineapple, well drained
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons hot water

  • Thaw the pastry sheets at room temperature until they’re easy to handle (about 45 minutes).
  • Pre-heat the oven to 375°.
  • Line baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper.
  • Beat together the softened cream cheese, sugar and pineapple.
  • Unfold pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry sheet into a 10-inch square. Cut the pastry sheet into 4 (5-inch) squares. Repeat with the remaining pastry sheet.
  • Spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture in the center of each pastry square.
  • Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of chocolate chips on top of cream cheese mixture.
  • Brush the edges of the pastry squares with the egg.
  • Fold each pastry in half over the cream cheese mixture and chocolate chips and press the edges to seal.
  • Place the filled pastries onto the baking sheets.
  • Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastries are golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove the pastries to a wire rack and let cool.
  • Place the remaining chocolate chips and the butter into a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds or until the chocolate is starting to melt. Stir until the chocolate mixture is smooth. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the water, adding additional water, if necessary, until the icing is the desired consistency.
  • Drizzle the icing over the pastries.

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

I found this recipe in an issue of Fine Cooking, just can’t remember which one LOL. I tweaked it very little and it is one of our new favorites!

I’ve also made it using Limes, Lemons & Limes and Bloody Oranges.  We liked them all, but by far, the Lemon Lime combo was our favorite.
You’ll notice in the picture with the pan that there is a very strange looking apparatus in the curd.  That is an AS SEEN ON TV automatic stirrer that I picked up at Big Lots.  I really thought it was going to be like so many other gadgets and go by the wayside, but I was wrong!  This is the best gadget I ever indulged in.  It’s battery operated and is like a second pair of hands in the kitchen.  All those recipes that call for “stirring constantly”are now handled by this gadget and turn out beautifully!

LEMON CHEESECAKE SQUARES

8×8 straight edge pan
2 pieces of parchment paper 8 inches wide x 16 inches long

  • Alternately overlap the parchment pieces so that they cross each other and fold over all 4 sides.
  • Push the parchment into the edges and the corners making a straight crease.

CRUST
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Graham cracker crumbs

  • Using a fork add graham cracker crumbs until mixture resembles wet sand.
  • Press into the bottom of prepared pan.

CHEESECAKE
1 pound cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 LARGE eggs

  • Combine the cream cheese, sugar and lemon juice until well blended.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition until completely smooth.
  • Pour into prepared pan.

CURD
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, strained twice
1/2 cup sugar
2 LARGE eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

  • Whisk together the sugar, eggs and lemon juice until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • In a small non-reactive sauce pan cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until steaming, but not boiling. The mixture will have thickened.
  • Remove from heat and add butter, stirring until butter is melted.
  • Pour through a sieve to remove any lumps.

ASSEMBLY

  • Preheat oven to 325˚.

  • Prepare crust.

  • Prepare cheesecake portion.

  • Bake 40 minutes or until sides are slightly puffed, cake is not too jiggly and center is dry to the touch.

  • While baking, prepare the curd.

  • Remove cheesecake from oven.

  •  Pour hot curd on top of cheesecake and lightly spread to even out.

  • Cool 20 minutes on rack.

  • Move to the refrigerator and chill 5-6 hours or overnight before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS
2/3 cup Hot water
10 ounces Land of Lakes cocoa mix
2 cups JIF creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups C&H powdered sugar, divided 2cups + 1 cup
2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
2 cups crushed ginger snaps
72 Hershey Kisses (I like the cherry cordials)

  • Whisk together the hot water and cocoa mix until smooth.
  • Add peanut butter and corn syrup. Blend until smooth.
  • Add 2 cups powdered sugar and stir until well blended.
  • Stir in cookie crumbs until well blended.
  • Spray wax paper with PURE (these will be sticky so don’t forget this step).
  • Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto the wax paper.
  • Place the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
  • Roll each piece of dough into a ball and dredge in powdered sugar.
  • Press your thumb into the center and fill with a Hershey’s kiss.

UNION STATION COOKIES

I was searching the web for a specific copy cat recipe for a salad dressing and somehow found this great site with a ton of recipes that made my mouth water as I searched through them.  Funny thing is I never found the recipe I started searching for, but I did find dozens of others including this one for Union Station Cookies that said it was sourced from St. Louis, Missouri.  These were really, really good!
I did end up making a few modifications which I’ve listed in red. The changes made them a bit moister.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 oz. Hershey bar, melted (3 regular sized bars)
12 oz. bag milk chocolate chips (half of the bag melted)
2 JUMBO eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/4 cups Quaker oats (powdered in blender)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts (Walnuts, chopped VERY fine)

  • Cream together butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. 
  • In separate bowl mix flour, oats, salt and baking powder. 
  • Mix creamed and dry ingredients. 
  • Add chocolate chips, melted chocolate and nuts. 
  • Place dough (golf-ball-size or smaller) on an ungreased cookie sheet. 
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. 
  • Makes 3 or 4 dozen.

ORANGE or LEMON BANANA NUT BREAD

ORANGE BANANA NUT BREAD or LEMON BANANA NUT BREAD
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/3 cup shredded coconut
2 medium or 3 small RIPE bananas
2 eggs
6 oz. can unsweetened orange juice concentrate*
1 tablespoon butter, melted

  • Sift together the dry ingredients.
  • In a large mixing bowl blend together the orange juice concentrate, bananas and eggs.
  • Blend in nuts, coconut and raisins.
  • Add flour mixture until well mixed.
  • Pour into greased loaf pan.
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Immediately top with melted butter.

*I use a large can as the small cans are getting hard to find, but using a large serrated knife, cut it in half and then make juice out of the other half. This recipe is also good if you substitute lemonade for the orange juice.

PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD

PARMESAN CHEESE BREAD
3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 1/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago Parmesan Cheese
extra-extra virgin olive oil

  • Sift together the four, yeast and salt.
  • Stir in the water until dough forms.
  • Sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese.
  • Transfer to a well floured surface.
  • Knead until soft, elastic and no longer sticky (about 10 minutes). Add flour as necessary to reduce stickiness.
  • Knead the dough until it remains rounded and doesn’t flatten out when left to sit for a few minutes.
  • Arrange into a round.
  • Brush the surface with olive oil.
  • Cover loosely with a tea towel and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 2 hours).
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Brush a 9 inch round pan with olive oil.
  • Put remaining cheese on a plate.
  • Punch down the dough and knead a few more times with fresh flour.
  • For rolls – divide dough into12 pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a ball.
  • Roll each ball in the cheese and then place in pan with the edges touching. 9 balls around the outside, 3 balls in the center.
  • Cover with a flour sack towel and allow to rise again.
  • Cut a small slash in the top of each ball.
  • Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.
  • Bake for 10 minutes and the reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue to bake until golden and crispy, about 20-30 minutes more.
  • Serve hot or transfer to a wire rack and cool and then slice.

BAKING PARTNERS – Tomato, Thyme, Sage and Double Cheese Tart

This month we are making savory tart and scones. I agree that we are on  sugar over load for last few months and we badly need something more savory.

These recipes  are suggested and tried and tested by Archana of The Mad Scientist’s Kitchen.


Tomato, Thyme, Sage and Double Cheese Tart
Serves 4
Time needed: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Recipe Source: BBC Good Food issue Mar’14


The original recipe called for mustard which I had to eliminate so I could continue living.
 
For the Pastry:
3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
2/3 cup butter, Chilled and diced
1/3 cup grated gruyere
1 large pinch red chilli powder (I used about ½ tsp)
½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons pepper
10 tablespoons water, chilled


For the Filling:
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 tablespoon olive oil (I used Avocado oil)
¼ teaspoon salt
A pinch pepper
1 ½ tsp mustard
1/2 cup grated gruyere
1 ½ tablespoon thyme
1 ½ tablespoon sage (I used 2 teaspoons)

Method:
  • Preheat the oven to 190°C. 
  • Halve the tomatoes and transfer to a tray. 
  • Drizzle with the oil and season with salt and pepper. 
  • Bake for 10 minutes. Cool.


To make the pastry:

  • Add flour to a big bowl.
  • Add the butter gradually and knead with your fingertips till the flour resembles bread crumbs. 
  • Blend in the cheese and chilli powder. 
  • Mix the salt and pepper. 
  • With the chilled water bring the dough together. 
  • Wrap in saran and chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. 
  • Line a rectangular tin with foil. Set aside. 
  • Roll out the pastry line it in the tin. 
  • Using a fork make holes in the pastry at regular intervals. This prevents the pastry from puffing up. 
  • Now smooth a parchment paper or foil on top of the pastry and add beans.  
  • Blind bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Take out the paper/foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To assemble:
  • Mix the mustard and cheese. 
  • Spread over the tart. 
  • Place the tomatoes on top and sprinkle with thyme and sage mixture. 
  • Bake @ 180°C for 40 minutes then at 220°for 15 minutes. 
  • Remove the tin from the oven to a wire rack.
  • Let it cool for 10 minutes. 
  • To remove from pan lift the entire tart to by just lifting the foil. 
  • Let it cool on a wire rack. 
  • Cut in desired sizes and serve warm.


Cheddar and Sage Scones
Makes 8
Time needed: 45 minutes
Recipe Source: bbcgoodfood.com
  


NOTES:

The original recipe asked for fresh sage 10 leaves, 2 chopped fine and rest whole. I used dried sage and reduced it – A LOT. We’re not very fond of sage around here. The original recipe says baking time is 12-14 minutes I need 20. 

Also you can roll the dough out in a square then cut it in quarters then the quarter in can be cut diagonally to get 8 triangles. I suggest you shape out the dough in the tin or the tray you will be baking the scones in so they don’t go wonky as you transfer them.
1 cup self rising flour + extra for dusting
1 ½ tsp english mustard powder also omitted so I can continue living!
A pinch salt
A pinch pepper
1/4 cup butter, chilled and cubed
1 cup grated cheddar
1 tablespoon dried Sage + ½ tablespoon
6 3/4 tablespoons curds*
3 1/3 tablespoons water*
1 tablespoon oil, for greasing
*I used  5 ounces of buttermilk


Method: 
  • Preheat oven to 220°C. 
  • Grease and flour the baking tin. 
  • Whip the curds and measure.  Adjust the water and whip it to get a smooth mixture. This will give you 150ml of buttermilk. 
  • Set aside 1 teaspoon of buttermilk. This is for brushing on the scones. 
  • Mix flour, mustard powder, salt, pepper in a bowl. 
  • Blend butter till the mixture resembles fine crumbs. 
  • Stir in ½ the cheese and 1 tablespoon sage. 
  • Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the buttermilk.
  • Quickly stir and mix well till the mixture forms soft and spongy dough. 
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead to get smooth dough.  
  • Roll in to 3 cms thick circle.  Cut in quarters then the quarters again to get 8 sectors. 
  • Transfer to a baking tin. 
  • Brush the remaining buttermilk. 
  • Sprinkle the remaining cheese and top with sage. 
  • Bake for 20 minutes until they are well risen, golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. 
  • Serve warm with butter.

BROWN SUGAR CRUMB CAKE

BROWN SUGAR CRUMB CAKE
CAKE
1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 JUMBO egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Prepare baking dish with cooking spray and a light flour dusting.
  • Sift together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the milk, egg and vanilla until well blended.
  • Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients JUST until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX!
  • Spread batter into pan.

TOPPING
1 1/4 cup flour, sifted
1 cup packed dark brown sugar**
2 teaspoons cinnamon, sifted
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • In a medium bowl sift together the dry ingredients.
  • Pour melted butter over dry ingredients and stir gently until crumbs form.
  • Sprinkle the crumbs over the batter.
  • Use a knife to swirl some of the crumb mixture down into the cake.
  • Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
**With the move coming up I’m not replacing food and I was OUT of brown sugar!  Then I remembered I had cut out an article on making your own brown sugar.  I have to say that in the future I may always make my own brown sugar – the flavor was so deep and rich.
HOMEMADE BROWN SUGAR
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Grandma’s molasses for light brown sugar 
2 tablespoons Grandma’s molasses for dark brown sugar

Combine together in a large mixing bowl starting with a low speed and gradually increasing until well blended.  This can take as long as 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GLAZED CHEESECAKE GINGER BARS

I tried a new cooking method and wasn’t happy with it so these are not great pictures this week, but that sure doesn’t affect the taste. Hubby has already eaten half of them. I wrote the recipe here like I normally do it.

CRUST
2 1/2 cups ginger snap crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
PURE
FILLING
2 large eggs
2~8 ounce softened cream cheese
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
optional: 3 Tablespoons dutch cocoa~using this makes them very rich!
GLAZE
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Generously spray 9×13 pan with PURE
  • Finely grind gingersnaps in food processor. Add melted butter and pulse until evenly mixed. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 1 minutes and then cool 5 minutes before filling.
  • Sprinkle gelatin over milk and mix well. Beat together softened cream cheese, eggs, salt and gelatin mixture at medium speed until smooth.
  • Pour sweetened condensed milk into a tall bowl and microwave for 3 minutes in 3 minute increments. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
  • Pour over cooled crust.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until center is set.
  • Cool on rack 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, melt butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Pour over cheesecake layer. Chill overnight before serving.

With a thin knife cut into squares. Be sure and wipe knife clean after each cut.

SOUR CREAM MEATLOAF, COUNTRY BOB’S INCREDIBLE EDIBLE FUDGE and an Original Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce Product Review

Back in 2009 I was contacted by a nice man from Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and asked if I would be interested in doing a product review. I said I’d love to. In just 2 days time a box was on my stoop with bottles of sauce and recipe brochures. I had this little niggling in my brain though. I could not figure out why the name of this sauce sounded so familiar. I tried to find the sauce locally and failed until I finally found it at a Walmart store 30 miles away. You have to remember I live rurally for the moment. That is when it occurred to me where I had heard the name before. I had won a cookbook awhile back over at Forgetfulone, but was never able to prepare any of the recipes because I couldn’t find the sauce.
As you can see from all the slips of paper sticking out of the top of the book I had marked a multitude of recipes to try and now I finally can. I found 2 meatloaf recipes, 1 from the brochure which is extremely similar to hubby’s favorite one that I have made for years and years and a sour cream recipe from the book that I decided to try. In the end the recipe I made was a combination of both recipes and hubby all but licked his plate. He kept telling me to find out where to get more of this sauce. He even put it on his mashed potatoes and thought that was just scrumptious. Normally he would use ketchup on his meatloaf, but tonight he used Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce. He decided Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce is our new ketchup.

The true test came when I made dessert with the sauce. It was the most unusual group of ingredients I had ever mixed together. I have to admit I had my doubts that we were going to like this recipe, but I also thought it would be a good test of the versatility of an all purpose sauce.
All I can say is that I was sooooooooooooooooo pleasantly surprised by the flavor. Hubby can’t say anything, he’s too busy licking the bowl. You have to try Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and start with this fudge recipe.
Justify Full

One of the greatest things about this recipe besides the awesome flavor is the consistency. How many times have you made fudge and weren’t sure it would set up okay or it turned out dry? That will never happen with this recipe. This recipe is truly foolproof.

COUNTRY BOB’S INCREDIBLE FUDGE
12 ounces Velveeta cheese*
2 sticks butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
2 pounds powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (optional)**

  • In a microwave safe bowl combine the Velveeta, butter, Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and chocolate. Microwave on high 2-4 minutes, stirring every minute until mixture is smooth and well blended.
  • Pour the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate mixture gradaully while beating with an electric mixture until well blended.
  • Beat in the vanilla.
  • Stir in the nuts.
  • Pour into a greased 9×13 pan.
  • Cover and chill until firm.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

*When I made a second batch of this recipe. it worked better cubed before microwaving
**I exchanged this for Heath Bar bits and loved it

COUNTRY BOB’S SOUR CREAM MEATLOAF ala TAMY
3 pounds ground beef
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup + Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
1 sleeve crushed saltines
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

  • Mix all together.
  • Pour additional sauce over the top.
  • Bake 1 1/2 hours.
  • Pour off any excess moisture.
  • Let stand 5-10 minutes.
  • Serve.
♥♥final blog signature. ♥♥