Category: DESSERTS

REVIVAL OF THE SUNDAY DINNER

This is Am’s last Sunday with us so she’ll be doing the Sunday cooking again. Today she made Pot Roast, CheesyAu Gratin Potatoes, Glazed Carrots, Home made Apple Sauce and Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

MAPLE GLAZED CARROTS1/2 bag baby carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
scant 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • Clean carrots and slice diagonally in half.
  • Melt butter in skillet.
  • Saute’ carrots until tender.
  • Add brown sugar and cook several minutes, stirring constantly so sugar doesn’t burn.
  • Add syrup and coat well.
  • Cook until syrup is warm and carrots are well coated.

BANANA RAISIN NUT BREAD OR CAKE
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, 1/2 soft & 1/2 melted
2 jumbo eggs
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup golden raisins, currants or craisins
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
2 large, RIPE bananas
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • Combine the melted butter, brown sugar and bananas in a sauce pan.
  • Cook until smooth and then add nuts and raisins.
  • Stir until well coated & set aside to cool.
  • Cream softened butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
  • Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  • Add this to the creamed mixture gradually until well blended.
  • Add cooled banana mixture.
  • Pour into greased and floured pan(s)*
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45+ minutes.

*This recipe will make 2 large loaves or 1 cake. If making bread, skip the frosting.

FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

HOME MADE APPLE SAUCE
5 large Apples (I like Pink Lady or Braeburns)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 can peach nectar (Papaya or pineapple are good too)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

  • In a large sauce pan pour nectar over raisins and let sit while you prepare apples.
  • Wash, core, peel and chop apples.
  • Add water to sauce pan and stir in sugar until dissolved.
  • Add cinnamon and mix well.
  • Add apples and cook over medium heat until until apples are tender and mush easily.
  • Mush to desired consistency.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Cool and chill.
  • Can be kept in refrigerator for a week though it never lasts that long around here. When my apples are at the height of the season and falling off the tree I make this in huge batches and put it up in canning jars for the following year.

Today is the BIG day!

Today is the big day so head on over to Joy of Desserts to enter
your ice cream recipes and see everyone else’s recipes!!!
While I have your attention and we are on the topic of Round-Ups, if you find yourself with the Need to Knead, we have the bread round-up for you. Joy and I will be co-hosting this event. Start scouring the nooks and crannys for all those bread recipes. We will round-up all types of bread recipes on October 15th. We hope you will participate!


final blog signature.

The Revival of a Family Sunday ~ Breakfast through Dinner

We’re changing up the menu plan a bit! The catch to dinner: My recipes, but the teenager has done all the menu planning (which she hated making choices – said it was hard work), shopping, prep work, cooking and clean-up. On the Menu: Toasted French Toast for breakfast and for dinner, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Garlic Smashers, Home Made Carrot Cake she made a gourmet meal that was quickly devoured! We used multi-grain and sourdough for the French toast and it was truly scrumptious.




TOASTED FRENCH TOAST ~ We hate soggy French Toast and this recipe conquers that.
8 slices thick white bread
1 1/4 cup milk
5 egg yolks
1/8 cup flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • Toast bread, but not browned.
  • Preheat griddle and coat with a small amount of butter.
  • Whisk together the egg yolks, milk, salt, vanilla, butter and cinnamon.
  • Whisk in flour until smooth.
  • Pour milk mixture into a baking dish.
  • Soak bread pieces for a few seconds on each side.
  • Grill for several minutes on each side until golden brown.
  • Serve with warm maple syrup.

SMASHERS
6-8 small YUKON potatoes, skin on
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 stick butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic
olive oil

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
  • Scrub potatoes
  • Boil potatoes until tender
  • Generously spread olive oil on cookie sheet
  • Space potatoes a couple of inches apart
  • With a potato masher, SMASH each potato
  • Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika
  • Melt butter and mix butter and garlic together
  • Pour a tablespoon of butter mixture over each potato
  • Bake 30 minutes or until tops are crispy
CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
2 tablespoons butter, softened
4 thin slices cooked ham
4 thin slices swiss cheese***
1/2 pound bacon (8 slices)
2 jumbo eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 teaspoon oregano

  • Flatten chicken breasts.
  • Spread butter evenly on the tops.
  • Smooth garlic evenly amongst the 4 breasts.
  • Sprinkle the thyme evenly between the four breasts.
  • Top with a slice of ham and then a slice of cheese.
  • Roll up tightly.
  • Wrap 2 slices of bacon around each one and secure with toothpicks.
  • Whisk together the eggs and milk in a shallow bowl. Place flour in another shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, oregano and cheese in a 3rd shallow bowl.
  • Dip each chicken breast in the egg mixture first, then the flour, then the egg mixture again and the crumb mixture last.
  • Place on a greased cookie sheet.
  • Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
  • Don’t forget to remove the toothpicks before serving.
*For really easy servings, I lay the bacon on the cookie sheet and cut the flattened breasts in half. On top of 1/2 of the bacon strip lay a chicken piece, top as directed and then lay the other chicken breast. Bring the other 1/2 of the bacon slice over the top and bake as directed. NO ROLLING AND NO TOOTHPICKS!

***I also use Muenster or Gruyere if that is what I have on hand.

SCRUMPTIOUS CARROT CAKE with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
CAKE
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup butter, softened
3 Jumbo eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup golden rum*
3 cups grated carrots
8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

  • Pour rum over raisins and set aside for at least an hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour 2-9 inch cake pans.
  • In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and sugars.
  • In another bowl cream together the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and 1 egg. Add additional eggs and beat until well creamed.
  • Add dry ingredients gradually until well blended.
  • Add carrots, pineapple and walnuts until well blended.
  • Drain raisins and fold in last.
  • Pour batter into prepared pans.
  • Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool 10 minutes.
  • Invert cakes onto rack and cool completely.

*As an option you could soak the raisins in orange juice instead and then substitute 1 teaspoon maple flavoring for the rum.

FROSTING
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

  • In a medium bowl beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.
  • Add lemon juice and vanilla. Beat until blended.
  • Add powdered sugar gradually until well blended and smooth.
  • Ice first layer and then add 2nd cake top and ice again including sides of cake.
  • Refrigerate 1 hour to set icing before serving.

Cream Cheese Cookies

CREAM CHEESE ORANGE SLICE COOKIES COOKIES

COOKIES
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • Beat cream cheese and butter together until well creamed.
  • Add sugar and blend again.
  • Add flour, orange peel and soda.
  • Mix well.
  • Shape into a log.
  • Chill 30 minutes.
  • Cut 1/4 inch slices.
  • Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15-18 minutes until edges begin to golden.
  • Cool on rack.

DIP
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon orange liqueur

  • In a small saucepan melt melt chocolate chips, orange juice and orange liqueur together until smooth.
  • Dip 1/2 of each cookie into the chocolate mixture.
  • Cool on wax paper until chocolate mixture hardens.

Tamy

National Ice Cream Month and National Blueberry Month

LEMON ICE CREAM with BLUEBERRY SAUCE

ICE CREAM

5+ medium lemons (3/4 cup +1 teaspoon for sauce)
2 cups whole milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
12 egg yolks, save the whites for a great omelet
2 cups heavy cream

  • Juice lemons until you have 3/4 cup of juice.

  • Zest lemon peels until you have 2 tablespoons. Be sure to zest only the bright yellow as the insides are more bitter.

  • Chill the juice.

  • In a small saucepan, heat the milk over a medium heat until it begins to bubble.

  • In a larger saucepan whisk the sugar, salt and lemon peel into the egg yolks. until well blended.

  • Gradually whisk in the warmed milk mixture. Cook and stir continuously with a wooden spoon over medium heat until mixture thickens (about 15 minutes).

  • Transfer to a large bowl and immediately cool the custard mixture by placing the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water for 5 minutes or so. Stir constantly while it is cooling.

  • Add in the lemon juice.

  • Freeze according the manufacturers directions.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 cups fresh blueberries

  • Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Stir in the water and lemon juice until all dissolved.

  • Add blueberries and cook over medium heat until bubbly and starts to thicken.

  • Cook a few minutes more until desired thickness.

  • Transfer to a pitcher and bring to room temperature before serving.

Tamy

Ice Cream Recipes in honor of National Ice Cream Month!

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July is National Ice Cream Month
July 18th is National Ice Cream Day
Let’s Celebrate Together!
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I scream, you scream,
we all scream for ice scream!

Joy over at Joy of Desserts is hosting this delightful round up of recipes for ice creams, gelatos, sorbets, sherberts, granites, frozen yogurts and any ice cream-like confections. So click on over and check out all the recipes. If you want to join in head on over to Joy’s blog to link to it so that we may all visit you. You can even link to recipes you have already posted. Add this button to your participating posts and link to this blog. Your blog can be in any language, but a translator on your site will help any who don’t speak the same language.

It just happens to coincide with Meredith’s themes for blueberries and National Ice Cream Month over at Scrumptious Sunday which is hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and with Favorite Ingredient Friday’s 4th of July theme which is hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy.

It is not a problem with my ice cream freezer, but Kathryn over at Overwhelmed with Joy recently pointed out that she found it better to cool the mixture in the refrigerator before using the ice cream freezer.

VANILLA ICE CREAM ~ BASIC RECIPE
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract

Warm the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature. Whisk in the cream and vanilla. Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM
2 cups strawberry chunks
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream

Warm the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature. Whisk in the cream and vanilla. Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing. Add the strawberry chunks just before the freezing process is complete.

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

Warm the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Whisk in the cocoa just before removing from heat. Let it cool to room temperature. Whisk in the cream and vanilla. Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing. Add the chocolate chips just before freezing process is complete.

CHOCOLATE BANANA ICE CREAM
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas

Warm the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Whisk in the cocoa. Let it cool to room temperature. Puree’ the bananas and whisk into the cream and vanilla. When cooked mixtures cools, whisk the two together. Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing. Add the chocolate chips just before freezing process is complete.

APRICOT PINEAPPLE ICE CREAM
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/2 cup Smucker’s Apricot Pineapple Jam

Warm the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature. Whisk in the cream and vanilla. Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing. Add the jam just before freezing process is complete.

BLUEBERRY RUM ICE CREAM
3/4 cup blueberries
1/3 cup rum
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 Jumbo eggs
2 cups heavy cream

Pour the rum over the blueberries. Let stand overnight. Warm the milk in a small pan. Whisk the eggs with the sugar in a separate bowl. Slowly add the warm milk to the egg mixture while continuously whisking the mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and heat slowly, stirring continuously until mixture thickens to loose pudding texture. DO NOT BOIL! Let it cool to room temperature. Whisk in the cream and vanilla. Follow your ice cream maker directions for freezing. Drain the excess moisture off the blueberries. Add them just before the freezing process is complete.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks, Tasty Thursday hosted by Pumpkin Patch, Watchin’ What We Eat hosted by Lorie at Honey I Shrank Myself and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!


Brioche EGG Bread


Brioche EGG BREAD
1 1/2 pound loaf

2/3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons butter, cut into chunks
2 eggs
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast

The beauty of bread machines is they always want the same layering.
Liquids
Butter chunks & Eggs
Flour & Sugar
Yeast
The key to any good bread is using quality fresh ingredients.
Just remember, garbage in is garbage out.
Let your bread maker do the rest!

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Devil's Food Orange Cake & Orange Butter frosting



CAKE

4 medium navel oranges, room temperature
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 Jumbo eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 cups flour

  • Heat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Generously grease a Bundt pan (I like a decorative Nordicware or Wilton pan)
  • Squeeze oranges, saving pulp
  • Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Then add 1/2 cup of the sugar, the cinnamon and 1/2 cup of the orange juice, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
  • Mix the baking soda into 2 teaspoons of orange juice.
  • In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening with 1 cup sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  • Alternate the milk and flour, sifting the flour into the cream mixture and blend until smooth.
  • Add the baking soda mixture and blend well.
  • Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blend well.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  • Level pan by dropping on counter top to remove air bubbles.
  • Bake until springy 55-60 minutes.
  • Cool 10 minutes and then invert onto platter.
  • Cool before frosting.
FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
5 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, pulp and all
2 teaspoon orange zest

  • Beat butter until fluffy.
  • Beat in 1/2 of the powdered sugar until smooth.
  • Add orange juice, vanilla and orange peel. Blend until smooth.
  • Slowly add the remaining sugar and blend until silky.
  • Adjust sugar and orange juice until desired consistency and flavor is reached.

If you don’t have this mess in the end,
you did it wrong!

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Favorite Ingredient Friday ~ Dessert Edition ~ Cheese Danish

4 oz. cream cheese*
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 – 8 oz. crescent rolls
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter

  • Combine first 5 ingredients and cream together.
  • On a large greased cookie sheet, roll out the first can of crescent rolls, sealing all the edges.
  • Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over top of crescent rolls.
  • Top with the other can of crescent rolls and seal all the outside edges top to bottom.
  • Beat together the egg and melted butter.
  • Brush egg mixture over crescent rolls.
  • Bake at 35 degrees for 20 minutes.

*can substitute 4 oz. cream cheese for 2 oz. cream cheese and 2 oz. jam (favorite flavor)

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Scrumptious Sunday ~ Cookies ~ Majestic Cookie Bars ~ 5th Edition 2nd Issue

If you’d like to play along, see other entries and share recipes please visit
Meredith at Mercedes Rocks who hosts Scrumptious Sunday

Magic Cookie Bars – my way – Majestically

Eagle brand has a recipe for magic cookie bars on their can that sounds yummy, but I changed years ago to reflect my families preferences and called them Majestic Cookie Bars.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup ground ginger snaps and vanilla wafers*
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butterscotch chips**
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips**
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup minced walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt the butter in the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish.
  • Sprinkle cookie crumbs over butter evenly.
  • Pour milk over crumbs evenly.
  • Sprinkle the remaining ingredients in order listed over milk evenly pressing down slightly with the spatula so they sink slightly into the milk base.
  • Bake until lightly browned – about 25 minutes.
  • Store tightly at room temperature.

*I have also used the remaining crumbs from whatever was in the cookie jar last with great success.

**I sometimes substitute 1 1/4 cup raspberry jam instead of the peanut butter and butterscotch chips for fruity taste. If using the jam, chill the baking dish after adding the milk for 10-15 minutes before adding remaining ingredients and baking. Chilling the milk gives a firmer base to be able to evenly spread the jam over it. Also be sure to add the jam on top of the milk before the chunky ingredients.

I do the memes: Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie, Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Kathryn at Overwhelmed with Joy, Freezer Food Friday hosted by MJ at mjpuzzlemom, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Meredith at Mercedes Rocks and Slow Cooking Thursday hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Doing them all make great additions to help keeping me on track and finding so new recipes!

Did I mention we're on diets around here? Easy Diet Cake & YummyToo!

We are on a diet around here, but today was hubby’s birthday and he needed a cake so I made this one. It’s one of our favorites.

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD CAKE
1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 large can crushed pineapple with juice

Mix them together, pour into a 13×9 baking dish and bake 30 minutes.

Voile’, a light and fruity dessert. If you want to get fancy spoon Comstock cherries over top before serving.

Peanut Butter Fudge Bars – Favorite Ingredient Friday

My cousin Jenn, made this recently so we have a picture courtesy of her.

1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine peanut butter, egg and oil until smooth. Add cake mix and mix well. Press 2/3 of mixture into bottom of 13×9 pan. Bake 10 minutes.

In a saucepan heat together butter, milk and chocolate chips over low heat until melted, blended and smooth. Watch closely so it doesn’t burn.

Pour evenly over baked crust. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture evenly over chocolate mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely before cutting.

I have successfully experimented with this by changing the cake mix flavor and the chip flavors. Use your imagination.

Favorite Ingredient Friday hosted by Overwhelmed with Joy.