French Toast Cups

 

 

My Sister Haven and I were talking the other day and she asked me if I had ever made these "French Toast Cups". I had not tried them and decided that it would be a perfect pre-sledding breakfast. I did not have any sausage on hand so I opted for bacon and the results we delicious . This is a great Brunch item.

Maple and Sausage-Stuffed French Toast Cups (as seen on Rachel Ray)

(Printable Version) 

Ingredients

• Butter, for the muffin tins
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon (a splash) milk, (eyeball it)
• 2 teaspoons (about half a palmful) cinnamon
• A dash of vanilla extract
• A few grates fresh nutmeg
• 6 slices white or wheat sandwich bread 
• Topping: (I just diced up some bacon and tossed it with maple syrup)
  
• 1 1/2 cups maple syrup
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 pound country breakfast sausage, casings removed if links
• 3 McIntosh apples, skins left on, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh apple cider

Yields: 6 servings, as a brunch item

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Rub the inside of each cup of a 6-cup muffin tin with butter and set aside.

In a medium-size mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg.

Cut a slit in the corner of each slice of bread from the middle of the slice to the edge. Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture then lightly press it into a cup of the muffin tin, overlapping the pieces where you cut the slit to make it fit into the cup without tearing.

Bake the French toast cups for 12-14 minutes, until they're light golden brown.

Pecan Pie Bars

I made these great Pecan Pie Bars for our Thanksgiving Feast . I initially went searching for a bar option because I ran out of "Pie Pans" due to  making 6 Pumpkin Pies. This version was fabulous. I don't think I will make it in pie form again. It serves up nicely and will leave you wanting more.

Pecan Pie Bars (printable version)

Ingredients

• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  cup  sugar
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 3/4  cup  butter or margarine, cut up
• 1  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 1  cup  light corn syrup
• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine
• 4  large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 1/2  cups  finely chopped pecans
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

Preparation

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl; cut in 3/4 cup butter thoroughly with a pastry blender until mixture resembles very fine crumbs. Press mixture evenly into a greased 13" x 9" pan, using a piece of plastic wrap to press crumb mixture firmly in pan. Bake at 350° for 17 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring gently. Remove from heat. Stir one-fourth of hot mixture into beaten eggs; add to remaining hot mixture. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour filling over crust. Bake at 350° for 34 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Christmas with Southern Living 2000, Oxmoor House, JANUARY 2000

Pumpkin Pie Squares

 

If you are looking for a twist on the traditional pumpkin pie but are not quite in the mood for a cobbler this is the perfect recipe for you. The addition of eggs to the pumpkin gives this dessert a lighter,fluffier texture. My husband really enjoyed this version. 

Pumpkin Pie Squares from Sisters Cafe

(Printable Version )

Crust:

1 box yellow or spice cake mix, reserve 1 cup for topping

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg

Filling:

1 29oz can pumpkin (I used Libby's-make sure it is pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)

1.5 cups evaporated milk

1.5 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. vanilla

1 t. ginger

1/4 t. cloves

Topping:

Reserved 1 cup dry cake mis

1/4 cup sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/8 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, mix together cake mix (reserving one cup for the topping), melted butter and egg. Spread into greased pan. For the filling, mix all ingredients well and pour over crust mixture in pan. For the topping, mix together reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Mix until crumbly and sprinkle on the pumpkin filling mixture. Bake 1 hour or until a nice inserted in the middle comes out clean. (I just poke it with a knife and make sure it comes out clean).  Chill and serve with real whipped cream.

Cowboy Spaghetti

 

I wanted to try a new recipe that my family would be sure to enjoy. I came across this great spaghetti recipe. It is a great alternative to traditional spaghetti. It has a nice smoky flavor with a touch of spiciness. This a great hearty "CowBoy" meal.

Cowboy Spaghetti as seen on BlogChef

(printable version)
Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti noodles ( I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 slices smoky bacon (chopped)
1lb ground beef
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves (minced)
Ground black pepper (to taste)
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup beer ( I used apple juice in stead of the beer with great results)
1 (14 ounce) can fired roasted diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
green onions (chopped) (i didn't have these so I sprinkled a few dried chives)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. This can be done while you’re making the sauce. Heat a large deep skillet to medium-high heat. Add olive oil and add bacon. Fry bacon until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Step 2: In the same skillet add ground beef and chop up with a spatula or metal spoon while cooking. Cook until the beef is browned. Add onions and garlic, stir into the meat. Season with salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add the beer to the pan and stir in. Cook for 5-6 minutes and stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Add spaghetti noodles to the meat and sauce and combine. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and green onions.
(Makes 4 Servings)

Bakery Style Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Today I was surfing the net looking for a new cookie recipe to try for an after school treat for the kids and I came across this yummy cookie. I had all the ingredients and decided to go for it. I am glad I did. This is definitely going to be kept on our favorite cookie list.


Peanut Butter Cookies as seen on Smitten Kitchen
(Printable Version)
The brilliance of these cookies is that they have include two different formats for peanuts–three if you use chunky peanut butter. They’re crisp on the outside, and almost cakey on the inside. Bake a batch and then hide the results in the furthest and most forgettable reaches of your kitchen. You’ll thank me later.
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth is what we used, but I am pretty sure they use chunky at the bakery)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips
For sprinkling: 1 tablespoon sugar, regular or superfine( for the record I used more than a Tablespoon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Place sprinkling sugar — the remaining tablespoon — on a plate. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls into the sugar, then onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crisss-cross pattern (I used the back of a small offset spatula to keep it smooth on top), but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.
Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

 

I found this great pancake recipe at the Idea Room. They are fantastic your family will love them. Make sure to double the recipe because they disappear quickly. We enjoyed ours topped with buttermilk syrup. They would be great drizzled with icing. Try these today !!!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes:

(printable version)

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon honey

Cinnamon swirl:

2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

1. Mix all the ingredients together to make the pancakes and set aside. Preheat your pan or skillet and lightly grease it.

2. Make the Cinnamon Swirl mixture and place it into a a small bottle with a squirt nozzle or a small baggie with a snip in the corner.

3. Spread your batter into small pancakes on the griddle. Immediately add the cinnamon swirls.

4. Cook the pancakes until small bubbles form on the topside of the pancake and do not fill back in with batter.

5. Flip over the pancakes with a turner and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

My kiddos enjoyed these with buttermilk syrup. My husband thought they were great plain.

If you would like to drizzle icing instead of syrup try this one:

For the Cream Cheese Icing...
In the same bowl that you used for the cinnamon filling, mix together, using the hand mixer again:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 ounces cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
4 T. milk

Mix until smooth and pour into a second pastry bag just like you did with the cinnamon mixture above.

For the Buttermilk Syrup try this:

 Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup Sugar
2/3 C. buttermilk
1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. baking soda.
Mix Butter, sugar and buttermilk together and boil 2 full minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and baking soda.
Serve over pancakes.   Makes 2 cups of syrup.

The Best Lemon Bars from All Recipes

  We tried this version of the classic lemon bars today and were glad we did. The lemon flavor was enhanced by the lemon zest. Make Sure to use Large lemons to get a Tart lemony flavor.....Enjoy.
The  Best Lemon Bars from All Recipes

(printable version)

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
•  
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 lemons, juiced ( I used to large lemons and added the zest of 1 of them )

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/12 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice and zest. Pour over the baked crust.
4. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool.

Orange Rolls

When I saw this post from Melanie I knew I would be making them ... Fabulous is all I can say. They will definitely be a keeper in our home. ENJOY!!

Orange Sweet Rolls from My Kitchen Cafe

(PRINTABLE VERSION)

makes 12-14 rolls/twists

 Dough:

¾ cup buttermilk, warm (pour the buttermilk in a glass liquid measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute on 50% power)

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

3 large eggs

4 ¼ cups flour

¼ cup sugar

2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

 Orange Filling:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

Grated orange rind/zest from two large oranges (reserving 1/2 teaspoon grated rind for the glaze below)

 Orange Glaze:

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice from about 1 orange

1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind/zest reserved from the filling above

For the dough, whisk the warmed buttermilk and butter together in a large liquid measuring cup. Combine 4 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with dough hook (or you can use a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or electric handheld mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and eggs and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium speed and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes (knead for 15-18 minutes by hand). If after 5 minutes of kneading, the dough is still overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but has a slight tacky feel when pressed between your fingertips.

Place the dough in a large, lightly greased bowl and cover the top tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled, around 2 to 2 ½ hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

For the filling, combine all the filling ingredients (reserving 1/2 teaspoon orange zest for the glaze) in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a lightly floured counter  and press it into about a 16 by 12-inch rectangle (if you have doubled the recipe, split the dough in half and roll out one half at a time). Gently brush the filling mixture over the rectangle, using an offset spatula or rubber spatula.

 Lift the longest edge closest to you and begin rolling the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam closed and roll the log so it is seam side down. Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 12 evenly sized rolls,more or less. You can slice them thinner or thicker as you like. For a traditional cinnamon-roll-look, arrange the rolls cut side down on a lined or lightly greased baking pan.  Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise in a warm place until doubled, 1 to 1 ½ hours.

 Bake the rolls at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden on top and cooked through. While the rolls are baking, mix together the glaze ingredients. Drizzle the glaze over the warm rolls.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies .... Oh My !!

 If you are feeling like baking something with PUMPKIN then you must try this fabulous cookie/cake.
It was a big hit with everyone it tastes great even without the creamcheese filling. Enjoy
Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies as seen on Our Best Bites
(PRINTABLE VERSION)
Original recipe from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

Cakes

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 c. oil
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
3 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Cream Cheese Filling

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 8-oz. package cream cheese (you could use light)
3 c. powdered sugar
3 tablespoons maple syrup of 1/2-1 tsp. maple extract
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level with a knife. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, white sugar, and oil. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Using a 1 tablespoon scoop or a 1/2 tablespoon measure, drop the batter onto a baking sheet (lined, if possible, but not necessary), leaving about 1" between the batter. Try to keep the batter as circular as possible. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the tops are done and a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the pan and then transfer to a cooling rack.

To prepare the filling, beat the butter on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, maple, and vanilla and beat until combined. Transfer to a large Ziploc bag and cut 1/2"-1" off the corner.

Flip the cakes over on a flat surface. Squeeze about 2-3 tablespoons of filling per large whoopie pie (less if you used a 1/2 tablespoon measure) onto every other cake. Top each pie with the remaining cakes. Serve immediately if possible; otherwise, these can be refrigerated in an airtight container. Makes about 30 large whoopie pies.

P.S. Thank you guys SO MUCH for all the votes we've gotten so far in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook-Off!!! You have no idea how much we love you guys and how much we appreciate it! If you haven't voted today, please click here to vote for us! Remember, you can vote every day throughout the month of October.

Sweet And Sour Sauce for Canning

Okay so if you have an over abundance of tomatoes and you are not in the mood for salsa try this fabulous recipe out. Thanks to a friend "JEAN" for sharing this recipe. I used my food processor to chop the onions and tomatoes I left the green peppers in bigger chunks for all the great flavor but the ability for picky eaters to remove them .

MANDARIN SAUCE FOR CANNING
(printable Version)

MANDARIN SAUCE for canning  (A great sweet & sour sauce)
 
8C. blended tomatoes (wash blanch and peel them, throw in the blender
3 C. chopped tomatoes (peeled and chopped, added mostly for texture)
4 C. chopped onions 

4 C. green peppers 
2-20oz. cans pineapple tidbits (save the juice to mix with the thickener)
5 C. sugar
8 TB. soy sauce
3 C. vinegar
1 C. Clear jell or ultra-jell 
1 C. cold water (to mix with thickener)
 
Put all ingredients together except pineapple juice and water and 
cornstarch.  Heat in large pan to boiling, stirring frequently.  
Gradually add the juice, water and clear jell/ultra jell that you have mixed 
together in a separate bowl.  Cook until thickened, stirring 
continually.  Fill your sterile canning jars, leaving 1/2" headspace.  
Put on lids tightly.  Process 35 minutes in water-bath canner. 

For a quick meal heat up with some cut-up leftover meat and heat until nice and 
hot, serve over rice, and add some crunchy Chinese noodles if you want. It works well

with any sweet and sour dish.