Cranberry Orange Scones

I made these scones this morning! By far the BEST scone recipe I have made. I adapted it from a recipe from Zuni Cafe. If you visit The City by the Bay, make sure you go to Zuni Cafe!

Happy Cooking and Enjoy!                                                                                       

Vonnie

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour ( I use King Arthur Flour)

4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks) cold salted butter cut into small pieces

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 Tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 egg

1/2 cup  2% cold milk

1 Tablespoon orange juice

Turbinado sugar

Directions:                                                                                                     

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 jelly roll pans with parchment paper or Silpats (I use Silpats and LOVE them). 2. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix well.

3. Cut in the butter using a pastry blender or 2 forks until the butter is the size of small peas.

4. Add dried cranberries and orange zest and toss well.

5. Whisk together the egg, milk, and orange juice. Stir this into the dry ingredients, and GENTLY mix until the dough comes together and everything is well moistened.

6. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a ball. On a lightly floured work surface, pat each ball into a flat 7 inch circle. Roll out each circle until it is 3/4 inch thick. With pizza cutter, cut each round into 8 wedges.

7. Arrange the wedges in the parchment paper or Silpat lined pans without crowding(this is really important as these rise really well and they will end up touching and not toast on the edges). Sprinkle each scone with Turbinado sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I grew up in a house where bread and cookies were homemade. Every week my mother would make homemade white bread and cookies for our lunches and dinners.  There were always cookies in the cookie jar. And believe it or not I would ask my mom if we could buy Oreos or Chips Ahoy almost every Saturday when we would go to the store.  But my mother would always say, ” Absolutely Not”.

One of my favorites  was my moms Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.  They were so soft and chewy and I couldn’t get enough of them.  The only thing I have done to my mom’s recipe was add just a dash of fresh ground nutmeg.  I usually get 4 dozen cookies out of this recipe. I use my Pampered Chef medium scoop.

A plate of cookies and a glass of iced-cold milk. YUM!!

I have added one Variation and I know some of you will think it is crazy, but once you try it you will be hooked.  The add-in : BACON.  It makes it a breakfast-on -the- go cookie!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                               

Vonnie

Ingredients

• 1/2  cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2  cup granulated sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• dash of fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/2  teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups oatmeal, old-fashioned, uncooked
• 1   heaping cup raisins

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, fresh ground nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.  In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Add vanilla.   Add flour mixture a little at a time until fully combined.   Fold in oats and raisins, mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Variation:

6 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled in chunks.  Add with the oats and raisins.

Ambrosia

Are you looking for a side dish that is easy to make and your family or guests will love?  Look no further! Ambrosia is a great salad you can serve with just about any main dish.

When I was growing up in Northeast Ohio,  Sunday dinner was always Roast Beef with carrots, and potatoes, salad and dessert. My mother would make this salad occasionally and it was always a big hit! Tonight I am making my Slower Cooker Chicken Stew for dinner and thought I would make this as my salad. It seemed like the perfect side/salad to round out my dinner and since it is spring here in Michigan I thought it would be a better choice than the baked apples. You can find the Slower cooker Chicken stew recipe on my blog too!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                                         

Vonnie

 

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice

1 (3 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

2 large bananas, sliced

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 (15.25 ounce) can fruit cocktail, drained

1 (11 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained

 

 

Dump instant pudding into a large mixing bowl. Add pineapple, and mix well. Mix in non-dairy whipped topping. Stir in bananas, marshmallows, fruit cocktail, and mandarin oranges. Cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Photo: Taken by Kraft foods

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Carrot Cake Cookies

It’s time for a quick history lesson!

Did you know Carrot cake is often referred to as Passion cake?  The history of this sweet dessert can go back as far as Medieval Times. Carrots were used in sweet cakes since sweeteners were scarce and expensive. Here in the States following the end of WWII there was an over abundance of canned carrots. A business man named George C. Page hired master Bakers to find uses for the cans of carrots.  He promoted the idea of carrot cake after seeing a recipe on the side of the cans.  The cakes became very popular in the 1960′s in restaurants and cafeterias from coast to coast. Every establishment had the delectable dessert on their menu.

My family history of carrot cake is with my Grandma Taylor.  She was a wonderful baker. I loved spending time with her. The most amazing smells filled my Grandma’s kitchen and I loved sitting there watching her glide easily from counter to oven and back. She would make the most delicious baked goods and all from memory. I never remembered seeing her ever refer to a cookbook.  After her death I found a small spiral notebook with my Grandma’s hand written recipes.

Consider these cookies portable mini carrot cakes!  They are made with my Grandma’s recipe in mind.

Enjoy and Happy cooking,                        

Vonnie

 

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups sugar

1 lb. butter

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 ½ tsp. ginger

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup raisins

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Directions:

Cream butter and sugars together until light brown.  Add eggs one at a time. Wait until each one is combined before adding the next. Mix in vanilla. Fold in carrots, raisins and oats.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in a large bowl. Slowly add mix to wet ingredients by fourths. Scrape after each addition.

Scoop by teaspoons (I use a small 1-tsp ice cream scooper to make the perfect size) onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350° until golden.

Cool on rack.

While the cookies are baking and cooling, whip up the frosting.

Frosting

1 lb. cream cheese (softened)

1 lb. butter (softened)

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Cream butter and cream cheese until no lumps remain.

Slowly add vanilla and sifted powdered sugar.

After the cookies have cooled and the frosting is ready, assemble them by smearing some frosting on the bottom of one cookie and then sandwiching it closed with another.

Refrigerate leftovers.

Chocolate-Mint Overlaod Cake

I love this time of year when the Girl Scouts deliver my much anticipated order. Of course I have several boxes of the Thin Mints! I love to take them and add them to cake mixes and make my guests smile as they enjoy a delicious dessert that took me no time to make.
Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                                    

Vonnie

Ingredients:

1-18.25 oz. chocolate cake mix

1-3.9 oz.package chocolate instant pudding mix

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Girl Scout thin mint cookie crumbs

1- 8 oz container sour cream

4 large eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

powdered sugar

Directions:

Mix together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl until all are blended. Pour batter into a well greased and floured 12 cup Bundt pan. (I use a Tablespoon or more of cocoa powder instead of flour)

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on serving dish. Cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Nancy’s Banana Cream Pie

This recipe is in honor of my mother Nancy Taylor. She is/was the best baker in Champion, Ohio.  Well, at least my family thought so!!  Everything was homemade in our house.  Breads, cakes, cookies and pies.  My mom’s pies were always a big hit.  The best thing was my mom made dessert EVERY night.  After dinner ,we had the very best sweets imagined.  Banana cream pie was always put a smile on my family’s face!

Enjoy my mom’s recipe and Happy Cooking,                                                          

Vonnie

Ingredients:

3/4 cups sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk

3 egg yolks, beaten

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

4 bananas, sliced

whipped topping                                                                                                                              

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.

Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.

Slice bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees  for 12 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour.

Top with whipped topping.

Buttermilk Double Chocolate Bread

To love Some say it’s hard 

But I think otherwise 

Love is the easiest feeling 

No need to hide it, express it with pride                                    

It’s a kiss, a hug or a smile 

It’s hidden in our eyes 

Nothing compares To love

On this eve of Saint Valentine’s day I wanted to share a recipe that included chocolate.  This bread will put a smile on your special Valentine’s face and love in their heart.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,

Vonnie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 cup sugar

2 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

 Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add vanilla.   Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda;  add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Fold in white chocolate chips.  Pour into a greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Valentine’s Day menu

Enjoy spending time with the one’s you love.

 

This is one of my favorite Valentine’s menus.  I made it for Mark Valentine’s Day 1994 ( sometimes it pays writing notes in my cookbooks!)  I was very pregnant with Maddie, Chris was 4, and Taylor was 2.  The boys and I cut out 100 hearts and wrote all the things we loved about Mark on them.  We taped the hearts to the door so when Mark got home from work he would see them. Then we sat down and enjoyed this wonderful dinner and laughed and told Mark all of our adventures of the day!!

I hope your Valentine’s Day is full of love and laughter.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                                                      

Vonnie

 

 

Menu:

Deep Fried Ravioli with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Tossed Salad with Grandma’s Italian Dreesing

Garlic Green Beans

Chicken Amore

Raspberry Cobbler

 

Deep Fried Ravioli with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:                                                                                           

1 pkg. raviolis, found in the refrigerator section

1 cup of roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Directions:

In a food processor combine peppers, vinegar, mustard, oil and salt until finely chopped. Pour into a mixing bowl and sitr in mayonnaise. Serve as a dipping sauce for raviolis.

Fry raviolis in oil until crspy.

Tossed Salad with Grandma’s Italian Dressing

Ingredients:                                                                                                            

Romaine lettuce, Chopped

Tomatoes, sliced

Cucumber, peeled and sliced

Add all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss.

Dressing:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together set aside. In a large mixing bowl add vinegar. Whisk oil in slowly and well. Add dry ingredients and whisk well. Before serving over tossed salad whisk dressing.

Garlic Green Beans                                                                             

Ingredients:

4 cloves garlic

1 lb. green beans

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook green beans by steaming until crisp, about 3-5 minutes. Crush and mince garlic. In a large skillet heat oil and butter over meduim heat. Add garlic and saute. Add green beans, salt and pepper. Toss in pan until beans are thoroughly coated and evenly heated.

Chicken Amore

Ingredients:                                                                        

1 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

4 chicken breast halves

1/2 cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning

dash hot sauce

1 1/2 cup white wine

3/4 cup sliced black olives

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1-7 oz. jar pimentos

Directions:

Mix flour, salt and pepper together in a large zip bag. Add chicken and shake well. Make sure chicken is coated well. Heat oil in a large skillet over meduim heat. Add chicken and brown 3-5 min. turn and brown another 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, parsley,seasoning, hot sauce and wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add olives, mushrooms, and pimentos. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.

Raspberry Cobbler

 Ingredients:                                                                                    

1 pkg. frozen raspberries

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup melted butter

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Thaw berries and spread evenly on the bottom of a 9×9 baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, combine bisquick, milk, butter, and 2 Tbsp. sugar. Mix well until moist. Set aside. In sauce pan combine water, 3/4 cup sugar, and cornstarch. Bring to a boil. Stir until mixture is thick and clear. Pour over berries. Drop Bisquick mixture by spoonful over berries. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Chocolate Mint Overload Cake

I love this time of year when the Girl Scouts will soon be delivering my much-anticipated order.  Of course I have several boxes of the Thin Mints!  I love to take them and add them to cake mixes and make my family and friends smile as they enjoy a delicious dessert that took me no time to make.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,                                                                                         

Vonnie

1-18.25 oz. chocolate cake mix

1-3.9 oz.package chocolate instant pudding mix

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Girl Scout thin mint cookie crumbs

1-8 oz container sour cream

4 large eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

powdered sugar

Mix together the first eight ingredients in a large bowl until all are blended. Pour batter into a well-greased 12 cup Bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on serving dish. Cool completely. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies

Christmas Cookie Trivia and Fun Facts

• Christmas cookies date back to Medieval Europe. Who knew? I certainly didn’t! But after looking into this I found out:

Modern Christmas Cookies can trace their history to recipes from Medieval Europe biscuits, which when many modern ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, almonds and dried fruit were introduced into the west. By the 16th century Christmas biscuits had become popular across Europe, with lebkuchen being favoured in Germany and papparkakor in Sweden, while in Norway krumkake were popular.

• Dutch and German settlers first introduced cookie cutters to America.  I have always had a fascination with cookie cutters! I think I can probably thank my Grandma Taylor for this! But did you know:

There is a National Cookie Cutter Museum in Joplin, Missouri?  The cookie cutter collection is cared for by the National Cookie Cutter Collectors Club which was organized in 1982 by four women, Phyllis Wetherill, Evelyn King, Lee Carey and Jill Tucker. 

• German gingerbread (lebkuchen) was the first cookie/cake associated with Christmas. Growing up we had these cookies every Christmas and I always thought my mother made them. It wasn’t until I was married did find out my mom bought them at the grocery store and they were Archway Brand! I did find out:

The Lebkuchen is a traditional Christmas cookie, which is often enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee. There are many regional variations to the Lebkuchen cookie, but the most well-known is the Nurnberger Lebkuchen from the city of Nurnberg!

• Animal crackers began as edible ornaments.  Every year I used to get a box of these yummy cookies in my stocking!

Nabisco introduced Animal Crackers to the American public in 1902 as a seasonal item and its brightly colored boxes were promoted as Christmas tree ornaments (that’s what the string was for!)

• The Wellesley Cookie Exchange, A most famous American cookie exchange, began in 1971 as a way to relieve holiday stress.

There are so many websites and blogs dedicated to Christmas cookie exchanges. Most are for a “girls night out” evening of fun!

Well, my thought behind all of this was Today is December 1st! And even though many of you have your Christmas Cookie Exchange Night all planned and invitations sent,  I thought I would share over the next few days cookie recipes of my favorite holiday cookies. The first one I chose is:  Cranberry Thumbprint Cookies. These are sure to be the hit of your exchange or dessert party. They are simple to make and taste like old-fashioned Holiday cookies from your childhood.  Santa will be very happy to see a plate laced with these delicious cookies on Christmas Eve!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking~                                                          

Vonnie

Ingredients:

Cranberry jam

12 oz fresh cranberries

1/2 c fresh orange juice

1/2 c water

5-6 T sugar

Sugar cookies

1 1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

1 egg

1/2 c shortening

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, combine cranberries, orange juice, water and 4 T sugar, over low heat. Cover and allow to cook, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste, adding more sugar to desired sweetness. Cook an additional 10-15 minutes, until mixture thickens and most of the large cranberries pieces have dissolved. Cool in fridge.

Preheat oven to  375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, salt and baking soda. Stir in vanilla and egg. Add shortening, and combine well with a pastry blender or spoon. Place rounded teaspoons of dough on a greased cookie sheet (these should be small, making 32 cookies total—enough for two baking sheets). With your thumb, make an indent in each of the cookies, and add a teaspoon of cranberry jam.

Transfer to oven and bake 8-10 minutes, until edges begin to brown.  Cool on sheets for a couple of minutes and then transfer to cookie rack. Store in an air tight container.  Makes 32 cookies.