DOUGHNUT FRENCH TOAST

Doughnut French Toast
Nigella lawson
Copyright 2007
foodnetwork

Making toast with white bread topped with butter and cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top has always been a favorite.  When I saw this recipe for french toast rolled in sugar I was interested.  While reading the reviews I saw the suggestion of adding cinnamon to the sugar.  OK, I am in the kitchen and ready to make breakfast. The taste of the vanilla, crusty golden bread on the outside and tender inside then covered with cinnamon sugar.  It's a keeper. 

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
4 teaspoons vanilla (I used 3 tsp)
4-6 slices of bread (I used thick slices of pull apart white bread)
1/4 cup sugar with 1/2 tsp cinnamon added
butter and little oil for frying

In a small baking dish add the sugar and cinnamon and mix. Set this aside, this will be used to dredge the cooked bread in before serving.

Using a 9x13 inch baking pan mix the egg, vanilla and milk. Whisk this mixture together then lay the bread in and allow to soak for 3-5 minutes per side. Spread about 1 ounce of butter and a little oil on your electric skillet or fry pan. Grill each bread slice until golden brown then flip and grill the other side. Then roll each bread slice in the cinnamon mixture and serve with melted jelly or maple syrup.

LITTLE CRABBIES

These little crabbies are easy and enjoyed.  They are a little salty but I love them just the way they are.  Modifications could be made to reduce the salt.  They can be made and frozen then broiled when ready to serve. 

Crabmeat Appetizers

6 English Muffins split

1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese
1 stick oleo
Melt butter with cheese then add:
1 1/2 tsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp season salt
7 oz can drained crabmeat

In a small saucepan add the butter, and the cheese. Melt then remove from stovetop and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well and spread on top of split english muffins. Broil until hot and bubbly and golden on the edges of the english muffns. Cut in half's or quarters and serve hot.  You can prepare these and freeze then broil when ready to serve.  

PEANUT BUTTER SQUARES

No turning on the oven to make these tasty treats. Quick and easy. They remind me of a creamy peanut butter cup. Hope you enjoy.

Peanut Butter Squares

The Colorado Cookbook
Copyright 1981

I cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips  (I used mini-chips)

In a medium size saucepan combine the crunchy peanut butter and butter and melt over medium heat.
Add the sugar and the graham cracker crumbs and mix thoroughly.
Lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray and press this mixture into the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate while making the icing.
In a small saucepan, melt the creamy peanut butter and the chocolate chips and stir until melted.
Spread this warm mixture over the peanut butter mixture. Return to the refrigerator until set. Cut in squares and enjoy.

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OREO COOKIE CUPCAKES

A big thank you to Linda at Lemon Drop for sharing this cupcake recipe.  lemondropsfoodie

Another favorite in the kitchen today.  Oreo cookie cupcakes.  Besides all the cookie's my mother made while growing up, I think the oreo cookie would be the first store bought cookie that I can remember.  These are kid friendly and grown up liked. The aroma of removing them from the cupcake tins was Oreos!  They have a brownie like texture, one bite with another surprise in the bottom a Oreo. They have been seen all over blog land, but not in my blog so here goes...............Linda at Lemon Drop suggest if you want the icing to be super white, purchase from Wilton the White-White Icing color. She only got 24 cupcakes I got 36.  A bit confused, did I do something wrong, I reread the ingredients, looked everything over again.  Can't find a thing wrong, so I ate one, ok in my book.  Creamy icing, brownie like texture to the cupcake and then the big surprise, that Oreo sitting on the bottom.    Yummy   Dick says nice!  


Oreo Cookie Cupcakes

36 regular size oreo cookies (1 package)
36 mini oreo's for topping decoration

2 1/3 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp of room temp unsalted butter
2 cups of firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups room temperature buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line your baking cups with papers and place one whole oreo cookie in the bottom of each cup.

Sift flour, baking cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Then mix this with a spoon to combine all these ingredients. Using your stand mixer, mix the butter and blend for a few minutes. Then gradually add the brown sugar continuing to mix until all mixed and fluffy about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix. Add eggs one at a time and mix before adding the next. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture with 1/3 cup of the buttermilk and continue to mix and end with the remaining buttermilk. Using your cookie scoop add the batter on top of each baking cup. I filled each cup about 2/3 fill. Bake one tin at a time for about 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean, or you can lightly touch the tops and if they spring back the cakes are done. Allow to cool then remove and cool on cooling rack.

Icing

8 ounce package of cream cheese, room temperature
6 tbsp butter room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla (use clear vanilla if you want white white icing)
4 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp heavy cream
1 heaping tablespoon of finely crushed oreo cookies ( make sure they are finely crushed or they will clog your pastry tip.)

Using the stand mixer, add the cream cheese and blend until fluffy, add the remaining ingredients and start on low speed blend then increase speed as the powdered sugar is blended in. Beat on high speed to desired consistency. Add the heaping tablespoon of finely crushed oreo. Mix then using your pasty bag, fill the bag and pipe the icing on top of each cupcake then top each with a mini oreo.

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COCONUT DATE COOKIES BY FARM JOURNAL

I can't go long without a cookie.  These cookies are soft and chewy,  with a distint taste of the dates.  I have another recipe for a cookie very simular but they are flatten with the bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar.  Both cookies are rated very high on my cookie scale.  But my most favorite of all is the all time world classic  "snickerdoodle" cookie. When my daughter Morgan was about 9 yrs old she wanted to make snickerdoodles with no supervision, well she did, she made them with 1/4 cup of salt !  I made a notation in the cookbook just for her to remember.  I have made several recipes of chocolate chip and usually go back to my orginal. 
In my younger days I was in 4-H and would enter cookies in the local fair, I have several ribbons from those days.  Mother would stand over my shoulder and direct me on how to drop the cookie dough.  Then after they were all baked we would sort thru and pick out the best looking four cookies for the fair.  They would be placed on a white plate and wrapped and delivered.  Then the long wait to see how they got judged. 

Coconut Date Cookies
Farm Journal Country Fair Cookbook
copyright 1984

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cup quick -cooking oats
1 cup finely chopped dates
1 cup broken nuts
1 cup flaked coconut

In a mixing bowl add the butter and sugars and mix until light and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time and continue to mix then add the next egg. Add the vanilla.

In another bowl sift the flour, add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix this together to combine all the ingredients evenly into the dry mixture. Gradually add this mixture to the sugar mixture and mix. Add the oats, dates, nut and coconut by hand.
Chill the dough for about one hour in the refrigerator.

Using parchment paper on your baking sheets or grease each sheet and your cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Timing will depend on the size of each cookie. Cool on cooling rack and enjoy.

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SUMMER FUN

July is National Watermelon Month and one more joy of going to the farmers market.  Compliments of Country Living Magazine July 2009.  Garden fresh from the heavens above. 

GRANITA

Puree in a blender,  4 cups of 1/2 inch size of seedless watermelon, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice. Pour this into a 9x13 inch pan and place in the freezer and stir frequently with a fork until slushy.  This will take about 2 1/2 hours.   Pour into glasses and serve.  

SWIZZLE STRICKS

Cut the seedless watermelon in 1/2 inch slices and use small cookie cutters to cut out the shapes.  Thread the cutouts onto a bamboo skewers and place in the freezer on parchment paper for a short time before using. 

                                         Hand picked blueberries from the back yard

                                                         Flowers in my garden

                                                            Visitor looking for lunch

                                                   Hand picked fresh red raspberries

MAINE BLUEBERRY BUNDT CAKE

Maine Blueberry Bundt Cake
Merrymeeting Regional Memorial Hospital Auxiliary
Brunswick, Maine
copyright 1988

As soon as school was out for the summer, the family was packed and ready to go to camp.  Dad would drive the extra miles to get to work each day. My older brothers, the cat and myself were in paradise for a few months.  Swimming, hiking, living in the bunk house for the summer.  Always visitors who would arrive on the weekends,  homemade ice cream every Sunday. 
When blueberries were ready for harvest the end of July , Mom would allow me to go rake blueberries for one week, the boys got to go for the 2-3 weeks.  She would pack our brown bag lunches, walk us to the end of the camp road and the big blueberry truck would pick us up.  I didn't rake many blueberries in those days, but I did get to hang with the "Big Boys".  I spent most of the day hanging with the owner and resting under the big truck, to keep cool.   I can still see those rolling field thru the eyes of a eight year old, they were never ending, rocks that would peek out, the blueberry rakes, wooden crates for the berries and the big machine that would blow all the stems and leaves from the berries.  

Eating this cake brings back all those memories of days gone by. The soft texture with the somewhat jelly filling.   This is summer in Maine. 
Well, I don't get picked up in the big blueberry truck, but I am still picking blueberries in the back yard.  Wild Maine blueberries, beautiful little gems.

3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 cups blueberries

Streusel filling:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Icing:
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk or cream

In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix with your whisk. Set this aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add one egg at a time and mix. Add vanilla and sour cream or yogurt alternately with the flour mixture and mix ending with the flour mixture.

In a small bowl mix the streusel filling.

Place one half of the batter in the prepared pan, sprinkle with 1 cup of the blueberries evenly over the batter. Sprinkle the streusel over the berries. Then place the remaining batter over the blueberries and streusel. Top this batter with the remaining 1 cup of blueberries.

Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or bundt pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake the cake for 1 hour or until the cake test done. Cool in pan for 20 minutes then gently run a knife around the outside edge and along the center of the pan to help loosen the cake and turn the cake out onto the cake plate. Allow the cake to cool completely then mix up the icing ingredients and drizzle the icing over the top of the cake.

BANANA MUFFINS

Went on a road trip last Saturday.  Visited a few antique stores then drove  down the coast of Maine. It was a beautiful day, while shopping at the antique store I purchased yet another cookbook.  I found this recipe for Grammy's Banana Muffins.   I had to make them on Sunday and really glad I did.  The taste is very simular to a slice of good banana bread but these are in muffin form.  Kitchen smelled wonderful with the aroma of banana's while baking.  They are easy to put together and in a short time you have fresh, hot muffins.  They puffed up and were beautiful.  Plus my favorite ingredient to bake with buttermilk.  Got 12 muffins.  

Grammy's Banana Muffins
Merrymeeting Merry Eating
Collection of recipes from the Regional Memorial Hospital
Brunswick, Maine
copyright 1988

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed banana
1 egg
1/2 cup of chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans

Mix the dry ingredients, then blend in the softened butter. In another bowl add the buttermilk, vanilla, banana, and egg and mix. Combine the dry with the wet ingredients and mix just enough to combine the two mixture. Fold in the chopped nuts. Line your 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners. Scoop the batter among the 12 muffin cups. the batter was close to the top of each muffin cup. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20-25 minutes.