Sunday, July 17, 2011

ZUCCHINI BANANA BREAD

Summer in Maine. If you are in Maine during the zucchini season, you may hear someone telling you "keep your car doors locked during zucchini season" or you may come back and see a bag of zucchini sitting in your car!  Wouldn't that be nice.  A interesting combination, zucchini and banana's.  A hint of both flavors. These can be made into muffins, or baked in a cake pan. The bread is moist and can also be frozen to enjoy later. 

Zucchini Banana Bread
Taste of Home
Special 2011 Collectors Edition



1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2-3 depending on size)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp banana exact ( if you don't have just use 1 tsp vanilla)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts



In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and stir to combine these ingredients. In another bowl add and mix the egg, bananas, extracts and combine this into the dry ingredients. Mix just until moistened. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Bake at 325 degrees for about 40-50 minutes depending on the size bread pan you use. I always keep checking at the end. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cake rack.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

STRAWBERRY TART

Strawberry Tart
Taste of Home
2011 Collectors Edition

Who can resist a strawberry tart.  Having never made one, I was in for the surprise of my taste buds.  I had seen picked strawberries at a local farm stand for $5.00 a quart and I refused to pay that. Close to the house is a farm that you can pick your own.  Offered at a better price of $2.00 a pound.  I picked into the evening, until they closed the patch. I didn't do the math, the thrill of just picking my own berries is enough for me.

It has been hot and humid in Maine, I didn't think twice of turning on the oven long enough to bake the shell.  It was worth the heat. The tart is easy to make but it has to be refrigerated for a couple of hours before being served.   The strawberries are sweet, and juicy.  The crust is flaky, with a hidden layer of German chocolate giving every bite a crunch of chocolate.  Then layered with a smooth and silky filling.  And topped off with those beautiful little red gems. I added a few blueberries that were picked in my back yard.  My taste testers all sampled the tart and agreed it was very tasty on a hot, humid summer night in Maine.    



1 sheet of refrigerated pie pastry
3 ounces of German sweet chocolate, melted
2 package of softened cream cheese, (8 ounces each)
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups of confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 cups of thinly sliced strawberries
1/4 cup red current jelly



Using a tart pan, un-greased with removal bottom, place the pre-made pie crust over the pan and adjust the crust into the tart pan. Using your hands you can press around the top edge of the pan and it will cut the extra crust for you. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven leaving it to cool on a rack.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave dish. After the tart has cooled spread the melted chocolate on the bottom of the tart then place in the refrigerator until it has set. About 5-10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese, whipping cream, vanilla and the confectioners' sugar and carefully blend this until smooth and creamy. Spread this over the chocolate base in the tart pan.
Arrange the sliced strawberries making a pretty pattern over the filling. Melt the red current jelly in the microwave and then brush this over the strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours prior to serving. Then remove the tart from the pan and place on a flat serving dish.

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Sunday, July 10, 2011

LEMON YOGURT BREAD

Sunshine and bright yellow with a hint of citrus.  Lemon lovers will adore this.  This bread reminded me of a pound cake, but not the dense texture of a pound cake. It holds it shape when cut.  I added a few blueberries that I had just picked out in the back of my house.  One advantage of living in the country.  Its moist, mild lemon flavor all in a bread pan.  A few added benefits of using yogurt, which adds moistness to baked goods with fewer calories then using butter, or sour cream.  You could add a glaze after baking, or slice and add berries and whipped cream. 



Lemon Yogurt Bread
Taste of Home 2011 Collectors Edition

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 cup (8 ounces) of lemon yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice


Optional: Add some blueberries about 1/2 cup

In a mixing bowl add the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Using a spoon mix this together to combine all the dry ingredients. In another bowl add the egg, yogurt, oil and lemon juice and mix together. Add this into the dry ingredients and mix until combined. If using blueberries mix gently into the batter. Using a bread loaf pan 8x4 inch which you have sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted almost in the center comes out dry. Place on a cooling rack, allow to cool before removing from the baking pan.  

Happy Baking, Andi

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

MY MOTHERS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

My Mother's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been making this cookie for several years, and my mother made it for years before me. I changed the recipe a little, added white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.  Mouth watering, and the nuts are a good fat for us.  So why not make a batch and see how long they last at your house. 



2/3 cup of shortening
2/3 cup of butter (softened )
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped Macadamia nuts 
12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate bits
6 ounce package of white chocolate



In a large bowl, combine the butter, shortening and sugars and mix. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix. Then add the flour, soda, and salt. Mix all together. By hand mix in the nuts and chocolate chips. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven. Using parchment paper on your baking sheets. After using the small ice cream scoop put the dough back in the refrigerator to keep it cool. Bake the cookies for about 10-13 minutes or until crispy brown on the edges and the middle is set.

RASPBERRY SQUARES

A quick and easy dessert to make and sure it would be welcome at any cookout. It is filled with a favorite of mine, raspberry jam.
I lived for a few years in Anchorage, Alaska and rasperries were in full bloom during the short summer months.  Just one thing, the bears like them also.  I would pick a few, stop and look around then go back to picking.  Took awhile but my baskets would be full in no time. They were so juicy, and hugh. I made raspberry pies, cobblers, and jams.



3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 ts salt
1 cup Crisco or butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 tbsp almond extract
1 jar of raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.


In your bowl add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and blend in the Crisco.  Add the eggs and extract and blend.  Press 3/4 of this crumbly mixture into the greased and floured pan.  Spread the jam over the base and using your hands crumble the remaining topping and sprinkle over the jam.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Friday, July 1, 2011

WILD BLUEBERRY OAT MUFFINS

Wild Blueberry-Oat Muffins
Paula Deen magazine July-August 2011


Home made blueberry muffins just in time for the blueberry season in Maine.  They are loaded with juicy blueberries, crunch of the nuts and the goodness of oatmeal.  Excellent recipe and a make again for sure.


1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp orange zest
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries*
*keeping out 1/2 cup of the blueberries to sprinkle on top of the batter before baking
confectioners' sugar to sprinkle on top after baking

Place the milk and the old-fashioned oatmeal in a bowl, stir to combine and allow to set for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with papers or spray muffins pan well with pam spray.

Add to the oatmeal the sugar, oil, orange zest, and egg and mix well. Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon and the nuts then add to the wet mixture. Stir just long enough to combine. Carefully stir in the one cup of blueberries and mix gently. Spoon into the baking cups, sprinkle the tops with the remaining blueberries. Bake at 425 degree for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. After they are cool sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar and serve.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

OLD FASHION BUTTERMILK DONUTS, CHOCOLATE DONUTS AND SPICE DONUTS


These donuts are soft, moist and the best that I have ever made. Well, I'll admit have only made 2 other kinds. This were the best of the three.  The taste testers were over for breakfast and everyone enjoyed the donuts.  I would make this recipe again for sure.  I used my deep fat fryer and fryed them outside on the deck. I lined a 9x13 inch baking pan with paper towels to absorb the grease then rolled them in sugar. 



Old Fashioned Buttermilk Cake doughnuts
Nancy Silverton's     seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/06/cook-the-book-oldfashioned-but

1/4 cup sour Cream
3 1/4 cup pastry flour or all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/8 tsp active dry yeast or 1 teaspoon packed fresh yeast
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk
1 extra large egg
2 extra large egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract
powdered sugar or granulated sugar for dipping
Oil for frying

In a small stainless-steel bowl over a pot of gently simmering water, heat the sour cream to just warm or heat in the microwave oven for a bit.

Using a large bowl add all the dry ingredients and make a well in the center, add the yeast to this then place the warmed sour cream on top of the yeast and allow to sit for about a minute to soften.

Combine the buttermilk, egg and egg yolks into a bowl and mix,  then pour this into the well of the dry ingredients.  Using your hands, gradually draw in the dry ingredients. The mixture should be fairly smooth before you draw in more flour. Mix until it is completely incorporated and forms a very sticky dough. Wash and dry your hands and sprinkle them with flour.

Heat oil to 375 degrees in a fryer or a black spider fry pan with high sides.

Sift an even layer of flour onto your work board. Scrape the dough out of the bowl, and sift another layer of flour on top of this. Using your hands pat the dough to about 1/2 inch thick . Cut out the doughnuts with your doughnut cutter. Place the cut doughnuts on a floured surface until ready to fry. Fry doughnuts and holes immediately and then roll or sift in the sugar of choice.


Chocolate Sugared Doughnuts

Chocolate Sugared Donuts

Chocolate Donuts
All Maine Cooking
Collection of treasured recipes from the Pine Tree State
Copyright 1967

3 squares of unsweetened baking chocolate
3 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp soda
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter. Add the remaining ingredients in a large bowl then add the melted chocolate. Mix and place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight. On a floured pastry board sprinkle with a little flour and roll out to about 1/2 inch thick. Melt shortening in your large deep sided spider, heat the oil to about 360 degrees. Fry a few at a time till dark brown, making sure they are cooked inside. Remove to a paper towel lined pan and allow to cool. Then coat with sugar.
I had to change the recipe a bit, my first attempt the dough was very sticky so I reduced the amount of buttermilk and increased the flour. Second attempt was successful.


Spiced Doughnuts


Spice donuts
Spice Donuts
Farm Journal Country Fair cookbook
copyright 1984

3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground mace
4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp softened butter
scant cup of buttermilk 3/4 to 1 cup
1 tsp rum extract

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

In a good size bowl, add the egg yolks, butter, and 1 cup sugar. Mix until light in color. Add the sifted ingredients and mix by hand just enough to incorporate all the ingredients. On a lightly floured board kneed this dough just enough to make it soft, and smooth. Place in a bowl cover with saran wrap and place in refrigerator for at least one hour prior to frying. I made the dough the night before and took out of refrigerator about 1 hour before I was going to start to roll the dough and fry. Roll on lightly floured board to about 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick. Using your deep fat fryer fry until golden brown with the fat at 375 degrees. Fry just a few at a time, and turning them once. Then drain on paper towels and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKES




I had to make these, aren't they just special. Go visit Holly at the above link.  Her pictures of her cupcakes in a cone are beautiful. She is a very talented gal.

Only wish my Morgan was a little girl again, I would be making these for her birthday.  

Looks like ice cream, lick's like ice cream. But it's not ice cream, it's not frozen yogurt, it's not sweet frosting either.  The icing is made with frozen whipped topping, cream cheese and instant pudding. These would be ideal for a child's birthday party.   






Make your own cake batter or use a cake mix. Prepare as package directions filling the cones about 2/3 full of batter.  Using flat bottom ice cream cones. These should be made and decorated the day of the party.  Because of the moisture in the cake batter the cones can get soft.

I mixed in 1 cup of coconut in the frosting. If you want to use your pasty bag to swirl the icing on top then make sure the coconut has been chopped fine so the coconut doesn't clog the pasty tip.  Use your imagination for decorating, I did use some magic shell chocolate topping that freezes in seconds.  I had to put them in the freezer for that to happen. But after it sat in freezer for a bit, I took it out and it stayed hard. You could sprinkle them with coconut, chopped candies, sprinkles, and top it with a cherry.  I used a red cinnamon candy.   


Place the cones in muffin pans and fill.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes. This will depend on the amount of batter and the size of the ice cream cone.


Icing for Cupcakes in a Ice-cream Cone
Maine Alzheimer's Association
copyright 1999

8 ounce package cream cheese
9 ounce container of frozen whipped topping
1 3.4 ounce package of instant pudding (I used Banana Cream)
1 cup milk
In a small bowl add the milk and instant pudding and mix together. Set this aside to thicken.
In another bowl, cream the cream cheese then add the whipped topping and mix. Add the pudding and mix.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

STRAWBERRY CREAM CHEESE STUFFED FRENCH TOAST

Happy Fathers Day to all our dad's in Blogland and our readers.  This is what I made for my hubby on Father's Day.  Had to feed him well today, we spend the entire day in the barn cleaning, reorganizing. What a day!  This breakfast is very easy to make, and delicious. You can make the amount that you want. Change out the bread, try cinnamon raisin, sourdough bread.  Use raspberries, or blueberries, any fruit that is season.  I didn't make the syrup. That would be hard for me, I am a maple syrup Maine girl.  This is creamy and filling. I am adding this to my collection of make agains.  Enjoy

Strawberry-Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
Paula Deen
Serves 4-6
foodnetworK


2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp sugar
8 ounces of cream cheese (softened)
12 slices of white bread
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

Strawberry Syrup:

3 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon
In a pie plate add the eggs, milk and sugar and mix together. Lay out the bread and spread each side with the softened cream cheese. Lay the sliced strawberries evenly on one side of the bread and lay the other half on top of the strawberries. Press around the outer edge to seal the two slices together.


Prepare the Strawberry Syrup: In a medium saucepan, add all the ingredients and bring this to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the berries are reduced by 1/3 to 1/2 in volume.
Prepare your grill with Pam spray. Lay each sandwich in the egg mixture and allow to set for a bit so as to absorb the egg mixture. Grill until golden brown then flip over and grill the other side. Serve with the Strawberry syrup or maple syrup.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

PEACH COBBLER

Peach Cobbler
Paula Deen
Paula's Home Cooking
pauladeen

If you could spend the day with one person who would it be?  My ideal day would be with Ms. Paula Deen, I enjoy to watch her tv series, I love her energy, how she acts with her boys, her love of buter, and her wonderful personality. But then any day in the kitchen is always a wonderful day so if I couldn't have her, I'd take any chef that would spent time with me.  Teach me all they know in 8 hours! Any volunteers?  The pages of Paula's food photo's are alway beautiful and make your mouth water.  I didn't have the mint to put on my cobbler for the photo.  No mint growing in my flower patch. But I am growing some basil. Sure she has a recipe to use that in .  We had our taste testers over for dessert, Tim, Heidi and Emily and this was approved by all.  I have to admit that another food I have never had is Peach Cobbler. The peaches I used were ripe and full of flavor. When I was peeling them I did the work over a plate and the juice that came out of the peaches while peeling them, I poured into the saucepan.  This is a make again recipe.  Hope you enjoy. 

                            
                       
1 1/2 cup of self-rising flour
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar, divided
4 cups peeled, sliced peaches
1 1/2 cups milk
ground cinnamon

before baking


                                                     After baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel peaches and slice, combine these in a saucepan along with 1 cup of sugar, and the 1/2 cup water. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Using a 3 quart baking dish, place the butter in the baking dish and place in the oven to melt the butter. In the meantime, in a medium size bowl or a 4 cup pyrex pitcher add the 1 cup of sugar, flour and slowly add the milk while whisking this until blended. Remove the baking dish from the oven, pour the flour mixture over the melted butter (do not stir) then using a slotted spoon arrange the peaches on top of the batter then carefully pour the syrup over the peaches. Sprinkle with the cinnamon and bake for 30-45 minutes. Serve in big bowl along with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Serves 8-10