Cranberry Danish

Christmas Morning Cranberry Danish

This is a recipe I've already posted but I made some changes and I had to post it again! It is delightful!

Christmas traditions are so fun and I'm thinking this will definitely become my Christmas morning breakfast tradition from here on.

Danish

Dissolve 1 T. yeast in 1/3 C. warm water (115*)

Heat 1/2 C. sour cream to 110* and add to yeast. Add 1/4 C. melted butter, 1/4 C. sugar, 1 t. salt, and one egg. Combine. Add 2 & 1/2 C. flour and combine. Knead about 20 times in mixer. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with a towel. Let rise till doubled (about an hour and a half).

Place dough on a floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into two 12X8 rectangles. 

While the dough is rising, combine 1 softened pkg. of cream cheese, 1 egg, 1/4 C. sugar, 1/4 C. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla, and 1/8 t. salt.

Spread this filling on the two halves keeping it about an inch from the edge. Spread 1/4 C. homemade cranberry sauce (see recipe on this blog for the best cranberry sauce ever!) on half of each half. 

Roll each half up like a jelly roll starting with the longer side and pinch the edges tight. Place on baking pan and cut slices into it like you would french bread. Bake at 375* for 20 minutes.

After it is cool, drizzle with 1 & 1/4 C. powdered sugar, 1 t. vanilla, and 2 T. milk combined.

Banana Cream Pie

This is my kids favorite pie! It isn't very difficult to make a bunch of pie crusts from a great recipe I received in the 80's when I was at a bridal shower. I will post the pie crust recipe shortly, but all you have to do is make a bunch of your favorite crusts and freeze them to pull out and use when you are needing to make a quick and tasty pie.

I bake my crust poked full of fork holes at 350* for about 13 minutes and set it aside to cool.

I usually make the cream part the day ahead and simply refrigerate it until the day I need the pie. 

Place 3c. whole milk in a microwave safe bowl and scald it (I do it on full power for 2 minutes).

Combine 3/4 c. sugar and 1/3 c. flour in a saucepan. Add 1/4 tsp. salt.

Stir in the scalded milk over medium heat stirring constantly.

When it just begins to show signs of boiling place a lid on the pan and time it for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. 

Take the mixture off heat. In a small bowl have 3 egg yolks beaten. Add a small amount of the cream mixture to the yolks and then add a bit more. Stir the yolks back into the main mixture and combine well. Cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 Tbsp. butter.

I keep this mixture close by and stir it every few minutes to keep a crust from forming on the top. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it. Slice 3 bananas in the cooked pie crust and pour the cream mixture over them.

Cheers!

Apple Pie!

Best EVER Apple Pie! (easy too):

Here is a combination of recipes which create my favorite apple pie. I tried several recipes and though they were good, there was always that one pesky thing that I didn't completely love about each one. I have experimented and created this recipe which is simply fabulous!

In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cube butter, 1/4 c. heavy cream, 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar combined with 3 Tbsp. flour and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.

Cook until the sugar dissolves.

Peel and slice 6-8 apples (I like granny smith)

Pour the cooked mixture over the apples and toss.

In a food processor combine:

7 Tbsp. butter

3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

heaping 1/4 c. pecans or walnuts

and a dash of salt

Place an unbaked pie crust in a pie plate and add apples. Pour the crumb mixture over the top and bake at 425* for 15 minutes the lower the oven temp to 350* and continue baking for 40 minutes.

I usually line a foil lined cookie sheet to place under the pie as it will drip while baking.

Andes Mint Cookies

These cookies are delicious! 

If you love Andes Mints, and have tried the recipe on the package, you know it isn't the best.

This recipe was given to me by my sister and I modified it a bit and tried it with Andes mints today.

Chocolate and mint were a match made in heaven!

Andes Mint Cookies:

Cream 1 lb. of softened butter, 2 c. brown sugar, 1 & 1/2 c. granulated sugar.

Add 3 eggs, 3 tsp. vanilla and a scant 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Add 7 & 1/4 c. flour, 1 & 1/2 tsp. baking soda, and 1/2 c. chocolate powdered milk.

Toss in a bag of Andes mint pieces just till combined.

Bake at 350* for 14 minutes...that is for large ice-cream scoop size cookies.

*Update* These are really good, but don't stay very soft for more than two days. I am extremely picky about my cookies and prefer recipes that last for a week. However, when I find one that doesn't stay very moist, I simply make them and share them so they get consumed in the allotted time frame. Happy Baking!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Fresh Cranberry Sauce:

I was a huge fan of that nasty canned cranberry sauce when I was a little girl. Hopefully needless to say, I am no longer. I haven't tried many homemade cranberry sauces I like. My Grandmother made one that I loved but trying to extract a recipe from her is liking prying a secret from a stoic spy and I didn't feel like applying any torture techniques.

I found several recipes online and decided to concoct one of my own as follows;

Preheat oven to 350*

Place 3 cups of fresh cranberries in a 9X13 pan.

Grate the peel of one orange over the berries

Add 3 whole allspice berries, 1 cinnamon stick, a pinch of cloves, and a bit of ginger

Dice one apple in very small pieces over the cranberries

Pour 1c. of Gingerale and 1c. of orange juice over everything

Add 1 tsp. or Tbsp. of flavoring of your choice or 1Tbsp. of cognac

Sprinkle 1/2c. sugar and 1/2c. brown sugar over the cranberries

Bake for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and play I spy to find the hidden allspice berries and the cinnamon stick and remove them.

It will set up as it cools. Refrigerate after you eat a warm spoonful of heaven. It keeps for a week or can be frozen.

Snicker-doodle Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil.

Snicker-doodle Bars:

  1/2 cup shortening 

1/2 cup unsalted butter

Melt butter and add in shortening, sugars, eggs and vanilla.

 1/2 cup brown sugar 

 1&1/8 cup granulated sugar 

 2 eggs 

 2 teaspoons vanilla 

Add in flour, powder, cream of tartar and salt.

 2  1/4 cups all-purpose flour 

 2 teaspoons baking powder 

 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 

 1/2 teaspoon salt 

Mix well.

Spread batter on the aluminum foil lined pan.

Bake for 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Immediately sprinkle with the combined sugar and cinnamon and let cool before removing from pan and foil.

 1/8 cup granulated sugar 

 1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Cut into bars. Soft and delicious!

Blonde Brownies

Brownies:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add in flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well. Fold in chips.

Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and spread out evenly.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Luscious Lemon Blueberry Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour three 9x2 inch round cake pans. Set aside.

Cake:

1 cup salted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Beat the butter on high until creamy. Beat in the granulated and brown sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is completely combined. Set aside.

4 extra large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then add the buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Remove from the mixer and stir lightly until everything is just combined. 

1 cup buttermilk

zest + juice of 3 medium lemons

Toss the blueberries in 1 Tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter will be extremely thick. Do not over-mix at any point!

1 and 1/2 cups blueberries

1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Spread batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. Bake 21-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 - 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch salt

beat cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain. Add powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more Tablespoon of cream to thin out, if desired.

Assemble and frost. Refrigerate.

Ultimate Sugar Cookie

Sugar Cookie Dough:

1½ cups salted butter softened

2 cups sugar

With a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until it is smooth

and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time.

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend in the vanilla.

Gradually add flour and baking powder.

5 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 400°

Generously sprinkle powdered sugar (not flour) onto a

clean counter top and roll half of the dough to 1/2 inch thick with a rolling pin.

Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes and set them

on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 6 to 8 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese softened at room temperature

½ cup salted butter softened at room temperature

4&1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Mix cream cheese and butter with an electric hand-held mixer, Add

vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add powder sugar, one cup at a time. Beat until

smooth. Add your favorite food coloring if desired.

Berry Delicious Pie!

It probably seemed like I became extinct for a while. I was abducted by a 1050/1060 math class. Math and numbers are most difficult for me! Sadly, I chose to forgo some of my favorite things....ie. celebrating obscure holidays and such. However, as they say, better late than never! So here is my attempt at celebrating Pi day in a non-mathematical way! A couple of months and a day late! 

The berries this year have been fabulous!

As big as my thumb!

So I just had to make Tres Leche Cakes!!

 But this post isn't about Tres Leche Cake or fruit pizza!!

Two of my kids have birthdays in February and two in May. I purchased some berries for the most requested 'birthday cake'....not a cake at all but a fruit pizza(recipe is on this blog if you'd like it).....

and ended up with berries leftover. What else would I do besides make a berry pie!?

I had the crust in the freezer already made and so throwing together a pie was a cinch!

I searched online for a great recipe and couldn't find one I thought I would love so I combined a bunch of them and added some of my own flare.

The resulting pie was perfect! Indeed, it was awarded a '10' from the most critical of critics!

Place 2 cups of blackberries, 2 cups raspberries, and 2 cups blueberries in a bowl. Fresh or frozen may be used or a combination. I used fresh raspberries and blackberries and frozen blueberries.

Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 cup of sugar and 4 tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca. Toss with the berries and allow them to sit for at least 15 minutes.

Roll out your favorite pie crust and place in a pie dish forming a decorative edge. Don't poke holes in the bottom.

In a food processor, combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup quick oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a handful of nuts(I used sliced almonds and the crunch factor was spectacular!)

Pour berries into pie crust.

Sprinkle the top with the brown sugar, butter and nut mixture.

Bake at 375* for 40 minutes. Allow the pie to cool completely before serving!

Sink your teeth into this baby! So delicious I had it for breakfast!

Broccoli Soup

This is a yummy soup for a good cold day. Not that we've had any good cold days this winter! It has been unseasonably warm. I like to make this with bread bowls and the easiest way I have found to make them is simply by purchasing Rhodes frozen bread dough and letting it thaw in the fridge. Then cut each loaf into 3rds and shape them into round balls and place them on a greased cookie sheet to rise (sometimes I brush them with beaten eggs to cause them to become brown). Bake them according to the directions on the package. When you are ready to eat the soup, simply cut off the top and hollow out the bowl adding the warm soup and be prepared to feast! This is an extremely filling soup when coupled with a bread bowl.

Delicious Broccoli Soup

Cook in boiling salted water a large bunch of broccoli cut into small pieces. Melt a 6 Tbsp. butter in a saucepan with 2/3 C. chopped onion. When the onion is transparent, add 6 Tbsp. flour. Add 3 C. chicken broth stirring constantly till mixture comes to a boil. Stir in 2 C. light cream, 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 3/4 tsp. salt. Add cooked broccoli. Serve with grated cheese and chives.

Chicken Taco Soup

This is some delicious chicken taco soup and the perfect thing to make when you have leftover chicken! I served it with a dollop of sour cream, grated cheese and tortilla chips. 

Chicken Taco Soup

Brown 1 pound of cut up chicken in a pan with a little bit of olive oil and 2 tsp. cumin. When half done, add 1 chopped onion, 1 red, 1 yellow, and 1 orange pepper chopped, and 4 cloves garlic crushed. Saute till onion is tender. Add 3 shakes of red pepper. Pour in a crock pot and add 1 can chipotle flavored tomatoes, 2 cans diced tomatoes with juice, 1 can corn drained, and 1 can black beans drained and rinsed. Cook on low for at least 1 hour.

Delicious! 

I served a sheet style pie for dessert using the blueberry coconut cream slab pie recipe on this blog but substituting raspberries for the blueberries...it was heavenly!

Fourth of July Beans!

I got this recipe from my awesome sister in law who is an excellent cook! She has shared some of my all time favorite recipes! These beans are no exception! They are to die for and everyone who partakes of them is a fan; even the most finicky eaters! I even won a chili cook-off with these and they aren't even chili! 

Perfect for your July get-togethers!

Fourth of July Beans

Brown 1 lb. of ground beef with 1 C. chopped onion. Add 1/2 lb. of diced cooked bacon. Add 64 ounces of Pork and Beans, 2 cans drained kidney beans, 2 cans drained butter beans, 1 C. of your favorite barbecue sauce, 1 C. sugar, 1 C. brown sugar, 1 C. ketchup, 4 Tbsp. mustard, 4 Tbsp. molasses, 2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. chili powder. Warm it all together and serve or place in a crock pot for several hours.

Blueberry Coconut Cream Slab Pie

Picture had to be first in this post! Blueberries and Coconut are a match made in heaven! 

Pulse 3 & 2/3 C. flour, 1/3 C. sugar, and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor to combine. Add 3/4 C. coconut oil, and 1 stick cubed butter. Pulse until pea sized. Pour in 1/3 C. buttermilk and pulse to incorporate. Add 3/4 C. ice water in small amounts pulsing after each addition until dough holds together. Turn dough out and knead just to incorporate dry portions. Divide dough into two portions with one slightly larger. Refrigerate dough pieces wrapped in plastic wrap for 30 minutes. 

Sprinkle ground coconut onto a jelly roll pan. Roll out larger dough into a 13x18 inch rectangle on a floured and coconut sprinkled surface. Transfer dough to the jelly roll pan. Fold edge under and freeze dough until firm, 15 minutes.

Now for the blueberry filling...if you don't happen to like blueberries, you could try substituting raspberries, blackberries or even peaches.

Preheat oven to 500* with a baking stone on the lowest rack for 30 minutes (I loved what this part did to the crust, but I don't think it is totally necessary if you don't happen to have a stone)

Beat 1 pkg cream cheese and 1 egg till smooth. Add 1/2 C. cream of coconut (this was easy to find on Amazon.com) and beat until smooth. Spread on bottom crust. Reduce oven temperature to 400*. Whisk together 1/2 C. cream of coconut, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 4 tsp. quick cooking tapioca, and 1 tsp. coconut extract; toss with 4 C. fresh blueberries to coat, then sprinkle over cream cheese filling.

Roll remaining dough into a 12 inch square and place it over the blueberry filling. Cut slits and brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until top and edges are golden, 35-40 minutes. Let pie cool to room temperature. Enjoy by itself or serve with ice cream! Soooo Scrumptious!!

Au Gratin Potatoes

I made these potatoes for an Au Gratin Potato lover and he said he is now ruined for all other Au Gratin Potatoes! They are made with Manchego cheese which I could only find at Sam's Club and Costco. It is kinda pricey, but worth it. These are some pretty tasty potatoes!

Manchego Au Gratin Spuds

Pour 1/2 C. heavy cream in the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish. Arrange a layer of peeled sliced potatoes on top overlapping them. Pour 1/2 C. cream over the potatoes and sprinkle 3 Tbsp. chopped green pimento stuffed olives and 1 C. Manchego cheese over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering three more times starting with the potatoes. Top final layer with 2 C. Manchego. Cover dish with plastic and refrigerate overnight. 

Preheat oven to 375*. Replace plastic with tinfoil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 45 minutes. Let potatoes rest 30 minutes before serving.

I am not a huge fan of leftovers. To give you an indication of how good these are, I ate them five times! Usually, twice is my max.