Chewy Brownies

Chewy Brownies

These are so good! But the recipe makes a lot. I only make brownies when I have a crowd to feed. I'm guessing, you could halve this, But I haven't tried it.
I've tried using butter, instead of oil, but they don't turn out as well.

Ingredients:
1cup flour
3cups sugar
1cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1tsp. baking powder
1tsp. salt
4eggs
2tsp. vanilla
1cup vegetable oil (I use corn oil)

Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla.
Pour the egg mixture, into the cocoa mixture. Combine, using a fork, until no longer dry. Don't overmix.
Pour into a greased 11x15x2 baking pan.
Bake until the center is set, about 40-minutes.

Peppermint Thumbprints

Peppermint Thumbprints

My first cookie experiment, of the Holidays. I was looking for a way to make a soft, cake-like peppermint cookie. The flavor is great, with a soft, almost marshmallow-like texture, but the shape is not really uniform. Maybe I'll try these again, near Christmas, and pipe the cookie dough, for a better shape.

Cookie ingredients:
1/2cup strong coffee-cooled
2tsp. molasses
1tsp. vanilla
1egg
1-3/4cups flour
1/4cup dark chocolate cocoa
1/2tsp. baking soda
1/4tsp. salt
1/4cup brown sugar
4Tbl. cold butter

Peppermint layer:
1cup confectioners sugar
1tsp. mint extract
2Tbl. light corn syrup

You'll also need:
1cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Combine the ingredients, for the mint layer, stir or knead until smooth. Set aside.
For the cookies, whisk together the coffee, molasses, vanilla, and egg. Set aside.
Whisk together, the dry ingredients, then cut in the butter, working it in with your fingers, until there are no more large particles.
Stir the coffee mixture, into the flour mixture, until well combined.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Spoon dough, 1-teaspoon at a time, 2-inches apart.
Bake about 7-minutes, or until just set. Immediately, press the center of the cookie, with a spoon, or your finger, to make a depression, for the mint layer.
While still warm, roll 1/2-inch ball, of the mint mixture, and press it into the center of the cookie. Set aside to cool.
Melt the chocolate, in the microwave, until melted and smooth.
Dip the top of the cooled cookies into the chocolate, and set aside, to harden.
Makes 3 dozen.

Roll the mint mixture, into 1/2-inch balls, while the cookie is baking. While the cookie is still warm, press a depression, into the center, then set one of the mint balls, in the depression. Flatten the mint layer. Cool completely.

After they have cooled, dip the top of the cookie, in melted dark chocolate. Cool until the chocolate hardens.

Green Tomato Crisp- A great dessert

Most years, my tomato plants are just, plain worn out, by the time a good frost, comes along. So I don't usually have an over-abundance, of green tomatoes. This year, I have tons. What to do, with all these tomatoes...
I'm not in the mood for, fried green tomatoes. It's apple season, so why waste them on, mock apple pie. I already made chow-chow.
Then, I thought of the rhubarb recipe I'm working on. This turned out, just as good, my new favorite green tomato recipe.

Ingredients:
4-5cups diced green tomatoes
1package strawberry jello
In an 8x8-inch baking dish, stir together the green tomatoes and dry jello. Spread the topping over it, and bake at 375* for about 45-minutes, or until, crisp and bubbly. Cool and serve.

For the topping:
1-1/2cups flour
1/2cup brown sugar
1tsp. cinnamon
3/4cup cold butter
Whisk together, the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter, with a pastry cutter, until crumbly.

Stir together, the green tomatoes and jello.

Spread the topping over it and bake 45-minutes.

The last rose of the year.

Cream Cheese Kuchen

Cream Cheese Kuchen-This is the thinner version.

For the Kuchen:
1/4cup warm water
1packet dry yeast
4Tbl. butter
1/4cup milk
1tsp. grated lemon peel
1/4cup sugar
1 egg
1/4tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups (plus 1/4cup) flour
 
For the Filling:
2 (8 oz.) cream cheese-softened
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2cup sugar
Beat all ingredients together, until smooth.

For the topping:
3/4-cup flour
1/4cup sugar
pinch salt
4Tbl. cold butter
Whisk together the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter, with a pastry cutter, until it's looks like bread crumbs. Set aside.

You'll also need:
confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350*f
In a large bowl, whisk together the water and yeast. Let stand 15 minutes.
warm the milk and butter, just to lukewarm.
Add all Kuchen ingredients, including the milk and butter,  except the flour, Beating with an electric mixer, until well combined.
Add the 1-1/2cups flour, and beat until well combined.
Knead in another 1/4 cup of flour, or more, until you have a very soft dough that isn't too sticky.
Press into the bottom, and half way up the side, of a 13x9x2-inch pan.
Set aside to rise, while you make the filling, and topping.
Fill the kuchen, then add the topping. bake 40 minutes.

This is the thicker version, made in a 13x9-inch pan.

                     Beat the kuchen ingredients, until well combined.

Knead in another 1/4cup flour (or more, if needed) To make a very soft dough, that isn't too sticky.

Press into the bottom, and half way up the sides, of a lasagna pan. Set aside to rise, while you make the filling, and topping.

                             Beat the filling ingredients, until smooth.

Whisk together the dry ingredients, for the topping, then cut in the butter, until it resembles breadcrumbs.

         Add the filling, then the topping, to the kuchen. bake 40 minutes.

                  Once it's out of the oven, dust with confectioner's sugar.

I prefer a thinner cake, so I pressed it out on a greased cookie sheet. Folded the edges, to create a dam. added the filling and topping. Bake for 30-minutes.

Chocolate Cookie Crumbs- From Scratch - For Cheesecake and Pies

Chocolate Cookie Crumbs

More prep for the Holidays.
I forgot to take photos, as I was making these. It's exactly the same process as the graham cracker crumbs.

Ingredients:
3/4cup milk or cream ( I'm considering using strong coffee, instead)
1Tbl molasses
2tsp. vanilla
2-1/2cups flour
1/4cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4cup special dark cocoa
1tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. salt
1/2cup brown sugar
1stick butter-cold

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350*F.
Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Whisk together, the milk, molasses and vanilla. Set aside
Whisk together, the flour, cocoa(s), baking soda, salt, and brown sugar.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles sand. (No large particles)
Stir in the milk mixture, and gather the dough into a ball.
Spread the dough, onto the prepared baking sheet, to about 1/8-inch thickness.
This is a really sticky dough, I wet my hands, before pressing out the dough.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch, and crisp around the edges.
Allow to cool, a bit, then crumble into small pieces, and cool completely.
Grind them into fine crumbs, with a food processor. Sift out the large particles, and re-grind them.
To make them a bit deeper, in flavor, I spread a thin layer of the crumbs, on a cookie sheet, and bake at 375*F. for about 7 minutes. Cool completely. there are no preservatives in these, and must to be stored in the fridge, until needed. Makes 5-1/4 cups.

Press the dough, about 1/8-inch thick. I used a pizza cutter, to cut them, but it's probably not necessary. Bake 25 minutes.

Let it cool a few minutes, while still warm, crumble the cookie, by hand.

Cool completely, then grind into fine crumbs in a food processor.

Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookies

                                      Lofthouse-Style Sugar Cookies

Those darn, addictive, overly sweet, over-priced, Lofthouse cookies, from the grocer. I honestly think they are made from a yellow cake mix. I think I'll give it a try eventually, but for now, this is the recipe I use, whenever I get a Lofthouse craving. The cookie is not very sweet, to compensate for the very sweet frosting. These are really good...nice and soft, but they're not, Lofthouse.

Ingredients:
1/4cup butter-softened
1/4cup shortening
1cup confectioner's sugar
1/2tsp. baking soda
1/2tsp. meringue powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
2Tbl. sour cream
3tsp. vanilla
2cups flour

Preparation:
Beat together, the butter, and shortening, until fluffy.
Beat in the sugar, baking soda, meringue powder, and salt.
Add the egg, vanilla, and sour cream. Beat until fluffy.
Add the flour, and beat until well combined. Cover and chill for 1-hour.
Roll 1Tbl. of the dough into a ball. Flatten to about 1/4-inch thick, and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350* until set, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely and frost. Makes 16 cookies.

For the frosting:
1/4cup butter-softened
1/4cup shortening
1tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
6 drops red food coloring
2cups confectioner's sugar
Beat together, the butter and shortening, until fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla salt and food color, until well combined.
Beat in the sugar, one cup at a time, until fluffy. Frost the cookies, and add sprinkles, if you like.

Roll 1Tbl. of dough, into a ball, then flatten into 1/4-inch thick disk.

Lemon Gems

                                               Lemon Gems
I made these for my grandchildren's tea party. A soft cookie, with just a hint of tangy lemon.

Ingredients:
1cup plus 2Tbl. flour
1/2tsp. salt
1/2cup sugar
1stick of butter
1egg
2tsp. lemon juice
1tsp. grated lemon peel

For the lemon glaze:
1-1/2cups confectioners sugar
2tsp. lemon juice
1Tbl. water
2Tbl. light corn syrup
5 drops yellow food coloring

You'll also need:
sparkling sugar crystals

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350*
Lightly greased cookie sheet
For the glaze, Combine all glaze ingredients in a bowl, and beat until smooth. Set aside.
In a bowl whisk flour and salt to blend. Set aside.
In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, lemon juice, and lemon peel,  beat until smooth.
Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture.
Spread the dough onto the cookie sheet. about 1/8 inch thick.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until it's just beginning to brown around the edges.
Cool 5 minutes, then brush on the glaze and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.
Cool completely, the glaze will harden. Cut into diamonds, or bars.

Press the dough, onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, into n 1/8-inch rectangle.

Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown. Cool 5-minutes, then paint on the glaze, with a large pastry brush, and sprinkle with sparkling sugar.

Raisin Bread

The only times, my grandmother and great-grandmother cooked together, were when they made raisin bread. They would bake from 5:00 in the morning, until dinner that evening. I always loved, waking up to that smell.
They never used a recipe, just pouring the ingredients from bags, and every loaf was amazing. I have a lot of respect for anyone who has that knack. This recipe, on the other hand, took several years of tweaking, to get it the way I like it, lots of raisins, not too sweet, and just the right amount of cinnamon.

Ingredients:
3/4cup milk
2tbl. butter
1 packet dry yeast
1/4cup water
1 /4cup brown sugar
1/2tsp. salt
2tsp.cinnamon
1/2tsp.vanilla
1-1/2cups raisins
2-1/2cups flour- plus extra for kneading

Preparation:
Scald milk in a sauce pan. turn off heat and add butter.
In a large bowl combine the yeast, water, and sugar. Allow to rest 15 minutes.
Add 1-1/2cups flour, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and cooled milk to the bowl and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
Stir in the raisins.
Gradually add the remaining flour, mixing by hand, until the dough forms a ball.
Flour a surface and knead for a few minutes, until you have a soft, smooth dough, that isn't sticky.
Spray a bowl with cooking spray, add dough and cover.
Let it rise about an 1-1/2-hours or until doubled.
Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
Punch down the dough, and press it into the loaf pan. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.
Bake at 350*F, until lightly browned.

Cream-Cheese Buttercream Frosting

I took on a runaway project, that was just too big for me...a kid's tea party. It started out simple, then took on a life of it's own, and consumed most of my week. I'd say never again, but I would just be fooling myself.
I haven't decorated a cake in nearly a decade, so they were just OK, but the kids were really happy.
Since I was making Red Velvet-cake and Carrot-cake  fairy cakes, I thought I would try to add a little cream cheese, to the buttercream. It really improved the flavor of Wilton's buttercream. If you haven't used meringue powder yet, you should give it  try. It makes the frosting really fluffy, like whipped cream.
Here's how I made it, I just added a little more sugar, to compensate for the cream cheese.


3-1/2cups confectioner's sugar
1Tbl. meringue powder
1cup shortening
2Tbl. cream cheese-softened
1tsp. vanilla
3Tbl. water
pinch salt

In a large bowl, beat together the shortening, meringue powder, and cream cheese, until fluffy.
Beat in the vanilla, water, and salt, until fluffy.
Beat in the sugar, a little at a time, until fluffy.

       More fairy cakes, I used marshmallow fondant for the toppers.

Cream Horns

                                                   Cream Horns
Uh-Oh, I found an easier way to make puff pastry! This pastry is the main component in most of my favorite desserts. I can feel my derriere, expanding. I'm going to try this technique on croissants too. Instead of using a block of butter, the butter is softened and whipped, then refrigerated. I found the recipe at An American Housewife. She posted, that you could use a combination of butter and shortening. I decided to experiment, and whip it together. This made it so much easier to work with, than the recipe I've always used.
A co-worker once called cream horns "Cholesterol sticks" Hahaha, I know a lot of cooks, don't like to use shortening, but a few years ago (Most) of the manufacturers reformulated their products. The kind I use, has no trans fats, no cholesterol, 4g saturated fat (butter has 51g) and 7g of the good fat (polyunsaturated) per tablespoon. It's not as if my family, will let me eat the whole batch, myself...Darn It!
Ahh... I can still remember the good ol' days when nobody liked my black walnut ice cream. The whole carton was mine, to leisurely savor. Then somebody actually tried it, now I'm lucky if I get any.

For the pastry:
3cups flour
1/2tsp. salt
1cup ice water
2 egg yolks
1cup softened real butter
1cup all vegetable shortening ( you can use 2 cups of butter, instead)


Preparation:
Cream together the butter and shortening, with an electric mixer, until fluffy. Refrigerate at least, one hour.
Meanwhile, whisk together, the flour and salt.
Whisk together the egg yolks and ice water.
Using a fork, stir the egg mixture, into the flour mixture, until it forms a ball. It should be rough and shaggy looking, Don't knead! Sprinkle a little flour, on a plate. set the dough, on the plate. Cover and refrigerate one hour.

{After an hour, dust a rolling surface, with flour, roll the dough into an 1/8-inch thick, rectangle. Spread 1/2-cup of the butter mixture on the center of the dough. Fold the dough, over the butter, overlapping the edges.This dough can get a bit sticky, just smooth a little flour over the surface. Sprinkle a little flour, on a plate. set the dough, on the plate. Cover and refrigerate one hour.}
^Repeat the steps in parentheses, three more times, waiting an hour between.


 After the last repetition, roll the dough, and refold, twice more. Set the dough on a floured plate, cover and chill overnight.

The next day, Preheat the oven t 375*F.
Divide the dough into three pieces.
Remove one piece, (refrigerate the rest). Roll it 1/8-inch thick.
Cut into strips about 12" or 15" inches, in length and up to, 1-inch wide.
Spray your aluminum forms, or  Make you own forms.
Wind each strip around a form, overlapping, a bit. Roll them in sugar.
Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. (one with sides, there will be a little melted butter.)
Bake until lightly golden. (About 15 minutes, but this may vary.) You have to let them cool on the form. Twist them off the form and fill.

Cream Horn Filling:
1cup all vegetable shortening
1cup real butter
4cups confectioner's sugar
2-4tsp. vanilla
3/4-cup marshmallow creme (you could omit this)
Cream together, the shortening and butter.
Beat in the sugar gradually, then the marshmallow creme and vanilla.
Beat well until it's smooth like whipped cream. Fill the cooled pastries, using a pastry bag.

Chill the dough for an hour. Roll it into an 1/8-thick rectangle. Spread 1/2-cup of the butter, in the center.

                                  Fold the edges over the butter.

Place it on a floured plate, cover and chill, for one hour. Repeat three more times, until you use all of the butter. After the last repetition, roll and fold two more times. Chill overnight.

The next day, cut the dough into three pieces. Roll one piece 1/8- inch rectangle that is 12-14-inches long. Using a pizza cutter, cut it into 1/2 to 1-inch strips.

Starting at one end, wrap one strip round a form, overlapping slightly. Roll it in sugar, and place it on a cookie sheet. Bake until lightly browned.

Allow them to cool completely, on the form. Then gently grasp the pastry, with one hand. With the other hand, twist the form, (don't pull, yet) until the form spins freely, then twist it out of the pastry. Fill.

Apple Fritter Bread

                                             Apple Fritter Bread


I live about 40 minutes from an Amish community. This bread was an attempt to imitate, one of the wonderful breads, that you find there. It tastes, almost exactly like it, but I use more apples. I've always used Jonathon apples for this, but I think it would be great with sweet apples too, like golden delicious.
I think next time, I'm going to caramelize the brown sugar, first, to make it taste even more like a fritter.

Ingredients for the fruit:
2Tbl. butter
4cups diced apples
2/3cup frozen blueberries
1/2cup raisins
1tsp. cinnamon
1/4cup brown sugar
2tsp. vanilla

Ingredients for the dough:
3/4cup milk
2tbl. butter
1 packet dry yeast
1/4cup reserved juice from the fruit- add water if it's less than 1/4cup
1 /4cup brown sugar
1/2tsp. salt
1/2tsp.cinnamon
1/2tsp.vanilla
2-1/2cups flour- plus extra for kneading

Vanilla glaze:
1/4cup confectioner's sugar
1/2tsp. vanilla
1Tbl. softened butter
Combine, using a fork, until it forms a smooth paste.

Preparation:
For the fruit, heat the butter in a skillet, add all fruit ingredients.
Cook on low heat, until the apples soften, but not mushy. About 5 minutes.
Place a colander over a bowl, and strain the fruit, reserving the liquid. Cool. Leave the fruit in the strainer, until needed.
Wait about 30 minutes before, starting the dough, to give the reserved liquid time to cool.

For the dough.
Scald milk in a sauce pan. turn off heat and add butter.
In a large bowl combine the yeast, fruit liquid, and sugar. Allow to rest 15 minutes.
Add 1-1/2cups flour, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and cooled milk to the bowl and beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
Gradually add the remaining flour, mixing by hand, until the dough forms a ball.
Flour a surface and knead for a few minutes, until you have a soft, smooth dough, that isn't sticky.
Spray a bowl with cooking spray, add dough and cover.
Let it rise about an hour or until doubled. Now it's ready for rolling.
 
Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
Spread 1/2cup of flour, over a large work surface. Shape the dough into a rectangle, flipping it in the flour a few times, to coat.
Roll the dough into an 1/8 inch thick, rectangle, smoothing a little flour over the surface.
Spread the cooked fruit evenly over the dough.
Roll, like a jelly-roll.
Cut the roll into about 1inch slices, and stack them like the photo below. It'll be a tight fit, you will have to nearly crush them together. let rise 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375* Bake about 1 hour, or until the top has browned and it is cooked through.
As soon as you pull it from the oven, spread the glaze, over the top of the loaf, let stand about 1 minute, to allow it to melt, then brush it across, evenly, with a pastry brush.

                               Cook the fruit, strain, reserving the liquid.

The dough should be soft, but not sticky. Cover and let rise, until double.

Pat the dough into a rectangle, coating it well with flour. Then roll into an 1/8inch thick rectangle.

                       Spread the cooked fruit, evenly across the dough.

                                      Begin rolling , like a jellyroll.

                                     Cut the roll into 1inch slices.

Put one roll in each corner, then alternate them, It winds up looking like a Celtic braid

                     After it was half full, I pushed them closer together.

Once I finally squeezed them all in, I pressed lightly, to get a flat, even top. Let rise 1 hour.

Bake about 1 hour, or until browned. As soon as it comes out of the oven, Spread the vanilla glaze, over the top. Give it a minute, to melt, then brush the glaze across the pastry. Cool. This bread is really good.