Tag Archives: Baking

Baked Apple Cinnamon and Raisin Oatmeal

Posted in Breakfast by

The holiday’s are fast approaching and most of us will either be visiting family or family will be visiting you. If it’s the latter, you will want a fast and easy breakfast to put together for your crowd.

This baked oatmeal is just the thing. If you aren’t a huge fan of oatmeal, I think you might like this. It does not taste like your typical bowl of flavorless oatmeal. It takes only minutes to put together and the combination of oatmeal, cinnamon, apples and raisin’s makes it taste amazing.

 

On a side note: I don’t do this sort of thing but in light of the recent events surrounding my beloved Penn State, I feel compelled to post this. I am truly sad and heartbroken about the abuse and cover-up of the sex-abuse allegations. I believe we need to keep remembering the victims in all of this and I am proud to see a movement by Penn State alumni to raise money for abuse victims. I am providing a link to the organization of RAINN which provides help to sexual abuse victims. If you want to donate, please do. If not, that’s ok too. Please keep all victims in your prayers. Thank you.

#ProudPSUforRAINN

Baked Apple Cinnamon and Rasin Oatmeal:

  • 1 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1.25 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. cloves
  • 1/8 tsp. ginger
  • a couple grates of whole nutmeg or 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 cup Tbsp. maple syrup
  • 1 cup milk (I used skim)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted  butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or spray a 2-quart casserole dish with either butter or cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, toss together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  In a separate small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, the melted butter, and the vanilla.
  3. Place the diced apples in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.  Sprinkle about two-thirds of the raisins over the top of the apples, then cover the fruit with the oat mixture.  Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the milk as evenly as possible.  Sprinkle the remaining raisins over the top of the oats.  Bake the oatmeal for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the oats have set.
  4. Remove the oatmeal from the oven and serve hot with more maple syrup.

Source: Ella Says Opa via Supernatural Everyday by Heidi Swanson, and Smells Like Home

 

 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Posted in Dessert by

Do you know what today is? It’s National Pumpkin Day!! Yes, only the coolest food day of the year. I have to tell you, I was on the phone with my best friend this morning while I was at the grocery store. I was passing the canned pumpkins and said to her that I could never have enough of canned pumpkin. She called me out on my pumpkin obsession. The first step is to admit when you have a problem, but to me this is not a problem. Being obsessed with pumpkin is very sane. Pumpkin has many vitamins and other qualities that are really good for you. So, having a healthy obsession is good. How can you turn something so good into something so sinful? Make these pumpkin whoopie pies.

I’ve been searching for the perfect pumpkin whoopie pie. I’ve made several different recipes from Martha Stewart to old Amish recipes and I was never really happy with any of them. My dear friend Angie from Florida has been perfecting the whoopie pie. She is now selling her pies in a restaurant and I am so proud of her. I asked if she would share her recipe for the pumpkin one with me. And I was so happy she was willing to give it to me and that I can pass them off to you.

I don’t even know where to begin, these are seriously the best pumpkin whoopie pies you ever make/eat. They are moist and full of flavor and just plain awesome. I love the icing the best. The vanilla flavor in the icing compliments the pumpkin very nicely. I did keep them in the refrigerator and I loved eating them cold. You can also make any size whoopie pies you want. I experimented and made small ones (with a cookie scoop) and big ones (with an ice cream scoop). They all turned out perfect.

If you are wanting to pumpkin whoopie pies, do not use any other recipe, this is the one you want.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies:

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 15oz can of pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 4 cups flour
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ground ginger, set aside.
  3. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer), cream together the butter and the brown sugar. Once combined; add the eggs, pumpkin and buttermilk, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
  4. Add the flour mixture in a couple batches; scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions. Do not over-mix.
  5. Using an ice cream scoop (or any size scoop you want) scoop out the batter on the lined cookie sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. With slightly wet fingers, flatten the tops and shape them if you need to. (they really puff up) Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the center is firm and comes out clean with a toothpick and the bottoms are a light brown. Do Not Overbake! Let cool on the baking sheet for a couple minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
  6. Once the pies are cooled and ready; match up the pies and spread or pipe the icing on one side then sandwich with the matching piece. Enjoy!
Icing:
  • 3 sticks butter, salted softened (I only had unsalted and it tasted great)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 TBS vanilla
  • 4 cups Confectioners sugar
  1. In a bowl fitted with paddle attachment (or hand mixer), cream together the butter, milk, flour and vanilla. Add the confectioner sugar and beat together till light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
Source: My dear and wonderful friend Angie Scarpelli

Pumpkin Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Dessert by

Have I told you lately how much I love fall? I can’t get enough pumpkin and these soft pumpkin cookies are the best of the season! The cookies are super soft and have a cake-like texture. I was planning on putting a spice glaze on top, but when I tasted them I realized the hard glaze would ruin the texture of the cookies. Since discovering this recipe I’ve already whipped up several batches to give out. Everyone loves them and I know you will too.

As a side note: I will soon be posting what I have found to be the best Pumpkin Whoopie Pie recipe. Look for that on Friday.

Pumpkin Cookies:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chilled pumpkin puree (canned pumpkin)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger and nutmeg. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the granulated sugar, the dark brown sugar, and the oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
  5. Use a small cookie scoop or a large spoon to drop a rounded, heaping tablespoon of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, making sure that the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. The cookies should be firm when touched. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a cooling rack.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Dessert by

Hi, did you forget about me? I haven’t forgotten about you! I’ve just been a tiny bit busy with my daughters cheerleading. We got through homecoming week and I am hoping to be able to breathe for a little bit. I like being busy but that also means not as much time in the kitchen as I hope. I am going to work hard to change that.

Now, onto these delicious cookies! I can’t begin to stress to you how awesome these are. They have become my favorite cookie. I have always loved the store- bought soft sugar cookies, but the icing usually is kinda eh. These cookies are much better than the store-bought kind. They have a lot more flavor and the icing is simply the best. One piece of advice I would give, is to use vanilla sugar instead of plain sugar. I found that using the vanilla sugar gives the cookies that extra punch of flavor. But don’t worry, if you don’t have vanilla beans stored in your sugar, you can use regular and they’ll still taste better than the store-bought.

Soft Sugar Cookies:

Cookies:

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

  • 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar (Vanilla)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 5 teaspoons vanilla extract
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Blend in the vanilla.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.  Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
  5. When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.
  6. Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set  (The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all).  Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
 Frosting:
  • 5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 7-8 tablespoon milk (plus more, as needed)
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Sprinkles (optional)
  1. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.  Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
  2. Tint with food coloring, if desired.  Use a spatula or spoon to frost the cooled cookies (If the frosting begins to thicken as you decorate, just continue to whisk in small amounts of milk to keep it workable).  Top with sprinkles if desired.  Store in an airtight container.

Source:  Sing for your supper who got it from Annie’s Eats, originally from Hostess With the Mostess

Giant Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted in Cookies, Dessert by

If you are looking for a big cookie with tons of chocolate flavor, then look no further. This cookie has it all! Dark chocolate mixed with semi-sweet chocolate chips. What more could a chocolate lover ask for? The cookie is really big and chewy in texture. Everything I want in a cookie. I’ve made it a couple times now and the second time I made it, I wanted to see if changing the size changed the texture. When I did that, I made sure to cut back the baking time by a couple minutes. Thankfully, the smaller cookies tasted just as good as the huge ones I made before. This recipe will become a favorite of yours and your loved ones. It won’t disappoint.

Giant Double Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Makes 12 very large cookies

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
  2. Blend in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.  Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended.  Add the flour, salt and baking powder to the bowl and mix on low speed just until incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.  Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead briefly by hand to be sure the ingredients are well combined.
  3. Divide the dough into into 12 equal pieces (4 oz each). Roll each portion of dough into a ball and flatten just slightly into a disc. (The cookie does not spread out a lot)  Place on the prepared baking sheets, a few inches apart.  Bake 16-20 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Shortcakes with Strawberries

Posted in Dessert, Fruit by

Football has begun and fall is upon us. But before I start heading into the direction of pumpkins; I must post this shortcake recipe. I like using real shortcakes and not the kind you get in the store. Those are ok, but it is not the true southern way of eating strawberry shortcake. This sweetened biscuit is very fast and easy to make. I used strawberries when I made the shortcakes, but any kind of berry or even peaches will work with this. If using berries, you can macerate them in some sugar or in my case, splenda. Simply cut them up and put a couple tbs of sugar on them and let them sit and get all nice and juicy. Dollop whip cream on top and you have the best strawberry shortcakes ever!

Shortcakes:

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • 3/4 tsp table salt
  • 2/3 cup cold buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 8 tbs unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  1. Adjust oven rack to middle positions and heat oven to 475 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, 1 tbs sugar, and salt in large bowl.
  2. Whisk together buttermilk and egg in medium bowl; add melted butter and stir until butter forms small clumps.
  3. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until dough comes together and no dry flour remains. Continue stirring vigorously for 30 seconds. Using greased 1/3 cup dry measure, scoop up mound of dough and drop onto parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet (if dough sticks to cup use small spoon to pull it free). Repeat with remaining dough, spacing biscuits about 1 1/2 inches apart, to create 6 biscuits. Sprinkle remaining 1 tbs sugar evenly over top of biscuits. Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before assembling.
  4. To Assemble: Split each biscuit in half and place bottoms on individual plates. Spoon berries over each bottom, top with whip cream and place biscuit top on top.
Source: Cooks Illustrated Summer Entertaining

Spiced Peach and Carrot Bread

Posted in Bread, Breakfast, Dessert by

The past two weeks have been fun and fast. My son and I were spending time in the Chicago area celebrating my beautiful mother’s 60th birthday during the first week. Then last week I spent every moment I could with my kids since it was the last week of their summer vacation. That’s right, today I sit in a silent house while they are at school. I’m actually kind of sad. I’ve had so much fun with them this summer. I’m also a little sentimental because my daughter has started High School. But it’s going to be an exciting year, because she made Varsity Cheerleading. I am so proud of my baby girl! I could keep going on and on about my kids. But you aren’t here for that.

Let’s begin with our regularly scheduled recipes. Today I bring you this wonderful spiced peach and carrot bread. This was in the July issue of Southern Living magazine. My grandmother was in town when it came in and she saw it and asked that it be made. I had to agree with Nana because the recipe sounded wonderful. Plus I knew it would work with splenda. Both my husband and Nana are diabetics, so anything I can bake with splenda, I will. It turned out just as good as I figured it would. It was moist and best served warm with butter. You can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up. I did omit the nuts because I’m not a big fan of nuts in baked goods. Spiced Peach and Carrot Bread is a great way to use up what’s left of summer peaches!

Spiced Peach and Carrot Bread:

  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans(optional)
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar or Splenda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped fresh, ripe peaches (about 2-3 medium peaches)
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated carrots (about 2 carrots)
  • 2/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup milk (buttermilk would be really good)
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet 8-10 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Cool 15 minutes.
  2. Whisk together the flour and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add peaches and next 4 ingredients, and toasted pecans, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9×5 inch loaf pan (the batter will be very thick).
  3. Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  4. Cool the bread in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Source: Southern Living, July Issue