Bran Muffins

Mom used to make a batch each of blueberry and bran muffins. I loved the bran muffins smeared with margarine. That was back when I really disliked the taste of butter and you could find the simple bran muffin boxed mix. Here are some bran-ish muffins that go great with real butter (or Smart Baance.)

 Bran Muffins
 2 C bran cereal flakes, crushed
1 1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C brown sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon

 Heat oven to 400. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Stir cereal milk and vanilla in medium bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until cereal us softened. Beat in oil and egg. In separate bowl mix remaining ingredients. Add flourmixture to cereal mixture just until moistened. Divide batter into liberal and bake for 15 minutes or until firm when tapped or toothpick comes out clean.

Granola

Photo by Heidi

A friend made granola and gave a jar of it to us at Christmastime. We love it! Dried fruits are a great addition, but I serve them separately so people can choose what they want in their granola. I like to add orange-flavored cranberries and blueberries. Enjoy!!!

Dry Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I like to use white whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup coconut flakes (original recipe calls for unsweetened, but I only had sweetened)
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup flax seed

Wet Ingredients

1/2 maple syrup (I use pure maple syrup)
1/2 cup oil (recipe calls for safflower or sunflower; I use light olive)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300. Mix dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together until it emulsifies (this just takes a minute or two). Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine. Pour the mixture onto a greased baking sheet (I just used a parchment liner) and spread to cover evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven and bake 10 to 20 minutes or until desired doneness (I baked it for 12 minutes because that's what my friend had handwritten on the recipe, and it was just right). Cool completely, then store in an airtight container. Store in refrigerator or freezer to extend freshness. (We ate ours within a week, so we left ours at room temperature.)

Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Photo by Heidi

These little coffee cakes taste delicious with or without the optional cinnamon chips. Enjoy!!!

Preheat oven to 375〫. Grease 12 muffin tins, or line with paper muffin liners (I prefer the paper).

Streusel Topping:

2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 tablespoon butter In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and brown sugar and mix until well-combined. Cut in butter and mix until mixture resembles course crumbs. Set aside.

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional - 1/4 cup cinnamon chips (cinnamon-flavored baking chips that look like chocolate chips)

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Sift together dry ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Make a well in the center, then set aside. In another medium bowl, combine oil and brown sugar and beat well. Add egg and mix well, then gradually beat in milk. Pour oil mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just moistened. Fill prepared muffin tins about 2/3 full (I use a large scoop). Sprinkle streusel topping over batter, then bake at 375〫 for 12-16 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in muffin pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and cool completely. Can be stored at room temperature, loosely covered, for 2-3 days. Makes 12 muffins.

Blueberry Muffins

photo by Heidi

• 
  
• 
  
• Another new favorite for our Muffin Wednesdays!  I thought about using the poppy seed muffin recipe as a base for blueberry muffins, but this recipe got such great reviews, I decided to try it.  We did not need the crumb topping; instead I used coarse sugar to sprinkle on the tops before baking. The original recipe insists the blueberries be fresh, but I like to use frozen and don't mind that the batter turns purple.
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup blueberries (I used frozen wild blueberries)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (I used turbinado, but regular would also work), for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners (I prefer liners).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Make a well in the center and set aside.  In a small bowl, beat together oil, egg and milk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients all at once, and stir just until moistened. Batter with be very thick and lumpy.  Gently fold in blueberries. Be careful not to overmix, or muffins with be tough.  Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full (I use a large scoop).  Sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake for 14-20 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted near the center of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan to cool completely.  Serve warm, or let sit overnight at room temperature, loosely covered.

Chocolate Muffins

I did a thorough search for chocolate muffins, as I did for poppy seed, and kept going back to the almond poppy seed muffin recipe that I liked so much.  I finally decided just to adapt that recipe.  It worked so well, I plan to make blueberry muffins next week!  I'll let you know how that goes.

This makes a dense muffin that is sweet, but not too sweet, because there so much cocoa in the recipe.  You can probably reduce the cocoa and increase the sugar to your liking.  I also considered adding 1/4 cup water to the recipe, as I had seen in others, but left it out because a heavier muffin was what I was looking for.  For us, these muffins were delicious just the way they were, but I may tweak them for fun later.

One difference between this recipe and the poppy seed recipe is that the chocolate muffins contain no baking powder--only baking soda.  I noticed in all the other chocolate muffin recipes that this was the case, and I thought they would taste better this way.

I had enough batter for a dozen muffins, plus one more.  I put a muffin liner in a very small Pyrex bowl and placed it on a pie tin on the bottom rack of the oven.  It took several minutes longer to bake, but I was glad I didn't waste any of that delicious muffin batter.

½ cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup milk

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cocoa

½ cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325°F. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups.

In large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup brown sugar, the oil, egg and vanilla. Beat in sour cream and milk with spoon until blended.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa and chocolate chips and stir until well blended. Make a well in the flour mixture.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (I used a large scoop). Bake 16 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (tops will look cracked). Remove from pan to wire rack. Makes one baker’s dozen.

Poppy Seed Muffins

photo by Heidi

These are almond-flavored--our favorite!  I looked all around the web for good recipes and liked this one the best, because it is simple and makes only a dozen muffins.  In fact, I think this is a great basic muffin recipe with lots of possible variations. I adapted it to make my chocolate muffins.


As you can see, these muffins don't brown on top. If you let them get brown, they will probably be too dry.  I cool mine completely on a wire rack, then cover them loosely with plastic wrap, so they will stay moist.  They are probably best the day after they are baked, like many quick breads.

1/2

cup sugar

1/3

cup vegetable oil

1

egg

1

teaspoon almond extract

1/2

cup sour cream

1/4

cup milk

1 1/3

cups all-purpose flour

1/2

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon baking soda

1        tablespoon poppy seeds

3

teaspoons sugar (optional)

2

tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 12 medium muffin cups with paper baking cups.
• In large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the oil, egg and almond extract. Beat in sour cream and milk with spoon until blended. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and poppy seeds and stir until well blended. Make a well in the flour mixture.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until moistened (batter will be lumpy).  Divide batter evenly among muffin cups (I used a large scoop). If desired, sprinkle batter with 3 teaspoons sugar and the almonds.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack.  Makes one dozen.

Banana Muffins

Photo by Emily Hale

Here is another excellent recipe from the Perry Family reunion recipe book. It was submitted by Jenny, my lovely and talented sister in law who I think of as a healthier, whole food recipe seeker version of me.

The recipe came from Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson, but I adapted it a little due to necessity, ambition, as well as accident (oops, I added a whole stick of butter instead of 6 T). Notice how decadent the picture looks, thanks to the extra two tablespoons.

I like to add Hodgson Mill Multi Grain cereal with flaxseed and soy to muffin batter because it adds excellent fiber and protein as well as a little texture. They mill the flaxseed so that you don't miss out on the Omegas that you might not get with whole flaxseed. I mean, have you ever tried to bite into a flaxseed? Those things are like slippery little time capsuls that go through your system and come out whole. Lovely image, sorry.

These muffins are tasty and sweet and can be made with all whole wheat flour, white whole wheat flour, or a combination of flours. If you don't use the multigrain cereal, increase the total flour to equal 2 cups. This is how I made it...

Banana Muffins
3/4 C whole wheat flour
1 C white flour
1/3 C multigrain cereal
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C chopped, toasted walnuts (optional)
6 T butter, room temp (or use the whole stick like I did by accident. Mmmm, buttery)
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 C plain yogurt
2 - 3 smashed, overripe bananas

Heat oven to 375. Grease and flour muffin tin (this makes about 24 small, not mini, muffins or 12 large muffins) In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. I prefer to do things like this by hand, making it less fluffy and resulting in a denser end product. But you can use a mixture and beat until fluffy if that's what you like. Add eggs one at a time, then vanilla, yogurt and bananas. In a separate bowl whisk together flour(s), baking soda, salt, and 3/4 C nuts (of using). Gently add to banana mixture and do not overmix. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pans and top with remaining nuts, if using. Bake about 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway until golden and just set on top.

The Waffles

Waffles can be too eggy, too fluffy, or too bland. Here is a recipe that is unusual with the amount of cornstarch called for, but the result is lovely.

photo by Emily Hale

The batter is very thin as you can see, but it will rise up just enough to create a crackly top.

photo by Emily Hale

The Waffles
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Tb sugar
2 C milk
2/3 C oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whisk dry ingredients together, then add wet ingredients until smooth. Let rest for half an hour before pouring about half a cup on heated waffle iron.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

I intended to make these for a cupcake exchange, it was going to be awesome. But I messed up the recipe, don't ask, and they turned out horribly. I tried them again today. They are good and weird at the same time. If they had turned out for the exchange I was going to decorate them with a cross section of a marshmallow with the round sides up of a yellow jelly bean cut in half. With mini strips of cut bacon it looked just like bacon and eggs.
The recipe calls for self-rising four. I wouldn't recommend using a substitute because that's one place where I made a mistake the first time. Self-rising flour isn't expensive and you can use it for other recipes. I used Grade A dark Amber syrup for the cupcakes and the frosting, and I think the flavor worked well.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes
adapted from "Vanilla Garlic"


4 1/2 tablespoons of butter, room temperature
1/2 TB bacon drippings (left in the fridge to solidify)
1 egg
1/4 C plus 1 TB brown sugar
4 TB real maple syrup
1 1/4 C self rising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of minced bacon

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, bacon drippings and sugar together. Add egg. Sift dry ingredients together, and add to egg and sugar mixture slowly, and alternate with milk, ending with the flour mixture until combined. Fold in bacon and scoop in muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Frost with Maple Frosting ( beat 4 TB butter with 1 1/2 C powdered sugar and maple syrup (2 - 4 TB) until desired consistency.)

Donuts Donuts Donuts

photo by Emily Hale

Our wonderful Primary President told me about a childhood memory she had when her mom would make donuts for her big family. She said the donuts went faster then her mom could make them, which is really saying something because these are quick! They are so delicious, I ate 3! My 10 month old love the donut holes and my 3 year old especially loved the sugary coating.


Donuts

canned biscuit dough, I used the buttermilk variety and liked it but flaky doesn't work well
1/2 C sugar
shortening or vegetable oil

Heat the shortening or oil in a deep skillet over medium heat, enough to be about 1/3 to 1/2 inch deep. Put sugar into a coating tray or plate, set aside. Using a small cookie cutter or knife, make holes in each biscuit. Save the "holes" to fry too. The oil is ready when a wooden or bamboo spoon bubbles when inserted into the hot oil. Use one of the small "holes" to test the oil. Fry each side until golden brown. Remove from oil, and immediately toss into sugar, coating all sides. Serve immediately, if not sooner.

BROWN STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

I love receiving homemade baked goods from neighbors during the holidays. I have to admit, over the years I have not reciprocated very well, but I intend to make up for it this year. This is a recipe from a book entitled "The Secret of Tender Pie", written by Mindy Marin. I met Mindy at a book signing I hosted about 10 years ago when I was still a bookseller at "A Woman's Place".

Mindy is a casting director and I'm sure you've seen her name whiz by when watching one of her movies and just didn't pay attention. She has quite the resume, including Juno and the newly released The Day the Earth Stood Still. She is also a lover of comfort food and "The Secret to Tender Pie" is a compilation of recipes from grandmas all over the country. Who is better at making fabulous comfort food, after all? Mindy traveled the length and breadth of this country, seeking out grandmas willing to share their recipes with her. It really is a lovely little recipe book. Should you run across a copy, you might want to snatch it up. It is wonderful!

This is my favorite recipe from the book. I promise you, it is the most scrumptious coffee cake you have ever had. I think it will make perfect neighbor gifts and I will certainly make one for myself!

Brown Streusel Coffee Cake

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk (or coffee)
1 egg
1 teaspoon REAL vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375. Mix first four ingredients and set aside 1 cup of the mixture for streusel topping.
Mix the baking soda into the buttermilk. Add the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla to the remainder of the first mixture. Pour into a buttered 13 x 9-inch pan and sprinkle with the set-aside streusel topping. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

This recipe is from Rosemary Cowan from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She writes;

"This is an old Milwaukee recipe, passed down from my grandmother, who was born in 1855. My mother still makes this much-loved Brown Streusel Coffee Cake for every family reunion and get-together. It is always eaten to the last crumb. Even her adult grandchildren are not above fighting over who gets the last piece. In the early 1950's, my parents had a boardinghouse for college students in Milwaukee. This coffee cake was a Sunday after-church favorite.
While I was raising my children, it became our anytime treat--also a sure seller at church and school bake sales. Now that I have seven grandchildren, it's become a favorite for a new generation of hungry children. In spite of the raves that this cake always receives, it's very quick and easy to prepare, and it would be selfish not to share."

Waffled French Toast with Strawberry Butter

This is the best thing to do to sliced bread. I first made it when we slept over and Beth and Griffin's house in Salt Lake on the Fourth of July. I wish I had come up with this recipe. It's genius. The strawberry butter isn't essential, but it is so delicious, despite it's appearance. You'll be happy you made this!

Waffled French Toast

1/2 C milk
4 eggs
1 Tb sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tb butter, melted
8 slices bread, thin and soft works best for this.

Preheat waffle iron. In a shallow dish combine milk, eggs, sugar, and salt then melted butter with a whisk. Dip one slice of bread into the egg mixture, making sure it soaks in all sides. Bake in waffle iron 2 - 3 minutes, or until brown. Serve with Strawberry Butter (recipe below).

Strawberry Butter

2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar
10 oz frozen strawberries, thawed and drained.

Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Best served at room temp.

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin!!!!!

I seriously cannot get enough pumpkin in the fall. I love pumpkin!!!! The leaves here in Pennsylvania have started to change colors. It is really beautiful, but it brings out my craving for pumpkin! I just bought some pumpkin spice hershey kisses (s0 g00d by the way), and I have already tried out two new pumpkin recipes and it is only the beginning of September. So I am posting these two recipes because we thought they were both delicious, and I will probably post some more before fall is over. And if anyone else has any good pumpkin recipes I would love to see them!

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups pancake mix (any brand works)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon (I used one of cinnamon and one of pumpkin pie spice)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup pumpkin, mashed
1 egg
spray oil

Mix together milk, pumpkin and egg.
In a separate bowl mix together the pancake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon.
Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
Poor batter onto a hot, greased frying pan or skillet using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.
Flip the pancake when the bubbles begin to pop and bottom is brown. Brown on second side, serve.

These were so good. I threw an handful of chocolate chips in ours this morning as a special treat for my kids. They gobbled them up really fast!

Snappy Pumpkin Dessert

2 1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnaps (about 40 cookies)
1/2 cup butter melted
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Topping
3 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 cups whipped topping
additional whipped topping (opptional)

In a large bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter; press into a greased 13 by 9 inch baking pan. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Cool.
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Spread over the crust.
In another mixing bowl, whisk milk and pudding together for 1 minute. Add pumpkin and pie spice; whisk until well blended. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over the cream cheese layer. The recipe said to refrigerate for at least *3 hours. Cut into squares and garnish with whipped topping if desired.
*Ours was still softer than we wanted it to be after the 3 hours so we froze it for a few hours after that. It was a cool, yummy, spicy treat.

Blueberry Oatmeal

Michigan has great blueberries, and we get them all the time because the price is half as expensive as we were used to in the west. We love this oatmeal recipe and we eat it on weekends and weekdays.

Blueberry Oatmeal

3 1/2 C milk
1/4 tsp salt
2 C old fashioned oats
1 C fresh blueberries
1/4 C brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp vanilla

Bring milk and salt to boil in heavy saucepan. Add oats and blueberries. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring. Remove from heat and cover. Let sit for two minutes. Add brown sugar, spices, and vanilla. Serves 4.

Ricotta Orange Raspberry Tart

Beth gave me the Best Of The Best From Michigan Cookbook for my birthday. I really love it. This is the first recipe I've made from the book. It would also be a good dessert for a brunch. It looks impressive, but it's easier to make than you think and so tasty. It reminds me of blintzes with the orange zest and ricotta filling. I saved half of the raspberries to serve fresh on top of the tart with some whipped cream.

Ricotta Orange Raspberry Tart

2 C Ricotta Cheese
zest of 1 orange
3 eggs
1/4 C sugar
4 C raspberries

Topping:
3/4 C softened butter
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 egg
1/2 C toasted almonds
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 12-inch spring form pan. Stir together ricotta, zest, slightly beaten eggs, and sugar. Pour into prepared pan. Top with raspberries (all or half if you want fresh ones on top after baking). Set aside.
In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and almond extract. Stir in flour, almonds, and salt until well blended. Drop by the teaspoon on top of raspberries. Bake for 35 - 40minutes or until custard is set and toothpick comes out clean. Topping will be golden brown. Cool completely and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve chilled with remaining raspberries and cream (optional).

Easter Pizza Piena

photo from MarthaStewart.com

I saw this on Martha Stewart, not sure why it's called pizza because it's more like a quiche. It's really good because it's packed with cheese. On the show they had a special dough for the crust, but we didn't like it. Next time I'll make it with a plain pie crust. I couldn't find dry Italian sweet sausage, I've never seen it, so I just cooked and crumbled a little less than half a pound of the raw stuff, which we like anyway. This makes a 9 x 13 casserole, or if you halve it, a square pan works well. Make sure you let it sit for a little while before you eat it, so it can settle and not burn your mouth. We were in a hurry to get to church...


Easter Pizza Piena

• 8 large eggs
• 2 pounds fresh ricotta cheese
• 7 ounces sweet Italian dry sausage, very finely chopped (or cooked sweet Italian sausage)
  
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pound fresh unsalted mozzarella cheese, chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Pie crust dough or Pizza Piena Dough
  
• 1 large egg yolk, beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out larger disk of dough into an 1/8-inch thick rectangle about 19 by 15 inches. Fit into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish leaving a 1-inch overhang; set aside.
3. Roll out second smaller disk of dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut four 15-by-1-inch strips; set aside. Cut remaining dough into three 11-by-1-inch strips; set aside.
4. Place eggs and ricotta in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix until well combined. Add sausage, parmesan, mozzarella, pepper, and parsley; continue mixing until well combined. Pour mixture over dough in baking dish.
5. With the long end of the baking dish facing you, place the three 11-inch strips of dough vertically over the top of the filling, spacing evenly apart. Starting in the middle, weave one of the 15-inch strips over and under the vertical strips (folding back every other vertical strip makes this easier). Continue weaving the remaining three 15-inch strips until lattice is complete. Fold over the overhanging pieces of dough and press with a fork to seal.
6. Brush dough with egg yolk and transfer to oven. Bake until golden brown, about 1 hour and 10 minutes, or 55 minutes for a square pan if using only half the recipe. Serve warm.

Potato Cinnamon Rolls

photo by Emily Hale

I can't remember a time when Jon didn't more or less demand these sweet rolls from his mom, but it's easy to see why they always come to his mind while visiting the Hales. What makes them so good are the leftover mashed potatoes (make sure they're not garlic-y or cheesy or anything weird like that). To be honest, I'm not sure what the potatoes do for the dough to make these so tasty. Maybe they add texture, moisture, depth of flavor. All I know is that eating them tonight took me right away to the dining table at the Hales after a Sunday dinner and games, the dogs moping under the table. I miss them! (Jon 's family, not necessarily the dogs.) I made a half batch and it made about a dozen and a half rolls. I used pecans, because that's what we had, and a little less than half a stick of melted butter to brush over the dough before sprinkling with brown and white sugar and cinnamon. You can sprinkle as much or little as you like. I like using string or floss to cut the rolls, laying the string under the log of dough then crossing the ends over the top. I made a simple icing of about 4 TB soft butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla, powdered sugar and milk to moisten until it seemed right. I'm so glad I finally have this recipe. Thanks Ida!

Potato Cinnamon Rolls
(created by the chefs at Ruby's Deli)

2 C scalded milk
1/2 C shortening
1 C mashed potatoes
2 pkgs. yeast
1/2 C warm water
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 C sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 C walnuts, chopped
1 C raisins
7 C flour
cinnamon and sugar
Powdered sugar icing

Pour milk over shortening and allow to cool to lukewarm. Soften yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add to milk mixture with the eggs, sugar, salt, mashed potatoes and 4 cups of the flour. Beat with the mixer until smooth and well blended. Flour nuts and raisins with part of the remaining flour and add to the dough. Slowly add remainder of flour to make a soft dough. Cover and allow to rise until doubled in size. Divide dough in half and roll in rectangle 1/2 inch thick. Spread with butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up and cut into 1 inch slices. Place on a cookie sheet and cover. Let rise until double. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Ice

Quick, Crustless Quiche

photo by Emily Hale

We had this for dinner last night with a salad. It would be good for a weekend breakfast or brunch too. Abby liked it a lot, and we were glad because it's packed with spinach! We all thought it was very tasty. There is no pie crust so it's easy to whip up. The baking mix makes a sturdier quiche, which is why it doesn't need a crust. I halved the recipe using a square pan and it worked just fine; I just cooked it for less time (about 40 minutes). I used cheddar cheese and grated more than I needed, so I put some on the top before baking. It made a nice chewy top. I like that. I thawed all the spinach, but only used half, so I'm going to use the other half to make a cheese dip for Superbowl. (I celebrate the snacks more than the game.)

Quick, Crustless Quiche

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 eggs
3 C milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 C chopped onion
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C baking mix (like Bisquick but generic works fine)
2 C grated cheese (Monterey Jack, Swiss, or Cheddar) plus a little more for top
2 C diced ham (but it would be good without ham, too)

Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in milk and salt. In small bowl, microwave butter and onion for 3 minutes; let cool and stir into egg mixture. Whisk in baking mix. Add spinach, cheese and ham. Pour into a greased 9x13 dish and sprinkle extra cheese on top. Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked through. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 12 servings.

Ponnukokur (Icelandic pancakes)

I learned how to make these when Gary was still in law school (1977) from the wife of one of Gary's fellow students, Cece Holt. They lived in Iceland during a stint in the military and she learned to make them from the natives!

Remember to keep your cardamom in the refrigerator - it's an expensive spice and will stay fresh and flavorful for a long time if you do. (I keep my cinnamon in the fridge, too. Since I use mostly organic spices, it just makes sense.)
BTW - you can call me "Card-a-Mom". Yarg.

Ponnukokur

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 T. sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cardamom (or 1 t. cardamom and 1 t. vanilla pure extract)
3 cups milk
1/4 c. melted butter (you really need to use real butter here)

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a dent in the middle and break the whole eggs into the center. Whisk and continue whisking while adding the milk. Add the melted butter and blend. The batter will be the consistency of heavy cream.

I admit I am a butter freak (hence my figure) and I like to lightly butter the bottom of the skillet before making each pancake. You skinny girls might want to use a cooking spray.

Use 1/4 cup batter for each pancake on a well-seasoned or non-stick skillet, preheated to a medium-high temperature. Tip the pan to spread the batter evenly all around the bottom and sides of the pan. Brown lightly on each side. Don't get frustrated if the first couple of pancakes don't work out. After 30 years, I still goober one or two at first. Cool pancakes between layers of paper towels or napkins.

Filling:

1 pint whipping cream, whipped or 1 medium container of Cool-Whip.
1/2 - 1 c. sliced strawberries (frozen or fresh - 5-6 T. jam works nicely, too)

Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling onto each pancake and fold into quarters.

This has become an Easter tradition in the Hansen house! They are so yummy!!

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

First of all I just want to thank Emily for inviting me to participate on this blog. I have enjoyed reading and trying some of these recipes (and can't wait to try more).

My family LOVES pancakes. I decided we wanted to start a family tradition of having pancakes on Saturday mornings at our house and I have loved hearing Gracie say, "Please can we have pancakes today!" This is one of our favorite kinds.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 & 1/2 cups milk
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/3 cup butter melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and butter. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with warm maple syrup. Yummy.


For another twist we love to make warm peach syrup to go on our pancakes. This is a syrup my mom taught me how to make when I was a little girl.

Peach Syrup

Use either a quart of bottled peaches or a large can of canned peaches.
Cinnamon (to taste)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (this is just a guess I don't usually measure) with equal parts water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Put peaches in a pan and add as much cinnamon as you like. Heat until boiling. Mix cornstarch with water and pour in a little at a time stirring constantly until desired thickness. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Serve hot over pancakes.