The Big Green Bowl

Chocolate Chip Brownies

2013-04-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I've waited so long to post this recipe! My mom used to bake these for us all the time. Definitely a family favorite. These are NOT just chocolate chip cookies in bar form. They are a different recipe altogether. You make the batter in a pan on the stove and there is a lot of brown sugar involved The result is a gooey, chocolatey bar with a light, crunchy top. Serious chocolatey goodness and SO EASY to make!

Chocolate Chip Brownies

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 (12oz) pkg chocolate chips
1/2 -1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350-F Lightly grease a 13x9" pan (or spray with PAM for baking).

In a medium size bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients slowly and mix until combined. Add vanilla and walnuts. Spread into the pan and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on the top. Press them in slightly. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool and cut into squares.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

New Recipes!!

2013-04-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

If you're a subscriber to my Face Book page, you may have noticed that I have recently tested some recipes from other blogs, and then posted the links to them with my recommendation. In the past, when I discovered a yummy recipe from another blog, I would type up my own original post about it, and put it up on The Big Green Bowl. I always provided a link and credit to the original recipe blog where I found it. While I'm sure this is perfectly acceptable and I know it is done all the time, I have decided I am not going to do it anymore.

I will still share recipes from other blogs with you, I just won't rewrite them. I will post the links on Face Book, or will do something here on the blog with photos and links.

If you have not "liked" The Big Green Bowl on Face Book, this is your chance! Please click on the FB button to the right so you won't miss out on any more great recipes!

So! Here are links to three desserts that I have made recently, that knock the ball out of the park! Seriously, I have made each of these recipes twice, they were that good.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge
This is my own photo... Isn't this fudge gorgeous? And it tastes as good as it looks! If you are a person who likes to eat the cookie dough while you are baking, you will love this fudge from Buns in my Oven. My kids and their friends could not get enough of it.

Ice Oatmeal Cookies
I did not take a photo of these cookies but trust me, when you click on the link you will see why I recommend these cookies from Shugary Sweets. They taste even better than the store-bought version of spiced oatmeal cookies with icing. They are soft and chewy and just... Mmm...!! I took the first batch to a BBQ and they were gobbled up. Took the second batch to work and same thing. SO GOOD!!! I will be making these regularly.

Finally, here is a recipe for No-bake Butterscotch Pretzel Bars from My Biscuits are Burning, that are just DIVINE. Yummy little bars that are sweet and salty goodness. They will remind you of a Butterfinger candy bar without the bothersome "stuck in your teeth" feeling. And you don't have to put them in a hot oven! Perfect for the summer.

Thanks for stopping by! Let me know if you try any of these recipes and what you think. By the way, I had to change the permissions in my comment section, due to an incredibly high volume of SPAM in my email inbox. I hope you will still leave a comment -- you just need to type in that annoying little code. Or you can leave a comment on the Face Book page.

Happy Baking!

Spiced Whole Wheat Scones

2013-03-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Here's another great scone recipe from my favorite little cookbook, Simply Scones. They remind me of a good spice muffin. They are delicious with butter alone or with jam, marmalade or apple butter. You could add a simple powdered sugar/milk glaze if you like.

Spiced Whole Wheat Scones
Makes 8 scones

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
Pinch nutmeg
Pinch cloves
6 TB unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly butter a 9-inch circle in the center of a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Grate the cold butter into the dry mixture, stirring frequently until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, egg and vanilla. *(If you don't have buttermilk, add 1/2 tsp. vinegar or lemon juice to 1/2 cup milk.) Stir to combine.

With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into an 8-inch circle, in the center of the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 8 wedges. Sprinkle top with raw sugar.

Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Eat warm or transfer scones to cooling rack.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:
Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Apple Walnut Scones

2013-03-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE scones and am always looking for new recipes to try. I found this one long ago in a Sunset magazine article about a recipe tester, Linda Tebben, who wanted to make her scones healthier. I'm usually skeptical of "healthier" baked goods, but decided to try this recipe anyway. I wasn't disappointed.

The original recipe calls for pecans but I prefer walnuts and have a huge stock right now, so that is what I used. They are wonderful!

Apple Walnut Scones

1-3/4 cup flour
3 TB sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup non-fat or low-fat lemon yogurt
3/4 cup peeled and finely chopped tart apple, (I used Granny Smith)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat oven to 375-F. Lightly butter or oil a cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Using a cheese grater, grate the butter into the dry mixture and stir until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in remaining ingredients until evenly moistened. Kneed slightly with hands until ball forms.

Place dough onto cookie sheet and press into an 8-inch circle. With a sharp knife or pizza roller, cut dough into 8 sections. Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar.

Bake ~20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and cool a few minutes, then re-cut into wedges.
Recipe adapted from Sunset magazine

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Bars

2013-02-19T18:01:00.000-08:00

Oh boy, do I have a recipe for you! I found it in the food section of the newspaper a couple of years ago. The topic of the article was macadamia nut farms in Hawaii. Cathy Haber, a chef at the Aloha Angel Cafe on The Big Island, created these bars and it is now their specialty.

Buttery, crunchy and chocolatey..... these bars are rich tasting and delicious. Believe it or not, they are easy to make too!!

Crust:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted

Caramel:
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Topping:
1-1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I like to use the mini ones.)

Preheat over to 350F. Grease (or spray) a 13x9 inch baking pan.

In a skillet on low heat, lightly toast the chopped macadamia nuts. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Cut the butter into small chunks and work into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Or, using a cheese grater, grate the butter in, stirring often. Use your fingers to mix it all until crumbly. Pour into pan and spread. Sprinkle toasted macadamia nuts on top and press firmly to make a compact layer.

In a heavy medium saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until entire surface of caramel is bubbly. Immediately pour hot caramel over crust and spread using off-set spatula or the back of a metal spoon.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly.

Remove pan from oven. Wait 1 minute and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over caramel. Let stand a few minutes for chocolate to melt, then spread evenly with off-set spatula or back of metal spoon. Cool completely then refrigerate to set. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck
Tuesday Talent Show

Lemon Yogurt Cake

2013-02-02T18:42:00.001-08:00

I really enjoy watching Ina Garten on the Food Network. She has a lovely calm way about her and her food always looks so delicious. I own one of her cookbooks, The Barefoot Contessa at Home. It has beautiful photos for every recipe, which is something I appreciate.

The other day I decided to try her Lemon Yogurt Cake, and I was not disappointed. It boasts a strong lemon flavor and a soft, moist texture with a sweet/tart icing on top.

Her recipe calls for plain whole-milk yogurt, which I didn't have, so I used lemon yogurt instead. She also calls for a sugar and lemon juice syrup that you pour over the top of the cake when it comes out of the oven. The idea is that it will soak into the cake, adding to the flavor and texture. Next time I make this, I will skip that step. The syrup didn't soak very far into the cake (I suppose I could have poked holes with a toothpick) and the extra work (and calories) hardly seem worth it. The glaze is enough!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

1-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup plan whole-milk yogurt (I used lemon yogurt)
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable or Canola oil

Lemon Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 TB lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350-F. Grease and flour (or use PAM spray for baking) a 8-1/2 x 4-1/4 x 2-1/2" loaf pan.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold the oil into the batter until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for ~50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack. Glaze when completely cool.

Recipe adapted from The Barefoot Contessa at Home.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Peanut Butter Day!

2013-01-24T16:35:00.000-08:00

It's National Peanut Butter Day! I don't know who thinks up these things (probably some advertiser) but I'll play along. Here's a round-up of some yummy and easy PB treats you can make to help celebrate!

Clockwise from top left:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Classic Peanut Butter Criss-Crosses

Peanut Blondies

Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

And I can't leave this one out!!

Peanutty Chocolate Candy Bars

Happy Baking!

Granola Scones

2013-01-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here's another great recipe from my trusty Simply Scones cookbook. These are no wimpy scones! They are hearty and filling -- delicious plain, with butter, or with jam or apple butter. I made some granola the other day (yum!), so I used it in this recipe. Store-bought granola will work just fine too!

Granola Scones
Makes 8 scones

1-2/3 cup flour
1/ 3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/3 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cup granola

Preheat oven to 375-F. Lightly butter a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients except the granola. Using a cheese grater, grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients, stirring often.

In a small bowl, whisk egg, milk and vanilla. Add to flour mixture. Stir or use fingers to knead in the granola.

Pat mixture into an 8-inch circle directly on the baking sheet. Using a knife or rolling pizza cutter, cut circle into 8 wedges. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Happy Baking!

Banana Bourbon Pound Cake

2013-01-05T18:20:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, this is as good as it sounds!! Bananas, cream cheese and bourbon....what's not to like? I found this recipe in the December 2012 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It was created by Brenda Camp Orbell, who won the grand prize in the "Favorite Reader Recipe of the Year" contest.

The bourbon is optional but WHY would you NOT use it?

This would be a delicious dessert to serve with sliced bananas, chopped walnuts and bourbon-laced whipped cream on top, or some vanilla ice cream with a little bourbon poured over the whole thing. Yum!

I did encounter one problem. The recipe says to use a 10" fluted tube pan, which I did, but that size is not really large enough. The batter puffed up over the sides and the inside took about 20 minutes longer to cook than the recipe indicated. Next time I will remove some of the batter and make muffins with the excess. Oooo, imagine these as cupcakes with a Bourbon Cream Cheese frosting.....

Banana Bourbon Pound Cake
Serves 12

3-1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 medium)
1/4 cup bourbon or low-fat milk
1 TB vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325-F. Grease and flour (or spray with PAM baking spray) a 10-inch fluted tube pan.

In medium sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat about 7 minutes or until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating 1 minute after each.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas, bourbon and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture; beat on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in the nuts.

Spread evenly in bundt pan. Bake for ~80 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack another 10 minutes, then put on serving plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Happy Baking!
I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Peanut Butter Balls

2012-12-22T18:52:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been a popular one on cooking blogs lately and for good reason. They are super easy to make and taste amazingly delicious. I got my recipe from Six Sisters Stuff.

I did make some changes. I used less powdered sugar and added 1/8 tsp salt because I felt the mixture was too sweet. I used crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth and dipping chocolate instead of chocolate chips.

For dipping chocolate, I go to a local candy store and buy bags of the candy making chocolate in dark and white. I believe Michael's (craft store) sells it too. You can experiment and decide which type of chocolate you like best. Guittard is my favorite.

Some tips for dipping: A toothpick is a great tool for this. After you dip, you can gently shake excess chocolate off and then slowly twist the toothpick out while setting the candy on wax paper. Use the side of the toothpick to smooth over the hole. Decorations on the top always look good. For these I used crushed peanuts. Also, to keep the chocolate smooth enough for dipping, you can put your dipping bowl on a heating pad set to low or medium. Works great!

Peanut Butter Balls

1 (16 oz) jar of peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Chocolate for dipping
Chopped peanuts for decoration

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients with a spoon or mixer. Put the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour but longer or overnight if necessary. Roll into 1" balls and set on wax paper.

Melt enough chocolate to use for dipping. I like to use the microwave and melt the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Using a toothpick, dip the balls into the chocolate and set on waxed paper to harden. The original recipe says to put them in the fridge but I did not need to do that. It's cold enough here to harden without that! Do a few at a time and decorate top with chopped peanuts (or whatever you choose) before the chocolate hardens.

Store in the refrigerator.

Happy Baking!

Pecan Sandies

2012-12-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

Here is another favorite that I like to make at Christmas time. I enjoy cookies that aren't too sweet and have wonderful flavor and texture. These are a great cookie to add to your trays or gift tins to balance out the fudge and Rocky Road.

This recipe comes from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Pecan Sandies
Makes 45-48

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp water
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans

*The dough needs to be refrigerated for 3 hrs.

Cream butter and sugar; add water and vanilla; mix well. Blend in flour then stir in nuts; chill 3 hrs.

Preheat oven to 325-F. Shape into 1" balls (very small). Bake on ungreased cookie sheet about 20 minutes. Remove from pan; cool slightly; roll in powdered sugar.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Christmas Round Up!

2012-12-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

I'm busy in the kitchen this weekend, whipping up some of our favorite Christmas cookies. Have you started your holiday baking yet?

I always enjoy making cookie trays or tins for my friends and family. I have found the best way to do that is to bake them over a weekend and put each type of cookie or candy in its own container in the freezer. Tins, Tupperware and even shoe boxes work well. When I'm ready to make the tray, I remove all the boxes from the freezer, arrange my cookies, and put the rest back in the freezer. Simple!

Once I bake all our favorites, I am free to try new recipes throughout the month. I'm always in search of a new favorite to add to the mix!

I was experimenting with creating a photo collage, which was fun, but I couldn't figure out how to link the photos to the recipes. So I'll just list them here, starting with the Almond Crunch in the bowl, and going clockwise:

Almond Crunch
Selma's Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Sherry Cream Bars
Rocky Road
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Almond Roca Squares

But that's not all! Stay tuned for more in another post...

Happy Baking!

Perfect Apple Pie

2012-11-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

I have a huge box of Golden Delicious apples that a friend gave me. I made Cake Mix Apple Crisp, applesauce, and of course I had to bake an apple pie. I usually use Granny Smith apples when I bake, but to be honest, I think I'm going to switch to sweeter apples like Golden Delicious from now on. You can use less sugar and the taste and texture are fabulous.

So here's my trusty recipe for Perfect Apple Pie, straight from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. I always make my own crust and the recipe comes from the same cookbook, although I made a few changes. It's easy to roll out and bakes flaky every time!

Perfect Apple Pie

Preheat oven to 400-F

Filling

6 to 8 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (6 cups)
3/4 - 1 cup sugar (less if using sweeter apples)
2 TB flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 TB butter
Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and a dash of salt; mix with apples. Line 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Fill with apple mixture; dot with butter. Roll out your top crust large enough to overlap the edges of pie plate. Place on top of pie filling. Tuck top crust under edge of lower crust. Crimp with a fork or flute with your fingers. Prick top of crust with a fork or make decorative slices with a knife to vent steam. Sprinkle with sugar.

To prevent the edges from getting too brown, fold strips of foil around the rim of the crust. You can also buy pre-made crust protectors that work really well.

Bake at 400-F for 50 minutes or until crust is golden. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. The longer it cools, the firmer the apple filling gets.

Plain Pastry
For two 8, 9 or 10-inch crusts

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt (I use 1/2 tsp)
2/3 cup shortening (I mix butter and shortening)
5 - 7 TB cold water

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Cut the shortening in with a pastry cutter til crumbly. Add 4 TB water and toss with a fork. Add more water 1 TB at a time until it forms a ball. Divide dough in half. Roll into two large enough circles to fit your pie tin.

Happy Baking!

Bacon and Egg Muffins

2012-11-20T12:00:00.000-08:00

Something savory from The Big Green Bowl? Yep.... but it's still a muffin!

I made these for the first time today, and the verdict from my kids? "These are amazing!" 'Nuff said.

Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon all in one bite. Drizzle with a little maple syrup for the total delicious effect. This recipe was in the April 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

Bacon and Egg Muffins
Yield 12 muffins

4 slices bacon
5 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 tsp. salt
2 TB sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400-F.

In a large skillet, cook bacon just until it begins to crisp. Remove to paper towels. Cut into 12 pieces for tops of muffins.

Using a pastry brush, grease a 12-cup muffin tin with the bacon drippings.

In a small bowl, beat 3 of the eggs with 2 TB water and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook and scramble the eggs. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt.

In a smaller bowl mix the milk, oil and remaining 2 eggs. Add liquid mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the scrambled eggs and cheese.

Spoon into muffin cups (cups will be full) and top with a piece of bacon. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until golden and toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Run a knife or off-set spatula around the edge of muffins to loosen; remove from pans. Serve with syrup if desired.

*If you have left-over batter, you can make a pancake in the skillet that you cooked the bacon in. I did this and it was delicious!

Happy Baking!

Family Favorites

2012-10-25T21:19:00.001-07:00

What's going on? Did I stop baking? No....but I have slowed down. Life sometimes gets in the way of BAKING darn it! So I haven't been baking as often, but my kids still need lunch box treats and there is always Saturday and Sunday morning breakfast.... When I'm in a hurry, I stick with my tried and true recipes that I can mix up quickly and I know they will always turn out great.

Did you know, another great way to get new recipes is through my Face Book page? I always post what I am baking and sometimes put links to great recipes from other blogs. I also have a photo recipe index you can access from there. Check it out!

The Big Green Bowl on Face Book

Here's what I've been baking lately. If you missed these recipes the first time around, here's your chance to try them!

The Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Cake

Toffee Bars

Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins

Chocolate Caramel Bars

Zucchini Bread

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Happy Baking!

Silly Billies

2012-10-07T16:06:00.001-07:00

I don't own a ton of cookbooks. I really enjoy them but I don't have the room to store them, and there are so many recipes to be found in magazines, newspapers and on-line.

I have a friend who collects cookbooks and has enough to fill a library. It's fun to look through all the titles and pick a few to read through. His most recent purchase caught my fancy and I just KNEW there had to be some good recipes in it. He was gracious enough to let me borrow it.

It's called, The Treasury of White Trash Cooking, by Ernest Matthew Mickler and Trisha Mickler. Ha!! This one is worth looking through simply for the photos and stories!

Here is the first one I tried. No explanation for the title, but they must be named after someone named Billy who either made them or loved to eat them, or both. They were super easy to make and turned out delicious. They were gooey and chewy and reminded me of a bite of pecan pie. I could imagine them with some chocolate chips or coconut (or both!) added too.

Silly Billies

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup self-rising flour *
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Very lightly grease or spray a 9x9" baking pan.

In a medium sized pot, melt the butter. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, flour and nuts. Lightly stir the mixture with a spoon. Pour into pan and bake for ~20 minutes or til the top is light golden brown. Don't over-bake! Cool and cut into bars.

*If you don't have self-rising flour on hand, just measure almost one cup of flour and add 1-1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Hermit Cookies. I'm into something good!

2012-09-18T11:59:00.002-07:00

Yes, I'm still here and still baking!! The thing is, I tend to bake my favorite recipes over and over (who doesn't?) and then I don't have new recipes to share with you here. If you follow this blog on Face Book, you will see what I'm baking on a daily basis!

I did bake a few new recipes but I didn't think they were blog-worthy. I will only post recipes that I think are worthy of your time and effort!

This one fits the bill. It's a spice cookie that my mom used to bake. Are you wondering about the name? Me too! It always makes me think of Herman's Hermits. For you youngins, that's a band from the 6os who did this groovy tune.

Something Tells Me I'm Into Something Good

This is a great fall and winter cookie, with all the spices we associate with this time of year. These are soft and moist and oh so good with a cup of coffee or tea.... and you know I highly recommend cookies for breakfast! :-) The glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness. Enjoy!

Hermits

2/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1-3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2 TB sour cream
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup raisins

Vanilla Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 TB cream or milk
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Dissolve the baking soda in the sour cream then add to the butter and sugar mixture with the eggs and beat again. Mix in the dry ingredients then stir in the nuts and raisins.

Use a cookie scooper or drop by TB onto cookie sheet. Bake til lightly brown, 15-18 min. Remove from pan to cool on a rack. Glaze when cookies are cool. You can spread over entire cookie or drizzle a design.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

2012-08-19T14:56:00.004-07:00

I found this delicious looking cake recipe on All is Amazing, and it's been in the back of my mind to try. I didn't want to bake it unless I had plenty of of people around to eat it! With my kids coming and going this summer, I've been baking less. If they aren't here, you know who ends up eating it...

So I made it today and it is JUST as delicious as I thought it would be. So easy too. You know me, I love easy!

The recipe I have calls for a chocolate glaze. I really wanted to try a peanut butter glaze though, so I whipped one up and it turned out nice. I've included two of my own glaze recipes and you can choose which one you want to use.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

1 pkg. yellow or white cake mix (I used yellow)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan, or use PAM spray for baking.

Beat everything but the chocolate chips together for 2 minutes at medium speed. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour into pan and make sure batter is even. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Glaze with chocolate or peanut butter glaze, or a glaze of your choice. Decorate with mini chocolate chips or chopped peanuts or whatever you want!

Peanut Butter Glaze

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk, more or less, to make desired consistency

Whisk all ingredients together.

Chocolate Glaze

2 TB butter
2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the cocoa powder and cream and stir until it thickens, about 2 minutes. Do not boil. Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Recipe Sharing Monday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Black Raspberry Cream Pie

2012-08-08T18:26:00.002-07:00

I don't know what took me so long to put this recipe on my blog. I've been making this pie for years and we absolutely LOVE it.

I found this recipe in a magazine.... do I even need to finish that sentence? You guys know me by now. NO, I do NOT know which magazine. But the clipping says that Janet Hasenkamp from Pendleton, Oregon won $100 for this recipe in the Frozen Dessert Category in August 2007.

I know this slice of pie would look so much prettier with some fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint, but I did not have either in my kitchen. Tsk, tsk. I hope you get the idea though.

It doesn't get any easier than this. It's no-bake, quick and easy, and DELICIOUS. So what are you waiting for?

Black Raspberry Cream Pie
Makes 8 servings

1 purchased 9-inch graham cracker pie shell
1 cup whipping cream
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1- 10 oz jar black raspberry spread (I used Smucker's Simply Fruit)

If you want to you can brush the graham cracker crust with a beaten egg white and bake it at 375F for 5 min. I didn't want to turn my oven on in the heat today so I skipped this step and it turned out just fine.

In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add raspberry spread and beat on low speed until combined. Fold in the whipped cream Spoon mixture into the pie shell. You can freeze this pie if you want a solid, ice-cream type pie, or you can put it into the fridge for a more creamy type pie. I prefer the refrigerator version.

You can also serve this dessert with no crust. Simply spoon into individual dessert cups like a mousse. Even easier!

Garnish with whipped cream, raspberries, mint, or lemon peel.

Happy Baking!

I'm participating in these blog hops

Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

Health Nut Muffins

2012-07-28T11:59:00.002-07:00

Well, here's something you probably thought you'd never see here. A healthy recipe! It's true, I don't often bake "health food" recipes. I like my sweets old-fashioned and unhealthy thank you very much :-) BUT...I do like to eat healthy in general and sometimes I'll see a low-cal or healthy recipe that catches my eye.

I saw this recipe in a magazine. Wish I knew which one! I have a bad habit of cutting off that bit of information. I've been baking them for years.

I love to have breads with my coffee in the morning and I can eat these with no guilt. Although I admit I rarely feel guilty about anything I eat. Life is too short for that!

There is a bit of grating and chopping involved but I know some of you like that sort of thing. :-) These are nice, hearty little muffins with a nice texture and flavor. You will feel good about eating them! I bet you could substitute chopped apples if you don't have grapes, and any kind of nut that you like would taste delicious. If you don't have wheat germ, just substitute flour.

Health Nut Muffins

1-1/4 cups flour (I like to mix white and wheat)
3/4 cups quick oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup wheat germ or bran
1 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp each cinnamon and ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup seedless grapes, halved
1/2 cup each: shredded carrots, applesauce and skim milk (or whatever kind you have)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, divided
3 TB vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Stir together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup walnuts; stir just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. The batter should exactly fill 12 muffin cups. They will be very full. Sprinkle with reserved walnuts.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Because these are healthy :-) I will provide the nutrition information that was with the recipe. Nutrition per muffin: 190 calories, 4 g protein, 8 g total fat (1 g sat, 0 g trans), 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 20 mg cholesterol, 180 g sodium, 4 points.

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones

2012-07-22T12:36:00.003-07:00

Here's another delicious scone recipe from my Simply Scones cookbook.

Chocolate Chip Orange Scones
Makes 8 scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled*
2 large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425F. Butter a 9-inch-diameter circle in the center of a baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.* Cut the butter into small cubes and distribute them in the flour with a pasty cutter. Or grate the butter in with a cheese grater (that is my preferred method).

In a small bowl, stir together the eggs, orange juice, vanilla and orange peel. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. The dough will be sticky. With lightly floured hands, knead in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.

Flour hands again and pat the dough into an 8-inch circle in the center of the prepared baking sheet. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 8 wedges. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for about 5 minutes. Recut into wedges if necessary.

*If you are using regular, salted butter, do not add the extra salt.

Happy Baking!

This recipe is linked to the Foodie Friends Friday blog hop.

Mint Brownie Delight

2012-07-15T19:31:00.001-07:00

I have been gravitating towards these cool and creamy type desserts. Makes sense since it's summer! I am finding that many of the recipes I've seen are similar in that they require Cool Whip, pudding or Jello, and cream cheese. The base is usually a graham cracker or cookie crust. For any of these recipes you could substitute your favorite flavors and create a new recipe all your own.

This one caught my eye because I love chocolate and mint and it just sounds so refreshing right now. If you are not a fan of mint, you could top the dessert with sliced almonds or shaved chocolate or how about toffee chips?

I found this recipe at Stella B's Kitchen.

Mint Brownie Delight

1 pkg. brownie mix
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz. Cool Whip, divided
2 cups milk
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding (3.9 oz)
1/2 cup Andes Mints baking chips

Bake brownies in a 9x13 " pan, according to directions on the package. Let cool completely

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined. Fold in 2 cups Cool Whip. Spread over brownies. Refrigerate while making the pudding.

Using a whisk, beat the pudding mix with the milk until thick. Spread over cream cheese layer.

Top with remaining Cool Whip and Andes Mint chips. Refrigerate. Cut into squares and serve.

Happy Baking!

This recipe is linked to the Foodie Friday Friends blog hop.

Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies

2012-07-07T17:18:00.002-07:00

I found this recipe in the February 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens. They were super easy to make and turned out really tasty! They are rich, chewy and gooey just like a real S'More.

The hard part is waiting til they cool to cut and eat them!

Inside-Out S'Mores Brownies

1/2 cup butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
9 graham cracker squares
1 cup mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 11x7x1 inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease/spray the pan.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar, eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour.

Spread half the batter in the pan. Top with graham crackers. You may have to cut a few to fit. Sprinkle marshmallows on the graham crackers -- don't let them touch the sides of the pan. Carefully pour the remaining batter over the marshmallows to cover them completely.

Bake for ~25 minutes or until set. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I'm participating in the following blog hops:

Weekend Potluck
Foodie Friends Friday

Lemon Brownies

2012-06-29T11:57:00.003-07:00

For all you lemon lovers, here's another great recipe you will want to try for sure. These bars are fabulous! They are not like traditional lemon bars at all. True to their name, they really do have a rich, brownie like texture, and the glaze is the perfect sweet/tart topping.

This recipe is making its rounds on the internet. I found this one on Becky Charms recipe blog.

If you are a lemon fan, this recipe is a MUST try!

Lemon Brownies

Brownie
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 TB lemon zest
2 TB lemon juice

Tart Lemon Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
4 TB lemon juice
8 tsp lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or spray with Pam Baking Spray, an 8x8 inch baking dish.

Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add softened butter and beat with a mixer until combined.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice. Add to flour/butter mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 minutes or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not over-bake! Cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze, just whisk all the ingredients together. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies and let it harden. Spread the remaining half over that, and let it harden again. Cut into bars and serve.

This recipe is part of the Foodie Friends Blog Hop!

Happy Baking!

Buttermilk Scones

2012-06-21T07:59:00.002-07:00

Here's another wonderful scone recipe from my Simply Scones cookbook. These, along with Classic Cream Scones, are my sons' favorite. It's funny, with all the other scone creations I make such as Cranberry Chocolate Chunk and Blueberry Coffee Cake, my boys still prefer the plain ones, smothered in butter.

Remember, if you don't have buttermilk on hand, simply measure 1 tsp. of vinegar or lemon juice, and add enough regular milk to equal 1 cup. Let it sit for a few minutes before adding to your recipe. So in this case, since the recipe calls for 1/2 cup of buttermilk, you would measure 1/2 tsp vinegar.

Buttermilk Scones

2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 TB unsalted butter, cold
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white for brushing tops of scones

Preheat oven to 400-F

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and distribute them into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter. Or, use a cheese grater and grate the butter into it. That's what I prefer to do.

In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine.

There are two way you could shape your scones. The easiest and quickest way is to flour your hands and pat the dough into an 8-inch-diameter circle on an ungreased baking sheet. With a sharp knife (I like to use a pizza roller) cut into 8 wedges.

If you prefer smaller scones, place the dough on a floured surface and pat it into an 8-inch square. Cut this into 4 equal pieces then cut each smaller square diagonally with an X, to make 4 smaller triangles. This gives you 16 scones. Using a spatula, place the scones on an ungreased baking sheet.

For either method, brush the tops of your scones with egg white for a nice shiny appearance.

If you use the circle method, bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of a scone comes out clean.

If you use the square method, bake for 12-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and and let cool for 5 minutes.

Re-cut the scones if necessary (if you used the circle method), and serve immediately or cool on a wire rack. Serve with butter and jam or honey, or your favorite topping.

Happy Baking!