Healthy and Delicious Granola

A co-worker of mine brought some yummy granola to work a couple of weeks ago and I knew right away I had to make it for my family! It was delicious and oh so healthy and wholesome! She graciously shared not only the granola with me but also her recipe and I have already made it twice in the last two weeks! The first batch was literally gone in a few days! What I love about making my own granola is that I know exactly what goes into it and I can adjust the sweetness to my liking. So many of the granola mixes and granola bars out on the market are way too sweet or full of "fillers" I would not necessarily want to feed my family with. So, this recipe fits all my requirements for good granola. And you can improvise to your heart's content- according to your mood that day, or what you have in the pantry, or what your family "puts an order for". :)The first time I made the granola, I followed the recipe pretty closely. The second time, I used a tropical dried fruit mix- with dried papaya, pineapple, etc and it was awesome. You could add coconut flakes too for another touch of the tropics... Any way your fancy takes you, you will be glad you made this granola. I promise.

Ingredients: 

3 cups rolled oats
3 cups quick oats
1/4 cup psyllium (optional- I don't use it)
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds (or flax meal)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup rice crispies (optional- I don't use them)
1 cup oat bran
1/2 cup or more chopped almonds
1/2 cup or more chopped walnuts or pecans or any other nuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots or any other dried fruit such as cherries, blueberries, dates, etc
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
3/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup honey

Directions: 

Mix oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit in a large bowl.

In a large glass measuring cup or bowl microwave the honey and oil for 30 to 60 seconds until just warm. With fork or whisk, blend until thick. Pour over dry oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. With rubber spatula mix thoroughly until evenly distributed.

Spray a large cookie sheet or two 9x13 inch baking pans. Pat mixture into pans- about 1 inch thick- and bake at 325 F for about 35-40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tops are golden brown.

Let cool completely. Store in jars. Enjoy!

The granola mix, right out of the oven: 

Lemon-raspberry cake with "magical" lemon cream cheese frosting

I have been so excited about the new recipe for "magical" frosting I just found over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, that I have made it three times in the last three days! :) Still, I made it in the original form the first time, using almond extract the second time, and changing it up just a couple more notches the third time- read below. :)

My daughter, Anna, helped me with the baking of the cake and making of the frosting, as well as assembly and decoration of the cake. She is so eager to learn, at just 8 years of age, I can't contain my joy! :) Here she is, proud with the cake we created together:

For the cake, we used my favorite vanilla cake recipe (see here), adding to it at the end the zest of one whole lemon and 1 tsp of lemon extract. We put raspberry preserves between the two layers of the cake and then frosted with the magical frosting (see here) and the following modifications:

Magical lemon cream cheese frosting
I substituted 8 oz of the butter in the base recipe with 8 oz of cream cheese,  added 1/2 tsp of lemon extract, the zest of one whole lemon, and freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon.

This variation definitely resulted in a softer frosting which would have been close to impossible to pipe, but in our case, that wasn't a problem- we wanted to simply smother it on the cake and make it very homemade looking. We achieved our goal! :) The frosting- and cake- were delicious! Tangy and sweet at the same time, moist and irresistible- all guests went for seconds!

We used the zester to garnish to top of the cake with more lemon zest in pretty long strips:

My little hostess serving the lemon-raspberry cake to our guests with a sweet smile:  :)

The best frosting ever, a.k.a. "magical" frosting

I have been on the search for the perfect frosting for years. Nobody in my family likes buttercream frosting- they all think it is way too sweet. Whipped cream is great in taste but doesn't work too well for piping and doesn't really hold up for too long. So, the search has always been on for a light and fluffy frosting that would also lend itself to piping. And voila- I stumbled upon this"magical" frosting over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe! The name actually fits it perfectly! It is like buttercream and whipped cream had a love child! I was able to pipe it and it held beautifully!

I am so excited and looking forward to making the chocolate version of this frosting next, and then maybe playing around with various extracts- lemon, orange, strawberry, changing it up a bit by subbing some of the butter for cream cheese, and some of the sugar for honey... The possibilities are endless- it is like a whole new horizon has opened up in front of me! Did I say I am excited!? :)))

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1% with stellar results)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) butter, cut into 24 pieces and softened at room temperature

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it starts to become difficult to easily whisk. This could take anywhere between 5-10 minutes, for me it was ready in exactly 7 minutes. It should bubble quite a bit at the end (be careful of the splatters) and thicken considerably.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and cool to room temperature – this is extremely important! If it is even slightly warm, the frosting won’t beat up properly. (It took my mixture a good 2 hours to come to room temperature and it was smooth sailing from there.) You can also refrigerate the mixture overnight. If you do this, make sure to pull it out in time to let it warm back up to room temperature. If you try to proceed with the rest of the recipe and the mixture is too cold, the butter won’t absorb into the frosting properly.

Once the frosting is completely cooled to room temperature (it should have no hint of warmth at all!), pop the bowl on your stand mixer and beat the mixture with the vanilla on low speed until it is well combined, about 30 seconds. Add the butter, one piece at a time, and beat the frosting until all the butter has been incorporated fully, about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and let the mixer work its magic. Beat the frosting for five minutes, until it is light and fluffy. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it is a bit more stiff, about 1 hour, or chill if you want a stiffer consistency for piping. I piped mine without chilling it and it was stiff enough. The only caveat were all the air bubbles which naturally form in the frosting while fiercely beating the heck out of it but I was fine with it.

Chocolate Version: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt mixture in the first step. Once the frosting has been mixed for five minutes and is light and fluffy, mix in 5 ounces of semisweet chocolate that has been melted and completely cooled to room temperature.

Big thanks for this wonderful recipe to: Mel's kitchen cafe

Banana Cream Pie

I actually made this dessert for a party we recently went to but it took me a while to pull my act together and post the recipe here. Now, I have a  confession make: I have made banana cream pie many, many times before but mostly using ready vanilla pudding mix. Let me tell you- there is no comparison whatsoever between the made-from-scratch vanilla pastry cream and the store-bought vanilla pudding! None. True, it takes longer to make the from-scratch pastry cream with all the whisking by the fire, tempering of the eggs, etc but the taste is definitely superior. My husband proclaimed it "The best banana cream pie" I've ever made without knowing what was different. Well, in this case, there was also the addition of a couple other "secret" ingredients (compliments of Paula Deen) that made this heavenly dessert really and truly over the top.

Ingredients:

5-6 bananas, sliced

1 box Nilla Wafers

Vanilla Pastry Cream (recipe below)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese

1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 oz.) container Cool Whip

chocolate syrup for decorating (optional)

chopped nuts for decorating (optional) 

Directions

Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with Nilla Wafers.

Slice your bananas and layer evenly on top of the wafers.

Spread cooled Vanilla pastry cream on top of bananas. 

Arrange another layer of Nilla Wafers on top of vanilla pastry cream. 

In a separate bowl, mix together cream cheese & condensed milk until smooth.  Gradually fold in whipped cream. Pour the mix evenly over the second layer of Nilla Wafers. 

Decorate with chocolate syrup and chopped nuts if desired.

Recipe adapted from Paula Deen's Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

Vanilla Pastry Cream

Original recipe here

2/3 cup sugar (can be reduced to 1/2 cup if you prefer desserts less sweet)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups whole milk

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a fork to combine. Set aside.

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually pour in milk, while whisking, to make a smooth mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring almost constantly, until the mixture thickens and boils. Continue to cook and stir one minute.

Pour several tablespoons of the hot mixture into the bowl with the eggs and immediately stir well.  Pour warmed egg mixture into the pan with the rest of the hot milk mixture. Return to a slow boil, and cook one minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool. When the pan has cooled, place in the refrigerator to fully cool. If desired, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the top surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming.

My youngest daughter, Lizzie, admiring Mommy's banana cream pie :))

Apple walnut cake

This beautiful Apple Walnut Cake was the "Recipe of the month" for January, 2013 as printed in one of my local magazines, The Navesink Area Journal. It sounded good and I am always game for another apple dessert, so I whipped it up this past weekend. It turned out pretty darn good: buttery, moist, with a good apple-spice flavor, and walnuts that give it richness and texture.

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups cubed/chopped Macintosh apples  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour one 10inch tube pan.

 2. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside.

3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Add to wet ingredients and mix well.

4. Stir in vanilla, walnuts, and apples. Mix well and pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake at 350F for approximately 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool. Slide knife along outer edges to release bottom of tube pan. Slide knife along bottom of tube pan and inner tube to release cake. Note: If using lesser amount of apples, add several tablespoons of milk, to moisten the batter.  

Glaze (optional)
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tbsps of milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Makes approximately 1/2 cup of icing.

Stir milk into sugar. Add vanilla. Drizzle onto cake. May be thickened with confectioners' sugar or thinned with milk.

One Hour Dinner Rolls

These one hour dinner rolls were a pleasant surprise! I found them on Pinterest and thought why not make them, they only take an hour! :) Indeed, they were easy, quick and delicious. The only change I would make next time is use a little less sugar but other than that they were super fluffy and really yummy!

Ingredients

• 1 c. warm water 
• 1/4 c. sugar (I will use 1/8 cup next time)
• 1/3 c. oil
• 2 Tbsp. yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 1/3 c. flour
• 1 egg yolk, for glaze (optional)

Directions

1. In a kitchenaid mixer bowl, mix together warm water, sugar, oil, and yeast. Let stand for 15 minutes until yeast mixture is bubbly.
2. Stir in salt and beaten egg to yeast mixture.
3. Gradually add flour. Dough will be kind of sticky, but add enough flour until it's manageable. Let dough rest in the kitchenaid bowl for 10 minutes.
4. Spray hands with non-stick cooking spray and form dough into balls. Place balls so they don't touch on a cookie sheet (18" x 26" pan). Let rise for 20 minutes (or longer, if you have the time). Or you can stick them in the fridge to slowly rise and you can bake them when you're ready later in the day.  
5. Brush with egg yolk just before popping them in the oven. Or, brush with melted butter after they are baked. 
6. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe courtesy: What's on your menu this week?

Butter Pecan Meltaways

These Butter Pecan Meltaways are my favorite cookies hands down! My Mom and most of my friends love these too. I always double and triple my recipe because one batch usually isn't enough. :)

Ingredients:
1/2 lb butter (i.e. 1 cup/ or 2 sticks), room temperature
2 cups flour
2 to 2 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds or filberts)
6 tblsps powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp water
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar for coating

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and water. Beat in flour and salt. Add nuts and mix thoroughly. Roll into small (about 1 inch) balls- I use my small ice cream scoop for that purpose- it works like a charm!

Bake at 350F for about 15-20 minutes (bottoms should be golden brown). When they come out of the oven, roll in powdered sugar. They literally melt in your mouth! Mmmmm... :)

Special thanks for this awesome recipe to my dear friend Nancy Pietz who graciously gave it to me quite a few years ago. I have been baking these delicious cookies every Christmas (and in between) ever since!

Peanut Blossom Cookies a.k.a. Sweet Spots :)

These peanut butter/chocolate cookies are an old favorite in my home- my kids can eat tons of them, if I let them. :) I also have a co-worker who gets a whole plate of them every Christmas because they are his personal favorites too. In fact, he is the one who calls them Sweet Spots- he said this is the name his grandmother always used. I like to call them Sweet Moments. :)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsps milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar for coating
1 bag Hershey kisses (48 to 60 kisses), taken out of their wrappers

Directions:

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, beat butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the milk. Add the flour, baking soda and salt (mixed beforehand separately) and beat until incorporated. Cover and chill the batter for an hour or until firm enough to form into balls.

Preheat oven to 375F. Place rack in the center of oven. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar. Put on baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Flatten out each cookie a little bit. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned. Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down until the cookie just starts to crack. Don't touch cookies until completely cooled- kisses will be melty.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I don't actually remember where exactly I got this recipe from, or when. :) But it has been used many, many times in my kitchen for the years I've had it.

Rum Balls

These no-bake, fool-proof, "adult-only" cookies have always been a huge hit at my work place. Every Christmas, they are the most requested treat by everybody. What is great about them, they are extremely easy to make and the longer they sit, the better (i.e. the rummier) they get. :) It's a "retro" recipe that is still in demand. :)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Nilla wafers, finely crushed (one 11oz box)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup honey
1/3 to 1/2 cup rum (I use Bacardi for maximum flavor)
orange zest from half an orange (optional)

Directions:

Mix everything thoroughly by hand, or using the paddle attachment of your electric mixer. Shape into little 1 inch balls. Roll in more powdered sugar, or cocoa powder, or finely chopped nuts. Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Special thanks to my friend Donna Davison for this terrific recipe.

Cranberry-lemon scones: encore :)

These scones are so delicious and easy to make, they have become an absolute favorite in my family, and among my friends. :) I keep being asked for the recipe, so I thought I'd repost it. So, here it is, with the latest picture of them:  :)


cranberry-lemon scones

 

ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), frozen
1/2 cup dried cranberries, i.e. craisins
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg

directions 

preheat oven to 400 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

mix dry ingredients and frozen butter (cut in pieces) in food processor, process it a few seconds until well blended, add wet ingredients and pulse it until well blended, add lemon zest and cranberries (or any other fruits or chips you like), just pulse it a couple of times to mix, take the batter out, divide it in two balls, pat each one flat on a lightly floured surface forming a 6-7-inch circle about  1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place scones on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 


alternately, if you do not have a food processor,  follow the directions below:

1. in a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers (or a pastry blender) to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in cranberries and lemon zest.
2. in a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.
3. using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (the dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.) 
4. divide dough in two balls, pat each one flat on a lightly floured surface forming a 6-7-inch circle about    1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place scones on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. bake until golden, about 15 to 18 minutes. cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 

recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-scones/detail.aspx

Shrewsbury biscuits

I live in a town called Shrewsbury. A few years ago I stumbled upon a recipe for "Shrewsbury biscuits" and thought I'd definitely have to give them a try one day. Today was my Garden Club's monthly meeting and the theme was Shrewsbury, England since our mayor came to give us a presentation about his recent visit to our sister town on the old continent. I knew the time had come for me to bake those cookies. :) They were simple to make but seemed to be a hit with everyone at the meeting. My daughter, 8, who helped me bake them was so happy and proud! :)

Shrewsbury biscuits- or cakes- are an English dessert named after Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire.  They were first mentioned in a recipe book dated 1658, "The Compleat Cook of 1658". They are also mentioned by the English playwright William Congreve in "The Way of the World" in 1700 as a silile (Witwoud - "Why, brother Wilfull of Salop, you may be as short as a Shrewsbury cake, if you please. But I tell you 'tis not modish to know relations in town"). The recipe was taken to the White House, when First Lady Louisa Catherine Adams made them for her husband, President John Quincy Adams. Shrewsbury biscuits are also among the most popular snacks in India. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrewsbury_cake)

Shrewsbury biscuits are hard, crisp, sweet biscuit flavored with some combination of lemon, rose-water, caraway seeds and raisins, the exact combination depending on who you ask. :) (http://www.wetnelly.com/page010.html)

The recipe I used came from The Good Housekeeping New Step-By-Step Cookbook (British Edition)

Shrewsbury biscuits

½ cup butter, room temperature
5 ounces sugar
2 egg yolks
zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange (I used lemon and they were delicious)
8 ounces all-purpose flour
2 ounces currants (optional in the original recipe, but I put them in)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg yolks and the lemon zest. Slowly add the flour and the currants. Stir until the dough comes together.

Roll half of the dough on a lightly floured surface until ¼ inch thick. Cut the dough into rounds and place on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Reroll the dough scraps and cut as many cookies as possible. Do not reroll the dough too many times.

Bake the cookie for about 15 minutes until very lightly browned on the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Here are my Shrewsbury biscuits at the Shrewsbury Garden Club meeting tonight:

Recipe courtesy: http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2011/12/shrewsbury-biscuits-12-days-of-cookies.html

Old-fashioned apple cake

I love this cake! Since I first made it a couple of weeks ago, I've baked it at least half a dozen times for different occasions. Let's put it this way- I find reasons to make it! :)) It is so moist, yet so simple, pure old-fashioned goodness! And perfect for the fall with all these wonderful, sweet, juicy apples that are in season right now! I know the recipe by heart now, since it is so easy to remember- I call it my 1-2-3-4 cake (because it has 1 cup oil, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs plus a few other ingredients) :)))

Old-fashioned apple cake

Preheat oven to 350F.

Indredients:

5-6 medium apples (4 if large) cored and sliced thinly in small pieces (but not peeled)
5 tbsps granulated sugar
1-2 tsps cinnamon

Mix the apples, sugar and cinnamon together in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Drain any juices that the mixture may produce.

In a large bowl, blend together:

1 cup oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purple flour
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tsps baking powder

To this batter, add:
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend all ingredients.  Batter will appear thick and heavy, not runny like traditional cake batters, but do not worry- this cake is one of the moistest cakes you will ever taste!

In a well greased angel food pan or bundt pan, pour 1/3 of the batter, add half of the apples, pour another 1/3 of batter over apples, add remaining apples and cover with remaining batter. Bake at 350F for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Note: If using a dark or non-stick pan, start checking for doneness at 1 hour.

After it cools, and you turn it over in an air-tight container, you could dust it with some powdered sugar too, if you want. This part is optional, of course.

Variations:

The first time I made this cake, I followed the directions- and list of ingredients- to the letter. However, since then, I have made it using a combination of apples and pears (delicious!), added chopped walnuts and slivered almonds, threw in raisins and cranberries- you can come up with so many delicious variations! I have also made it without the cinnamon because my mother has an aversion to it and I thought it would be nice to bake a cake that she could have with her coffee too. :)
She really appreciated it! It is truly perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!

Here is a picture of one of my variations: it has apples and pears, cranberries, walnuts and no cinnamon. My family- and everyone else who has tasted it- loves it!

Special thanks to my husband's co-worker, Don Cottrell, for this fabulous recipe!