Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:

1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries (set on paper towels to absorb juice)

2 cups of flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

A lemon, for zest

6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. light cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 425 degress. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Zest the lemon and add.

3. Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until the flour coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing gently.

4. Mix the cream with the vanilla and gently add them, gently using as few strokes as possible until it forms a ball. Let the dough set 1 minute.

5. Transfer ball to baking sheet and pat into an 8 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges (like a pizza) with a pizza cutter or knife. Use a spatula to separate the pieces, leaving an inch between them.

6. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 1 Tbsp of cream. Bake for 18 minutes, until the tops start to brown. Let them cool 2 minutes then slide the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

7. I like to drizzle the tops with a little vanilla frosting. I do not have an exact recipe for it (mix together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and a little milk). If you don't want to put frosting on them, sprinkle them with a little sugar after you brush them with the cream, just before baking them.

Oatmeal Carmelitas

I got this recipe from my friend Julie. Caution: these are so yummy you might eat the whole pan yourself!

Ingredients:

1 bag Kraft caramel bits (in the store by the choc. chips)

5 Tbsp. evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. soda

3/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients, mix with butter. Press 3/4 of the mixture into a 9X13 inch pan. (Save the rest to sprinkle on top.)

2. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, take out of the oven.

3. Melt caramel and milk together. While hot spread over crust.

4. Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel and allow to stand for a few minutes. Then spread the chips evenly.

5. Sprinkle with remaining dry mix and bake 10 more minutes.

6. Cool, cut into bars.

Strawberry Cake

I have had a few requests for this recipe -- So I thought I'd share it with one and all. This is a favorite at my house the kids devour it and well lets say that Cord has a few small pieces too.

Base layer
1 white cake mix
Prepare according to package directions. Bake in a jelly roll pan for 15 minutes or until done.

Middle layer
1 package (8oz) cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 small tub Cool Whip

With your mixer beat the cream cheese and the sugar together until smooth. Add the cool whip and gently combine . Spread this layer on top of the cooled cake.

Top layer
3-4 pints of strawberries sliced
2 packages of strawberry Junket or other purchased strawberry pie glaze --(feel free to make your own as well)

Prepare the Junket and when cooled stir in the sliced strawberries. Spread this strawberry mixture of top of the cream cheese mixture and chill about 1 hour.

Enjoy!!

Fudgy Peanut Butter Mousse Cups

This recipe won a holiday cookie contest in the Cook's Country magazine. They take some time to make but definitely worth it!

INGREDIENTS

1 (17.5 oz) package sugar cookie mix

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine

2 Tbsp. flour

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 cup peanut butter

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup milk chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1. Toast pecans on a cookie sheet (I did 350 for about 5-8 minutes). Chop.

2. Grease 12 cup mini muffin tin. Combine cookie mix, pecans, and flour in a bowl. Slowly stir in butter until mixture resembles wet sand. Press 1 Tbsp. cookie mixture into bottom and sides of each muffin cup. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in tin, then turn out cookies. Repeat with remaing dough.

3. With electric mixer on medium high speed, beat 1 cup cream to stiff peaks, about 2 minutes. In another bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Fold in whipped cream.

4. Microwave chocolate and remaining cream in small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour 1/2 tsp chocolate mixture into each cookie cup, then fill the cups with 1 Tbsp peanut butter mixture. Drizzle remaining chocolate evenly over cookies and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (I put the chocolate mixture into a small ziploc bag and cut off a little on one of the bottom corners to make it easy for filling the cookie cups and drizzling on top.)

Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
3 cups oats

PREPARATION
Mix and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. I like to add chocolate chips or dried cranberries (so yummy!).

Texas Sheet Cake

My friend Shauna requested this recipe so I thought I'd post it here. This is the cake we make for Cord's birthday every year -- it is so easy and so, so good! (the picture is from Stormy's blog)


Bring to boil:
1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 Tbs coco powder

In a large mixing bowl combine:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar

Pour the chocolate mixture over the flour & sugar and mix.

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. soda dissolved in 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

When the batter is smooth pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake for 25-30 minutes @ 350 degrees.

Icing
1/2 cup butter
6 Tbs milk
4 Tbs coco powder
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a sauce pan melt the butter with the milk and simmer. Add the coco powder & powdered sugar. Mix until smooth. Cool slightly and pour on the cake. When the frosting has set the cake is ready to enjoy!

m&m Popcorn balls

Lily made these for her class today. Here is the recipe in case you would like to make these tasty treats:

2 quarts popped popcorn
10 pkg large marshmallows
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup m&m's

1. Put the popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan melt the marshmallows with the butter & brown sugar.
3. Pour the melted mixture on top of the popcorn and stir.
4. Add the m&m's
5. Butter your hands and for the popcorn into balls
6. Share with your friends!

Ina's Lemon Cake

I love this lemon cake. The lemon syrup makes it so moist and gives it extra zing. This cake is divine when served with fresh raspberries! This recipe make 2 8-inch loaves.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter @ room temp.
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs @ room temp.
1/3 cup grated lemon zest
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup buttermilk @ room temp.
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour two loaf pans (or use cooking spray).

Cream butter & 2 cups of the sugar for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. In another bowl combine 1/4 cup of the lemon juice, the buttermilk and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick comes out clean.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the remaining 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a rack set over a cookie sheet, and spoon the lemon syrup over the cakes. Allow to cool completely.

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3/ 1/2 Tbs lemon juice

Combine sugar & lemon juice and mix with a whisk until smooth. Pour over tops of cakes and let drizzle down the sides

Chocolate Orange Muffins

These are perfect after school snack. This recipe makes 12 regular muffins or 36 miniature muffins. I love to make the miniature muffins because they are so dang cute.

2 medium-size oranges -- cleaned
3 oz semisweet chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter at room temp.
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I have used sour cream)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

Heat oven to 375. Grease muffin cups or use baking cups.


Finely zest the oranges and chop the chocolate into small bits with a knife

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add orange zest.

Stir in the yogurt, orange juice, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well, the batter will be quite liquid.


Sprinkle flour, then chocolate, over batter. Fold gently, just enough to blend in flour.

Scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch. For the mini muffins bake about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.

************

Here is an alternative method to make these yummy muffins. It saves me time.

Use the pulse lever of the food processor to coarsely chop the chocolate. Tip out onto waxed paper.

Remove orange peel and place in the food processor with the sugar. Process for about 40 seconds or until finely chopped. Add butter and process a few seconds until creamy. Add eggs one at a time processing after each addition. Add yogurt, oj, baking powder and baking soda. Process a few seconds to blend. Fold in flour & chocolate. Continue as above.

Banana Cake

Symonie gave me the Silver Palate Cookbook several years ago for Christmas and I love so many recipes in it. This is one of our families favorites. Cord especially loves it the next day chilled.

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 tsp baking soda
5 Tbs buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
cream cheese frosting
1 1/2 to 2 firm but ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup walnuts chopped

PREPARATION
Grease & flour two 9" layer cake pans and preheat oven to 350°.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed bananas and mix thoroughly.

Sift dry ingredients and add to butter/egg mixture. Stir until flour is incorporated. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix for one minute.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool on rack for 10 minutes, unmold and cool on rack for 2 hours.

When cooled frost the bottom layer with cream cheese frosting. If desired arrange slices of banana over the frosting and place the second layer on top (I usually just put the bananas on top of the slice as it is served so I don't have brown bananas in the left over cake). Frost the rest of the cake

Cover the sides of the cake with chopped nuts, holding nuts in palm and pressing firmly to sides of cake. Dust top with powdered sugar.

ENJOY!

Orange Cream Poppyseed Cake

This cake was served at our Chinese New Year/Family birthday party this month. It was the first time I had made it, but it was super easy and turned out very moist. We loved it! The chocolate sticks poking out of it are called "pocky" and are found in the Chinese section of the grocery store—they were used for decoration only.

INGREDIENTS
1 package yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
2 T. poppyseeds
1 cup orange juice (made from concentrate)
1/2 oil
4 eggs
zest of one orange

Orange Glaze:
juice of one orange
powdered sugar
pinch salt
zest of one orange

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, pudding mix and poppyseeds. Make a well in the center and pour in orange juice, oil, and eggs. Beat on low speed until blended. 3. Scrape bowl, and beat 4 minutes on medium speed. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
5. Whisk glaze ingredients together and drizzle orange glaze over the top and sides.

Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

Will is sneaking a taste

Lily says she is a Udall girl and wants to post too. So these are from her. Alli and I have this recipe memorized…that's how often we make these!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour (we add 1/4 cup more because of altitude)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips (we love the milk chocolate ones)
chopped walnuts (optional -- we love adding them from our trees)

PREPARATION
Cream sugars & butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs & vanilla and mix well. Combine dry ingredients and add them to the batter. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake @ 350° on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 min before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

Emily Miller's Pear Kuchen

This is another dish I brought to the Christmas Eve party. Who knows who Emily Miller is, but I figure I should give her credit for this different-but-delicious dessert. It's not difficult to make, and the flavor is perfect for fall and winter.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 c. butter, softened (not melted)
1 pkg. white or yellow cake mix
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 29-oz can pear halves, drained
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 c. sour cream
2 eggs

PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 350°. Mix together the butter, cake mix, and coconut until well blended (will be crumbly). Press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan, and bring up sides a bit. Bake 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, slice pears lengthwise (6-8 slices per pear half) and set aside. Combine sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small dish and set aside. Using a whisk, slightly beat the two eggs, then add in sour cream and blend until creamy.

Remove crust from oven (but leave oven on). Arrange pear slices over the crust in an even layer, slightly overlapping if needed. Sprinkle sugar mix over the top to cover pears. Now pour creamy mixture over everything and return the pan to the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°. Cool slightly, then cut into bars. Can be served warm or chilled.

Soft Ginger Cookies

A few friends & I went to a boutique where we bought the most delicious cookies. My friend Shauna found this recipe on All Recipes and I added the white chocolate and they taste just like the ones we paid 75 cents for. These are my new favorite cookies. Oh & they taste wonderful without the white chocolate too!

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar

PREPARATION
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.