Rainy Day Blueberry Banana Crumble-Top Muffins
6 Tbsp butter (about 3/4 of a stick) - softened
4 oz (half package) cream cheese - softened
1 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large bananas - mashed
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen bluberries (you can adjust amount based on preference. Also, fresh should work too, I just haven't tried it that way yet)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy – at least several minutes. Add egg and sour cream, beat until just blended.
In a separate bowl, combine all four dry ingredients, then gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed until just blended.
Fold in the bananas, vanilla, and blueberries, gently distribute to muffin tin. Sprinkle Topping over batter. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Crumble Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold butter
Italian Wedding Soup
1 pound buffalo
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 1/2 quarts chicken broth
2 1/2 cups fresh spinach - packed, rinsed and
2 - 3 cups bowtie pasta (based on preference)
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced mushrooms
In a medium bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, basil and onion. Shape mixture into 1/2- to 3/4-inch balls and set aside.
In a large stockpot heat chicken broth to boiling; stir in the spinach, pasta, carrots, mushrooms and meatballs. Return to boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, at a slow boil for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente, and meatballs are no longer pink inside. Serve hot with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
17th Century Beer Bread
1 bottle of beer (I used Trader Joe's Bavarian Hefeweizen)
3 cups self rising flour
2 Tbsp honey or sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Mix with your hand until well combined. Place in a greased loaf pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until baked through.
Country Moments’ Sautéed Pound Cake with Strawberry Preserves
- 1 store bought pound cake, sliced into 1” thick pieces
- about 1/2 Tbsp of butter per slice
- Light Brown Sugar – enough to sprinkle in the butter for each side (about 1 tsp per slice)
- Strawberry Preserves
This dessert is made almost exactly the way you would make a grilled cheese.
Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter, and lay down the slice of pound cake. Cook as you would French toast or grilled cheese to desired doneness, laying down more brown sugar before flipping sides. Take extra care not to allow the sugar to burn. If you detect a scorching smell, turn down the heat and flip the slice. Remove the slice from the pan, set aside. Heat the preserves and spread over top. Garnish with whip cream and fresh strawberries.
Sweet Potato Pie
2 cups sweet potato
½ cup butter (1 stick) softened
1/2 white sugar
1/3 brown sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
2 eggs
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 unbaked pie crust
Boil (40-50 min) or microwave (about 6 min) sweet potatoes in skin. Run under cold water and remove the skin
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mash sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter and mix well with mixer. Stir in remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed until smooth. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes out clean.
Glorious Apple Pie
Crust:
2 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup shortening
1/4 to 1/3 cup ice water
Combine the flour and salt, mix. Add shortening, and cut into flour using a pastry knife or two regular knives until mixture resembles coarse, pea-sized crumbs. Add water a little at a time, stirring with a fork until mixture clings together. Taking care not to over mix, divide the dough evenly and shape into 1 inch thick disks, wrap with plastic wrap, and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Filling:
4 large or 5 medium apples - honeycrisp are my very favorite - Very thinly sliced and cut into small wedges
1/2 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
Combine in bowl, tossing well, set aside.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Pull dough from fridge, sandwich between either 2 large pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper, and using a rolling pin work until large enough to cover the bottom of a 9 to 9.5 inch pie pan. Peel away to top piece, then invert dough into pan and peel away remaining piece of wrap/paper. Adjust to fit pan without stretching, making sure no air bubbles are trapped at the bottom.
Add apple filling
Work the top piece of dough the same as the bottom piece. Place over filling, crimp bottom and top pieces of dough together, and cut steam vents into the top. For a shiny crust, beat an egg and brush it over the dough, sprinkling with sugar if desired.
Place on a cookie sheet to catch overflow, and place in oven. Bake 45 to 50 minutes
Taco Soup Recipe:
1 cup of love
1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing (powder)
1 packet of taco seasoning
1-1.5 pounds of ground beef or turkey (optional)
1 can of pinto beans (drained)
2 cans of shoepeg corn or 1 large package of frozen white and yellow sweet corn
2 humungous cans of petite diced tomatoes
2 cans of mild Rotel
1/2 chopped onion (browned with meat or in oil if no meat)
sour cream
cheddar cheese
Fritos scoops (I used tortilla chips)
Brown the meat and onions together, drain.
Combine the love, ranch, taco seasoning, browned beef and onions, beans, corn,
tomatoes, and Rotel into a large crock pot. You may adjust amount of ingredients depending on how many you are serving. Put the crockpot on low for 4-5 hours (or high for 1-2 hours). When it is done, put in bowls and top with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Place scoops around bowl. Dip scoops, lift scoops, place scoops and soup into mouth. Chew vigorously. Say mmm mmm good.
Peppermint White Chocolate Forget-Me-Not Cookies
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp mint extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
(If you have a stand mixer, it makes this process a LOT easier)
Beat eggs until foamy, then slowly add the sugar in. Beat until mixture forms stiff, creamy peaks (should be several minutes). Fold in vanilla, mint, and white chocolate.
Place parchment paper over a cookie sheet, and drop mixture by tablespoons onto the sheet. Place into preheated oven, then immediately turn oven off.
Walk away from the oven, people. Let sit 8 hours or overnight in the oven . . . just don’t forget them!
Union Jack Scones (red, white, and blue, of course!)
(Slightly altered from recipe found here)
1/2 cup (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/3 cup strawberries, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a food processor with grating blade, grate the butter. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, in a separate bowl, then pour over grated butter and pulse until combined. Add sour cream and egg, and pulse again until combined.
Toss in blueberries and strawberries, and lightly pulse until just combined. Turn dough out onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Pat into an inch thick round, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles, and separate them on the parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Bake until golden, about 14-17 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve with whipped cream.
Note - you can substitute the fruit with just about anything: chocolate chips, cherries and almonds, raisins and cinnamon, or even savories like ham and cheese! 