Late Christmas Shortbreads

Any simple shortbread recipe + Kids = memories
We did ours late this year, due to baking orders for Bailey's field trip fundraiser.
And an attempt to make a little more cash doing something we're good at.

Check out our efforts on facebook

Shoo Fly Strudel Muffins

Shoo Fly Strudel Muffins
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees F



1/2 sick butter (soft)
3/4 c sugar (granulated)
Mix together well, until light and fluffy
2 eggs (large)
Mix in 1 at a time just blending into batter.
Then mix for about 1 min. until light and fluffy again.
1/2 c Sorghum or Molasses
Mix Well
1 1/2 c flour (All Purpose)
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix in until blended & thick
1/2 c sour cream
1/2 c milk
Mix util smooth

Fill greased muffin cups 1/2 full

for Streusel topping
mix together 1/4 c flour
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c sugar (Granulated)
1/4 c fine chopped pecans
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Sprinkle this on top of muffins BEFORE placing into oven

Bake for 10 minutes and check 1rst time
add time if needed, add no more time than 18 minutes total.
Makes 12 muffins

Marshmallow Fondant

I may never frost a cake again



Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients
16 oz mini marshmallows
2 lb powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. Water
Shortening for greasing bowl & hook (Hands)


Directions
1.) Microwave marshmallows & water on high 1 min
2.) Grease dough hook & Bowl with shortening
3.) Put 3/4 of the sugar into mixer & add marshmallow
4.) Mix on low speed the check consistency (It will still be a little sticky at this point. If it is real sticky add some of the remaining sugar & mix a minute or so. #Repeat until fondant is firm & neither dry or sticky)
5.) turn out onto a clean & firm work surface. Knead by hand just a minutes until there are no flecks of dry powdered sugar remaining, Wrap in cling wrap or waxed paper & let fondant set for about 30 minutes.

to add color, add to marshmallows before mixing with sugar
to make it chocolate, add about 1/2 c cocoa powder be sure to sift it first.

This recipe makes 3 lbs. of Fondant


Compare the cost of $9 + per box from the store to just $3.77 homemade.

Adventures in Baking

This week we have had some Baking Adventure.
I wanted to make sure Bailey's cakes were AwesomeSauce.
Also this would be a trial run for my oldest daughter's
birthday in September.

We found an excellent pound cake recipe
It came from a lady's recipe box from
her mother's mother from England.
works great in a layer cake, & in cuppys.



This recipe makes 2 8" - 9" rounds
or 24 cupcakes.

6 oz Butter (soft)
13 oz Sugar (granulated)
Beat together for 5 minutes (Medium speed)
4 eggs (Lg.) room temp add 1 at a time
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Beat on Low speed 3 minutes (scrape bowl 3 times)
9 oz flour (All Purpose, Sifted)
3/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
Sift flour into bowl & wisk in B.P. & Salt
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Whole Milk
Add flour alternately with milk & Sour Cream (Low Speed)
1/3 flour, milk, 1/3 flour, sour cream, 1/3 flour

Mix on med for 2 minutes
Bake at 350 degrees F until done
Start checking at 15 minutes until, no crumbs come out on toothpick
& top in light golden brown.

For cupcakes we filled 3/4 full and had to remove tops.
(for uniform tops for decorating, we simply laid a bread knife on the pan edge &
sliced thru & across. Common practice when cuppy grow too far out of tin cups.)
We also will only fill 1/2 full next time to see results.



We started checking cakes at 12 minutes &
added time in 5 min intervals till done.
Different ovens cook differently.

We removed from pans & cooled completely before
decorating.

I must add that I mix all my cakes with a paddle attachment in the
Large capacity Ninja Food System Blender, it works great

TIP:
all ingredients should be room temperature
for best results. (Old Tyme Baking Tip from my Nanny)

Finished Cupcakes


Finished Cake


Marshmallow Fondant coming up next.
I will share the decorating products used in this
particular cake.

Have a great day
If you try this recipe please share in the comments
your experience, or maybe a photo at our twitter.com/HerbGir1972
~V

Biscuit Pizza

We needed a quick, satisfying, fun dinner last night
so the little one & I came up with this.
It was a suprizing winner with the whole family.
We also used up some leftovers.

Here's our Leftover Fried Chicken Biscuit Pizza



What you need
Cutting board
Knife
18-inch Pizza Pan
Oven or grill

Ingredients:
Crust: 1 roll butter flavored Grands Biscuits

Pizza toppings:
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly
2 pieces of leftover chicken, we used one breast & one thigh fried, thinly sliced
about 2 ox cheddar cheese, grated
about 1 oz asiago cheese shaved thinly
1/4 cup small diced onions (Vidalia)
salt
pepper
garlic, granulated
oregano
spice to taste
about 3 large basil leaves, rough chop
about 3 stems of cilantro rough chop for garnish

Assemble:
preheat oven to 400 degreesF
open and separate biscuits (this is fun for the kids) smash or roll them flatter
and spray pan with butter flavor spray lightly, place flattened biscuits onto pan
and close what holes you can, it will cook together.
Start with placing the tomatoes on the biscuits we worked in a circular fashion.
Then sprinkle on just a little cheddar cheese.
Add onions Let the young ones help & they'll eat the onions.
Add thin sliced, chicken pieces, make sure each piece will get a little chicken.
Now sprinkle your spices on as desired.
Top with cheddar cheese then the slices of asiago, arrange so each slice gets an
even amount.
Bake in oven for 21 minutes or until edges look golden brown and top is bubbly.



Sprinkle with chopped herbs as desired, we gave the option of yea or nay, as folks
like them. the herbs give it a fresh taste and just adds that finishing touch.

I hope you try this recipe and let us know what you think in the comments
Have a Blessed Day
~V

I apologize for the lesser number of postings, we've been quite busy with the chickens,
working, end of school, as well as trying to make a go at the food gardening with back
and forth weather patterns. Oh and we've rescued a baby mallard duckling this week.
Also our computer has been on the fritz
So we've been in the weeds pretty deep.
We'll try to do better

Spanakopita

Spanakopita

I've been promising this recipe for a little while
I hope you like it. It's the basic. Be sure to read
more at the link at the bottom, & try some of the other recipes
suggested. Please comment if you use this recipe as is
or tweak it.

preheat oven to 350

Ingredients:
1lb mozzarella cheese, shredded/grated
3 10 oz boxes frozen spinach
1 12 oz container of Feta cheese pieces
4 eggs
salt
pepper
nutmeg
1 1lb box of phyllo sheets


Directions:
add cheeses to a large bowl and mix together

thaw and squeeze all excess water(very important step) from spinach and chop finely

add to cheese and mix thoroughly break up any small parts to have an even blend.

in another bowl crack and whip your eggs, add about 1 tsp. salt and1 1/2 tsp. black pepper 1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

pour into spinach & cheese mixture and mix together.



open your phyllo and flatten on working surface.
(scoop out a heaping tablespoon for hor d'vours. or for entree about 1/3 cup onto one corner of dough.)



for appetizer fold 1 sheet over top & proceed to roll in a triangular fashion over spinach mix to end. The same folding method is used for larger portions use about 3 sheet for entree. (see photos for folding technique like paper footballs)







traditionally oil or an egg wash is brushed onto the dough to give it a nice color, I spray with a light layer of nonstick spray



for appetizers cook 11 minutes. then flip & cook an additional 6 minutes.
for entrees double these times.


These are the appetizer sized portions I made for my daughter's class this morning)


I always serve with a small amount of salad and another vegetable as a meal (as first pictured).

I do not get creative with more herb or onions in this recipe it is the basic.
Please feel free to tweak to your tastes.

this recipe made 4 full sized + 36 appetizer sized portions (you can pre-make this and freeze your triangles in wax paper) although phyllo is a fickle bird. if left out it gets brittle, if wet it get super sticky.

It is mostly eaten as a snack in Greece
In rural Greece, smaller amounts of spinach are used, with the missing part substituted with leeks, chard, and sorrel
The pastry is similar to torta pasqualina, a traditional dish from Italy's Liguria region, that is very common in Argentina and Uruguay.

It can also be made with puff pastry

Read More about Börek style pastries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burek

Have a Nice Day
~V
Keep It Green

Potato Pone

Although it's not the prettiest gal on the block
She sure is a sweet, tasty treat.

This recipe has variations from Africa, West India, Jamaica, Belize, & Europe
It is worth a research to taste them all.

This is our families' favorite Sweet Potato Pone recipe


Ingredients:
2 cans sweet potatoes (29 oz.)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 stick of butter
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of raisins



Directions:
Drain potatoes.
Put in mixer bowl and add butter, sugar, egg vanilla.
Gradually add flour. When mixed, stir in the raisins.
Put into a 9 X 13 greased baking dish.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 400 degrees until the edges are light brown and is set.

Grasshopper Cookies ~Recipe 3Fer

I have two favorite recipes that I was inspired to experiment with this Holiday Season
I have our tried and true everybody loves em Butter Mints & delicious and versatile Homemade Chocolate Wafer Cookies.

So I put them together, kind of a "your peanut butter's in my chocolate" kind of thing :)

The outcome is a Homemade Grasshopper Cookie
You marry these two recipes as pictured
I suggest making both parts ahead of time and letting the kids put them together while you finish another cooking project.

(Make Cookies First) and cool.

Flatten out enough butter mint, for the number of cookies you are making, to the right size. Let them set a while so they can harden a little bit.

Melt a little dark chocolate chips to stick them together on both sides.

For the vibrant Grasshopper Green color in the mints, use green color then add yellow.
It just brightens things up a little like a few drops of Sunshine :)


Here are the two base recipes to get you started

Homemade Chocolate Wafer Cookies

These are good alone, with coffee, and crushed to make cheesecake crusts

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.4 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder (see Note)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, and baking soda in the bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix thoroughly. Cut the butter into about 12 chunks and add them to the bowl. Pulse several times. Combine the milk and vanilla in a small cup. With the processor running, add the milk mixture and continue to process until the mixture clumps around the blade or the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or a cutting board and knead a few times to make sure it is evenly blended.
Form the dough into a log about 14 inches long and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap the log in wax paper or foil and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour, or until needed.
Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the log of dough into slices a scant 1/4-inch thick (I went thinner, closer to 1/8 of inch. If you’re trying to emulate the store-bought wafers, slice as thin as you can, and watch the baking time carefully, as it might be less.) and place them one inch apart on the lined sheets (cookies will spread). Bake, rotating the baking sheet from top to bottom and back to front about halfway through baking, for a total of 12 to 15 minutes. The cookies will puff up and deflate; they are done about 1 1/2 minutes after they deflate.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on racks, or slide the parchment onto racks to cool completely. These cookies may be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks or be frozen for up to two months.

Makes 50 to 60 1 3/4-inch wafers. However, I cut my thinner than suggested and yielded more.

Note: These cookies should crisp as they cool. If they don’t, you’re not baking them long enough, in which case, return them to the oven to reheat and bake a little longer, then cool again.


Now for an old tyme favorite in my family

Butter Mints

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1/2 tsp. salt
5 drops of peppermint
2 Tbsp white corn syrup
1 box 10 X confectioners sugar
coloring of choice

Directions:
Cream Butter, Syrup, & Salt. Mix well.
Add Sugar & mix well (mixture will look crumby like sand)
Add peppermint & color last & mix well. It will still look crumby but be coming together a little)
When everything is well distributed it is best to knead a little with your hand. The heat from your hand will make the candy smooth in texture and color.
Roll a small daub in palm & press down with thumb. (or roll into small diameter logs roll in waxed paper and refrigerate) Then cut into individual candies.
Makes lots of Holiday Candy

This is one of our Winter holiday favorites with adults and children alike. It is also much fun to do with kids.

Coming up is Old Fashioned Tea Cake Cookies.

Homemade Fig Newtons

First we oven dried our figs, took a long time.
We will from now on use a dehydrator.



I think we are going to try some other flavors as the fall season is upon us and a new fresh produce season is upon us, maybe pumpkin newtons, apple newtons, pear newtons, date newtons...Somebody Stop me...LOL

For the Dough
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 stick (or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbs honey, or corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 egg yolks
1 ounce orange juice

For the Filling
1/2 cup dried figs, finely chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tbs honey or corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Making the Dough
Your dough will need to chill for at least 4 hours before you begin, so make sure to do it ahead of time!

~Cream together the butter and sugar. Add honey (or corn syrup), baking soda, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest and continue mixing until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add in your sifted flour all at once and mix it in slowly. Drizzle in the orange juice and continue mixing until just combined. The dough should be very soft and wet.

~Prepare a large sheet of plastic wrap and use a rubber spatula to transfer the dough from the bowl to the center of the plastic. Fold the plastic over the dough and flatten into a disc. Wrap with remaining plastic and refrigerate for four hours or overnight

Preparing the Filling
~Combine the figs, applesauce, honey (or corn syrup), and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Scrape the bowl down and pulse again to ensure no chunks remain. Transfer the fig paste to a bowl and set aside.

Baking and Shaping the Cookies
If you don’t care about the shape of your fig newtons, you can play around with other looks and appearances too! Just keep your cookie dough about 1/4th an inch thick and it should still bake up the same way.

~Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

~On a well-floured surface, roll out your chilled dough to about 1/4th an inch thickness. Make sure the dough is floured enough not to stick to any surfaces. Cut your dough into several 3 1/2 inch wide strips. It’s easier to work with strips no longer than 6 inches long, so you might want to cut them down a size.

~Spoon your filling down the center of each strip and spread it so that it’s about 1 inch across and 1/4th an inch thick. Fold the dough edges over the middle line of filling. The edges should overlap a little bit. Flip the cookie over so that the seam side is down. Transfer your newtons to a prepared cookie sheet and bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until cookies are puffed and browned all around. If they are still moist to the touch, continue baking for a few minutes.

~Once your cookies are done, cut each of your bars into 1 inch pieces. Layer them into a plastic ziplock bag or seal-able Tupperware container. If you’re stacking cookies, place a sheet of parchment paper in between each layer. Stored at room temperature, they should stay moist and tasty for about 2 weeks!


This is not my own recipe but one I found on the internet at
http://www.yummly.com/blog/2012/11/how-to-make-fig-newtons-from-scratch/