The Great-Grandkids Bake Christmas Cookies

My two great-grandchildren have never come to my house before to make Christmas cookies, but this year their mother thought they were old enough at 2 and 4 years to have the fun she used to have with all the flour and butter and cookie cutters.  Here’s their mother baking cookies when she was nine years old.

I supervised as great-granddaughter measured flour and sugar, and even broke an egg.

The two-year-old wanted to do anything his sister was doing and got right into the spirit.

Great-granddaughter soon caught on to the art of rolling cookie dough….

….and great-grandson let his mother help him, his only comment being, “Bite, bite” for bits of the cookie dough which we didn’t want him to have.

They each brushed milk and sprinkled colored sugar on a sheet full of wonderful cookies.

We used the same recipe from all those years ago – it’s a good one.

Grandma’s Sugar Crisps

Tart Cherry Pie

I always make the fruit pies I’ll serve on Thanksgiving well ahead of time.  When I was competing in county and state fairs, I found I could bake a fruit pie and freeze it.  Then the night before I needed it, I could take it out to thaw and the next morning crisp it in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 minutes with basically no change in the original pie.  I had to do it this way for the Ohio State Fair because of time restrictions plus a 2-hour drive and I continued to win ribbons.  I’ve used the technique since the early 1980s to get a jump on holiday baking.

This morning, I baked two apple pies which will go in the freezer after they have cooled, and I was remembering other Thanksgiving pies I have made through the years.  For the 20 years we lived in Blue Jay on the Ohio/Indiana border, I had the benefits of a front yard full of fruit trees.  In July, there was one old tree that produced a huge amount of tart cherries.  These snapshots from 1991 show my son and his family who were visiting from St. Louis and helping me by picking some cherries.

The little girl with the pail graduated from college last year and the baby is now a sophomore in college.  Time flies.

I froze a lot of cherries but to have the very best pie for Thanksgiving, I made one while the cherries were fresh off the tree – my husband’s favorite.  Here’s the recipe:

TART CHERRY PIE

• Pastry for 9″ double crust pie
• 4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. quick tapioca
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 2 Tblsp. butter
• 1 Tblsp. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

In a large bowl, mix together the cherries, sugar, tapioca, salt, and almond extract.

Fit bottom crust in a 9″ pan, pour filling into crust and dot with butter.  Place top crust on pie, crimp edges and brush with milk.  Cut vents and place on a larger flat pan to catch spills.

Bake @ 375 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.

Cool pie completely on rack.  Serve to a hungry family or wrap and place in a two-gallon ziplock bag.  Place in the freezer until needed.  For best flavor, use within 6 months.

I only wish I had one of those fresh cherry pies in the freezer for this Thanksgiving and my husband here to enjoy it.

A good piecrust recipe

My favorite apple pie recipe

Low in Calories – High in Flavor



My youngest daughter is a busy stay-at-home mom who always finds time to get together with me on Fridays for lunch.  I try to make meals that are tasty, quick and easy, and reduced in fat and calories.  Here is the meal we had this week.

This dish is reduced in fat and calories and is a good choice when trying to lose a few pounds, but just by making the servings larger, you get a really good flavorful meal for anybody at the table.   This is my meal of choice after having Marinated Pork Tenderloin for Sunday dinner (see recipe here).

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH ARTICHOKE HEARTS

• 1 cup dry pasta
• 1 oz. pine nuts
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. pork tenderloin slices, marinated and grilled, cubed
  
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts, drained and cut in pieces
• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook pasta 9-11 minutes until tender.  Drain, do not rinse.

While pasta is cooking, in a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat, toast pine nuts until golden brown (watch them – they burn easily) and transfer to a small bowl.

In the same skillet, heat olive oil, add red pepper, mushrooms and garlic.  Cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes until tender.  Remove vegetables from skillet and set aside.

Add broth, vinegar and oregano to same skillet, bring to a boil.  Cook 4-5 minutes until liquid is reduced about half.  Return vegetables to skillet, add artichokes and grilled pork.  Simmer on low heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of feta cheese and toasted pine nuts.

Yield:  5 servings

I’ve been making this dish about 10 years, adapted from one on Weight Watchers Light & Tasty software.

Nutrition count based on 5 servings per Diet Power software:  251 calories, 10.7 g fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 306 mg sodium, 151 mg potassium, 21.5 g carbohydrate, 1.27 g dietary fiber, 2.6 g sugars, 5.9 g protein

Weight Watchers:  5 points

I got the idea for dessert from several recipes on the All Recipes web site.  I made the cake from an angel food cake mix and baked it in three 7-3/4″ loaf pans.  I used one loaf for this recipe and wrapped and froze the remaining loaves for another time.  Of course, you can also use a bakery or store-bought cake.

Make the dessert the night before serving so the flavors can blend together well.

TOFFEE ANGEL FOOD DESSERT

• One package angel food cake mix (Betty Crocker)
• 1 cup whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip Lite)
• 1/4 cup Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Prepare cake according to package directions.  Pour into three ungreased 7-3/4″ loaf pans.   Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes for the 7-3/4″ size.  Leave cakes in pans and set pans on sides on a rack until cakes are cool.  Remove cakes from pans.

Take one cake and divide into 12 slices.

Place a slice of cake in each of 6 dessert dishes.

Mix together Cool Whip and toffee bits.  Take half of this mixture and spoon about one tablespoon onto each of the 6 cake slices.  Place another slice of cake on top of the Cool Whip mixture and divide the remaining portion of mixture to spoon on top of second cake layer in each dish.

Wrap dishes and refrigerate overnight.

Yield:  6 servings

The dessert looks a little messy, but it sure is good.

Nutrition based on the above ingredients and 6 servings per Diet Power software:  173 calories, 4.67 g fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 247 mg sodium, 26.7 mg potassium, 31.3 g carbohydrate, 0 dietary fiber, 21.3 g sugars, 2 g protein.

Weight Watchers:  4 points

This was a very tasty and satisfying lunch.

A November Sunday Dinner

In the past 9+ years, I’ve been able to find Concord grapes at my supermarket only twice.  This past Friday was one of those days and although I had told my daughters we wouldn’t be having pie for Sunday dinner until after Thanksgiving (to whet their appetites for holiday pies), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make one of my favorites.  I posted about my Streusel Concord Grape Pie back in 2007, when I had just begun blogging.  It’s a messy looking pie, but the flavor of the grapes is just incredible.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, my husband and I lived on a two-acre plot of land that included every type of fruit that grows well in our southwestern Ohio area, including Concord grapes.  I used to have five-gallon pails of them setting in the kitchen waiting for me to cook up something delicious.  The grape jam and jelly were good but the pie was a family favorite from the beginning.  It takes some time to make, but is well worth it.  Check out the recipe.

Streusel Concord Grape Pie

Our meal was also an old standby – grilled pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties, and Spinach and Mushroom Casserole.

Spinach and Mushroom Casserole

I did try out a different recipe for a marinade, based on one I saw on All Recipes.  It was delicious.

PORK TENDERLOIN MARINADE

• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tblsp. liquid smoke
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt
• Grating of black pepper

Mix ingredients in a 9×9 square baking dish.  Add 1/2″ thick slices of pork tenderloin and toss until coated.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally.  Remove from marinade and grill – I use a stovetop grill.

Above recipe is enough to marinate about 2 lbs. of sliced pork tenderloin.

I served dinner with some fresh homemade potato rolls and enjoyed a beautiful autumn day with my family.

Easy Potato Yeast Rolls

Really Good Buttermilk Bread/Rolls

The Sunday dinner I made for my two daughters and two grandchildren seemed like a Thanksgiving preview – in miniature.  We had a small roasted chicken, a small amount of stuffing that would fit in its cavity, mashed potatoes, corn and something that was full sized and then some – buttermilk rolls.  This recipe made a medium loaf and 15 large soft, delicious rolls.

REALLY GOOD BUTTERMILK BREAD/ROLLS

• 2 Tblsp. dry fast-acting yeast
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 7-8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups buttermilk, heated to 130 degrees F
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, room temperature

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place the yeast, salt, soda, sugar and 2 cups of flour.  Add the heated buttermilk and melted butter.  Beat with the paddle beater at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Add the egg and beat for another 30 seconds.

Remove paddle beater and insert bread hook.  Add 2 cups of flour and beat at medium speed for another 6:30 minutes, gradually adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic.  You may need a little more or a little less flour.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Oil bread pans or baking sheets.  Punch down dough and form into loaves and/or rolls.   This time I chose to use 1/3 of the dough to make a loaf to fit a 7-1/2″x3-1/2″ pan (inside measurement) and pinched off dough about 2″ diameter to make 15 rolls.

Cover the bread and let rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

When bread has risen, place in oven on middle rack and bake approximately 12 minutes for rolls and 25-45 minutes for loaves, depending on size.

I have a note in my recipe binder:  “Excellent – first made in March, 1988.   From a library book, Miss Mary’s.”

I like to keep at least 3 thick slices of homemade bread in my freezer for the times when my oldest son stops by for breakfast.  He loves toasted homemade bread with his bacon and eggs.

For dessert we had an old favorite which I posted in October of 2007, Old Fashioned Plum Streusel Pie.  It was delicious – the purple plums seemed especially flavorful.

Fresh Peach Muffins

When the peach season is in full swing, I try to take advantage of any opportunity to use this juicy, lucious fruit.  The peaches really add a lot of flavor to this basic muffin.

FRESH PEACH MUFFINS

• 1 cup fresh peaches, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• granulated sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In small bowl, combine diced peaches and lemon juice

In a medium  bowl, combine oil and sugar, beat in egg, milk and almond extract.  Gently stir peaches into this mixture.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold in the peach mixture gently and stir in nuts.

Grease or insert paper liners in muffin tin for 9 muffins.  Divide batter between the 9 muffin cups and sprinkle tops with granulated sugar.  Pour an inch of water in the unused muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes @ 350 degrees F.  Remove muffins immediately from pan and place on rack to cool.

Yield:  9 delicious muffins

Banana Mocha Snack Cake

Over 20 years ago, I copied the recipe for this cake from a 1986 Dole Banana flyer.  Today, I just got around to making it with a few of my own touches.  This is a very good, not too-rich, satisfying snack cake with a strong coffee flavor.  It’s an easy cake to mix – everything is put together in a baking dish.

BANANA MOCHA SNACK CAKE

• 2 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed)
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 Tblsp. cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 Tblsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a small bowl, blend mashed banana and instant espresso coffee powder.

In an ungreased 9″ baking pan, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Blend well with a fork.  Make a well in the center.

In a cup or shaker, mix together the egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract.  Pour this into the well in the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until well blended.

Smooth out the batter in the baking pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

When completely cool, frost the top with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting:

MOCHA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 3 Tblsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tblsp. cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers

Beat the butter and cream cheese together, add confectioners’ sugar, instant espresso coffee powder and vanilla extract.  Beat until well blended.  Frost top of cooled cake.

Sprinkle with toasted almond slivers.

This would be a nice cake to take on a picnic or to a barbecue – or just enjoy at the kitchen table with a big glass of ice cold milk.

Rhubarb and Friends Cobbler

For many years, I tried various cobbler recipes without being completely satisfied.  Then, in 1996, I found a recipe for cobbler in one of my favorite cookbooks – The Farm Journal Pie Cookbook, and they stressed that the filling should be piping hot when the dough is spooned onto it.  I’ve made many cobblers with all kinds of fruit since then and have always been pleased with the results.

On this beautiful June Sunday morning, I was debating what to fix for dessert for myself – no company for dinner this week.  My decision was based on what I found in my refrigerator:  a recent cutting of rhubarb from my garden, a couple of Granny Smith apples, and a small amount of fresh blueberries.  I wanted to make something that would be good for dessert today but also taste good a couple of days from now – not too rich, not too much fat.  I think this cobbler made from the rhubarb and its friends in the refrigerator was just right.  It will be my dessert well into next week.

RHUBARB & FRIENDS COBBLER

Fruit Filling:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1-1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in 1″ pieces
• 2 cups tart apple,  peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, mix the granulated sugar, cornstarch and water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat – add the rhubarb, apple slices, blueberries, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg – stirring gently to blend.  Pour this mixture into an ungreased one-quart casserole dish.

Dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• 1/2 cup milk

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Cut in the vegetable shortening and then stir in the milk with a fork.  Drop by spoonsful onto the hot fruit filling.  Place the casserole dish on a flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls with cobbler juices and whipped cream/topping or ice cream.

Yield:  6 servings

One of my Mother’s Day gifts this year was a set of vintage two-handled soup bowls.

I might not be making much soup this summer, but the bowl is just the right size for a serving of cobbler.

Ginger Pear Muffins

Twenty years ago, I bought a cookbook that specialized in all kinds of muffins to give my daughter-in-law in St. Louis for her birthday.  I don’t recall the name of the book, but before I put it in the mail, I copied a lot of interesting muffin recipes.   This is one of them, a family favorite for over 20 years.

GINGER PEAR MUFFINS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Canola)
• 3 Tblsp. molasses
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups peeled, diced pears (or one 15 oz. can pears, drained and diced)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, BOTTOMS ONLY (to allow muffins to “dome”)

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, molasses and egg.  Pour all at once into the flour mixture and stir just until flour mixture is incorporated.

Gently stir in the diced pears and chopped walnuts.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins.  Bake @ 350 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffins from tins and place on a wire rack.  Serve warm.  These muffins freeze well.

Pork BBQ and Strawberry Glaze Pie

Today’s lunch menu included an easy Pork Barbecue and an equally easy Strawberry Glaze Pie.

I like to buy about 2 lbs. of lean boneless pork ribs (called Pork Loin Gourmet Ribs in my store).  The ribs are cooked overnight in a slow cooker, then the next day the meat is pulled, combined with a sauce and baked in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.  I like the slow cooker for cooking the pork but prefer the flavor and consistency of the barbecue when it’s baked after the sauce is added.

MOM’S PULLED PORK BARBECUE

• 2 lbs. boneless country style ribs

Trim any fat from meat and place in slow cooker.  Let cook 8-10 hours on low.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

Remove meat from slow cooker, drain and allow to cool until it can be pulled apart.  Place the pulled pork in a 9×9 baking pan.

Make the sauce:

• One 24 oz. bottle of catsup
• 2 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 Tblsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white vinegar

Pour the above sauce  ingredients directly on top of the pork in the baking dish.

Mix well and place in preheated 300 degree F oven.  Bake uncovered for two hours, stirring occasionally.  Barbecue is ready at this point but can be covered and kept in a 170 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Serve on buns with coleslaw on top or on the side.

STRAWBERRY GLAZE PIE

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.

Roll out pastry for a single crust, 9″ pie (see my Sure-Fire Crust recipe).  Prick the crust with a fork on the bottom and sides.

Put a piece of aluminum foil loosely on top of the crust and fill with dry beans.  I keep a jar filled with a pound of dry beans which I use over and over again.

Bake crust @ 410 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and lift out foil with beans.   Place the pie plate back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Filling and Glaze

• 5 cups of fresh strawberries, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. cornstarch

Hull strawberries and if they are small they can be left whole.  Otherwise, cut in half to make fairly uniform pieces.   Place one cup of strawberries in a small saucepan. Crush berries with a big spoon or potato masher.  Add water.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue simmering for 2 minutes.  Pour the berry mixture through a sieve into another small saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch – slowly whisk this mixture into the berry/water mixture and place on medium heat.  Cook and whisk constantly until mixture is thick and clear – about 2 minutes.

In the baked pie shell, place one-half of the strawberries and top with one-half of the glaze. Repeat with remaining berries and glaze.

Chill for at least an hour – an inverted pie plate makes a good cover.

Serve with whipped cream or topping.

A really tasty lunch – and the leftovers are good, too!