Homemade Wholewheat Pitas

Homemade Pitas are really a great treat. I have a few links for some great websites that explain best how to make these :)
Brown Eyed Baker's Pitas
Simple Daily Recipe's Pitas
Farmgirl Fare's Pitas
Tammy Recipes Pitas
Enjoy :)

Ricotta Cookies

 

We found this yummy cookie in a Family Circle Magazine a few years ago.

MAKES: 6 1/2 dozen cookies. PREP: 10 minutes REFRIGERATE: overnight. BAKE: at 350 for 10 min.

4 c all-purpose flour

2 t baking powder

1t baking soda

1t salt

1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened

1 1/2 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 t vanilla extract

1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta

GLAZE:

2 c confectioners sugar sifted

3T orange juice

Colored sprinkles (optional)

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar on medium spped in a large bowl until fluffy, 3 minutes; beat in eggs, vanilla and ricotta.

3.Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat baking sheets with cooking spray.

5. Shape level tablespoons of the dough into balls. Place at least 1" apart on cookie sheets.

6. Bake for 10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Transfer cookies to wire rack; let cool.

7. GLAZE: Meanwhile, <-- LOL when you are rotating trays in oven with your 3 hands,,, the recipe really says "meanwhile... Just make the glaze when you REALLY do have a meanwhile... enjoy making your cookies, they will not leave you b/c they are not glazed, lolz. Stir sugar and juice in small bowl until smooth and good glazing consistency. If too thick, add a lil juice to thin. Spoon glaze over each cookie. Garnish with sprinkles if desired. Let stand until hardened.

Pie, Pumpkin Pie

When you have sugar pumpkins you make  puree. When you have puree you make...

Pie <3

Vanilla Almond Granola Bars

Our family is crazy for granol bars right now and since they are almost $3.00 at the cheapest store I thought it was worth trying to make them. I've made them 4 times now, trying things a little differently each time. The reason I've done things differently is because they are more crumbly than I hoped for. I am now thinking this is just the nature of cutting these babies up though. There are 2 great looking recipes for granola bars that I haven't yet tried. One is Ina Garter's Granola Bars and the other is Joyful Abode's Bars.

Preheat oven 300 degrees F.

4 c old-fashioned rolled oats
1 c slivered almonds
1/3 c wheat germ
1/3 c honey
1/3 c brown sugar
6 T butter, melted
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/2 t salt

1. Combine and spread oats and almonds on 2 cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes, stirring 1/2 way through. Keep an eye on granola so it doesn't burn. Cool 10 min. Or put it in the freezer for a few minutes.
2. Meanwhile, combine honey, egg, sugar, salt, and extracts in a large bowl.
3. When oats are cool, add wheat germ and brown sugar.
4. Add oat mixture to honey mixture folding thoroughly. Then add and mix the melted honey.
5. Transfer and mash down into a greased 13 x 9 pan and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Cool on rack. Cut into squares. Makes 24.

A few times I have made them with 2 beaten eggs hoping to make them stick together better, but they are still crumbly. I saw another recipe where someone cooked them at 450 for 10 -12 minutes in a 10" X 15" jelly roll pan and they looked more the ones you buy in the store because they were thinner. If anyone has a recipe they love please share it with me :) I'm still experimenting. I've not had to throw out a single batch of bars, so try them if you like them :) All those crumbs are saved for yogurt! Yum! If you'd like to make your own yogurt from a tried and true source you can get the link here.

Apple Pancake

Using a cast iron skillet for this yummy treat will make the edges and bottom crunchy. It will rise up above the edges but after it sits for a few minutes it will go back down. Serve while hot with confectioners sugar and maple syrup!

10" cast iron skillet
4 T Butter
1/4 c Brown Sugar
1 large Apple, cored & sliced 1/8"
5 large Eggs
1 c Flour
1 c Milk
1/2 t ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 400. In a 10" skillet, melt butter & 3 T brown sugar. Add apples, and cook 5 minutes, stir occasionally.

In med bowl, whisk eggs, flour, milk, cinnamon, salt, & remaining sugar. Pour batter slowly over cooked apple mixture. Transfer to oven til golden brown, set in center, and puffed around edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve hot.

For great tips on cooking and caring for cast iron please visit the Black Iron Dude.

Yummy Icing

This is a delicious recipe for icing. I was wondering how you made it Ann! Thanks

Peanut Lover's Blondies

Preheat Oven 350
Ingredients:
· 1 stick (1/2 c) butter
· ¾ c packed brown sugar
· 1 large egg
· 1 t vanilla extract
· 1 c plus 2 T all-purpose flour
· 1 t baking powder
· ¼ c plus 2 T chopped unsalted peanuts
· ¼ c plus 2 T peanut butter chips
· 16 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups
Directions:
HEAT oven. Line an 8-in square baking pan with foil. Coat with nonstick spray.

MELT butter in medium saucepan. Stir in br sugar & stir 1 min or until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat; let cool 20 min or until luke warm. Stir in egg and vanilla, then flour and baking powder until blended. Stir in 1/4c each of nuts & chips. Distribute the 16 mini cups over top, then press gently until level with top of batter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 T each of the nuts & chips.

SPREAD in prepared pan. Bake 23 to 25 min until a wooden pick inserted in center of batter comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

LIFT foil by ends onto cutting board. Cut into 16 squares.

APPLE CRISP - Cast Iron Baking

On a cold day there is something yummy about smelling apples baking! Here is Apple Crisp in my new cast iron skillet that I won from Blackiron Dude. The skillet is beautifully seasoned. I am finally confident in using it now that he posted great tips on how to keep your iron clean.
I was going to make Apple Pancake, but we usually only make that for breakfast and no one has been in the mood for it. So here is Apple Crisp (with less apples than in the recipe). I'm not sure what I was thinking... I love this recipe. Our school use to make it for lunch a few times a month. I got the recipe from my sister who got it from our old HomeEc teacher. That teacher's family owned a local (famous) candy store, which is no longer in business.
Apple Crisp
5 c sliced, pared tart apples
1 c brown sugar
3/4 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c butter
3/4 c cooking oats (oatmeal)

Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter and then add and stir in oat meal. Set aside. Melt another tablespoon of butter in your cast iron, or add melted butter to a pie dish. Add sliced apples. Top with oat mixture and press it down onto the apples. Bake at 350 for 45 - 50 minutes. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Cast Iron Delight

I have exciting news! I won a cast iron skillet from Black Iron Dude. I am so excited. I found his website because I have 3 cast iron skillets that I would love to use regularly. I've had them for maybe 5 years and have used them maybe 3 times a year because I have never learned how to care for them properly.
After reading his blog and taking notes I seasoned my skillets again and started using them a lot. As you can see, I can finally make eggs in my medium sized pan and the pan is finally totally black! Check out those eggs and that black pan! Yay!!
You can see where I won the skillet here. If you have a cast iron skillet and don't use it, I hope you are inspired to take it out and start using it. Here is a delicious recipe for Apple Pancake. Do not make it in anything except cast iron or you may regret it :)
10" cast iron skillet
4 T Butter
1/4 c Brown Sugar
1 large Apple, cored & sliced 1/8"
5 large Eggs
1 c Flour
1 c Milk
1/2 t ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 400. In a 10" skillet, melt butter & 3 T brown sugar. Add apples, and cook 5 minutes, stir occasionally.

In med bowl, whisk eggs, flour, milk, cinnamon, salt, & remaining sugar. Pour batter slowly over cooked apple mixture. Transfer to oven til golden brown, set in center, and puffed around edges, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and serve hot.