Scotch-a-roos

Made scotch-a-roos twice in two days!  I love these crispy peanut buttery chocolatey treats.  My first introduction to them was at my future in-law's house when Fig and I were dating.  Lydia and I made them Friday for a post-high event that later got postponed and today for Fig's trip to Lake City/Cadillac to visit with some of our former students.  The recipe says to refrigerate for 3 hours but the fridge was full of Thanksgiving leftovers so I stuck them in the garage!  The benefit to winters in Michigan is you have a really large walk in freezer :).  If you cut them right out of the fridge the chocolate will crack so let it sit out for  few minutes before breaking into them. . .I know it will be hard to wait but you can do it!


Scotch-a-roos
Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 cups crisp rice cereal
• 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 (12 oz bag) butterscotch chips

Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment or wax paper.
Add sugar and corn syrup to sauce pan and stir over medium heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.
In a large bowl, add six cups of Rice Krispys. Pour on the peanut butter mixture and stir until all the cereal is coated. Spread in prepared pan.
In a microwave melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together. Spread on top of cereal and refrigerate for 3 hours or until set. Cut into squares.

Thanksgiving leftovers

Sitting here eating leftover pie I realized I never recorded how they turned out! I didn't bake the Pumpkin pie long enough on Wednesday, I had skipped the first baking step.  Since it wasn't done I baked it in the oven for 25 minutes Thursday while we were eating the Turkey.  The perk?  We ate warm pumpkin pie. . . amazing.  Follow the directions (below for the baking temperatures) closely and you shouldn't have problems.  One of the best I've had.  The pecan pie was also wonderful you can't beat toasted pecans covered by carmalized sugar. . .oh wow!  Both recipes (including the tip about blind baking-see previous post) I took from the Grand Rapids Press, my fav!  Both crusts were delightfully light and flaky, which came from making the crust and putting them in the fridge to chill before rolling out and filling.

Shirley Bellmon's Pecan Pie
(Wife of the Oklahoma Govenor in the 1960s- she'd make a dozen or two and stick them in the pantry; her daughter didn't eat pecan pie for about 13 years afterward she couldn't take the smell!)

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell
3 eggs
1 c. white corn syrup
1c. light brown sugar
1c. whole pecans

Directions
Make pie shell and chill or defrost if frozen.  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat eggs, add corn syrup and sugar to the eggs and mix well. 
Pour mixture into pie shell and sprinkle the top with pecans.
Bake for an hour.

Pumpkin pie

Ingredients
3/4c. granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin- not premade filling
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish pie shell

Directions
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in a small bowl.  Stir in pumpkin and gradually stir in warm evaporated milk.
Pour room temperature mixture  into (chilled) pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes. 
Reduce tempature to 350 degrees and bake for 40-50 minutes until knife inserted near center comes out clean. 
Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve soon or keep refrigerated.

Recipes for the STROnGboli breakfast

The teams eating breakfast.

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup canola oil
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cut into 12 cubes

STREUSEL:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter

In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, beat the egg; add milk, pumpkin and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill 12 greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Place a cream cheese cube in the center of each. Top with remaining batter.
For streusel, combine brown sugar, pecans and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack. Yield: 1 dozen.

Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Failures and Successes (in that order)

Fourteen hours ago I started out to ambitiously make breakfast breads for about 25 people.  A Thanksgiving day tradition at our church is that the youth group plays football against the Elders and Deacons before the service (which starts at 9:30) in the church yard.  Then after the game they come inside grab a quick bite and then most head home to shower and return in time for church.  On the list were also two pies for Thanksgiving that needed to be made.

I started with a double batch of Pumpkin Streusel Muffins and substituted butter for oil (which I thought was at church but turns out was in the van).  While they were baking I made a double batch of Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins once again using butter instead of oil.  I smelled some smoke but thought it was something spilled on the bottom of the oven.  After pulling out the pumpkin muffins I put in the banana muffins.  As the first batch was cooling on the wire racks I noticed half were burned on the bottom.  GRRR. . .I don't burn things, what was going on?  Then I REALLY smelled smoke and a few seconds later we discovered that our apartment does have a working smoke alarm!  The whole batch was burned. I think the butter (which I hadn't melted) went into the muffin cups in lumps, promptly melted, overflowed and ran to the bottom of the muffin tins.  I think the hot oil on the outside of the muffin papers just cooked them too much.  If anyone else has any theories I'd be glad to hear them!

I took a break and moved on to making two pie crusts and wrapping them in plastic to chill.  I rolled one out and started to "blind bake" it.  This is a technique to keep the crust from getting soggy because of the pumpkin pie.  Take the crust put foil in it and fill it with something heavy (I used a pound of dry beans).  Bake it for 25 min at 325 and then take the weight and foil out of the crust and continue to bake for 15 min.  While the crust finished baking I made the Pumpkin Pie mix and set it on top of the stove to warm and then filled the crust with the warm pie filling.  While that pie was baking I started the Pecan Pie, rolled out the crust, filled it then popped it in the oven.

I now had just a few muffins for breakfast and it was afternoon. . . Thankfully I had some Zuchinni in the freezer so pulled that out to thaw while I took a breather.  The pies both looked good (hallelujah!).

Made a batch of Paula Deen's Zucchini bread like I've made before.  Then I sat down and watched Peter Pan with Lydia while I peeled apples for a double batch of criss cross apple crowns (also from a previous post).  While they were baking I made a double batch of banana bread.  I pulled the ccac out of the oven and put in the banana bread to bake.  Fig walked in at 9:30 and said "It smells good in here! Oh! I like those can I have one?"  He said they tasted great! 

I'm a little worried about the banana bread.  It was the end of a long day and I had run out of all-purpose flour so I used whole wheat bread flour.  There wasn't anymore brown sugar so it's short a bit of sugar and I used baking powder instead of baking soda because I'd run out of that too!  I'll have to let you know how it all turns out. . .

Good night moon.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

It's Saturday!  This means we made cookies for Sunday School.  I taught Lydia what "Kisses" were this week so she kept asking for a kiss and I'd plant one on her. . .she laughed every time.  So i gave her the job of unwrapping kisses for our cookies.  She felt like a really big helper! Here's the recipe off the bag.

 

Ingredients

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Cookie Pops

Lydia and I decided to make cookie pops for Sunday School classes last week.  This was an easy project we could both do.  She loved dipping the sticks into the chocolate!

32 Servings
Prep: 25 min. + freezing

Ingredients

1 package (12 ounces) White Chocolate Chips or 12 oz White Chocolate Bark
2 tablespoons shortening, divided
1 package (16 ounces) double-stuffed Oreo cookies
32 wooden Popsicle or craft sticks
Optional Decorating ideas 1 cup (6 ounces)Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, crushed candy canes, crushed candy, chopped nuts

Directions

Appease crying child with Popsicle sticks. . . or two. . . nope not working!

In a microwave, melt vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon shortening.
Twist apart sandwich cookies. Dip the end of each Popsicle stick into melted chips; place on a cookie half and top with another half.

Place cookies on a waxed paper-lined baking sheets; freeze for 15 minutes.

Reheat white chocolate mixture again if necessary; dip frozen cookies into mixture until completely covered; allow excess to drip off.  Dip in crushed candy or nuts and return to the baking sheet; freeze 30 minutes longer or until set.

Lydia enjoying one of our finished treats!  Make sure to have milk, sippy cup optional!

You can also decorate white chocolate cookies by melt the chocolate chips and remaining shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Store in an airtight container. 

Peanut Butter Pie

We have a leaders' meeting tonight and as I was thinking about what to serve I couldn't help but think of one of our leaders whose birthday it was a few days ago.  Lydia and I started making peanut butter pie and she kept calling it "Coty Pie" (cute because it sounded a bit like "cutie pie" which she wouldn't have said).  We're going to stick a candle in the pie and sing to him and if there is a piece left Lydia will get it (even though she got to lick the spoons).  Here it is:

Peanut Butter Pie                                                                                            Servings 8

Prep:15 min Chill 15 min- hours

1 (8 oz) cream cheese softened

½ c. smooth peanut butter

1 c sifted confectioners sugar

2 Tbs milk

4 oz thawed cool whip

1 graham cracker crust

1. Combine cream cheese and peanut butter with electric mixer till smooth.

2. Add sugar and milk.  Beat until smooth.

3.  Fold in whipped cream carefully.

4. Spoon into pie crust.

5. Cover and chill in freezer for 15 min.  If chilling longer pull out 15 min before you want to serve it.

Note: Nobody will object if you add chopped reese’s cups in or on it!

Credit: Marilyn Densmore from my church in VA.  She gave me this recipe for my wedding shower years ago!

Black Beans and Rice!

Last Wednesday night we had a fundraising dinner and it went great!  We chose a Mexican theme and had a blast decorating, cooking and serving.  I've had a few requests for the Black Beans and Rice recipe that I used.  Here it is from the website allrecipes.com submitted by Robyn Webb and adjusted a bit by me.

Black Beans and Rice

Prep Time: 5 min   Cook Time: 25 Min   Ready In: 30 Min

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 1/2 cups low sodium, low fat vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 cups canned black beans, drained 

Directions
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 4 minutes. Add the rice and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the spices and black beans. 

 

My variation: I added a small can of diced tomatoes (add with the broth) and used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.   After it cooked for 20 minutes I pulled it off and let it sit for 10 minutes and during that time I heated the beans a bit then mixed everything together.

Enjoy!

Over the Top Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Our Sunday School classes get cookies made by volunteers.  Since I love to bake and I love teens this volunteer opportunity is one I'm always eager to do.  I had too much Halloween candy leftover and so needed to get rid of it so it all didn't go to my hips.  Searching online produced an amazing recipe that I"ll credit to "Laura" on "Real Kitchen Mom."  Incentives to learn about God?  I'm all over it!

Over the Top Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 32 mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, each cut into 4 pieces

1. Mix the ingredients down to the vanilla.  Add soda, salt, and flour.  Fold in chocolate chips.
2. Using and ice cream scoop, scoop dough (these are big cookies).  Place 6 scoops of dough on ungreased cookie sheet.  Use your hand and slightly flatten each scoop of dough.  Cook for 12 minutes at 350.
3. Remove cookies from oven and lightly press 8 cut up pieces of the Reese’s peanut butter cups over the top of each cookie.  Return to oven for 2 more minutes.  Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before placing on cooling rack.  I think these cookies are best eaten warm.  However, they still taste great the next day.  Are best if eaten no later than the day after baking.  Makes 18 cookies.

Variation: use mini or regular M&M pieces in place of the Reese’s pieces.

If you double the batch it might be too thick for your mixer.  Mine was struggling a bit.