Amazing Lemon Blueberry Bread

               
                         
               I went to the Farmers Market the other day and still had an abundance of blue berries leftover. I wanted to make something summery before summer is officially over( Major sad face).  This bread is delightfully moist and the syrup that you pour on top of it that soaks into all the crevices is soooooo yummy.



  Ingredients:
 1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter. Room Temperature ( this is really critical)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp.grated lemon peel
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries or you can use frozen ones just make sure they ae thawed and drained

For the Glaze: 1/3 cup sugar
                        3 tbs. lemon juice


Directions:

           Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a bread loaf pan on bottom and all sides. Combine first three ingredients in small bowl. Using electric mixer, cream the room temp. butter with 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time thoroughly mixing between each egg. Add lemon peel. I only used about 1 tsp. lemon peel because i didnt want the lemon to be overpowering. It was perfect. Mix in the dry ingredients alternatively with the milk. Starting with the dry ingredients and ending with the dry ingredients. Fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for  1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately start the glaze. In small saucepan boil 1/3 cup of sugar with lemon juice until sugar is dissolved. Poke holes into bread. I just used skewers and pour glaze onto bread. Let sit 30 minutes on rack. Turn bread out of pan and continue to cool on rack.


This Recipe adapted by: www.epicurious.com

yummy Oatmeal Scotchies

    In the 1930's a woman names Ruth wakefield baked cookies at her own New Bedford, Massachusetts Inn. She would add morsels of chocolate to her cookies that became very well known. The maker of the chocolate bar is known as Nestle. Nestle offered Ruth a deal to feature her recipe on the back of their chocolate bars in return she received a lifetime supply of chocolate. This, the chocolate chip cookie is born.

  Well since the first chocolate chip cookie was made we have come a long way since than. We have chips of various sizes and flavors. This recipe calls for the popular and yummy Butterscotch. I love this cookie!! The flavors of the oatmeal and the butterscotch conform together so beautifully. So without further ado i present
                                                 
                                                                    Oatmeal Scotchies

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened( I always set out my sticks of butter right before i get all my preparation done and etc.. it gives them time to soften)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange( I skipped the orange peel i wanted more of an oatmeal flavor)
• 3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. 

COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. I like to use a cookie scoop, it gives the perfect size of dough.

BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies.Mine took 10 minutes and were still chewy. i think it depends on the size of the cookie. Set the time for 7 and if still raw in middle add one minute and so on. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

This recipe adapted by: http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18478/Oatmeal-Scotchies/detail.aspx

Rice Krispie Treat Balls

        It was my daughters 15th birthday and we decided to make these little treats for her classroom. WE found the recipe on ricekrispies.com. We dipped some in sprinkles and some we melted semi- sweet chocolate chips and splattered on the chocolate with a spoon. it was messy but fun:) I didnt have any bags so i improvised and cut off the zipper lock on sandwich bags, tied with ribbon and some homemade tags.

         Enjoy!! and Happy Birthday baby girl!


  Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz. about 40) regular marshmallows
or
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Kelloggs Rice Krispies cereal
12 wooden ice cream sticks ( we used cookie sticks, they were longer)
multi- colored sprinkles
Semi-sweet chocolate morsels, melted

Directions:
 1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add Kelloggs Rice Krispies cereal. stir until well coated.( we let the mixture sit until cooled its alot easier to shape into balls)

3. Using 1/2 cup measuring cup coated with cooking spray divide warm cereal mixture into portions. using buttered hands shape each portion into a ball. ( we just eyeballed it). cool. insert wooden stick. We had to shape the balls a little around the stick to make sure it was secure. Decorate!

ooey gooey cake brownies

                            I would like to add a special post today. This recipe came from my boyfriends grandmother Virginia. She has recently passed away and at her service this recipe was passed around, as it is one of her most famous recipes amongst her family and friends. She was an amazing woman.She was a nurse since 1957 and opened a nursing home and was the first woman that received a Nursing Home Administrators License in the State of Washington.

                         She took each of her grandchildren on trips such as Asia, South America, Africa and Europe just to name a few. My boyfriend got to go to Hawaii.So in her honor I would like to present these amazing ooey gooey cake brownies. These little melt in your mouth brownies are the best I have ever had. As you see in the pic above I haven't cut them yet. Thought you would like to see what they should look like before cutting. These babies are so moist that cutting is a little difficult. Just let them sit for a few hours or sit in fridge to harden a little before cutting. Enjoy!!!


ooey gooey cake brownies:

Serves: 24
Preheat oven: 375 degrees
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Cake:
1 cup margarine
1 cup water
4 tablespoons cocoa
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour

Frosting:
1/2 cup margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
6 tablespoons milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the margarine,water,and cocoa in a saucepan. While the mixture warms up mix the flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm cocoa mixture over the flour mixture and blend, using a hand mixer.Add eggs,buttermilk,baking soda,and vanilla. Mix and pour batter onto lightly greased standard size cookie sheet and bake.

While brownies are baking, make the frosting by heating margarine, cocoa and milk in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar. Add chopped walnuts and vanilla and hand stir. Frost the brownies while still warm by placing large dollops on the cake so it will naturally melt.

Eat and Enjoy!!

Virginia Lee Wiggins
May 9, 1934- May 14, 2011

yummy Devils food cake with white chocolate butter cream frosting

This devils food cake and the white chocolate frosting pretty much melt in your mouth. The flavors are so good together. If you like white chocolate this frosting is amazing! I made this for a birthday. Add chocolate shaving and m&m's, Presto! instant birthday cake.

For the cake:

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup strong coffee (or water)
½ cup whole or low-fat milk

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

 sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

 In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. ( I always make sure to scrape the sides of my standing mixer to make sure everything is getting mixed in)

 Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. ( I usually cool in the pans for 15 minutes, than take the cakes out of the pans and cool on wire racks until completely cool)

This recipe adapted by Davidlebovitz.com

For the frosting:

1 2/3 cups( 10 ounce package) Hershey's Premier white chocolate chips( I used ghirardelli white chocolate chips, only because i love their chocolate)

1/3 cup of milk

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Place white chips and milk in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. stir. Microwave an additional 30 seconds, at a time until mixture is smooth and creamy when stirred.( keep stirring eventually the lumps will disappear): cool to lukewarm.

Beat butter and powdered sugar gradually into white chip mixture, beat until fluffy.

This makes about 4 cups of frosting. enough for two layer cake plus decorating.

recipe adapted by: The Cake Mix Bible Link

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

              These cookies aren't pretty but they sure do taste beautiful. My daughter won a contest in her cooking class at school with this recipe. They are really a cookie for the fall but my daughter just had her appendix taken out and wanted me to make these for her. So i did and realized these are just too good and can be made anytime of the year! There is just a hint of pumpkin flavor that goes well with the cinnamon and nutmeg, add chocolate chips and you have pumpkin pie with chocolate crust all in a cookie!



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 48

Ingredients:


1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts( optional)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Grease cookie sheets( shortening worked best for me)

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.( This is more of a dry consistency rather a creamed one)
Beat in the egg, then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour,baking powder, baking soda,salt,nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons full onto greased cookie sheets.( I found that regular size spoon full worked the best)

Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

This recipe adapted by: Allrecipes.com

Amazing Choconut chip cookies

  I was browsing the web for some recipes and came across this little doozy. I had all the ingredients in my cupboard so i decided to give it a go. I am so glad i did! These moist cookies melt in your mouth and the chocolate and coconut merry together in sweet harmony. There is 72 servings so its perfect to make for a crowd.

 Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter( I only had Blue Bonnet margarine sticks in my fridge, it worked just fine)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
                                     

                               In a large bowl or mixer,cream together the butter,brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.

Combine the flour,baking soda and salt: stir into creamed mixture, one cup at a time.

 

Fold in Chocolate chips and coconut  

  

     
                                               Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. ( The first batch kind of stuck to the pans so the second batch i put parchment paper on the pans and they didn't stick. I would recommend.)

  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

                                                                      Yummy!!

This recipe adapted by allrecipes.com