New cook books

My parents gave me this book for Christmas. When it came out a year ago, I wanted to buy it. But I didn't; and after several months, I forgot about it. Until I opened the package, and there it was! How cool is that?

Additionally, my sister R and her husband gave me this book. Do you know what that means? I had better get cooking!

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmas cookies bring delight!

WoW

Try this to make your bank tellers happy: bring a box of homemade goodies for them to share!
The best one was this simple treat:
Brownies baked in mini muffin cups with a Hershey's kiss in the middle!

(I presume that any brownie batter and any flavor of kiss will work.)

Your bank tellers will be thrilled.

Thanksgiving Dinner

What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner? Please scroll to the bottom of this blog and answer the poll! If I didn't list your favorite part, leave a comment on this post. Thank you, and come again!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Not very cheese-cakey; but these are delicious!

(click on the link)

Best Apple Pie

CRUST:

1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature (3/4 c.)

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 t. salt

3-5 T. milk

Using a fork, mix butter with flour and salt until it resembles crumbs. Drizzle in the milk bit by bit, blending with a fork until it just sticks together. (You may not need all the milk.)

Divide the dough in two pieces, one a bit larger than the other, to be the lower crust. Pat the pieces into disc shapes and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 20 minutes.

FILLING:

4 c. chopped, peeled apples (about 6 small apples)

3/4 c. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed (1/2 of a 12-oz. can)

2 T. flour

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 420° F. In a large bowl, combine the apples, juice, flour, and cinnamon. Roll out the larger crust and press into a 9" pie plate. Add the apple mixture. Dot with butter bits. Roll out the smaller crust for the top. Moisten the edges of the lower crust with a little water and add the top crust. Press down the edges with a fork or your fingers (or crimp as desired). Make several slits in the top crust. Bake at 420° for 30 minutes; check pie and cover rim with foil if already brown. Reduce oven heat to 335° F and continue baking for about 30 minutes, or until a little juice is coming out of the slits.

Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

NOTE: Depending on your apples, this pie might taste a bit sour.

Courtesy of Penzeys Spice catalog

CCMM Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1 c. butter substitute (I used this because it's cheaper than butter; if you want to use 3 sticks of butter, go right ahead.)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

3 T. vanilla (okay so I like a lot of vanilla--the original recipe calls for 2 T.)

3 eggs

5 1/2 c. flour (again, I increased this amount--the original calls for 4 c.)
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. miniature M&M's

Cream butter and butter substitute; cream in sugar, then brown sugar. Continue creaming and add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; fold in chocolate. Cover tightly and refrigerate for two days. (I'm serious: this is important!)

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from refrigeration; allow to warm while oven is heating. When oven is hot and dough is workably warm, drop by teaspoonful 2 inches apart on paper-lined cookie sheets. Bake for 8-12 minutes; watch carefully to ensure proper baking time. (My first batch was underdone and the next was overdone. And then there were some WAY overdone cookies; and finally the last batch I baked were perfect. But I froze some of my dough, so we'll see how they bake up.)

Yield: 5-8 dozen, depending upon size of cookies--and how much dough you eat while baking them!

Note: K and I made this original recipe together, once upon a time. It inspired this blog post.

Because of Jesus Christ,

H

Guacamole

There they were. Strategically placed, beside the tomatoes in the supermarket. Softly whispering my name. And in that moment I realized that I must, must, must buy some avocados to make guacamole. And so was born this recipe--if you can call it that. ;)

3 avocados, with skins and cores removed

1 tomato, chopped finely (approximately--my sister was chopping tomatoes and I used what I thought to be 1 tomato's worth of chopped pieces)

1 c. plain yogurt (again, approximate--I used what was left in the carton, which appeared to be about a cup but might have been less. Sour cream can also be used.)

garlic powder

black pepper

tortilla chips (Hooray for blue corn tortilla chips! So colorful!)

Mash avocados until smooth. Blend in yogurt; add tomato. Season to taste with garlic powder and black pepper. (Also add onion powder and salt if desired.)

Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

My friend J said that she uses avocados and salsa, only, to make guacamole. It really is up to you, and to your personal tastes. (We mixed this guacamole with salsa--also delish.) Also, thanks to M, whom I watched make guacamole and therefore who taught me what to put in it.

And one more note before I leave: use this within two days, because the tomato runs and turns the guacamole brown--ick!

Because of Jesus Christ,

H

Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie-Bars

Read my comment on this post to see the modifications necessary to make these bars.

Banana Nut Bread

This is my new favorite banana bread! It seems that after a while, my stand-by recipe gets old. Then a quest for a new b-bread recipe begins. That may end now. The last search began because my then-present recipe had too many ingredients. So I looked for something simpler, and here it is! This recipe is from ELT, the 1930's cookbook. I didn't change a thing. (I didn't even correct the grammatical errors!)

1/2 c. fat

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 crushed bananas

2 c. whole-wheat flour

1 t. soda

1/4 c. nut meats

Crush bananas and whip until very light. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, then flour, soda and nuts. Add bananas. Turn into a well greased bread pan. Bake in a moderate oven at 350° for 1 hour.

I never used to like nuts in banana bread. But in the spirit of following the recipe precisely, I added them as directed. It was so delicious that way! Although I may add cinnamon next time, this recipe is definitely a keeper.

Because of Jesus Christ,

H

Happy birthday, MC!

As of tomorrow, Morsels of Chocolate will be one year old! As we reach this milestone, I must confess a discovery: I do not try new recipes as much as I used to think I did. I thought this blog would be bursting with new recipes every week; but the fact is that I use the same old favorite recipes time and again. When a new recipe is tried, I might like it; but it will probably fall back into obscurity until I have a taste for something different again. As my family knows, the desserts I make the most are variations on the brownies theme. So as MC enters another year, I can't promise more recipes than before. I can only say that I, and K with me, hope you will keep checking back for more--because new recipes will get posted eventually!

Here are some random MC statistics:

*There are two contributors, although one of them rarely posts anything. ;)

*We have seven followers! Although I suspect that in reality, we have only two. At least, we have only two who leave comments. Thank you, Preciosa and Angela, and keep the comments coming!

*There have been around 60 posts, although not all of them are recipes.

*Main dish recipes are rare around here; mostly we post desserts. (But what did you expect, considering our name?)

Because of Jesus Christ,
H

Cake Decorating Idea

Chilled Cucumber Salad

2 c. sliced cucumbers (about 2 small cucumbers)

2 thin slices onion, separated into rings (or 1 slice if you dislike onion more than I, or none if you really detest it)

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. white vinegar

1 T. sugar

1/2 t. dill weed

1/4 t. black pepper

1 dash cayenne pepper

Combine water and vinegar; stir in sugar until dissolved. Add dill and peppers. Chill for a few hours or overnight. Wash, peel, and thinly slice cucumbers. Slice onion and separate rings. Place cucumber slices and onion rings in a glass serving bowl; sprinkle with salt. Pour dressing over the top; chill for 30 minutes or until serving time.

Waffle Sandwich

2 waffles, toasted or fresh off the iron

peanut butter

1 sprinkle of cinnamon (optional)

honey

Place one waffle on serving plate. Spread with a thick layer of peanut butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Place second waffle on peanut butter; top with honey. Serve immediately with a tall glass of milk to wash it down. Serves 1.

Any type of nut butter may be used in place of peanut butter. Cream cheese or cream cheese spread may also be used. Pancakes may be used in place of waffles; syrup may be used in place of honey. Any spice may be sprinkled on top; and nuts, fruit, or chocolate chips may be sprinkled on top. Additionally, this may be served as a dessert with Nutella in the middle, and chocolate syrup on the top. The possibilities are limited only to a person's creativity!

The best way to eat a chocolate bar

I have discovered the best way to eat a chocolate candy bar! Even though it was milk chocolate and not dark, it was delicious. So here is my formula, in three easy steps:

1) Place candy bar in a cooler in the trunk of your car, convincing yourself that even though it is mid-June, the cooler will keep it from melting. (This can also be done in July or August.)

2) Forget about it for 3-4 days.

3) Re-discover your chocolate and savor the melty goodness. It tasted like fudge! =)

On the other hand, there is no wrong way to eat chocolate--except, perhaps, with raspberries.

Announcing.....!!!

...our first picture with a recipe! It's an old post. It's an old picture. But it's a picture on our boring blog!!!

Colorful Veggie Pasta

Hello, M of C readers! At long last, I return to the world of blogging. In the time since I last posted, changes have arrived in my food life: namely, I have declared vegetarianism! This both expands and complicates my eating habits. On the one hand, I search out more interesting choices and recipes; on the other, it can be very difficult to find such choices/recipes. For your non-meat-eating pleasure, I present Colorful Veggie Pasta. This was a hit with the carnivores, as well.

Ingredients;
1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
1 medium-large red pepper
large handful uncooked spaghetti noodles + water for boiling
olive oil
Italian seasoning (basil, rosemary, oregano) to taste
3/4 cup or to taste shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese (could probably substitute grated Parmesan)

Instructions:
Boil water for pasta; add pasta when water reaches rolling boil. (You may want to add a little oil to the edge of the water to keep it from boiling over.)
Meantime, cut up vegetables into roughly quarter-size pieces. Sautee in saucepan with a little olive oil until tender (I like them to still have just the tiniest bit of crunch).
Drain and rinse cooked pasta. Add vegetables, Italian seasoning and cheese; stir until cheese is melted.
Serve warm.

--K

Citrus-ade

Lemonade--but with limes and oranges! So refreshing in the summer!

6 lemons
5 limes
5 oranges (unless they are very large; adjust numbers according to taste)
4 c. water
2-2 1/2 c. sugar (to taste)

Squeeze the juice from oranges, limes, and 5 lemons. Remove any seeds. (Do not strain out pulp, unless you don't like it; in which case you might as well buy powdered "lemonade" from the store.) Add water; stir in sugar to taste until it dissolves. Chill and/or serve over ice. Slice remaining lemon; garnish each glass with a lemon wedge.
Makes approximately 6 servings; maybe 7-8 depending on glass size.

Editor's note: I used only 3 oranges, because they were enormous. Again, all amounts may be adjusted according to your tastes.

Cheesecake Bars

1/3 c. butter

1 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped nuts (SO yummy with hickory nuts!)

chocolate chips*

1/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla

8 0z. softened cream cheese

2 T. milk

1 T. lemon juice

chocolate syrup*

Cream butter with brown sugar in a small mixing bowl; add flour and nuts; mix to make a crumb mixture. Reserve 1 c. for topping. Press remaining mixture into bottom of an 8"-square pan.

Place sugar, egg, vanilla, cream cheese, milk, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Mix well and beat until creamy. Pour over crust. Add chocolate chips (to taste) to remaining crumb mixture; sprinkle evenly over filling.

Bake at 350° F. for 12-15 minutes. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the top in a pretty zig-zag. Cool completely; chill for a day or two before cutting into bars and serving.

*Chocolate was not originally a part of this recipe. I added it because the bars sounded boring without. But if you don't like chocolate, feel free to leave it out--but then, if you don't like chocolate, why are you reading my blog?

Almond-Cherry Cake

1 c. softened butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract (I think; I sort of forgot how much I actually put.)
2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. almond meal/flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 can cherry pie filling

Chocolate chips (optional, but recommended)

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar; add eggs and beat well. Sift dry ingredients, except almond flour, in a separate bowl. Stir in almond flour. (The almond flour will get stuck in your sifter. Most of it will go through, but there will be larger pieces that do not. You can still try it if you wish--but consider yourself warned.) Add to egg mixture and beat until well-blended. (Dough is thick.) Spread half of the dough in a greased 9"x13" pan. Top with pie filling (and a sprinkling of chocolate chips); spread remaining dough over filling. (This step is difficult; I had to use two spoons and kind of stretch it over the filling.) Bake 45 minutes or until done. While cake is warm, spread with powdered sugar icing to form a glaze. (I mixed a drop or two of almond extract into my glaze.)

This cake was originally called "Cherry Slices." Adding almond flour and flavoring was my idea. If you don't like almond, but do like cherry, the original recipe calls for 3 c. flour and nothing almond at all. Also, the chocolate chips were my own addition--because, as we all know, everything is better with chocolate. =)

Super-easy Cream Cheese Bagel Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T. honey, or to taste

cinnamon (optional)

vanilla (optional)

Beat cream cheese with a fork until smooth. Blend in honey to taste. Add cinnamon or vanilla, if desired.

Spread on bagels, toast, crackers, fruit, or anything else with which it would be yummy. =) (Chocolate pancakes, anyone?)

Chocolate Pancakes

But of course! Why did I not think of this before???

It's as easy as adding cocoa powder (as much or as little as desired) to the dry part of your pancake recipe. Also you might want to add a little extra milk to compensate for the extra dryness.

Serve with syrup, peanut butter, honey, or whatever else you like to have with pancakes!

Sometimes, mess-ups are best

Otherwise known as Chilled Strawberry Soup!

I took my grape salad recipe and thought that it would be delicious with strawberries--especially since strawberries were on sale! But I decided to try using plain yogurt instead of sour cream. The result was a very liquid, but delicious, dish. So I am sharing the results of my "bad idea" with you!

8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. plain yogurt (can use strawberry, but you might wish to reduce sugar)
1/2 c. to 1 c. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
approximately 2 lbs. strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced
1 banana
pecans

Beat cream cheese and yogurt until blended; add sugar according to your taste. Blend in vanilla. Fold in strawberries. Cover and chill overnight, or all day if you wish to serve with supper. Slice banana and fold in. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top and serve.

Note: if you combined everything right before serving, it would probably be salad consistency. :)

Thank you, and come again!

Deep, Dark, Chocolate Cake

This is traditionally our family's birthday cake, every time someone turns a year older. It is dark, rich, and moist--and decidedly better than any store-bought or box-mix cake! The first picture is this cake this year, and the second is the cake with no decoration. The third picture is this cake a few years ago, decorated with whole almonds, slivered almonds, and chocolate stars.

1 3/4 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. baking powder
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. shortening
2 t. vanilla
1 c. boiling water

Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except water; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Remove from mixer; stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour into two greased and floured 9x9" layer pans, one greased and floured 9x13" cake pan, or papered cupcake pans. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes for layers; 35-40 minutes for sheet cake and 12-15 minutes at 400° for cupcakes. Cool completely; frost with Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

Grandma's cookin'

I just don't get it. She does everything wrong, according to the "experts." She doesn't measure everything carefully. She doesn't follow recipes precisely. Yet, my Grandma's pizza is the stuff of legends. If food could be divine, her rolls would be. Her fudge is a definition. Grandma's cooking is proof that a grandmother's touch is more important than all the rules in the books.
And so, my fellow novices, there is hope for you and me: when we are grandmothers, perhaps our food will be legendary as well.

Quick, Creamy Chocolate Pudding

Otherwise known as apologies for not posting anything recently. =)

2/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. cocoa

6 T. cornstarch

2 1/4 c. milk

2 T. butter

1 t. vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, and cornstarch in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; boil and stir for one minute. Remove from heat and blend in butter and vanilla. Pour into individual serving dishes, or one large glass bowl. Carefully press plastic wrap onto surface. Chill at least one hour, or until thickened. Garnish with whipped topping and nuts, if desired. Makes 4 or 5 large servings.

I will add that if you don't cook this long enough, it will not thicken. Also, what is listed here is twice the cornstarch listed in the original recipe, because I can never thicken my pudding.

P.S. This is double the chocolate from the original recipe, because we like it dark at my house. :)

Yogurt Pancakes

2 c. flour

1/4 c. cream of wheat cereal, uncooked

1/4 c. quick oatmeal, uncooked

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. yogurt*

1 c. sour milk or buttermilk

2 eggs

1/8 c. oil

*plain yogurt, preferably. I used strawberry yogurt, and the results were sweet, yet dry, pancakes. Dry as in drown-in-syrup dry; yet sweet as in don't-need-syrup sweet. On the other hand, these might be very good made with blueberry yogurt.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Combine wet ingredients separately. Add the wet to the dry; mix, but not thoroughly. (You may add cinnamon, chocolate chips, fruit, or nuts, if desired.) Cook as you would cook any other pancakes.

Perhaps it's just because I'm mastering the method of frying them; but these were the best scratch pancakes that I have ever made!

Sloppy Joes

This recipe comes from my Aunt B.

1 lb. ground beef

2 T. chopped onion

1/3 c. water

1/2 c. ketchup

2 t. paprika

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1-2 t. chili powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. sugar

1/4 t. pepper

Brown ground beef with onion; drain. Simmer with remaining ingredients for 20 minutes. Serve on buns.

(Untested) Delicious-looking recipe

I ought to have posted this when I discovered it over a month ago!

http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/thick-rich-hot-cocoa-recipe

Speedy Fruit Salad

1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

1 lb seedless grapes, halved*

3 bananas, peeled and sliced

1 8-oz. container strawberry yogurt (or flavor of your choice)

*fresh blueberries may be substituted--my preference at least

Combine and serve. Serves 12

Spanish Rice

My mother's recipe. =)

Combine in saucepan:

3 c. water

2 c. brown rice, rinsed

2 T. chicken broth powder

Bring water to boiling; reduce to simmer and cook without removing the lid until rice is soft, at least 45 minutes.

Add:

1 8-oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 T. chili powder

1 t. garlic powder

Stir. Serve immediately, or keep warm stirring frequently to prevent scorching. This is delicious served with red beans as a side dish to chicken.

Strawberry Brownies

Although the flavor is not overtly strawberry, these brownies are moist and delicious.

1/2 c. flour

3/8 c. (6 T.) cocoa powder

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

3/8 c. strawberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease an 8"-square pan. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a 1 1/2 qt. saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Remove from heat; stir in sugar with a wire whisk. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in preserves and vanilla, whisking until thoroughly combined. With a flat spoon, stir in flour mixture just until blended.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted 2 inches from edge comes out almost clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack; cut into bars.

Simple Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whew! The name takes longer to type than the cookies take to eat! =)

1 c. peanut butter, smooth or crunchy

1 large egg

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 pinch baking powder

1 c. miniature chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325° F. Mix all ingredients until blended. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen

Note: these cookies crumble easily.

Edited:

A few notes after baking these for the second time:

*I had to bake the cookies for about 16-18 minutes instead of 8-10. They were small, but I had made balls of dough. Perhaps they should be flattened before baking.

*A splash of vanilla increases the yumminess value of these cookies.

*Do not substitute honey for sugar. I tried this to see if the cookies held together better than usual. The result was far too soft, and I had to add flour--which defeats the purpose of flourless cookies. On the other hand, part honey and part sugar might be perfect.

P.S. It was not an accident that left the flour out of the ingredients list. These cookies are basically peanut butter and sugar, held together by egg! Delicious!

Mouthwatering Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had these for the first time this semester, courtesy of one of my professors. They are now my favorite cookie! It's been a long time since I've posted (fortunately H has been keeping up quite well), and I thought this would be an excellent way to get back to the blog.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening (softened)
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp (at least) grated orange rind
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp soda
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips (or 1 cup choc. chips, 3/4 cup English walnuts)

Directions: Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla and grated orange rind; beat until smooth. Mix soda into sour cream and add. Add flour w/baking powder and salt. Stir until mixed. Fold in chocolate chips and drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes until bottom edge begins to brown.

Glaze:
1 1/2 tsp. (at least) grated orange rind
1/3 cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar
Mix all ingredients to a thin paste.

Remove cookies from baking sheet while still hot and immediately drizzle glaze over top so it drips down and all over the cookies (cookies must be hot for this!).

Note: More orange is better. 2-3 large oranges should produce enough zest and possibly enough juice as well if you don't have orange juice around.

Enjoy!
K

Chocolate Chip Coconut Bars

Athough I have not made them in a long time, these used to be my favorite bar cookies--even more than brownies! They are very soft, and they are way better without nuts.

1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 T. water
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 c. coconut
6 oz. chocolate chips

Melt butter in a saucepan and remove from heat. Add sugars and blend. Add water, egg, and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in flour and baking powder. When well-blended, add remaining ingredients. Stir lightly to combine. Pour into greased 9" pan and bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Cool into pan and cut into bars. Or, eat warm--they're really yummy that way. =)

Grape Salad

2 lb. grapes
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1 c. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
brown sugar
pecans

Beat cream cheese and sour cream; blend in white sugar and vanilla. Fold in grapes. Place in a serving bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar and pecans on top.

Serve chilled.

This recipe was given me by my boss.

Easy Lasagna

8 oz. lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
4 c. spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. water
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 t. sugar
2 c. small curd cottage cheese
3 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef and drain excess fat. Add spaghetti sauce, water, seasoning, and sugar. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. In a 9x13" casserole dish, layer 1/3 of the sauce, 1/2 of the uncooked lasagna noodles, 1 c. cottage cheese, and 1/3 of the Mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with sauce and remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes. Remove foil and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with hot garlic bread. This is also good served with a salad.

Delicious Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Thanks to my cousin, M, and her mother, Aunt S, for this recipe.

1 1/4 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
2 beaten eggs
1 c. buttermilk*
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
4 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

*If you have no buttermilk, place 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add sweet milk to the 1 c. line. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the milk to sour.

Preheat oven to 325°. Mix 1 1/4 c. sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. Sift and add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix 4 T. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon. Set aside. Spread half of batter in a greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle half of cinnamon mixture over batter. Spread with remaining batter and then the rest of the cinnamon mixture. Bake for 20-30 minutes. (Do not overbake.)
When cake is done, if desired, use a fork to poke holes at intervals. Pour icing over the top.

Icing:
1 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
hot water

Add hot water to make a thin icing. Pour over the cake while hot.

Note: icing makes this coffee cake very sweet. With icing it would make a better dessert than breakfast!

Easy Biscuits

2 c. flour
3 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3-4 T. shortening
2/3-3/4 c. buttermilk*

Preheat oven to 450° Fahrenheit. Sift dry ingredients; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once; stir only until dough follows fork around bowl. Pinch off a small portion of dough; roll into a ball and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 450° for 12-15 minutes. Serve piping hot with butter and honey, under gravy, or alongside soup or stew.

*If you have no buttermilk, place 2 t. vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup and add milk to the 2/3 c. line. Set aside to sour for 5 minutes.

Note: odd as it sounds, these are delicious made with whole wheat flour!

Hmmm....

...What happened to K? Truth is, I'm wondering that myself. Did you fall off the face of the Internet, my friend?