SWEET POTATO APPLE BAKE

How about a 'sweet' side dish?

3 cups sliced, peeled and cooked sweet potatoes
2 large tart apples, sliced and peeled
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of black pepper
3 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 1 1/2-qt casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Layer half the sweet potatoes and half the apples in dish. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sugar with the maple syrup until blended. Add the nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper to sugar mixture. Sprinkle half the mixture over the apples. Dot with half the butter. Repeat the layers. Cover and bake 15 minutes. Remove cover and baste with juices. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes more or until the apples are tender.

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EASY APPLE COBBLER

8 cups sliced and peeled apples, preferably Granny Smith

1/3 cup apple cider
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp chilled butter, cut into pieces
1 sheet of refrigerated pie dough
1 tsp water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Arrange apple slices in an 11x7-inch baking dish. Drizzle the cider over the apples. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level it off with a butter knife. Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle flour mixture over the apple mixture. Roll dough into a rectangle one inch larger on each side than the baking dish. Place the dough over the apple mixture and fold edges under and flute with your fingers. Cut two or three small slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape. Combine the water and egg whites, stirring together well. Brush the egg white mixture over the dough using a pastry brush. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the pastry. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings. 

 

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ROASTED PEARS

4 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, cut in half lengthwise
2 tbsp Splenda Granulated
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp melted butter
1/4 tsp maple flavoring
1/2 cup orange juice
1 pint sugar-free vanilla
ice cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange the pears, cut side down, in an 11x7-inch baking dish.

Combine the Splenda, cinnamon, lemon juice, melted butter, and maple flavoring. Spoon over the pears, turning to coat both sides. Pour the orange juice in bottom of the pan and let it surround the pears.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the pears are tender. Serve warm with a scoop of the sugar-free ice cream.

Yield: 8 servings

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MACADAMIA BUTTER COOKIES WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

2/3 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
1 tbsp granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place nuts in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl once during the process, to make macadamia butter. Combine the macadamia butter, 1/2
cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat mixture at medium speed until blended. Add the vanilla and egg to the mixture and beat well. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg, whisk to blend well. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the cranberries. Chill dough for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 30 equal pieces and roll into balls. Place the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar into a small bowl. Lightly press each ball into the sugar then place ball, sugar side up, on a parchment covered baking sheet. Gently press the top of each ball with a fork. Dip the fork in water and gently press each top again to form a crisscross pattern (like peanut butter cookies). Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove cookies from the cookie sheets and cool on wire racks.

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LEMONY DROP SUGAR COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar + additional sugar for topping
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well. In a large bowl, using a wire whisk, whisk eggs until blended. Add sugar, oil, vanilla, and lemon zest; mix well. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until well blended. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about two inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Mist the bottom of a 3-inch flat-bottom glass with water and dip glass in additional sugar. Press tops of cookies lightly with the glass, misting with water and dipping into sugar for each cookie. Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for two minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.
These cookies freeze well.

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DONNA'S ITALIAN CREAM CAKE

This recipe is from an old fire department cookbook.

5 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 can of coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the sugar, shortening, butter and vanilla together. Separate eggs and set whites aside. Add egg yolks and mix in with the creamed mixture. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Add the coconut and nuts. Beat the egg whites and fold into the batter. Pour into 3 8-inch cake pans that have been well greased and floured. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

 This is a file photo. This recipe did not have the frosting recipe with it.

BLUEBERRY FRUIT SPREAD

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup water
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine the gelatin with the 1/4 cup water; stir well and set aside.

Combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup water, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 8 minutes; stir frequently. Remove saucepan from heat and add gelatin, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

Cool mixture to room temperature. Pour into glass jars and cover tightly. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours until chilled completely. Store in refrigerator up to 1 month.

Yield: 2 half pints

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HANNAH'S RED VELVET SURPRISE CUPCAKES

This delicious recipe is from NYT Bestselling Author Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen Mystery novel RED VELVET CUPCAKE MURDER. I love her recipes.

Before you can make the cupcakes, you must make the CHOCOLATE APRICOT SURPRISES.
6-oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (that's one cup of chips)
2 tbsp apricot jam
2 tbsp salted butter

If the jam has big pieces of apricots, cut them into smaller pieces before you measure out the jam. You can also simply pick them out and only use the clear part of the jam.

Place the 3 ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. (A 2 cup measuring cup works fine.)

Microwave on high 1 minute. Take the chocolate mixture out of the microwave and stir the contents until smooth.

Tear off a piece of waxed paper and place on a piece of cardboard or a cookie sheet right next to the chocolate mixture.

Use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop out the mixture. Scrape it out of the spoon with your clean finger and drop onto the waxed paper in little mounds. If it spreads too much and won't mound, let it cool for a minute or two longer.

Once you start making the chocolate mounds, be sure you make 24 mounds for your 24 cupcakes.

Refrigerate the chocolate surprises until you are ready to use them in your cupcakes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and make the RED VELVET CUPCAKES:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp red food color gel* (Betty Crocker Classic Gel Food Colors are great)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (packed down in the cup when measured)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp red wine vinegar (white vinegar may be substituted)

Line 24 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners (best to use 2 liners per cup or heavier liners like parchment or foil).

With electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, and vegetable oil until nice and fluffy. Mix in the salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder; be sure to mix in thoroughly.

Add the food color gel and vanilla extract. Beat until the color is mixed in thoroughly.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add 1 cup of the flour and mix in thoroughly. Turn off mixer and scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber or silicone spatula.

Pour in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk and mix in thoroughly at low speed. Add a second cup of flour, mix in thoroughly then turn off mixer again and scrape down sides of bowl. Add in remaining buttermilk and mix well. Add the remaining flour and mix thoroughly.

Mix in the vinegar then turn off mixer and give the batter a final scrape down and stir with the spatula. Note: Vinegar may make batter foam up a bit but that is okay.

Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full of batter.

Remove chocolate surprises from the fridge and peal off the waxed paper. Place one in the center of each cupcake, pushing them down slightly. Be care not to push them all the way to the bottom! Continue filling liners with batter until 3/4 full. (These cupcakes do not rise much so don't worry about that being too much.

Bake at 350 degrees 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan on a wire rack. DO NOT REMOVE FROM PAN UNTIL COMPLETELY COOLED.

Frost cupcakes with the following CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
4-oz cream cheese
1/4 cup salted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar (packed down in the measuring cup)

Place cream cheese and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds. Stir. If you can stir the cream cheese and butter smooth, take the bowl out and put on counter. If it's not soft enough to stir, microwave on high in 20-second intervals until it is.

Add the vanilla extract and stir it in.

Add the powdered sugar, 1/2 cups at a time, stirring after each addition. Continue to add powdered sugar until the frosting is spreadable, but not runny.

When frosting, work out from the center and don't go all the way to the edge. Allow a little red to show.
Sprinkle frosting with a little red decorating sugar, if desired.

Yield: 24 cupcakes
*Do not mistake red food color gel for red decorating gel, they are not the same. If using liquid food coloring, double the amount.

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BLACKBERRY LEMONADE

2 cups fresh blackberries OR unsweetened frozen, thawed

1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
4 cups cold water

In a blender, combine the blackberries, lemon juice, and Splenda; process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.

Press the blended mixture through a sieve or strainer into a pitcher. Throw out the solids left in sieve. Stir in the water.

Serve over ice cubes.

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HEALTHY CRANBERRY-WALNUT MUFFINS

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, oats, baking powder, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix together well. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a small bowl, beat egg, orange peel, orange juice, and applesauce with a spoon until combined. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Mix just until moistened. Fold in the cranberries and walnuts. Fill muffin tin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Do not over mix the batter. Over mixing will cause tough, dry muffins that won't rise properly. Batter is not supposed to be smooth. It should have a lumpy appearance.

Personal note from Linda: As a diabetic, I would use all white whole wheat flour and unsweetened applesauce. I would also use 1/2 cup granulated Stevia or Splenda for the sugar.

OVERNIGHT COFFEE LOAVES

This is a 1971 Betty Crocker recipe thus the Gold Medal brand name.

1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
4 cups Gold Medal flour*
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Confectioners' Sugar Glaze

Dissolve yeast in warm water. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar and the salt. Cut in 1 cup butter until mixture looks like meal. Mix in yeast, egg yolks and milk until dough is smooth.  Cover; refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

Grease 2 9-inch loaf pans. Turn half of dough onto well-floured board. Roll into rectangle, 13x8 inches; brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon; sprinkle half on rectangle. Roll up, beginning at narrow side. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Place seam side down in a loaf pan. Repeat process with the remaining dough and pan.

Cover; let rise in warm place (85 degrees) 2 hours. Dough will not double.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake bread 1 hour. If necessary, cover loaves during last 20 minutes to prevent excessive browning.

Remove from pans. Frost with a confectioners' sugar glaze.

Cool before slicing.

*If using self-rising flour, omit salt.

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