Lemon Meringue Pie

Looks pretty delectable doesn't it...and it is! This Lemon Meringue Pie comes from Marty Uhlmann in Dora, she's quite the pie maker!

Any dessert with lemon is blue ribbon in my book! For those of you who aren't a lemon fan- not to worry this pie doesn't have that traditional tart lemon flavor. It's smooth, creamy and the meringue is light and fluffy.

Lemon Meringue Pie
Jello Cook & Serve Lemon Pudding Mix
Heat 2 cups water in medium pan
In a bowl mix pudding mix, 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 Tbsp.
Add 1/4 cup water
Grate lemon rind from half of a lemon
Add 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice
Add 3 egg yolks, stir well & add to hot water. Cook until thick. Add 2 Tbsp. butter. Cool and put in a baked 9" pie crust. Top with meringue.

Meringue
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
dash of salt
Beat until foamy.
Add 1/3 cup sugar, 2Tbsp. at a time, & continue beating until stiff peaks
form. Bake 10-15 min. or until lightly browned at 350 degrees.

Pie Crust
Mix:
4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups shortening (I use Crisco & vegetable shortening)
Blend with pastry cutter until well mixed.

In a cup beat 1 egg.
Add 2 tsp. sugar and 2 Tbsp. vinegar.
Add enough water to make 1/2 cup.
Stir into dry mixture & knead until smooth. Roll thin & place in 9" pie pans.

This recipe will make about 3 crusts.

Blueberry Lemon Pie

Our family visited Persimmon Hill Berry Farm on Wednesday night in Lampe (which is just about 18 minutes from our house) and had an incredible time! The farm is a berry farm and agritourism destination for many each year…as the farm is famous for their Blueberry Thunder Muffins!

We picked up some muffins and blueberries while on our visit. And sampled the farm's newest treat- Blueberry Bread Pudding. We plan on going back next week for some blackberries!

With 3 pounds of blueberries I decided to try out a new pie recipe. I haven’t yet sliced the pie, but how can you go wrong with this list of ingredients? Enjoy!

Blueberry Lemon Pie
by Lane

Single Pie Crust (My grandmother Garrison’s recipe)
1 1/3 c flour
½ tsp salt
½ c Crisco shortening
3 T ice cold water
½ tsp vinegar

In a food processor pulse flour and salt. Add shortening and pulse into combined (it will resemble cornmeal). Add water and vinegar and pulse until combined- the mixture will form a ball. Roll out first dough and then repeat for second dough.

Filling:
¾ c sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp allspice
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ c water
3 c fresh blueberries
1 T lemon juice
Zest of 1 large lemon

Combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice and water in a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Cook until thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let mixture cool. After the mixture has cooled add blueberries, lemon juice and zest.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour filling into pie and top with second crust. Brush top of pie dough with mixture of (1 egg and 2 T milk).

Bake for 18 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 325 degrees for another 20 minutes. Let pie cool before slicing.

It's Dairy Month

June is Dairy Month, so let's celebrate with recipes full of dairy products!

Check out a recent cook article I wrote about the Grisham Dairy in SW Mo...Sheena (pictured) shares some of her favorite dairy recipes that are perfect for summer bbq's!

Cook article in Missouri Farmer Today.

Other great dairy recipes here.

If you are looking for some local SW MO milk- check out Ozark Mtn. Creamery in Mtn. Grove.

Another Day, Another Story

Our son has been persistent on waking up at 4:30 am every morning the past week- which before he slept till at least 5:30 am. He's teething so, I'm sure that has a little to do with it. But, we've been trying to make him hold off for a feeding 10 minutes extra each morning. (That's what I've read to do...but I've learned that the so-called expert books don't know it all.)

My husband was out of town one night this week and Caston woke up crying like no other...nothing would make it better so I made a bottle for him. (He's been switched over to formula now.) He went to town eating...when Caston is hungry you better watch out! I usually burp him when he's half way through, so I proceed to do so. But, he just would not burp and his little belly was so tight! (Caston has acid reflux very bad...so it sometimes take forever to get him to burp.)

He wouldn't burp and was screaming by this time bc all he wanted was his food. So, we started feeding again. After he finished he was completely satisfied. I laid him on my shoulder and he laid his head down gently and was cooing. (Nothing is more sweet than a baby cooing.)

Then is came.

On big ole loud, nasty, hard burp! I mean LOUD...

And the chair, my back, my hair and my neck was covered in baby puke. (We call Caston "Mr. Puke" around the house...his reflux makes him spit up a lot and even hours after a feeding.)

I couldn't believe I was sitting in living room at 5 am covered in puke...funny thing Caston didn't have a drop of spit up on him. Just my luck right. I had to laugh...I mean my husband was gone, it was the wee hours of the morning and I was covered in puke. I was just thankful that our furniture was leather, not cloth.

Oh, what we go through for our children, so that someday they can grow-up and become teenagers and forget all the things their parents did for them. The sacrifices they made, the many nights they stayed up with us when we had a cold, those blow-out diapers, the puke, the sleeplessness...the list goes on and on.

Wait. I need to call my parents and thank them. You should do the same.

If you are really trying to tell mom how much you appreciate all she's done for you...try these Chocolate Cupcakes. You are sure to make her day! (BTW I lived off these when I was pregnant...so good.)

Chocolate Cupcakes
from JoyofBaking.com
Makes about 16 cupcakes

1/2 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 cup (240 ml) boiling hot water
1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups (160 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, use a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls.

Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).

Cookies that Will Save Your Soul

We haven't been cooking a whole lot around our house lately- with a new baby and packing up the house for our move down south it's been a lot easier to get take out or throw a pizza in the oven. We do manage to cook a big breakfast about every morning though- bc my husband is what I call "the Breakfast King." He enjoys making breakfast and I'm not going to turn down his offer to make a meal.

We've been having a lot of meals at our friends houses lately since this is the last week that we will be residing in Jefferson City. We have been getting together with many of our friends for dinner and I always offer to make a dessert. The main dessert I've been turning to is Orange Baby Cookies- a recipe that comes from a dear friend and previous manager- Cyndi Young.

I recently wrote an article over my friend Cyndi and her cookie making skills for Missouri Farmer Today. When I went to Cyndi and her husband Jim's farm, they had four different cookies laid out for me to take photos of and taste for the article! I fell in love with the Orange Baby Cookies and I know you will too!

These cookies are delicious and can be whipped up in a snap! I say that these cookies will save your soul bc no matter what mood you are in- after one cookie you will feel like you are in heaven! And I bet you can't eat just one...

Orange Babies
By Cyndi Young
1 C. softened butter
½ C. sugar
½ C. brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1½ T. grated orange peel
2¼ C. flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1½ C. vanilla baking chips

Cream the butter and sugars. Beat in egg and orange peel. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in vanilla chips. Form into walnut-sized balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Praline-Apple Bread Using Local Apples this Season

My gal pal Tyne Morgan has been a busy cook it seems lately- she’s been baking up a storm and trying lots of new recipes. On a recent visit she was telling me about this Praline-Apple Bread recipe she had made and how simply delicious it was. She has Facebooked me the recipe about 3 weeks ago and I finally got around the making it the other day. She was right- a great recipe for this fall.

Be sure and visit a local orchard and pick up some local Granny Smith apples to make the bread and don’t forget to use Missouri Northern Pecans (they are wonderful to use in recipes like this). I just bought some at the recent Chestnut Festival this weekend for my holiday baking this season!

Praline-Apple Bread
From Southern Living Magazine

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

Note: To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

(PHOTO: From Southern Living Magazine and recipe from Debbie Grusska, Hobart, Indiana)

Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

It's surprising to me that being pregnant I haven't really cooked a whole lot of new dessert recipes. Guess i just turn to the old stand byes- guess that's human nature in us all though.

(PHOTO: 28 weeks and counting)

My sister-in-law Annie gave me a cookbook awhile ago and I was thumbing through it last week (I finished my fifth baby book and was in the reading mood- just completed the book Your Best Birth...I think it's the one book every pregnant woman should read). I came across a recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins and thought to myself...cream cheese, blueberries and lemon peel- how could you go wrong!

I also liked that the recipe included healthy ingredients like bran flakes! I just took these lovely muffins out of the oven about 30 minutes ago and they smell and taste wonderful!

They will make me and Caston (our little one that's on the way) a great late night snack tonight and a sweet start to breakfast in the morning!

Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup, plus 1 T sugar or sugar substitute
2 eggs
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup bran flakes cereal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup soy flour (or just use another 1/2 cup of ap flour)
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
3 T melted butter
1 jar of no sugar added blueberry fruit spread (you'll find it with the jams and jellies at your local grocery store)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, lemon peel and vanilla and beat.

Combine cereal, flour(s), 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Whisk milk, butter and 1 egg in small bowl, then add to cereal mixture. Mix gently until blended.

Spoon about 2 T of cereal batter into all muffin cups. Spread a about 1 tsp of fruit spread on top of batter. Then spread cream cheese mixture over fruit spread. Combine remaining 1 T of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture over cream cheese mixture.

Bake 33 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool muffins for about 10 minutes. Refrigerate leftover muffins.

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

I've been doing a lot of baking lately it seems- brownies, cakes, muffins and cookies. But I have an excuse- I'm pregnant. And when the cravings hit- it's better to have some sweets on hand.

This is a recipe I got from our recent vacation to South Carolina. This is a very simple recipe to make and makes delicious bars!

Lemon Cheesecake Bars
1 (18.25 oz) box lemon cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 egg
1 stick butter
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
2 eggs
1 (16 oz) box powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon extract



Combine cake mix, pecans, butter, and 1 egg in a medium mixing bowl. Press mixture lightly in a greased 13x9x2 inch baking dish. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together cream cheese, 2 eggs, powdered sugar, and lemon extract. Pour over cake mix mixture. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate until set. Cut into small squares. serves 12 to 15.

Hilton Head Here We Come

My vacation offically begins today, although we don't fly-out until this weekend. Hilton Head, South Carolina is the destination and we are really looking forward to a much needed vacation! Everyone keeps telling us better take a vacation now because when the baby comes it will be much, much harder to get away!

I'll have photos to post when we return! Until then here's a recipe that's sure to be a favorite. It's blueberry season in Missouri, be sure and choose local blueberries from a local you-pick berry farm.

Summer Blueberry Cobbler
1 cobbler top recipe (See Below)

2 qt blueberries

1-1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup corn starch

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs butter

TOPPING RECIPE:

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 tbs sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

1-1/2 cups heavy cream

TOPPING RECIPE:
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir in the cream. Knead by hand for about 30 seconds and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough on a floured work surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cover the top of the berries with the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except the butter in a non reactive bowl and place the mixture in a casserole dish. Dot the top of the berries with the butter, place the top over the berries.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until crust has become a chestnut brown color.

Great Grannies Egg Custard

Egg custard is my father’s favorite sweet treats. I remember as a kid having it served with dinner at least once a week.

It’s one of those comfort foods that I’m finally able to enjoy again- as my first trimester refrained me from eating much, especially when it came to eggs.

This dessert is just sweet enough for a light dessert and perfect alongside just about any dish! The recipe comes from my Great Grandma Garrison.

Grannies Egg Custard
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup sugar (sprinkle very slowly)
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups milk
½ tsp. vanilla
Sprinkle nutmeg on top

Bake at 325 degrees in a glass dish (a 9x9 works well). Place glass baking dish in a pan of water (hot water bath) for 20 minutes.

Gotta a Craving

What to do when a craving hits…that’s been my dilemma lately. Do I indulge, do I ignore the craving, what is a healthy option to fulfill the grumble in my tummy.

I’ve had cravings and food aversions all at the same time for the past month and a half- how does this happen- will being pregnant your body is totally out of wack. At least that is what I have decided, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! (Yes, many readers lately have been asking about the new label on the blog “pregnancy recipes” and yes they were correct the McConnell’s are expecting a little one November 18.) We are very excited - here is our Week 9 photo!

I’ve been reading What to Expect When Your Expecting and I laugh at some of the things I have learned about the pregnant body. Like that “gotta go feeling” that stays with you, the sleepless nights because you have to get up to go to the bathroom 5 times a night, or maybe it’s the way I can be so sick feeling at my stomach- BUT at the same time crave Honey Nut Cheerios or Bananas by the dozen! (Yes- that’s right Cheerios!) Or my favorite- being so tired that I fall asleep at 6pm after eating dinner.

You have to love being a woman! And no matter what-I wouldn’t change it for the world!
I’ve read that for those that have the all day morning sickness or upset stomachs that lemons help- and it’s worked for me. Drinking lemonade, making lemon spaghetti, or simply putting lemon in my water has soothed my stomach so far.

But, if you’re craving a nice indulging dessert this Lightened-Up Lemon Bar recipe from one of my favorite new websites , http://www.fitpregnancy.com/, is a true winner.

Lightened-Up Lemon Bars

From FitPregnancy.com

Crust

Nonstick cooking spray

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Topping

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 juicy lemons)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Confectioner's (powdered) sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat an 8-by-8-inch pan with cooking spray. For crust: Cream together butter and sugar; add flour, salt and lemon zest. Beat until crumbly and pat into pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven; let cool. While crust is baking, prepare the topping: Whisk egg and egg whites until frothy. Add sugar, flour, baking powder, lemon juice and lemon zest; mix until combined. Pour mixture over crust and bake for an additional 25 minutes or until topping is set and slightly golden. Cool on a wire rack; dust with confectioner's sugar and cut into 16 2-inch squares. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Serves 8.

Simple Grape Salad

When it comes to food- I want simplicity. Sometimes we get bogged down by fancy recipes with extravagant spices and ingredients, that we loose the true taste of the food.

That’s why I enjoy this recipe so much. It’s my mother’s recipe for a simple grape salad (that I served for Christmas dinner). The key to a this recipe is ensuring the grapes are ripe and tasty. Plus, I only use Missouri Northern Pecans because they are sweet and small (you can find them in most all grocery stores.)

Simple Grape Salad
By My Mother

2 ½ lbs. grapes
1 (8oz.) cream cheese, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in sour cream and add to grapes. Mix brown sugar and nuts together and sprinkle over grapes.

Christmas Dinner Menu

Many folks stress about the holidays and for good reason. Our country is in economic distress, food prices are sky high and Christmas is just next week…which means all those presents, decorations, wrapping paper that you paid for by credit will be coming to haunt you in January!

I have to make frequent trips to the grocery store during the holidays because all of the baking I do. I was there this week and could not believe just the few items I had totaled $69.54 – and I only had two bags! WOW – I was speechless.

Of course, looking back on the receipt I ask myself – “Did I really need those Goat Cheese Stuffed Olives, or the extensive selection of Spanish cheeses. Or how about those oh so tasty, but so darn expensive gourmet potato chips.” I did however skimp on some things: sour cream, cream cheese and marshmallows. But, it just goes to say that sometimes we splurge a little too much, when we could be more thrifty.

Saying that though, there are just some things I will never cut corners on – and that’s my Christmas dinner!

We are hosting the McConnell family for the holidays next week and I’m so very excited! Last year I hosted Christmas for my family and it was so much fun and less stressful. You see we live 3 hours from both sides of our family and our families live about 2 ½ hours apart. So, this makes for very long holidays and gets very tiring going to and from. This year though will be a piece of cake since we only have to drive south for one Christmas.

I finally have the Christmas dinner menu planned out (and as you can tell – I’m not cutting any corners on this menu). In my opinion when it comes to food, especially Christmas dinner – you can only buy the best in ingredients for the ones you care the most about!

Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours!

McConnell Christmas Dinner Menu
Appetizers
Olives (Black, Spanish and Stuffed with Goat Cheese)
Spanish Cheeses, Burgers Smokehouse Sausage (local Missouri company) and Crackers
Spudmaster Potato Chips and a Dip
Rosemary Pinwheels

Dinner
Three Meat Dish (Chicken, Ham and Beef Roast)
Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole
Country Green Beans
Pecan Grape Salad
Croissant Rolls
Corn Casserole

Desserts
Southern Red Velvet Cake
Texas Pecan Pie
Very Cherry Pie
Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes
Smooth as Silk Chocolate Pie

Be looking for these recipes to come…

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

My fellow co-worker Sarah brought in these deliciousally little pumpkin cookies today at work, that kind look like ice cream cookies. Even though I started my diet today I had to try one, they looked too good to pass up.

I’m so glad I did because they were wonderful! I asked her for the recipe, which comes from the Martha Stewart website. I’m planning on making these for Thanksgiving dinner this year. I know they will be a hit for my niece and nephews.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling
Makes 12 whoopie pies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined.

Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.

Make the filling: Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)

Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.

First Lady’s Pie Contest

There’s a new cooking highlight at the Missouri State Fair this year - First Lady’s Pie Contest!

Entries can showcase their family’s favorite traditional dessert by entering the contest on Aug. 14, 2008 at the Home Economics Building on the Missouri State Fairgrounds in Sedalia and is open to all amateur bakers of all ages.

Perhaps you or someone you know might like to find out how a favorite homemade pie measures up against the competition of others across the Show-Me State at the inaugural First Lady’s Pie Contest at the 2008 Missouri State Fair.

For more information about the new contest:
Contest Rules
Entry Form
Photography Notification

Kid Style Peanut Butter Cookies

I love cooking with kids. They ask the funniest questions while cooking, things that us adults just don’t think about.

My favorite part though is that I know I’m teaching the beauty and joy of cooking to a young person.

My niece Sydnee called me the other night and told me she needed a recipe with peanuts in it, as she was learning about George Washington Carver in school – Carver was a peanut farmer. So, I thought about it for awhile and remembered a cookie recipe I had come across and was in my recipe box that I had never tried before. I emailed the recipe to my sister-in-law so she could get the ingredients.

I traveled down to my brother’s house the next night, to spend the night as his house…I was traveling on business all this week putting on farmers’ market workshops for my job. That night Syndee, my nephew Hunter and I baked up some of the yummiest cookies.

The best part of this recipe is that it is very kid friendly. Hope you enjoy these wonderful cookies as much as we did.

Take a look at Syd rolling up her cookies.

Kid Style Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe courtesy Family Circle Magazine

1 package (about 18 ounces) prepared sugar cookie dough

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.


Beat together cookie dough and peanut butter in large bowl until blended and smooth. Stir or knead in mini chips, peanut butter chips and peanuts until evenly distributed.

Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets. Then transfer to wire rack and cool.

Chocolate Lava Muffins

My good friend Danni passed along this recipe to me the other day. If you are looking for a chocolate rush here is the perfect recipe for your taste buds...

Chocolate Lava Muffins
From Dunn Bros Coffee

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick butter
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon Dunn Bros Coffee espresso blend beans ground to a powder
Butter to coat muffin tin

Preheat oven to 375degrees F.

Place a small metal bowl over a saucepan with simmering water or use your double boiler. Melt the chocolate and butter in the bowl. Stir in vanilla. In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, flour and salt. Sift these into the chocolate and mix well with electric hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat at high until batter is creamy and lightens in color. Approximately 4 minutes.

Chill mixture. Coat the top and each cup of the muffin tin with butter. Dust with the cocoa powder and shake out excess. Spoon mixture into pan using a 4-ounce scoop or ladle. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Outsides should be cake-like and center should be gooey. While muffins are in oven, melt the ice cream in a small saucepan. Stir in the Dunn Bros Coffee espresso powder. Serve over warm muffins.

If you are preparing these for an event you can complete the last step right before serving.

Rosemary Pinwheel Time

Tomorrow at work is a Holiday Snack Day…on the menu for tonight to make is two pumpkin pies, homemade whip cream and my one of my favorite snacks…Rosemary Pinwheels.

These pinwheels make a great snack to serve during the holidays and can be prepared ahead of time…then sliced and baked the day of.

Baked Parmesan Rosemary Pinwheels
1 can (8oz.) of crescent dinner rolls
1/2 cup regular cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons of fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Separate dough into rectangles and press all seams together. Place cream cheese, cheese and rosemary in bowl and mix well.

Spread mixture on each rectangle (about 2 tablespoons) and spread over entire dough, leaving 1/4 inch around edges. Roll up the dough and pinch the seam to seal.

* Your dough will be soft, so I've learned to place it in the freezer from about 20 minutes. Take out of freezer and then cut each roll crosswise into slices. Place on baking stone or cooking sheet.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

New England Cranberry Duff

When it comes to finding a new Thanksgiving recipe to try out there is one place I know I can turn to for a new idea….Martha Stewart’s website.

The holidays are when man of us bring out those old classic recipes (Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Turkey), but I always try out a new recipe each year. It could be a new stuffing recipe, a side dish or even a delicious dessert.

This year I choose a dessert recipe from Marths Stewart’s Thanksgiving section.

To make this Northeastern interpretation of an old-fashioned upside-down cake, cranberries and toasted pecans are topped with buttery batter, then baked and inverted. The cranberries soften in the oven but the pecans stay crunchy, lending a textural flourish.

New England Cranberry Duff
Serves 6

1/2 cup unsalted butter, (1 stick), softened
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/3 cup pecans, toasted, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and halfway up sides of an 8-inch square glass baking dish using 2 tablespoons butter. Spread cranberries evenly over bottom of dish. Sprinkle pecans on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup sugar; set aside.

Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat; set aside. Put egg and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually beat in flour, and then salt. Pour in melted butter in a slow, steady stream, beating until smooth.

Slowly pour batter into pan to cover cranberries. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge to loosen, and invert to unmold onto a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Another Apple Recipe

Who doesn't like a good homemade apple strudel...everyone!

Thanks to my friend Sarah for this great apple recipe...

APPLE STRUDEL
From the kitchen of Laverne Haller

3 pounds cooking apples
1 egg1 cup sugar
2 ½ cup flour1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt1 cup Crisco
2/3 cup milk½ stick oleo
1 cup crushed corn flakes
¾ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

Crust:
1 cup Crisco
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Mix flour, salt and Crisco with fork or pastry cutter until consistency is crumbly.
In a 2/3 measuring cup beat egg yolk (save egg white for later)

Add milk to make the cup full. Add egg and milk mixture to flour and Crisco mixture.

Stir only until it is mixed, do not over stir. Use half to make bottom

Then:
Crush corn flakes to make 1 cup. Pour over crust. Peel and slice apples about 3 pounds of cooking apples. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 cup sugar

Mix:
Pour apples mixture over corn flakes and crust. Pat with butter about 1/2 stick. Roll out remaining crust and put on top of apples. Beat egg white until foaming. Using a pastry brush, spread on top of crust. Sprinkle with sugar (about 2 tablespoons)

Bake at 350 for 1 hour maybe less depending on the apples

Icing:
In a cup, mix powdered sugar, vanilla and water to make a thin icing. Drizzle over hot strudel.