AwesomeBites

Category: My Bakery

  • Cheese Scones

    2 c flour

    2 T sugar

    1 T baking powder

    1/4 tsp garlic salt

    1/4 tsp onion salt

    1/4 tsp salt

    1/4 tsp baking soda

    1 egg

    1/2 c sour cream

    5 T vegetable oil

    1/4 c milk

    2 c cheddar cheese

    Mix dry ingredients, mix wet including cheese. Combine and stir just until moist. Knead 7-8 times on floured surface.  Pat 1/2 dough into 1/2 inch thick on greased baking sheet.  Cut into 8 wedges. Repeat. You should have two rounds. Bake 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve with Chili or Butternut Squash Soup.

  • Brown Sugar-Walnut Streusel

    BROWN SUGAR-WALNUT STREUSEL
    Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours
    10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
    1/2 cup sugar
    2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
    2/3 cup all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 cup chopped walnuts
    Put all the ingredients except the nuts in a food processor and pulse just until the mixture forms clumps and curds and holds together when pressed.  Scrape the topping into a bowl, stir in the nuts and press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface.  Refrigerate until needed.  Covered well, the crumb mixture can stay in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
    This is a little more than you need for the 7-x-11-inch breakfast cake … or not: my husband always says that there’s no such thing as too much streusel.

  • Almond Struesel Scones

    Almond Streusel
    3 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
    2 tablespoons sugar
    2 tablespoons finely chopped almonds, toasted
    2 tablespoons firm butter or margarine
    Scones
    2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
    1/4 cup sugar
    2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup firm butter or margarine
    1/2 cup chopped almonds, toasted
    1 egg
    1/2 cup half-and-half
     
  • Heat oven to 400°F. In medium bowl, mix 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and the finely chopped almonds. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until crumbly. Set aside.
  • In large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup sugar, the baking powder and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until particles resemble fine crumbs. Stir in chopped almonds. Stir in egg and just enough half-and-half so dough leaves side of bowl and forms a ball.
  • Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; gently roll in flour to coat. Knead lightly 10 times. Pat or roll into 9-inch round on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with streusel; press lightly into dough. Cut into 8 wedges, but do not separate.
  • Bake about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet; carefully separate wedges. Serve warm.

  • Pear Crostata with Figs and Honey

    Pears.  Pears and cardamom.  Have you discovered this amazing taste mixture?   I make a Pear Cardamom Butter and it flies off the pantry shelf. Never any left after a week.  Dennis will eat it on his pork, pour some on his pancakes, I saw him use it as salad dressing the other day with balsalmic vinegar.  (I’ll have to create a new recipe around that.) 

    I recently saw this Pear Crostata in a Bon Appetit magazine.  It uses the same rustic crust as my Apple Pie.  I love the unfussy look of these pies.  I couldn’t resist making this! 

    Filling:

    1/4 Cup golden brown sugar

    1/4 Cup granulated sugar

    2 T cornstarch

    1 tsp ground Cardamom

    1/4 tsp Cloves

    1/4 tsp Salt

    2 1/4 pounds firm but ripe unpeeled Anjou Pears (About 4 Cups), cut into eighths

    10 dried by moist Calimyrna Figs, stemmed and quartered (About 4 ounces)

    Heavy Whipping Cream (For brushing crust)

    Raw Sugar

    2 T Honey, I got mine from this Honey for Sale online

    Preheat oven 400 degrees.

    Mix together sugars, spices, cornstarch and salt.  Mix in figs and pears.  Let stand while you make pie crust.

    Roll out pie crust on parchment to help you move the Crostata to the baking dish. Crust should be at least 14 inches diameter or make two smaller pies.  Move parchment with pie crust to rimless baking dish (cookie sheet or pizza pan), or large round baking dish.  Mound the pear fig filling mixture on top of the crust, leaving a 3 inch border around the edges.  Using parchment paper fold over the dough up over the pear filling, pleating the edges, pinching to seal any cracks that form. 

    Brush crust  edges with cream and sprinkle generously with raw sugar. 

    Bake Crostata for 50-60 minutes until pears are tender and juices are bubbling thickly, cover crust with foil to prevent over browning. 

    Remove Crustata from oven, and drizzle filling with honey over hot filling.  Run knife along the edges of the baking pan to loosen.  Allow to cool on parchment on baking pan for 1 hour. Transfer to platter. Serve warm or room temperature.

  • Heavenly Food – Jew Bread

    1 cup black walnuts

    1/2 cup sugar

    3 geggs

    1 tsp vanilla

    1 lb of dates finely cut

    5 T flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    1/2 tsp salt

    1/2 cup powdered sugar

    Add nuts and dates. Add baking powder and flour, then mix with date mixture. Add sugar, stir in egg yokds.  Fold in beaten whites and add vanilla. Bake in slow over abuot 25 minutes at 325 degrees.  Cut in squares, and wehn nearly cold, roll in powdered sugar. 

    Jacque Nickerson’s sister Florence is responsible for this recipe.

  • Key Lime Pie

    Ingredients

    How to make it

    • In a mixer bowl, add the juice with the condensed milk and whip until thick.
    • Fold in the whipped cream or Cool Whip.
    • Pour mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate for an hour.
    • Cut and serve!
    • For single servings, put one shortbread cookie in the bottom of a wine glass or serving cup and top with the key lime mixture and chill for one hour.
    • For a great cheesecake-type of Key Lime dessert, add one 8 ounce block of cream cheese to the condensed milk and juice and mix well, adding the whipping cream after the mixture is smooth. Taste for sweetness and add powdered sugar by the tablespoon to the mix if you like it sweeter while you mix it all together.

  • Creamy Chicken Soup with Saffron – Pot Pie

    The Driskill Hotel in Austin is where I first tasted this great pot pie.

    Ingredients

    1 1/2 whole chicken breasts, poached, skinned, boned, cut into julienne
    1/2 c. marsala
    3 egg yolks
    Salt, to taste
    6 c. chicken stock
    1/4 c. pine nuts, coarsely chopped
    1 tsp. saffron threads
    3/4 c. whipping cream

    Top Crust – Puff Pastry

    Preparation

    Combine chicken stock and pine nuts in medium saucepan. Heat to boiling, reduce, simmer 5 minutes. Add marsala and saffron. Simmer 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk egg yolks and cream into hot soup, whisking constantly.

    Fill individual baking dishes and cover with Puff Pastry.
    Bake for 45 minutes until brown. Serve immediately.

  • Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

    Hodgson Mill’s Recipe

    Ingredients

    ½ cup Hodgson Mill Steel Cut Oats
    2 ½ cups Hodgson Mill Naturally White Flour
    1 cup water
    1 ½ cups raisins
    ¾ cup butter
    1 ½ cups granulated sugar
    1 egg
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1 tsp. baking soda
    1 tsp. salt
    1 tsp. cinnamon
    ¼ tsp. nutmeg
    ¼ tsp. ground cloves
    ¾ cup chopped nuts

    Preparation

    In a small saucepan, bring oats and water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stir for 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and fold in raisins. Allow mixture to cool. Preheat oven to 375 ° F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla beating until smooth. In a separate bowl, blend dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients mixing well. Fold in softened oats, raisins and nuts. Using a large spoon, drop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet evenly spacing to allow for spreading. Bake in a 375 ° F oven for 10-12 min. or until golden brown. Remove cookies from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.

    Yields: 48 cookies.

    Recipe Nutrient Analysis: 1/48 of recipe

    100 calories; .77g dietary fiber; 16 g carbohydrates; 2g protein; 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat); 10mg cholesterol; 96mg sodium.

  • Salt Crusted Rye Bread

    Definitely one of my favorite breads. Skip lots of steps by making in a breadmaker and let it do its initial rise in the machine.
    Then shape, let rise and finish up.
    Servings: 2 Loaves

    Salt Crusted Currant Pecan Rye Bread
    1 T Dry yeast
    1 T Sugid
    7 1/2 T Caraway seeds
    1 T Salt
    2 1/2 c Rye flour
    3 c Bread flour plus additional for working dough
    2 c Warm water
    1 c Coarsely chopped pecans
    1 c Dried black currants or raisins
    1/4 c Kosher salt

    In the 5-quart bowl of an electric
    mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, 1 1/2 tablespoons
    of the caraway seeds, the salt and both the rye and bread flours. Mix until
    thoroughly combined. With the mixer running, slowly add the warm water and
    mix until the dough forms a ball and leaves the sides of the bowl. This
    will take about 2 minutes. Add the pecans and currants or raisins and mix
    for 2 minutes more. Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Wipe out the
    mixing bowl and spray with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray. Return the
    dough to the bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and place in a warm (about
    85 degrees) spot for about 1 hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
    Punch the dough down to release the trapped gases. Form into 3 loaves
    approximately 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Brush with cold water and
    sprinkle generously with kosher salt and the remaining 6 tablespoons
    caraway seeds. Place the loaves on a lightly greased baking sheet and let
    sit in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to
    350 degrees.

    Bake for 30 minutes, turning the pan every 10 minutes or so to ensure even
    browning. Cool on a wire rack. (Makes 3 loaves, about 15 servings).

    Note: The perfect accompaniment to cheese or smoked salmon. This is one of
    the recipes that made the Inn at Little Washington so famous. They’re
    all contained in Patrick O’Connell’s new book, “The Inn at Little
    Washington Cookbook”

  • Everything Cookies! My favorites.

    Everything Cookies! My favorites.


    I revamped the recipe found on the back of Nestle’s Chocolate Chips, Oat Chocolate Chip, incorporating everything but the kitchen sink. And if you’re craving a hassle-free indulgence, you can also order these gourmet chocolate chip cookies delivery.
    Servings: 8 dozen
    Ingredients
    3.5 Cups of Flour
    2 tsp baking soda
    4 tsp salt
    2.5 cups Brown Sugar
    2 sticks of butter (16 T)
    1 stick of crisco (16 T)
    1 cup granulated sugar
    4 eggs
    4 T milk
    4 tsp vanilla
    2.5 C of rolled oats
    2.5 C of oatmeal – fancy

    3/4 C M&Ms

    3/4 C chocolate chips
    3/4 C raisins
    1 C pecans or walnuts chopped
    1 C macadamian nuts

    Cream butter and sugar, add other wet ingredients.
    Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl.
    Lastly add the oats, the raisin, chips, nuts.
    Drop by small dipper onto cookie sheets. bake 10-12 minutes at 375.