Memorial Day Sweets

Cowboy Cookies

You don't have to be a cowboy ~ or cowgirl, for that matter, to fall in love with these cookies!



Cowboy Cookies

2 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1-1/2 cups, any combination of chocolate, peanut butter, vanilla, etc. chips
(My favorite combination is chocolate, vanilla and butterscotch)

Beat the eggs, canola oil, vanilla and sugars. Mix in the salt, baking soda, baking powder and flour. Stir in Rice Krispies and assorted chips. Bake on parchment lined cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

I dare you to try to eat just one!

Four Berry Pie

This pie hits all the "berry bases". A great blend of blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries, with a sugar-sprinkled lattice top. Delicious!

Mummu's Hot Milk Sponge Cake

This cake has always been a family favorite. Mummu always served it in two layers, with grape jam in the middle and a sprinkling of confectioners sugar on top. Or plain, with a good cup of coffee.
I use it for strawberry shortcake, serve it with rhubarb sauce on top, or any other way I can. It's easy and versatile. And of course, delicious!

Almost Breakfast Cookies

These are one of my all-time favorite cookies. I call them "Almost Breakfast Cookies", because they are filled with nuts and fruits and you can almost justify eating them for breakfast! Brought some to the salon today for them all to enjoy.

Tres Leches ~ Oooooh!

Moist, sweet, delicious. This is one of my favorites!

Banana and Cinnamon Bread

•1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
•1 teaspoon Baking Soda
•1 teaspoon Cinnamon
•¼ teaspoons Salt
•3 whole Overripe Bananas Smashed
•⅓ cups Melted Unsalted Butter
•¾ cups Sugar
•1 whole Large Egg, Beaten
•1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
•¾ cups Cinnamon Chips
•_____
•FOR THE CINNAMON-SUGAR TOPPING:
•⅓ cups Sugar
•1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

Preparation Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 loaf pan with cooking spray. Dust it lightly with flour and set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Mix the bananas, butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Add in the flour mixture and carefully stir. Don’t over mix. Add in the cinnamon chips and gently stir.
4. In a small dish, mix together the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of cinnamon for the topping.
5. Add the batter to the loaf pan and smooth out with a spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping generously over the batter.
6. Bake bread for 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack.
7. Let bread cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Cool, slice, and enjoy.

Pineapple Cake

Delicious Cake ~ with a hint of lemon and pineapple, filled with layers of pineapple, iced with cream cheese and pineapple icing, coated with flaked coconut, and topped with more pineapple. Divine!

Prom LolliCakes

Someone ordered this bouquet for a pre-prom gathering at their home. Love how it came out!

Mmmmmmmm ~ Nisu

We were raised on Mummus delicious Nisu. I have memories of going to her house every day after school and drinking a glass of milk and many pieces of toasted, buttered nisu. There has not been a family event where her nisu is absent. I have tried for years to make it just like her, and to me, it's never the same. But I still practice, and have gotten to the point where at least I am happy with the outcome!
She is 91 years old now, and still making nisu many times a week. She is known for giving them to all of her family and friends, and even at her church, people always look for it. People can come back to town for a visit after many years of absence, and still look for her bread ~ and when she hears this, they are sure to receive a fresh loaf!

Fresh Rhubarb, Raspberry and Strawberry Tart

Trying to come up with rhubarb ideas. Decided to try a tart in a cast iron skillet, baked in the oven. I loved how it came out. Rustic yet lovely! And it was delicious.

Thanks for the Feature!

Thanks so much for the feature on your amazing blog, Tanya! I feel privileged to be in such great company!

The Rhubarb is Ready!

We have an abundant crop of rhubarb this spring. My husband picked some last night, so I've been searching for new recipes. Made this yummy crumb cake today. It has a strawberry and rhubarb layer. Very Yummy!







Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
•Filling:
•2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb (about 1/2-inch thickness)
•1 pint strawberries, cleaned, hulled, and sliced and lightly mashed
•1 tablespoon lemon juice
•2/3 cup sugar
•3 tablespoons cornstarch
•Cake
•1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1/4 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/4 teaspoons alt
•1 stick (4 ounces) butter, softened
•3/4 cup granulated sugar
•2 large eggs
•1/2 cup sour cream
•1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•Topping
•3/4 cup all-purpose flour
•1/2 cup granulated sugar
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•5 tablespoons melted butter
•1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
Preparation:
Grease and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
Combine the rhubarb, mashed strawberries, lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Combine the 2/3 cup sugar and cornstarch and add to the fruit mixture. Bring to a simmer, stirring. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Heat oven to 350°.

Combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 stick of butter with the 3/4 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and sour cream. Beat in vanilla. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth and blended. Spread in the prepared pan.

Spoon cooled filling mixture over the cake batter.

Combine the 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 5 tablespoons melted butter, and chopped pecans, if using. Mix well and sprinkle evenly over the filling layer.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the cake is firm and topping is lightly browned.

*I didn't put the pecans, because one of our kids has a nut allergy *

Pistachio and Chocolate Bundt Cake

This cake is so moist and delicious! Hard to stop at one piece!

Chocolate Bread

This bread was really yummy. Not over-chocolately, but just enough, and the applesauce makes it extremely moist! Worth a try:)

•FOR THE BREAD:
•2-½ cups Flour
•1 teaspoon Baking Soda
•1 teaspoon Baking Powder
•1 stick Butter, Softened
•⅔ cups Brown Sugar
•2 whole Eggs
•2 teaspoons Vanilla
•1 cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, Melted And Slightly Cooled
•1-½ cup Applesauce
•½ cups Semi-sweet Mini Chocolate Chips
•_____
•FOR THE GLAZE:
•½ cups Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (for Glaze)
•1 Tablespoon Butter (for Glaze)
•5 teaspoons Water (for Glaze)
•½ cups Powdered Sugar (for Glaze)
•¼ teaspoons Vanilla (for Glaze)
Preparation Instructions
Mix flour, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside.

In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter and brown sugar together until creamy and light in color.

Add eggs, one at a time, to creamed mixture, scraping frequently.

Add vanilla and melted chocolate and mix thoroughly, scraping the bowl frequently.

With the mixer going, add part of the applesauce, then part of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Keep alternating between the two until it’s all mixed in.

Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Divide between 6, greased mini-loaf pans or 2, greased 9×5 loaf pans. The batter will be very stiff.

Bake at 350 degrees: 30-35 minutes for the minis or 1 hour for the 9×5 pans. Check with a toothpick approximately 5 minutes before baking time is up. If they’re done, the toothpick will be clean.

Cool 10 minutes in pans then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

When the loaves are completely cool you may glaze with the following chocolate glaze:

Melt in microwave:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon butter
5 teaspoons water

Stir until smooth. If the chips are still chunky, keep microwaving for 10-second intervals and stirring after each interval, continuing until it’s totally melted and smooth.

Stir in:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Beat until smooth. It will be runny. If it isn’t thin enough to drizzle over the loaves, add a few drops of water until you get the consistency you like. Then drizzle away!

Rainy Days Bring Rainbows

Baby Shower ~ Monkeys!

Spring Has Sprung