Sunday, September 28, 2008

Slapin' Grandma Goodness


While I'm posting recipes, I may as well share this one that I just put together. With the economy in the shape it's in, I figure I better be teaching my kids to love the "old" recipes so that they can be resourceful in years to come, and have quality of life in the midst of hard times. I want them to have the ability to pull together a smashing dinner with very little on hand.
Bread Pudding:
2 cu. milk
1/4 cu. butter
2/3 cu sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cu. bread (I used 1 loaf of Italian bread cut up into 1" cubes)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat milk until film forms on top. Add butter. Stir until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm. Mix sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla well. Put bread in casserole dish. Slowly add the milk mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well. Pour over the bread. Bake 45-50 min. Let sit for 10 min. Pour Whiskey Sauce or whipped cream over top and serve.
Whiskey Sauce:
1 1/2 cu. Heavy cream
2 tsp corn starch
2 tbsp. cold water
1/3 cu. sugar
1/3 cu Bourbon (I used Honey Whiskey. Mmmm!!)
Slowly add water to corn starch while stirring until well blended. Set aside. Have sugar measured and handy. Have whiskey handy. Bring cream to boil. Add corn starch mix to cream and whisk constantly. Return to boil. Reduce heat, whisk, and cook for 30 sec. DON'T BURN!!!
Remove from heat. Add sugar and whiskey. Stir until sugar melts. Let cool.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Here are 2 of my favorite Fall recipes.

Enjoy!!!

Layered Pumpkin Bread


Missy posted this recipe last year. I've altered it a bit.
Bread:
1 1/2 cu. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cu. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cu. pumpkin
1/2 cu. canola oil
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cu water
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
nuts (optional)
Filling:
1 pkg. cream cheese
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg white
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking soda. Mix the pumpkin, oil, eggs, water, and spices together, then combine with the dry ingredients, but do not mix too thoroughly. Stir in the nuts (if you're using them). Beat filling in a separate bowl until well blended. Grease loaf pan well or 4 mini-loaves. Pour half of the batter into pan. Spoon half of the filling mixture evenly over the center of the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.
Bake 50-60 min. Until straw comes out clean. Turn out of pan. Cool on rack. Serve warm or cold!

Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip




Cookies:
1 1/2 cu. butter, softened
2 cu. sugar
1/2 cu. molasses
4 cu. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon (or more, if you like)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. salt
additional sugar

Dip:
1 8oz. block cream cheese softened
1 can pumpkin or pumpkin pie mix (18 oz)
2 cu. confectioners sugar
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Instructions:
Cookies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add molasses. Mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Chill (at least 3 hrs.) Shape into 1/2 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Press. Place 2" apart on cookie sheet. I lightly sprayed mine. Bake 6 min. Yield: about 20 doz. *you can store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Dip: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin. Beat well. Add sugar, cinnamon, and ginger. Beat until smooth. Serve with cookies. Yield: 3 cu. * Store in the refrigerator.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

I never notice how loud we are around here until it is time to turn on the attic fan, and open the windows.