Maple Oatmeal Scones

I love these on a snowy day (like today) with hot tea.


2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/3 cup currants (optional)1/3 cup raisins(I personally use cranberries)
1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Combine dry ingredients (except nuts, raisins, and currants) in mixer bowl and mix thoroughly. Cut in butter until walnut sized chunks remain.
Add buttermilk, maple syrup and egg and mix briefly until dough comes together.
Add pecans, currants and raisins and mix a few seconds more.
Turn out dough onto lightly floured board and pat into a circle 3/4 inch thick.
Cut into wedge pie-shaped pieces.

Bake on pre-greased cookie sheet at 375°F degrees until light golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove from sheet, glaze with confectioner's icing (flavored with orange juice is nice) if desired or sprinkle with dots of butter and cinnamon sugar.

NOTE: if you have no buttermilk, you can substitute yogurt or sour cream one to one, or 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar.

Soy Chorizo Chili

Batten down the hatches.
I have "invented" a new recipe with SOY. No meat here, kids. Nope. You can always throw in something from a cloven hoof if you feel the need, but I don't think it's necessary here.

29oz can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 package of Soyrizo (look for it in the produce section with the tofu, egg roll wrappers, etc.)

1 cup salsa - I used Newman's own.

1 cup Sofrito (made by Goya - a mixture of tomatoes, onions, green peppers, garlic, and cilantro)

1. Remove the Soyrizo from the plastic casing and saute until heated through, browned, and slightly crispy.

2. Add the Sofrito and salsa and mix thoroughly.

3. Add the humongous amount of beans.

4. Allow to heat through completely.

Serve over rice or in warmed flour tortillas with shredded sharp cheddar or monterey jack, low-fat sour cream, and fresh cilantro. I know there are some of you out there who can't stomach the "soapy" taste you get when eating cilantro. If that's you, chop up some fresh parsley. Nothing says loving like fresh herbs.

I ate this in the tortilla and folded it up burrito style.

I fed this to my husband who states that a meal is not a meal unless there is something that's come from a cloven hoof. He had NO IDEA the chorizo was actually soy and will NEVER find out!

Cherry Upside Down Cake

CHERRY UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Serves 6-8
2 cups cherries (stoned)

2/3 cup soft brown sugar

6 TBSP butter

3 large eggs lightly beaten together

1 1/2 cup self-rising flour

½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Butter and flour a cake tin, and line the base with baking parchment.Arrange the cherries over the bottom of the tin, and sprinkle 1/2 cup of the sugar over them. Beat the butter and remaining sugar together until pale and fluffy then add some of the egg, beating it in well before adding some of the flour and more egg and continue beating. Add the remaining flour and egg alternately beating each addition in well before adding the next; add the vanilla essence with the last addition of egg.Pour the cake mixture over the cherries and sugar, and smooth it level with a spatula if necessary.Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden and just beginning to come away from the sides of the tin. It may not need quite as long if it is in a fan oven.Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.Place a large serving plate over the tin, and carefully invert it.
Serve warm or at room temperature with crème fraiche or with whipped cream.

Ice Cream in a Ziploc Bag

I stole this from mrsb that comments on my blog..I think this is something you could make with Robert, Amy...What do you think?...
Ice Cream In A Bag(that's right, we're going to make ice cream in a sandwich baggy!)
INGREDIENTS, PER CHILD
1 gallon ziploc bag1 quart ziploc bag (heavy duty bags)
4 cups ice
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP sugar
METRIC MEASUREMENTS
1 liter ice
600 ml salt
250 ml whole milk
5 ml vanilla extract
30 ml sugar
HOW TO:Pour the milk, vanilla and sugar into the small bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag carefully. Place the small bag into the large bag. Cover with ice and salt. Seal the bag tightly.Shake and squeeze the bag for 10 minutes. If the bag gets really cold on your hands, you can wrap it in a small towel. DO NOT open the bags to check it! If the seal is broken and then closed again, your ice cream will not set correctly, and will likely taste salty.After 10 minutes, open the bags carefully and scoop the ice cream into a bowl!
If you'd rather make chocolate, you can add 1 TBSP chocolate syrup and omit 1/2 the sugar and the vanilla syrup.

S'MORE COOKIE BARS

This really does look good, and I'm going to make these for the holidays...yes, I stole it from Stumble Upon..snort*


S'more Cookie Bars
Better than being around a campfire!Now don't get me wrong, I think making s'mores around the campfire can be a ton of fun, but why go through the hassle of planning a camping trip or finding firewood if you can bake up a batch of these beauties without all the trouble. I saw this recipe on Baking Bites and could not wait to make them. I followed her recipe with the exception of using dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate and they were amazing! I brought these into work on a Sunday when there were only 7 of us there (I am an auditor so I often work weekends) and by Monday morning there was only one left. These are definitely going to be a "go-to" dessert going forward.

S'more Cookie Bars
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 super-sized (5 oz.) dark chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Two 5 oz. Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.

Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This is most easily done by putting the second half of the dough in a gallon size freezer bag. Use your palms to flatten it out, and then use scissors to cut down both long sides of the bag, so it will open up book-style. Open it up carefully, and the dough will stick on one side of the bag. Then place the bag, dough side down, on the other three layers. From there peel the bag up ad spread the dough where it is uneven.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars
Makes 16 cookie bars.

HOME MADE POP TARTS

another stumble upon theivery...

Start with the pie crust recipe you're most comfortable with. If you haven't got one, you can check out Pie Crust 101 over at Deb's Smitten Kitchen, or Shuna's very thorough post on pies, or even Ms.Martha herself.

Break off a piece about 75g by weight. Flour the pastry board or your countertop well.

Roll the dough into 8'x6' rectangle, working gently and slowly so you get a good rectangular shape.

Brush off excess flour. It's generally a good idea from this point on to place the dough sheet onto a piece of parchment paper so it can be moved pretty easily.

Pick your favorite jam from your cupboard and spread it generously on to one side of the dough, leaving about an inch margin on three sides. I like to use jams that are a little bit on the thicker side, as they tend to be more intense and can easily be pressed in between two sheets of dough.

Fold the dough in half, making sure they match the other edge perfectly. Press down along the edges to seal the dough pocket. If your dough had trouble sticking together, try dipping your fingertip into a bit of water and wipe it along the inside of the seam, then press the dough down again to seal.

Take a fork and use the tines to press the dough together, creating a nice pattern around all the edges but the folding seam.

Trim off the excess, uneven dough edges. I use a pastry scraper, but you can easily use a kitchen knife.

Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle raw sugar over the top. Cut a few vents along the top of the pop-tarts.

Et voila! Bake in preheated 400F (about 200C) oven for 18-20 minutes, depending on the amount of sugar in the crust and many other factors. I'd recommend checking at the 15-min mark and continue to keep your eye on them, and take them out of the oven as soon as they are nicely golden brown and not too brown on the crimped edges.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

I saw this recipe and started to cry...I know I can't eat it..not even a tiny slice..I'd slip right into a coma..but someone make this sucker and tell then tell me how good it is...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Makes an 8-inch triple-layer cake; serves 12 to 16 (the book says, I say a heck of a lot more)

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped peanut brittle (I skipped this)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch round cakepans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (Deb note: These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They’ll defrost quickly once assembled. You’ll be glad you did this, trust me.)

4. To frost the cake, place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup cup of the Peanut Butter Frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

5. To decorate with the Chocolate–Peanut Butter Glaze, put the cake plate on a large baking sheet to catch any drips. Simply pour the glaze over the top of the cake, and using an offset spatula, spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes to allow the glaze and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving. Decorate the top with chopped peanut brittle.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Makes about 5 cups

10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

1. In the top of d double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm