I know it has been almost a week since an update but with the holidays I have not been cooking much since Thanksgiving day. I will post those recipes later but without pictures since I forgot. :)
For now you can enjoy these lovely pictures of the snow falling in the Seattle area.
My dog Wylie in his first snow. First he tried to lick it then eat it then would not pee on it.
The view off my balcony.
Now that the batteries are charged for the camera I can take a picture of these cookies. Hubby had been asking for some oatmeal raisin cookies for awhile. I have never made them before but did have a good oatmeal cookie recipe that he liked. I went to work and used my oatmeal cookie recipe with a few added ingredients. These cookies did turn out flatter then my normal oatmeal cookie recipe. I really enjoyed these and hopefully hubby will too.
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups flour
2 cups Old Fashion Oats
1 cup Raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream shortening and gradually add the sugars. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. In a small bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients.
4. Stir in oats and raisins.
5. Form into small balls and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
As you can tell Hobbit Stew has gone through another makeover. I get a little bored with the same old design so I try to change it after so many months. This month I went with a snowflake theme after a morning walk and see the snowcap mountains. I have also been playing in Photoshop and learning how to use it and thought this would be a good reason to learn more.
I was going to post a recipe for the cookies I made today but just as I was set to take a picture I noticed the camera batteries were dead. They are now charging and I hope later today to post a recipe.
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 bananas
4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Slowly add eggs, milk.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt into a small bowl. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture.
4. Add bananas, lemon juice and pecans if you want.
5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
6. Makes about 2 to 3 loafs.
I am in the process of typing up all the recipes I have collected from many sites and from friends. While looking through my folder I found this recipe given to me by my husband’s brother. I did not want to type up the recipe until I had tried it. I can not remember if he had made it for us one day and I forgot what it tasted like or what so I wanted to make sure I liked it. It also gave me a reason to test out my new mixer.
The recipe calls for a yellow cake mix and I did not have one so I went searching online and found a good one I was willing to try. This recipe also had different varieties from just making a yellow cake so I think I will try those sometime too.
Cake Mix recipe was found here:
Cake Mix
Cake:
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups white sugar
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat oven at 300 degrees.
2. Add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar into the mixer. Cut in shortening until fine crumbs are formed.
3. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat at low speed for 1 minute then high for 2 minutes.
4. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 pan.
Topping:
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1. Add butter, eggs, powdered sugar and cream cheese to mixer. Beat until well combined.
2. Pour on top of cake.
3. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until cake is golden brown on top.
Here is my first attempt at making an apple pie totally from scratch. I had trouble with the pie crust and it took at least 3 times to one to actually work somewhat. I would post the pie crust recipe but I just did not like the way it turned our so I will keep working on that but for now here is my apple pie recipe.
Filling:
5 Granny Smith Apples
½ cup butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
9 inch pie crust
1. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
2. Add white sugar, brown sugar, water, nutmeg and cinnamon and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce temperature and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Peel and slice apples and fill pie pan to the top.
5. Pour sugar mixture over apples.
Topping:
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup flour
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup chilled butter
1. Add flour, sugar and nutmeg into a food processor.
2. Slowly add butter and pulse each time the butter is added.
3. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Sprinkle over pie
5. Bake pie for 30 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown.
My husband been taunting me all week that my birthday present would arrive this week. He told me on Tuesday that he ordered it last week from Amazon. It took all my will power not to go look to see what he got me. I kept asking for hints but of course that did not work either. This morning I hear a knock on the door and the UPS man had my present. I had not plan on opening it until my birthday which is not until November 19 but it did not come wrapped so as soon as I opened the door I knew what it was. My husband could not have picked a better gift for me. I just love him and now to go figure out what to make in my new Kitchen Aid Mixer. :)
What to do with leftover Halloween candy? That is the question I asked myself after I came home with a few bags of candy from the store. It is hard to pass up candy when it’s on sale after Halloween. Of the candy I picked up the only candy I could use would be the Hershey Carmel Kisses. I had already made the Christmas Surprise cookies with the regular Hershey kisses so I wanted something else. I had remembered seeing a recipe in my mom’s recipe box called Peanut Blossoms. I went digging through and found it and though this would be a perfect fit to use up this candy.
1 ¾ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup shortening
½ cup peanut butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag Hershey Kisses (I used Carmel Kisses)
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cream sugar, brown sugar and shortening.
3. Add peanut butter, egg, milk and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Gradually add flour, baking soda and salt.
5. Roll dough into small balls then roll in sugar.
6. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Once out of the oven place a Hershey kiss on top of each cookie.
