Baking and Blogging

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shortbread



3/4 C butter, softened

1/3 C creamy peanut butter

2/3 C sugar

1 t vanilla

2 C flour

2/3 C mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine butter, peanut butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.  Reduce speed to low and add flour.  Beat just until mixture forms a dough.  Stir in 2/3 C mini chocolate chips.  Pat dough evenly into lightly greesed 15x10 jelly roll pan.  (I put a sheet of wax paper over the top and roll out with my pizza dough roller).  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned.  Immediately cut shortbread into columns and rows.  Cool completely, THEN remove from pan. 

Drizzle:  2/3 C semi -sweet chocolate chips & 2 t shortening

Combine drizzle ingredients and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time until melted and smooth.  Drizzle over shortbread.  Let set.  Enjoy!!

Not too late for Christmas Goodies, RIGHT?

White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread

1 C butter, softened

1/2 C sugar

1 t vanilla

2 1/3 C flour

1 C dried cranberries, chopped

3/4 white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed.  Reduce speed and add flour, beat until mixture resembles course crumbs.  Stir in cranberries and chips.  Press mixture firmly into 2 ungreased 9 inch round baking pans.  Bake for 22 to 26 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.  Cool 15 minutes.  Immediately cut each pan into 16 wedges.  Cool completely.  Carefully remove from pans. 

Drizzle:  1/2 C white baking chips & 2 t shortening

Melt remaining chips and shortening in 30 second increments in the microwave, stirring til smooth.  Drizzle over cooled wedges.  Let stand until set. Yum!



Sweet and Sour Supper

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2 lbs ground pork
1 sleeve soda crackers, crushed to crumbs
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Mix the above ingredients.  Form into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Brown in large skillet.  Drain.  Return meatballs to skillet.  Set aside.  Mix sauce below.

1 C ketchup
2 T vinegar
4 T brown sugar
2 t soy sauce
1 can pineapple chunks (NOT DRAINED)

Mix above sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Pour over meatballs and simmer for 20-30 minutes. 

For even more sauce, add 1 can tomato soup.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy! 

BAKING Part Two

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 C margarine, softened
1/2 C peanut butter
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C brown sugar, packed
1/2 t baking soda
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 C all purpose flour
1 C oats
1 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, beat margarine and peanut butter on medium speed until combined.  Add sugar, brown sugar and soda.  Beat until combined, about 3 minutes.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Add flour and oats.  Mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drob by teaspoons on ungreased baking sheet. (to help them flatten, I press with fork)  Bake 10-11 minutes til edges are golden.  Let stand on sheet for 1 minute, move to wire rack to cool. 

I usually double this recipe which yields 5 to 6 dozen cookies! 

My Helper

Rainy Day Off = BAKING!

Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

(I credit this recipe to my nephew Reid in Minnesota... he has perfected it!  Thanks Reid!)

3 C Flour
2 1/4 C Sugar
1 1/8 C Oil
1 1/2 C Milk
3 Eggs
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t poppy seed
1 1/2 t almond flavoring
1 1/2 t butter flavoring
1 1/2 t vanilla flavoring
(I also add 1 t lemon flavor to boost up the flavor, but you can leave it out too!)

Mix the above ingredients for 2 minutes.  Pour into 3 greased and floured bread pans.  Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees.  After baking, prick the top of the bread with fork.  Mix together the following ingredients in a small bowl:

1/4 C Orange juice
3/4 C Sugar
1/2 t almond flavoring
1/2 t butter flavoring
1/2 t vanilla flavoring

Pour over warm loaves of bread.  Cool on wire racks.  ENJOY!

Freezing Sweet Corn



Want the yummy taste of sweet corn all year round?

 Easy Recipe for Freezing Sweet Corn

16 C sweet corn, cut off the cob
1/2 C butter (1 stick)
1 C sugar
1 C water
1 T salt

Each year we freeze dozens of bags of sweet corn.  I think we've perfected the recipe and how to freeze it! 

First, cut the corn off the cob before cooking.  Our tips?  Spread out a large towel over your work area.  This prevents the corn that does miss the bowl from bouncing off the table and onto the floor.  You'll need a large bowl (we use a 32 c tupperware).  Then, put a tall GLASS glass upside down in the middle of the bowl.  Trust me here, we've tried all kinds, the glass glass works best.  Then, with your sharpest knife (my husband uses his filet knife and sharpens it every 2 or 3 dozen ears that he cuts), place an end of the cob on the cup and slice the kernels off.  They should fall right into your bowl. 

Put all of your ingredients in a large pot, I put everything but the corn in first, let the butter melt and get everything boiling, then I add the corn.  Put a lid on your pot and bring the mixture back to a boil.  Total cooking time is around 15 minutes, boiling for about 7 to 8 minutes of that time. 

Once your corn is cooked, I transfer the mixture from the stock pot to another large tupperware bowl.  To help this mixture stop cooking and cool quickly, I put the bowl in the sink filled with ice water.  Once the corn is warm, we scoop out 1 1/2 to 2 cups of corn and pour it into quart freezer bags.   Leave these bags open until corn is cooled completely.

 Lay bags flat to remove air and seal.  Place bags flat in the freezer to freeze. 

They are much easier to handle if you freeze them flat!  Now you'll enjoy sweet corn all year round!