British-Style Currant Scones (without the currants)

Unlike American versions these scones are not overly sweet. They are a perfect vehicle for getting delicious clotted cream and jam or curd into your mouth. Leaving out the currants make them suitable for whatever flavor toppings you prefer. In my case it was lime curd.

Recipe Summary
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings:10-12
Source: Cook's Illustrated March/April 2014

Ingredients

All purpose flour, 3 cups
Sugar, granulated, 1/3 cup
Baking powder, 2 Tbs

Salt, 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter, 8 Tbs, softened, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Milk, whole, 1 cup
Eggs, 2 large

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 500 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or grease with oil spray.
2. Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 pulses.
3. Add butter and pulse until fully incorporated and mixture looks like very fine crumbs with no visible butter, about 20 pulses. Transfer mixture to large bowl.
4. Whisk milk and eggs together in second bowl. Set aside 2 Tbs milk mixture. Add remaining milk mixture to flour mixture and, using rubber spatula, fold together until almost no dry bits of flour remain.
5. Transfer dough to well-floured surface and gather into ball. With floured hands, knead until surface is smooth and free of cracks, 25 to 30 times. Press gently to form disk. Using floured rolling pin, roll disk into 9-inch round, about 1 inch thick. Using floured round cutter, stamp out 8 rounds, re-coating cutter with flour if it begins to stick. Arrange scones on prepared sheet.
6. Gather dough scraps, form into ball, and knead gently until surface is smooth. Roll dough to 1-inch thickness and stamp out 4 rounds. Discard remaining dough.
7. Brush tops of scones with resserved milk mixture. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees and bake scones until risen and golden brown, 10-12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. 
8. Transfer scones to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.Serve scones warm or at room temperature.

Notes

1.  I used two knives instead of a food processor. A pastry blender may also be used.
2. Reduced fat milk may be used instead of whole milk.
3. I used an ornament Christmas cookie cutter instead of a biscuit cutter.
4. The scones are best served fresh but can be frozen and reheated in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes.

English Matrimonials

These are my favorite non-chocolate tea biscuit.

Recipe Summary
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings:24
Source: Momma de Kitty

Ingredients

Flour, 1 1/4 cup
Dark brown sugar, 1 cup packed
Rolled oats, 1 1/4 cup

Salt, 1/2 tsp
Butter, 3/4 cup
Raspberry jam, 3/4 cup

Directions

1. Mix flour, sugar, oats, salt, and butter together until the consistency of crumbs.
2. Place half in square pan. Press until firm.
3.  Cover with jam. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Press lightly.
4. Bake 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Cut into squares when cool.

Notes

1.  I prefer Smucker's red raspberry seedless jam. The tartness gives a good contrast.

Low-fat Cinnamon Rolls

I don't skimp when it comes to sweets. So believe me when I say these rolls give no hint of being low-fat. They are time consuming to make but nothing goes better with your coffee/tea on a cold winter morning than one of these fresh out of the oven. They get stale in three days so to maintain your waistline I recommend sharing. I guarantee you'll gain instant popularity and a charisma bonus.

Recipe Summary
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 12
Source: Cook's Country, Feb/March 2006

Ingredients

Dough
Skim milk, warm, 1 1/3 cup
Maple syrup, 3 Tbs
Butter, unsalted, melted, 2 Tbs
Yeast, rapid rise or instant, 1 package
Flour, all-purpose, 3 1/2 cups, plus extra for work surface
Salt, 1 tsp
Filling
Dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup packed
Granulated sugar, 1/4 cup
Cinnamon, 2 tsp
Salt, 1/8 tsp
Unsalted butter, 1 Tbs, melted
Icing
Confectioners' sugar, 1 cup
Light cream cheese, 4 Tbs
Skim milk, 1 Tbs
Vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp

Directions

Dough

1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off.
2. Lightly grease large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Coat 13 by 9-inch with cooking spray.
3. Mix milk, syrup, and melted butter together in large measuring cup.
4. Mix flour, yeast, and salt together in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook (if you don't have a mixer see number 1 in Notes).
5. Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 4 to 6 minutes.
6. Dough will be sticky; if it seems too wet and is not forming a ball, add up to 1/4 more flour as needed and knead dough two minutes more.
7. Turn dough onto heavily floured surface, shape into ball, and place in greased bowl. Cover and rest in warm oven for 10 mins.

Filling

1.  While dough is resting mix sugars, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter in medium bowl until incorporated.

To make rolls

1. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 18 by 12-inch rectangle with long side facing you. 
2. Sprinkle sugar mixture over dough, leaving 1/2 inch border along top edge and then lightly press sugar into dough.
3. Starting at edge nearest you, roll up dough. Brush border with water, then press dough to seal.
4. Using chef's knife, slice dough. Cut the cylinder in half, then half again (making 4 pieces). Cut each piece into three pieces, yielding 12 rolls.
5. Place in prepared pan with cut side up. Cover pan with plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and return to warm oven until rolls have nearly doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees (rolls will continue to rise on counter as you wait for oven to heat). Remove plastic wrap and bake until rolls are deep brown and filling is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate pan front to back halfway through baking.

Icing

1. While rolls are baking, whisk confectioners sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla together in small bowl until smooth.
2. Remove pan from oven, turn rolls out onto rack, and flip them right side up. Cool 10 minutes, then spread icing over rolls. Serve hot or warm.

Notes

1.  If you don't have a mixer mix flour, yeast, and salt together in a large bowl. Make well in flour, then add milk mixture to well. Stir until dough becomes shaggy and difficult to stir. Turn dough out onto heavily floured surface and knead until dough forms cohesive ball and is smooth, about 10 minutes. Proceed as directed.
2. I have found the rolls to be lacking sufficient filling. Therefore, I recommend multiplying the filling by 1 1/2  or 2 times especially if your rectangle (like mine) always ends up bigger than the recommended 18 by 12-inch.
3. I use Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzies. It gives a bit more spice and in my opinion adds to the mixture.
4. Set out the cream cheese from the start so it has time to come to room temperature. Unlike butter it doesn't do so well heated in the microwave.
5. It is best to read this recipe through a couple times before you start. Every time I make these I screw something up. They still end up tasty but aren't to perfection.

Coconut Bread Pudding

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 50 mins
Servings: 10
Source: Southern Living

Ingredients

Cream Cheese, 8 oz
Sugar, 1 cup
Egg, 4 large
Milk, 2 cups
Cream of coconut, 1 cup
Butter, 6 Tbs, melted and divided
French bread, 8 oz, cut into 1 inch cubes
Vegetable cooking spray
Sweetened Flake Coconut, 1/2 cup
Pecans, 1/2 cup, chopped

Directions

1. Beat cream cheese at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Add 1 cup sugar and eggs and beat at medium speed, 2 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved. Stir in 2 cups milk, 1 cup cream of coconut, and 3 Tbs melted butter. Stir in bread cubes. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Coat a 13 X 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour bread mixture into dish.
3. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until set.
4. Stir together flaked coconut, pecans, and 3 Tbs melted butter. Sprinkle coconut mixture over baked pudding and bake 5 to 8 minutes more or until browned.

Notes

1. The original recipe calls for a carmelized sugar sauce. It is time consuming and doesn't add much to the dessert so I omitted it.

Gingerbread Men Cookies

Nothing says it's the holiday season like making and decorating roll-out cookies. Because of the refrigeration time, these cookies are not fast. But what they lack in speediness they gain in flavor. Originating from the spice giant McCormick these cookies pack a ginger punch like none other I have tried. These cookies also make a great addition to the family gingerbread house decorating because they are edible. We like to decorate with almond flavored buttercream icing.

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 5 hours
Servings: 2 dozen
Source: McCormick

Ingredients

Flour, 3 cups
Ginger, ground, 2 tsp
Cinnamon, ground, 1 tsp
Baking soda, 1 tsp
Nutmeg, ground, 1/4 tsp
Salt, 1/4 tsp
Butter, 3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks)
Brown sugar, firmly packed, 3/4 cup
Molasses, 1/2 cup
Egg, 1
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp

Directions

1. In a large bowl mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. set aside.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed.
5. Press dough into a thick flat disc. Cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
6. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just beginning to brown.
8. Cool on baking sheets one to two minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
9. Decorate as desired once cool.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge

LSO and I are trying out a new variation of our fudge. It was requested several years ago and I have finally mustered the confidence to make an attempt. I am envisioning a peanut butter swirl through the fudge, chocolate with just a hint of peanut butter.

These are just a few of the links I found doing my research. Some suggested real peanut butter and some called for peanut butter chips. Between the three of them I am hopeful we can come up with a good result.

Cooks.com
Food Network
All Recipes.com

Seven Layer Cookies

My Aunt brought these cookies to my dorm at UD. It was the perfect thing to keep me jolly through finals week. They still remain an easy and cheap ($10) holiday gift.

Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 1 hour
Servings: A Crowd
Source: Kitty’s Aunt

Ingredients

Butter, 1 stick
Semi-sweet chocolate chips, 6 oz (1 cup)
Butterscotch chips, 6 oz (1 cup)
Sweetened Condensed Milk, 1 can (14 oz)
Graham cracker, 1 cup crushed
Pecans, ½ cup, chopped
Coconut, 1 cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt butter and place in 12 X 9 inch pan.
3. Spread graham crackers crumbs on butter.
4. Follow with coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch in that order.
5. Drizzle condensed milk over the mixture taking care to fully coat the pan.
6. Sprinkle pecans over the top. Do not mix.
7. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. Once cool cut into squares.

Caramel Apples

Making caramel apples has become a family tradition. Every year in November we get together with a friend and her three girls. The girls enjoy crushing all the toppings while the caramel is melting. LSO chips in to put the sticks in the apples. It has taken a couple years to perfect our method but I think this year we finally go it right. Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours.

Recipe Summary
Time: 15 mins
Servings: About 12 small apples
Source: Kitty

Ingredients
Kraft traditional Caramels, 2 14 oz package
Water, 3 Tbs divided

Optional Toppings
melted chocolate
mini marshmallows
toasted coconut
sprinkles
mini M&Ms
chopped salted peanuts
dried cranberries
crushed oreos
crushed pretzels
15 crushed shortbread cookies and 1 tsp cinnamon
crushed Heath bar
red hots

Directions

1. Prepare a greased cookie sheet and several greased pieces of wax paper. Place greased wax paper on paper plates.
2. Crush toppings in a ziploc bag with meat tenderizer or hammer. Pour into soup bowls.
3. Melt caramels and half of water in a small saucepan over low heat; stirring frequently
4. Add additional water to caramel if needed. Consistency of caramel should be thick
5. Roll apple in hot caramel spooning melted caramel over apple.
6. Immediately roll caramel apple in toppings off your choice
7. Place apples on plate with wax paper. Consume immediately
8. Store remaining apples on cookie sheet and refrigerate

Notes

1. Have toppings and greased items prepared before caramel is finished melting. Keep the caramel on low
2. Use small apples. Cut small slice near stem for wooden stick. Big or wide craft wooden sticks work best
3. Melt chocolate (I use nestle semi-sweet morsels)while caramel is melting. Transfer melted chocolate to ziploc bag. Cut off one of the corners of bag. Drizzle chocolate on apple. Chocolate will harden so drizzle soon after transferring to bag.

Level up your brownies

Try these simple tricks from Ladies Home Journal courtesy of the Today Show to spice up your box brownies. Then tell folks that they are home-made. What they don't know will make you look fabulous!

Easy Rice Pudding

Recipe Summary
Time: 15 mins
Servings: About 4
Source: LSO

Ingredients
Rice, 2 cups
Milk, 3/4 cup
Sugar granulated, 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp
Cinnamon, 6 shakes
Whip cream (optional)

Directions

1. Cook rice.
2. In a medium saucepan combine rice and milk and heat to a simmer.
3. Add in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir until mixed.
4. Taste and add more sugar or cinnamon as desired.
5. Remove from heat immediately and serve.
6. Cover with whip cream and cinnamon.

Notes

1. Rice is measured by the cups provided with a rice cooker and not conventional measuring cups

Easy Sugar Cookies

I hastily searched through my box of magazine cut-outs for my sugar cookie recipe. It was already 3 PM and I was late getting into the kitchen to make Valentines Day cookies for my husband. We had agreed not to buy each other anything so I decided a homemade treat was in order. I found the recipe only to discover that the dough needed to chill 3-4 hours prior to baking. ACK!! As any desperate housewife would do, I searched the internet for another recipe. I happened upon this great recipe for what they call "Roll-Out Cookies." My life has never been the same.

Recipe Summary
Time: 45 mins
Servings: About 5 dozen
Source: Wilton.com

Ingredients
Butter, 1 cup (2 sticks)
Sugar granulated, 1 1/2 cups
Egg, 1 large
Vanilla extract, 1 1/2 tsp
Almond extract, 1/2 tsp
Flour all-purpose, 2 3/4 cups
Baking powder, 2 tsp
Salt, 1 tsp

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add in egg and vanilla and almond extracts.
4. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add one cup at a time to butter mixture, mixing after each addition.
5. Do not chill dough.
6. Divide dough into 2 balls. On floured surface, roll ball into a circle approximately 12 inches wide and 1/8 inches thick.
7. Dip cookie cutters in four before each use.
8. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes.
9. Allow cookies to cool completely before icing.

Notes

1. Recipe may be doubled
2. I used buttercream icing and sprinkles to decorate
3. This recipe required a lot of flour to keep the dough from sticking.
4. To get the cookies slightly brown, place cookie sheet on second rack from top and bake 8-10 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

Recipe Summary
Time: 30 mins
Servings: 10
Source: Jessica

Ingredients
Eggs, 3
Pumpkin, 1 can, 1 lb
Salt, 1/2 tsp
Yellow cake mix, 1 pkg, 18 oz
Butter, 3/4 cup
Sugar,
Pecans, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix pumpkin, sugar, eggs, milk, spice, and salt in large bowl.
3. Pour mixture into baking pan.
4. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture.
5. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired.
6. Drizzle melted butter over top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until top is light brown.
8. Serve warm with ice cream or whip cream.

Notes

1. This is a great holiday treat, perfect for your holiday gatherings.
2. I enjoy this dish despite my dislike of pumpkin pie.

Gingered White Chocolate Biscotti

Recipe Summary
Time: 80 mins
Servings: 24 cookies
Source: Pensezies

Ingredients
All purpose flour, 2 cups
Sugar, 2/3 cup
Crystalized Ginger, 2 Tbs, minced
Baking soda, 1 tsp.
Salt, 1/2 tsp.
White chocolate bar, 4 oz, finely chopped
Vanilla extract, 1 tsp.
Eggs, 2
Egg white, 1
Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine flour, sugar, ginger, baking soda, salt, and chocolate in a large bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine vanilla, eggs, and egg white. Add flour to egg mixture stirring until blended (dough will be dry).
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 7 or 8 times until it holds together.
4. Shape dough into a 16 X 3 inch roll. Place roll on greased baking sheet and flatten to a 1 inch thickness. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
5. Remove roll from baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool for 3 to 5 mins. Slice while still warm.
6. Gently cut the roll diagonally to make approx. 24 (1/2 inch) slices. Place slices cut side down on a baking sheet. Broken pieces may be pushed back together and baked.
7. Reduce oven temp to 325 and bake for 10 mins.
8. Turn the cookies over and bake for another 10 mins.
9. Remove and place on a wire rack to cool. Cookies will be slightly soft but will harden upon cooling.

Notes

1. To keep these crunchy it is necessary to place them in an airtight container such as a ziplock bag. I placed them in my cookie jar and they were soft after 3 days.
2. These make wonderful gifts for coffee and tea lovers.
3. Toasted almonds and sliced strawberries may also be used as a garnish.

Strawberry Risotto

Recipe Summary
Time: 45 mins
Servings: 6
Source: David Rosengarten's Taste

Ingredients
Milk, 2 cups
Unsweetened coconut milk, one 14 oz. can
Sugar, 1/2 cup
Vanilla bean, 1 halved lengthwise ($6 for one bean at Whole Foods)
Lemon peel, 2 strips
Butter, 2 Tbs.
Arborio rice, 2/3 cup (~$6 at Whole Foods)
Kirschwasser, 2 Tbs ($16 at ABC store)
Strawberries, 11/4 cup, sliced
Sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (optional)
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

1. Combine milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla bean, and lemon peel in medium saucepan.
2. Heat to simmer.
3. Reduce heat and keep warm.
4. Melt butter in a second saucepan over medium heat. Add rice. Stir to coat. Lower heat.
5. Remove vanilla bean and lemon peel from milk mixture.
6. Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to rice. Stir until milk is absorbed.
7. Repeat, adding remaining milk mixture to rice 1/2 cup at a time making sure milk is absorbed after each addition, about 35 minutes. Rice will be tender but firm to bite.
8. Remove from heat. Stir in Kirschwasser and strawberries.
9. Garnish with coconut and whip cream.
10. Serve immediately

Notes

1. To toast coconut place on baking sheet in 400 degree oven. Cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes
2. Strawberry eau de vie or white wine may be used instead of Kirschwasser.
3. Toasted almonds and sliced strawberries may also be used as a garnish.
4. This recipe is pretty costly. I will post a cheaper version once it has been tested and taste approved.

Easy Coconut Pie

Recipe Summary
Time: 45 mins
Servings: 8
Source: Walmart

Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup skim milk
1 cup coconut, unsweetened
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbs flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 9 inch unbaked graham cracker pie crust

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Stir together eggs, milk, coconut, sugar, butter flour and vanilla.
3. Pour into pie crust.
4. Bake 30 minutes.
5. Cool on wire rack. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Notes

1. Splenda may be substituted for sugar in this recipe
2. One egg and two egg whites may be substituted for two whole eggs
3. A shortbread pie crust may be substituted for a graham cracker crust. I use the walmart brand ready made crusts.