Apple Cobbler

 

I love, love, love apple cobbler hot from the oven and served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. I may be partial, but I think this recipe—one I cobbled together myself—is the best I've ever had.

6 apples (tart, like Granny Smith, are best but I've used Gala when that's all I had on hand)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/4 cup sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

1 tablespoon corn starch

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 stick unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup boiling water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

pure cane sugar crystals (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a 9-by-9 baking dish with cooking spray.

Peel, core, and slice apples into fairly thick slices. In large bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and cornstarch; toss well to coat. Let sit while preparing topping.

In medium bowl, combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using pastry blender, cut in butter until well combined. Add vanilla to 1/4 cup boiling water; add to dry mixture and combine well for a sticky dough.

Pour apples into prepared baking dish, distributing evenly. Using fingers, drop pieces of dough on top, covering evenly but working the dough as little as possible (you want it to be crumbly...or at least I do). If desired, lightly sprinkle top with cane sugar crystals.

Bake 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove and serve the hot and bubbly goodness topped with oh-so cold vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Banana Bread

This bread is everything banana bread should be: golden and crunchy on the outside; moist, dense and flavorful on the inside. Jim doesn't like bananas or anything that tastes remotely close to bananas, so this treat is mine and mine alone. (Okay, I share with anyone else in the house who wants a piece, but luckily that's only Brianna most of the time.)

3 1/2 cups flour

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

5-6 very ripe bananas, peeled (of course)

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder. In a second bowl, stir together remaining ingredients until well mixed. Add banana mixture to flour mixture; stir just until ingredients are well moistened. Pour batter into two greased 9X5 loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until center is done and toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes then remove to cooling racks.

Makes 2 loaves.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

A perfect blend of chicken, sauce and cilantro. (I love cilantro!) I use the deliciously tangy Pomegrante Barbecue Sauce but any barbecue sauce will do.

Pizza dough

2 cups Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce or any other BBQ sauce

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 cups cooked, diced chicken

3 cups shredded mozzerella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press pizza dough onto a greased 16-inch pizza pan. Spread with barbecue sauce, cilantro, red onion, chicken and cheese. Sprinkle a bit of cilantro on top of cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until crust is golden, center is hot and cheese is melted.

Makes 1 yummy pizza.

Berry-Layered Poundcake

In our house, this cake is known as "Christmas Cake" because I always make it for our Christmas breakfast (to go with our Breakfast Pizza). Throughout the years I've varied the berries, depending on what's available, what sounds good at the time. You can also add banana slices to the layers (just be sure to dunk them in lemon juice first so they don't turn brown).

1 pound cake (homemade or purchased) sliced in three horizontal layers

1/2 of an 8-ounce container frozen whipped topping

1/2 of an 8-ounce container fruit-flavored cream cheese (strawberry, pineapple or berry)

fresh and/or frozen berries of your choosing

Beat whipped topping and cream cheese together until smooth, using a little more topping if mixture seems too thick to spread easily on cake. On serving plate, place bottom layer of cake. Frost with a third of the whipped mixture; cover layer with some fruit. Add second layer of cake; top with another third of whipped mixture and more fruit over entire layer. Add top layer of cake; frost with remaining whipped mixture and arrange fruit on top.

Serve within 30 minutes (or fruit juices muck up the cake), carefully slicing vertically.

Makes six servings.

Blueberry Cobbler

Warm fruit dishes topped with vanilla ice cream are among my most favorite of things in the universe. This cobbler, a tweaked version of "Patsy's Blackberry Cobbler" from The Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook, is one of my very favorite of all. If blueberries aren't your thing -- or if there's a great deal on another fresh or frozen fruit -- take heart in knowing that two cups of any fruit can be substituted for the blueberries.

1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, melted

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3-quart baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk 1 cup of the sugar with the flour, baking powder, salt and milk. Whisk in the melted butter. Pour the batter into the baking dish. Sprinkle the blueberries evenly over the top of the batter. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar over the top. Bake for 45 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top and return to oven; bake 10 more minutes.

Serve warm, topped with ice cream or whipped cream.

Makes 8 servings.

Blueberry-Pomegranate Trio

The wonderful folks at POM Wonderful sent me a free case of their popular Pomegranate Blueberry Juice to do with as I pleased. Well, actually, they encouraged me to try out a few cocktails with the stuff. Which I did -- but the recipe I used for blueberry-pomegranate martinis tasted, as one friend put it, like I'd gotten the recipe from a frat house. Way too strong and way not what I'd like to share with you all. What I would like to share is what I did with the rest of the freebie from POM -- this trio of refreshing Blueberry-Pomegranate goodies:

Blueberry-Pomegranate Lemonade Spritzer (pictured above)

Fresh or frozen lemonade

Pomegranate-blueberry juice

Seltzer or sparkling water

For each serving, pour equal amounts of lemonade and pomegranate-blueberry juice into a tall glass. Add seltzer or sparkling water to desired degree of fizziness. Garnish with lemon slices. Ah ... refreshing perfection on a hot summer day!

Blueberry-Pomegranate-Watermelon Granita

2 cups diced watermelon

8 ounces pomegranate-blueberry juice

1 tablespoon honey

In food processor or blender, combine all ingredients until smooth. Pour into dish and freeze overnight or until completely frozen. To serve, scrape shavings of granita into serving dishes. Makes about four servings.

Blueberry-Pomegranate Milkshakes

Vanilla ice cream

Pomegranate-blueberry juice

Scoop ice cream into blender (amount depends on how many shakes you're making). Use juice in place of milk typically used for shakes (about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup per serving) and process until desired consistency. Pour into glasses and devour ... slowly ... so you don't get brain freeze. THIS was my favorite of the trio!

Breakfast Pizza

This Breakfast Pizza has been a part of our Christmas breakfasts for years and years. It's easy to throw together and the red and green peppers add a festive color. It's also great any other day of the year.

2 8-ounce cans refrigerated crescent roll dough

12 eggs, beaten

1 pound breakfast sausage, browned, drained and crumbled

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

12 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 11X17 cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Unroll sheets of dough onto sheet (one can per half of sheet); pinch together all perforations and push up edges to create a seamless crust.

Sprinkle a small amount of cheese onto crust. Pour beaten eggs onto crust, spreading evenly to edges. Top evenly with crumbled sausage, green and red pepper and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until egg in center is set. Cut into squares.

Makes 12 servings.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This addicting dip also works well as a sandwich filling. Just make the chicken chunks larger and use about half the mayo; make as directed and pile onto French rolls for a hearty dinner sandwich.

2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken

1/4 cup (or more, to taste) of mild/hot wing sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions (optional, but I use them)

1 teaspooon lemon juice

1/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss chicken with wing sauce. Stir in remaining ingredients except blue cheese. Turn into greased 1.5 quart shallow casserole dish, then sprinkle with blue cheese. Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until bubbling. Serve with celery and/or snack crackers.

Makes 3 cups.

Busy-day Burritos

I don't recall where or how I came up with this recipe, but I do recall many compliments from the girls and guests on how delicious the meal is. And it's so unbelievably easy!

32-ounce package (8 servings) frozen beef & green chili burritos

2 15-ounce cans green chile sauce with pork

7-ounce can diced green chile peppers

8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

cilantro leaves, dried or fresh

ground cumin

toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, sliced green onion

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 9-by-13 baking dish with cooking spray and arrange burritos in pan. Top with green chile sauce, diced green chiles, and 2/3 of the grated cheddar. Sprinkle with cilantro and cumin to taste. Cover tightly with foil (I usually spray foil with cooking spray before covering pan so cheese doesn't stick to the foil).

Bake 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheddar and a bit more cumin and cilantro, if desired; bake 10 more minutes, til cheese is melted.

To serve, top with tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, green onions.

Makes four large servings or eight smaller servings.

Carrot Cake Bars

These bars are incredibly delicious, so much so that I made and sent them in care packages to the girls during their college years. The first time, I frosted them before mailing, which meant the girls pretty much just licked the frosting off the plastic wrap that covered the bars when they opened their package o' love. After that, I sent the bars unfrosted and included a container of store-bought cream cheese frosting for them to frost the bars themselves. Frosted or not, these bars taste like "home."

BARS:

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups cooking oil

12 ounces baby food carrots (jars, plastic containers, whatever -- as long as it's 12 ounces total)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

FROSTING:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 stick margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 11X17 cookie sheet. Beat eggs and sugar; stir in oil. In another bowl, combine dry ingredients, then stir into egg mixture. Fold in carrots. (You can add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts at this point, if you want.) Pour into prepared cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until center is done. Cool before frosting.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese, margarine and vanilla. Slowly mix in powdered sugar, adding milk until  frosting reaches desired consistency.

Keep bars refrigerated.

Cheesy Corn Casserole

I've been making this dish for Thanksgiving for about 25 years now. According to my family, it's just not Thanksgiving dinner without Mom's corn casserole on the table. I make it only at Thanksgiving, but considering how quickly it gets gobbled up, I should make it for every other holiday, too ... and Sunday dinners ... and weeknight suppers. My family adores it. I bet yours will, too.

1 10-ounce package frozen corn, thawed and drained

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

6 slices white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1-2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (yes, 300). Butter a shallow 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle half the corn in the bottom, then sprinkle with half the cheddar cheese, then half the Monterey jack cheese. Cover with half the bread cubes. Repeat all layers. Beat together eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour over all layers, pressing down the bread to be sure it's all moistened. Dot with butter. Bake uncovered for 90 minutes, or until puffed and dark golden on top.

Makes 8 servings.

(For big gatherings, you can double this recipe, using a 9X13 pan/dish. Picture above is a doubled recipe.)

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

This is my second most popular cookie recipe, after chocolate chip cookies. It's a Hershey's recipe that I've tweaked a bit. I like using white chocolate chips, but it's also great with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. You may even want to try it with the cherry chips you can find in the baking aisle for a chocolate-covered-cherry version.

1 1/4 cups Butter Flavor Crisco

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12-ounce package) baking chips -- white, chocolate, peanut butter or combo

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt (can be mixed in smaller bowl first, if you'd like; I just never do that step) and mix well. Stir in baking chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 1 minute on cookie sheet then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Chocnutty Peanut Butter Cookies

 

I'm more a fan of savory than sweet, but when I want something sweet, the combination of peanut butter and chocolate is always a fave. Hence, the creation of these peanut butter cookies featuring big hunks of peanuts and big chunks of dark chocolate.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup salted peanuts, chopped medium fine in food processor

2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder and salt. In large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, peanut butter and cream until smooth. Add flour mixture and and combine well. Stir in peanuts and chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Immediately transfer to wire rack to cool.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the original Nestle Tollhouse Cookie recipe -- with one exception: I use butter-flavor Crisco (must be Crisco, not generic) instead of butter or margarine; it results in a fluffier, puffier cookie.

1 cup butter-flavor Crisco

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups unsifted flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

12-oz package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, combine first four ingredients; beat until creamy. Beat in eggs. Add flour, baking soda and salt (sprinkling the soda and salt over the mixture so there are no "hot spots" of either). Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-9 minutes. Transfer to wire rack for cooling.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Chip Dip

This recipe smacks of sweet serendipity. Many years ago I found a version of this recipe in, I think, a Kraft holiday cookbook. It was supposed to make a dessert-style cheese ball and I planned to make a few as gifts for friends and family. But when I used margarine instead of butter, it came out soft and gooey and dip-like, not ball-like. It was so yummy -- and the girls loved eating the "mistake" -- that I never tried making it the correct way, with butter. It's always been a hit any time I've served it, for adults or kids! This is great with graham crackers, graham stix or apple slices.

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup margarine

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, margarine and vanilla until creamed. Gradually add powdered and brown sugars, combining well. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate leftover dip (not likely you'll have any, though!).

Makes about 2 cups.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This isn't a recipe I've been making for years, but it's one I definitely plan on making for years to come. I found the recipe at My Baking Addiction (she adapted it from allrecipes.com) and immediately had to try it myself. The bread filled the house with a mouthwatering aroma as it baked and ended up tasting even better than it smelled. This recipe makes three loaves -- enough for sharing with friends, family, coworkers. I plan to bake up a few batches for the annual holiday cookie swap with my extended family!

3 cups white sugar

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

4 eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, vanilla and eggs. Beat until smooth. Blend in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 1 hour, or until middle no longer feels soft. Cool on wire racks before removing from pans.

Make 3 loaves.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Jim refuses to eat zucchini, but he's hard-pressed to find anything wrong with this bread, even exclaiming "I really like this" the first time he gave in to my pleading for him to try it. You'll really like it, too, as long as you like moist and chocolatey goodness in a quick -- and easy -- bread.

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 medium zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 8X4-inch loaf pans.

Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. (Mixture will be fairly thick and slightly dry at this point.) Stir in zucchini, then stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 65 minutes or until center no longer seems mushy. Cool in pan on metal racks for 20 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

Makes 2 loaves.

Cranberry-Pumpkin Bread

This has been a Thanksgiving staple in my family for years. I can remember toting it to South Dakota for the holiday festivities with Jim's family each time we celebrated there. I still have the magazine clipping of the original recipe (now faded and sporting food splotches), which apparently came from Wesson Oil as it's the only brand name noted in the ingredients. I've altered the original a tad, leaving out the chopped pecans, for one.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 16-ounce can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 16-ounce can solid-pack pumpkin

2/3 cup oil

4 eggs

Large-crystal cane sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat three 9X5 loaf pans or one Bundt pan and one 9X5 pan with cooking spray. (I like to do the Bundt pan and one loaf pan as it provides a decorative cake for the table and an extra loaf for giving as a hostess or holiday gift.)

In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking powder. In second bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, pumpkin, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are well moistened. Pour batter into pans (if using Bundt pan, fill loaf pan half full then pour remainder—two loaves worth—into Bundt pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or til bread tests done with toothpick. Immediately remove from pans, place on wire rack, and sprinkle top with sugar crystals, if desired. Cool completely before cutting.

Makes 3 loaves (or one Bundt-style bread and one loaf).

Dump Cake

This recipe is an old standby of many a grandma, but I started making it just a few years ago. It instantly became a family favorite, for Brianna, especially, who has asked for it to be her birthday cake for a few years running. It's super easy, and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, it's super pleasing.

1 can of fruit pie filling of your choice (peach is my favorite; cherry is Brianna's)

1 box white or yellow cake mix

1/2 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with non-stick spray. Dump then evenly spread the pie filling in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the DRY cake mix evenly over the filling. Do not mix! Drizzle the melted butter evenly over cake mix. (Some will remain dry; don't worry about it.) Again, do not mix the ingredients. Bake 30-40 minutes, until top is browned and center no longer seems gooey. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Variations: Try out different combinations of cake and filling. One of the most popular at my house — also one of the most rich — was a chocolate cake mix with cherry pie filling. Enjoy!

Makes 6-8 servings.

Easy Chocolate Cake

Jim loves anything with chocolate in it. And he loves this chocolate cake so much that it's the only cake he's requested -- and received -- as his birthday cake for the past 18 years or so. The recipe comes from Hershey's; the topping comes from Jim's addiction to Cool Whip. (*I have to adjust for high altitude, so I've included both, just in case.)

Cake:

1 3/4 cups unsifted flour

2 cups sugar (*minus 2 tablespoons for high altitude)

3/4 cup cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (*1 1/4 teaspoons)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (*1 1/4 teaspoons)

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water (*plus 4 tablespoons)

Topping:

1 tub Cool Whip

Chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 for high altitude). Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in boiling water; batter will be VERY thin, about the consistency of hot cocoa. Pour into greased and floured 13X9 cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until top springs back. Cool completely.

Cover with whipped cream and top with chocolate sprinkles or mini chocolate chips. Keep leftovers refrigerated.