Cherry Scones

I'm back!  So sorry for the LOOOOONG extended time between today and my last post.  Ahem.  I will try to do better!  The funny thing is that I have tons of recipes typed in posts ready to share, but haven't uploaded all my pictures yet, so they aren't getting posted too quickly!  Hard to find the time right now to do that!  Things get busier the older my kids get! :)  I thought it was the other way around. :)  Boy am I wrong!

So, I just got back from a visit to meet my new NEPHEW, Nolan Whitson, a few weeks ago!  Oh, and I got to see my sister and BIL.  :)  That was great too! :)  I'm smitten with that sweet baby boy, but that's not why you all are watching my blog for new recipes, so I guess this proud auntie will move along! :) 

Anyway, while I was out there, the Royal Wedding took place and Nolan just so happened to wake up at 3AM for a feeding, so what perfect timing to get up and watch the Royal Wedding!  Won't ever forget this morning.  My sister and I watched as we drank hot breves and ate................ready for it............these very Cherry Scones!  OH MY!  Let's just say I felt rather "royal" while eating and watching, so here's the recipe! :)  My sister is an AMAZING cook herself, and gave me a great stack of new recipes for me to try and she's given me permission to post them as I see fit!  She briefly mentioned she wanted to "featured" on the blog, so here's to you, sweet sister!!!  Love you!

 Dough just out of the mixer!

Roll the dough out on flour surface to 1/2" or so thick. (mine here was too thin! :()

 Cut into 8 triangles!

 Bake!  I put mine in for 12 minutes and these are too done! :( 

Would've taken out at 10 minutes had I been watching! :)

2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
6 T cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2" slices
1/2 c dried cherries
1/4 c sliced almonds
2 eggs
1/2 c whole milk
1/2 t almond extract


Preheat oven to 425. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Cut in the butter until mix resembles coarse meal. Mix in cherries & almonds.

In a separate bowl combine eggs, almond extract and milk. Stir into the flour mixture just until moist. (If sticky, add a little more flour.) Turn dough and make into a ball. Flatten to 1/2" thick. Cut into 8 wedges.

Brush tops w/ milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 15 min.

NOTE:  These freeze VERY well, just pull them out frozen and place on your cookie sheet as little or as many as you need and bake.  May need a few extra minutes, but not much!  The morning of the royal wedding we pulled them from the freezer and they were baked a very short time later!

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread!  Reminds me of my childhood sometimes Sunday mornings when our good family friends would make it adn serve it fresh out of their oven!  Mmmmm!  Unbelievably yummy! :)  I have to be honest, having watched it be made, I hesitated making it as it looked like so much work.  I've simplified the process and had it in the oven in less than 30 minutes! 

Biscuits, here's so you know what to look for! :)

Cut one tube at a time.  Quarter each biscuit.

Once one tube is cut, throw them all into your sugar & cinnamon!

Layering them in the bundt pan!

Microwaving butter, brown sugar & KARO!

Pour over uncooked bread.

Bake!

Here is your end product!

4 Pillsbury tubes of biscuits
1 c sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 stick butter
1/2 c DARK brown sugar
2 T KARO syrup

In a gallon ziploc bag, combine the sugar and cinnamon.  One tube at a time, cube each biscuit into fours.  Throw that quartered tube into the sugar mix, seal bag and shake coating each piece individually.  Put sugared pieces into a greased bundt pan.  Do this with each of the other three tubes of biscuits until all pieces are covered in sugar and layered evenly in your bundt pan.  In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter, brown sugar and Karo.  Microwave for 60-90 seconds until all ingredients can easily be incorporated.  Pour this over the top of your biscuits and put in the oven.  Bake @ 400 for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from the oven.  Take a large plate or platter and immediately flip the monkey bread out.  The caramel sticky layer will drizzle down over the sides.  Enjoy!

BACON!!!

Okay, so who is with me!?  I HATE frying bacon!  I don't use that word very often, but on very few occassions I use that word quite honestly!  Frying bacon has NEVER been a fun thing for me.  I can't stand the MESS it makes when fried up in a pan on the stove, and how it cooks so unevenly in the pan.  Keeping the temperature a right level in the frying pan is something I never did learn the science of.  Microwave was the next best thing, but even then it was hot to handle the dish in which you had to remove from the microwave, the MESS it created in my microwave from the grease splattering as it popped even under the paper towel, draining the hot grease, etc.  You get my point!  This task in my kitchen got so frustrating I completely skipped making any bacon at all!  I boycotted it with all I had! :) 

Fast forward, my dear hubby LOVES bacon!  I couldn't continue to be a cruel wife, so when I figured out how to FINALLY cook bacon, it's a REGULAR thing in our home now! :)  And everyone is happy!  My kids will eat and eat and eat and EAT bacon now! :)

Here's the trick! Your problems have now been solved and you won't BELIEVE what a difference this makes! Take a cookie sheet jelly roll WITH SIDES. Put a piece of foil on the bottom of that cookie sheet. Take your pound of bacon and lay each piece flat one right next to each other. They can be touching just a little. Put your pan in a preheated oven at 400 degrees. Bake for about 30 minutes, less or more depending upon your bacon crispiness likings. Take out of the oven, and let sit for a few minutes. I then take a plate and put paper towels on it and take the bacon and let it "degrease." Flipping on each side.

Not only does your bacon LOOK appealing with not such an ugly deformation, but it's PERFECT for things like bacon to top on your hamburger to make your bacon cheesebureger OR bacon for your BLT's in the summer!  OH MY! 

Alright, so there you have it! :)  THAT EASY & THAT SIMPLE!  Now...........off to eat some bacon in  my fresh egg omelet from our chickens! :)  Top of the day to you! ;)

Asiago Cheese Bagels

Any Panera lovers!? :)  I used to be until I moved out to the southwest where they have NO PANERA!!!!!  I've come up with my own solution when I get that REALLY BAD CRAVING (which it's been most recent cause a friend of mine came out here to stay a few months and facebooked that she missed Panera, and was SHOCKED there wasn't one here. :))  You have already seen a few other posts about my Panera addiction and this is just another! :)  Enjoy!

Balls of dough before hole is poked in the center!

Holes have been made.  This is a tedious process with LOTS of stretching needed!

 Water almost ready to start boiling the bagels! You'll notice the holes in the center are almost closed!

 Boiling!

Topped with cheese after they've been boiled!

 Baked!

PERFECT MATCH!  Asiago Cheese bagel WARM & a Breve!

It can't get much better than this! :)

4 c flour
2 pkgs yeast
1 1/2 c warm water
3 Tsugar
1 Tsalt
1 T sugar
1 c shredded Asiago Cheese

Put yeast into your warm water and stir.  Let sit for a few minutes, it will start to foam.  Meanwhile, mix together your flour, sugar (3T) and salt.  Pour yeast mixture into your bowl and mix until everything is well blended and a dough ball forms.  I use my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook, this is THE BEST way to do it if you have it.  Once you've mixed the dough and nothing is sticking to the sides (add little bits of flour if still sticking to the sides of bowl until it doesn't any longer), drop it onto the counter and hand knead for another 5 or so minutes.  Then let rest on the counter with a damp dish towel over the top.  Let it sit for about 20 minutes.  Take and divide the dough into 8 even sections.  Once that is divided take each ball of dough and knead so that the creases are in the bottom of the bagel when put onto a GREASED pan for their second raising.  Once all have been formed into smooth circles, stick your finger into the center of each piece of dough and stretch as much as possible.  This dough is stiff and will spring back, just keep restretching them.  Put the dish towel over the top of the pan and put into your oven with JUST THE LIGHT on.  Let them raise for another hour like that.  Remove and preheat your oven to 375.  While your oven is preheating, boil about a gallon of water with 1T sugar.  Boil bagels 7 minutes, flipping them ONCE at about 3 1/2 minutes.  Remove and let drain on a paper towel.  It will stick to the paper towel, but will also remove fairly easy.  I let them drain for only about one minute.  Top with shredded Asiago Cheese.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes.  Just WATCH CAREFULLY as every oven will vary.  Mine were definitely done at 30 minutes.  I don't care for mine super dark.  They are best eaten right out of the oven.  Just my own opinion! :)  Otherwise when through, make sure to put any leftovers (if there are any) in a Ziploc to keep them moist.  Toast the next morning and top with cream cheese! :)

Honey Granola

So, many are "health conscious" at the beginning of the year always!  Thought I'd post my granola recipe that isn't too terrible.  Better choice than a donut! :)

This is all the ingredients mixed raw BEFORE the honey butter mixture.

 Honey butter mixture blending.

This is when the granola is coated with the Honey Butter mixture BEFORE it is baked. 

Completely baked and cooling.  You can see the color difference.

1 - 18 oz container old fashioned oats (6 c)
8 oz sliced almonds
1 c brown sugar (I prefer DARK brown sugar)
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 c honey

In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients except butter and honey.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter is completely melted, stir in honey. Stir continuouslly until the butter and honey blend together and are no longer separated.  Pour over oat mixture and toss until everything is well coated. Spread granola onto a parchment lined baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Stir right in the middle at 15 minutes.  Watch it closely as at the end it darkens quickly! The sugar will begin to caramelize. Cool completely on pan. Transfer to an airtight container or Ziploc bags.

My FAVORITE way to eat granola is over sliced fresh bananas and vanilla yogurt!  Mmm, mmm!

Biscuits & Gravy

Hands down, I became addicted to Biscuits and gravy in Oskaloosa, Iowa.  Smokey Row was a coffee house that served the most amazing B&G along with a hot and steamy Breve!!!  OH MY!  Ultimate experience right there! :)  While I HAVE NOT mastered their specific "ungiven" recipe, I have found one I like very well.

Biscuits:

2 c. flour

1 T baking powder

1 t salt

1 T white sugar

1/3 c shortening
1 c milk
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening until the mixture until it looks like piecey.  The flour mix and shortening will be dry and separated. Gradually stir in milk until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead 15 to 20 times. Pat or roll dough out to 1 inch thick. Cut biscuits with a large cutter or juice glass dipped in flour. Repeat until all dough is used. Brush off the excess flour, and place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet (or I ALWAYS use parchment paper on my cookie sheet for ANYTHING I'm baking on it!).  Bake in preheated oven to 425 for 13 to 15 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

Sausage Gravy:

1 lb breakfast sausage
1/2 c flour

1 t salt

pepper, to taste

2 T Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 c milk

Brown sausage and drain.  To the same pan, add flour, salt and Worcestershire Sauce and coat all the meat.  It will be really pasty and thick.  Still over medium heat add the first 2 cups of milk and continuously stir.  It will start to thicken the longer it's on the burner.  If it's too thick, add more milk about 1/2 c at a time.  It needs to be between thick and thin! :) 

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burritos have become a Sunday morning tradition!  WE LOVE IT!  Our church isn't until 5PM, so we lounge, drink coffee, read the newspaper and make breakfast burritos!  Don't let the name fool you though, they can be eaten ANY MEAL of the day! :)

1 pack large tortillas
1 pkg bacon
8 eggs
1 c. Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 can refried beans
1 pkg frozen hashbrowns, thawed
1 stick butter

Start hashbrowns by melting a stick of butter in a large skillet.  Sprinkle bag of hashbrowns evenly over melted butter and put the lid on.  Cook over medium heat for about 6-7 minutes then flip over and let cook another 5 minutes.  Cut bacon into little slices and fry up in a saucepan.  Drain on a paper towel.  Dispose of most of the bacon grease, reserving just enough to coat the bottom of your bacon pan and throw the eggs in and scramble.  Lastly, in a small saucepan, heat your refried beans through.  Take a tortilla and put some cheese on and warm it in the microwave about 45 seconds until the cheese is melted.  Layer with the remaining ingredients.  Roll up and eat!

Pancakes

Our tradition for BIRTHDAYS.  I usually DOUBLE this batch, fry all of them up and freeze for quick breakfasts later!  You can microwave them or toast them, whichever is easier!

1 c flour

2 T white sugar

2 T baking powder
1 t salt
1 egg, beaten

1 c milk

2 T vegetable oil

In a big bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Make a well in the center.  Pour in milk, egg & oil.  Mix until smooth.  Heat griddle or electric skillet over medium high heat.  Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle.  Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Blueberry Muffins

 

1 stick butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 c blueberries
2 c flour
1/2 c milk
1/4 c sugar
1/2 t. nutmeg

Cream first 6 ingredients together.  Add flour and milk and blend until smooth.  Fold in the fresh blueberries, mixing only enough to distribute.  This recipe makes either 8 jumbo muffins, or 16 small muffins (as pictured).  Fill muffin tins about 3/4 the way full.  Top with the sugar and nutmeg mixture.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Coffee Cake

2 c flour
1 1/3 c sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
2 egg
1 1/3 c milk

Topping:
4 T brown sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

1 stick butter/margarine

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then add the remaining ingredients and put in a greased 9x13 pan. Mix the two topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the raw batter. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Pull out of the oven and poke holes with a fork in the top. Melt a stick of butter and pour over the top so that the butter drips into the holes. Eat warm! It's the best that way. We usually serve with fresh fruit.