No Bake Cookies

 

Ingredients

• ▢½ cup (113 g) salted butter cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
• ▢½ cup (120 ml) whole milk
• ▢1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
• ▢1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ▢¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
• ▢⅔ cup (165 g) creamy peanut butter
• ▢1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 
• ▢3 cups (285 g) instant/quick oats

• Instructions

• Prepare two cookie sheets by lining with wax paper and set aside.
• Combine butter, milk, sugars, and cocoa powder in a medium-sized saucepan over low heat. Don't bump up the heat to speed up the process, or you run the risk of your ingredients not combining properly and your cookies not setting properly.
• ½ cup (113 g) salted butter,½ cup (120 ml) whole milk¹,1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed,1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar,¼ cup (25 g) cocoa powder
• Stir ingredients frequently until butter is completely melted (I recommend using a long wooden spoon as a metal spoon can become really hot).
• Increase the heat to medium and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil.
• Boil, still stirring constantly, for 1 minute (I recommend using a timer, see post for more details on why it’s important to not over or under-boil) then remove from heat. Continue to stir the mixture for several seconds.
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• Add peanut butter and vanilla extract, stirring until the peanut butter is completely combined and melted into the mixture.
• ⅔ cup (165 g) creamy peanut butter²,1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Add oats and stir until coated in chocolate.
• 3 cups (285 g) instant/quick oats³
• Drop cookie mixture by approximately 1 ½-2 Tablespoon-sized spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
• Allow to cool (approximately 20-30 minutes) before serving; the cookies will harden as they cool.

Funeral Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• ▢1 (32-ounce) package frozen diced hash browns
• ▢2 cups sour cream
• ▢1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• ▢¾ cup unsalted butter, melted, divided
• ▢2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢1 teaspoon onion powder, optional
• ▢2-3 cups corn flakes, crushed

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Lightly grease a 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
• Place hash browns in a colander and let sit until fully thawed and drained.
• In a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, and ½ cup melted butter and mix well.
• Add cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, and onion powder and mix until well combined.
• Add potatoes to the cheese mixture and stir until combined. Place in the baking dish.
• Combine cornflakes and the remaining ¼ cup melted butter until the cereal is coated.
• Sprinkle buttered cornflakes over potatoes.
• Bake for 42–46 minutes. Serve warm.

Millicent Matheson’s Cheesecake

Make a day ahead (or at least 8 hours)
CRUST:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, very fine
2 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp melted butter
Pat crust into 9 inch springform pan
Preheat oven to 350°

FILLING:
Mix together until smooth and the pour over crust
24 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Bake 35 minutes, then immediately refrigerate for 30 minutes to stop cooking process.

Mix together until smooth:
1 pint sour cream
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Carefully spread over cake and return to oven (350°) and bake 5 minutes. Immediately return cake to refrigerator.

Serve plain or with fruit or favorite topping.

Oatmeal Pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from the Inn at Fordhook Farm

2 cups rolled oats
2 cups buttermilk
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. table salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
splash of milk 
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted but not hot
Oil spray 

The night before:
Combine the oats and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Stir to mix. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

The morning of:
Take the bowl of buttermilk and oats out of the fridge. Set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Add the eggs and melted butter to the oat mixture, and stir well. Add the flour mixture, and stir to blend. The batter will be very thick. Add a splash of milk to thin it out. 

Warm a griddle over medium-high heat, and spray with oil. Cook until brown and edges and solidified showing some bubbles. 

Yield: about 12-14 pancakes (but they are thick and filling and go a long way)! 

Egyptian Brownies - Aunt Betty

1 C. Butter, melted
3 C. White sugar
1 T vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
1 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C. Semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.

Combine butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually stir mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Remove and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Aunt Betty's Lemon Bars

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 cup butter

4 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
1/3 cups lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

In a medium bowl stir together the 2 cups flour and the 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture clings together. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13X9 in baking pan.

Bake crust in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meanwhile, beat together the eggs, granulated sugar and lemon juice. Combine the 1/4 cup flour and the baking powder; stir into the egg mixture along with the lemon peel. Pour over the baked crust.

Bake bars in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over the top of bars. Cut into bars or into 2X1 2/4 inch diamonds -- Makes 30 bars.

Homemade Pita Bread

1 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 tsp white sugar

1 cup warm water (110 degrees)

2 cups all-purpose flour, more if needed

1 cup pastry flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBSP applesauce

1 TBSP olive oil

1. In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. 

2. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, pastry flour and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture and applesauce and knead. Dough shouldn't be sticky, but it shouldn't be dry either. If too sticky add 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour until you get the right consistency. If too dry, add 2 tablespoon of water t a time until you get the right consistency. 

3. Roll the dough out into a rope and cut into 8 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and roll out to a 6- to 8-inch circle. 

4 To bake pita: Preheat oven to 500 degrees and put a pita on a wire cake rack. Place the rack in the oven and cook for 3 minutes or until the bread stops puffing up. When you take it out, smash down the pita (careful - it's hot) and quickly put it in a plastic freezer bag.

5. To fry pita: In a skillet over high heat, heat oil. When almost smoking, place a pita in the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until brown spots begin to appear. Put in a plastic bag one it has cooled a bit.