Cowboy Cookies, Louise Heywood

1 cup cooking oil. (use the oil- butter makes a whole different cookie)
1 cup Brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups quick oatmeal
1/2 cup nuts- we use pecans-chopped
1 cup chocolate chips

Place flour,soda,salt and baking powder in a bowl and whisk them all until well blended.

Mix oil and sugar until well blended using a large wooden spoon or hand mixer.
add beaten egg and vanilla.
add flour mixture a bit at a time.
add- go back to wooden spoon and stir in oats,nuts and chips.
Let rest in the fridge for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 325- bake 12- to 15 minutes- until just getting brown.
ungreased sheet, no parchment paper.

Blueberry and Blackberry Galette with Cornmeal Crust

Blueberry and Blackberry Galette with Cornmeal Crust
( disclaimer one- I had no blackberries---)
Crust:
1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup raw organic sugar
¼ cup cornmeal
¼ tsp. salt
½ cold ,cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 buttermilk- or in my case milk

lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level with knife.
Combine flour, sugar, cornmeal into food processor and pulse to mix.
Add:
Butter- pulse 3-4 times or more in my case.
Add milk to just hold together but not wet.
Chill- I did over night.

Filling: Combine in a bowl toss well to coat.
4 cups of blueberries
2 cups of blackberries- I only used the 4 cups of blueberries.
½ cup of sugar- I used 1/4th
3 TBS. flour
2 TBS. lemon juice
2 TBS. milk

I added a TBS of orange liqueur, cinnamon and chopped up orange rind

Preheat oven to 350
Roll crust into a 15 inch prefect circle
Not really I just threw that in.
I rolled this on a pastry cloth I have using light flour on top.
Flipped it over onto lightly flour dusted wax paper.
Continued to roll using light flour on the rolling pin.
Then flipped it over on parchment paper to bake and place that on a baking sheet.

Place the filling on crust leaving about 2 inches all the way around the edges.
Fold edges inward to center, pressing gently to seal.

I baked for 30 minutes then brushed the piecrust with 2TBS. Blackberry Jam heated with about 1 TBS. orange liqueur.
I poured the extra on the berries.
Baked another 30 minutes.
Let cool and serve.

One for the kids

During my "Mother Earth" days in which my kids would have no white death, or sugar I learned to cook with honey.
Which I thought was more healthful.
This recipe was made over and over.
And we all liked it.
After all there was plenty of honey in it!
Take 1 cup peanut butter, I do like the pure stuff.
heat it over a low burner on the stove with 1 cup of Sesame seeds, stir in 3/4 cup dry milk,
add 1/4 cup cocoa, I use to try carob...... and 1/2 cup coconut out of the bag.

Press the whole mess into a 9x9 pan cool and cut.

1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup honey
1 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup dry milk
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup coconut
enjoy!

Blueberries

What is summer without fresh summer fruits?
I love summer vegetables, but summer fruits are a bit of heaven.
When the blueberries start coming in I head out to the bushes every morning with a bowl. I love to pick enough to go with my morning cereal right off the bush. They are sweet, yet tart and still a little warm.........oh yum!
Mark on the other hand prefers his with some sugar and flour and cooked with some sort of topping.... I'll go with that as well. But I still prefer them off the vine and in a bowl with cereal or yogurt.

Crisp is my favorite quick dessert.This past week was the first picking to have enough for a Crisp and put some in the freezer for those winter months.

Pick and sort through the berries, wash and put in a handmade pottery pie plate or baking dish.
How many you wonder- as many as you can get in the dish----

The topping:


3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup old fashion oats
1/2 stick butter- you can use more if you like- but I try to use a Little less if I can.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon of course- do you really need me to tell you how much???
As much as you like!


Place this all in a bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour/oats/sugar throw in 1/2 cups nuts


Throw the whole mess on top of your fruit and bake 350 for about 35-45 minutes.


Serve slightly warm with ice cream or yogurt.

We use a yogurt topping:
Take a cup of low fat or regular yogurt.
Place it in a strainer which you have about 4-6 coffee filters placer inside. Don't have the filters? Use paper towels. Put the strainer over a bowl. This is important- or you will have a big mess!
Let the yogurt sit in the fridge covered for a few hours.
This will make a nice thick pudding like substance.
To this add brown sugar to taste and a bit of vanilla and some cinnamon, if you like.
Use this to top your crisp or for that matter anything you would use ice cream on.
Enjoy!

Did someone say pie?

I have never been a pie eater much less a pie baker.
BUT- lately- since Thanksgiving I have baked a few pies.
If you have been here before you might have found the recipe for Katie's Sour cream Apple Pie. A real winner-
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 well beaten egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
beat egg, add sour cream , vanilla and salt and mix well.
Add:
2Tbs. flour
3/4 cup sugar
mix well and add
2 1/2 cups apples sliced thin- coating the apples well-
Pour into pie crust
Bake 450 degrees for 15 minutes
while baking make a topping of:1/3 cup sugar1/3 cup flour1/4 cup butter1tsp. cinnamon
Bake 325 degrees for 30 minutes
take out of oven and put topping on and place foil over crust ends to keep from burning.
Bake another 20 minutes.
Cool- and eat about 4-6 hours after-good at room temp.
Yummy!

Now- the other day, knowing I was not going to be up to cooking after my shift on the wood kiln- but- having to bring something back to the pot luck I thought about making a pie- no pie crust... Then I thought about making a pie...no sour cream......
Then I thought - you are a big girl and you know how to make a crust- just make the crust- so I did. I added some cinnamon to the crust- nice touch.

Then I made the following Apple pie with an old fashion apples stolen from my friend and neighbor Carol.
The apples are good old fashion cooking apples and make a really good pie-
So here is the recipe given to my by my sister.
I would like to call it Stolen Apples- pie but it is really called:
V.P.I. Apple Pie
(V.P.I. Home Economic Dept conducted research 1959 - 1960 to find best apple pie- this recipe won.)
5 C fresh apples, sliced thin (recipe calls for York, but I use any tart apple)
2 T flour
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/4 t salt
1/8 t nutmeg (I substitute cinnamon for nutmeg...I prefer the flavor of cinnamon)
1/8 t grated lemon rind
2 T margarine (I use butter)
1 (9") double pie crust
Mix all ingredients except butter and heap into lower crust.
Dot with butter and seal with top crust.
Slit crust in several places.
Bake 450 degree oven for 10 minutes
and then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and cook for another 55 minutes.

It was a hit- Gone to nothing but crumbs in about 10 minutes- I should have made two!

Smoked turkey and Apple Pie!

What more could you want -- turkey and pie!
It was all we could do not to eat it tonight!

Base for Cookies and two cookie recipes

Basic Cookie Mix

4 cups sifted flour (I used cake flour) you can find at any store.
4 cups sugar
1 ½ cups nonfat dry milk powder
1 ½ TBS. baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt (use less if your butter is salted)

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well.
Store in a tightly covered container.
This will keep for about 1 month at room temperature.

Lemon Cookies: Preheat oven to 325-350 use your judgement here you know your oven.
2 cups of your base
½ cup butter, melted
1 egg beaten
1 tsp lemon extract
1 TBS. lemon juice
About 1 TBS. grated lemon rind, yellow only

Just mix all together.
Make and then shape into a log.
Use extra flour or mix to help make it stiff.
Roll in wax paper or plastic wrap.
Place in the refrigerator until very chilled.
Cut a small piece and with floured hands roll 1 “ balls.
Place 2 inches apart. ( I use parchment paper to bake on, it does not stick)
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Should be golden.
Cool a minute before removing.
Notes:
Cookie batter does best chilled.
Don’t put too many on pans.
Try not to burn.
email if you need tech support

Oatmeal Bars:
2 cups base
1 ½ cup oats
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
¼ cup cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup raisins
Spoon into a 13x9x2’ pan bake 30-35 minutes
Cool in pan 10 minutes then cut in bars.

I thought these should bake longer.
I ended up cutting and putting them back in the oven and baking another 10 minutes.

White chip and Craisins cookies

1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups oats; put through food processor
1 1/2 cups nuts; put through food processor

Sift flour, salt, soda and baking powder.
Stir in oats and flour.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2-eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla.
Stir in oats and nuts.
Add 1 package white chips
and 1 cup craisins.

Bake 350 until light brown and done.
Depending on size of cookies anywhere from 12 to 17 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My sister Leslie gave me this recipe for the Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together:

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups chunky peanut butter.

I use any organic - just nuts, salt and oil

Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper- bake 12 minutes.

Cool- there you have it.

No flour- no baking powder - no nothing else-

You can add chopped nuts or chocolate chips if you like.

Ada Darling's Skillet Pineapple Upside down Cake

This was giving to me by my husband's grandmother.
It does not get any better than this.
The cake batter made with good local organic eggs turns a beautiful yellow color.
I also use this cake batter to make a cake for berry shortcakes. I like to bake it alone in a 8X8 pan for about 20-25 minutes. ( be sure to grease and flour your pan)
It is better than any store bought cake you will ever buy and very easy.

 Let it cool then you can layer with berries and whip cream or ice cream.

Use either a good seasoned cast iron skillet or  a deep  Stainless steel skillet.

The cake:
Ada Darling's Skillet Pineapple Upside down Cake
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 can of pineapple rings, drained
 The cake batter

1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour (130 grams)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pineapple
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt butter in skillet, add brown sugar melt.
Place pineapple rings over melted butter and sugar.
Pour cake batter over the pineapple mixture.
Bake 30 to 40 min in a 375* oven.
Turn over on to platter to serve.
It is tricky to turn this over as it should be done while still hot or not complete cooled.
Be careful it is hot!

Apple Crisp

Apple crisp or any crisp is my favorite quick dessert.
In the summer I use fresh blueberries.
Or fresh peaches or both.

When Anna was home I had some peaches and the last few handfuls of blueberries from our garden.
The peaches were not as ripe as I liked and as I peeled them for just eating a plan started.
I layer them in a bowl and threw on 3 tablespoons of triple sec and a tablespoon of sugar.
What the hey- I have maybe two cups blueberries- in they go.
On top of the peaches.
Oh, you want to know how many peaches-
well as many as it takes to fill up the pie plate I was using.
Anyway-
The topping:
3/4 cup white flour
3/4 cup old fashion oats
1/2 stick butter- you can use more if you like- but I try to use a Little less if I can.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
and cinnamon of course- do you really need me to tell you how much???
As much as you like!
Place this all in a bowl and use your fingers to work the butter into the flour/oats/sugar
throw in 1/2 cups nuts - we used almonds because I had them.
I also like walnuts or pecans.

Throw the whole mess on top of your fruit and bake 350 for about 35-45 minutes.
Serve slightly warm with ice cream.
Go for it after all it's dessert.

In the fall I use apples.