Momma's Brownies

For the Arkansas Food Blogger Bake Sale this past weekend

my momma was kind enough 

(as she always is)

to make me some brownies!  

(Thanks mom!)

Now my momma's brownies are by far the best brownies around.
(And I might fight ya if you say otherwise!)
She uses the recipe from the 1963 Betty Crocker Cooky Book (one of the best cookbooks I own BTW)
and I'm not sure why but even when I follow the same recipe mine are not quite as delectable.
(She must do something secret I'm not aware of...)

Here is that recipe:

Brownies from the Betty Crocker's Cooky Book 
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate (4 oz)
2/3 cup of shortening
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350.
Grease a 13" x 9" x 2" pan.
Melt chocolate and shortening over low heat.
Beat in sugar and eggs.
Blend flour, baking powder, and salt and stir in.
Mix in nuts.
Spread in pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.
Cut into bars!

Mom's Brownies on Display!

Some Southern Comfort

Biscuits with Honey and Petit Jean Bacon

It's been said that I can make a mean biscuit...

Making biscuits is one of those things that isn't hard, 

but that people tend to overthink and overwork. 

Some secrets? 

REAL SALTED BUTTER

ACAST IRON SKILLET

HOT OVEN

The recipe I use is one based on a recipe taken from 

the BHG- New Cook Book. 

 

I modified it a bit (doubling and a few other small changes)

but it's basically the same recipe. 

BISCUITS

Makes about 10-12 large biscuits

4 cups of organic unbleached flour

2 Tablespoons of Baking Powder

4 Tablespoons of sugar (unbleached granulated)

1 teaspoon of cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup of butter (you can also use a combo of butter and coconut oil to equal 1 cup.)

1 1/3 cup of organic milk (possibly more depending on humidity.)

• Preheat oven to 450.
• Put about a tablespoon or two of oil in skillet and place in oven.
• In bowl stir together dry ingredients
• Cut in shortening with pastry cutter or hands until it resembles coarse crumbs (or peas.)
• Add milk and stir until dough just clings together.  You may have to add more if dough is too dry.  You want it to be moist but not mushy.
• On floured surface, knead dough GENTLY for 10 strokes.  
• Pat into a rectangle shape gently and then roll to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• Fold in half and repeat twice. 
• Dip a glass in flour and cut into biscuits. 

 

• Transfer to hot skillet and bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Muffins

For Halloween I wanted to try a pumpkin muffin.

Now, muffins are something of a hit and miss at my house.
None of the five of us like the same kind so usually the chickens end up
with a few.
Not with this recipe!

Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
Makes 12 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice or apple-pie spice (I like Penzey's)
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup molasses (or more to taste) 
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil)
2 large fresh eggs

1/4 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon (to sprinkle on tops)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line muffin tins with papers.
Mix dry ingredients together in bowl.
Mix pumpkin and rest of wet ingredients together in another bowl.
Combine both mixtures and mix until just incorporated.
Fill muffin pan with batter (I use a small ladle to fill cups)
Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar.
Bake until puffy and until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle of a muffin,
which is about 25 minutes or so.
Cool in pan until you can touch and then take out and cool on rack or countertop.

On Food Blog Fun

What do you get when you put a bunch 

of Arkansas food bloggers in one room for a day?

Great Information,

Healthy Competition,

Great food,

  Cool Swag,

And LOTS of Laughs! 

Whitney & Our little friend

Alison, eating a tomato and sporting the cool aprons they gave us!

Thank you to the great ladies of AR Women Bloggers for setting up Foodie Friday!

Also a big thank you to the sponsors, epecially:

• Ziploc (for the great goodie bag especially the wonderful VersaGlass!)
• Petit Jean Meats (I don't eat pork but my kids will only eat PJ bacon! Did you know they do gift boxes and can even ship a complete Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner?  Also great coffee cake!)
• Yarnell's Ice Cream (Yes, it's back!)  How about this fun picture Whitney took on our way home?

Thank you from- Alison, Sarabeth, Me, and Whitney!

DNA cookies

My daughter wanted me to make cookies for her biology class party and this is what we came up with...

DNA Cookies

I used this same recipe for sugar cookies.  (I used unbleached cane sugar instead of white sugar in the cookies.)  I ended up making royal icing because I was afraid a regular soft icing would not last in the heat and transport.  Hope they like them!