On Oatmeal Cookies

The weather is beautiful here today 

and it made me feel

sunshiny and happy

Like an

Oatmeal Cookie. 

So I made some! 

Sunshine Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 375. 

Mix:
1/2 cup of salted butter (softened at room temperature)
1/4  cup of brown sugar
1/2  cup of granulated sugar (I use unbleached)
When light and fluffy add:
1 egg yolk
1 Tablespoon of local honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup rolled or old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
ground cinnamon (I like it so used about 1 teaspoon but you can use less if you want)
1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves
*You can also add raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips at this point!

Divide dough into balls and drop onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake about 10 minutes or until golden brown and slightly firm. 
I cooled on a wire rack.

Peaches & Cream Pie

Johnson County, Arkansas has the best peaches in the world (in my humble opinion...)

So, we made the drive to get a car full last week!

I made a pie based on my sweet mother-in-law's crustless pie recipe, but 

changed it a bit to accomodate a crust (which I love) and extra peaches (which I needed to use)

and I also wanted it to be a bit creamy, similar to a peach pie I like to make.

Here is what I came up with...

Peaches & Cream Pie

6-8 peaches (more or less is ok)

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup flour 

3 large eggs, beaten

3 Tablespoons of butter

3 Tablespoons of Cream Cheese

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Pie crust (homemade or store bought)

• Roll out pie crust and place in pie tin. 
• With mixer beat butter and cream cheese til softened. 
• Add sugar to mixing bowl and beat til incorporated.
• Add eggs, flour, and vanilla. 
• In pie crust place sliced and peeled peaches in rows.  I like to take one peach and spread it out on one 1/8 section of the pie and keep going until I get a nice look.  
• Slowly pour mixture over peaches in pie crust to fill crust.  
• Bake at 375 or 400 until set and crust is a nice golden brown.  Should not be "jiggly" when cooked. 
• Cool and serve! 

Papaya Love

When we can get fresh (good) papaya I go a bit nuts.
I think I'm eating two papayas a week
mainly making these yummies...

Papaya Smoothies

Chopped papaya (I usually use about 1-2 cups of papaya)
Ice Cubes (also 1-2 cups)
Milk (just enough to cover ice and papaya)
Vanilla
Cinnamon
(and sometimes I add a bit of honey if papaya's not really sweet)
AND
Sometimes I'll add a Tablespoon or two of Greek Yogurt

Blend until good and frothy!

On Cookie Transport

The boys went to the lake this past weekend 

and I thought of a new way 

to carry cookies!

1.  Make cookies!  (These were Snickerdoodles, a good traveling cookie.)

2.  Cut two strips of waxed paper, criss-cross and tape. (measure around outside of a clean "Pringle chip" type can and add 3-4" to determine length of strips.)

3.  Place strips in can with cross near top of can. 

4.  Hold ends of strips and start stacking cookies!  You will slowly lower them into the can as you add cookies. 

The boys report that the cookies traveled without breaking and stayed fresh!  Great for fishing or camping trips! 

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.