Irish Soda Bread

4 c. Flour

4 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

4 tbsp butter, softened

1 1/2 c. milk

1 egg

1/4 c. whipping cream

1 c. raisins (or currants)

optional: 1 tbsp. melted butter + brown sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375. 

Add softened butter to flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Incorporate through the dough.

Mix milk and egg, and slowly add to the batter.

Fold in whipping cream.

Add raisins (or currants) and incorporate slowly throughout.

Mix dough. It will be wet.  Knead on a floured surface until the dough holds together nicely.  Make an X or a snowflake with a serrated knife. Using a plastic baggie, pipe the butter and brown sugar mixture into the X or snowflake shape on top of the bread.

Bake for 40 min.

Enjoy!

Baird McClure's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 c. sour cream

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. baking powder

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. almond flavoring

1 c. brown sugar

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped almonds or pecans

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs.

Add sour cream and flour alternately.

Add the rest of the ingredients. For best results, let stand until batter reaches room temperature.

Grease pan, add half the batter for one cake. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar. Add the other half for one cake. (makes 3 cakes total). Sprinkle the top with crushed almonds, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Bake 25 min. @ 350 °. Freezes well.

Baird Mclure was a friend of my Granny B's. I think she lived near us when we had a house on Richardson St.  She was a dear lady and an excellent cook.  Her coffee cake recipe can't be beat!

Peanut Butter Granola

Ok, so the title is a nod to one of my favorite bloggers (Hi Megan). I just read her amazing book, and I recommend it for sure! Go get yourself a copy right now!

And the granola? It is my recipe. And it's just stinkin' awesome. (Did I mention it's easy and quick?)

2 c. peanut butter

1 c. honey

4 scant cups quick oats (small rolled oats)

quick handful mixed nuts

a few squirts crisco spray all over top

1. Melt peanut butter on high for 20 sec., Add honey and microwave another 10-15 sec.

2. Add quick oats and stir

3. Add nuts and a few more squirts of honey

4. Add a few more squirts of crisco. 

5. Spread on a cookie sheet and press down a bit with a spoon.

5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 min. Turn down to 325 and bake another 15-20 min. or until lightly browned. You might want to stir about half way through to keep from burning!

YUM!

Beck Family Pumpkin Bread

This is a family favorite. Stephen loves to make it with the kids every Fall.

Ingredients:

1 15. oz. can pumpkin (we use Libby's)

4 eggs

3/4 c. oil

3 c. flour

 1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg (opt.)

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ginger (opt.)

1 c. chocolate chips

Mix dry

mix wet

add dry to wet

Fold in chocolate chips

bake 1 hr. on 350º

 or until toothpick inserted

comes out clean!

It will smell very good in your house all day when you make this!

Notes: adding a tiny touch more oil will make it more moist.

Extra chocolate chips also welcome. They make it yummy.

makes 2 loaves

For a healthier alteration, substitute 1/3 c. coconut oil and 2/3 c. applesauce for the oil.

Healthy Yummy Pancakes with Walnuts

I made the mix the night before, to simplify the process the morning of.

Walnut & Blueberry Flaxseed Pancakes
1 1/2 c. flour
2 tbsp. flaxseed
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4c. milk
2 eggs
1 tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. honey or brown sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts
Combine your dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and cook in butter! Serve with molasses or blueberry syrup (and butter).

Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Scones!

chocolate chip scones!

Once I discovered the recipe for Shortcake on the back of the Bisquick box, I went hogwild with ideas. 

Adding sugar to a biscuit recipe makes it dessert? Sign me up.

I recently went grocery shopping in search or Bisquick, but couldn't find it.  I am sadly dependent on the box mix, as opposed to dicing butter for the perfect biscuit.

I found a great alternate plan, and these AMAZING chocolate chip scones were born.

Recipe:

3 1/4 c. Southern Biscuit Flour (with shortening flakes)

1 1/4 c. buttermilk

1 c. mini chocolate chips

3 tbsp. sugar

butter for brushing

drop biscuit style- and bake on 450 for 10 minutes! 

Enjoy! 

....for a snack, for dessert, or for breakfast!

Banana Almond Muffins

If you make these for little ones, hold off on the almonds for half of the muffins. Sprinkle some nutmeg on the muffins that do have almonds- that way you'll be able to tell them apart when they come out of the oven.

These are delicious! Enjoy.

1 3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar or honey
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg
1/2 c. milk
2 1/2 overripe bananas
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1/4 c. cooking oil
brown sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 400. Grease 12 muffin cups.

2. In medium bowl combine flour, sugar (or honey), baking powder, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture, set aside.

3. In another bowl combine egg, milk, oil, bananas, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture and stir just until moist.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, 2/3 full. Sprinkle brown sugar over muffins.

5. Bake for 18-20 min. or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 min. Serve warm.

adapted from Better Homes and Gardens cookbook

Crispy Peach Pancakes

We ran out of eggs, but never fear... use peach yogurt as a substitute for eggs.

Recipe for Creative Crispy Peach Pancakes

1 c. flour

2 tbsp. cornmeal

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. (or a pinch) cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar or honey

add to dry ingredients:

1 container peach and cereal yogurt (or cherry- any flavor really)

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

3/4 c. milk

cook in a scant tablespoon of oil on medium heat.

These were positively delicious.

To double it:

2 c. flour

4tbsp. cornmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

yogurt

2 tbsp. oil

1- 1 1/4 c. milk

for fun- mini chocolate chips

Also try my recipe for walnut pancakes!

Ham and Cheese Quiche or Sausage and Cheese Quiche

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients for the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) regular butter, very-cold, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 to 8 Tbsp ice water

Ingredients for the filling:

• 4 eggs
• Butter
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c. half and half
• diced ham or crumbled sausage, pre-cooked
• chunks of parmesan and cheddar cheese

Instructions: Put crust ingredients in food processor and blend, slowly adding water at the end. Cold crust is essential to crispy texture. If your dough is too warm, put it in the freezer for a little while.

Roll out dough using plenty of flour. Grease pan or baking dish and press into pan.

Saute onions on the stove, cool. Raw onion tastes good, too though! Whisk eggs, milk, and half and half. Fold in ham and cheese, and onions.

Put filling in crust and bake for 40 min. on 350 degrees.

Made this quiche with sausage January 2017