Butterscotch Cinnamon Scones

Today's baking experiment was a COMPLETE HIT!  I don't think I have heard my kids rave so much over something that I have made before.  As they were eating them, I heard things like "SUPER GOOD!" "REALLY GOOD!" "REALLY REALLY GOOD!"  over and over again.  It was really cute.

This is a recipe that I found on King Arthur Flour, but made some minor modifications to it...as usual.  LOL!

SCONES:

Mix together in a bowl:
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 tsp salt

Cut in with a pastry cutter:
1/2 cup cold butter (1 stick)

Add:
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup milk

Once combined, add:
1 cup butterscotch chips

On a really well floured silicone mat, roll scone batter into a 9" square.

In a bowl, prepare
FILLING:

Cut together:
5 Tablespoons cold butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon

Add:
2 1/2 Tablespoons water

Spread filling over entire surface of scone batter.  Then, fold down the top of the dough, fold up the bottom, and fold in the sides.  Like you are sealing an envelope.  Cut into triangles or squares.  Whatever shape you want your scones and how ever many you want of them.  You can do smaller scones or larger ones.  I did 8 triangle scones.  But, they were REALLY LARGE.  The King Arthur recipe says it can make anywhere from 12-54 scones.  I separated the scones slightly and spread them out on the silicone mat.  Then, put the mat on a cookie sheet.  I placed this in the freezer for the scones to chill while I preheated my oven. At the most, leave the scones in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Bake the scones at 425 degrees for 16-20 minutes.  My 8 were done in 18 minutes.  Just watch them and remove them from the oven when they are golden brown.

Prepare
GLAZE: 



In a bowl, combine:
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
7 Tablespoons water

Remove scones from the oven and let them cool on cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes.  Carefully remove the scones to a cooling rack with wax paper placed under it.  Drizzle the glaze over the scones and let the glaze set up before serving.

Broccoli Cheddar Noodle Soup with Wholesome Whole-Grain Bread

This soup was inspired by a soup that I use to get at a restaurant when we lived in Ohio.  I've found recipes for Broccoli Cheddar Soup, but never a Broccoli Cheddar Noodle Soup.  I was hungry for it so I thought that I would give it a shot.  I found a few different recipes and ended up deciding to take a Cheddar soup and modify it.  It really turned out great.  I made a Wholesome Whole-Grain bread that was slightly crunchy on the outside, but soft on the inside.  Perfect to be served with soup.  I started the bread first and then started the soup after I got the bread into the oven.  It was really great timing.

Wholesome Whole-Grain Bread:

In a large bowl, place:
3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup unprocessed bran
2 tsp honey

Add over the top:

2 cups boiling water

Let that stand for 30 minutes. Then, add:
2 tsp canola oil
2 tsp salt
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 packages)

Place mixture in mixer fitted with dough hook attachment.  Mix on low speed.

Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until a stiff dough form and then Kneed dough until smooth and elastic. 
3-4 cups all-purpose flour (I think I used a total of 3 3/4)

Place dough in a large greased bowl turning to coat.  Cover and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down dough and then turn out dough onto floured silicone mat.  Shape dough into a round loaf.  Cover and let rise again for 45 minutes.

Slash the top of the loaf in a checkerboard pattern and then brush loaf with milk.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.  Bread should sound hollow when tapped.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Broccoli Cheddar Noodle Soup:

In a large pot saute:
6 Tablespoons butter
4 small cloves of garlic

Add:
4 cups of low sodium stock (1 container)
2 cups fat free half and half
2 cups skim milk
2 cups sharp cheddar shredded cheese
2 - 10 oz. frozen broccoli  pieces thawed
Salt & Pepper to taste
12 oz. package of kluski noodles or other egg noodle

Bring to a boil and then simmer on low until noodles and broccoli are tender.  This can be served garnished with some additional cheese if desired.

Brown Sugar Pinwheel Cookies

I was planning to make Snicker-doodle cookies this weekend, but I didn't have enough shortening.  So, I opted to make these Brown Sugar Pinwheel Cookies.  I haven't made them in YEARS.  I think that the last time that I made them was living in our first house...which was 4 houses ago! LOL!  I don't know why I haven't made them....they are yummy and pretty too!

Beat together:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

Add:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Beat the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla together until it is light and creamy.

Then add:
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt

Once the dough is completely combined, remove half of the dough onto a silicone mat.

To the remaining dough left in the mixer, add:
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Roll the white dough out onto the silicone mat then add the chocolate dough on top of that patting down.  Once I have all of the chocolate on top of the white, I roll it out into a large rectangle about the size of the mat.  The chocolate dough will be on top of the white dough.  Once it is all rolled out, you will roll up the dough jelly roll style starting with the longest side.  Roll the dough up into a tight log, wrap with the silicone mat, and freeze for about 30 minutes until it is solid.

Slice the dough into 1/4 inch thick slices and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 12-13 minutes.

My style LÄRABAR - Additional Flavors

I originally posted a Cherry Pie flavor which was made with dried cranberries, but since then I have been playing around with different flavor combinations of the LÄRABAR.  We really like having these healthy snacks on hand.   We have even stopped purchasing other types of bars and gone to making these exclusively.  People have asked about altering the recipe, so I thought I would share some that we really like.

Follow the recipe for making these in the other post.  However, I have found that if you add a little of the nuts to the food processor when you are chopping the dates it helps.

Cashew Cookie:

1 cup cashews
1/2 cup dates

The other 2 recipes are just modifications of the orginal recipe I posted.  But, instead of dried cranberries....I use other dried fruit.  I really think that the cherry one is by far my favorite.

Very Cherry:

1 1/4 cup dates
1 cup dried cherries (they sell a generic one at Walmart, but the Sunsweet ones are much softer)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup almonds

I tried an apple pie version with fresh fruit, but they were entirely too sticky.  The dried fruit version turned out much better!!

Apple Pie:

1 1/4 cup dates
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup dried apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup almonds

Blueberry Scones

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees.

Cut together with pastry cutter:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter

Mix 1 egg into 3/4 cup heavy cream or skim milk.

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients with fork.

Add 1 cup blueberries.

Mix together then dump out on floured surface and combine till makes a ball (about 6 times).

Pat dough into circle about 3/4 inch thick.

Cut into 8 triangles but don't cut all the way through.
 *This is the step that I forgot this time so pictures do not show it cut...oops!!*

Sprinkle the top of the scone dough with sugar.

Bake 425 degrees for 23 minutes till brown.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

I've had several people request for me to post this recipe.  We had company last night and this is what I made and it was a big hit.  Our company requested the recipe so I figured it was a good time to post the recipe.  This recipe is a favorite in our house.  It started out as a vegetable tortellini soup and my kids were not too crazy about the spinach in that one.  I loved it.  I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner one night and I decided to modify that recipe and make some substitutions with ingredients that I had on hand.  This recipe has been in our rotation ever since!

Saute in a pan the following ingredients:

A couple of Tablespoons of Olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan (I never measure it)
3-4 carrots sliced
3-4 small cloves of garlic
2 stalks of celery sliced
1 package baby portebella mushrooms sliced

Once the carrots are fork tender, add the following to the pot:

1 large container reduced sodium chicken broth/stock
2 Tablespoons parsley
1 Tablespoon basil
(Although most of the time I just add by the handful my parsley and basil)

Once it all comes to a boil, simmer the soup for 30 minutes on a medium-low heat.

Add 2 cups of 4 cheese Tortellini (I purchase Barilla and it is in pasta isle...it's usually on the bottom shelf)

Simmer for 11 minutes additional stirring occationally.

In case you were wondering about the bread sticks pictured:

I did serve this soup with homemade bread sticks.  I modified another recipe that is posted on here on my blog under Pepperoni Rolls.  I followed the recipe as it calls for until it is time to shape them into rolls after the 1st rise.  I rolled them into ropes, placed them on a cookie sheet, coated them with egg whites, let them rise the 2nd time, and just before putting in the oven to bake they got another egg white coating and a dusting of a Parmesan & basil mixture.  They were delicious!  Next time I would roll them a little thinner, but totally a keeper!

Cinnamon Spiral Cookies

These cookies are so simple!  If you like cookies that are not-too-sweet then these are probably for you!  I may end up adding a touch of sugar to the cookie dough next time.  Plus, I think I may play around with the filling for inside these.  But, definitely worth posting!

Combine in mixer until soft and creamy:

2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)

Add:

1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Do you believe it?....That is  your cookie dough!!!

Pat the dough into an approximate 15" x 12" rectangle on a silicone mat and freeze dough for 30 minutes on a flat surface.

Mix together:

2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Spread this mixture onto the top of the dough once it is solid.  Roll up the dough tightly starting on the longest side.

Wrap the silicone mat around the log of cookie dough and freeze for an additional 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Once dough is solid, slice into 1/4 inch thick slices to 1/2 inch slices.  The biggest problem I had with this dough is that the sugar poured out of the dough as I sliced it.   So, I ended up dipping each slice in the cinnamon sugar to coat the bottom before placing it on my baking sheet.  Bake cookies for 12 minutes.  Enjoy!

Fudge Brownies

I have had a brownie recipe that I have loved for year; however, I never had that crackly top that I like.  So, I thought I would give these a shot.  I wasn't happy with them the first time I made them, but with some modifications to the recipe....these are FANTASTIC!!!

Place 2 sticks of unsalted butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes until the butter is melted.

Add:

2 1/4 cup sugar and stir

Microwave again for 1 1/2 minutes.  Remove from microwave and stir.

Then, microwave again for another 30 seconds.

This mixture should be shiny, but not boiling.

In another bowl, add:

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp vanilla

Combine above and then add:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Add:

1 package (2 cups) milk chocolate chips

Mixture should still be warm so that the chips melt as you stir or at least mostly melt.

Bake in a 9x13 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Allow these to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Homemade Wheat Pizza

We use to buy a pre-made wheat pizza crust when we lived in South Carolina, but we can't find it here.  We found a pizza place that we just loved here, but still needed a healthier option.  So, I started trying to find a homemade pizza crust recipe that was made with wheat flour.  This is it!  We haven't bought a pizza since!

This recipe makes 2 large, thick crust pizzas.  But, you can roll it thinner if you like....even 1/2 the recipe.

In a large bowl combine and let stand until foamy:

3 cups warm water (110 degrees)
2 tsp white sugar
2 Tbsp active dry yeast (or 3 packages)

In Mixer with dough hook attachment:

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt

Add the yeast mixture and combine.

Add:

4 cups whole wheat flour

Once combined, add:

2 cups white flour

Allow flour to incorporate and then add:

1 cup white flour

Knead dough with mixer until all of the flour is absorbed.

Place dough into a greased bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise in warm place for 1 hour.

Punch down dough and split into 2 balls (for 2 pizzas).  Cover and allow to rise again in warm place for an additional 45 minutes.

Roll out dough on a floured cookie sheet, top with pizza sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you would like.

Bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes for thick crust.  If you do thin crust, check it at 16 minutes or so.

Simply Sinful Cinnamon Muffins

We went to church last night which I love because I have Sunday morning to relax and even have the opportunity to do some baking.  I had printed this recipe off the King Arthur's website about a week ago and put it in my pile of "want to trys".  Well, today was the day.  I must say...these are yummy!!!  The only issue that I had with the recipe is that the muffin pan was extremely full and started to overflow slightly.  But, I put a cookie sheet under them and that solved the problem.  One of my kids declared these the "best muffin ever!"....so, they must be good!

Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup diced pecans
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
3 tablespoons soft butter

Filling
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter
3 to 4 tablespoons water

Batter
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
 

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake papers, or grease it lightly.

Prepare the topping by mixing the ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside. 

Prepare the filling with enough water to make filling with a soft, pudding-like consistency. I used 3 Tablespoons, but I might do a little less water the next time I made these.  Set it aside.

To make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, milk, and eggs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including the chips. Add the dry mixture to the liquid, stirring just until combined.

Divide half the batter evenly among the muffin cups. 

Dollop 2 teaspoons cinnamon filling onto each muffin...then top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle with topping, pressing it in lightly.

 

Before I pressed down lightly on the topping batter, they looked like this...
 

Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, or until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and wait 5 minutes before transferring them from the pan to a rack to cool. Yield: 12 muffins.

I mixed up a little powdered sugar and milk to make a simple glaze and drizzled it on top of the muffins for the end result...

Here is the recipe link if you are interested in printing it from King Arthur's site:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/simply-sinful-cinnamon-muffins-recipe

Whole-Wheat Sandwich Thins

I love the Arnold's Orowheat Sandwich Thins, but thought that I would attempt making some from scratch.  I figure that they have to be better for us this way!  So, I found a recipe and gave it a shot.  I might experiment a little more with substituting the sugar for honey....but, wanted to give these a try first before I start experimenting.  We are having these with cheeseburgers this evening for dinner.  I'm trying to use some of my baking powers for good...not for evil!  LOL!  These turned out beautifully....a little thicker than a sandwich thin...but, still perfect.  I guess I could have spread them out a little more.


Ingredients:

1 package active dry yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups buttermilk (at room temperature)
1/4 cup molasses
2 tsp salt
2 tsp distilled white vinegar
4 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 - 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour plus additional for dusting
 
1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and granulated sugar in warm water.  Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.

 2.  Mix together buttermilk, molasses, salt, and vinegar.  Stir into yeast mixture.  I didn't have buttermilk so I just added 2 Tbsp vinegar to the milk to sour it.

3.  Using dough hook attachment to the mixer, add whole-wheat flour into the yeast mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, until a stiff dough forms.

4.  Add remaining all-purpose flour and allow mixer to knead the dough for 5-10 minutes.  Turn the dough out into a large greased bowl, turning to coat.  Cover loosely with a damp cloth; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about an hour.

Dough before rise:

Dough after rise:

5.  Grease 2 large baking sheets or use silicone mats.  Punch down dough.  On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic, 1 to 2 minutes.  Using hands, roll dough into a flat rope.  Cut into 16 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a small, flat roll.

6.  Place rolls, 3 to 4 inches apart, on prepared baking sheets.  Using a fork, prick tops of rolls.  Cover loosely with a towel; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

7.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brush roll tops with water and dust with all-purpose flour.

8.  Bake rolls until lightly browned, 30 minutes.  Transfer rolls to a wire rack to cool slightly.  These can be served warm.

Gingersnap cookies

This is the 2nd time I have made these in the past couple of days.  My kids devour them and my husband would be happy just eating the dough.  We do have a huge debate going, however, as to if these should be crisp or chewy.  I like them crisp....thus the snap...lol.  But, everyone else likes them chewy.  So, this round I went a little less on the baking time.  But, that is the wonderful thing about them.....you can adjust for your tastes.  Plus, I left a little of the dough in the freezer for hubby.  :)


Cream together:

1 stick of butter
1 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Once light and fluffy, add:

2 eggs

Then, add:

1/3 cup molasses

add:

2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 tsp ginger

Once combined, add:

3 cups all-purpose flour

Freeze the dough in a log until solid.

Slice frozen log into thin cookies.  The thinner you slice them the crisper they will be. Bake them at 350 degrees for 7-12 minutes depending on your taste and thickness of the cookie.  Mine were baked about 10 minutes.  The edges should be slightly brown.

Cherry Pie Bars (My style LÄRABAR)

I have set out on a mission to make some homemade style bars that are like a LÄRABAR.  If you have ever had a LÄRABAR, you know that they are absolutely delicious, but extremely expensive.  If you have never experienced them, you are certainly missing out.  One of the advantages of making them myself, in addition to them being less expensive, is that the flavor combinations are limitless.  Plus, you can make one bar or several bars at a time and make them whatever size you want to make them.  LÄRABARS are normally 200 calories.  That's a lot when you are looking for a quick snack!

I decided to attempt making them because a LÄRABAR is only made of a few ingredients.  I would have never guessed that they were so simple!!  In fact, I didn't even know that I liked dates!  LOL!  But, they taste like brown sugar to me.  According to LÄRABAR's website, a "LÄRABAR is a delicious blend of fruits, nuts and spices - energy in its purest form. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains two to nine ingredients. Pure and simple, just as nature intended."  They make them in many different flavors and you can find those on their website:

http://www.larabar.com/food/larabar/cherry-pie

My first trial of making these went really well.  My 4 year old is asking to eat them, so I took that as a sign that I should post the recipe on my blog.  I plan to experiment with additional flavors as well and will post those once I master them.

For my first trial of these bars.  I decided to go for a Cherry Pie flavored bar.  I had some dried cranberries already on hand so it was the perfect option.  I know that LÄRABAR uses unsweetened cherries, but this was much easier for me.

1 1/4 cup dates
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup almonds

I only have a tiny food processor.  I have never needed a big one, but if I start making large batches of these....I may need to invest in one.

1. Chop all of the nuts together until they are the consistency you want them in the bars.  I left small chunks of nuts in my mixture and didn't grind them down as far as you could.  But, that is a personal preference.  Place the nuts in a bowl and set aside.

2.  Put the dried cranberries in the food processor and chop them up till they are fine.  Place cranberries in the bowl with the nuts and set aside.

3.  Put the dates into the food processor and pulse the food processor until the dates are in a paste-like state.  I did it in 2 batches because they get really thick and clump up.  After smooth, place dates into the bowl with the other ingredients.

4.  Combine all of the ingredients.  You can use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula, but I found it easier to get my hands in there and combine it all.  I'm sure that my kids would really enjoy this part since it's like playing with playdough.

5.  Roll the mixture out onto a silicone mat into a rectangle.  I decided to go for square shape and cut them into 12 smaller bars.  I thought this would be better for a quick snack or for the kids to eat them.  You can make them into larger bars if you desire.  Shaping them into the bars is probably the most difficult part.  I used a large chef's knife to press the edges into a square shape and then cut them into pieces.

6.  Wrap each bar in plastic wrap or place in snack sized sandwich bags...that is what I did.

Nutritional Facts based on 12 smaller bars:

Serving Size 36g

Amount Per Serving
Calories 115 Calories from Fat 52
Total Fat 5.8g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 1mg
Total Carbohydrates 16.1g
Dietary Fiber 2.7g
Sugars 12.3g
Protein 2.4g