Cooking With Mary 10/19/16

Pastry:
3 cups flour1 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
7 to 8 TBSP ice water

Blend flour, salt, and shortening with a pastry blender until it starts to stick together (about the size of peas), then add water until it forms a ball when stirred with a fork. Finish forming the ball with your hands. Divide into two pieces (2/3 and 1/3 of dough). Roll 2/3 of dough into a 14 inch square and cut into 4 squares. Roll the remaining dough into a rectangle, then cut into 2 squares. Set aside.

6 tart apples, such as Jonathans or Granny Smith.
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp apple pie spice
nuts (optional)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup water

Peel and core apples, removing all seeds. Make sure bottoms of apples are flat and set each one on a pastry square. Fill with cinnamon, sugar, apple pie spice, and nuts (optional). Bring up opposite corners of pastry square together and seal. Do the same with the other 2 corners. Place in an ungreased baking dish. Stirring constantly, bring brown sugar and water to a boil. Pour over apples and bake at 425 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Cooking With Mary 10/5/16
(From Autumn in a Jiffy – A Gooseberry Patch Cookbook

8 ounces softened cream cheese
1/4 cup or half stick butter, softened
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 ounces toffee bits, divided

Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add sugars and vanilla. Mix well. Set aside 14 cup toffee bits and add remaining toffee bits to the cream cheese mixture. Stir until well blended. Cover and refrigerate overnight or several hours. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits over top of dip. Served with fruit and graham crackers for dipping. Serves 8 to 10.

Cooking With Mary 9/28/16

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup pumpkin
2 cups apples, peeled and chopped

Combine first 5 ingredients and set aside. Combine eggs, pumpkin, and oil. Add to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened.Gently stir in apples. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Sprinkle with streusel topping (see below). Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Streusel Topping:
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 tsp butter

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 TBSP lite corn syrup
8 oz can Pillsbury Refrigerated quick Crescent Dinner Rolls
2 T Sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more to taste; I use 3/4 tsp)1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 375 degrees. IN a small bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup. Blend well. Spread in bottom of ungreased 9 inch square pan. Separate dough into four rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. IN small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Spinkle evenly over each rectangle. Place 2 TBSP pecans on each rectangle.

Starting at shorter side, roll up each rectangle and seal edges. Cut into five equal slices. Place cut side down over brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool upright in pan for one minute. Then place on serving platter or in foil. Serve warm or cool. Makes 20 rolls.

by Mary Hankins

3 packages Lorna Doone cookies rolled into fine crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
one package cream cheese softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla or more to taste
1 small container Cool Whip
1 package instant fudge or chocolate pudding mix
1 cup skim or 2 % milk

Add butter/margarine to Lorna Doone crumbs and stir until thoroughly mixed and moistened. Press into a 9″ x 13″ pan. Freeze for 30 to 45 minutes.

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together until fluffy and creamy. Add vanilla and fold in one cup Cool Whip until smooth. When ready, spread over frozen crust with knife or spatula. Place in fridge.

Make pudding, with the milk, according to the package directions. Mix with mixer until smooth.

Spread pudding over cream cheese mixture, then top with additional Cool Whip. Break up one or two Twix bars and sprinkle over top. Drizzle with Kraft caramel topping (just enough to add flavor and color).

Keep refrigerated or frozen. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal
1 1/4 boiling water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil or olive oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 scant tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Pour boiling water over oatmeal. Stir and set aside.
Combine sugar, brown sugar, and oil until well blended. Add eggs and stir until smooth.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Alternating flour mixture with oatmeal mixture, add slowly to sugar/egg mixture, stirring in between.
Add vanilla. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
Pour in a 13x9x2 inch cake pan coated with cooking spray or butter.Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the center of the cake, comes out clean.

Topping
Combine 1 cup brown sugar, 6 TBSP melted butter, 1 cup pecans, 1 cup coconut (optional), 1/4 cup evaporated milk, and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until smooth. Pour over top of cake. Place under broiler for 2 minutes or until brown and crunchy.

1 German chocolate cake mix, baked according to pkg directions, in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan (including oil, eggs, and water).
1 cup Smuckers caramel ice cream topping1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 carton cool whip
3 – 4 crushed Heath bars or Bits O Brickle bits.

When cake comes out of the oven, poke holes with a fork or rounded handle of wooden spoon. Pour condensed milk over the top and let set for a moment. Pour on caramel topping and refrigerate for an hour. Top with cool whip and Heath bars.

There are other versions of this cake… made with regular chocolate or angel food cake… torn into little pieces or layered.

There are also several names for this cake… call it what you want… I call it fabulous.

Spray bottom of bundt pan or 13 x 9 inch pan with non stick spray and place nuts in the bottom. Place 20 to 25 frozen dinner rolls on top of the nuts and sprinkle with dry butterscotch pudding mix.

Pour on half a stick of melted butter, then sprinkle one half cup brown sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon over all. Top with wax paper and place in the oven overnight (do not turn on oven).

The next morning, the rolls will be thawed and risen. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 to 25 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the rolls. Place a 15 x 9 jelly roll pan over the top and invert. Thus, nuts are on top. Serve warm with coffee.

2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 cup sugar divided
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract1 cup chopped pecans
2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
3 eggs
1 cup whipping cream

In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, 1/4 cup sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pecans and pour into a greased nine inch square pan. Toss apples with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.

In a bowl, combine eggs, cream, and remaining sugar. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

1 yellow cake mix…prepared according to package directions.  While still warm:  poke holes in cake with the handle of a wooden spoon.  Pour one can eagle brand milk over top.  Let cool.  Pour on can of cream of coconut over the top (will be very thick).  Spread over the top of cake then refrigerate for at least one hour.  Frost with an 8 oz. carton of cool whip.  (I use extra creamy)  Cover top with 2 cups coconut.  Keep refrigerated.