This is a fun idea for an inexpensive homemade gift. Make a batch to share with family and friends this holiday season.
Sugar Cookie Coffee Creamer
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup half and half
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp butter extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Whisk all ingredients together. Pour into air-tight decorative jars or containers. Label containers with directions to “keep refrigerated”. Store refrigerated for up to 7 days. Recipe makes enough for 5 – 4 ounce bottles.
I found a cookbook at a local resale shop last week. The book looked like it had never been opened. As I thumbed through the recipes, I noticed lots of delicious looking treats. There were pages and pages of biscotti recipes, all of which were made from a foundation of cake mix and other pantry items. The Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti recipe caught my eye so I quickly purchased the book for 78 cents.
Bargain Buy – Second Hand CookbookForm dough into rectangular bars before baking
This weekend I made a batch. I had to use dried cherries because I had run out of dried cranberries.
Baked and Cooled BiscottiSlice and Return to Oven to Make Crisp
This turned out to be a great recipe. My family loved the sweet, crunchy exterior with mugs of piping hot coffee and tea. I’ll be making this one again!
See the recipe in the cookbook image below…
Cake Mix Biscotti
1 box white cake mix
1 cup flour
1 stick butter, melted
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup white chocolate chips
Mix everything into a stiff dough. Place two logs on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Carefully slice into 3/4” slices on diagonal. Place cut side down on cookie sheets. Bake an additional 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave biscotti to bake until dark golden and crisp.
Original Recipe but Made with Dried Cherries instead of Cranberries
While watching a local public television show, I was fascinated by the easy at which these pan biscuits came together. They aren’t cut out individually like traditional biscuits but they are incredibly fluffy, moist and flavorful as they are baked in a pan under high heat and slathered with a scrumptious glaze of butter and honey. The batter is made with simple ingredients and is perforated with a bench scraper to section out 9 biscuits and baked for 45 minutes until dark golden brown. Find this Cook’s Country recipe here. …Just so yummy!
Our apple trees produced a sizable amount of misshapen apples this season. Luckily, they are perfect for this yummy recipe. Warm cinnamon, apples, nuts and oats make this the perfect breakfast. Spoon into small Tupperware containers for a fast weekly morning meal or an on the go breakfast at the office.
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt 2 large eggs, beaten 2 cups milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the dish 2-3 baking apples, peeled and cubed, (about 2 cups)
Baked Amish Apple-Nut Oatmeal
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 11×7” baking dish with butter or cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients in the order listed. Mix well. Scatter the apples evenly on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oatmeal mixture over top and spread evenly. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the top is golden and the oats are slightly set. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with yogurt or milk, if desired.
It’s blueberry picking time and this is my new favorite recipe. Super moist and delicious…. I hope you give it a try!
COFFEE CAKE
2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 1 cup sugar 1⁄2 cup packed brown sugar 2⁄3 cup oil 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well-drained
BLUEBERRY TOPPING
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries 1⁄2 cup pecans, chopped 1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13×9” baking pan; set aside. In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In large bowl, stir together sugar, brown sugar, oil and eggs. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, stirring after addition. Fold in pineapple. Spoon batter into prepared pan. For blueberry topping: Stir together all ingredients; sprinkle evenly over batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 45 minutes.
Optional: Drizzle a glaze over the top of coffee cake after completely cooled.
I found this recipe in an old community cookbook. The ingredient ratios seemed off but I had extra buttermilk on hand and thought I’d give it a try with a few adjustments. I tweaked the flour quantity and flavor ingredients a bit and the loaf turned out splendid. I threw everything in the bread machine during the late evening hours so the bread was finished before I headed to bed. I sliced the loaf in the morning for hearty breakfast sandwiches to include bacon, eggs, and cheese. Yummers!
Dilly Buttermilk Bread (Bread Machine)
1/2 cup warm buttermilk (70° to 80°) 1/2 cup warm water 1 egg, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons butter, softened 1 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 cups bread flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoons dried dill weed 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast 1 cup buttermilk
Directions
In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in the order listed. Select basic bread setting. Choose medium crust color. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
These cookies are super cute and quite tasty. I used the Wilton Easy Cut-Out Cookie recipe to make quick work of this project. Just make the dough, pinch off a small ball, form it around the treat stick, and place your cookie cut-out on top. I used three chocolate chips to top the cookie and then popped them in the oven. Here’s the video for the Wilton recipe.
Wrap them up in a bit of cellophane and you have a lovely gift from the kitchen…
My daughter works in the healthcare industry and we all know how busy healthcare workers are right now. I thought it would be fun to bake up a batch of mini-donuts for the folks that work in her department. I’m told these were a big hit.
These couldn’t be any easier to make. The maple glaze is ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
While the blistering summer temperatures have risen to well above 90 degrees, I’m itching for cooler weather. I couldn’t resist making this delicious fall coffee cake while the kids were home this weekend. K whipped up the recipe and we sliced into the warm cake during Sunday breakfast. So good!
Cake 4 eggs 1/4 cup water 1 package yellow cake mix 1 package instant Pumpkin Spice Pudding 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sour cream
Crumble 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Glaze 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 2 to 3Tablespoons milk
Grease a 9×13” pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make the topping: In a small bowl, toss together the topping ingredients until mixed well; set aside. To make the cake: In another larger bowl, mix the eggs, water and cake mix together until blended and smooth. Add the dry pudding mix, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, oil, and sour cream; mix until combined. Put half of the batter into the pan and then add half of the mixed topping. Carefully spread the rest of the batter on top and finish the cake off with the rest of the topping. Bake the cake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the cake tests done with a toothpick inserted in the center. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack. When the cake is no longer warm, mix up your glaze. Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Add two tablespoons of milk. Drizzle the glaze over cake.
Our local library hosted a book sale this weekend. We love books so we headed to the library bright and early on Saturday morning. Before heading out, I popped this egg bake in the oven as my garden was full of fresh veggies and herbs. Served alongside fresh fruit, this is a great light summer breakfast item that is sure to please the entire family.
Veggie Egg Bake
6 large eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/2 onion, diced 1/2 bell pepper, diced 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped finely 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded salt & pepper, to taste
Grease an 11×7” baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add milk and whisk well. Add onion and bell peppers, tomatoes, and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add mixture to casserole pan; sprinkle dill and cheese evenly over top. Bake for 30-40 mins or until cooked all the way through. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 