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.
One of our local farmer’s market vendors makes delicious, fruit-filled Kolache. When the summer breezes fade and we move into the brisk fall temperatures, our local markets pack up and disappear until the next market season. How I miss the delicious kolache’s flaky pastry when they are no longer available at our summer market. I came up with this recipe out of desperation… during the off-season my addiction for the sweet treat is more than I can bare. I came up with this recipe after reviewing several other traditional recipes on the web. I mimic the flavors and texture of the farmer’s market pastry by combining several recipe ideas. My recipe for large, 4-fold kolache bundles with homemade jam filling and a cream cheese dough is simple to make and yields a tender, flaky pastry that contrasts beautifully with the tangy or sweet fillings.
Kolache Bundles
For the dough
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
Optional: Granulated sugar for rolling
For the cream cheese filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the fruit filling
½ cup thick jam or preserves (apricot, raspberry, or cherry are classic choices)
For dusting
Powdered sugar
Instructions
Make and chill the dough
In a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add the flour and salt, and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
Divide the dough into two equal portions and flatten each into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight. Chilling makes the dough easier to handle and prevents the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
Prepare the fillings
For the cream cheese filling, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and creamy. You can place this mixture into a piping bag for easier filling.
Assemble and bake the large cookies
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a surface lightly dusted with flour or powdered sugar, roll out one chilled dough disc to about ¼-inch thickness.
Trim the edges to form a large square, then cut the dough into four large squares (about 4×4 inches).
Spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese filling and ½ teaspoon of the fruit jam into the center of each dough square.
Take two opposite corners of a square and fold them toward the center, overlapping the tips slightly. Pinch the seam together gently to seal. Repeat with the remaining two corners.
Continue the process with the remaining dough and filling, placing the shaped kolaches on the parchment-lined baking sheets. For extra security, you can brush the corners with a little water.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. While still warm, generously dust them with powdered sugar.
Place dollops of sweet jam on each pastry squareI use homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam.Homemade flavorsFold into bundles carefully securing the cornersSome will turn out a bit wonky but will always taste delicious!
I absolutely love our Zojirushi Bread Machine and this is one of our favorite recipes. Adding cottage cheese, pickle juice and fresh herbs makes for a delicious and tender (2 lb) sandwich loaf. Yummmm!
Dilly Pickle Juice Bread
1 1/3 cup cream-style cottage cheese
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1 egg. beaten
4 cups bread flour
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped or 2 1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons active bread yeast
Fill bread machine baking pan in the order listed. Use Basic setting use medium crust.
I bought several lemon cake mixes at the beginning of the summer as I like to make a lemon jello cake every once in a while. This week, while going through my recipe box, I remembered a quick cake mix bar that I used to make for my kids lunch box meals. It’s a moist and dense bar with a lemony glaze that packs a punch! My family likes to top this bar with a dollop of vanilla ice cream for a summer evening treat.
Lemon Cake Mix Bars
Ingredients
For the bars:
1 box lemon cake mix
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white baking chips
2 eggs
For the glaze:
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest, optional
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare a 7×11” or 9×9” baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs.
Stir until blended.
Stir in baking chips. Pat into baking pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-22 minutes or until light golden brown.
Cool completely.
Mix powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice to make a glaze.
-SUPER EASY cheesy snack. For those watching your carbs, give this recipe a try!
1 package of sliced cheddar cheese
1 Tbs. everything bagel seasoning mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cheese slices lengthwise and widthwise to make four smaller squares. Sprinkle with bagel seasoning mix and place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes.Remove rounds from cookie sheet and place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Cool completely.You can use whatever flavor cheese you like. Sprinkle with any seasoning you like. Enjoy as a flavorful cracker, crisp, or dipper. Serve on top of a salad instead of croutons. Enjoy as a crisp chip… These disappear fast!
If you’re looking for a quick and delicious recipe to satisfy your sweet tooth, this is it! These tasty bars are packed with flavor and are great for a quick, on-the-go breakfast, a packable lunch box treat, or an after dinner dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If desired, switch up the filling with whatever flavors you have on hand… I’ve used strawberry- rhubarb jam, strawberry preserves, and blueberry spice spread.
Easy Cherry Oat Bars
18 1⁄2ounce box white cake mix
2 cups quick cooking oats
3⁄4cup butter, melted
1 cup cherry preserves
1 tablespoon water
1⁄2cup pecans, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray with cooking spray a 9×13” pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, oats and butter until butter has been evenly distributed and mixture is crumbly.
Press two-thirds of the oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. (I use the bottom of a square plastic bowl to firmly pack the mixture in place.)
In a separate bowl, mix the preserves with water and carefully spread over the crust.
Add pecans to the remaining one-third of the oat mixture and crumble this over the top of the cherry layer.
Bake 375 for 28-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and the center doesn’t collapse when you press lightly.
This tasty goulash comes together quickly… Perfect for a mid-week meal or to inexpensively feed a crowd. Serve over corkscrew pasta with a crispy side salad and some crusty garlic bread for a winning family meal with plenty of leftovers.
Midwest Goulash
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 pound ground chicken
1 pound mild Italian Sausage
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 jar Bertolli 5 Cheese Pasta Sauce
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves, (remove after cooking)
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( to taste)
2 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
Small bouquet of fresh type, oregano, basil, rosemary tied in kitchen twine.
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven, sauté ground beef, chicken, and sausage over medium-high heat until browned. (Breaking up the meat into large chunks.)
Add garlic and onions and cook until tender.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Remove fresh herb bouquet and bay leaves. Serve over pasta or rice with garlic bread on the side. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
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
Filled with an abundance of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, these jumbo cookies are a better alternative to most breakfast pastries. A half-cup measure is used to deposit the flavorful batter on to parchment lined cookie sheets. The result…hearty fruit and nut studded cookies that can be packed into a lunchbox or slipped into a zip-lock bag for a quick mealtime treat.
Ingredients
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted
½ cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
½ cup raisins or chopped dates
½ cup finely chopped dried mango
1 cup banana chips
1/2 cup measured batter
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a very large bowl, mix together flours, oats, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add oil and sugar; beat until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Add vanilla and coconut extract; beat until just combined.
Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until well combined. By hand, Mix in nuts, seeds, and dried fruit, as the batter will be very thick.
Form dough into 19-21 cookies (using 1/2 cup measurement for each), and place on parchment-lined baking sheets (approx. 5 cookies per sheet). Press 3 banana chips into the top of cookie. Flatten cookie slightly/evenly and reshape accordingly. Bake until golden and firm, 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets, about 30 minutes. Store in air-tight container.
Before baking…After baking…
Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe, September 2012
I stumbled on this recipe in a cookbook I bought at a local library book sale. This is an excellent recipe… So delicious as it has a crunchy, nutty bottom crust with a moist and flavorful cake on top. It’s sure to become a family favorite!
Sour Cream Apple Squares
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup chopped nuts
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, room temperature, beaten
2 cups chopped peeled tart apples
Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly. Stir in nuts. Press about 2-3/4 cups into an ungreased 13×9-in. baking pan.
2. To the remaining crumb mixture, add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt, sour cream, vanilla and egg. Combine thoroughly. Stir in apples. Spoon evenly over crust. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 