Maple Pecan Praline Scones

Scone recipe:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into 1 Tbs. size pieces
1 c. maple pecan praline crumbs (recipe below)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. milk

For the glaze:
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup
1-2 Tbs. milk

Maple Pecan Pralines:
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 Tbs. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans
pinch of salt
2 Tbs. butter


1.  Make the Pralines:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, maple syrup, cream, and salt.  Warm over medium-high heat until boiling.

Lower heat and continue to cook until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth and bubbly.  Add the nuts and butter, simmer for 5 more minutes.  Turn off the heat, add the vanilla.

Pour mixture onto parchment paper.  Cool completely.  (You can throw them in the fridge/freezer!). Once cooled, break into small pieces.

2.  For the Scones:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

In a bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  With a pastry blender (or your fingers if you don't have one), cut in the butter until mixture resembles a course meal.

Stir in the maple praline crumbs.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.  Stir until just combined (you want the ingredients to be mostly wet, but they may not stick together in a ball, that's okay).

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball.  Pat into an 8" circle and cut into 8 wedges.

Place on prepared baking sheet.  Brush each wedge with milk.   Bake scones until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

3.  Prepare glaze:

Mix together the powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk.  Add a tiny bit more milk if needed, it should be a pourable consistency.

When scones are done, remove from oven and cool on pan for 5 minutes.
Remove from pan to a wire rack.
Top with glaze and more praline crumbs!

Beef Pot Roast

3-4 lb. beef roast (rump, chuck, 7-bone)
3 Tbs. olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1/4 c. minced onion
3 c. beef broth
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. boullion powder (or 3 cubes)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

gravy:
2 c. beef broth plus 1 extra bouillon cube
1/4 c. flour

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2.  Heat olive oil in large dutch oven pot.  Sear meat on all sides until lightly browned.
3.  Combine beef broth, Worcestershire, and all spices.  Pour over roast in pot.  Top roast with onions/garlic, pressing into seams if you can.
4.  Cover pan and place in oven.  Cook for 30 minutes.
5.  Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue to cook for 4-5 hours.  Roast is ready when it is fall apart tender.  (You can also cook on 250 for 5-6 hours).
6.  Optional:  Add potatoes (quartered) and baby sliced carrots during last hour of cooking.
7.  Remove pan from oven and rest, covered for 20-30 minutes.
8.  Remove meat, potatoes, and carrots from pan.  Heat remaining juices over medium heat.
9.  Combine the gravy ingredients and whisk until flour is incorporated.
10.  Pour beef broth/flour mixture into drippings, whisking constantly, until thickened.  Add more beef broth if it is too thick.

Serve!

adapted from therecipecritic.com

Raspberry Rice Salad

2 c. rice
4 c. water
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar (heaping)
2 tsp. vanilla
4 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. powdered sugar

16 oz. frozen raspberries
1 box Raspberry danish dessert

Combine rice, water, salt, and sugar in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, cook for 15 minutes.  Stir in 1 tsp. vanilla.  Cool completely.  (You want the rice to have a slight crunch to it.)

Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Fold into cooled rice.

Make the danish dessert and mix frozen raspberries in.

Layer rice, raspberry mixture, rice, raspberry mixture.  Serve!

Peach Raspberry Jello Salad

1- 3 oz. package peach jello
1 package cook & serve tapioca pudding
1- 3 oz. package cook & serve vanilla pudding
3 c. water

raspberries (fresh or frozen)
peaches (fresh or canned (drained))
8 oz. cool whip

Mix all 3 jellos in water.  Bring to a boil, boil 1 minute, then cool completely in fridge.
Add cool whip and fruit.

from Jeniel Mickelsen  

Freezer Corn

30 c. corn cut off the cob (raw)
10 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Bring just to a boil then turn off heat (you do not want this to come to a hard boil, you're just blanching).

Cool and fill freezer bags.  Freeze to enjoy later.

When eating later, thaw bag in hot water, pour corn mixture into pan, warm through.  Again, you don't want to boil it, just warm through.

Grape Jelly

4 c. grape juice
4 1/2 c. sugar
4 Tbs. classic pectin

Follow directions on pectin.
Process in canner.
10 minutes in a water bath.

Shepherd's Pie

4-5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4-1/2 c. milk
1 egg
4 Tbs. butter

2 Tbs. butter
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
4 Tbs. tomato paste
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
4 Tbs. flour
2 1/2 c. chicken broth (I like to add 1 extra bouillon cube)
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. peas

1.  Boil potatoes until fork tender, 10-15 minutes.  Drain and return to empty pan.  Add 4 Tbs. butter, salt, pepper.  Whisk milk and egg together.  Pour the milk/egg into potatoes while mashing.  Add more salt/pepper/milk if needed.

2.  While potatoes are cooking, heat cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Melt 2 Tbs. butter in skillet, then add carrots and onion.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add ground beef and cook, breaking meat into small pieces.  Cook meat through.

3.  Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and thyme. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Add broth and Worcestershire sauce, stir and cook until mixture thickens slightly, 5-10 minutes.  Turn off heat, add peas, corn, and more salt/pepper if needed.

4.  Top meat mixture with mashed potatoes.

5.  Adjust oven rack closer to the broiler, I just raise it to the middle-top rack.  Broil on low until the potatoes are golden brown and crusty, 5-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes before serving.  

Beef Pot Pie

crust for 1 pie- top and bottom (here's my recipe)
1 lb. cooked beef- steak/leftover roast is great, ground beef works too
4 Tbs. butter
1/4 c. onion, minced
1/2 c. carrots, diced
1 1/2 c. potatoes, diced
1/4 c. flour
2 c. beef broth
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. peas
1/2 c. corn

1.  Melt butter in a large pan over medium high heat.  Add onion, carrots, and potatoes and cook about 7 minutes (they will still be a little crunchy, they will continue cooking in the oven.)

2.  Add the flour to the pan and still until combined, then add the beef broth stirring gently.  Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly.

3.  Add tomato paste and spices.  Lower heat and simmer while you roll out the crust.

4.  Add cooked meat, peas, and corn to the veggie/broth mixture then pour into pie crust.  Top with other crust, seal the sides, and cut slits in the top of the crust to vent while baking.

5.  Bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, until crust is browned and middle is bubbly and raised.  If the crust is browning too quickly, loosely cover with aluminum foil.  

Macie's Lava Cake

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
12 Tbs. butter
1 c. sugar
3 Tbs. cornstarch
4 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks

4-6 Ramekins- mine are 3 1/2 inches across, 2 1/2 inches tall.  Cooking time will vary greatly if you have a different size.  You want them to still be a little jiggly when you take them out of the oven.  They can go from perfect to over done in less than a minute, so watch them closely!

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease each ramekin well.

2.  Place chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Melt in 30 second intervals, stirring between, until melted and smooth.

3.  Combine sugar and cornstarch in bowl.  Add in the melted chocolate/butter mixture.  Stir until combined.

4.  In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.  Using a hand mixer to mix, slowly add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and mix at low speed until everything is combined and sugar is dissolved.  Chill until ready to use.

5.  Fill each ramekin 3/4 of the way full.  Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.  Bake on top oven rack for 12-20 minutes.  You want the top to be set, but the middle still jiggly.  You may want to test one before baking them all.

6.  Remove from the oven.  Run a knife around the edge then carefully turn upside down onto serving plate and remove ramekin.  Serve immediately!  Serve with ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Scones

Scone recipe:

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into 1 Tbs. size pieces
3/4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbs. milk

For the glaze:

3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbs. milk
2 Tbs. creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.

In a bowl, stir together flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

With a pastry blender (or your fingers if you don't have one), cut in the butter until mixture resembles a course meal.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla.  Stir until just combined (you want the ingredients to be mostly wet, but they may not stick together in a ball, that's okay).

Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and form into a ball.  Pat into an 8" circle and cut into 8 wedges.

Place on prepared baking sheet.  Brush each wedge with milk.

Bake scones until golden brown, 12-15 minutes.


Prepare glaze:

Place peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl.
Warm the peanut butter for 20 seconds.
Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.
Stir to combine.
Add a tiny bit more milk if needed, it should be a pourable consistency.


When scones are done, remove from oven and cool on pan for 5 minutes.
Remove from pan to a wire rack.
Top with glaze.

from: afarmgirldabbles.com

French Onion Soup

4 Tbs. butter
5 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/2 c. apple juice
6 c. beef broth
thick slices of a crusty bread, toasted OR
crutons
2 1/2 c. shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1.  Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat.
2.  Add the sliced onions and stir to combine.
3.  Add the salt, pepper, thyme, and poultry seasoning.  Stir to combine.
4.  Cook the onions, stirring frequently, 20-30 minutes, until tender and caramelized.
5.  Add the bay leaf and apple juice and deglaze the pan.
6.  Add the beef broth, increase heat, and bring to a boil.
7.  Turn off the heat.
8.  Preheat broiler to high.
9.  Ladle the soup into deep soup bowls and arrange on a cookie sheet.
10. Top with bread or croutons, then cheese.
11. Place the bowls under hot broiler until cheese melts and bubbles, this only takes a minute.

Serve immediately.

Adapted from Rachael Ray