Applesauce Molasses Cake - Friday's Hunt 1/15/2016

For this week's Friday's Hunt with Teresa at Eden Hills we are doing starts with C, Inside, and Week's Favorite.

For Week's Favorite I thought I would share one of my Favorite snack cake recipes! This cake reminds me very much of gingerbread, spicy and very moist. I also enjoy doing food photography and I'm always trying to practice and improve. ;)

Applesauce Molasses Cake               **click here to print this recipe**

1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups Baking Mix
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan or a 9-inch cast iron pie pan.
Cream butter and sugar; beat in applesauce, molasses, vanilla and egg.
Add dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve with whipped cream.
I use lightly sweetened homemade applesauce and substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice for the cinnamon and nutmeg.

For starts with C and Inside I'm sharing my favorite Cat, Ernie. (Shhh...don't tell the other two!)
Ernie is supposed to the the barn kitty but he has figured out that life is better Inside!! I really don't mind, especially him sleeping Inside at night. That way, I don't worry as much about the coyotes having a late night kitty snack. Been there...done that. 

Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

We love cinnamon rolls on a weekend morning but I never plan far enough ahead to have yeast dough ready to go early in the morning. These biscuit cinnamon rolls are not as smushy as yeast rolls, which is a good thing to me. They go together quickly, have lots of cinnamon-y goodness and the icing is well...icing on the cake! ;)

Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

Biscuit Dough 
2 cups Baking Mix
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup buttermilk

Filling
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Icing
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons whole milk or half-n-half

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan.
To make the biscuit dough, cut the butter into the Baking Mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk all at once. Stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 5 or 6 times. Roll or pat the dough into a 9 x 12-inch rectangle.
Spread the softened butter over the dough. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Starting with one of the short sides, roll the dough into a log pinching the seam to seal. Cut the log into 8 equal pieces and place them, cut side down, into the prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes while preparing the icing.
In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and milk stirring until smooth. It should be pourable but not too runny. Drizzle icing evenly over the biscuits spreading as necessary.
Serve warm.

P.S. I LOVE my cast iron pie pan and use it for lots of different things, even oven fried potatoes! I found it at C-A-L Ranch Store.

Blueberry Coffeecake

This luscious blueberry coffeecake is bursting with blueberries and the sour cream in the batter makes it extra moist and tender. There is also a lovely, buttery streusel topping to give it a little crunch. This is one of my favorite recipes to take when we go to Tombstone to the Art Gallery meetings. It is always a big hit! I hope you give it a try.

Cake
2 1/2 cups Baking Mix               **Click here to print this recipe**
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup melted butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Baking Mix
4 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

For topping, in a small bowl, combine brown sugar and Baking Mix, cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine Baking Mix and sugar. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, butter, eggs, milk and vanilla, mix well. Stir wet ingredients into dry and mix just until moistened. Batter will be thick. Spread batter into prepared pan. Spread blueberries evenly over the batter, press in gently if desired. Sprinkle topping over blueberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

This is really lovely served warm but it is also good left over the next day. :)

Chocolate Snack Cake

This is a moist, rich, extra-chocolaty snack cake that goes together quickly with the use of my Baking Mix. I made this cake yesterday for Jerry's birthday and he was a happy birthday boy! The chocolate chips in the batter really rev up the chocolate factor and the rich, creamy Chocolate Cream Cheese frosting makes it extra special.

Chocolate Snack Cake

1 1/4 cups Baking Mix               **Click here to print this recipe**
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan, set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the Baking Mix, flour, cocoa, instant coffee granules and chocolate chips. In a large bowl combine the melted butter, eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla, mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not over bake. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add cocoa powder and one cup of the powdered sugar, beat on low speed until thoroughly combined. Add extra powdered sugar as needed to reach a spreadable consistency with the frosting.

Store leftover frosted cake in the refrigerator because of the cream cheese frosting.

I've decided to resurrect my blog so that I can share the many recipes I have developed for my Baking Mix. I'm sure there will also be plenty of photos and stories of life here at the Lazy J Bar C to include all the animals, my adventures with container gardening and the beautiful Southeastern Arizona scenery.

I hope you enjoy the cake!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Cookies

What is your favorite cookie? Chocolate chip? Peanut butter? Oatmeal? Why not just combine them all in one cookie! :)

We were out of cookies the other day (gasp!) and I was bored with the same old, same old. I remembered a peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips that I had years ago and decided to peruse the internet to see if I could recreate it. Well, DUH, you can find ANYTHING on the internet! LOL!! This recipe is a compilation of several that I looked at and uses my Baking Mix and basic cookie recipe.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup butter               **Click here to print this recipe**
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups Baking Mix
2 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together butter, peanut butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the Baking Mix and oats; mix thoroughly. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Linking up with the Down Home Blog Hop, the Rurality Blog Hop and Farmgirl Friday.

Pecan Spice Waffles with Molasses Cinnamon Syrup

Heaven...I'm in heaven... :)

I have been making these Pecan Spice Waffles/Pancakes using my Baking Mix for a couple of years now but teaming them up with this Molasses Cinnamon Syrup sends them right over the top! I found the recipe for the syrup here. The combination of flavors is perfect for the Holidays!

The pancake/waffle mix also makes a nice gift. Just put the dry ingredients into a baggie and then put that down into a fabric bag or gift bag and include a tag with the directions for making the pancakes or waffles. Pair it up with a jar of this homemade syrup for an extra special, homemade gift anytime of year.

Pecan Spice Pancakes/Waffles

1 1/2 cups Baking Mix
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (find the recipe at the end of this post)
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon oil (for waffles only)

In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients; stir into the dry ingredients just until blended. Ladle onto a lightly greased, hot griddle for pancakes or a preheated waffle iron for waffles. Feel free to add a little more milk if the batter seems too thick.

Makes five 6-inch round waffles.

Molasses Cinnamon Syrup

1/2 cup demerara sugar (or brown sugar)
1/4 cup molasses
6 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon salted butter

In a small saucepan, heat together the sugar, molasses, water and cinnamon over medium heat. Bring to a low boil and continue stirring until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Cool slightly. Transfer to a pitcher for serving or a glass jar for storing. Keep refrigerated and use within two weeks.

Makes a little over 3/4 cup of syrup.

Linking up with Farmgirl Friday and What I Am Eating.

Fruit & Nut Cookies

These cookies were inspired by a bar cookie recipe I used to make years ago. That recipe called for the addition of fresh banana and orange juice, which wasn't the way I wanted to go with these. I use a combination of dried blueberries, dried cherries and chopped dried apricots but any combination of dried fruit would be nice. The Apple Pie spice really adds a nice flavor and the dried blueberries are heavenly! A few of my die-hard Cowboy Cookie and Cowgirl Cookie customers at the Farmer's Market have actually switched and now buy these every week. ;)

Fruit & Nut Cookies

1 cup butter                         **Click here to print this recipe**
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups Baking Mix
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 teaspoons Apple Pie spice
2 cups diced mixed dried fruit
2/3 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the Baking Mix, oats and Apple Pie spice; mix thoroughly. Stir in the dried fruit and pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes and then remove to racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Apple Pie Spice

4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg

I use this Apple Pie spice in all kinds of baked goods, not just apple pie! Besides these cookies, I use it in fresh apple muffins and zucchini muffins for the Farmer's Market. It is also really nice in pancake or waffle batter with some pecans.

Sharing with the Rurality Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday and What I Am Eating.

Update on Red:
He is still here and doing well. Jerry took him along this morning when he rode his horse out in the pasture and he did fine. We had to put him in the horse trailer last night since it was the only place we could think of that he couldn't escape from. Right now, he is actually sitting in the livingroom watching Gunsmoke with Jerry...

German Chocolate Cookies

The inspiration for this recipe came courtesy of my blogging buddy Carolyn at Krazo Acres. You can find her original recipe here. Thanks Carolyn, these cookies are awesome and I know they will be a big hit with my Farmer's Market customers!!

German Chocolate Cookies

1 cup butter, softened               **Click here to print this recipe**
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups Baking Mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Stir in cocoa powder and Baking Mix; mix thoroughly. Stir in pecans and coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10-12 minutes. I like them just a little on the softer side for more of a German Chocolate cake taste and texture.
Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes and then remove to racks to cool completely.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Yum!! All I need now is a big glass of ice-cold milk! :)

Linking up with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rurality Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday and What I Am Eating.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

We love having pineapple with our homemade cottage cheese but it seems there are always a few pineapple rings left over. I have been using them to make Pineapple Upside Down cake. Oh, how we suffer! :)
I only had five leftover rings this time, one or two more would have been even better.
This makes a nice dessert, of course, but it is really, really good as a breakfast coffee-cake type thingy. YUM!!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake               **Click here to print this recipe**

Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
6 or 8 pineapple rings from a 20-ounce can

Cake:
2 cups Baking Mix
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the 1/4 cup of butter into chunks and put it into a 10-inch cast iron skillet, put the skillet in the oven as it preheats to melt the butter. Remove the skillet from the oven and sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the melted butter. Arrange the pineapple rings over the brown sugar.
Combine the Baking Mix and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the milk and melted butter and mix well. Spread the cake batter over the pineapple.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving platter. It should come out easily.
Allow the cake to cool slightly before serving.

Under NO circumstances should you try to use your finger to push any dripping, molten hot syrup back onto the plate! ;)

Sharing with The Country Homemaker Hop, Farmgirl Friday and What I Am Eating.

Valentine's Day Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! These beautiful cookies are really easy to make and assemble but give the impression that you worked on them for hours. ;) This is my P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday entry.

I used my favorite Brown Sugar Shortbread cookie recipe, cut out rounds and then cut out a heart shape in half of the cookies for the tops. After baking, when they are completely cool, liberally dust the tops with powdered sugar. Spread some (homemade) strawberry jam on the bottom cookies and then add the cut-out tops. Jerry is a serious chocoholic and he couldn't quit eating these. With the rich shortbread cookie and the sweet jam, they are a special treat for your Valentine any day of the year. Of course, you can use any cut-out cookie recipe, or even refrigerated cookie dough, and any jam for the filling to make them your own! :)

Because Jerry is such a chocoholic, I also made a batch of Dark Chocolate Cherry cookies. Oh, by the way, make sure you really read the label when buying the dried cherries. I accidentally bought a bag of cherry juice infused Craisins! Hmmm...no wonder they were so cheap. They do have a very good cherry taste though! LOL!!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups Baking Mix
6 tablespoons cocoa
1 10-ounce bag dark chocolate chips
1 5-ounce bag dried cherries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add Baking Mix and cocoa; mix well. Stir in dark chocolate chips and dried cherries; mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

I'm joining Lisa and Nancy for the Valentine's Day Boost My Blog Party! I'm also linking up with What I Am Eating and Farmgirl Friday.

Gingersnap Cookies

I have been selling these cookies for awhile now at the Farmer's Market and they always sell out. It took a bit of fiddling around with my recipe to get it to where I was really happy with it and wanted to share it with all of you! :)

Gingersnap Cookies               **Click here to print this recipe**

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 3/4 cups Baking Mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Sugar for rolling the dough in (I use Turbinado, or raw, sugar)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add the egg and molasses and beat well. Stir in the Baking Mix, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, mix well.
Shape the dough into balls and roll in the sugar to coat.

Place the balls of dough onto a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and crinkly on top. Let cool slightly before removing to a rack to cool completely.

These are a lovely, spicy, softer cookie. The Turbinado sugar adds a special touch and a little crunch. I hope you get a chance to try these for the upcoming Christmas cookie baking season! :)

Linking to The Country Homemaker Hop, Farmgirl Friday and the Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest.

Cowgirl Cookies

I have been trying to come up with a new cookie recipe for the Farmer's Market and I wanted to create a Cowgirl cookie to complement the popular Cowboy Cookies. I made a variation of oatmeal cookies using Chai Spice and adding coconut, dried cranberries and vanilla chips. It was okay but didn't have the Wow! I was looking for.

Then, the other day, Tammy at Our Neck of the Woods posted a recipe for Maple Brown Sugar Granola Cookies that got my creativity going. If you haven't visited Tammy's blog yet, you really should, it's great! Oh, and I admit to totally stealing her idea of tying a ribbon around the cookies for their photo shoot. (blush) I'm always on the lookout for food styling ideas, thanks Tammy!!

These cookies have the Wow! with the addition of the granola and the Chai Spice and what Cowgirl can resist dark chocolate and dried cranberries? I know a certain Cowboy who even gave them a thumbs up! ;)

Cowgirl Cookies                **Click here to print this recipe**

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Baking Mix
4 cups granola, homemade or store bought (I used homemade)
1 1/2 teaspoons Chai Spice
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add Baking Mix, granola and Chai Spice; mix well. Stir in cranberries and dark chocolate chips; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookes. I flattened each cookie slightly so they would spread out a little more.

Sharing with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rural Thursday, Farmgirl Friday and the Farm Girl Blog Fest.

PB & J Cookies

Move on over Cowboy Cookies, there is a new favorite cookie in town!
This recipe idea came from the Better Homes and Gardens Special Fall Baking issue which, by the way, has lots of fabulous recipes in it! :)
I have changed it a bit to utilize my Baking Mix. It is a basic oatmeal cookie with peanut butter chips stirred into the batter and a dollop of jam on top. We are not big jam or jelly eaters so I have been using up homemade jam I had in the cupboard. The picture above has two with plum and one with peach.

PB & J Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups Baking Mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups old fashioned or quick cooking oats, uncooked
1 cup peanut butter chips
Jam or jelly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add Baking Mix, cinnamon and oats; mix well. Stir in peanut butter chips; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Make a depression in the top of each cookie and fill with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam or jelly of your choice. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for one minute on cookie sheet then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookes.
These have become THE cookie at the Farmer's Market recently. I even had a lady call me this week and order two dozen for this Saturday. I hope you give them a try. :)
Linking up with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rural Thursday and Farmgirl Friday.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

It seems I'm making up for a lack of recipe posts lately! ;-)

There is a recipe for Sweet-potato Biscuits in the November/December issue of Hobby Farm Home magazine. It sounded pretty good to me...except for the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. I had some leftover sweet potatoes from making Sweet Potato Rolls for the Farmers' Market and so I decided to try making "regular" sweet potato biscuits to see how they would come out. Well, they are YUMMY!! They are light and moist and have just enough sweet potato "sweetness" without being pumpkin pie-ish.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

2 1/2 cups Baking Mix
6 tablespoons cold butter cut into little cubes
1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 to 1/3 cup milk or buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place Baking Mix in a bowl; cut butter into Baking Mix until it resembles small peas. Make a well in the center and add the sweet potato and milk all at once. Start with the lesser amount of milk and add a little more if your dough is too dry. Stir together until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface OR you could use your handy-dandy pastry cloth! Dust the top with additional flour. Knead gently 8-10 times. Pat dough to about 1/2-inch thickness and cut out biscuits. Gently push the dough back together and keep cutting out biscuits until all the dough has been used. Place biscuits on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. I like my biscuits a little crunchy on the outside so I bake them for the longer time.

By the way, they make wonderful egg sandwiches. :)

Linking up with the Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop and Food on Friday.

Cowboy Cookies

Howdy ya'll! This here is a cookie that will satisfy them hardworkin' cowboys in your life. Why shoot, even the little buckaroos and buckarettes down to the Farmers' Market have told me, "Miss Candy, them are some mighty tasty cookies!" Just so's ya' know, these ain't no chicken-livered girly cookies. Nope, they're chock full of oats, raisins, chocolate chips and walnuts. They'll make ya' sit up and say "Yee-Haw!" Why, you could even grab one or two on the way out the door to see you through them early mornin' chores. I know my cowboy can go through several before the sun has even come up! ;-)

Okay, let's git down to bakin'!

Cowboy Cookies               **Click here to print this recipe**

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups Baking Mix
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups uncooked quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup golden raisins or regular
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; mix well. Add Baking Mix, cocoa and oats; mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, raisins and walnuts.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. I flatten the dough a bit as it doesn't spread very much.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden brown. Cool on pan for 2 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

I haven't done an "ingredient" picture in awhile but I wanted to show off the new mixing bowl that I picked up at a thrift store in Willcox a couple of weeks ago. It is marked Robinson Ransbottom and probably isn't particulary old, the company was in business until 2005, but I have always wanted a heavy crockery mixing bowl and the price was pretty good! :)

Linking up with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rural Thursday, Farm Fresh Friday and Farmgirl Friday.

When Life Gives You Pumpkins...

...make Pumpkin Scones!! I sure hope ya'll aren't sick of scone recipes yet because here is another one! :)

I have been gifted several pie pumpkins in the past week or so and after cooking and pureeing the pumpkin, I decided to see how it would do in some scones. The pumpkin puree, an egg and some molasses were the only wet ingredients I used and I added some dried cranberries and vanilla chips. I also used my homemade pumpkin pie spice, you can find the recipe at the end of this post. (That reminds me, I need to make that Applesauce Molasses cake sometime soon!)

Pumpkin Scones

2 1/3 cups Baking Mix
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
6 tablespoons cold butter
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup vanilla chips
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 tablespoon molasses
Turbinado sugar for the tops

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together Baking Mix, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Cut in butter until it resembles small peas; stir in dried cranberries and vanilla chips. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin puree, egg and molasses; mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix lightly until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 4 or 5 turns. Roll or pat dough into a circle 7 inches in diameter. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between the scones as they will rise a bit and spread out. Brush the top of each scone with a little heavy cream or milk and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown.

I had some of these for sale at last week's Farmers' Market and they went fast, guess it's getting to be pumpkin season, my favorite time of year!

Linking up with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rural Thursday, Farmgirl Friday and Farm Fresh Friday. Thanks ladies for hosting these wonderfully fun blog parties! :)

Ginger Cream Scones

The scones have become very popular at the Farmers' Market! :) I make six or seven different types each week and always sell out. These are my favorites. They are spicy with ground ginger and chunks of crystallized ginger and the turbinado sugar on the top gives them a nice finish. This recipe uses my Baking Mix.

Ginger Cream Scones               **Click here to print this recipe**

2 1/3 cups Baking Mix
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Zest from one lemon
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
Turbinado sugar for the tops

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together Baking Mix, sugar, ground ginger and lemon zest. Cut in butter until it resembles small peas; stir in crystallized ginger. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream and egg; mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix lightly until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 4 or 5 turns. Roll or pat dough into a circle 7 inches in diameter. Cut into 6 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between the scones as they will rise a bit and spread out. Brush the top of each scone with a little heavy cream and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown.

I buy my crystallized ginger (along with a lot of other herbs and spices) at Penzeys Spices. There is a store in Tucson and I just love going in there! Luckily for Jerry, there is a bench for the husbands to sit and wait while the wives are shopping. ;-) If you haven't ever been to one of their stores or looked at one of their catalogs, I recommend you do. Their products are wonderful and their prices seem reasonable too. Sorry for carrying on but I just wanted to share! LOL!!

Linking up with Rural Thursday, Farmgirl Friday and Farm Fresh Friday. Updated to share with Food On Friday at Carole's Chatter.

Cornmeal Cheddar Scones

Not all scones have to be sweet you know. ;-)

Cornmeal Cheddar Scones

1 1/2 cups Baking Mix
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter cut into chunks
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 large egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
Cayenne pepper for dusting the tops

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together Baking Mix, cornmeal and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles small peas. Stir in shredded cheese. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine egg and buttermilk; mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix lightly until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 4 or 5 turns. Roll or pat dough into a circle 7 inches in diameter. Cut into 6 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between the scones as they will rise a bit and spread out. Brush the top of each scone with a little milk and sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown.

These sold really well today at the Farmer's Market. Actually, everything did, which is always a good thing when dealing with perishable products! I only ended up with five muffins leftover. Can you say Sunday morning breakfast?!? LOL!!  
Sharing with Farmgirl Friday and Farm Fresh Friday on Saturday!

Blueberry Scones

I'm so happy!! :) I love scones and have been working on a recipe that meets with my approval utilizing my Baking Mix. Well, here it is! It seems the secret to scones, as opposed to biscuits, is adding an egg and using heavy cream instead of milk. This gives a lighter, more tender result. Also, make sure to handle the dough gently; otherwise, the scones will be tough.

The basic recipe can be used for plain Cream Scones or you can add fruit and a Streusel Topping like I did here. Next week, I'm going to experiment with Cinnamon Nut Scones using walnuts, pecans, almonds and a little almond extract.

Cream Scones

2 cups Baking Mix
1/3 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together Baking Mix and sugar. Cut in butter until it resembles small peas. Make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream, egg and vanilla; mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and mix lightly until incorporated. Do not overmix.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 4 or 5 turns. Roll or pat dough into a circle 7 inches in diameter. Cut into 6 or 8 wedges and place on a baking sheet. Make sure to leave enough room between the scones as they will rise a bit and spread out. Brush the top of each scone with a little heavy cream.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown.

    
I pressed some frozen blueberries into each scone after cutting them out and then sprinkled some Streusel Topping over them after brushing with the heavy cream.

Streusel Topping

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons cold butter

Mix all together. Top each scone lightly with a little topping before baking. Store extra streusel in refrigerator and use up in a week.

One of the problems I have with a lot of scones out there is that they are heavy and dry. These are moist, light, not overly sweet and the Streusel Topping adds a nice little crunch. Of course, the addition of the blueberries is heavenly! I knew I had a winner when Jerry said, "Hey, these are really good!" You see, he's not a real big fan of scones. :)
I am going to start going to the St. David Farmer's Market at the beginning of June and I am going to add a couple of types of scones to my table. Linking up with Heidi and Dolly for The Country Homemaker Hop.

Green Chile Cheddar Beer Bread

I haven't posted a recipe using my Baking Mix in awhile. The Baking Mix is so versatile, you can use it for everything from Monster Cookies (my new favorite cookie!) to Buttermilk Biscuits to a Cobbler Topping  to Cheesy Biscuit Sticks and don't miss the quick and easy Cinnamon Coffee Cake! If you do a "search" for Baking Mix at the top of the blog you will find even more recipes. :)

I love making beer breads, they go together very quickly and you can get a wonderful loaf of homemade bread on the table in under an hour. I use a light tasting beer when I make beer breads, I don't want the flavor of the beer to be too overpowering. You can also use unflavored seltzer water if you don't want to use beer. I baked it in my favorite 2-quart casserole dish this time for a different presentation.

Green Chile Cheddar Beer Bread

3 cups Baking Mix
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green chiles
12 ounces beer
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan or a 2-quart casserole dish. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir in cheese. Add beer, egg and green chiles; beat vigorously. The batter will be "shaggy." Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan; cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve warm.

Linking up with Heidi for The Country Homemaker Hop. Head on over and check out her cute new hen house and see what all the other Country Homemakers are up to! :)