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.

Individual No-Bake Cheesecakes

We love cheesecake around here but I very rarely make it because we just don't need to eat the WHOLE thing! The April/May issue of MaryJanesFarm magazine had some recipes for mini cheesecakes made in 4-ounce canning jars. Well, that was too little so I used 8-ounce wide-mouth canning jars and it was just right! ;)

You could try different crusts and toppings to suit your tastes and what you have on hand. The thing that really impressed me was making a no-bake cheesecake without a tub of non-dairy whipped topping and I gotta tell you, this tastes sooo much better than the ones I remember from my youth that used the non-dairy whipped topping! It comes out light and fluffy and not too sweet.

 Crust                    **Click here to print this recipe**

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar

In a small bowl combine all ingredients. Divide evenly between four 8-ounce wide-mouth canning jars. Press lightly into bottom of jars.

Filling

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla; mix well. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until stiff; gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. Divide evenly between the jars.

Topping

2 cups fresh (or frozen and thawed) berries, I used fresh blackberries
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine berries, sugar, cornstarch and water. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let cool completely before spooning over cheesecake filling in jars.

Top each jar with a lid and chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours before serving.

Joining the Country Homemaker Hop, Rurality Blog Hop, Pie*ography, Farmgirl Friday and What I Am Eating.

Gilding The Lily - Multigrain Bread

 

Recently, I picked up the May 2013 copy of Cook's Country magazine, it has some awesome foodie photos and I'm always looking for ideas. One of the recipes that really caught my eye was for Dakota Bread, a lovely multigrain bread all dolled up with a generous coating of seeds over the top. I thought that it looked like something that would really sell at the Farmer's Market. :)

Once I read the recipe, I realized that it was very similar to the multigrain bread that I have been making for several years...as a loaf bread, as rolls and even as a free-form round loaf. This is one of my favorite breads for sandwiches for us and it sells but, honestly, it looked kind of boring. I decided to try "Gilding the Lily" by adding sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds over the top before baking and WOW, what a difference! Just that little extra attention to detail makes people look twice and (usually) buy some.

Multigrain Bread                         **Click here to print this recipe**

1 to 1 1/4 cups milk
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup 7-grain hot cereal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
3 tablespoons raw wheat germ
3 tablespoons oat or wheat bran
2 tablespoons bulgur wheat
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons bread machine/instant yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast (If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk before combining with the remaining ingredients.)
1 egg beaten with a bit of water
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds for the top (Use any combination you like)

Mix, knead and let your dough rise until doubled using your favorite method; bread machine, manual or stand mixer. Shape the dough into a smooth ball for a large loaf or divide the dough in half and shape each half into a smooth ball for smaller loaves. Place on a baking sheet, slash the top and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size. Just before baking, brush top and sides with egg mixture and generously sprinkle with seeds of your choice.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown; cover loosely with foil after 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Linking up with The Country Homemaker 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.

Pie*ography Thursday - 04/25/2013

I thought I would share another portable pie for Pie*ography Thursday this week. The inspiration for these actually came from some packaged goodies I saw recently at the grocery store. I liked the way they were braided and figured I could do that! I started with a little different pastry recipe and used some apple pie filling that I had in the freezer from last fall. I found this lovely post for an Apple Lattice Galette utilizing a Danish braiding technique and knew that that was the effect I was looking for.

Filling               **Click here to print this recipe**

3 pounds apples
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Peel, core and dice apples. Combine sugar, flour, spices and apples. Let stand until juices begin to flow, about 30 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken. Cool completely before using. Store any extra filling in the refrigerator and spoon it over waffles or pancakes. Yum!

Pastry

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter cut into chunks
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter and cream cheese into the flour using a pastry cutter. The mixture should look like large crumbs and begin to cling together in clumps. Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar and cold water over the dough and with your hands, mix it in until the dough holds together adding more water if necessary. Roll out the dough to a 12-inch square. Cut into 4 six-inch squares. Follow the excellent directions for making a Danish Braid found here at the bottom of the post. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

I guess part of my Pie*ography story is that I get bored making the same thing all the time for the Farmer's Market and I'm always looking for new ideas. These turn out really pretty even if they are a bit fussy. ;)

Pie*ography Thursday, Farmgirl Friday, What I Am Eating.

Pie*ography Thursday III

"Pie, pie, me oh my!" Who remembers the Pie Song sung by Andie MacDowell in the movie Michael? ;)

These portable pies were inspired by the lovely cookbook "The Homemade Pantry - 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying & Start Making" by Alana Chernila. If you are interested in making more things from scratch, this book has a lot of good recipes.

I sell these yummy little pies at the Farmer's Market where people appreciate goodies that can be eaten without the use of utensils.

Toaster Tarts               **Click here to print this recipe**

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons cold water
Filling(s) of choice (I used homemade apple butter this time)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter. The mixture should look like large crumbs and begin to cling together in clumps. Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar and cold water over the dough and with your hands, mix it in until the dough holds together adding more water if necessary.
Divide dough in half. Roll one half of dough out to a 9 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut into six equal rectangles, 4 1/2 x 4 inches. Transfer to a baking sheet leaving at least two inches in between. Spoon at least a tablespoon of filling down the center of each rectangle. Roll out other half of dough and cut into six rectangles as above. Put the "tops" on and crimp all edges with a fork. Prick holes down the center of each tart. If desired, sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
You could also drizzle with a powdered sugar icing when cool or simply dust with powdered sugar.

I really want to thank everyone for the tip about adding the apple cider vinegar, what a difference! You can see how incredibly flaky it makes the pastry!

Pie*ography isn't just a fun linky party, it is also a beautifully written and photographed book with
"42 Fabulous Recipes Inspired by 39 Extraordinary Women" by Jo Packham. I just had to have it and received my copy last week. What a treat!! Our hostess for Pie*ography Thursday, Anne Marie Klaske, did the food styling for the book and it is awesome, as is the stunning photography by Traci Thorson.

Linking up with Anne Marie for Pie*ography Thursday, as well as The Country Homemaker Hop, Rurality Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, and What I Am Eating.

Making Cheese - Fromage Blanc

This is my favorite cheese that I make with the goat's milk and it is just SO stinkin' easy and provides a pretty good yield! :)

I use a culture to make this Fromage Blanc. I used to make a goat milk Chevre using buttermilk and liquid vegetable rennet but using the Fromage Blanc culture gives a more consistent result. This cheese is also a little drier than the Chevre, which I like, it makes it easier to crumble. It can be used in any recipe calling for cream cheese or goat cheese.

All you have to do is heat one gallon of milk to 86 degrees F, stir in the packet of culture and let it sit overnight on the counter. In the morning, pour the curds into a piece of real cheesecloth (not the stuff from the grocery store) and hang to drain for 6 to 8 hours.

I then mix in 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt and put it into a container in the fridge. If desired, you can also mix in some dill, garlic and chives, diced jalapenos, sun dried tomatoes, or anything else that would be found in "flavored" cream cheese. This cheese also freezes exceptionally well but freeze it without the extra add-ins and mix them in after thawing.

I buy my cheesemaking supplies from Caprine Supply but they are also available from New England Cheesemaking Supply.

This Fromage Blanc is really good stirred into pasta sauce to make it creamy, stuffed in celery, crumbled over a salad, spread on a cracker, or combined with some shredded cheddar to make a substitute for "processed cheese spread." More on that later! ;)

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

Pie*ography Thursday II

Anne Marie at Na-Da Farm Life has started Pie*ography Thursday, what a neat idea! :)

If I could be a pie, I would want to be a quiche. Making quiche defines my current philosophy towards cooking and baking...use what you have on hand and use as many homegrown or locally grown ingredients as possible. For this basic quiche, I used our farm fresh eggs, some spicy, pepper-jack style cheese made with our goat milk and some of the milk itself. The bacon is local and came from one of the vendors at the Farmer's Market. During the late fall and early winter, I can even get locally grown onions at the Farmer's Market. The beauty of quiche is that pretty much anything goes for the filling, meat or no meat, any type of cheese or even no cheese, and any vegetables you want to include.

I have always been more of a cookie and cake person and only recently started making pies. It's only been in the last year that I even started making my own pie crust! This pie crust recipe is my absolute favorite and comes from Ree Drummond's "The Pioneer Woman Cooks - Food From My Frontier." For a two-crust pie, double the ingredients.

Crust               **Click here to print this recipe**

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into chunks
3 to 4 tablespoons cold water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry cutter. The mixture should look like large crumbs and begin to cling together in clumps. Sprinkle the cold water over the dough and with your hands, mix it in until the dough holds together. Roll out the dough two inches larger than your pie pan. Place dough in pie pan, crimp the edges and put it in the refrigerator while making the filling.

Quiche

6 to 8 slices bacon, depending on size
1 1/2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half (I use half goat milk and half heavy cream)
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups grated cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Chop up the bacon into bite-sized pieces and cook in a heavy skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet, add the onions and cook over medium low heat until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
Mix the eggs, half & half and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the bacon, onions and cheese, stir to combine. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell, cover lightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the quiche is set and the crust is golden brown. I put a pie shield on towards the end so the crust doesn't burn.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Serve warm or cold, either way is delicious!

So, what kind of pie are you?

Linking up with The Country Homemaker Hop, Farmgirl Friday, What I Am Eating and P52 Sweet Shot Tuesday.

Kale with Sausage and Beans

Last week, I had a lovely bunch of kale from the Farmer's Market to use up and some spicy Italian sausage. I thought about making Sausage Potato Kale soup but Jerry was about "souped out" for awhile.

I did a search on the internet for ideas and came across this recipe from one of my favorite sites, Simply Recipes. I did make a couple of changes to the original recipe. I used spicy Italian sausage and I substituted some leftover pinto beans for the white beans, since that was what I had on hand. I also added some mushrooms. Wow, this dish is simple, quick and full of flavor!! The above picture is actually some leftovers that I had for breakfast the next morning with a poached egg on top, YUM! :)

Kale with Sausage and Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound bulk spicy Italian sausage
1 onion, sliced thin
8 ounces sliced mushrooms (I love baby Bellas)
2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 pound kale, remove center rib and roughly chop leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups cooked pinto beans
Salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the onions and mushrooms. Cook until the edges of the onions start to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the kale, sprinkle with salt, then add the chicken stock. Cover the pan, lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 or 3 minutes to wilt down the kale. Uncover, mix well and add the beans. Cover again and turn the heat to low. Cook for another 5 minutes and then turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

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

Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

I surely do enjoy baking and cooking and creating new recipes! I usually start with a recipe that I find somewhere and change things to use what I have on hand and what we like to eat. I found this recipe for Chipotle Sweet Potato Corn Chowder last week and thought it sounded like something we would really like. I cut down the recipe, since there are only the two of us, and changed some of the ingredients. I have been making a Potato Corn Chowder for years using white potatoes and Cajun seasonings but this recipe is soooo much better!

Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

1 large sweet potato, roasted and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 large shallot, chopped
2 cups frozen corn, thawed (I use this awesome recipe from dr. momi)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup half & half (I use half goat milk/half heavy cream)

Roast sweet potato, wrapped in foil, in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour, until done. Let cool; peel and cut into cubes.
In a large saucepan, melt butter, then add shallot and cook for about five minutes until soft. Add corn, thyme, marjoram, chipotle powder and cumin; cook and stir for another few minutes. Add chicken stock and sweet potato; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to mash up the sweet potato a bit. Stir in half & half and heat through being careful not to let it boil.

Sharing with The Country Homemaker Hop, Down Home Blog Hop and Rurality Blog Hop.

Wearing Aprons

I don't have a real extensive apron collection. The red one with the rooster was my dad's, he ran the Senior Nutrition Site and one of the ladies made the apron for him to wear while serving lunches. The denim one on the left Jerry just bought for me this past weekend. It has the Bisbee Farmer's Market logo on it and I'm going to start wearing it at the Farmer's Market on Saturdays. The second one from the right was the apron I made when I first started reading MaryJanesFarm magazine and participating in the forums. The second one from the left is a MaryJane pattern called the harvest apron. The entire yellow panel is a large pocket. I LOVE it! The one in the middle is my favorite apron though, and it is the one I have been wearing at the Farmer's Market for a couple of years. I even had to patch one of the pockets because I wore a hole in it carrying quarters in it! LOL!!

Since I now have a new apron for the Farmer's Market, I have started wearing my old favorite here at home for my baking and housework. There was a wonderful post floating around awhile back on Hillbilly Housewife entitled Apron Evangelism but, sadly, the link no longer exists. I was able to come up with a couple of quotes from the original article on other sites.

"One day Maggie, in the midst of a couple of vexing household/parenting issues, asked her mother for advice. Her mother told her she needed "a uniform or costume which would reassure myself and others of my intention and status in the home....It would remind me of my duties, inspire me to greater levels of cleanliness...and reaffirm my authority."

"Boy howdy, was I in for a surprise. In the mirror I saw a vision of the homemaker I have always strived to become staring back at me. Her cheery face glistened in the sunshine. Her hair tied up neatly in a bun looked authoritative and compassionate all at the same time. The apron covered several figure flaws and accentuated the fertile curves of the woman I saw in the mirror. This woman had purpose. She had status. She had clout. I stood there, contemplating the wonder of the homemaker that shone through my image in the mirror. “This is who I want to be” I told myself. “This is the Keeper of the home, with a capital ‘K’. ”

One of the issues I had with wearing an apron was where to store them so that I could get to them easily. Oh, and actually remembering to put one on!! ;) I just don't have any space on the walls in the kitchen for hooks so I got one of those over-the-door hooks and put it on the laundry room door so my aprons are now easily accessible.

How about you? Do you wear an apron? Do you think it helps to validate your position as the Keeper of the home to yourself and others?

Sharing with The Country Homemaker Hop, the Down Home Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, the Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest and the new Rurality Blog Hop with Madge at The View From Right Here.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Jerry told me that this was the BEST soup I have ever made and he does not even LIKE mushrooms! ;)
This recipe comes from Mama Pea at A Home Grown Journal and is part of her Soup Sunday series. It goes together quickly, doesn't call for any off-the-wall ingredients and tastes divine! Who needs soup in a can anyway?!?

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup butter
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms (I used baby Portobellos)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste (I used more)
1/2 teaspoon savory (I used summer savory)
Pinch of white pepper
12 oz. beef stock or broth
1 cup Half-&-Half (I used half heavy cream and half goat milk)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are brown and most of their liquid is gone.
Sprinkle with flour, salt, savory and pepper. Cook and stir for a minute or two.
Remove from heat and slowly blend in beef stock. Put back on heat, bring to boiling, cover and reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Mixture will be very thick so simmer on a low heat and stir now and then to make sure it's not sticking.
Mix in the Half-&-Half and heat to serving temperature being careful not to let it boil.

This makes enough for two main dish servings with just a bit left over, which Jerry promptly ate after finishing his first bowlful!
Sharing with The Country Homemaker Hop, the Down Home Blog Hop and Farmgirl Friday.

Kolaches

Kolaches are an Eastern European sweet yeast roll. They are tradtionally shaped into a circle as a symbol of good luck, prosperity and eternity. Our Farmer's Market manager is from the Hill Country of Texas and it seems Kolaches are quite common in that area. She asked me last month if I had ever heard of them and if I could make them. I had actually heard of them and remembered seeing a recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Old-Fashioned Home Baking cookbook.

I used that recipe as a starting point and tweaked it quite a bit after looking at other recipes on the internet.

Kolaches
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups bread flour
2 to 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons bread machine yeast OR 1 packet active dry yeast (If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm milk before combining with the remaining ingredients.)
Solo brand Cake & Pastry filling in flavor of choice. (I used Poppy Seed and Apricot this time)

Mix, knead and let your dough rise until doubled using your favorite method; bread machine, manual or stand mixer. Divide dough in half and divide each half into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Flatten each ball to 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Cover; let rise until nearly double. Using your thumb or two fingers, make an indentation in the center of each dough circle. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of filling into each indentation.. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown. Remove rolls from baking sheets and cool on a wire rack. If desired, lightly sift powdered sugar over the tops. Makes 24 Kolaches.

I don't normally like using canned anything but in looking at the different recipes on the internet, I came across several comments that trying to use jam didn't work because it melts and runs off, so I broke down and used the canned stuff. If I was making them just for us, I would try making my own fillings but that would be a bit much to add to my already busy weekly baking schedule!

I made a batch with the poppy seed filling for our last Farmer's Market before Christmas and they were well received so I decided to make them again for this Saturday. I hope they all sell! :)

Linking up with the Down Home Blog Hop at Tilly's Nest, The Country Homemaker Hop and Farmgirl Friday.

Rosemary Wreath

I'm having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I think it's the 70-degree, no moisture weather we have been having. (sigh) Although, we do have a wintery storm heading our way for tomorrow.
I saw this idea on A Healthy Life For Me last week and since we have an entire rosemary hedge all along the front of the porch, I figured I could manage it!
I used an 8-inch grapevine wreath and cut sprigs of rosemary and just stuck them in between the vines of the wreath overlapping them slightly as I went along, no wire required. I added a red bow and called it good! It would also make a nice candle ring for a pillar candle. Quick, easy, festive, cheap and, as an added bonus, it smells really good! Making this and the Preserved Snowman did help lift my spirits a bit! :)
Linking to the Country Homemaker Hop, Farmgirl Friday and the Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest.

How To Preserve A Snowman

Is this not the cutest use for an old canning jar?!? I saw this idea awhile back on Maple Grove's blog and just had to make one of my own!!  I probably could have used a bigger jar but found this old "Hormel" jar at the thrift store recently for $4 and that included the zinc lid. I had the snowman and the little tree was $1 down to the WalMart. Make sure you hop over to Katie's blog to see the ones she put together, they are waaayy cuter than mine! :)
Linking up with the Country Homemaker Hop, Farmgirl Friday and the Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest.

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.

Bread Making Tips

For something a little different today, I thought I would share some of the tips and tricks I've learned baking bread for the last several years for the Farmer's Market. If my loyal, repeat customers are any indication, I must be doing something right! :)
I do have to admit to another reason for doing this. Last week, I was checking some settings on my blog for a fellow blogger and happened to look at my blog's stats. It isn't something I normally do but it is sometimes interesting to see where people are "coming from" when they visit my blog. One of the traffic sources was Pinterest. I don't do Pinterest because I have a hard enough time keeping up with all the blogs I follow and, yeah, I know there is a LOT of really good "stuff" on there that I'm probably missing out on! Anyway, someone made a comment on a "Pin" of my Buttermilk Wheat Dinner Rolls that the dry/wet ratio seemed a little off. That got me to thinking of all the variables encountered when making bread: quality of ingredients, moisture content in butter, type of liquid used, humidity, altitude, temperature in the house, etc., so I thought I would do a post.

I use King Arthur Flour for all my baking. I have found it to be high quality and it produces consistent results. I also believe it helps make my baked goods just a little better than the competition so it's worth the extra money to me. If I was baking just for Jerry and I, I would use organic King Arthur flour or grind my own but that is cost/time prohibitive for my little business. The brand, and consequently the protein content, of the flour used can make a huge difference in how your bread turns out. Even something as simple as the moisture content in the brand of butter used or whole milk versus skim milk will make a difference. One thing that a bread baker has to learn is what the dough should look and feel like. I personally like my dough a little on the soft side, especially for rolls.

Sweet Potato Rolls

You can see in the above picture that the dough is very soft. I find that this makes for lighter, fluffier rolls. I also check the consistency of my dough a few minutes into the mixing/kneading cycle Every. Single. Time. I don't care if I just made a batch of Oatmeal Wheat Bread an hour ago and am starting another, I still check the consistency of the dough. If it seems a little dry, I add a tablespoon or so of water. If it is too wet and sticky, I add a little flour, one tablespoon at a time. I have found that I will need to adjust the amount of liquid (usually whole milk) in my recipes by almost 1/4 cup from summer to winter. The dough below is a little dry.

Black Pepper Parmesan Rolls

After adding about a tablespoon of water, it comes together and is nice and soft.

 

Black Pepper Parmesan Rolls

 

I have also learned that the recipes that use water instead of milk are stickier. When I go to shape a dough that is a little on the sticky side into rolls or bread, rather than adding more flour, I grease my hands and the counter just a tiny bit to prevent sticking and that way, the rolls or bread is still nice and light. My Pumpernickel Rye Bread dough always comes out sticky.

Another thing I have learned is to not let the dough overproof after shaping. It should only rise about one inch above the top of the pan.

Honey Wheat Bread

If it rises too much, it will collapse as it cools after baking and you will be left with a "wrinkly" top, like the one below. ;) It doesn't affect the taste and it usually doesn't affect how it sells but it just isn't as pretty. (sigh)

Onion Dill Rye Bread

Almost all of my bread recipes I have developed myself by taking other recipes and tweaking them to suit my needs, the ingredients I use and my altitude and humidity (mostly lack thereof!). So, the next time you are making bread, I hope you can use some of these tips to make the recipe your own and don't hesitate to adjust the amount of liquid and/or flour to make it work for you! Oh, and don't forget to take notes on any changes you make, they will come in handy later; you should see all the scribbles on some of my recipe cards! LOL!! Okay, gotta run, it's time to get back to the Onion Cheddar Rolls. It's cheese bread day here at The Home Bakery.
Linking up with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rural Thursday and Farmgirl Friday. I'm also featured on Dolly Is Cooking, thanks Dolly!!

Super Simple Cottage Cheese

I love cottage cheese! It is one of my favorite lunches, whether with whole-berry cranberry sauce (homemade of course!), pineapple or a beautiful home-grown tomato. By the way, this tomato is from my friend's garden...bartering milk for vegetables is good! ;)
I used to buy a lot of cottage cheese before I got my dairy goats and even afterwards for awhile because all the cottage cheese recipes I tried never turned out all that great and, honestly, they were kind of a pain in the, well you know, to make!! It bothered me though to have to buy a dairy product that I ought to be able to make myself so I pretty much quit buying cottage cheese, that and the fact that I didn't like some of the "stuff" that was in most of the commercial cottage cheese.
Then, awhile back, I had one of those ah-ha moments while making a batch of Queso Blanco. After draining the whey from the curds and before putting it in the cheese press, I thought to myself "Self, this sure looks like cottage cheese to me!" So, I made sure it was drained really well, added a little salt, broke the curds up pretty finely and stirred in some heavy cream. Voila, cottage cheese! It is a little different than commercial cottage cheese but it tastes pretty good to us. :)
Now, I'm sure some of my fellow cheese-making blogging friends have been doing this for years but I thought I would share anyway, just in case there is anyone else out there who hasn't yet had the light bulb go off.
Sharing with The Country Homemaker Hop, Rural Thursday, Farmgirl Friday and the Farm Girl 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.