Ice Cream

There is nothing like a bowl of homemade ice cream on a hot summer day!  I have nice memories of my sisters and I our on our back porch, taking turns cranking the handle on our old freezer.  Daddy always had to finish it up when it got too stiff for us kids to turn.

We are trying out our new ice cream maker tomorrow! 

Here is a very simple but very good recipe.  I'm doubling it for our large freezer.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups half-and-half cream

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

What to Do

In a bowl, combine all ingredients; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Freeze in an ice cream freezer according to manufacturer's directions. Yield: 1-1/2 quarts.

 

Note:  For raspberry or strawberry ice cream, substitute 2 cups fresh or frozen berries for 1 cup of half-and-half. Puree berries in a blender or food processor; stir into the other ingredients before freezing.

"Almond Rocha" Imitation

Just in time for Christmas!

Ingredients
 

1½ cups coarsely-chopped almonds

16 oz. light brown sugar

1 lb. butter

24 oz. chocolate chips

What to Do

1. Sprinkle ¾ cup coarsely chopped almonds onto the bottom of an 18x13 inch cookie sheet. Set aside.
2. In a 2 qt. sauce pan, combine sugar and butter over medium high heat while stirring frequently for several minutes unit bubbly and thick. Use a candy thermometer and cook until 290 degrees F. Watch carefully after 280 degrees F to prevent it from burning. Once it has reached 290 degrees F, remove from heat.
3. Pour candy evenly on top of the almonds in cookie sheet. Let stand for a few minutes.
4. Melt chocolate chips in microwave with 1 tsp. shortening or oil to help keep it smooth. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring between each increment, until completely melted and smooth.
5. Cover candy with layer of chocolate and sprinkle remaining almonds evenly over the top of chocolate layer.
6. Allow to set up for a few hours.
7. Once completely set up and hardened, break into pieces using a knife.

Pad Thai

Ingredients

8 oz broad rice noodles
4 T fish sauce (Squid brand fish sauce is recommended.) 
6 T lime juice
4 T sugar
2 T ketchup
1 t red chili flakes
1/2 C oil
2 T chopped garlic
8 Shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup diced chicken
2 eggs; beaten
2 cups bean sprouts
3 green onions; slivered
2 T toasted peanuts
 
What to Do

Soak noodles in very hot water for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.

Combine fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, ketchup and chili flakes and set aside.

Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat and add oil. Stir in garlic, cook 10 seconds, then add shrimp and chicken.   Stir fry until all ingredients are cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs and toss together until scrambled.  Add noodles and mix well.  Pour in sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until noodles are soft and tender. If they appear dry, add up to 1/4 cup hot water.
 
Stir in bean sprouts, green onions and peanuts, and fry for one more minute. Taste for seasoning, adding more lime or chili as needed.
 
Serve Pad Thai garnished with coriander, lime wedges and bean sprouts.

You can add ingredients that you like, and make it as spicy or tart as you wish. Can be used as a
basis for a stir fry of leftovers. Rice noodles are available at most ethnic Asian and gourmet stores.

Pecan Pie Muffins

I hate to admit it, since we had virtually no summer weather, but there is a cool breeze blowing through the window and fall is in the air. Some leaves are even beginning to change.  Fall weather makes me think of baking, and baking makes me think of pecans.  My parents were from Texas, and the best pecans come from there.  Today I ordered a large amount from Sunny Land Farms.  I can't recommend them highly enough.  There is absolutely no comparing their plump, delicious nuts with the dried and shriveled things that pass for pecan pieces in my local supermarket.  Check them out at www.sunnylandfarms.com and don't let the prices deter you.  They are not cheap, but they are worth every dollar.  I found this recipe there today, after I placed an order for 6 lbs. of pecan pieces.  Can't wait for them to arrive (sometime after the October harvest) so I can try out this recipe.

1 cup Small Pecan Pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted

Combine pecans, sugar and flour in a large bowl. Make a well in center, add beaten eggs and melted butter. Stir until just moistened.

Line 9 muffin tins with paper cups, or spray muffin tin with a non-stick cooking spray. Fill 2/3 full.
Bake at 350° 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack. Makes 9 muffins.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Here in Wisconsin, we have had a glorious fall so far. Sometimes fall is miserable here, with seemingly endless stretches of coldly grey days. Sometimes the leaves start to turn to the beautiful hues of autumn only to be blasted bare by rain and wind before the transformation can be enjoyed. Not this year! We have had plenty of sunny days with daytime temperatures in the 60s and 70s even though it is getting chilly at night. I just heard that frost is finally in the forecast for next week, but meanwhile some of our flowers are still in bloom and the colors on the trees are becoming beautiful.
 

Fall makes me want to savor a cup of coffee along with something baked in the oven, especially something with cinnamon in it. I'm planning on this for Saturday morning, and I don't want to even think about how many calories are in it.

Ingredients for Cake

3 c. flour
1/4 tsp.salt

1 c. sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 c. milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. butter, melted

Ingredients for Topping

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Ingredients for Glaze

2 c. powdered sugar

5 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

What to Do
Mix all cake ingredients together except for the butter. Next, slowly stir in the melted butter. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Drop evenly over the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 28-32 minutes. Meanwhile, brew a pot of coffee and mix glaze ingredients together until smooth. While cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top.

Pumpkin Bread

I really enjoyed my first sample of this bread and I am not a big fan of pumpkin.  So for those who like pumpkin, you probably can't go wrong!  It is about the easiest bread recipe I have ever seen, and it makes three tasty loaves. 

Ingredients

4 eggs, beaten
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
2/3 cup water
1 cup oil (you can substitute some or all of the oil with unsweetened apple sauce)
31/2 cup flour
1 15 oz. can pumpkin  (you can also use cooked pumpkin or squash)

What to Do

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour 3 loaf pans.  Mix everything together in a large bowl.  Bake for about 1 hour or until inserted toothpick comes our clean.  If using glass pans, reduce heat to 300 degrees.  

Easy Double Chocolate Chip Brownies

Ingredients

These will probably always be my favorite brownie!  However, I made this recipe last night for a church gathering and they were delicious and quick to make.  Dividing the chips makes for a nice chocolate batter that has chunks of chocolate too! 

2 cup (10 oz. pkg.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. bakins soda
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

What to Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.  Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with the margarine or butter on low heat in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.  Add the 3 eggs and mix well.  Stir in flour, sugar, baking soda and vanilla extract.  Stir in the nuts and the remaining cup of chocolate chips.  Spread into baking pan.  Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly sticky.  Cool in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Makes about 20 bars.

I baked these in a glass pan so I turned the oven temp to 325 degrees.  It did take the full 22 minutes.