Creamy Rice Pudding

 

1 ½ cups cooked white rice

2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup white sugar

¼ tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 large egg, beaten

1 Tbsp. butter

½ tsp. vanilla

Optional ingredients: cinnamon, cardamom, almond extract, raisins

 

Combine rice, 1 ½ cups milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan on medium heat. Stir until begins to thicken and add cornstarch and stir. Cook about 15 minutes total, stirring frequently. When thickened, place egg in a small bowl and put some hot pudding in with the egg and stir it. Then put egg back into the main pot to cook. (This is called tempering the egg so it won't immediately cook when added to the hot pudding.) Stir in other half cup of milk and stir. If adding extra spices, like cinnamon or cardamom, add them and cook a little longer, about a minute or so. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla (and almond extract if using). Stir in raisins if using. Serve warm or room temperature.

Yellow Scratch Cake Mix

 Making a cake mix from scratch was a crazy-easy endeavor! I may never purchase one again!

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) softened *butter, room temperature

Mix dry ingredients together and then cut in the butter with a pastry blender.

*To make this recipe dairy-free, use melted coconut oil instead of butter and mix thoroughly with a fork or mixer.

For cake:

1 recipe of above cake mix recipe

1 cup water

2/3 cup oil

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla powder

Mix ingredients together and put in oven at 350 degrees. Depending on the size and shape of pans, the time will vary. Cupcakes are likely 15-17 minutes. Cakes in two 9x9 pans should be closer to 25 minutes. One large 9x13 pan may be 30 or so minutes. Cake should be slightly golden on the edges and a toothpick inserted should come out clean.

Egg Yolk Bundt Cake

 

Okay, this is a goofy picture of this cake...my husband put these candles on it for his son's 25th birthday! 

10-12 large egg yolks

1 ½ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon or other extract (I usually add some almond)

1 ¾ cup flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp salt

¾ cup milk or heavy cream

½ cup oil (I used melted coconut oil)

1/3 cup softened butter

Beat together yolks, sugar and extracts in mixer until light. Add oil and butter and mix together. Sift or stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk in three additions to the yolk mixture. Oil or butter and flour a Bundt pan. Poor mixture into the pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Gingerbread Spritz Cookies

 I did not ice my cookies because I didn't have time. But next time I will!!

3 cups flour
2 ½ tsp. ground ginger
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. salt

1 cup softened butter

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup molasses

1 large egg, room temperature

In a medium bowl, whisk first six ingredients together (dry ingredients). Set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until well combined. Add vanilla, molasses and egg and beat until smooth. On low, slowly add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Cover dough tightly and refrigerate for 30minutes, but no longer! Press cookies using a cookie press onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5-6 minutes, depending on size. Larger cookie presses such as the old Pampered Chef press may need more time. Let cookies cool on pan for a few minutes. Transfer to cooling rack to cool.

 

Glaze: (optional, but highly recommended!)
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp. warm water

Stir together until smooth. Thin or thicken if needed. Dip each cookie in the glaze, face down. Let excess icing drip off. Turn cookie back up and let icing dry.

Molded Gingerbread

 This is a new cookie hobby I picked up last holiday season. I'm totally addicted! Molded cookies!

The pinecone cookie was made with this recipe. 

3 ¾ cups flour

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. cocoa powder

Scant pinch of red chili pepper

4 tsp. ground ginger

1 ½ tsp. ground allspice

3 ½ tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

¾ cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar

1 egg

½ cup dark molasses

1 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. agave syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. ginger extract (optional)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Combine first nine ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Cream butter in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream until pale and creamy. Add egg and incorporate. Stir in molasses, honey, agave, vanilla and ginger extract until well combined. Add the dry ingredients into the mixture gradually until the dough pulls away from the sides. Flour hands and knead once or twice into a ball. If sticky, add 1 Tbsp. of flour. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Roll ½ inch thick. Dust dough and cookie mold with powdered sugar using a pastry brush. Press dough, tap lightly to release. Use knife to cut around impression if needed. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Dry cookies 3 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-15 minutes. Brush with glaze while still warm.

Bread Pudding (Versions I and II + Caramel Sauce!)

The great thing about bread pudding is that it can be the simplest thing to make, or it can be a little more involved. Either way, these two recipes are both bread pudding! 

Version I:

½ loaf of bread, about 5-6 cups, cubed
2 cups milk
1 Tbsp. butter (or spray the pan with cooking spray)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Place bread in 9x9 inch baking pan. Mix milk beaten eggs and vanilla. Pour over the bread. Bake at 350 degrees until tops are golden and pudding is no longer runny, about 30-40 minutes.

Version II:

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

2 ¼ cups half-and-half

2 cups milk

½ cup melted butter

¼ cup sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 ½ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

20 dinner rolls or cubed bread (about 8 cups?)

3 Tbsp. brown sugar for the top

Whisk together first ten ingredients. Place bread cubes into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour mixture over the bread and let soak a few minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and pudding is set. 

Caramel sauce for pudding:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. baking soda

Simmer butter, sugar and half-and-half for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt and baking soda. Serve warm on pudding.

Simple Short Cake

 Short cake is like "shortbread", there aren't any eggs and you "cut in" the fat, in this case, butter. Pretty sweet!

2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup cold butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
Coarse sugar for decoration

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry blender until it resembles rough cornmeal or coarse crumbs. Make a well in the mixture and add the vanilla and milk. Stir to combine. Pour into greased and floured 8 inch round (or square) baking pan. Sprinkle with coarse sugar for decoration. Bake for 43-45 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 15 minutes before turning cake out onto a board or rack to cool.

Apple Blossom Cake

 I got this recipe from a Facebook group for old recipes. It's pretty great! I made it 4 times in just a few weeks! Enjoy!

1 ½ cups melted coconut oil
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups grated apples
3 cups flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
 

In medium bowl, mix together oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add grated apples and mix. In large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Grease and flour a Bundt cake pan. Pour batter in pan and bake 75 minutes at 300 degrees. Cool for five minutes and remove from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Strawberry Cookie Cups

 

These were fun to make, but make sure the dough is cold enough or it is hard to manipulate into the mini muffin cups.

1 cup softened butter

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

1 large egg

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

3 oz. strawberry flavored gelatin (Jello)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

 

Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 ½-3 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. almond extract

 

Beat butter and powdered sugar until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Whisk flour, gelatin, baking soda and cream of tartar together. Gradually beat into butter mixture. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Roll one section of dough 1/8 inch thick and cut with 2 ¾ inch flower cookie cutter. Press gently into a mini muffin pan cup. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 min. and 30 seconds. Coo five minutes and remove from pan to cool completely. Mix filling ingredients until smooth. Pipe filling into center of each cup. (You can use a plastic storage back with the corner cut off or a pastry bag to do this.) Store in airtight container in the fridge.

 

Modified from tasteofhome.com

Frozen Pop Treats (Popsicles--which I think is a brand name)

I probably have at least 50 popsicles in my freezer RIGHT NOW, and all but 5 of them were made last year--it's a deep freeze, so stuff lasts quite a while. I started making them about 4 years ago and was really excited about it! I got a new mold from Williams Sonoma (I don't generally shop there but was in TX with my sis and found the mold on sale). If I could blend it and freeze it, it became a popsicle! Ingredients ranged from spinach to left over Oreo cake at work. Options were endless! I like this kind of mold since you can make many pops and not have to eat them before making the next batch, but you can use whatever kind of mold. With this kind, you will need to get some sticks. I bought special food ones but you can use the craft kind, too. The food ones I have found to be little smoother, but I haven't ever gotten a splinter in my mouth!

The last thing I really "need" is to be making more popsicles, but I admit, I can't help the ideas flowing to my mind about popsicle recipes, and what if I don't have one left of *the* popsicle I'm craving right now? I don't know about you, but I eat my favorites first. Even though 50 or so remain, I have already eaten far more of my favorites throughout the last many months. I even had a "popsicle party" about 4 years ago because I had made easily over 150 of them and needed help eating them! (I know that because the first pack of sticks I went though had 150 in it and I opened another package of sticks and used them too!)

Here are a few of my favorite recipes. The directions for all of them (unless otherwise mentioned) is blend all ingredients, pour in mold, add sticks and freeze for at least 8 hours. (I could make 16 in a 24 hour period!)

Reese's PB Cup Pop

6 peanut butter cups (I use the ones in the orange wrappers, but if you use smaller, individually wrapped ones, just increase the amount)

1 jar of marshmallow creme

2 heaping Tbsp. malted milk

Milk (about a cup to a cup and a half; I don't measure)

(optional) Mini PB cups (the ones that are about 1/2 inch across) you can also use crushed big ones, added to the top of the mold after the liquid is poured in and before you add the sticks. Makes a nice little snack at the bottom of the pop! Just don't add TOO many as the stick will be less secure in the pop if you do.

Circus Animal Cookie Pop

1 1/2 cups circus animal 

Milk to cover by about an inch or more

1 jar marshmallow creme

Banana Malt Pop

1 1/2-2 very ripe bananas

5 spoons of vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. malted milk powder

1/2 jar marshmallow creme

1/4 cup milk

Smoothie Pop

3/4 c. blueberries (or any berries!)

3/4 cup strawberries

1/2 cup yogurt (any flavor)

1/4 cup honey

pineapple, V8 smoothie, or other juice to cover ingredients

Fruit Cream Pop

1-2 cups fruit (I have used strawberries, blueberries, or bananas, both separate or combined with multiple fruits. Half a can of frozen concentrate orange juice can be used to make orange creamsicles, but I use 4-6 oz. of vanilla protein milk instead of the juice for those.)

1 jar marshmallow creme

V8 smoothie juice or other juice

Pudding Pie Pop

1/2 cup vanilla protein milk (I buy Shamrock Rockin' Protein Builder)

1/2 cup cold water or milk

1/3 cup vanilla pudding mix (powdered instant, or a box, I guess. Mine is special because I can use water to make mine)

6 graham crackers (I blend mine first to make crumbs)

1 jar marshmallow creme

Healthier Pop

3/4 cup blueberries

3/4 cup strawberries (you can use any berries, frozen or fresh)

1 handful of spinach

V8 smoothie juice (or other 100% juice) 

Ovaltine Whopper Malt Pop

1 cup powdered Ovaltine

1/2 cup malted milk

1/2 cup Whoppers (chocolate balls with malt on the inside)

A few extra small Whoppers to put in the top of the mold after the liquid is poured (makes an extra treat at the end of the pop; they may need to be cut in half to fit in the mold if they are too big)

Final Pop Note:

The nice thing about these frozen pop treats is that you can combine all kinds of things to make them. The first time I made them 4 years ago I made the mistake of not writing any recipes down. It would be like, "Hey, that one was great! I wonder what was in it so I can make more..." This time, I took notes. I suggest you do the same and find what you like and write it down. Find more combinations you like and write them down too! Good luck!!

Strawberry Pudding Pie

This pie takes a few hours total time to complete--mostly because of "chill" time and "cool" time, but it is well worth the time! I had a guy over (we ate outside six feet apart due to COVID-19 concerns) and we had this pie as dessert. He gave it an 8 out of 10 and I gave it 8.5/9 out of 10. It's pretty good. I love the taste of homemade pudding; it is SOOOO much more delicious than box mix pudding! Enjoy!

1 baked pastry pie shell (9")
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 Tbsp powdered sugar

Glaze:
3 cups fresh strawberries, divided
1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Cover bottom of baked pie shell with the toasted almonds and set aside.

Pudding: In a small saucepan, combine sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and pour a small amount of pudding into the beaten egg and stir. Return egg mixture into the main saucepan and return to heat for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat whipping cream until thick and holds its shape. Stir in powdered sugar. When pudding has cooled to room temperature, fold in the whipping cream and pour into the pie shell. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Glaze: Crush one cup of the strawberries (I used a potato masher) and place in a saucepan with the water. Boil for 2 minutes uncovered. Strain through cheese cloth or fine sieve to collect the strawberry liquid; discard the fruit and set liquid aside to cool. In another saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Gradually stir in strawberry liquid until blended. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Cool for 20 minutes.

Slice remaining 2 cups of strawberries and arrange over chilled pudding in pie shell. Pour glaze over berries. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving.

I got this recipe from Taste of Home, Mom's Best Meals 2009

Mini Apple Pies

So I altered a regular sized apple pie recipe for these small pies. I didn't use all of the mixture for the small pies, so I made another "bigger" pie that I folded over using the rest of the mixture and apples. So this could probably be cut in half except the apples, which I already reduced.

1 pie crust recipe

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Granny Smith apples, chopped into small pieces (can be peeled, but optional)

1 egg white

Make crust and set aside, covered so as not to dry out.
Melt butter in a saucepan and stir in flour to make a paste. Add water and sugars and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Meanwhile, (peel if you want) chop apples into about 1/4 inch pieces. Roll out dough into two pieces (one will be the tops and one will be the bottoms) on floured surface. I used an apple pastry maker to mark on the bottom dough where I should put the apples and mixture. I put the apples down first and then spooned a little of the caramel type mixture on top of the apples. Then I laid a part of the second pie crust piece over the apples and mixture and stamped down hard to cut and seal the dough with the pastry maker tool.  Mine is shaped like an apple, but you can use any shape.

After apple pies are sealed, place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and brush each pie with egg white using a basting brush. With a fork, poke holes in each pie to let out steam. I forgot to do this in one batch I made and the filling came out the sides! See below.

I cleaned them up a little so it was less obvious, but you can see on some that the sides are split open. There are no such things as mistakes, just learning opportunities! I had made these pies at least twice before this picture, so we can all get distracted sometimes and forget!

Bake in 375* oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until they brown up on top. Honestly, I don't remember how long I baked them, so just watch and smell when they are done. When I make them again, I may edit this to write a more accurate time for baking.  

Golden Peanut Bars

This recipe came from an Eagle Brand Holiday Magic in Minutes recipe booklet. It's not as sweet as I anticipated, but it was still delicious! I mean, I can tolerate super sweet! Some people can't eat straight spoonfuls of brown sugar, though. This is for those people. :) Enjoy! (Mine were slightly over-done so I altered the recipe to reduce baking time.)

2 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. (one stick) cold butter
1 cup finely chopped peanuts
1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, brown sugar, and beaten egg in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Reserve 2 cups of the crumble mixture and press the remaining crumbles into the bottom of a 9" X 13" pan. Bake 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Meanwhile, beat peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla in a bowl. Spread over the baked crust when it comes out of the oven. Top with reserved 2 cups of crumbles. Bake 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned. Cool and cut into bars.

Cast Iron Skillet Brownies

Baking brownies in a cast iron skillet? Yup. Cast iron goes nicely in the oven too!

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1-2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" diameter skillet and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan on the stove top or in the microwave in a glass bowl. Pour melted butter into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla to the bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Pour dry ingredients into wet mixture and combine well as to have no lumps. Spread into the greased cast iron skillet. Bake 25 minutes; brownies should be soft when removed from the oven. Do not over-bake. I used a 10" skillet and should have reduced the time as they were slightly over-done in the picture. Enjoy!

Jam-filled Hand Pies

1 ¾ cups flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp. salt

¾ cup cold butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

2-4 Tbps. Milk

6 Tbsp. jam (I used homemade raspberry jam)

Stir flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in egg and sprinkle in one tablespoon of milk at a time into flour mixture just until the dough comes together. Knead gently a few times until the dough holds together and can be rolled. Roll about 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut with large cookie cutter hearts or make rectangles or squares using a knife or a small baking rotary blade. Cut pairs of the same size and shape. Spread jam onto the middle of half of the cutouts. Moisten edges of the jam side of the pastry and place a matching pastry cutout on top. Seal edges by pressing with a fork. Brush tops with milk. Bake on a parchment papered cookie sheet for about 17 minutes (oven may vary) or until the tops begin turning golden.

You can also cut out hearts (or whatever seasonal shape) and attach them with milk to the tops of pastries to make them decorative. They can also be glazed for decoration.

Better Homes and Gardens, Feb 2019 p.97

Cake Donuts

2 cups flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

2 Tbsp. melted butter

½ cup milk

1 beaten egg

Oil for frying, about a quart

Heat oil in a deep pan to 375*. (For my stove it was about medium-low.) Stir or sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. Stir in the milk and egg until smooth. Knead lightly a few times on a floured flat surface. Roll out to ¼ inch thick and cut with either a donut cutter or large and smaller round cutters. Drop into hot oil and turn over once when golden. Drain on paper towels.

I rolled half of mine in a cinnamon and sugar mix. The other half I glazed with a milk, powdered sugar and almond extract glaze and immediately applied some Valentine sprinkles on top.

Pioneer Swedish Jam Cake

I am not sure if this is super authentic, and I don't recall where I got this recipe, but it sure is good!

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 eggs, separated

Pinch salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 cup strawberry jam

Cream butter and sugar; add beaten egg yolks and salt. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk. Sift together flour and spices and add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, adding flour mixture last. Beat well and add jam. Beat egg whites in a bowl and fold into cake batter. Bake in greased and floured 8x8-inch pan at 375° F. for 35 to 40 minutes.

Easy Churros

In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil together:
1 cup water
1/2 cup (one cube) butter
1/4 tsp. salt

Turn heat to low and add, stirring vigorously:
1 cup flour

Remove from heat. Beat 3 eggs in a small bowl and mix in with the flour mixture until all one texture of dough.

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a heavy, high sided pan on medium heat (about 360*).
Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon in a shallow dish or plate. Set aside.

Put dough into a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. (I use an open star tip that's about 3/8" across.)

Using scissors in one hand and the pastry bag in the other, squeeze dough (I made mine about 5 inches long) into the pan of hot oil and cut off with scissors. Repeat to fry more in the pan. Let brown vary lightly and turn over. Drain on paper towels until cool enough to touch. Roll in cinnamon and sugar. Best served warm.
I didn't count, but I think it made about 3 dozen 4-5 inch churros.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

My cake frosting was green because it was St. Patrick's Day!

1 devil's food cake mix
1 pkg instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

1 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Cake:
Mix first six ingredients together with a beater. Add chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bundt cake (cooking spray works well). Bake in oven at 350* for 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 20 minutes. Remove from pan.

Frosting:
In medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in vanilla and gradually stir in powdered sugar gradually until thick. Put frosting in a ziplock bag, cut our a corner, and squeeze out as ribbons of frosting.

David D's From Scratch Brownies

1 2/3 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups flour

¾ cups cocoa

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

2 Tbsp water

¾ cup melted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

¾ cup chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients. Mix in wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in greased 9X13 inch pan. Bake at 375* for 18-25 minutes. Cool in the pan. Cut and enjoy!!