Bourbon Apple Pie

Bourbon Apple Pie

4 cups peeled and sliced apples
1 cup granulated sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
½ t. ginger
1 stick butter
1 cup bourbon
3 t. orange zest

In a large bowl, toss apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Place apples in skillet and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the bourbon and continue cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes. Apples should be tender and the liquid should be syrupy. Add the orange zest and set aside to cool.

Use any favorite pie crust recipe for this pie. Place apple mixture in bottom crust of pie pan and cover with a top crust. Crimp the edges to seal and vent the top crust.

Place in a pre-heated 375-degree oven for 55-65 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Pecan Balls

I'm in a cookie mood. What about you?

Pecan Balls

1 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar (plus more for topping)
1½ t. vanilla
2¼ cups flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans
¾ t. salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter, 1 cup powdered sugar and vanilla.

Add flour, nuts and salt and mix.

Shape into balls.

Place about on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes

or until set but not brown.

Roll in powdered sugar
while warm.
Cool.

Roll in powdered
sugar again.

Scones

This is a very basic scone recipe. It comes together quickly and the results are delicious. Try adding nuts, fruit or cinnamon for a change of pace. Enjoy!

Basic Scones

2 cups flour
1 T. baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, very cold
1 cup whipping cream

Combine first 4 ingredients. Cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Add whipping cream and stir until moistened.

Turn onto lightly floured board. Knead gently.

Roll dough to a half-inch thick circle. Cut into wedges.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Peachy Pound Cake

One of my favorite recipes!

Peachy Pound Cake

1 cup butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 t. vanilla
3 cups flour
¼ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ cup sour cream
2 cups ripe peaches, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour a bundt pan.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet.

Fold in sour cream and chopped peaches.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 1½ hours.

Easy Bean Soup

It doesn't get much easier than this. Add a loaf of warm, crusty bread and you've got a fast meal. Enjoy!

Easy Bean Soup

1 pound Great Northern beans, washed and sorted
2 1/2 quarts cold water, divided
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Soak beans overnight in 2 qts. water.

Add remaining water to softened beans and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients; simmer 60 minutes or until beans are tender. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Jam Tarts

Simple to make, and oh-so yummy! Enjoy!

Jam Tarts

1¼ cups unsalted butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups sifted flour
2 cups ground almonds
1/8 t. cinnamon
7 T. raspberry jam
confectioner’s sugar

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add flour, almonds and cinnamon.

Shape the dough into a ball
and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Roll the dough out and cut into circles.

Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.
Cool.

Spread half of the rounds with jam. Place remaining rounds over jam to form “sandwiches” and sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar.

Walnut Pancakes

Here's what's cooking at our house for breakfast this morning. Easy to prepare, and these waffles sure beat cereal any day of the week! Enjoy!

Walnut Pancakes

2 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups orange juice

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and walnuts.

Add eggs, oil and orange juice and stir to combine.

Lightly butter a hot griddle

and cook pancakes until golden brown.

Serve dusted with confectioner’s sugar

and topped with hot maple syrup.

Pan-Fried Apples

Fried up a batch of these last night. We wanted something sweet, but not too sweet, so these were perfect. Topped with whipped cream, they were delicious!

Pan-Fried Apples

5 tart apples
2 T. butter
½ cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. nutmeg

Peel and thinly slice apples.

Melt butter in a large skillet.

Add all ingredients and saute

until apples are tender.

Strawberry Cobbler

The strawberries in our patch aren't ready for picking yet but the grocery store is already stocked with this summertime favorite. I love strawberries, so we eat a lot of them all year round. One of my favorite, fast and easy recipes using strawberries is this cobbler. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Strawberry Cobbler

4 cups sliced strawberries
1 T. lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 T. cornstarch
2 cups biscuit mix
3 T. melted butter
½ cup milk
2 t. vanilla
½ t. cinnamon

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook until mixture thickens. Pour hot strawberry mixture into an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Set aside.

In a large bowl combine biscuit mix, butter, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Drop batter by spoonfuls over strawberry mixture.

Place baking pan in a preheated 400-degree oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
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Daffodil Bread

Daffodil Bread

1 cup vegetable oil

1¾ cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 t. baking soda

½ t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 T. lemon extract

1 cup finely chopped almonds

2 cups lemon yogurt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together oil, eggs and sugar.
Add remaining ingredients and mix.

Grease and flour bundt pan.
Pour batter in pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes.
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