This is the season of peaches and yes, we have our own peach tree. Right now, the branches are really drooping from the weight of them all, so it is time to get busy…desserts, jam making….on and on.
- 1 1/4 cups Crisco oil
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 extra large eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 3 1/2 cups peeled, diced peaches
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
Beat the oil, sugars and eggs in your mixing bowl. Combine the next 6 dry ingredients. mixing well to combine.
Add the peaches, pistachios and raisins, stirring until just combined. Spread out in a 10 inch tube pan (angel food pan) that you have sprayed with Pam.
Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the centre, comes out clean.
Cool 15 minutes on a rack and then invert onto the rack until it cools completely.
To serve, sprinkle the cake top with icing sugar or add a generous dollop of whipped cream on each slice, once plated.
Enjoy!
Noodle Kugel
This is a sweet casserole usually served at Yom Kippur, but it is delicious anytime. It is a sweet noodle yummy dish. Try it!
- 1/2 pound wide kosher egg noodles
- 1/2 stick butter, melted
- 1 pound cottage cheese (4%)
- 2 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 6 eggs, well beaten
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil the noodles in salted water for only 4 minutes. Strain the noodles.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the remaining ingredients until smooth, add the rasins at the end and pour into a greased (buttered) 9 x 13 baking dish.
Kugel Topping
- 2 cups cornflakes, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Stir together the cornflakes, sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the noodles. Dot the butter over the top. Bake for about 1 hour until golden brown.
Let stand a good 5 minutes before serving.
Kitchen Sink Cookies
These are the best! Tied with my chocolate chip cookies…honest. I would not tell you they were great if they weren’t.
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 c up good quality white chocolate chips
- 1 cup good quality milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
- 1/2 cup granola mix
- 1 tsp. grated orange zest
WHEW!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend the first three ingredients until creamy, and then add the eggs and vanilla. Note: This is the only liquid required so don’t think I have made an error here.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and add to the egg mixture, a little at a time, mixing well.
With the machine on low, pulse it, yes I said pulse it, when adding the remaining ingredients. Do this all at once and it is easier to mix together.
When well mixed, use a 1 inch scoop or shape by hand into golf ball size cookies and bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet for approximately 10-14 minutes. Watch so they don’t burn, should be a lovely golden colour.
You can fill the cookie jar, then put the remaining cookies in a covered container and freeze. You will be the hero when you fill the jar up again after everyone complains the jar is empty.
Papaya Scones
When the girls pop over for coffee in the morning or your Mother-in-law shows up for tea in the afternoon, treat them with these.
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 egg
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter (cold, so you can grate it)
- 1/2 cup dried papaya, chopped
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 tsp. grated lime zest
- 1 tbsp. softened butter
- Butter, (you might even want to use a flavoured butter, listed on this site)
- Preserves of your choice
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Pour the buttermilk into a measuring cup and beat in the egg.
In a large bowl, blend together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate the butter into the flour mixture and bring together with your hands.
Add the papaya, raisins, zest and stir to mix. Add the buttermilk all at once and stir until a soft dough forms. At this point, you may have to add up to a 1/4 cup of buttermilk.
Turn the dough onto a floured board and knead 6-7 times until well mixed. Pat out until it is about 1″ thick. Dip the rim of a glass in flour (no bigger than 2″) and cut out the scones. Place them on a parchment lined pan and bake anywhere from 18-20 minutes. Brush the tops with the softened butter and serve warm with fresh butter and preserves.
Of course, this sounds like tea should be served along with them. Your choice.
Orange Scones
I seem to be on a kick right now to make sure I have “treats” just in case. Just in case we get unexpected company! So, I have 2 tropical loaves, chocolate chip cookies, and scones. Oh…sorry about that….the cookies are all gone.
Anyway, these are lovely and if you wish, serve with with a nice orange marmalade and butter and you will be given the award of the day.
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup golden raisins
- 1 tbsp. finely grated orange rind
- 6 tbsp. cold butter
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1/2 cup + half and half cream
- Icing sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt. Stir in the raisins and orange zest.
Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Make a small well in the center and add the liquids. Stir only until the dough clings together.
Knead on a lightly floured surface about 12-13 times.
Cut the dough into 4 pieces and lightly pat into squares about 1/2 inch thick. Cut these diagonally and place the squares on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
On removal from oven, sprinkle with icing sugar. Let cool if you can. Otherwise, pour the coffee, grab the butter and marmalade amd have your own party. I would…
Afternoon Cookies
By the time 2:30-3:00 p.m. shows up, it feels like a snack would be in order. Right? Then this is a great little snack and healthy too! (sort of).
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (good quality)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips (again,good quality)
- 1 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend the butter, and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla, beating well to combine. Sift the 4 dry ingredients together and add slowly to the butter mixture. With the mixer on s-l-o-w, add the remaining ingredients.
On parchment lined cookie sheets, shape the dough into golf sized balls and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden.
Christmas Gumdrop Cake
I posted this last year and believe it should make an appearance again. Holiday smells are emanating from the kitchen as we speak. This is true. I am making a gumdrop Christmas Cake for kiddies (they don’t seem to like the ordinary kind). This will be eaten up in a flash, so good. Gumdrops, skor bits, hmmm.
Serves 12
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice, divided
- 3 1/2 cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1 tsp. orange extract
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 pkg. baking gumdrops
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup Skor bits
- flour for coating raisins and gumdrops.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using the wrapper off the butter, grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar until very fluffy, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.
In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients and on low speed, add to the butter and egg mixture, alternating with 1 cup orange juice. (Depending on where you live, you just may have to add a bit more juice.)
Stir in the flavourings. In a bowl add the raisins and gumdrops to about 1 tbsp. flour and run your fingers through it, making sure all are covered with the flour. ….the raisins and gumdrops, not your fingers….although…..
Add to the mixture and stir in. Mix well and put into prepared pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove from oven and with a fork, poke the entire surface. SLOWLY pour the remaining 1/2 cup orange juice, ensuring all the juice has been absorbed. Wrap in parchment paper and tin foil and store in the freezer (if not using in a week) or fridge until ready to cut up for the trays.
I’m not a kid, but I love this cake and I am not alone….in this house…just sayin’.
Lemon Scones
Sometimes we wrack our brains trying to find something different, either for breakfast or afternoon tea, and this might just hit the spot. They are not difficult and will raise a few eyebrows when they take that first bite.
You will need:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. each of allspice and cloves
- pinch of salt
- 8 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup yellow raisins
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp. grated lemon zest
- 2/3 cup milk.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly stir the flour, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl. With a pastry blender, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until butter is blended into small granules. Add the raisins, sugar and lemon. Now add the milk and stir to form a soft ball.
On a lightly floured board turn out the dough and knead about 10-12 times. Form into a ball and lightly flatten out on a cookie sheet that has parchment paper on it. Score with a sharp knife so that 8-10 triangles are marked. Bake about 15 minutes (watching it doesn’t get too brown) and cool on a wire rack.
When ready to serve, cut in half and put a generous spoon of lemon curd inside and replace the top. Sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy.
This is just one of the treats served at the B & B.
A Yummy Traditional Pudding
In case you don’t have a traditional dessert for this holiday season “big turkey” day, you might want to try this one. It is quite lovely.
You will need:
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup cream sherry
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 9 whole large eggs
- 9 large egg yolks
- 1 cup golden raisins (you might even try cranberries)
- pinch of cinnamon
- 6 croissants (torn up into large pieces)
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Stir the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in a large saucepan over a medium heat just until the sugar melts and the mixture is warm (not hot). This will take about 8-10 minutes.
Remove from heat , stir in the cream sherry and allow to cool just enough so you don’t ‘scramble’ the eggs that you have beat together. Whisk together the eggs, yolks and cinnamon into the warm milk mixture. Place the croissant pieces in a 13x 9 inch baking dish (buttered).
Now pour the custard gently over the pieces and simply sprinkle the raisins over the top. Gently submerge the pieces and let stand for about 20 minutes. You will need a large roasting pan to bake this. Place the baking dish inside the roaster and pour warm water to fill the pan halfway up the baking dish side.
Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until it is firm when touched. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Ouch…my waistband is hurting…..
This one will garner a group hug for sure.
Taste Rating: 9.6