Food for Thought

Main Dishes

Appetizers

Breads

Sweets and Treats

Tarts, Bars, and Whimsical Creations

Mini Apple Pies

Prepare a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and preheat oven to 325 degrees

 

Ingredients for the Apple Mixture:

  • 4 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1/4  sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mix with 1/4 cup cold water)

Directions: 
Place 1 cup water, apples, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Bring to a bowl and let cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Mix cornstarch in cold water and add to the apples, stirring constantly. If it gets too thick, add a little more water. Set aside.
Ingredients for the Dough:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
  • 3 oz cream cheese, softened

Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Chill for one hour. Roll into walnut-sized balls and place in muffin tin. spread dough so there is room to put the apple mixture. Top with Streusel (recipe below) Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes (check after 15). 
Ingredients for Streusel:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, not softened

Easy Fudge

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

  • 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)

Directions:

  1. Generously grease an 8-inch square glass baking dish. 
  2. Combine chocolate chips, condensed milk, and butter in large saucepan. Cook on medium heat until chips are melted. Add nuts if desired
  3. Pour fudge into the prepared dish.
  4. Refrigerate for several hours and cut in 16 squares. 

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup margarine
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3-4 mashed bananas
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tbsp milk

Directions:

Cream together margarine and sugar. Beat in egg and add mashed bananas. Mix in dry ingredients. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, checking for doneness after 45 minutes. (You can also make muffins from this recipe.)

Lemon Bars

Ingredients:

  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar, plus more for garnish
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2¼ cups sugar
  • 1¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons grated lemon zest

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch square pan. Combine 2 cups of the flour, the powdered sugar, and the salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and blend with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Press into the greased pan, pushing the dough all the way up the sides. Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes, then remove and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Meanwhile, in another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Gently stir in the lemon juice and zest. (To minimize aesthetically displeasing little bubbles on the top of the bars, avoid whisking further.) Fold in the remaining ½ cup flour.

Pour the egg mixture over the hot crust and bake until the curd is set and no longer jiggles when you move the pan, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool thoroughly before cutting into bars. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Rhubarb Dream Bars

Combine:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup softened margarine

Mix until it forms dough or small crumbs. Press into bottom of 9x13 pan. Bake for 10 min. 350*

Whisk together:

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 4 1/2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Spread evenly over baked crust. Bake until rhubarb is tender and top is browned, about 40 minutes.

American Sopapillas

Ingredients:

  • 1 loaf thinly sliced white bread, crusts removed
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Flatten bread with a rolling-pin. In a bowl, combine cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Spread about 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Roll up, jelly roll style. Dip in melted butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 16 roll-ups. Good warm or cold.

Cookies and Cakes

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 C butter
  • 2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C milk
  • 4 Tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/2 C peanut butter
  • 3 1/2 C quick cooking oats
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Add the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute. Stir in the next 3 ingredients and drop onto wax/foil paper. Let cool until set.

 

Monster Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup softened margarine
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 ¼ cups flour
  • 2 cups quick oats
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 12 oz bag mini chocolate chips
  • Assorted M & Ms

Directions:

Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars; add eggs and beat well.  Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet. Top with 3 or 4 M & Ms. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a minute before removing or transfer to a cooling rack 

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup softened margarine
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 12 oz bag mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugars; add eggs and beat well.  Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips (walnuts are optional). Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Let sit on sheet for a minute before removing. or transfer to a cooling rack. 

Texas Sheet Cake

Ingredients:

For the Cake

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter
  • 4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Frosting

  • 1 cup butter
  • 4 heaping tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 - 2/3 cup  confectioners' sugar
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a cooking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Add boiling water and turn up the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil and let boil for 30 seconds, then immediately turn off the heat. Pour the cocoa/butter mixture over flour mixture, and stir to mix, making sure to scrape bottom and sides.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared sheet cake pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Top should lightly spring back and edges will be just coming away from the sides.

While cake is baking, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in cocoa powder until thoroughly combined. Add milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar, whisking until all ingredients are fully incorporated and frosting is smooth. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped walnuts. Pour over warm cake, using an offset spatula to spread frosting to the edges. Let cool until frosting is set, then serve, or let cool completely to room temperature.