Cranberry Orange Scones

Much like the scones served at a popular tea shop in our town, these scones are flaky, moist and delicious. 

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, chilled
• 3/4 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped *
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
• 1 egg, beaten with fork
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
2. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
3. Mix in orange zest and coarsely chopped cranberries.
4. Combine buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients and mix until dough sticks together.
5. Drop by large spoonfuls (scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment.
6. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until golden.
7. Cool slightly and then drizzle with glaze.

Yield: 12 scones

Glaze:

• 3/4 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

Combine ingredients and stir until smooth.  Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the scones.

*Frozen cranberries can also be used...just be sure to chop first. 

Jello Sugar Cookies

In my home, sugar cookies are usually baked  for special occasions...stars, trees and candy canes at Christmas...and hearts for Valentine's Day.  But here's a simple sugar cookie recipe that the grands enjoy anytime of the year...one that requires no icing since the dough is coloured.  The jello makes a very pale pastel cookie; if you prefer a somewhat deeper colour...add food colouring.  An added bonus is the flavour of the jello.

• 3-1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 cups  butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 packages Jello (4-serving size /any flavor), divided
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Mix flour and baking powder; set aside.
3. Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer until creamy.
4. Add sugar and 1 pkg. of the dry gelatin, beating until light and fluffy.
5. Add egg and vanilla; mix well.
6. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until well blended after each addition.
7. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.
8. Dip top half of each ball into reserved gelatin crystals.
9. Place on ungreased baking sheets...crystal side up.
10. Flatten with bottom of clean glass...one with a design if you want a pattern.  
11. Bake 8 to 10 min. or until edges are lightly browned.
12. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks.

*The featured cookies were made with peach jello.

 To make cut out cookies in any shape or form...use the same recipe and roll out the dough to about 1/4" thick.  Omit the gelatin crystals on top.  They make great 'cookiegrams' for any occasion!

Spicy Green Beans

Before I move on to the recipe of the day...I would just like to thank all of you...our faithful reader's...for your overwhelming response and encouraging comments on yesterday's post.  Without all of you...there would be no cookbook!  We look forward to whatever the future may hold...and thank you in advance for your continued support.

I would also like to thank our sponsors...whose links are listed on our sidebar...and who have for some time been helping us to 'feed the hungry' with their donations.  One of those sponsors is Lepp Farm Market...a wonderful place to visit if you happen to live in our area.  If you don't...their website is also a wonderful place to visit...especially the recipe section!  Today's spicy green bean dish is from Charlotte Lepp's collection...one we have enjoyed at our table several times now.

Spicy Green Beans

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed  
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek Asian chili paste (or 2 or 3 teaspoons if you like it hot!)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

 

1. Steam beans until tender crisp.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients for sauce...and heat until sizzling.
3. Pour sauce over the beans and serve. 
4. These also make a great finger food appetizer.

* Hoisin sauce, chili paste and oyster sauce are all found in the Asian food section of the grocery store.

Butternut Squash Soup

It's that time of the year. The squash is fresh from the garden...and the cool fall days make soup a favorite.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger root, minced
• 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced
• 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup cream

1. Melt butter in large pot, over medium heat.
2. Add garlic, onion and ginger root.  Cook and stir for about 10 minutes, or until soft.  
3. Add broth, squash, apples and carrot.
4. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until very tender. 
5. Purée soup using a handheld immersion blender.  (Can also be done in a regular blender in small batches.)
6. Return pot to stove and re-heat on medium-low heat.
7. Add seasonings and cream and heat until steaming, stirring as necessary.

Serve with savory cheddar scones (pictured) for a delicious lunch. 

Chocolate Layer Cake

Here's a tried and true recipe for chocolate cake...adapted from one I found in the Mennonite Treasury cookbook many decades ago. It became a favorite of my hubby's...and is still served every year on or around September 11th (his birthday).  Quick, simple and moist!

Quick Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup Kraft Miracle Whip salad dressing
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup Fry's cocoa

1. Blend Miracle Whip and sugar. 
2. Stir together dry ingredients and add alternately with water. 
3. Pour into 2-nine inch round layer pans...greased and/or lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Allow to cool slightly before removing from pans.  
6. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting when cool.

I was thinking of keeping our favorite frosting recipe a secret...since it seems to have fallen out of favour over the decades.  But I'll share it with you...and you can decide for yourself.  Since this recipe contains raw egg, it is not recommended for those who are pregnant or who have a compromised immune system. If you have any concerns, use pasteurized eggs. It is a fluffy, not-so-sweet icing that goes down as smooth as silk!

French Silk Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (not icing sugar)
• 6 tablespoons Fry's cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 eggs (pasteurized eggs are an option)

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 
2. Add cocoa and vanilla; beat. 
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating for about 5 minutes after each addition. 
4. Chill before spreading. 

I'm not a huge chocolate fan myself, but add French silk frosting to this moist chocolate cake and I quite enjoy a nice slab!   However you wish to frost it...give the cake a try. 

Zippy Party Dip

Quick and easy...and delicious!

 

 Zippy Party Dip

• 1 cup / 250 ml cream cheese
• 1 cup / 250 ml sour cream
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml hot salsa
• 1 tsp /5 ml chili powder
• 1 1/2 - 3 cups /400-750 ml shredded Tex-Mex cheese

1. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and salsa together well.
2. Spread in bottom of casserole or any nice ovenproof baking pan.
3. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon chili powder.
4. Spread grated cheese over to cover.  (Use more or less depending on the size of your pan).
5. Bake in 350°F / 175°C oven for 25 minutes, or until heated and bubbly.
6. Serve with tortilla chips, crackers or raw veggies.

*I have on occasion made the dip in small ramekins for individual sized servings...as pictured above. 

Pulled Pork with Root Beer BBQ Sauce

I had pulled pork cooked this way at my daughter's not long ago.  It is simple and tasty...hard to go wrong!  This is not so much a recipe...as a method.  Use any size pork loin roast...and the barbecue sauce of your choice.

• 2-3 pound pork loin roast
• 1 can root beer
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce

1. Place pork roast in slow cooker.
2. Pour can of root beer over the meat.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours.
4. Drain juices.
5. Shred pork and return to slow cooker.
6. Stir in heated barbecue sauce and keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve.

It doesn't get any easier than that!  One can add sliced onions when cooking the pork...or make the barbecue sauce from scratch...or serve on homemade buns to make it even better...but it's good as is...plain and simple.