Scotch Chewy Squares

Scotch Chewy Squares

2 Sticks Butter
2 c. Brown Sugar
2/3 c. Apricot Jam
1 1/2 c. Flour
3 c. "Quick" Oats (I used old-fashioned)
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

1. In a medium bowl (at least 3 qt.) saucepan, melt the butter.
2. Add the brown sugar to the melted butter, and blend with a whisk.
3. To the butter/sugar, add the jam, and fold in.
4. Add the oats and blend thoroughly (I use a wooden spoon).
5. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; add and blend thoroughly.
6. Turn the dough into a foil-lined 10" by 15" cookie sheet (one with 1" high sides works best and spread to even thickness.
7. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until they begin to fall (do not overbake!).
8. Cool fifteen minutes; then cut into squares (6x8). Immediately turn onto a cooling rack (place the rack upside down over the pan, then flip them together) and remove the foil.

NOTE: If you wait too long the foil will stick to the cookies; if you cut them too soon, they will also stick.

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

For Blueberry Muffins:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (or 3 small)
1 cup granulated sugar (I used about 1.5 cups)
1 cup yogurt (I used sour cream)
½ cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup blueberries-fresh or frozen(thawed)
1-2 tablespoon flour


For Streusel Topping:

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 stick salted butter-melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I omitted this)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees and line standard muffin pan with paper liners and set aside. If you don't have liners, you can spray pan with oil (Pam).

To make the crumb topping in a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and cinnamon, add melted butter and stir with a fork until crumbly and set aside.

To make the muffins in a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until combined. Whisk in yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract (mixture should be pale and yellow).

Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix everything together by hand.

Gently fold blueberries into the batter.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins, filling about ⅔ of each cup. Cover the batter generously with streusel topping.

Place them in the oven and reduce the heat at 375F , bake about 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then remove muffins and cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Bread With Streusel Topping

This is our very favorite Pumpkin Bread. It has a delicious streusel topping. I found it here.

Pumpkin Bread With Streusel Topping

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour (I used 1/2 of this amount whole wheat)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Streusel Topping: optional (I added this to make it appeal to teenagers)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 8x 5-inch loaf pan. Beat sugar with oil till blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Continue beating until light and fluffy. Then mix in pumpkin on low speed. Add in dry ingredients on low speed and mix well. Pour into prepared pan. For streusel topping mix till crumb texture with a pastry cutter. Then spread topping over entire loaf. Bake 60 minutes or until
toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling.


Photo from The Charm of Home

Porcupine Meatballs

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 box Rice-A-Roni, beef or chicken flavor
2 tbsp. butter
2 c. hot water

Combine ground beef, egg, and rice-vermicelli mix. Shape into small meatballs (approximately 30). Brown on all sides in butter, in skillet. Combine contents of seasoning packet with hot water. Pour over meatballs. Cover and simmer until done - about 30 minutes. Other seasonings may be added to meatballs.

Mexican Rice

I received this recipe from a friend who made this for our family one night when we were in the process of moving. We LOVED it!

Mexican Rice

2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 onion, peeled and trimmed
1/3 c vegetable oil
2 c long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 T tomato paste
salt
1/2 c minced fresh cilantro
pepper

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven the 350 degrees. Puree the tomatoes and onion in a food processor until smooth. You should have 2 cups puree (if necessary, spoon off an excess to measure only 2 cups.)

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the rice and saute, stirring frequently, until light golden, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and two thirds of the minced jalapenos. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Stir in the pureed tomato mixture, broth, tomato paste, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 35 minutes, stirring well after 15 minutes.

Fluff and rice with a fork. Fold in the cilantro and remaining jalapenos. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

(She added cojita cheese to ours.)

Haitian Red Beans & Rice and Creole Chicken

These are the recipes I love for Haitian food:

Haitian Red Beans

Creole Chicken