Sunday, May 8, 2022

EASY BISQUICK CINNAMON BISCUITS

I had made homemade Bisquick and then made these which are like Hardee's used to serve but these are so much better.  Love these as they don't use a lot of ingredients and are quick to mix up. The recipe came from here: Easy Bisquick Cinnamon Biscuits | Adventures of Mel




EASY BISQUICK CINNAMON BISCUITS

Drop Biscuits:

  • 3 1/2 cups buttermilk biscuit mix *
  • 1 cup water
  • 8 teaspoons pure cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Icing:

  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup whole milk

  • Pre-heat your oven to 425°F.
  • First mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
  • Add the biscuit mix and water to a separate large bowl.
  • Before mixing, go ahead and add in the cinnamon/sugar; then mix everything together really well.
  • Drop the biscuits onto a baking sheet, about 1 to 2 inches apart.
  • Bake at 425° for 8 to 11 minutes (oven times may vary), until the biscuits turn golden brown.
  • Meanwhile, mix up a simple powdered sugar icing, combining the softened butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and milk in a medium mixing bowl
  • When the biscuits are done, remove them from the oven. While they're still hot, brush the icing on, and let it melt into each biscuit.
  • Serve warm and enjoy!

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Old Family Recipe: Soda Bread

This recipe was shared with me from my cousin Michelle.  We are cousins thru my paternal great grandmother Fannie Ryan Roberts.  Fannie was from Balin Rostig, County Cork, Ireland.  She immigrated in the late 1800's to Illinois following some of her Haggerty relatives.  She worked in the rectory of a Catholic church in Galesburg, Illinois.  Fanny was a devout Catholic.  I have one memory of her when I was maybe 3 years old and my mother and father took me for a visit to the old people's home she was living at in Davenport, Iowa.  She was stroking my hair and cooing to me as I sat next to her.  I felt nothing but love for her. Thank you dear cousin for sharing this priceless jewel with me.

PS: This is the note that details where the recipe came from: It was her Mum Teresa who showed her and yet her Gran Nell would have learned it also, from Kate who definitely made Soda Bread....(Kate Frances Somers Healy, Fanny's daughter.)...so it is truly a family recipe! Xxx



 

Old Family Recipe: Poor Man Cookies

This is a handwritten recipe in my mother's cook book.  It came from my Grandmother Emma Connolley Russell which was passed down by her mother Emma Kleasner Connolley passed down from my great great grandmother Emma Ott Kleasner whose mother was Hilda Ott.  I don't know how far back it goes but it definitely was a Kleasner recipe.  My little sister loves these cookies for Christmas.  They take a ton of flour.


 

Lunchroom Brownies

 Oh my gosh these are SO good.  I have made them several times.



Lunchroom Brownies

1 cup of butter.
½ cup of cocoa.
2 cups of flour.
2 cups of sugar.
4 eggs.
4 tsp of vanilla.
1 cup of chopped nuts.

 (for the icing):
¼ cup of softened butter.
¼ cup of milk.
¼ cup of cocoa.
3 cups of powdered sugar.
A dash of salt.

To make the cake, mix all the ingredients together and pour the batter into a 9×13 pan.

In a preheated oven to 350° bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Once the cake is done, let it cool a bit and prepare the icing.
Mix all the ingredients of the icing together and frost the cake as you like.
Easy, peasy and sweet! This cake is amazing. When I made it to my family, they all went crazy over it! You should give it a shot it’s worth it.

Baked Ziti

 

This recipe comes from Baked Ziti Recipe (simplyrecipes.com) .  Orin and I love this recipe and I have made it several times.  I use ground turkey and season it like sausage for this recipe.  It is filling and cheesy!  It makes great left overs.

Baked Ziti

PREP TIME20 mins
COOK TIME55 mins
TOTAL TIME75 mins
SERVINGS6 to 8

If you don't have Italian seasoning in the pantry, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.


Ingredients
1 pound ziti or penne pasta
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage, ground beef, or ground pork
1 large onion, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or basil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups jarred marinara or pasta sauce, or make your own tomato sauce
Black pepper, to taste
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
1 heaping cup ricotta cheese
Method
Preheat the oven:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cook the pasta:
Heat a large pot of salted water (for every 2 quarts of water, one tablespoon of salt) to a strong boil. Add the pasta and cook at a rolling boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—edible but still a little firm to the bite.

Drain the pasta through a colander. Toss with a little olive oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

Brown the meat:
While the water is heating in the previous step, start on the sauce. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering hot, add the bulk sausage or ground meat. Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well.

Don't stir that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown. If you are using ground beef or pork instead of sausage, sprinkle with a little salt.

Make the sauce:
When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, rosemary or basil, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute, then add the tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Assemble the casserole:
Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan, then dot the surface with half the ricotta cheese. Ladle a spoonful of sauce into the pasta, stir it well and then add the pasta into the casserole.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.

At this point, you can cool, cover, and refrigerate or freeze to make ahead.

Bake:

Bake uncovered in the oven at 350°F until the top is lightly browned and the cheese melted, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.







Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Grandma Baldwin's Mayonnaise Cake

I don't have a picture of this but this is the best cake!  Moist and dense but doesn't rise well.  I took this for a birthday party at work and it got rave reviews.  I used my own chocolate butter cream icing rather then the Pudding Frosting recipe that came with it.  This is from the web site Just a Pinch.  I want to make this again this weekend for Memorial Day.

2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup baking cocoa (powdered)
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1½ cups cold water

Mix all the cake ingredients together in a bowl.  Beat for 3 minutes.  Pour into a well greased and floured cake pan.  Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let it cool and then frost.


Sunday, May 12, 2013

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies


These cookies were brought in by a lady at work.  I loved them and asked for the recipe.  She directed me to the Ocean Spray web site.  These are great, not real sweet and filling.  The Professor loves them.  Make them!




Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 5-ounce package Ocean Spray® Craisins® Original Dried Cranberries
2/3 cup white chocolate chunks or chips


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Using an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.