Oatmeal Fudge Bars

These are absolutely delish!!!


Cookie Dough
1 cup butter
2 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 c quick cooking oats

Chocolatey Goodness
one 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
one 12 ounce pkg milk chocolate chips
1/4 c butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 c chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Cream butter and sugar together, then add eggs and vanilla.  Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt, and add to the oatmeal.  In a heavy saucepan, mix the sweetened cond. milk, choc. chips, and butter.  Heat until just melted.  Then stir in the vanilla and nuts.  Spread 2/3 of the cookie dough into a 9 x 13 greased pan.  Spread the chocolate mixture on top, and drop the remaining 1/3 cookie dough on the top of that all over in blobs.

Bake 350 for 25 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.

Mammas Baklava!

This is my favorite kind of Baklava ever!  It's way better than any I've had even at Mediterranean restaurants.  It's very simple to make too.  This Baklava also has a very special place in my heart because my Grandmother used to make it for us, and it was the last thing she made for me before she passed away.  If you like Baklava, this recipe is definitely worth making!  (Thank you to my Aunt Jennie for preserving this recipe and sending it to me!)

Baklava

1 Pkg. Filo Skins

1 Pound Butter melted

1 Pound finely chopped walnuts (A blender works well if you put small amounts in at a time)

2/3 cup sugar

Mix the walnuts with the sugar and set aside.

Syrup

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Water

¼ teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

To begin with start the syrup by putting the sugar and water in a sauce pan and slowly simmering for about 45 minutes.  Add the lemon juice when done.  (I usually get this ready and don’t turn it on until I place the baklava in the oven.  Then I turn this on and start the timer for both at the same time.

For the baklava use a large cookie sheet that has the sides.  Place 2 filo sheets on tray and coat with butter using pastry brush.  Continue this process until you have used half of the sheets.  When half of the sheets have been layered and coated with butter spread the walnut and sugar mixture evenly over the top of the sheets.  Cover with another layer of filo sheets until you have no more left making sure all have been coated with butter including the top layer.  Cut dough into pieces before baking.  I usually start on one corner and cut on the diagonal working to the opposite end of the pan the turn the pan and do the same the opposite direction so that dough looks like it’s in diamond shapes. 

Bake in hot oven for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned.  When done remove from oven and pour hot syrup over hot baklava then return to the oven for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool before eating.

Butter Ball Cookies

I'm totally on a dessert kick lately now that I'm past my first trimester and back to myself again!  So here's another one.

I grew up with these cookies, and they are still my favorite shortbread/sugar cookie ever. :)

Cream together 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla till light and fluffy.  Gradually add 21/4 cups sifted flour, mixing till smooth.  Dough will be somewhat crumbly but will stick together when rolled together.  Form into 1-inch balls;  roll in granulated sugar.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 325 for 20 minutes.  Cool and eat!  Makes about 48 cookies.

Bread Pudding!

You might just think you've died and gone to heaven when you eat this dessert!

Ingredients

• 6 slices day-old bread (I use 6-8 large slices of french bread, or about half a loaf.  and it doesn't have to be day old)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 eggs, beaten

• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 9x13 inch baking pan (or slightly smaller). Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork (I mix it pretty well actually, you don't have to be too light!) until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Sauce

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter

3/4-1 cup whipping cream (depends on how thick you want it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla in a large saucepan. While stirring, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and stir 3 minutes more. Spoon over warm bread pudding.

My Favorite Brownie Recipe

2 eggs
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate baking squares
1/2 c flour
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt

Melt chocolate with butter in sauce pan on stove and set aside.  Beat eggs until smooth lemon color.  Stir in sugar gradually.  Pour in chocolate and butter, then stir in vanilla flour and salt.  (can add walnuts if desired)

Bake in 8 or 9 inch square pan (greased) at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Ginger Cookies (Great Grandma's recipe)

3/4 c butter

1 c sugar

1 egg

1/4 c molasses

2 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp ginger

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

Combine ingredients and mix well.  roll into balls and roll them in sugar.  bake 8-10 minutes at 350

No Bake Cookies (The good kind!!)

2 cups sugar

3-4 Tbsp. cocoa

1 cube butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. milk

3 c. quick cooking oatmeal

1 c. coconut

1 tsp. vanilla

Bring sugar, cocoa, butter, salt and milk to a rolling boil.  Let boil and stir for about 2 minutes, but no longer.  Add oats; put lid on and let stand for 6 minutes.  Add coconut and vanilla.  Drop large spoon fulls on wax paper (or a buttered pan).  Let cool, and enjoy!

Makes: approx. 24 cookies

Buttermilk Pie!!!

Oh  my goodness, I am in love with this pie!  This recipe is from my friend Elena, and it is AMAZING!!!
If you've never had buttermilk pie, it's actually more like a cake texture and taste sort of like pound cake (but way better!).

(Sorry this picture is terrible, but my lense is broken on my good camera and is currently being fixed, so this is the best I could get for now.)

Buttermilk Pie Recipe:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Liquid ingredients:

Whisk together:

4 eggs

2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup melted butter

Dry ingredients:

Mix together:

1½ cups flour

3 cups sugar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Whisk liquid ingredients together, gradually add dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps.  Pour into unbaked 9” pie shell, cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Turn down heat to 325 degrees and cook for 50-55 minutes (top will get darker brown and pie will be spongy to the touch).

Pizza!

This is a very simple and totally delicious recipe that my mother in law makes, and I am completely addicted!

Pizza Dough

1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp or package of yeast
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup cooking oil
about 3 cups of flour (I like to use half whole wheat /half white)
(you can use a little less oil and add extra water instead if you prefer)
Dissolve yeast and sugar in water.  Add salt, oil, and half the flour to yeast.  Beat vigorously until smooth.  Mix in rest of flour until dough is very firm. Knead on floured breadboard until smooth.  Pat or roll in pan to desired thickness.  


Tip: you can use a bread machine to mix the dough, and just add all the flour at once.


I like to make it simple and use my favorite spaghetti sauce from the store, but when I have time I definitely prefer this homemade sauce:

Sauce

1 can tomato sauce
chopped onion
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Italian seasoning or ¾ tsp. oregano, dash garlic powder, pinch rosemary.  
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together.  Spread a thin layer on top of rolled out pizza dough.  
Top with shredded cheese and your favorite pizza toppings.  (My favorite toppings are red bell peppers, spinach, olives, mushrooms, artichokes, ham, and pineapple.  Sometime I want to try a chicken alfredo pizza with sliced tomatoes and green onions.)


Bake 425 for about 10-12 minutes.  Enjoy!


And if that isn't delicious enough, try this on for size...


Peach Cobbler Pizza Pie

Use the same dough as above, but top it with:
Peaches cut into bite sized pieces, frosting, caramel, and streusel topping!   Mmmmm!

Frosting (save half the frosting to put on after baking)

just make a basic butter vanilla frosting, but make it thin

butter

powdered sugar

milk

vanilla

Caramel  (heat all together in pan on stove, or in microwave)

 2 Tbsp butter

1/4 c cream (or half n half... but add a little flour)

1/4 c white sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

Streusel topping

1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter

dash of cinnamon

Bake 425 for10-12 minutes.