Two Culinary Flops

I made two new recipes this week, both of which were total disasters.  The first was the Pillsbury Bake-off Winner, which is supposed to be simple.  The slices of cookie dough (the kind you buy in a tube...I know!) were to be placed in mini-muffin pans and baked.  The little tarts were dipped in chocolate, nuts, and filled with ice-cream.  Sounds good, eh?  Well, it was only as I was ready to pop the cookie dough in the pan that I realized I needed the mini-muffin pans, which I do not have.  So I tried the regular size. It didn't work.  The garbage can had a nice dessert.

Last night I wanted to make pumpkin pancakes.  Bob wasn't going to be home until 9 PM and I thought pancakes would make a nice light dinner for me.  After looking around on the internet I found two reasonable sounding recipes, one very simple and one more complicated.  I printed out both and chose the simple one.  Never in my life have I made pancakes that were completely inedible, so this was a first.  I tried to eat one but it was bland and had a weird texture.  I added spices to the batter and made a few more but that didn't improve them one bit.  The good news was that the little bit I ate killed my appetite for the rest of the evening.

Does anyone know of a good pumpkin pancake recipe?

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies make the Dean's List!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies have a basic heartiness that appeals to me. One of the reasons I like the Best Recipes Cookbook is that each recipe is tested, retested, and tweaked numerous times. In the test kitchen the experts start with several good recipes and find out what works best. If I were going to have just a few cookbooks in my kitchen, this would be one of them. What I like most about Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies is that there is a tiny hint of nutmeg, so small that you can't really pick out what it is. Usually I put cinnamon in Oatmeal Raisin Cookies but after making these I have to agree that the plainer cookie really brings out the flavor of the oats and raisins. My husband is a Raisin Man. Seriously, he goes through a box of raisins about every 3 days. These cookies also live up to the "chewy" part of the name. Believe me, this recipe is going in the family recipe box. They look just as good as they taste, too! My "grader" thought it would only be fair to try them with ice cream. Just in case the first 3 might have been flukes, he tried a few more. Oh, and better check them out with vanilla ice cream, too!

My paternal grandmother, gave me a wooden recipe box that belonged to her mother, my great-grandmother, Jane "Jennie" Anderson Finger. Sadly, there was only one recipe left in the box. I do not know for certain that it is Jennie Finger's handwriting, but I like to think it is. She had a reputation for being a fabulous cook, who could whip up a meal for company at a moment's notice. Several years ago I made this recipe with great anticipation and truthfully, the cookies were...awful. (Traitor!) Perhaps there was something about the ingredients and the fact that cooks back then assumed everyone knew how to bake (which I do, but maybe not quite like they did on a wood stove.) Anyway, if I pass an oatmeal cookie recipe along, it will be the one from The New Best Recipes Cookbook. I could handwrite it on a recipe card, couldn't it?
Anyway, I do like the way she spells "Cooky" and "Rasins".

Mamma Mia!

The neighborhood Ladies Night Out to see the film Mamma Mia was a success. Sure, the movie is, like many musicals, a fairy tale with an flimsy story line. Total escape/enjoyment is the whole point. In fact, Mamma Mia was flimsier than most. Our local theatre isn't as fancy as some that have tiered seating and other amenities; however, the $7 adult admission is a draw and one of the benefits of living in a smaller town. Meryl Streep was excellent in the lead role, as she always is. (Meryl, if you are reading my blog, which I'm sure is quite likely, please know that you are a role model for us women over 50.) On the other hand, being witness to Pierce Brosnan singing in a musical was downright weird, if not a bit surreal. Don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of Pierce but he is not a vocalist and should probably stick to roles like Remington Steele and James Bond. (Please don't say anything to him, Meryl.) The rest of the males weren't terrific either although I am fond of Colin Firth from seeing him in his role as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. The women carried the film off. (Thank you again, Meryl and that darling, dimpled Amanda Seyfried.) The movie track is now on my iPod thanks to iTunes. Wheeee! New music for my walks. After the film the five ladies went to local sports bar and grill for food and drink. (When I go to a restaurant in Illinois I celebrate that our state has finally gone smoke-free. Cheers to Governor B for the one thing he has done right.)

A few weeks ago when we visited Son #2 in Kansas City we ate breakfast in a restaurant called First Watch. We've also eaten in a First Watch in the St. Louis area so I assumed they are a small chain. (Yes, web site confirms this...there are more than I thought.) Son #2's girlfriend recommended the Fresh Fruit Crepes which were delicious and healthful. My husband eyes light up when I lean over and whisper, "I can make these at home." Since then I've made them about 4 times, including today's Sunday lunch. They are so easy it's practically ridiculous. My blender crepe recipe is about 20 years old (the card is duly stained and bears badges of honor) and I have no idea where it came from originally.

Blend until just mixed:

• 1 cup flour


• 4 eggs


• 1 cup milk


• 1/2 tsp salt

Melt 1 T butter in a crepe pan or skillet and pour butter into blender and give it another whirl. Let batter stand for 30 min if you have time. If not, just go ahead and start cooking!

Between crepes add a bit of butter to the pan. I use REAL butter but of course you can do what you like.

Slide crepe to a plate and fill with fruit (not too much or you can't close it). Today I filled with sliced banana, strawberries, and whole juicy blackberries. Fold in sides of crepe, turn over so seam is on the bottom, and top with stawberry-banana yogurt, or fruit yogurt of your choice.

A little tip for making crepes is note to overcook them. They should not be brown (like the one in the photo that I overcooked because I was fiddling with my camera.) Pour the batter to barely cover the bottom of the pan and cook over medium heat. When the crepe looks firm flip it over and cook on the second side for a very short time, about 15-30 seconds. If they are overcooked they will still taste fine but will crack when you fold them and may be a little tough. (I am not an expert, this is just my experience and the way we like them.)

My recipe easily makes enough to serve 4 crepe lovers.

Enjoy!

Wee Things

After finishing my son's sweater I relaxed with some smaller projects which were quite fun. I have no idea who the recipients of these will be. Usually I like to have a specific person in mind for a work in progress. With these I just enjoyed letting the cotton yarn through my fingers and watched the colors passing by. I used the readily available Peaches and Cream. Each stuffed animal used almost exactly one ball. That's a lot of fun for two bucks. I would like to find a source for natural stuffing for the animals. Please post your suggestions! The patterns for all items are from Louisa Harding's Natural Knits for Moms and Babies.

I made this apple pie on Christmas morning. It tasted as good as it looks! I highly recommend The New Best Recipe Cookbook by the authors of Cook's Illustrated. Each recipe is tested many times. This pie crust recipe uses both shortening and butter. It is delicious. I didn't use their filling recipe exactly because I like a little more spice in the filling.

Our Favorite Granola

I know this has nothing to do with knitting but there is much going on in my knitting world right now except the border of the Hemlock Ring Shawl.

We've been making this granola recipe for many years. As I made it last night I thought of the many pounds of oats we have eaten. Maybe I'm part horse.

8 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 cup bran, wheat germ, or ground flax (optional but healthful)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup honey

Mix dry ingredients and then add the oil and honey. Stir thoroughly. Bake on a greased jelly roll pan at about 350 deg for 30 min, stirring occasionally. Bake longer for toastier granola. When granola has cooled stir in raisins, dried cherries, etc.

Variations: add 1/2 cup coconut before baking. Not as healthful but it tastes good.

I've been experimenting with the seasonings. My latest version is to use freshly grated nutmeg. What a difference! Then I add
1 tsp ginger
1/2 t cardamom

I'm slowly increasing the amounts of ginger and cardamom each time I make it. While visiting my brother in LA I bought some Ginger and Almond Granola at Trader Joe's. It had pieces of candied ginger in it. I LOVE anything with ginger.

Another tip is that I do not like teflon type pans. I now use parchment paper on the baking pan. It makes cleanup so much easier and we think it also improves the taste. If you have a convection choice on your oven set it at 350 for 25 min. I just accidentally got the convection option with my range because it had the other features I was looking for and wow, I just love it!

I buy all my spices from Penzey's. Unfortunately we do not have a Penzey's near us but if you are fortunate to have a store near you then hightail on over!

Enjoy!