This is not just an ordinary oatmeal cookie; this oatmeal cookie has a surprise ingredient. Rice cereal, which adds a crispy crunch that gives a unique texture and flavor to this soft and chewy cookie with wonderfully crisp edges.
I have given these cookies the name of ‘blueberry, oatmeal, rice chewies’ but the original idea dates back to the 1930s. It seems they went by different names at that time, such as ranger cookies, Texas ranger cookies or cowboy cookies. There are a lot of opinions, not facts, about why this delicious oatmeal cookie recipe is called a ‘ranger cookie’.
There’s no real reason for either of the names, except for possibly because the cookies kept well in saddlebags and, thanks to the eggs, oats, and cereal, provided a bit of energy for long days in the field.
Regardless of their title, these cookies were frequently shared in community cookbooks because the recipe is easy to make and always pleases a crowd. Distinguishing itself from other types of cookies, this ranger cookies recipe has a blend of oats and crispy rice cereal, giving each cookie an intriguing mix of textures: light and tender with a crisp edge and a chewy middle. With the addition of some dried blueberries and pepita seeds, it gives them a whole new dimension.
The result is a cookie with a delightful harmony of flavor in every bite. With both oatmeal and rice krispies cereal in the cookies, I think you would be justified in having these for breakfast.
Print Recipe
Blueberry, Oatmeal, Rice Chewies
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter & both sugars on medium speed of an electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, applesauce & vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in rice krispies, oatmeal, pepitas & dried blueberries. Chill dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Scoop dough onto parchment lined cookie sheets.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets & cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Due to the fact that I have a nut allergy, I always tend to use seeds to add some crunch. Feel free to change it up with your choice of nuts or dried fruit if you wish.
ENJOYING SHROVE TUESDAY!
Today, February 17th is Shrove Tuesday. The date can be anytime between February 3rd & March 9th. It is exactly 47 days before Easter Sunday, based on the cycles of the moon.
For centuries, the consumption of pancakes has widely been regarded as a popular way to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, which takes place the day before Ash Wednesday in preparation for Lent. However, the day is celebrated in a variety of ways around the world with many different foods.
The final day before Lent has many meanings, both spiritual and practical. The spiritual purpose of Shrove Tuesday is to take stock of the year and determine what things one must bear in mind during repentance.
Practically speaking, Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the great ‘fast’ of Lent. As a result, many would take it as an opportunity to have a final feast and party. Because this holiday marked the last day to use up one’s stocks of fats and eggs, a British tradition was born –Pancake Tuesday. Pancakes make use of ingredients that were banned during Lent and would spoil before its end.
Although many traditions of the past have gone by the wayside, whether you know its history or not, Pancake Tuesday seems to still be a ‘thing’.
I’m sure you are probably quite familiar with the Dutch Baby or German pancake. I have featured them on the blog numerous times over the years.
A cross between a pancake and a crepe, a Dutch baby begins with the thin pancake-like batter which is poured into a hot skillet or an oven proof dish. When the edges of the pancake are brown, it is ready to come out of the oven. The center is perfect for adding sweet or savory ingredients.
Brion & I eat pancakes regularly and enjoy them whether they are sweet or savory versions. As always, I can’t resist a different combination, so today we are having some baked pancakes with pears & cardamom. Yum!
Print Recipe
Baked Pancake w/ Pears & Cardamom
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a 10" cast iron (or other oven proof) skillet. Toss in sliced pears, cardamom, lemon juice & sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender & the sugars are beginning to caramelize, anywhere from 10-20 minutes.
-
Combine flour & salt in a large bowl, make a well & add eggs. Whisk to combine, adding the milk a little at a time until batter is smooth. Whisk in vanilla & 2 Tbsp melted butter.
Pour the batter into the hot pan over the pears & place it in the oven.
Bake until golden & dramatically puffed, about 30 minutes.
Dust with powdered sugar & cut into wedges. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
This baked pancake is good reheated or eaten cold should there be any leftovers.
Brion & I really enjoyed this pear pancake with some sausage & eggs on the side for a nice sweet/savory meal.
While the ingredients for breakfast sandwiches have been common elements of breakfast meals in the English-speaking world for centuries, it wasn’t until the 19th century in the United States that people began regularly eating eggs, cheese and meat in a sandwich. The first known published recipe for a ‘breakfast sandwich’ appeared in an 1897 American cookbook.
‘Baked egg boats’ became popular almost a decade ago and have been duplicated in many ways ever since! Basically, a quiche that uses a hollowed-out baguette as its base instead of a buttery pie crust. The egg filling is poured into the hollowed-out baguette and baked until the eggs have set, and the baguette is toasted.
This breakfast recipe can be scaled up to feed a larger crowd and is also very portable with endless variations and possibilities! It’s a simple, versatile breakfast at its best!
Print Recipe
Bacon & Egg Breakfast Boats
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
-
With a knife, cut out the middle of each baguette, making sure not to cut through the bottom. Take the cut part out. You should end up with a boat-like shape. The empty space should be deep enough & wide enough for filling.
Place baguettes onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Add in cherry tomatoes, green onion, half of the shredded cheese, bacon, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix well. Pour the mixture into the hollowed-out center of both baguettes.
Transfer the tray into the oven & bake at 325 F. for 30 minutes or until eggs are set & puffed. Remove from oven & sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes.
Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
There’s nothing earth shattering or insanely unique about a frittata. It’s not trendy or cool but if you master the art of this versatile throw together dish it can help make your life a whole lot easier. That’s because there is virtually no time of day that this eggy filled, no-advance-planning-necessary, favorite doesn’t work.
Frittatas are great because they’re a little less fussy than omelets – no delicate folding required. Unlike its cousin, the strata (which typically includes layers of bread and gets all puffed up like a soufflé), a frittata is rustic, hearty and simple to prepare. A good comparison would be a crustless quiche, with the inclusion of potatoes to make it extra satisfying.
When we eat it for breakfast, we call it a baked omelet, when we eat it for dinner, we call it frittata. But either way, it’s perfect in the way that you can vary the vegetables and meat in this dish to use up whatever you have on hand.
The sweetness of the apples and onions nicely complements the ground pork and bacon in this frittata.
Print Recipe
Pork, Apple & Cheddar Baked Frittata
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Cook potatoes & dice; set aside.
In a large skillet, fry bacon until slightly crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels & set aside, reserving one Tbsp. of the bacon drippings.
Add onion to skillet with bacon drippings. Sauté until tender then add ground pork & Italian seasoning. Cook until pork is no longer pink & most of the moisture has evaporated. Add grated apple, bacon and salt & pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes.
-
Spray a 9 x 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Spread the bottom of the dish with the cooked, diced potatoes.
In a medium bowl, whisk eggs & add sautéed mixture along with half of the cheese. Pour the mixture into the baking dish & sprinkle evenly with the rest of the cheese.
Place the baking dish in the oven & bake until the eggs are golden & puffy & a fork comes out clean when inserted into the center, about 25-30 minutes.
Let frittata cool for 5-10 minutes & then cut into squares. Serve immediately or at room temperature.
The humble bagel, with its distinctive round shape and chewy texture, has a rich and diverse history. The bagel’s roots trace back to 17th-century Poland, where Jewish bakers crafted these circular breads. Anti-Semitic laws restricted Polish Jews from baking regular bread, leading them to create an alternative: the bagel. To circumvent the restrictions, they boiled the dough before baking it, resulting in the characteristic chewiness. Bagels were initially plain, but over time, they evolved into various flavors and toppings.
While traditional bread pudding recipes rely on stale bread cubes, bagels offer a unique twist that elevates this classic dessert to new heights. Over time, variations have emerged across different countries and despite its reputation as ‘poor man’s pudding,’ bread pudding remains a tasty and comforting dessert.
In 2015, ‘The Taste of a Memory’, a memorabilia/cookbook I wrote as a tribute to my wonderful parents, was published. It contained a compilation of stories, articles, recipes and reflections that evoke an intimate memory, a special time period and fond emotion brought about by the aroma and taste of food. Writing them down not only put them in print but allowed me to take a mental journey back to a gentler time.
The book contains over 160 bread pudding recipes – savory, sweet, specialty & low calorie as well as sauces, nutritional information, personal stories, reflections & treasured family photos.
This onion bagel & Brie bread pudding adds such an ‘upscale’ twist to a morning brunch.
Print Recipe
Onion Bagel & Brie Bread Pudding
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Spray an 11 x 7-inch ceramic/glass baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat eggs & milk. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into baking dish. Cover & refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
-
Uncover dish & bake 50-55 minutes or until golden brown & center is set.
At Christmas time, the clementine is one of the most popular and plentiful varieties, its tight, glossy skin often accompanied by a sprig of zesty leaves. Many of us have fond memories of when they were stuffed into Christmas stockings with other nostalgic treats.
Most people probably don’t know where this clementine tradition comes from, but the mythical story is rather a charming one. It tells how Saint Nicholas, the 4th century Greek bishop upon whom Santa Claus was modelled, one day heard of a poor man who had failed to find suitors for his three daughters, lacking money for their dowries. Nicholas sought out the man’s house and tipped three sacks of gold down the chimney, where the coins happened to land in the girls’ stockings, which were drying beside the fire. The clementines (or oranges) in our modern Christmas stockings are said to be a symbol of the saint’s generosity. Poverty and desire probably also played a role in fostering the custom in times past, oranges were not only an affordable gift, but also a brief taste of exotic, sunnier climes.
As for the clementine itself, its origins are somewhat uncertain. Oranges are like roses, with endless hybrids having been cultivated over the centuries, each with its own particular shape, scent, texture and taste. The clementine is a mixture of a mandarin and a classic sweet orange, and is said to have been discovered by Clement Rodier, a French monk living in 19th century Algeria, who found it growing in the orchard of the orphanage he ran.
It’s that easy peel factor, along with a lack of seeds, that has catapulted the clementine above old-fashioned oranges in popularity.
Print Recipe
Clementine Kiwi Upside Down Puddings
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Topping
-
From parchment paper, cut circles to lay on the bottom of 6 individual custard cups. Divide melted butter between the cups. Sprinkle brown sugar over top the butter. Top with clementine & kiwi slices.
Pudding/Cake
In a small bowl, beat together eggs & sugar until thick; gradually beat in oil. In a small dish, combine flour, baking powder, spices & salt. Stir flour mixture into egg/sugar mixture, then add juice (or milk) & vanilla. Stir ONLY until combined.
Pour batter over fruit in custard cups, dividing it evenly between them. Bake 15-20 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick. Allow cakes to cool for about 5 minutes, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
Vanilla/Lime Sauce
In a small saucepan, combine sugar & cornstarch. Add water & bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for a few minutes until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat & add vanilla & lime juice. Stir well & set aside to cool.
Assembly
Divide sauce between 6 individual dessert plates & top with a clementine/kiwi cake. Serve warm or cold.
Plachinda, also spelled as Blachinda, Platchenda, Platchinta, Blachinde, and Blagenda, is a pastry dessert with a flaky pie crust and a delicious pumpkin filling. It resembles a turnover or a hand-pie.
The history of Plachinda is intertwined with the Germans from Russia culture. In 1910, approximately 60,000 Germans from Russia settled in what is now North Dakota, USA. They brought their customs, traditions, and food recipes with them. Plachinda is one such culinary delight that continues to be enjoyed today.
Once again, I set out to bring back the ‘taste of a memory’. Of course, this used to start with some discussion about the meal with my sister Loretta. Between the two of us we could usually remember enough so I can attempt to recreate the taste.
It seemed whenever my mother made plachinda it was served with a white bean soup or ‘Weisse Bohnensuppe’. Kind of an unusual pairing of sorts — bean soup with a sweet pumpkin pastry but it was so good.
It seems most recipes you find on the internet make plachinda as individual turnovers. I think I recall my mother making it in a rectangle casserole dish with the pastry on the bottom and up the sides and the filling showing. I decided to make it as a ‘jelly roll’.
Here’s my ‘spin’ on this much-loved plachinda. Good but as usual never quite as wonderful as my mother’s.
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
Ingredients
Pumpkin Plachinda Filling
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Pumpkin Filling
In a small bowl, combine the filling ingredients & set aside.
Plachinda Pastry
-
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder & salt. Whisk together eggs, milk & oil; add dry ingredients, working into a soft, stiff dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Roll dough into a 14 x 14-inch square; spread pumpkin filling down the center & halfway out to the sides -- about 1/4-inch thickness.
Fold the outside third of the dough over filling, repeating with the last third; pinch to seal. Leaving plachinda on paper, transfer to a baking sheet.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice & serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- If preferred, individual turnovers can be made instead.
The flavor of Chinese five-spice is cozy, comforting, and tastes just like fall! While it’s commonly associated with savory dishes, it can also add an interesting twist to sweet and fruity flavors. The warm and aromatic notes of cinnamon, cloves, and star anise work well with the delicate flavor of pears complementing their natural sweetness.
Chinese Five Spice Powder has been used in Chinese cooking for centuries. Although its origins are somewhat mysterious, it seems to have roots in traditional Chinese medicine. The belief was that this mixture would foster internal harmony by uniting the five main flavors traditionally employed in Chinese cuisine: sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and salty. By achieving this balance of flavors, aligned with the five main elements (earth, fire, water, metal, and wood), tradition held that one could achieve balance in mind and body.
This flavorful blend of spices typically includes star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds and while five spice powder won’t magically cure ailments, it can certainly elevate lackluster dishes.
Chinese five spice as been a favorite of mine for many years. I like it in both sweet and savory dishes but today I thought it would make these ordinary little fall muffins into something special – and it does!
Print Recipe
Chinese 5 Spice Pear & Applesauce Muffins
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin cups with 8 jumbo papers or 12 regular size papers.
Using an electric mixer, cream together butter & sugar then add applesauce, eggs & vanilla & mix until smooth.
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt & 5-spice powder.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture, folding in only until barely combined then add diced pear & gently fold into mixture.
Scoop the batter evenly into prepared muffin tin. Divide topping between muffins & gently spread over top using a fork. Bake 25-30 minutes & a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.
Many cultures have embraced the apple pie and put their own spin on it, so why is it known as the quintessential American dessert. German immigrants brought over the modern hamburger and Italians were the first to combine cheese with macaroni. Apple pie—a dish that commonly follows the words ‘American as’ —has a reputation for being one of the rare dishes the country can fully claim. But as it turns out, the history of the iconic American dessert isn’t so simple.
The phrase ‘as American as apple pie’ emerged in the early 20th century. It gained widespread popularity during World War II, when soldiers were asked what they were fighting for. The response often included apple pie, alongside other symbols of American life like mom and baseball. This association cemented apple pie’s status as a quintessential American food.
For some cooks, grated apple pie was a practical alternative to the traditional sliced version. Grating or shredding the apples creates a pie with a tender, uniform, and almost custard-like filling, unlike the chunkier texture of a standard pie. Shredding the fruit reduces the cooking time required to soften the apples, which was an advantage for home bakers. As shown in some historic recipes, eggs and melted butter were often mixed into the grated apples, creating a richer filling.
This pie reminds me of an experience I had that seems quite comical when I think of it now. Before I had ever studied in the commercial food industry or made any number of pies, a friend gave me a recipe for a ‘Swiss’ apple pie. Her instructions were to place the shredded apple in a pastry lined pie pan. Next, pour vanilla pudding over the apples and bake. It sounded great! I purchased a box of Jell-O brand vanilla pudding & pie filling, made a crust and filled it with shredded apples. I assumed you were supposed to cook the pudding before covering the apples with it for some reason. Wrong!! What resulted was apples baked in a pastry shell with a ‘rubber top’. I guess we all have to start somewhere, right?!
Today, I wanted to revisit the grated apple pie idea being fall with all the wonderful apples that are in season right now.
Print Recipe
Grated Apple Pie w/ Salted Carmel Topping
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Pastry
Sift flour, sugar & baking powder into a bowl. Add salt & rub butter into flour with fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, vinegar & water. Sprinkle the egg/water mixture over the flour mixture & combine ONLY until dough comes together. DO NOT OVERMIX. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Apple Pie
-
Grate apples & combine with lemon juice.
Line a 9-inch pie plate with chilled pastry. In a bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt. Sprinkle 3 Tbsp evenly in the bottom of the crust & set the rest aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the remaining sugar mixture & beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla & eggs. Beat until mixed well & the mixture turns lighter. Stir in the apples.
Pour the filling mixture into the crust & spread out evenly. Place a pie ring or one made out of aluminum foil around the edges of the crust.
Bake at 450 F. for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 F. & bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. If the crust is not brown enough, remove the pie ring for the last 10 minutes of the cooking time.
Salted Caramel Sauce
Place the sugar & water into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook, stirring, over a low heat until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat & bring to a boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a deep amber color.
Remove from heat & immediately add the heavy cream & stir. Be careful as it will bubble up quite a lot. Once the caramel has dissolved into the cream, add the butter & salt. Place in a small blender & blend for a few seconds until mixture comes together nicely. Place into a small container & cool.
Finish
Once pie is at room temperature, brush or drizzle sauce over the apple filling. Chill further & serve.
Recipe Notes
The purpose of putting some of the sugar mixture into the bottom of the pie crust is to absorb some of the liquid that forms when sugar & fruit are mixed together.
If the apples produce a lot of juice, drain them BEFORE adding them to the batter. If you pour off the juice after adding the apples to the batter, you will lose a lot of the spice flavor.
Using a deep dish will help avoid it from running over in the oven.
We’re entering the in between… that time when some days are super nice and the sun is shining and if you don’t look at the date on the calendar, you’d swear it’s the middle of July, and some days you need a jacket and it’s gloomy and you can feel the season changing in the air?
The time when the flowers are still blooming and the leaves are starting to change. Fall food is popping up in the stores and it’s more than just pumpkin spice everything.
So why not make a ‘root vegetable cake’? I know, you’re thinking you don’t really want anything called root vegetable cake. But keep an open mind because it’s just a cake with carrots, parsnips and some beets. They’re all shredded and combined with warm spices to make a hearty cake, dotted with dried apricots and pepita seeds. The spice and earthiness of the cake are complemented by the rich sweetness and subtle tang of the ginger cream cheese frosting. Altogether, it’s pretty much the perfect bite – while the root veggies keep this cake soft and add a subtly sweet, earthy flavor; the apricots and pepita seeds add texture. Then it’s topped off with the luxurious creaminess of the ginger frosting. What’s not to love!
Print Recipe
Root Vegetable Apricot Cake
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
Ingredients
Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting
|
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
You:
Rate this recipe!
|
Instructions
Cake
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the base & sides of a 8-inch round cake pan with a little oil. Line the base with parchment paper.
Peel & grate the carrots, beets & parsnips into a large bowl. Zest an orange & add to the vegetables.
Pour in the syrup, eggs & olive oil, then mix to combine. Next, fold in the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda & salt.
Finely dice the apricots, then add them to the bowl along with the seeds, then mix everything until just combined but DO NOT OVERMIX.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan & bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the tin after 20 minutes, until the top is a light pink-golden tone. The cake should bounce back when pressed lightly, & a skewer inserted into the center will come out clean when fully cooked. Remove from the oven & leave to cool in the pan.
Ginger Frosting
Place room temperature cream cheese, ginger & butter into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer. beat until creamy & smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar until all is incorporated.
Assembly
When the cake is completely cool, transfer to a plate, then finish with the icing, smoothing it over the sides & top of the cake. Decorate as you wish slice & serve.
Recipe Notes
If you are like me, maple syrup is not something I usually have on hand. Here's a good substitute ... 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup water & 1/4 tsp maple extract. Place the sugar & water in a small saucepan. Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until sugar is dissolved & mixture thickens slightly, 3-5 minutes. Stir in maple extract (adjust to taste). Allow to cool before using (mixture thickens as it cools).
