Since I love to cook and bake, I thought I'd share some favourite recipes with you - and of course there will be a photo! Enjoy!
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Roy's Cheeseball Creation
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
1/2 to 1 cup grated cheddar
1/4 cup sweet mixed pickles, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 chopped boiled egg
Mix together - form into ball. Sprinkle with parsley flakes.
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Ruth's Ribs
No need to BBQ in the snow! These ribs are fall-off-the-bone delicious and cooked in the oven.....
You'll need:
About 2 lbs baby back ribs
Remove clear membrane on back of ribs. (not sure what this means? Google it - there are great "How To" videos on YouTube that will teach you to grasp and remove it with a paper towel. Trust me, if I can do it - you can do it!)
Then cut each section of ribs in half (you should now have 4 pieces).
1 - 18oz bottle BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's Original)
Dry Rub Mix:
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 to 1 1/2 tbsp paprika
up to 1 tbsp sea salt
up to 1 tbsp pepper (I use fresh ground mixed peppercorns)
1/2 to 1 tbsp of "Garlic Plus" seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
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Spray 4 pieces of foil with non-stick cooking spray. Place each rib portion on a piece of foil.
Cover the ribs with the dry rub mixture.
Then brush the ribs with some BBQ sauce ....
Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. (You'll want to put these on a tray or in a 9x13 dish just in case any juices leak from the packets).
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Place the rib packets on a cookie sheet - making sure they are still wrapped tightly in the foil.
Cook for approx. 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours.
Enjoy....
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"Crazy Chocolate Cake"
Why "crazy"? Well, it's crazy-easy, instructions sound a little crazy, and it tastes crazy good.
It's simple to make - mix and bake it in the pan. You probably have the ingredients on hand. Eggless - great option if there's an allergy issue. Makes a smaller 9"x9" cake, with a denser, "brownie" texture.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil
1 cup cold water
Mix dry ingredients together in an ungreased 9x9 pan. Make three wells in the mixture. In the first well, pour vinegar, in the second, vanilla and in the third, the butter or oil.
Crazy, huh?!!
Then pour cold water over the whole thing and mix together until all moistened.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until cake tester in the centre comes out clean.
Frost with your favourite icing or just dust with icing sugar.
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Raspberry-Blueberry Cake
Ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
- 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup each fresh raspberries and blueberries
- Garnish: confectioners’ sugarBeat butter, sugar, baking powder and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer on high for 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. On low speed, beat in flour in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions, just until blended, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Mix in the lemon zest. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Scatter berries over top.
Bake 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack. If using foil, hold edges of foil and lift cake from pan - cut into squares or pieces. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Can be refrigerated covered up to 1 week.
Heat oven to 350F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with nonstick foil, letting foil extend above sides of pan, or prepare pan with PAM baking spray.
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Raspberry Pie
While it may not be the most photogenic pie ever, it does taste good!
Depending on the juiciness of the berries, you may get a lot more liquid in the pie filling. I keep an old pizza pan to put under fruit pies like this one while they cook ... saves cleaning the oven when they run over the edges!
Make your own 9" crust or use a frozen deep-dish one.
You'll need:
4 cups raspberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dabs of butter
Mix raspberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice & cinnamon until berries are well covered.
Pour into bottom shell and dot with with a few dabs of butter ....
Cover with top crust and cut slits in it. Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle with a bit of sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 375 degrees F and bake for another 25-30 minutes.
Cool and then give it a few hours in the fridge to help set the filling.
As you'll see in the last photo, there's room on the plate waiting to get the Kawartha Dairy butterscotch ripple ice cream out of the freezer! Enjoy!
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Got Rhubarb?
Check the Omemee Pigeon eFlyer for my recipe to make this delicious Rhubarb Cake (and some special food photography tips!)
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My Mom’s Strawberry Glaze Pie
This recipe of my Mom's was published in a fundraiser cookbook by the Ross Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. There's no date on it, but I would guess early '70s. My Dad LOVED this pie! I'm so glad to have this recipe and many good memories of lots of laughs picking strawberries.
Enjoy it now while local berries are in season. I'll bet it becomes one of your family's favourites too!
1 baked pie crust
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
3 heaping tbsp strawberry jello
1 quart cleaned, sliced strawberries (4 heaping cups – depending on pie shell)
Cook sugar, cornstarch and water until thick and clear. You can do this on the stovetop, stirring constantly … or the easy way … put into a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 4 ½ minutes.
While still hot, stir in jello.
Let cool (but don’t let it set completely).
Put strawberries in cooked crust and pour cooled glaze mixture all over the berries.
Chill.
Serve with whipped cream or CoolWhip or vanilla ice cream.
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Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
makes about 18 muffins
Preheat oven to 375F
2 cups (500ml) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5ml) each: baking powder, and baking soda
1/4 cup (60ml) poppy seeds
3/4 cup (185ml) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (250ml) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (250ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60ml) applesauce (original recipe called for plain yogurt, but I didn't have any)
1/2 cup (125ml) fresh lemon juice (from 2 to 4 lemons) + finely grated zest from those lemons
Optional Glaze:
Juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup (80ml) icing sugar
Line muffin tins with liners or butter non-stick muffin tins - about 18 muffins.
In medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder. Stir in poppy seeds.
In large bowl, using electric mixer on medium, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl, until pale yellow.
In measuring cup, whisk buttermilk, applesauce, lemon juice and zest.
Add half four mixture, then half buttermilk mixture to butter mixture.
Stir with wooden spoon until just incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour and buttermilk mixtures. Don’t overmix.
Scoop 1/3 cup (80ml) batter into prepared muffin tins.
Bake in preheated 375F (190C) oven until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, about 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack.
For glaze, whisk together lemon juice and icing sugar. With skewer, poke several holes in top of each warm muffin. Generously drizzle glaze over muffins.
Let cool completely.
The source … May 19, 2011 Toronto Star article by Jennifer Bain, who got the recipe from Trish Magwood’s new cookbook In My Mother’s Kitchen.
Maple Walnut Tapioca Pudding
Only problem with this delicious 2 serving dessert is that there's only 2 servings! You'll want more!
2 servings, about 2/3 cup each
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- 1 large egg, well beaten
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon quick-cooking tapioca
- wee pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Preparation
- Combine milk, egg, tapioca and salt in a medium saucepan. Let stand for 5 minutes.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, 6 to 18 minutes (depending on your stove). Remove from the heat; stir in 1/4 cup syrup and vanilla.
- Divide the pudding between 2 ramekins or custard cups. Let cool for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate until chilled.
- Meanwhile, line a small plate with parchment or wax paper. Coat the paper with cooking spray. Combine walnuts, the remaining 1 tablespoon syrup, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small saucepan or skillet. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring, until most of the syrup has evaporated, 1 to 4 minutes. Spread the nuts out onto the prepared paper and place in the freezer until cool, about 10 minutes.
- Crumble the chilled walnut topping into pieces. Serve the pudding topped with the maple walnuts.
Tips & Notes
- Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate the pudding for up to 3 days. Prepare the walnut topping (Step 4) 15 minutes before serving.