Puyallup Fair Scones and Homemade Berry Freezer Jam

Occasionally I just miss these so much, I make them myself, and there is no better way to eat these than fresh out of the oven with homemade strawberry jam! (And butter, of course!!) This recipe is the Fisher Scone Recipe (aka fair scones) and the strawberry freezer jam recipe (you can use any berry really) is from the Better Homes and Gardens classic red and white cookbook. I was happy that Morgan came with this book ;)

Fisher Scones

• 2 ½ Cups Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 tbsp. Sugar
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 6 tbsp. Butter
• ¾ Cup Milk

1. Sift flour  
2. Resift with remaining dry ingredients
3. Work butter into ingredients with fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs
4. Add milk to mixture and knead dough
5. Divide dough into 2 equal pieces
6. On floured surface roll or pat each piece into a round about 3/4" thick
7. Cut into 6 wedge shaped pieces per round

Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes. (Now this is what works for me with my oven, the original recipe said bake at 450 for 15 minutes and I always had burnt scones. I know altitude can make a difference and I am in the mountain tops, but feel free to try this and just keep an eye on them until they turn slightly golden brown on the edges and they're perfect!!!


 Berry Freezer Jam

• 4 Cups Fresh Blackberries, Raspberries, or hulled Strawberries
• 4 Cups Sugar (yes!)
• 1/2 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel (I like lemon so I did more like 1 1/2 tsp. and it has such a fresh flavor! I'm also curious to try some chopped basil, or lavender with the strawberry! Anyways, I digress)
• 1 1.75-ounce package regular powdered fruit pectin (I only found 2 oz packages and just added a slight amount less and its good!)
• 3/4 Cup Water

1. In a bowl use a potato masher to crush the berries until you have 2 cups crushed berries. Mix berries, sugar, and lemon peel. Let stand for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small saucepan combine pectin and water. Bring to boiling over high heat; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. remove from heat and add to berry mixture; stire for 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is no longer grainy.
2. Ladle into half-pint freezer containers, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace (allowing room for frozen liquids to expand safely). Let stand at room temperature 24 hours or until set (mine was set within an hour... maybe because i had a bit more pectin, who knows, it's still good though). Store the jam for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator or for up to 1 year in the freezer.

Enjoy! This is just perfect summer food to me :)

Brownie Pudding!

This Recipe is a recommendation from Anna. It's a barefoot Contessa recipe, so you know it's good and has no cilantro :P


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/brownie-pudding-recipe/index.html
(btw, this is apparently a 5 star recipe)

This is one of those recipes that I would say you absolutely have to try!  You have to use good cocoa powder.  I used Rapunzel's and it was awesome (and it's organic and a fair trade cocoa).  I also used 1 tsp. vanilla extract instead of the vanilla bean.

It is a pudding type dessert so a toothpick will be moist, but, more fudgy and less wet. 

So good that I licked my bowl and the baking dish, but that's not altogether surprising for me :)

Don't forget the vanilla bean ice cream!!

 Brownie Pudding

 Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus extra for buttering the dish
• 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup good cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur, optional
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly butter a 2-quart (9 by 12 by 2-inch) oval baking dish. Melt the 1/2 pound of butter and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed for 5 to 10 minutes, until very thick and light yellow. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder and flour together and set aside.

When the egg and sugar mixture is ready, reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla seeds, framboise, if using, and the cocoa powder and flour mixture. Mix only until combined. With mixer still on low, slowly pour in the cooled butter and mix again just until combined.

Pour the brownie mixture into the prepared dish and place it in a larger baking pan. Add enough of the hottest tap water to the pan to come halfway up the side of the dish and bake for exactly 1 hour. A cake tester inserted 2 inches from the side will come out 3/4 clean. The center will appear very under-baked; this dessert is between a brownie and a pudding.

Allow to cool and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Maren cooks with Oatmeal... A lot

Maren is quite the oatmeal guru these days. You have a question on homemade granola, or a high sugar/vegan peanut butter bar and she's your girl! Seriously, Maren's granola is so good she gives it away as gifts and people are excited about it! It's true! The peanut butter bars are one of those recipes that you WILL eat half of them in about 1 hour!! Seriously. And for one more tasty (vegan) treat Maren has a vegan brownie recipe, which is as rich and moist as any brownie I've ever had. Good food.

Granola

·         8 cups rolled oats

·         ½ cup canola oil

·         ¾ cup pure maple syrup

·         ¼ cup honey

·         1 tbls. organic unsulphured molasses

·         1 tbls. pure vanilla extract

·         2 tsp. ground cinnamon

·         ½ tsp. salt

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss together until evenly combined.  In an oiled pan spread the granola mixture in a ¼ to ½ inch-thick layer on the baking sheet (I usually use the largest glass baking dish I have).  Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until golden brown.

*I don’t like anything added to my granola but you can add almonds, coconut, dried fruit, sesame, pumpkin or sunflower seeds or anything you like.

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Baked Oatmeal

·         ¾ cup canola oil

·         1 2/3 cup brown sugar

·         4 eggs

·         5 cups uncooked oatmeal

·         2 tsp. baking soda

·         1 tsp. salt

·         1 2/3 cup milk

Mix all the ingredients and pour into a 9x13 inch oiled pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Sprinkle with cinnamon immediately when removed from oven.

*sometimes instead of sprinkling cinnamon on at the end, we cut up strawberries, raspberries or whatever sounds good into small pieces and scatter those in the batter before baking and it tastes delicious.

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars

·         1 ½ cup uncooked oatmeal

·         ½ cup whole wheat flour

·         ½ cup white flour

·         ¼ tsp. baking soda

·         ¼ tsp. salt

·         2/3 cup canola oil

·         ½ cup maple syrup

·         2 tbls. water

·         2 tsp. vanilla

·         3-4 tbls. honey*

·         4 tbls. peanut butter*

·         2 tbls. brown sugar (if you feel the urge for a little more sweetness…)

Combine all dry ingredients first and then add wet ingredients.  Mix well (do not use electric mixer) and pour into an oiled 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

*because I made this up I always test the batter before I bake it to make sure that it tastes alright.  Sometimes it needs a little more peanut butter or honey, so add to taste. 

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Fudgy Gluten-free Brownies

·         10 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate

·         1 2/3 sticks unsalted butter, diced

·         ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

·         4 eggs

·         1 cup superfine or granulated sugar

·         1 cup walnut or pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Break up the chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl with the butter.  Set the bowl over a pan of steaming hot water and melt gently, stirring frequently (or you could probably just microwave it…).  Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the cocoa.  Set aside until needed.

Put the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat well with a whisk or an electric mixer.  Add the sugar and whisk thoroughly until very light and frothy and doubled in volume.

Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold in the chocolate mixture followed by the nuts.  Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until the top of the brownie pan is just firm to the touch but the center is still slightly soft.

Leave to cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing from the pan.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Once cool, store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.  Tastes delicious with vanilla bean ice cream.

Quinoa Chili

This is a recipe from our Maren. I was actually present the first time Maren made this and it was so good! It was easy, tasty, and vegetarian/gluten free/vegan!! That being said I can still vouch for its yumminess, and surprising heartiness! Enjoy!

Quinoa Chili

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 10 oz. chopped tomatoes
• 4 tsp. cumin
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. coriander
• 1 cup quinoa


Sauté the onion and garlic with the olive oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or until the quinoa is fully cooked.


BTW, at the moment I only have internet on limited days of the week, so if you don't hear from me after emailing, or you wonder why I haven't posted a new recipe, that's why. Love you all!

An American Place Strawberry Shortcake

Apparently "An American Place" is a renown restaurant in New York, did you know??? This is another Recipe from Anna:

For Savannah’s birthday she wanted Strawberry Shortcake.  I like the stuff, but I’m not a huge fan.  But, this recipe was so good!  It’s a more sweet and less dense cake.   It would also be an excellent biscuit sans the sugar.  I found this on Epicurious.

An American Place Strawberry Shortcake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 mashed hard-cooked large egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 3 pints strawberries, cleaned and halved (quartered, if large)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a baking sheet.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and 4 tablespoons sugar into a bowl. Add the butter, using fingers to work it quickly into the flour until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add the cream and yolks; stir with a fork until the dough just holds together.

3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is just smooth. Do not overwork. Roll the dough out 3/4-inch thick. Using a floured 2 1/2- or 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 4 rounds. Gather the scraps, reroll; cut 2 more rounds.

4. Put the 6 rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake in the center of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown and firm to the touch.

5. For the filling, mix berries and sugar in a bowl. Chill.

6. Cool the biscuits on a rack; carefully split them in half. Heap the bottoms with strawberries. Dollop with the whipped cream, then replace the biscuit tops. Serve immediately with remaining whipped cream on the side. 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

This is a recipe from the lovely Anna:

This soup is from the blog on the link below. It’s not an amazingly clever soup, it’s so simple, but it’s really delish! Especially, with avocado, or sour cream, cilantro, and tortilla chips. It’s great for a quick dinner. I omitted one can of beans, one can of tomatoes, and one cup of water and it was nice and chunky. The link has pictures:

(picture shown is the picture from the following blog)

http://twopeasandtheirpod.com/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-soup-recipe/

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped (you can use jarred)
• 2 cans low sodium vegetable broth (15 oz. size)
• 2 cups water
• 3 cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cans diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 T chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil. Add in the onion and cook until tender. Add in the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the sweet potato and roasted red pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

3. Add in the broth, water, black beans, and tomatoes. Stir well.

4. Add the chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Stir and toss in the cilantro. Stir again. Let the soup simmer on medium low for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft.

5. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

**You can garnish the soup with cilantro, avocado slices, cheese, tortilla strips, and/or sour cream. To freeze-cool completely and put the soup in freezer safe containers. **

Roasted Vegetable Soup

That's right, I'm posting the first recipe, in fact this is one of those recipes that I tried (just last week actually) and I wanted to tell everyone about, because it was just that good. You could say it was a recipe that you would eat 3/4 of it in one day, if you could. (but you just can't, Norm! - sorry, SNL reference) I tried this soup because I wanted something easy and healthy. It’s basically a vegan recipe depending on the couscous (which could be left out). I was so pleasantly surprised at how good this soup was! What really made it for me was the sweet potato! I loved the sweetness so much I even garnished it with a spoonful of brown sugar. Yum! The book also recommends garnishing with shredded cheese. I personally just don’t like how cheese acts in hot broth. Anyways, this recipe came from a book called The Art of the Slow Cooker (By Andrew Schloss). I love this book. Corn Bread would get along very well with this soup, and I'm a sucker for good cornbread.

 

Roasted Vegetable Soup

6 servings

·         2 onions, cut into 1-inch dice

·         2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch sticks

·         2 celery ribs, cut into ½ -inch-thick slices

·         1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

·         ½ red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares

·         1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice

·         8 white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

·         4 large cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled

·         2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

·         6 cups vegetable broth, divided

·         1 can (about 15 ounces) diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted, with their juices

·         1 tsp kosher salt

·         ½ tsp ground black pepper

·         ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed

·         ½ tsp dried thyme

·         2 tbsp chopped fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley

·         3 tbsp couscous, preferably whole-wheat (I couldn’t find anything but whole wheat, however if you can find a gluten free couscous then well done, try it. I personally doubled the couscous in my soup because I wanted more substance, which of course made it more hearty with less broth)

PREHEAT oven to 425°. Toss the onions, carrots, celery, turnip, bell pepper, sweet potato, mushrooms, and garlic with the olive oil on a large rimmed sheet pan. Spread out into an even layer and roast for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned at the edges.

SCRAPE the vegetables into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Pour 1 cup of the vegetable broth onto the sheet pan and scrape up any browned bits clinging to it; scrape into the cooker. Add the remaining 5 cups of broth, the diced tomatoes and their juice, the salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Cover the cooker and cook for 2 to 3 hours on high, or 4 to 6 hours on low, until the flavors are blended.

 STIR in parsley and couscous and cook for 5 more minutes.

*Though I love this soup as is I also thought this soup could be delicious with some beef chuck cut into cubes (for the meat lovers out there) I haven’t tried it yet, but next time I make this soup (which I definitely will), I’ll do it with beef. If you want to cook it with beef you have to cook for the maximum cook time (that is at least 3 hours on high and at least 6 hours on low). Before putting the beef into the slow cooker cut it into 1 ½ inch cubes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Then you can begin to brown the beef in a skillet with about 2 tbsp of olive oil for 2 to 3 minutes (do this in batches if you need to so that all the meat is evenly browned). However if you are adding beef you want to maybe reduce the amount of vegetables you put in just to keep the volume of solids (if you will) about the same. You could even alter the selection of vegetables used, just be sure to keep that volume about the same. This soup is one of those soups that is even better the next day!

So this is a picture of a picture, but I like pictures, and like I said, I made this last week, before the blog. You can at least see the heartiness of this soup. And its quite beautiful, no?