Blueberry Cobbler

3 lb fresh blueberries
3 c. flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. milk
1-2 t. cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon
3. Mix eggs and flour mix.  
4. Add milk and flour mix.
5. Put blueberries in greased 13x9 inch pan
6. Top with flour mixture.
7. Bake 45 min.

Orange Almond Cake

I haven't actually tried this recipe yet, but it looks fantastic. I'll make notes if I try anything a little different.

From: http://shecraves.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/02/orange_almond_c.html

3 oranges (or 6 clementines, tangerines, or 4 Meyer lemons)

water for boiling

6 eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (1/4 cup more for lemons)

2 1/2 cups ground almonds

1 teaspoon baking powder

superfine sugar for dusting

whipped cream

dark chocolate shavings

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
2. Place the fruit in the pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for about two hours until it's tender all the way through (pierces easily with a knife, "like butta" as they say).
3. Cut the fruit in quarters and fish out the white pips (the big chunk of white membrance usually at two points in the fruit). Then put the fruit into the food processor and puree. Pith, skin, and fruit—everything.
4. Add the eggs and pulse until combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour into two prepared 9-inch cake pans or one 8-inch springform pan (buttered and parchment-lined). Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about an hour.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan. When it's cooled, unmold and sprinkle with superfine sugar. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

TIPS:
*You can make the cake ahead. It keeps for up to four days. After that the cake will resemble anything that sits still outside in a Seattle winter—mold and perhaps even moss will start to grow.

*You can even make components of the recipe in advance. For instance, I ground my own almonds (with the blanched slivered almonds from the bulk bin) one day to use later in the week. And you can poach the oranges to use another day. Just keep them covered and in the fridge until you're ready for some CuisinArt fun.

Nathan's Brownies

½ c butter/margarine

2 oz. baking chocolate

¾ c flour

½ t baking powder

½ t salt

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1 t vanilla

¼ c chocolate chips

¼ c nuts

Microwave butter and baking chocolate 2 min to mix

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

Mix the remaining ingredients

Cook in 8x8 pan for 30-40 min at 350F.

Hello Dolly Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can (15 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:

Melt the butter; mix in graham cracker crumbs. Pat crumb mixture in a 9-x13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the crumbs in order given, in layers. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all. Do NOT stir. Bake at 350° for about 25 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Vegan Spice Cake

1 1/4 cups flour

3 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup water (approximately)

1. Stir together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, spices and salt.
2. Cream sugar, oil, lemon juice and vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, a little at a time, alternating with up to 1 cup of water.
4. Mix briskly with fork until thoroughly blended.
5. Pour into lightly greased and floured 8 or 9 inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cake tests done.
6. Let cool in pan.

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

From: Foodnetwork.com

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional

1 piece pre-made pie dough

Whipped cream, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Mom's Famous Strawberry Jello

(makes a 13X9 pan)

1. Mix 1 large box or 2 small boxes of strawberry jello (regular or sugar free) with 2 cups boiling water until dissolved.
2. Add one can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
3. Add frozen strawberries (the kind with sugar added) about 1 pound or 2 cups (This measurement doesn't need to be exact.)
4. Mix in large bowl.
5. Pour half the mixture in the dish and refrigerate until firm.
6. Cover the other half with plastic wrap and set it to the side. (Not in the fridge)
7. When it's set, spread with about 2 cups of sour cream (any variety).
8. Pour the other half of the mixture on top and let set.

Lemon Cream Meringue Pie

1 8-inch pie crust

Filling:

2 c. milk

2/3 c. sugar

4 medium lemons

1/4 c. cornstarch

4 egg yolks (save the whites for the meringue)

2 T. unsalted butter, softened

Meringue topping:

4 egg whites

2/3 c. sugar

pinch of salt

1. Combine milk and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan (i.e. enamel coated).
2. Zest lemons (scrape off only the yellow part of the peel using a grater, the white part of the lemon tastes very bitter). Add zest to the milk and bring to a simmer over low heat.
3. Remove from heat for 5 min and strain out the zest.
4. Squeeze 1/2 c. of juice from the lemons and combine it with cornstarch and egg yolks.
5. Reheat the milk to a simmer over low heat, and add about 1/3 of the lemon/egg mixture to the saucepan.
6. Add some milk mixture to a cool bowl and mix the rest of the lemon/egg mixture in with a whisk. Combine mix from the bowl with the mix in the saucepan and bring it to a boil for 30 seconds.
7. Remove from heat and mix in the butter.
8. Pour the filling into a glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the filling until the filling reaches about room temperature.
9. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
10. Poke holes in the crust with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals. Bake the crust for 20 minutes, until the crust is a light golden color. Cool crust on a rack.
11. Spread cooled filling on cooled crust.
12. Preheat oven to 400 deg F.
13. Bring a small pan of water to a boil. Lower heat so that water simmers.
14. Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl.
15. Place bowl over pan with simmering water and whisk eggs until sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
16. Remove egg whites from heat and beat them at medium speed with an electric mixer until the meringue has cooled and can hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted from it.
17. Spread meringue over the cooled filling to cover the entire top surface of the pie and touches the edges of the crust.
18. Place pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 10 min until the meringue is evenly covered.

Chocolate Shell... world's best ice cream topping

1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 T. canola (or vegetable) oil

3 T. peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

1. Microwave chocolate chips mixed with oil for 30 seconds at medium power.
2. Stir chocolate.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 until chocolate is just melted. DO NOT OVERHEAT.
4. Stir in peanut butter.
5. Put on ice cream before it re-solidifies. It can be re-heated as long as no water gets in it... this will make it scorch when it gets re-heated.

Apple Strudel

3/4 stick margarine

1/2 c. milk

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 c. flour

thin slices of apple

2 T. thinly sliced butter

Sugar & cinnamon to sprinkle on dough

Glaze:

2 T. milk

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Mix margarine, milk, egg yolk, and flour. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
2. Divide into 2 portions and roll out one portion in spread on the bottom of an 8x8 pan.
3. Spread butter on dough and add thin apple slices.
4. Sprinkle sugar & cinnamon.
5. Roll out second half of dough and place strips of dough in a criss-cross pattern.
6. Bake at 325 F for 1 hour.
7. Drizzle with glaze.

Lemon Cake

From: Food Network

1/2 lb (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 1/2 c. granulated sugar

4 XL eggs, room temperature

1/3 c. grated lemon zest (only the yellow part of the lemon peel, not the white part)

3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

3/4 c. fresh lemon juice

3/4 c. buttermilk (or milk with a 1 t. of vinegar mixed)

1 t. pure vanilla extract

2 c. confectioner's (powdered) sugar

3 1/2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 cake pan (or two 8x4 loaf pans.)
2. Cream butter and 2 c. granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. In a third bowl mix 1/4 c. lemon juice, buttermilk, and vanilla.
5. Slowly add flour and buttermilk mixtures to the creamed butter.
6. Spread batter in pan(s).
7. Bake for 35 to 45 min for 9x13 pan or up to an hour for 8x4 pans.
8. Combine 1/2 c. granulated sugar and 1/2 c. lemon juice in a small sauce pan. Cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. After cooling the cakes for 10 min, stab holes in the cake with a knife, then spoon the lemon juice/sugar mixture over the cake.
9. For the glaze combine confectioner's sugar and 3 1/2 T. lemon juice in a bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Wacky Cake

1 1/2 c. flour

3 T. Dutch process cocoa powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. sugar

1 t. baking soda

2 t. vanilla

1 t. white vinegar

6 T. canola oil

1 c. cold water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Mix together.
2. Make 3 small holes in the mixture. Pour the vanilla in one hole, the vinegar in another, and canola oil in another.
3. Pour water over the top and mix.
4. Pour into a lightly greased 8x8 inch pan.
5. Bake for 30 to 35 min.

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

From: Real Simple

1 recipe Basic Sugar Cookie Dough, room temperature

1/3 c. apricot or raspberry jam

1. Roll dough into tablespoon sized balls.
2. Press a thumbprint into the center of each ball.
3. Spoon a teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie.
4. Bake at 350 for 15-18 min until the bottom of the cookies turns slightly golden.

Cherry-Almond Jumbles

From: Real Simple

1 recipe Basic Sugar Cookie Dough, room temperature

1 c. dried cherries

1 c. sliced almonds

1. Mix cherries and almonds into sugar cookie dough.
2. Drop tablespoon-sized mounds onto baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350 until the cookies begin to brown (14-20 min).

Basic Sugar Cookie Dough

From: Real Simple

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. kosher salt

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

1 large egg

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
3. Gradually add flour mix to butter/sugar mix. Dough will be stiff when flour and butter are completely mixed.
4. Shape cookies and bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees F.

This dough can be used to make several other types of cookies with a little creativity.

Orange Spice Tea Cake

Adapted from: foodnetwork.com

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. whole-wheat flour

1 c. sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. all-spice or cardamom

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

2 T. grated orange zest (be careful to only use the orange part and not the white part, or else the cake will be bitter)

3/4 c. freshly squeezed orange juice (yes, in this recipe it makes a difference if you don't squeeze it yourself)

1/4 c. dark molasses

1 large egg

1 T. canola oil

1/2 c. ground walnuts or almonds (really finely chopped is ok too)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 5 bread pan.
2. Combine flour, spices, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate, non-metal bowl combine orange zest, orange juice, molasses, egg, and oil.
4. Slowly mix flour mixture with the wet ingredients.
5. Stir in walnuts or almonds.
6. Pour into the greased bread pan and bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick stabbed in the middle comes out clean.

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

From: Southern Living 12/2005

1 1/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 large eggs

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. baking soda

1 6-oz package sweetened dried cranberries

1 1/2 c. white chocolate morsels (best if they're actually made with cocoa butter)

1) Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2) Cream butter and sugar together. (Can be done by hand or with a mixer.)

3) Mix eggs into creamed butter and sugar.

4) Add flour mix to butter mix.

5) Stir in cranberries and chocolate morsels.

6) Drop cookies on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 min until lightly brown on bottom.