Ina's Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

The first time I saw Ina make this on her beach volleyball episode, I fell in love with the recipe. Nothing goes together like peanut butter and jelly! The best part is you can pick your favorite flavor of jelly. We have done all the traditional flavors, strawberry, grape, cherry, but I recently used apricot and it may very well be my new favorite. One small note, not a lot of changes on this one, but in my opinion Ina's recipe makes a little bit too much peanut butter dough for the size of the pan. This can be remedied one of two ways, I use the desired amount and freeze the leftover dough for another time or use a slightly larger pan, two 8X8 pans will work. Haven't tried it yet, but I bet the dough would make great thumbprint cookies. I have tried baking it on its own as a shortbread dough, but something is lacking, it needs the fruit.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Pound unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C Granulated sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 Jumbo eggs, room temperature
2 C (18oz.) Creamy peanut butter, Ina uses Skippy, I use Jiff
3 C Flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 C (18oz) Jam, your favorite flavor
2/3 C Salted peanuts chopped optional, I don't usually add them

Prep:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray, paper, spray your pan, Ina says to paper, grease and flour, but I don't. I hate messing with the flour coating the pan.
In you electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium until light yellow. 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, eggs and peanut butter, mix on low until combined.
Mix dry ingredients, Ina says sift them, but I just stir in the salt and powder then add them to the peanut butter mixture. Mix on low just until combined.
Ina says spread 2/3 of the dough into the 9X13 cake pan, I spread about a half inch layer. Spread the jam evenly over dough, an offset spatula works best as does stirring the jam well prior to spreading. Pinch small bits of remaining dough and place on top of the jam. Don't worry about covering all the jam completely. Sprinkle with chopped nuts if desired and bake about 45 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from pan, cool and cut into squares. Enjoy with a really big glass of really cold milk!

Velvety Chocolate Cake

I know I say this a lot, but I have a few variations for this cake too. You can make the basic batter, pour it into the desired baking dish or spice it up with the variations listed below. This batter mixes for 10 minutes which may seem strange to some of you bakers, but believe me the mixing does not lead to a tougher batter. The version pictured above is a mini cupcake with plain icing. The cupcakes pop out perfectly even if your pan is ungreased, just allow to cool slightly and loosen edges with a knife and lift the cupcake out gently or flip pan over and allow them to spill out, continue cooling on a wire rack. Place wire racks over sheets of parchment and scoop a small amount of warm icing over each cupcake allowing it to run over the edges. Baked in paper loaf pans this cake makes a terrific gift.

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
4 3/4 oz. Cake flour
4 oz. Bread flour
3 1/2 oz. Cocoa powder
14 oz. sugar
3/8 oz. Baking soda
1/8 oz. Baking powder
Pinch Salt
8 oz. Coffee, cooled
8 oz. Buttermilk
5/8 C Eggs
4 oz. Butter, melted
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

VARIATION: add 1/4 oz. cinnamon to the dry ingredients
PREP:
Place all dry ingredients in the bowl of your electric mixer, mix just to combine with the paddle attachment. In a Large measuring cup combine coffee, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour 1/4 of this mixture into the melted butter. Slowly add the coffee/buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed. Next add the butter mixture to the mixing bowl, mix until combined. Slowly add the eggs while mixing on low speed. Mix for 2 minutes on 1st speed, then mix for 10 minutes on 2nd speed. Spray, paper, spray your desired cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50-60 minutes for a large cake pan. Loaf pans check at 40 minutes with a tester, 40-50 minutes. Cupcakes 20-30 minutes depending on mini or regular size pan. **Cupcake pans do not need to be sprayed, but I remove them quickly before they cool, loosen the edges with a sharp knife and flip pan over to dump cupcakes onto a clean surface. Lift any stubborn cupcakes with the knife. Allow cakes to cool in pan on a wire rack.


ICING INGREDIENTS:
4 oz. Butter, melted
6 T. Buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
16 oz. Powdered sugar
1/2 C Cocoa powder

VARIATIONS: Add 1 1/2tsp Instant espresso powder and 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon for a Mexican Chocolate Cake. Add 1 1/2 C chopped and toasted pecans to the icing.

PREP:
Melt butter over medium heat. Add all ingredients except sugar, whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Place the sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer and pour the cocoa mixture over the sugar. Beat until smooth with whisk attachment. Stir in pecans if desired. Pour over cakes or cupcakes quickly before the icing sets.

Braunschweiger Dip

What a classic 60's - 70's appetizer, maybe it is only classic because we are German. Does everyone enjoy Braunschweiger? I can remember my dad slicing it with cheese and crackers for a Saturday night snack. Beep still loves it sliced thin with red onion as a sandwich. This recipe is written by my Grandmother, Betty. I don't really remember her ever serving it, but nothing says 70's childhood like cheese balls and meat log appetizers. I am sure it was a hit!

Pecan Pastry

This is the same filling recipe that is listed in the Pecan Toffee cookie. I really like using it for individual pastries or as a large tart that can be cut into individual servings. Use the blitz pastry recipe, or if you are in a big hurry, use a box pastry dough, I have used it in other recipes, but I will list it individually as well.
The pastry that is pictured is cut with a square cutter approx. 2 1/2 inch for the bottom piece, the top is cut from the same size but with a 1 inch square cut to allow for the filling. To assemble, moisten the outside edges of the bottom piece of dough with a little water and place the center cut piece of dough on top and press lightly to seal the two together. Scoop a teaspoon or so of filling into the small square, I use a 70 scoop. Bake them at 350 degrees rotating once or twice during baking 25-28 minutes. I set the time every 7 minutes or so and just check them until they have puffed and are golden. You can skip all the fuss and stuff some pastry dough into a round 9 inch or so tart pan and pour all the filling in and bake until golden. Slice and serve warm with vanilla ice cream!
Add a touch of Kahlua for extra goodness. FYI: A triple batch of filling will yield approximately 70 individual tarts.

Filling:
2 eggs
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2 T melted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C finely chopped pecans
you can also add a splash of Kalua along with the vanilla flavoring
powdered sugar for dusting

Lime Curd

Nothing screams Spring, like lime or lemon curd. Tart and fresh with that hint of sweetness, curd is the perfect wake up your palate dessert. This recipe is from Gale Gand, her recipe is for Lemon Curd, but you can substitute any citrus fruit you like. I made lime curd for these tarts, so I have written the recipe with lime juice.
I love the simplicity of this recipe, top the tarts with whipped cream or meringue. Gale serves the curd as a dip with phyllo triangles that have been coated with butter and sugar.

Ingredients:
2 Eggs
1/2 C. Sugar
Zest of 1/2 a lime
1/3 C. Freshly squeezed lime juice
2 T. Cold unsalted butter cut into cubes

PREP:
In a medium saucepan (your mixing bowl should be able to sit on top of the pan) bring about an inch of water to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a metal or glass mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until very light yellow and fluffy. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Rest the mixing bowl over Cook, slowly, whisking often until the mixture is thickened and custardy, 10-15 minutes. The mixture should coat the back of a spoon and hold, run your finger through the custard and the line should stay in place and not run back together. Remove the bowl from the pan and whisk in the cold butter. Transfer to an airtight container and allow to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate once cool for at least 2 hours. The curd will hold in the refrigerator up to one week.

Ginger Crinkle Cookies

Unlike the ginger stars that are also included in this blog, these ginger cookies are of the CHEWY variety. This dough comes together so easily, I absolutely love mixing it and it is also easily doubled. Like almost all my cookies this dough can be scooped, frozen then bagged and stored in the freezer for easy baking at any time. Just remove the desired amount from your freezer, preheat the oven and roll them in sugar prior to baking.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 C Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking soda
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. Ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. Ground cloves
1 Large egg
1/2 C Canola oil
3 T. Butter, melted
1/4 C plus 1 1/2 T. Molasses
1 C Light brown sugar
1/2 C Granulated sugar, to coat the unbaked cookie

PREPARATION:
In a large bowl, stir together all dry ingredients, first six on the list. In mixing bowl, mix on low speed, remaining ingredients,EXCEPT GRANULATED SUGAR, scrape the sides if needed and begin incorporating the flour mixture. Once all the flour has been absorbed, stop mixing. Scoop dough with the desired size cookie scoop (a 40 scoop will make a normal size cookie) or form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Prior to baking roll each cookie in the reserved granulated sugar to coat all sides. Place two inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet, bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes rotating the pans once during baking. Slide parchment with cookies onto a wire rack to cool.

Banana Bars

I was amazed to find that I had not posted this recipe prior to now! I make this recipe often, because my kids never eat the bananas I buy before they get too ripe. This recipe is so versatile, feel free to experiment and create your own yummy treat. The original is baked as a bar in a jelly roll or half sheet pan, but I also bake them in mini loaf pans or muffin tins of any size and they bake up perfectly, you just need to adjust the baking time accordingly. I have also developed a caramel version that is fantastic, I saturate them with flavored simple syrups, frost them with various icings, the possibilities are endless. I usually omit the nuts, but have listed them in the recipe and I add cinnamon.

Yields:
6 dozen 2X1 inch bars
24 muffins, double the amount mini muffins
3-4 small loafs

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 C Granulated sugar
1 C Sour cream
1/2 C Butter, softened
2 Eggs
1 1/2 C Mashed bananas (3 Large)
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 C Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/2 C Chopped nuts
Vanilla Glaze

PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugar, sour cream and eggs on low speed in a large bowl for one minute. Scrape bowl if needed. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low for 30 seconds. Mix in dry ingredients, not nuts, on medium speed for one minute, scrape bowl if needed. Stir in nuts. Spread into a greased and floured half sheet pan, 15 1/2X10 1/2X1 inch, Bake until light brown, 20-25 minutes, a toothpick will come out clean. Cool. Frost with Vanilla Glaze and cut into bars.
VANILLA GLAZE:
Mix 2 C Powdered sugar, 1/4 C softened butter, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and 2 T. hot water.
Stir in 1-2 tsp. additional hot water if needed until you reach a spreadable consistency.

VARIATIONS:
*Use Almond extract in place of the vanilla in the glaze.
*Bake in small paper loaf pans and brush with a rum/banana liquor simple syrup immediately after baking. Drizzle with frosting, these make great gifts.
*Caramel muffins: 1 Jar caramel sauce. Fill muffin tins 1/3 full with batter, top with 1/2 tsp. of caramel sauce then top with batter to fill muffin tins to 3/4 from the top. Muffins will take longer to bake, approximately 30-35 minutes depending on the size. Test with a toothpick for doneness.

Luella's Escalloped Pineapple

I wanted to post some hand written recipes from family members who have passed away. Seeing the words on the well worn index card in my grandmother's handwriting is a special feeling, one that makes the recipe even more valuable. Learning to create these dishes, family traditions, passed down from generation to generation, it is the literal definition of COMFORT FOOD. I take great comfort in knowing that I will have these to share with my family and friends long after the ink has faded. Luella, ( AKA, Little Grandma Newman)was my great-grandmother, the mother of my mother's father (follow that one?), I was surprised to see her name on the recipe, because this is a recipe my mom's mother made for holidays. Betty, (AKA, Big Grandma Newman, because she was taller) didn't cook very often, especially from scratch. This recipe is written by her and we serve it every Thanksgiving and Christmas as a side dish. It is sort of more like a dessert.
Ingredients:
1 Qt. Bread crumbs (hand torn)
2 C. White sugar
3 Eggs beaten
1/2 C. Butter, melted
1/2 C. Whipping cream
1 Large can crushed pineapple with the juice
Mix sugar, butter, eggs, cream and pineapple. Stir in bread crumbs. Allow to sit for a moment, bread will absorb the liquid, while you prepare a casserole dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake in greased glass or ceramic dish approximately 30-45 minutes. The pineapple will be set and golden brown.