Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I can't tell you how often I've made this recipe.  I found it online by BargainBriana.com approximately 8 years ago and have made it MANY times since!  It is delicious.  When I get access to zucchini, I immediately make this recipe and then freeze as much as I can for future baking.  (You can use frozen, then thawed zucchini with no problem.)

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

3 TBSP vegetable oil (I use canola)

2 large eggs

1 cup applesauce (unsweetened)

2 cups all purpose flour (I use a combo that includes whole wheat flour)

2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa

1-1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 cup shredded zucchini (don't skimp - be generous!)

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I use the mini's)

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Combine sugar, oil and eggs in a large bowl.  Mix until well blended.

3) Stir in applesauce.

4) In a separate bowl combine, flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture.

5) Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips (and nuts if desired).

6) Pour into a lightly greased 9" x 5" loaf pan.

7) Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Easy Drop Danish (using Bisquick)

This is one of those recipes that I’ve made on and off for years.  I forget about it and then while flipping through my recipe binder, I come across it again and decide to pull it out.  I don’t always have Bisquick in my pantry but when I do, this is a delicious way to use it up.  (I normally buy it when I’m making dumplings to go along with pork loin).  Make sure you have some fruit preserves in your fridge.  I used a cookie scoop to drop the dough onto the pan.  I also used my finger to make the well for the fruit.  I sprayed Pam onto a paper towel and would dab my finger in it before spreading the dough.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine or butter (softened)

2 TBSP sugar

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup any flavor preserves

Mix margarine/butter, sugar and Bisquick until crumbly.

Stir in milk until dough forms, beat 15 strokes.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2” apart onto lightly greased cookie sheet.

Make a shallow well in center of each with the back of a spoon (I used my greased finger).

Fill the well with 1 teaspoon of preserves.

Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Mix up glaze while baking and then while warm, drizzle with glaze and enjoy!

Glaze ingredients:

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 TBSP warm water (I used milk from fridge)

1/4 tsp vanilla

Beat together the glaze ingredients until smooth. (I put the glaze in a small plastic bag, snip the corner off and then drizzle.)

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

 I’ve been making this version of a French toast casserole for many years.  I added blueberries….because I add blueberries to everything I can.  It is always well received.

Ingredients

1 loaf French bread (13-16 oz) torn or cut into small pieces

8 large eggs

1-1/2 cups half and half

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Dash salt

2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen which have been thawed and drained.

1/2-1 cup pecan pieces (optional)

Spray or butter a 9x13 baking dish.  In a large bowl combine the eggs, half and half, milk, maple syrup, sugar cinnamon, vanilla and salt.  Mix well with a whisk or rotary beater, but don’t let it get too bubbly.  Pour mixture over the bread slices.  Push bread down into liquid to be sure everything is wet.  Mix together another Tbsp of sugar and a tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle on top.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  The next morning preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Uncover pan, sprinkle blueberries (and pecans if desired) on top.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Should be puffed and golden.  Serve with additional syrup if desired.

ALTERNATE TOPPING:

If you don’t want to go the blueberry route, you can use this praline topping. 

Praline Topping

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks) softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well.  With fingers, spread on top of casserole prior to baking.

Maple-Bacon Breakfast Cookies

Last weekend I opened up the newest Our Iowa Magazine, flipped through, read some articles and came up on the following recipe in the small recipe section that each magazine contains.  This recipe immediately sparked my interest.  It had many things in it that sounded delicious, yet not terribly bad for you.  "A hearty breakfast in the form of a portable snack", as shared by the submitter who happens to be a pediatric surgeon.

I made these on Saturday night so that I could take them to our "after the Especially for You 5K race" brunch at my in-laws.  They were quite tasty and very well received.  The recipe was moved into my favorite recipe's binder!

Maple-Bacon Breakfast Cookies

 (from Our Iowa Magazine Oct/Nov 2011 - Stephanie Kapfer, VA)

Ingredients

1 cup butter (can substitute a 50/50 butter blend such as Smart Balance)

1 ½ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

½ cup pure maple syrup

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups quick-cooking oats

½ cup crumbled cooked thick-sliced bacon

½ cup chopped pecans

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and syrup; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in the oats, bacon and pecans until well blended.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto nonstick cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 14-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to brown paper or wire racks to cool.  Makes about 5 dozen.

To make about 2 dozen jumbo cookies: Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls and bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Honey Fruit Salad

Is this not the prettiest bowl of fruit you've ever seen?  Absolutely appetizing!  The dressing is not overpowering but the subtle honey sauce makes it an especially sweet treat!  It only takes about 10 minutes to assemble, so if you have your fruits ready to go you can put it together in no time!

Honey Fruit Salad (Taste of Home, Simple &Delicious Cookbook)


2 medium bananas, chopped
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups fresh raspberries  (I used blackberries)

2 cups sliced strawberries
5 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp poppy seeds


In a large bowl, combine the bananas and berries.  In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and poppy seeds.  Pour over fruit and toss to coat.  Yield: 8 servings


Fruit options:  depending on the time of year you can change out the fruit - you could use mangoes, peaches or blackberries.

Pumpkin Chia-Seed Muffins

I read an article about Chia Seeds and decided to find a recipe that I could use them in.  Since muffins are one of my specialties and since pumpkin is one of my favorite ingredients, this particular recipe caught my eye.  It is unbelievably moist and very tasty.  But before I share this recipe I want to share some information about Chia seeds.  ( http://www.nutsonline.com/cookingbaking/chia-seeds/premium-new2.html )

7 Good Reasons To Start Eating Chia Seeds


1. Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.

2. Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.

3. Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.

4. Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.

5. Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!

6. Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.

7. They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.

Pumpkin Chia-Seed Muffins (from Hy-Vee Healthy Bites)

Ingredients
1 tbsp chia seeds, ground
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine ground chia seeds, flours, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, syrup and vanilla.  Stir pumpkin mixture into chia-seed mixture until combined; stir in nuts.

Spoon batter into paper-lined or greased muffin tins.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.  Remove and place on wire rack to cool.

Nutrition per serving:  200 calories, 32 g carbo., 5 g protein, 6 g fat, 1 g sat. fat, 3 g fiber, 35 mg cholo., 330 mg sodium

Pistachio Nut Bread

I cannot believe I haven't blogged about pistachio bread!  This is one of our family all-time favorites!  It is super moist and delicious.  The pretty green color makes it especially popular at our annual St Patrick's Day festivities.  My mom made it many times over the years to the delight of her 7 children and many grandchildren. When I make it now I try to always make a loaf to send to my niece Angie that lives in Chicago.  I'll send it with her mom (my sister Patty) or try to put a loaf in Angie's hands when she visits.  It is just a nice reminder of "grandma".

Pistachio Nut Bread


Cake ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
1 (4 oz) pkg pistachio pudding
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil


Topping ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts, chopped fine


Instructions
Mix dry cake mix and pudding mix together.  Add sour cream, almond extract, eggs and oil.  Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pour half the batter into 2 lightly greased bread pans (4-1/2" X 6-1/2" X 2-1/2").


Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle half of the topping onto the batter in the two pans.  Top with remaining batter.  Sprinkle with remaining topping mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until it tests done.

Ready to go in the oven!

Ready to eat!  Delicious!!!

Apple Bread (healthier version)

I was given a bunch of apples from my boss at work last week.  The apples were NOT pretty - big green spotty apples.  But the way they looked didn't matter.  I knew from past experience that these were great baking apples.  So my task at hand was to find a new apple bread recipe that wouldn't be so bad for us.  In my Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Annual Recipes 2010, I found just what I was looking for.  But of course, I had to tweek it a little bit!  The end result was delicious.  Not too sweet, but very tasty.

Apple Bread (healthier version)


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (original recipe called for 3 cups white - I substituted 1 of the cups for wheat)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar (original recipe called for 1-1/2 cups sugar - I substituted 1/2 cup for brown sugar)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups chopped peeled tart apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans, but walnuts would be good too)


Topping (the recipe called for this topping but I opted to NOT use it - instead I put the nuts in my bread)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1/3 cup cold butter


Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, applesauce, oil and vanilla.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in apples and nuts.  Transfer to two 8-in x 4-in loaf pans coated with cooking spray.


If using the topping, combine the flour, sugar and nuts; cut in butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle over batter.


Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

My Baking Screw-up

Have you ever wondered what sweet bread would be like without the "sweet"?  I can't say that I ever wondered, but I thought I'd share my goof-up.  I had made my first batch and it turned out beautifully.  The picture above was from that first batch.  I had more apples so I made a second batch.  Well, it did not do as well.  Before I ever put it in the oven, I knew it didn't look right but I put it in the oven anyways.  I took it out later and what a disappointment!  Here is the comparison:

In case you can't tell, the one on the right looked bad and because I felt compelled to find out if it could be salvaged - I tasted it.  YUCK!  I went over the recipe in my mind trying to figure out what I left out and suddenly I realized it was the sugar.  Well, those two loaves went into the trash.  What a waste!  But live and learn!

The moral to the story....don't forget the sugar!!!

Sausage Egg Bake

I've been making egg casseroles for years.  I've tried more recipes then I can count.  But this recipe has brought my searching to the end - everyone loves it!  I really like the way everything is layered.  Hashbrowns are placed on the bottom.  Then half the cheese sprinkled over the potatoes.  The meats and veggies are then placed on top of the cheese.  Other veggies or even mushrooms could be added at this point also.  Eggs are poured over everything with another sprinkle of cheese on top.  Very easy and very tasty!

Sausage Egg Bake


Ingredients
1 lb pork sausage
1/2 lb bacon
3 cups frozen hashbrowns
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
12 eggs
2 cups milk


Directions
Cook and drain sausage and bacon.  Place hashbrowns on bottom of a 9X13 baking dish.  Sprinkle on half of the cheese.  Add sausage, crushed bacon, chopped green pepper, and onion.  Beat eggs and milk.  Pour over casserole.  Sprinkle remainder of cheese over top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Hashbrowns are on the bottom with cheese, sausage, bacon, 

green peppers and onion sprinkled on top.

The egg and milk mixture is poured over the casserole.

The remainder of the cheese is sprinkled on top.  It is now ready to bake!

Zucchini Bread (healthier version)

 
One of the guys at work brought in a bunch of very large zucchinis to share with everyone.  Looking at it I knew that this would not make just one loaf - but many!  I did not peel the zucchini, I just cut it up into chunks, cut the seeds out and then put it through the food processor to shred it up.  I got 6 cups of shredded zucchini out of it. Since the recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded zucchini (to make 2 loaves) I ended up with 6 loaves of bread!!!

The recipe I used was from my newest Healthy Cooking magazine (Aug/Sep 2010) - it was called Makeover Zucchini Bread.  The recipe reduced the oil to only 1/3 cup and replaced it with applesauce.  I made a couple of my own substitutions - instead of 1-1/2 cups of sugar I changed it to 1 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  I also changed the 3 cups of white flour to 2 cups of white and 1 cup of whole wheat. The nutritional info is based on the original recipe.  I don't think my changes will make any significant difference to it.

Zucchini Bread (healthier version)


Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups shredded zucchini
3/4 cup chopped walnuts


Directions
In a large bowl, beat the sugars, applesauce, eggs, oil and vanilla until well blended.  Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended.  Stir in zucchini and walnuts.


Transfer to two 8-in X 4-in loaf pans coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.


Yield:  2 loaves (12 slices each)


Nutritional info: 1 slice equals 168 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 18 mg cholesterol, 165 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein. 
Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch 1 fat

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

Get the cup of coffee ready, the bread is ready to eat!

I'm constantly looking for healthier versions of my favorite things to eat. I have been making banana bread for years using my grandmothers recipe. But when I found this recipe which swaps honey for sugar and whole wheat flour for white...PLUS it tastes great....I knew I had found a winner. I have now made this recipe more times then I can count. If I have bananas browning on my counter (which is a regular occurrence) there is banana bread in the offing.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread (from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
1/3 cup canola oil
½ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
¼ cup hot water
½ cup chopped nuts

In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9X5 loaf pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for ½ hour before slicing.
FYI - I frequently put in more then "1 cup" of mashed bananas. More is better...right???

Mix the honey and oil together.

The bananas are mashed before mixing into batter.

Pour the batter into a 9X5 pan.

The bread should be nicely browned and firm to the touch.

I love bananas and this has become my "go to" recipe when I have browned bananas on my counter. If you love banana bread and are willing to try a "healthier" version I think this will fill the bill! Try it...you'll like it!

Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits

This past week we had our monthly potluck at work. Since hubby and I work together we have a period of months that we have to take 2 items. This month I was responsible for the breakfast and hubby was responsible for the entree. I didn't get any pics of the meatloaf that I made but I'm going to share that recipe also because it is very much a winner! I made two things for our breakfast, one sweet and one savory. Both were super easy, new recipes that I got out of Taste of Home's 5-Ingredient Cookbook. The first one that I'm going to share is the Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits. If you didn't want to spend alot of money but wanted to take something that will go over big - - this would be the ticket! This recipe definitely goes into the "keeper" recipe file!

Cinnamon Fruit Biscuits
(from Taste of Home's 5-Ingredient Cookbook)

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ground cinnamon
1 tube (12 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits
1/4 cup butter, melted
10 tsp strawberry preserves

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Dip top and sides of biscuits in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Place on ungreased baking sheets. With the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a deep indentation in the center of each biscuit; fill with 1 teaspoon of preserves.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving (preserves will be hot). Yield: 10 servings

This is a picture of the biscuits before they went into the oven. Instead of using a wooden spoon handle I used the following kitchen tool. It made the indentation larger. (I used the smaller of the two ends.)

Here is a pic after they came out of the oven. They look like little kolaches don't they? But they definitely don't taste like kolaches. Much sweeter due to the sugar cinnamon coating. Feel free to change up the preserves based on personal taste.

These went over very well. I quadrupled the recipe so the guys at work could have a couple apiece. They taste best the first day, but are still eatable on the day after!

Cheese and Sausage Muffins

Personally, I don't each cheese so I can't even say that I tried these. But everyone that did said they were good. It probably would add to the flavor to add some grated cheddar cheese just to add to the cheesey taste. This recipe came together very quickly once you have the sausage cooked up. Mine weren't served warm because I made them the night before, but I'm sure they would be at their peak taste if served right out of the oven.

Cheese and Sausage Muffins
(Taste of Home's 5-Ingredient Cookbook)

1 pound bulk hot pork sausage
1 can (10-3/4 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1/2 cup milk
2 to 3 tsp rubbed sage
3 cups biscuit/baking mix

PLUS (my addition) - 1/2 to 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese

In a skilled over medium heat, cook sausage until no longer pink; drain. In a bowl, combine soup, milk, sage and sausage. Stir in the biscuit mix just until moistened.

Fill greased miniature or regular muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 4 dozen mini-muffins or 2 dozen regular muffins.

Fruity Baked Oatmeal

I came across this recipe in the following cookbook in November of 2008 and have made it many times ever since. It is one of those recipes that you can change it up very easily with different fruits. It is great warmed up or room temperature. We eat it as a breakfast "on the go" type of meal. Definitely one of our family favorites. I like to mix everything up and put it in the fridge over night and bake it in the morning, so it is warm. This recipe will be used by our family for years to come!

Here is a picture of the cookbook I got it out of. It has become one of my favorites. It has many recipes that I've already made and liked and many more that I'm itching to get started on!

Fruity Baked Oatmeal
source: Taste of Home, simple & delicious cookbook
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped peeled tart apple
1/3c cup fresh or frozen peaches
1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Additional milk, optional

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Combine the eggs, milk and butter; add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the apple, peaches and blueberries.
Pour into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares. Serve with milk if desired. Yield: 9 servings
Editor's note: If using frozen blueberries, do not thaw before adding to batter
My comments: I have added dried cranberries, mashed bananas, chopped nuts, and applesauce (instead of apples). You really have lots of room for variation. You should have approximately 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 cup of add-ins, regardless of what they are.

Blueberry Oat Bars

If you are looking for an alternative to the store bought breakfast bars this is the recipe for you. When you make it yourself you know exactly what you are getting. This bar recipe is one that has great taste and is nutritious. I've made it many, many times and it has become a family favorite!

Blueberry Oat Bars
Source: Hy-Vee Test Kitchen (Hy-Vee.com)

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked quick oats

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 cup sliced almonds

9 Tbsp wheat germ

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbsp Spenda brown sugar blend for baking

2 Tbsp salted butter

2 tsp vanilla

1 (4 oz) package of dried blueberries

Combine the oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds and wheat germ on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oats and almonds are light brown.

Meanwhile, combine the honey, Splenda brown sugar blend, butter and vanilla in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted. Stir in oat mixture and blueberries. Press mixture firmlly into an 8X8 inch baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes. Allow bars to cook before removing from pan. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Serves 15 (1 bar each)

Nutrition information (per serving): Calories: 210; Carbs: 29 g; Cholestrol: 5 mg; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Fat: 8 g; Protein: 6 g; Sat Fat: 1.5 g; Sodum: 15 mg; Sugar: 15 g; Trans Fat: 0 g

My comments:
This is another recipe that you can easily change up by using a variety of dried fruits, cranberries, cherries, you name it! Just do not use any frozen berries! I did it once and it added to much moisture to the bars - they did not hold a shape at all. In fact you practically had to eat them with a spoon they were so crumbly. Tasty...but crumbly!

This picture is the toasting of the oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds and wheat germ.

This picture is of the honey, brown sugar, butter and vanilla being heated in the saucepan.

Enjoy!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

A few years ago I found this recipe for fruit salsa and chips. I will admit that there is a little bit of work involved, but it is soooo worth it! The mixture of fruits is just perfect and everyone who tries it falls in love! The chips are so good that they could be used in other sweet dips. I could see them used with a chocolate chip cheese ball. (I’ll share that another time!) The chips themselves are pretty easy and if you have some tortillas sitting around, needing to be used this would be the perfect recipe. You could probably even use some sort of savory spices and just eat them by themselves. (Sounds like I may need to do some experimenting in the future…)

I had a party to go to, hosted by my good friend Jennifer. The party theme was, “Dippy Blondes”, and we were to all bring a dip to share. Now I’m not blonde, and I’m certainly not “dippy”, but I loved the idea of a themed party bringing a bunch of gals together, to do two of my favorite things: eat and talk! We had a ton of fun and I won’t be surprised if Jennifer finds other interesting themes to bring us together again in the near future! This fruit salsa and chips recipe was my contribution to the party and it was very well received!

Here are some pictures taken while making this recipe. First up was cutting up the fruits, which is really the time intensive part of this whole process. The recipe didn’t say to cut up the strawberries, but I did – into small pieces. And the raspberries I sorta smashed.

Next, mix in the sugars and fruit preserves…and you are done. It just needs to chill!

On to the chips. I used whole wheat tortillas in this recipe. I cut them up into wedges using a pizza cutter and then sprayed them with the butter flavored cooking spray. Then you sprinkle them with the cinnamon /sugar mixture and spray them again. (I do NOT use 2 cups worth like the recipe calls for.)

Put them on a baking sheet (I like to use the pizza pan so they get crispy on both sides) and bake.

After baking them and allowing them to cool completely, you can store them in a plastic ziploc bag or container. They'll stay fresh for several days!


Here is the recipe:

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips
From Allrecipes.com – named for Annie

Ingredients
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious applies – peeled, cored and diced
8 oz raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) four tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar ( I never use this much)

Directions
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray. Cut into wedges (a pizza cutter works great) and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with additional tortilla wedges till all have been baked. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit and spice mixture.

Refrigerator Kolaches

(from top right going clockwise: apricot, poppyseed, strawberry, blueberry, cherry and prune)

Kolaches were my first attempt at working with yeast. When my Mother passed away in 2003, it occurred to me that there would be no one left in our family to make kolaches. I wasn't particularly worried about the recipe because I made it a personal mission to find one that would work for me. It was more important that the actual "act" of making kolaches lived on. Well, I tried several different recipes but because of my schedule, I didn't have hours upon hours to make them from start to finish. I happened upon the following recipe which allowed me to make my dough the night before and let them raise overnight in the fridge. The next day I could scoop, raise, fill and bake. This was perfect for me. I've made them MANY times! My hubby says they taste great even a couple days after being baked. So that he can enjoy them over a period of time, I normally will bag them up, with a couple of them in each sandwich bag, put them into a freezer bag and then pull them out as desired for breakfast.

Refrigerator Kolaches
From “Recipes from the Heart" – Salem United Methodist Church, C.R., IA – Pat C.

Ingredients
1 cup warm water (105 – 115 deg)
3 pkgs dry yeast (3 tbsp bulk)
2 eggs (well beaten)
1 cup sugar
½ cup Crisco (melted)
2 tsp salt
7-8 cups flour
1 cup mashed potatoes (nothing added)
1 cup potato water

Directions
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix sugar, eggs, Crisco and salt. Add yeast and 4 cups flour. Beat in potatoes and potato water. Beat for 5 minutes. Work in the rest of the flour; knead well and placed in a well-greased bowl. Brush top with melted butter and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, shape the dough in walnut size balls and place on a well greased baking sheet to rise. After double in size, flatten in the center and fill with your favorite filling and let rise again. Bake at 400 deg until brown, 18-20 minutes.

My comments:
1) If I don’t have mashed potatoes handy I’ve used instant potatoes with good results.
2) I’ve used evaporated milk for the potato water.
3) Make sure the warm water is NOT too hot. If it is you will kill the yeast and have to start over.
4) This dough is equally good for cinnamon rolls!

5) Don't use airbake pans with these. They don't brown on the bottom.

6) Using a medium scoop I get 5-6 dozen kolaches per batch.

7) Here is how many I get from each can of fruit: apricot (19), strawberry pie filling (22), poppyseed (19), cherry pie filling (26), blueberry pie filling (30), prune (17).

8) If using pie filling - I always strain the "goo" out of the fruit. You can then add back in what you need to get it to the desired consistency.

My shortcuts
1) Use your electric mixer with the bread hook to do the work. I’ve used my Kitchen Aid mixer ever since I started making these 6 years ago!
2) Use your cookie scoop for scooping the dough. The size is uniform and it is much quicker then rolling each one in your hands.

This is the way the dough looks the night before. You cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge. The below picture is what it looks like in the a.m.!

I then use a medium cookie scoop to form the balls. I have three sizes which I've gotten from Pampered Chef. For your info the large scoop is equal to 3 TBSP, the medium scoop is equal to 2 TBSP and the small scoop is equal to 1 TBSP.

Be sure to place the dough on a well greased pan with adequate room between each. They are going to double in size.

This picture shows the before and after of the risen dough balls.

Scoop all your dough balls onto your pans. Normally by the time you have the last ones scooped the first pans will be adequately raised that you can start filling them.

Get all your fillings ready. In this instance I made a double batch which is why I have so many filings laid out. To save money you can use pie filling but you'll have to chop it down with a food processor or food chopper so the fruit will go further.

One pan at a time, start forming your kolaches and add the filling. Once again, by the time you get done with the last pan the first pan should be ready to go into the oven.

Make sure you watch these carefully. The longer I bake the shorter my baking time. Also, different types of pans bake differently.

Alot of kolache bakers brush butter on the dough after they come out of the oven. They also like to put a sugar/flour crumble mixture on top. Both of these make the kolaches look "pretty" but in my book the extra calories aren't "worth wearing"! They taste just great "as is".