Pear, Brie, and Fig Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1/2 wheel brie cheese

1 firm pear, cored and chopped (peeled if desired)

6-8 dried figs (I used mission figs bought in the produce section), chopped with scissors

2 flour tortillas

Directions: 

Place thin slices of brie cheese (leave rind on if desired) on 1 half of flour tortilla. Top with pear and fig pieces. Cover with additional thin brie cheese. Fold tortilla over and place in a frying pan at medium-low heat, cover and cook on one side until golden. Flip carefully and then cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut into wedges and serve. 

Restaurant Hotcakes

After years of feeding my family pancakes from a bought mix, I tried this homemade pancake recipe and have never looked back.  I also didn't realize how bad the other ones were until we tried these!  Another great recipe from my friend Claudette.  ;)

• 5 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups milk
• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup oil
• 1/3 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs and milk together.  Add dry ingredients.  Add oil and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Keeps several days in the fridge.  Half recipes can be done using 3 eggs.  (And yes, it's a BIG recipe!).

Copy Cat "Tall Grass Prairie" Cinnamon Buns

Buns:

5 cups warm water

1/2 cup brown sugar

9 tsp yeast

3/4 cup oil

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

8 cups white flour

In a large bowl, add water, yeast, and brown sugar and let sit for 10 minutes. Add oil, salt, and eggs and mix well. Add flour, a small amount at a time and mix into a smooth dough. Set aside and let rise for 1 hour. Divide into 2 pieces and roll each piece into a large dough rectangle.

Filling

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

2 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp flour

margarine (for spreading)

Mix brown sugar and spices together and then blend in flour. Spread a thin layer of margarine onto your large dough rectangles and sprinkle half the filling mix on top of each rectangle. Roll up and cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces.

Glaze:

Mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar and 3/4 cup margarine. (Double this amount for ooey gooey buns) Spread glaze evenly on to your baking pan and then put cinnamon buns on top of the glaze to bake. Leave space in between for buns to rise slightly for a half hour or so. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-25 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately flip buns onto a pan of equal or larger size so that the glazed side is up. Serve warm for an extra treat.

**This recipe makes a HUGE batch!! You may want to cut the recipe in half or make the whole recipe and bless someone with the extras.**

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Mmm....nothing like baking with pumpkin in fall. So yummy!

For the Filling:

- 8 oz cream cheese, softened

- 1 cup icing sugar

For the Muffins:

- 3 cups flour

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- 1 tsp nutmeg

- 1 tsp ground cloves*

- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 4 large eggs

- 2 cups sugar

- 2 cups pumpkin puree

- 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

For the Topping**:

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 5 tbsp flour

- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

- 4 tbsp cold butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and icing sugar and mix until well blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log and reinforce with a piece of tinfoil. Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins preheat the oven to 350. Combine flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. With electric mixer combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil until just blended. Then add dry ingredients. Mixing until just incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Put into fridge until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons). Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces. Place a slice of cream cheese mixture into each muffin well. Divide remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of cream cheese to cover completely. Sprinkle a small amount of topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack for cooling. Be sure to allow the muffins to cool completely before serving. The filling will be very hot!

These taste even better the next day if you can resist them.

* I used Epicure's Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of the cloves, as I didn't have any on hand.

** Topping amount is generous. Half of the amount would be plenty.

Raspberry Bread

Another great recipe from my friend Julie. Yay for raspberry season!
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups raspberries (fresh or thawed)
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts*
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs until light and foamy. Add oil, sugar, raspberries and vanilla. Mix lightly but well. Sift together and then add flour, salt, soda, cinnamon and baking powder. Add nuts and mix gently. Pour into two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour.

*Walnuts optional
** Glazing the loaves with icing makes it extra tasty!

Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette Roll

Looking for something different to use up some ham, I came across this recipe. A quicker way to make omelettes for a family. Instead of standing at the stove making multiple omelettes, it's baked in the oven. Super simple, super delicious. Even my four year old gobbled this up.

• 6 eggs


• 1 cup milk


• 1/2 cup flour


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/4 tsp pepper


• 1 cup cooked ham or 9 slices of deli ham


• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Beat eggs and milk until fluffy. Add flour, salt and pepper and beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until eggs are just about set (keep an eye on them at the six minute mark - depending on your oven they could set fast!) Sprinkle with chopped ham or lay slices of deli ham over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted. Starting at the short side, roll up omelette while still in the pan. Place seam side down on serving dish. Cut into slices.

* I halved this recipe and baked it in a 9x9 pan, which suits my family of four perfectly.

** I added fresh chives from my flower bed, which added a nice flavor. Bacon, mushrooms, peppers, sausage, etc...would be also be a great addition.

Saskatoon Berry Muffins

Scrumtpious!

• 3/4 cup margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup buttermilk (or sour milk)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups sasktoon berries

Combine softened margarine, sugar and flour. Remove 1/2 cup of crumbs to be used later for topping. Add buttermilk, egg and baking soda. Mix well. Gently stir in sasktoon berries. Fill muffins tins and then add crumb topping. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Makes 1 dozen large muffins.

Lemon Loaf

So easy. So delicious!

• 1 package lemon cake mix
• 1 package lemon jello powder
• 3/4 cup salad oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup boiling water

Make up the jelly powder with one cup boiling water. Cool. Add cool jelly and oil to cake mix. Mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Fold into 2 loaf pans.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Glaze: 1 cup icing sugar with 2-3 tbsp lemon juice. Variation: use vanilla in place of the lemon juice.

Biscuit Mix

I wish I'd come across this recipe when I was putting stuff in the freezer while pregnant with my now almost 4 month old son. You make the mix, store it in the fridge or freezer and just add milk when you want to bake them. I love things you can make ahead of time and that are this delicious!

• 2 cups margarine
• 9 cups flour
• 1 tbsp salt
• 4 tbsp baking powder

Sift together dry ingredients and cut in margarine (like pie crust). This is the mix you store in the fridge (or freezer).

To bake:

• 3 cups of mix
• 3/4 cups milk

This can be thick and rolled out and cut into shapes.

or

• 3 cups mix
• 1 cup milk

This can be spooned into muffin tins. Makes 1 dozen biscuits. (Full recipe makes 4 dozen).

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Butterhorns

I've been treated to these a few times over the years, thanks to my friend Claudette. Always a treat!

• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp dry active yeast
• 6 cups flour
• 1 large egg, beaten

Scald milk in saucepan (if you do it in the microwave for about 3 minutes, there's no chance of it burning). Add next three ingredients. Stir to dissolve sugar and melt butter. Cool to lukewarm.

Stir second amount of sugar in warm water in small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.

Measure flour into large bowl. Make a well. Pour beaten egg into well. Add yeast mixture and milk mixture. Mix with spoon to moisten. Beat with spoon until mixed well. Cover with tea towel and let stand in a warm place (in oven with light on and door closed) for 1 hour. Gently stir down with spoon. Cover and let stand in warm place again for 30 minutes. Stir dough down.

Divide into 2 portions. Roll one portion on flour surface to 10 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut into 12 strips. Take each strip and roll slightly to smooth sides. Beginning with one end being the center, coil the rest of the strip around it. Pinch end to side of coil. Place two inches apart of baking sheet. Repeat with other portion of dough. Cover with tea towel and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Icing:

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter or margarine, softened
• 2 Tbsp milk or water
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together well, adding more icing sugar or milk for proper spreading consistency.

*It's recommended to double the icing recipe to have enough icing to do one recipe of butterhorns.

Ham and Cheese Tarts

These are so delicious!! A recipe I got from my friend Julie. Nice to serve for breakfast/brunch when you have company.

• 2 cups shredded cheese
• 2/3 cup chopped ham
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 1/3 cup sour cream*
• 18 unbaked tart shells

Mix filling ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake empty shells at 375 for 10 minutes. Fill. Bake another 10 minutes until hot and melted.

* I usually add a bit more sour cream

Good Waffles

I grew up eating these waffles. Absolutely delicious! I was thrilled to receive a waffle iron as a gift this Christmas, so I attempted my first ever waffles. Yum...

Good Waffles (Recipe from the Mennonite Treasury)

Sift together:

• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 1/2 tsp baking powder

Beat the yolks of 8 eggs well (saving whites) and add:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, sweet or sour may be used (if cream is not heavy use 1 cup)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup melted butter

Add the egg mixture to flour and beat well.

Sauce for Waffles:

• 1/2 cup waffle batter
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk

Beat this well. Bring to a boil, one quart of milk and gradually add the flour mixture. Bring to a boil and set aside. Now add the stiffly beaten eggs whites to the waffle batter and bake in waffle iron.

Yield: 10-12 waffles.

We enjoy waffles with strawberries. Ice cream, bananas, saskatoons or just about anything else also goes well with these.

Chocolate Banana Loaf

Something a little different to make with those bananas that are too ripe to eat. ;)

Chocolate Banana Loaf

Cream together:

• 1 cup margarine
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar

Add:

• 2 eggs
• 2 bananas (mashed)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Sift together:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cocoa

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (4 1/2 x 8 1/2).

Blend together and add:

• 1 cup boiling water

Divide between 2 loaf pans. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

I've often enjoyed these muffins, courtesy of my sister-in-law Jessica. She is an excellent baker. They are good plain or with cream cheese icing. The recipe is from the MacGregor Bergthaler Mennonite Church cookbook, submitted by Brenda B. My muffins always seem to flop, so I was thrilled that these turned out well for me too. :)

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

• 4 eggs


• 2 cups sugar


• 16 oz can pumpkin


• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil


• 3 cups flour


• 2 tsp baking soda


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 tsp salt


• 2 cups chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 16 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

*This recipe makes 4 dozen medium sized muffins.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda, mixed with 1 tsp hot water
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together and bake. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 20 minutes.