Bacon Jam (Ohhhh Mommy!)

Ohh my, try this, you won't be sorry you did!  Unless, you're on a diet.  BUT.  Pleeeaaaase don't let that stop ya'!  ;)

Two Summer Pies!

Summer is in full swing, and the 4th of July is coming up SOON.  As you know, I've been making blueberry stuff like crazy for the past couple of weeks.  Why?  I went blueberry picking!  And we picked quite allot of blueberries.  And I assure you, I had plain blueberries until I was almost sick of them.  ALMOST.  This first pie, this blueberry pie, I made the minute we got home from picking the blueberries.  And MAN, was it good!!

First, I tossed about 3 Tbs. sugar with 4-5 cups of blueberries.  plop in a pie crust.  You can also add some spice!

Dot with butter and lay the second pie crust on top.  Flute the pie edges in any fancy design.

Cut patterns in the middle to let the pie breath. ;)

Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350-375.

Do the same thing, except make it with blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries.

Put that into a pie crust........

And sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Dot that with butter.

Bake it and EAT it!!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

 Ohhhhhhh  Mawwwwww  GOODNESS!!!!!  I'm never going back to a regular peanut butter sandwich.  EVER.  I'll have to make this frosting and the  incredibly moist chocolate cupcake to go with it.  Oh, and by the way, I'm so sorry it's been so long.  I've been a bit backed up lately.  But any way, I can still make up by giving you one of the best cupcake recipes of all time, right??

Preheat oven to 350.

whisk together  1 3/4 cups cake flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Add 1/2 cup cocoa, 

And whisk to combined. 

cream 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar at high speed until well blended.  Add 2 egg yolks, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Reduce speed to low.

Add the flour mixture and 1 cup buttermilk alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beat just until combined.  Add 2 ounces melted unsweetened baking chocolate.

Beet 2 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peeks form, as we did in this post.  Then fold in the egg whites into the batter.  Scoop into muffin tins and bake for 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. 

For the Frosting:

• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup salted butter - softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter (more if you want a stronger peanut butter flavor)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 6 - 8 cups (approx. 1 ½ - 2 lb.) powdered sugar
• 6 - 8 tablespoons milk

 Cream together shortening and butter.  Add peanut butter and mix until combine.

Add the vanilla and mix until combine. (combined?  Combine?)

Add the powdered sugar and the milk.

Pipe the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and garnish with whatever you like!

Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

 I don't know about you, but I reeeeaaally like a hot biscuit in the morning.  ESPECIALLY when their home made.  I mean, come on.  Would you take one if someone offered?  Eeeeeeven if you're on one of you're  strictest diets?
Thought so.
This recipe makes like, 3 dozen biscuits, though, and with my older brother gone we had a bazillion left over.   Which, with no problem were perfect for this French Toast Casserole, if you ask me.

Preheat oven to 450.

First, plop in 4 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoons salt, 2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.  mix until it's combined.

Add 1/3 cup shortening and 1/3 cup cut up butter (5 1/2 Tbs.).

Cut them together with a pastry cutter or 2 knifes.

Add 1 1/4 cups buttermilk and lightly mix until it's combined.  The dough should be sticky.

Plop the dough onto a lightly floured surface.  Try to handle the dough as little as possible, if you do, the dough will become very tough.

Role it out 1/3-3/4 inch thick.  cut with a biscuit cutter and place on a baking sheet.  Bake for 11-14 minutes until golden brown.  

Help.

Enjoy!

Blackberry Pecan Waffles

I've had a bit of a Waffle crave lately, and apparently, so did my friend, Anna.  She spent the night at my house and knew I make breakfast, and knew I had a blog.  She beeeeeegged (not really, I just like to exaggerate.) me to make breakfast with her, and OF COURSE I said yes.  She said that her family usually makes waffles, or pancakes with blueberries, and crushed up pecans.  I went BERSERK when she told me that.  I went RIGHT away and started making them.  I HOPE you will toooooo.............

Anna grabbed about 1 cup of pecans and chopped them up pretty finally.

I went ahead and just made my Vanilla Cinnamon waffle recipe.

Then I grabbed about 1 cup of blackberries and cup them in half.

Cook them in a waffle maker and fry them until gooolden.  Stack them up hiiiiigh and make your self a challenge!  Thanks Anna for showing me this awesome recipe!

Enjoy!

Do-nuts

Okay, who the heck does not like a do-nut??  And how do you spell it?!  Do-nut?  Donut?  Doughnut?  I
have NO idea.  If you do, PLEASE tell me, okay?  Let's make a deal...  If I give you this incredibly mouth watering recipe, will you tell me how to spell it?  Deal?
 Deal.  Okay, now!  Off to Wonder Land!

Heat 1 1/8 cups whole milk until hot but not TO hot.  Turn off heat.

Pour in 1/4 cup sugar and mix until dissolved.

Sprinkle 1 packet of yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons) in a bowl.

Pour in the warm milk and sugar mixture.  Mix gently.

Walk away for about 10 minutes.  When you come back, it will look like this!

Put 1 1/4 sticks butter in a bowl.

Microwave until melted, making sure it's not to hot.

Then, beat 2 eggs.

Pour the eggs into the butter, and whisk to combined.

While beating the egg/butter mixture on medium-low speed, pour in the yeast mixture.

Measure 4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Add to the yeast/butter mixture1/4 cup at a time.  

Beet for 5 minutes on the dough attachment.  put in a lightly oiled bowl and toss to coat.  Cover with plastic rap and put in the fridge for at least 8 hours, or, like me, put it in over night.

Put the dough ball on a lightly floured surface.  

Role out 1/4 inch thick.

Cut them with what ever you want, I just used a cup and a cupcake filler.  But use what ever you want around the house!  Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

After a hour the doughnuts will look very light and fluffy, and VERY fragile.

With a candy thermometer, heat oil to about 375 f.  And LEESON, if you don't own a candy thermometer, DO NOT MAKE THESE DOUGHNUTS!  Really, with out one, your going to end up with doughnut disaster.  So, just run to your local store and get ya' one of these.  You'll be happy you did!  Dab the do-nuts on a paper towel before dipping them in the glaze:

• GLAZE
• 3 cups Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Cold Water Or Milk

1. Mix all glaze ingredients in a bowl until completely smooth.
2. One by one, dip doughnuts into the glaze until halfway submerged. (Note: completely submerge doughnut holes, then remove with slotted spoon.)
4. Remove from glaze, then turn right side up on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (to catch dripping glaze.)
5. Serve warm if possible, or room temperature.

Make filled ones too!  Fill them with jam, chocolate, or any other yummy stuff you have!

I just love the plain ones though, and it's okay if some of them are a little brown!

P.S.  If you have any other ideas of a variation of a doughnut, TELL ME!!

Enjoy!