December 13, 2011: Oatmeal Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Here’s one more cookie recipe to get you all set for Christmas. This is one I got off the back of a package of blueberry flavored Craisins and modified a bit. These cookies combine all my favorite flavors in a very yummy cookie that would hold up nicely to shipping, if necessary.

Oatmeal Blueberry White Chocolate Cookies

2/3 cup butter flavored shortening

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)

1 ½ cups flour

1 t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 6-ounce package blueberry flavored Craisins

1 3.5-ounce bar white chocolate with blueberries

Cream together shortening and brown sugar. Beat in eggs. Mix together dry ingredients and blend into egg mixture. Break the chocolate bar into small pieces. Mix Craisins and white chocolate pieces into cookie dough.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

October 10, 2011: Pie Crust Recipe

Over the weekend I made a couple of different pies and of course I made the pie crusts for them from scratch. I’ve used several different recipes for crusts but found this one to be the best for support heavy fillings. It’s a bit denser than you might expect but it is easy to roll out and doesn’t tend to break apart so it’s a good recipe for the beginner pie maker.

Pie Crust

3 cups flour

1 t. salt

8 ounces butter flavored Crisco (half stick)

1 egg

1 T. sugar

1 t. vodka

Cold water

Combine flour and salt. Add shortening and cut into flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives, uncles mixture resembles coarse meal. The smaller the particles of shortening, the more tender your crust.

Combine egg, sugar, vinegar and enough cold water to make one cup of liquid. Pour over flour mixture. Mix with a fork just until combined. You may have to add more water to get the mixture to hold together; it will still be somewhat crumbly, however.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface. Turn a pie plate upside down over dough and trim edges to one inch larger than the rim of the pie plate. Fold dough in half and gently ease it into the pie plate. Use your fingers to crimp the edges.

Tip: If your recipe calls for blind baking, place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the crust. Add baking weights or dried beans and bake at 425 degrees for about 10 – 15 minutes. The parchment paper makes it easy to remove the weights when you take the crust out of the oven.

Makes enough for two 9” pie crusts.

October 4, 2011: Apple Bars Recipe

As I mentioned, October is National Apple Month and right now there are lots of varieties available at the grocery store. I’m doing my best to focus on the all the types of food that October is known for (cookies, pasta, desserts, bologna – in addition to apples) so let’s start with a simple recipe sure to please everyone in your family. These bars are a great after school snack or casual get-together fare.

Make sure you use a sweet apple for this recipe - I used gala apples. Since there's no sugar directly on the apple slices, a Granny Smith or other type of tart apple wouldn't work well.

Apple Bars

½ cup butter, softened (or butter flavored Crisco)

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 ½ cups granola cereal (any variety - your choice)

1 cup flour

½ t. baking powder

¼ t. salt

¾ t. pumpkin pie spice (or equal amounts cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger)

1 large or 2 small apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly (about 1 ½ cups)

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Mix together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture. Blend just until mixture is crumbly. Reserve one cup.

Press remaining dough into bottom of greased 8 x 8” square pan with your fingers. Top with apple slices. Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls evenly across top of the apple slices.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 9 – 12 bars 

Note: it’s easy to double the recipe to feed more people; just use a 13 x 9” pan.