Fantastic Fudge Brownies

I'm baking up a storm for my girlfriend's Bachelorette Pre-Party this coming weekend. I need to make things that will freeze well because I cannot make all of it the day of. These brownies freeze really well in between layers of waxed paper. Be careful not to over bake.

Fantastic Fudge Brownies
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 heaping Tbsp cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 tsp vanilla


Cream butter and sugar together. Add cocoa and mix. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add flour and mix well.
Fold in walnuts.
Pour into greased (or lined with parchment) 9x13 pan.
Bake in 350 degrees oven for 40 minutes.

Icing:
2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp cocoa
2 Tbsp boiling water
2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a mixer. You may wish to sift the icing sugar.
Spread icing immediately on hot brownies.

Snack: The Fastest Oatmeal Squares in History!

Use an 8 inch square baking dish.

Melt 1/2 cup margarine in the microwave in 8 inch dish.
Add 1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract.
Add 1/2 cup packed brown sugar.
Mix well to combine.
Add 2 cups rolled oat (not instant).
Mix well and press down.
Cook on high for approximately 4 minutes.
Cool slightly and cut.

Ok, how was that for 5 minute squares?
AWESOME!
Makes a great treat for the lunch box.

Royal Icing Recipe

This recipe was sent to me from my blogging friend Kerry from Cards by Kerry. Thank you so much Kerry because I just love this recipe! The icing actually tastes yummy (unlike some sugar cookie icing, I find) and it hardens perfectly. It is also easy to work with!

Here are some photos on Kerry's blog of her sugar cookies with royal icing.

Royal Icing
2&1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp water (try milk next time)
1 tbsp butter, softened
1 tbsp light corn syrup
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract

Combine sugar, water, butter, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl. Mix until sugar is moistened.
Beat at medium speed until smooth adding more water if needed.
Tint with colour if desired.

Note: dries hard so cookies can be stacked

MTM's Sugar Cookie Recipe

After trying out many, many different sugar cookie recipes. I have finally found the one that I will be using from now on and I have made it my own!

I have learned a few things about making sugar cookies. Let me share my tips:

Place dough in between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out and place in fridge for at least an hour before cutting out cookies

Place cut out cookies on baking sheet and place back in the fridge for 10 minutes before cooking in order to keep the best shape

Keep cooked cookies on the pan for 3 minutes prior to removing them to a cooling rack

Use icing sugar instead of flour for rolling surface (if the parchment doesn't work for you)

MTM's Sugar Cookie Recipe

1 cup unsalted butter (you can use salted butter and omit the salt)
1.5 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla (can use almond or a mix)
3.5 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Sugar Cookies:
In electric mixer, beat 1 cup unsalted butter (room temp) and 1.5 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla - Beat until combined. Add 3.5 cups flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. baking powder until smooth. Divide dough in half and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough to desired thickness - store in fridge 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. - Put cookies back into fridge for 10-15 minutes to prevent spreading. Bake cookies for 10 minutes or so (depends on size of cookie). Keep on pan for 3 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

Great Pumpkin Recipes

I call my Mom a "Pumpkin Snob". She will only make and/or eat pumpkin recipes that contain "real" pureed pumpkin.

Although I agree with her that "real" pumpkin tastes much different than canned pumpkin, I don't mind cooking with canned. However, seeing as though pumpkins are in season right now, I have baked quite a bit of my own fresh pumpkin and I have frozen it in 1/2 cup portions to use in all of my baking.

Here is how I cook my pumpkin:
Place small pie pumpkin in microwave (after washing it well). Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes (depending on size) in order to soften it so that it is easy to cut.

Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds and "guck". Cut off stem.

Place in roasting pan of 9x13 pan rind side down. Fill with about 1/2 cup of water and cover tightly with foil.

Bake at 325 for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until knife slides in easily.

Cool and transfer to blender with a bit of water to puree.


Tammy at Tammy's Recipes posts "In Season Recipe Swaps" and she has some lovely sounding pumpkin recipes for this fall. Her site is a must to check out.

MTM's Thanksgiving Contribution: Carrots L'Orange

I LOVE this recipe. It's so fast, easy and delish!

Carrots L'Orange adapted from Winners: The Best of Bridge p. 153

1-2 bags of carrots, sliced
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup butter (this is what makes the sauce "creamy")

Cook carrots.

In a separate pot, combine sauce ingredients. Use a whisk and stir constantly until thickened. Boil for a minute or so. Stir in butter until melted and pour over drained carrots. You can chop some fresh parsley to go on top.

What's Baking? MTM's Banana Bread

MTM's Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 large bananas, mashed
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
handful chocolate chips, nuts or raisins (optional)

Directions:
Beat butter until light an fluffy.
Add sugars and beat well.
Add egg, egg whites, vanilla and beat until well blended.
Add mashed banana and beat on high speed for 30 seconds.
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, ending with flour mixture.
Add extras (chocolate chips etc.) and mix well.
Pour batter into bottom greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F until browned and toothpick comes out clean, approximately 1 hour.
Cool bread in pan on a wire rack.
To keep fresh, wrap in saran wrap when cooled and store in an airtight container.





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What's For Dinner? Homemade Pizza

MTM's Favourite Pizza Dough Recipe

Pizza Crust:

1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour

Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the water. Add the rest of the ingredients in and mix.
Dump onto a floured surface .
Knead into a smooth dough (five minutes or so).
Roll out and press down onto a greased pizza pan.
Add toppings.
Bake at 450 degrees F. for around 12-15 minutes until the crust looks crispy and lightly browned.





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What's Baking? Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

Chocolate Zucchini Loaf

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups shredded, unpeeled zucchini
2, 1oz squqres unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 to 1 cup raisins or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs well. Gradually stir in sugar, then oil and vanilla.

Stir in zucchini (I like to use my Cuisinart to shred the zucchini in 2 seconds) and melted chocolate.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together.

Stir into batter with nuts or raisins.

Pour batter into two greased loaf pans.

Bake 45 minutes.

Cool in pans 10 minutes and then cool on wire racks.

These freeze really well for when company is coming over last minute.




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What's For Dinner? Buttermilk Biscuits

We do love biscuits in our house! A warm, homemade biscuit is a welcomed addition to any meal ;)

I have sampled many recipes for biscuits and the one I am about to share with you is our absolute favourite!

It is from Martha herself, but unfortunately, she doesn't have a link to it on her website.


Buttermilk Biscuits
4 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into bits
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Note: I actually use salted butter and omit the added salt and the recipe works just fine for me.

Preheat oven to 450 F (I found that 425F was better for our oven).
In a food processor (you can use a pastry blender instead), pulse dry ingredients to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture is the texture of course meal, with a few pea sized pieces of butter remaining.
Add buttermilk and pulse just until dough is moistened (2-3 times).

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead just to combine. Roll out to 3/4 inch thickness and cut using 2 1/2 inch round biscuit cutter.

Transfer to a baking sheet. You can brush biscuits with melted butter if you like.

Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden, 12-15 minutes (I found 10 minutes worked best).

Serve warm or at room temperature.

You can freeze these biscuits by cutting them out and placing them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Flash freeze in freezer and transfer to a zip lock bag.

To cook from frozen, place dough on a baking sheet and bake at 450F for 20-25 minutes.





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