You are here: Home / Cooking

Cheesecake Cookies

September 2, 2010 By Judy

Here’s another recipe that’s great for us empty nesters.  These are so good and definitely not hard to make.  I often make these when I need to send a finger food type dish. They’re very easy to freeze and then fix just what you need.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. butter, at room temp
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temp
3/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 T. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. finely shopped pecans
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

Directions:

Beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar.   Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla.  Stir in the flour until well combined.  Refrigerate while preparing the nut mixture.

Mix together the pecans and graham cracker crumbs with butter.  Pour half into an oblong dish or onto a piece of waxed paper.

Form a log with half of the cookie dough and roll it in the crust mixture.  Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.  Wrap separately in plastic wrap and freeze at least 30 minutes.  (I often make it the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight, then stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes before slicing.)  And, you can keep the logs in the fridge for several days before slicing and baking.

Slice dough into 1/4″ thick rounds and place on an ungreased baking sheet.  I use parchment paper to line the baking sheets.

Bake at 375º for 8 – 10 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

If you’re like us and don’t need 5 dozen cookies, here’s what I do.  I doubled the recipe!  Makes sense, huh?  :)

Divide into 9 or 10 balls and roll those into logs.  Wrap in plastic wrap.

Stick those in a freezer bag and label, freeze til needed.

When it’s time to bake them, take them out and let them come to room temp.  Mix up as much of the pecan/butter/graham cracker crust that you’ll need just for this batch.  Depending on how cold (and hard) your cookie log is, you may have to really mash the crumb mixture into the cookie dough.

Then re-wrap these logs, stick them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.  Take them out and slice into 1/4″ slices.

Now you can spread them on the cookie sheet and bake them.

Most of this batch went to work with Vince.  These few stayed home with us but there’s plenty more dough in the freezer.

Tagged Cookies, Cooking for Two Filed Under Cooking 8 Comments

Apple Pie Filling to Can

September 2, 2010 By Judy

The recipe I use is a pretty basic, “been around forever” recipe for canning apple pie filling.  You can use any recipe for canning apple pie filling and just put it into smaller jars.

Start with a firm, cooking type apple.  I used Granny Smith from a friend’s tree.  They haven’t been well cared for which means they’re kinda ugly but also means they haven’t been sprayed with any chemicals.

The recipe I use makes 7 quarts of pie filling, which will be about 28 half pints.  You know how I think . . 28 half pints means apple pie about twice a month for us.  I did the same thing with blueberry, cherry and peach pie filling.  If we need pie for four, I can simply use 2 half pint jars and make two different flavored pies or I can make a larger crust and make one medium pie that will serve 4.

For canning pie fillings,  you need Clear Jel®.  Do not use flour or cornstarch for canning pie filling!  I get mine from the Amish store.  I’m not sure if grocery stores have it but farm supply stores that carry canning supplies might have it.

You will need 6 quarts of peeled, sliced apples.  Fix a bowl of water/Fruit Fresh combination and as you peel and slice the apples, place them in the Fruit Fresh liquid to keep them from turning brown.  Once they’re all peeled and sliced, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute.  Remove them from the boiling water but keep them warm.

In addition to the 6 quarts of peeled, sliced apples,  you need:

5 cups granulated sugar (see note below)
1-1/2 cups Clear Jel®
1 T. ground cinnamon
3 cups cold water
4 cups unsweetened apple juice
3/4 cup bottled lemon juice
1-1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

Note:  If your apples are really sweet, you can use less sugar.  If you want really sweet pie, use a little more sugar.  We like our apple pie to be tart so the 5 cups of sugar usually works fine for us.  For the apples I canned last week, I did bump it up to 6 cups of sugar because the apples are pretty sour.

Combine Clear Jel®, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, water and apple juice in a large pot.  Stir constantly while heating til mixture thickens.  Add lemon juice and bring to a boil.  Boil for one  minute.  Stir in drained apples and keep on heat only until apples are hot, stirring the entire time to keep mixture from scorching.

Fill hot jars, leaving 1″ head space.  Run something non-metallic (I use a wooden shish kabob skewer), around inside the jar to release the air bubbles.  Wipe rims til they are completely clean.  This mixture, of course, is really sticky and not the easiest to get clean but the rims have to be completely clean!  Add lids and rings.  Process in water bath for 25 minutes.

Tagged Apple Pie Filling, Canning Filed Under Cooking 7 Comments

Apple Pie for Two

September 1, 2010 By Judy

The shelves are filling up with apple juice, apple sauce, apple butter and now apple pie filling.  With just the two of us most days, and with neither of us needing lots of dessert, the apple pie filling was put up in 1/2 pint jars.  Perfect size for us!  If I make a whole pie, we’ll keep eating it til it’s gone!

This can be done with any pie filling.  My preference for putting this up is in the little squatty half pint jars but try finding those around here this time of year.

When it’s time to serve them, there are several ways to fix them.  I can remove the lid and ring, sprinkle a crumb topping on and bake them right in the jar.  I can make a pie crust using half of my regular pie crust recipe and make two round cutouts, put half the pie filling onto each, fold it over, crimp the edges and fry it for a fried pie.

Or, what we did last night – make half a pie crust recipe.  Place a piece in each of two custard cups.

Open just one little jar and split it between the two cups.

Put another crust round on top and seal the edges.  Cut a little vent slit in the center.  Place in a dish because more than likely, they’ll leak.

Bake at 375º (or whatever temp you might already have the oven set on — just bake longer or shorter, depending on the temp) for about 35 – 40 minutes, til brown.  The pie filling is pretty much already done before baking because of the canning process.

Run a knife around between the crust and the edge of the cup and they should dump right out.

Add Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream.  Eat and then go do 500 sit ups (or get online and order larger jeans!)

Tagged Apple Pie Filed Under Cooking 26 Comments

They’re Back

August 19, 2010 By Judy

The other night when our electricity was out, the guys told me they’d be back.

A whole pack of ‘em!

Even though they’re working hard . .

They’ve all managed to talk to me and remind me that last time they were here, I made them brownies.  So . . I can take the hint.

I made a double batch (9 x 13 pan) of brownies.  They enjoyed them!

Then, one of them asked about the smoker on the front porch.

Hey buddy!  I’m glad you’re fixing my electricity but I draw then line when it comes to smoked brisket!  Don’t even plan on being out here at dinner time because I am NOT sharing this!

Have I said lately how much I love living here?  These guys are so friendly!  One of them remembers that I have a blog, another remembers that I quilt, another asked about the chickens.  Vince said “They’re not necessarily friendly . . . they’re just having to work on our lines too often!”  Or, maybe they just like my brownies and would love my brisket . .

Tagged Brisket, Brownies, Cookshack smoker, KCP&L Filed Under Cooking 18 Comments
« Older Posts