Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is almost exactly like Dad's coffeecake he used to make on Christmas morning. It makes for a fun birthday breakfast. Next time I'm halving it for my family in a smaller pan to have along with eggs. It's a lot of sugar!

This morning my kids asked first for the corners of this cake. I splurged big time the other day and bought this pan. It hasn't arrived yet, but I'm planning to try making many things in it, and it has so many edges that everyone will be happy.  I can make one run of meatless lasagna and the rest with meat, and make brownies, cakes, rolls, etc. I'm thinking it will be my favorite pan ever, and the large size should be extra awesome for our big family. Fingers crossed.


LINE THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN WITH PARCHMENT PAPER--YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID!

Brownies I Can Actually Cut

Claire says these are her favorite brownies. They still don't taste anything like Kne*ders double chocolate brownies (my favorite) but they are a winner at our house (box mixes often being way too sweet) because they hold up so well. Maybe they just need a yummy frosting.

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt 1 cup butter (or half oil, half butter).

Add and then let cool:
1/2 cup cocoa
2 TB honey

In another bowl combine:
2 c sugar
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 TB baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Add and mix well:
4 eggs
butter/cocoa/honey mixture
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional) for chocolate chunks!

Put in 9x13. Bake for 40 min or so (I bake it until a knife comes out clean in the middle like a cake--my kids don't like gooey brownies).

Karin's Apple Pie

Pie Crust:

• 1.25 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
• 1/4 cup ice water

1. Add ingredients in a blender in the following order: 2 Tbs. ice water, salt, half of the butter, flour, the rest of the butter. Blend until the mixture can be formed into a ball. Add the rest of the water if/as needed. 
2. Form the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for an hour or more. 
3. On a piece of floured parchment paper, roll out the dough into a sheet that is 13 inches in diameter. 
4. Place your 9 inch pie dish upside down on top of the dough sheet and flip it over so the dough is in the dish. Peel off the paper. Fit the dough to the dish.
5. Fold the edges under to create a thicker crust along the lip of the pie dish. Finish off the edges with a fork or spoon for a pretty design. 
6. Refrigerate the pie crust while you make the filling. 

Filling: 

• 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced.
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 3 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1. Fix the dry ingredients together and then add the apples. Let these sit 1/2 an hour or so. 

2. With a slotted spoon, scoop the apples into the pie crust. 

3. Boil the rest of the juice/sugar mixture until it becomes a gooey carmel. Pour these over the apples. 

Streusel Topping:

• 4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp. table salt
• 4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted

Mix the ingredients together and sprinkle over the filling. 

Bake for 25 minutes with tin foil around the edges. Then remove the tin foil and bake for an additional 55 minutes. 

Bean and Corn Salad

• Claire requested this salad after Karin had made it, and we had it with garlic toast made on homemade French bread, watermelon and peaches. Awesome summer meal.
• 
  
• Place in bowl:
  1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes, halved
  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and let stand 10 min.
  
  
  Toss with 1 TB olive oil and roast/grill:
  3 ears shucked corn or same amount frozen corn
  1 medium white onion, coarsely chopped
  1 jalapeño pepper
  Then after they've cooled, cut corn off cob and finely chop jalapeño (discard stem).
  
  
  Combine everything together with the following:
  1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  1/3 cup fresh lime juice (I cheated and used lemon juice I always have)
  1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  2 diced peeled avocados
  
  
  Salt to taste (up to 1/2 tsp).
• 
  

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

These might actually rival brownies for me. I just can't seem to come up with non-gooey brownies--either too gooey or too crispy. I love the consistency of these.

Preheat to 350.

2 1/4 c flour
1/4 c and 2 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt (I'm debating whether this was a little too much)
1 c butter (2 sticks), softened
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c oats (I used quick cooking)
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional but I love--I used pecans)

Spray cookie sheets. Mine needed 12 minutes to bake. Let cool 10 min on cookie sheet before removing them.

Cheesecake Tarts for Ali

Makes 12 mini cheesecakes, using vanilla wafers as the crust.

Preheat oven to 375.

With an electric mixer, mix:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar

Once smooth, add these:
2 TB flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Then add these:
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Fill a muffin pan with foil cupcake liners and place one of the vanilla wafers at the bottom of each one. Divide batter between the 12 of them, filling each cup up to about 1/4 inch from the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

When you take them out of the oven, place them on a cooling rack and let them cool completely. While they cool, it's normal for them to sink down in the center. Refrigerate until chilled.

Optional toppings:
berries and whipped cream
chocolate and caramel sauces
pie filling
chocolate chips

Overnight Oatmeals

Blueberry Maple (4 servings)
1 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/3 cup milk or almond milk
1 cup Greek yogurt (I used Mountain High plain--not Greek--instead)
2 TB dried chia seeds
3 TB maple syrup (or less to taste)
1 cup blueberries
Let soak overnight and eat cold or warm (I like warm)