Bread Pudding - Pioneer Food

"I had to change some of the recipe,  but that’s what you do, make do with what you’ve got and it’ll turn out better." Those were the words in a pioneer woman's journal. She was speaking of a quilt block instead of a recipe, but I'm sure she had also changed many recipes to use the food supplies she had on hand.

Kansas Day is January 29, and we like to celebrate the birthday of our state by remembering those pioneers who helped settle our state. I recently gave a program "The Trail to Kansas" based on the journal of a pioneer woman who pieced quilt blocks to mark her journey on the trail in 1856. I thought of that woman as I made this Raisin Bread Pudding. I almost threw the hardened raisin bread out, but decided to 'make do with what I had'. This made a good dessert with yogurt topping and will also make a tasty breakfast dish. 

Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding                

Ingredients: 

2 cups cubed cinnamon raisin bread

2 eggs

1 ⅓ cup milk (2% or skim)

6 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

dash salt

Directions: 

Place the bread cubes in a greased baking dish. In a bowl, whisk together egg, milk, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. (Stir in raisins now if you want to add more.) Pour over bread, let stand 15 minutes or until the bread is softened. 

Bread cubes with egg/milk mixture.

After the bread softened, I added some frozen blueberries
before the bread pudding was baked.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Baked and ready to eat - Wagons Ho! 

Brownies of Every Sort!

Brownies of every shade!

Brownies are a favorite dessert at the Community LinC meal that I help with. Several people are willing to make a pan to bring. They don't look or taste alike, but they are all good! And the people who come to eat really seem to enjoy this dessert.
So this week I decided to try a different recipe from my regular one which involves more ingredients and time (blog of August 6, 2011). This recipe, from a Taste of Home contributor, was a favorite from the writer's childhood. I like it because it is not only good, but quick and easy. There is only one pan to prep in and clean. It makes a perfect 9-inch x 13-inch pan of brownies ready to take.

Popular meal - Chili, cornbread & brownies

Moist Cake Brownies

Ingredients:
⅔ cup butter
¾ cup baking cocoa
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips - the original recipe calls for ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips and ½ cup milk chocolate chips)
optional: 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in cocoa and oil until smooth. Cook and stir over low heat until cocoa is blended. Remove from the heat; stir in sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to cocoa mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

One Pan - Easy!

Spread into a greased 13-inch x 9-inch x 2-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool, Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

Into the oven....

Tip: After the sugar is stirred in, I measure the flour, baking powder and salt while the cocoa/sugar/butter mixture sets. This gives the sugar more time to dissolve and the mixture time to cool a little before the eggs are added. I try to avoid adding eggs to a hot mixture, don't want to cook the eggs before the batter is baked! 

Not a better snack or dessert!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Strawberry ice cream from KSU Call Hall made this
extra, extra good!

One of my New Year's Resolutions is to eat heather - sound familiar? That, or a version of it such as lose weight, exercise more, etc, is the most common New Year's Resolution. So, including healthier types of desserts would be included in my plan. Since I have a new supply of frozen fruit from our church order, and strawberry-rhubarb is one of our favorite flavor combinations, this dessert was a popular choice. I like the texture and added fiber (healthier!) of the oats. It makes a large amount, but with more family members around after the holidays it was eaten quickly.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup cold butter, cubed
2 cups quick-cooking oats
6 cups sliced frozen rhubarb and strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (3 oz) strawberry gelatin

crumb mixture on bottom

bottom crust topped with fruit

Directions
In a large bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly (Next time I make this, I'll do this step in the food processor). Stir in oats. Press half into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with fruit.
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla. Stir in gelatin powder.  Pour over fruit. Top with remaining crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown.
Serve with ice cream if desired (that negates the 'healthy' dessert!)
Yield: 12 - 15 servings.

No-Bakes - Old or New

No Bake Cookies are definitely one of the sweet treats of the kitchen. Easy and quick to make and yummy good, there are a variety of recipes with varying ingredients. The chocolate and oatmeal kind are favorites at my house, an extra splurge is eating the warm mixture before its dropped onto the cookie sheet.  I've  had the standard recipe for years, so when I saw a new variation in a Southern Christmas magazine I was anxious to try it. It also was a hit. 

I was surprised to learn that no-bake cookies are an old tradition. Their story goes back to much earlier times when many foods were cooked over an open flame in the fireplace and a time when nothing could be wasted. An old peasant farmer came in from grinding oats and tripped over a loose rock, spilling some oats into the chocolate candy his wife was  making over the fire. She couldn't throw out the precious ingredients, so she poured it into a pan and no-bake cookies were discovered!

Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼  cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk (or half-and-half)
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups prepared granola
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats

Directions:
Place a large piece of parchment paper on a work surface.
In a heavy saucepan combine sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, butter, salt, and milk over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Let boil for 1 minutes. Remove from heat; add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir in granola and oats.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment. Let cool until hardened. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.