Kansas Day Sunflower Seed Cookies

A special holiday in Kansas this month is KANSAS DAY! I don't know that other states celebrate their statehood quite as much as Kansas does. Maybe it is because Kansas Day comes at the end of January when we've settled into a glum mood after a month of cold, muddy, icy, snowy days. Sometimes those days all happen in the same day. 

So this year a friend and I are planning a Kansas Day party. Complete with Kansas trivia facts, sunflower decorations, and special cookies. Here is the recipe for the Sunflower Seed cookies that have been my favorite for years. 

I keep sunflower seeds and wheat germ in the freezer to keep these ingredients fresh since I don't use them often. 

SUNFLOWER SEED COOKIES

 

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. almond extract

1 ⅓ cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3 cups oatmeal

¾ cup unsalted sunflower seeds (if using salted seeds, omit the 1 tsp. salt)

1 tsp. salt

½ cup wheat germ

 

Preheat oven to 375 °. Cream butter and brown sugar together. Beat in eggs and almond extract. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda, and stir into creamed mixture. Fold in sunflower seeds and wheat germ, then oats. Drop scoops of dough 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 9-10 minutes. 

Italian Parmesan Casserole Bread

This week I was looking for a quick yeast bread recipe to take to a friend's house to go with soup. Also, it had to be simple enough that I had all the ingredients on hand! (I hadn't planned ahead well enough before grocery shopping). So I looked through my collection of Kansas Wheat Commission recipe books and this one from 2020 filled the need. It is actually a winner in the 1994 Kansas Festival of Breads baking competition. 

The recipe was tested and published using Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese in the plastic shaker container. But I used cheese from a parmesan wedge grated with a microplane grater. I think that added a better flavor and moistness. 

ITALIAN PARMESAN CASSEROLE BREAD

 

1 (1 ¼ oz) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110 ° - 115 ° F)

3 ¼ - 3 ¼ cups bread flour, divided

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon dried minced onion

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus ½ tablespoon

½ tablespoon unsalted melted butter

 

Instructions:

1. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle, dissolve yeast in water, let proof 5 minutes. Add 1 cup flour, butter, egg, sugar, salt, onion, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Beat on low speed 1 minute; increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. 

2. Stir in ½ cup cheese. Switch to dough hook and gradually add enough flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. Knead with dough hook 8 minutes. 

3. Form dough in a round loaf and place into a greased 1 ½-quart round baking dish. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and towel; let rise until doubled. Near the end of the rise, preheat oven to 350 ° F. 

4. Brush top of loaf with melted butter and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 35-40 minutes or until golden and internal temperature is 195 ° F – 200 ° F. If top brtowns too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. The bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped on the bottom. 

5. Remove from oven and cool in baking dish 10 minutes before removing bread to rack. To serve, cut in wedges or slices. 

 

Yield: 1 loaf, 24 servings

 

Summer Spoon Cake

When a friend shared this recipe and a photo on-line, I thought it looked good! And King Arthur Flour recipes are usually top-notch. So, to the store for some of the special ingredients (almond flour). I had never used almond flour, but as the recipe notes, it gives the cake a buttery, tender quality that is key to its spoonable texture. If you prefer not to use the almond flour (it is a bit pricy!), you can use all-purpose flour but the result will be a more traditional cake-like texture. 

Other tips from the King Arthur bakers are to use a variety of summer fresh fruits.  used strawberries and blueberries. Frozen fruit doesn't work as well as it doesn't respond to maceration (when it sits in the sugar/lemon juice mixture) in the same way that fresh fruit does. 

Start the fruit macerating early, then stir the cake batter together quickly just before dinner for a warm, gooey dessert in about 30 minutes. We topped our dessert at home with vanilla yogurt, but when I later made it for a friend we used vanilla ice cream - delicious! 

            HOT SUMMER SPOON CAKE

 

Ingredients

Fruit:

2 ½ - 3 cups raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

 Zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Batter:

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup (King Arthur) all-purpose flour

½ cup (King Arthur) almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup milk, whole preferred

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

 

Before baking

Instructions

1.     Preheat the oven to 400 ° with a rack in the center. 

2.     To prepare the fruit: in a medium bowl, toss together the berries, sugar, zest, and lemon juice. Let sit until the fruit is glossy and has started to release its juice, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. 

3.     To make the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flours, baking powder, and salt. 

4.     In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, egg, and vanilla. 

5.     Place the butter in an 8” square pan or 1 ½ - 2-quart baking dish and put it in the oven to meld; it’ll take 4 – 6 minutes using butter that’s cold from the fridge. 

6.     Once the butter has melted, swirl it around in the baking dish to it coats the sides, then pour it into the flour mixture and stir with a spatula to thoroughly combine. 

7.     Add the milk mixture and whisk well to incorporate.

8.     Immediately transfer the batter to the warm buttered baking dish, then gently spoon the macerated fruit and its juice over the top. The fruit mixture should cover the batter almost entirely with a few bare spots peeking through. 

9.     To bake the cake: bake until golden brown and puffed, 30-35 minutes. 

10.  Remove from the oven and serve warm. Whipped cream or ice cream dolloped on top is especially delicious. 

11.  Storage information: Refrigerate any leftovers, covered, for up to four days. 

Key Lime PIe - A Summer Treat

 "Summer time and the living' is easy"? That doesn't describe the time here on our ranch! The cattle work just finished and haying has started. Mix in 2 softball games and 2 T ball games and various other 4-H activities with my regular community activities each week and it is very busy! Time for a quick summer treat for dessert!

Key Lime Pie lets us imagine a vacation on the beach with cool drinks and friends. I made this last week and it is so easy and delicious it will be a treat again soon. Thanks to my friend Sharolyn for the recipe. This recipe was declared the best by a special panel of Sharolyn and friends touring restaurants of Key West. 

KEY LIME PIE

Ingredients:

1 large prepared graham cracker pie crust

2 - 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk

1 cup Key Lime juice

½ cup + 1 Tablespoon sour cream

1 ¼ Tablespoon lime zest

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

In a medium bowl, combine condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime rind. Mix well and pour into graham cracker crust. 

Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until tiny pinhole bubbles burst on the surface of pei. Do not brown! Chill pie thoroughly before serving. Garnish with lime slices and whipped cream if desired. 

Do you have a Favorite Food?

 

Do you have a Favorite Food? 4-Hers can not only have a Favorite Food, they have a Favorite Food Show to showcase their food, menu, table decor, and knowledge of preparation and nutrition. 

This week Granddaughter Stella entered her favorite food - a fruit salad - in the county contest. She planned a Bee Happy Brunch menu with scrambled eggs, bacon, Kansas Maid Butter Braid (locally made frozen pastry sold as a 4-H fund raiser), Fruit salad with Honey dressing, and milk. I think she did pretty well explaining the preparation (first wash your hands and tie back your hair), nutrition (purple and blue fruits help make your brain healthy) and antioxidants (a tough word for an 8 years old to remember) help keep you healthy. 

One of the best things about this salad is it is so versatile. Stella chose a spring type salad with strawberries she'd picked herself and other fresh berries. A Christmas salad could be red apples, green grapes, kiwi, and red grapes. Fall might be oranges, pineapple, apples and pears. 

And we loved the dressing and the fact that it used honey. Stella's dad is a bee keeper so the honey was fresh from his hives in our pastures. Honey adds sweetness and gives the fruit a shiny glaze. The lemon juice of the dressing helps keep the bananas from turning brown and adds a bit of tartness. Poppy seeds are crunchy and look pretty. 

FRUIT SALAD WITH HONEY 

About 8 cups fresh fruit, cut into bite sized pieces. Combine in a bowl. 

Mix together: 5 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, and ¾ teaspoon poppy seeds. Drizzle over fruit. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with poppy seeds. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftovers (if there are any!)

By the way, Stella received a top placing with her entry! 

Cranberry Coffeecake for Coffeetime

Fellowship Hour after church service is a special time at our church. Most of the congregation stay and discussions include concern for health of those ill, upcoming community activities, and grandkids' school events as well as church business. Several of us belong to the same organizations besides our church so it can become confusing just which meeting we're discussing! 

We take turns with hosting this coffee time and this week it was my turn. So that is an opportunity to try some new holiday related recipes and bring out some older favorites. This time I tried this Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake and turned it into a sheet pan cake to have bars that would be easier to serve a group. I also did an easy bite sized treat with crescent rolls and cherry pie filling, feta/cranberry roll ups in flour tortillas, and our family's favorite cheese type dip Vegetable Mousse (blog of Dec. 6, 2011). 

Here's the recipe for the Cranberry Orange cake with my changes: 

CRANBERRY ORANGE CAKE

 
Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

Zest from 1 orange

5 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup milk, at room temperature

⅓ cup orange juice

1 ¾ cup fresh or frozen cranberries (if frozen do not thaw)

 

Filling:

¾ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ cup chopped pecans (I added to original recipe)

 

Glaze: 

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

3-4 tablespoons orange juice

 

Instructions: 

Preheat oven to 350 ° and grease 10-inch Bundt pan. I changed this recipe to bake in a 12”x15” sheet pan. Set aside. 

With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter, 1 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, and orange zest together until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. The mixture will look curdled; that’s okay, it will come together when you add the dry ingredients. 

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, add the milk and orange juice, and beat on medium speed until the batter is completely combined. Stir in cranberries. Batter is thick, yet silky. 

Mix filling ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the filling ingredients evenly on top and pack down slightly. Cover evenly with the remaining batter. 

Bake 30-40 minutes for a sheet pan or 55-60 minutes for a Bundt pan or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. (I tented the edges with foil after 20 minutes to prevent over browning.)

Once done, remove from oven.  (Allow Bundt cake to cook 2 hours in the pan, then invert to a serving dish.)

Make the icing by whisking confectioners’ sugar and orange juice together, adjusting confectioners’ sugar and juice to a drizzle thickness. Drizzle over cake before slicing and serving.    

 

Notes: 

Most ingredients combine better when they are at room temperature. Set the eggs, measured milk, butter, and sour cream out ahead of preparation time. 

The original recipe suggests fresh orange juice, I used orange juice from the carton. 

Feta Cranberry roll ups on flour tortilla 
with whipped cream cheese. 

Crescent rolls, separated, with a dollop (3 cherries
+sauce) of cherry pie filling in wide end.
Roll up and bake.
I cut them in half for serving.

Vegetable Mousse with crackers

 

Pumpkin Bars for Pumpkin Season

 One of my favorite seasonal tastes - Pumpkin. I even have a shirt! 

So when it was my turn to make refreshments in November for a meeting, I chose Pumpkin Bars and searched for a new tasty recipe. I found it at Sallysbakingaddiction.com. The addition of maple syrup adds a good flavor without too much sweetness.  This recipe is also just the right texture, not too dense or too cake like.

 The Best Pumpkin Bars

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 cup packed brown sugar

⅓ cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

 

Cream cheese frosting:

8 oz full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

⅛ teaspoon salt

Optional: sprinkles for decorating

 

Instructions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 ° and grease a 10x15 inch baking pan, or line the pan with parchment paper with enough overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars our as a whole. 

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the oil, eggs, brown sugar, granulated sugar, maple syrup, pumpkin, and vanilla extract together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a mixer or whisk until completely combined. Batter will be thick. 

Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 28-35 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on it. The bars are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top or edges of the bars browning too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil. 

Remove the bars from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Cook bars completely. 

Make the frosting: in a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add an extra ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar. Spread the frosting on the cooled bars. To help ‘set‘ the frosting, refrigerate for 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This makes cutting easier and less messy. 

Cover leftover bars tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.