Posted in Recipes

While we're on the subject of homemade gifts, I thought I would share my *other* favorite gift to give - homemade treats!! Baked goods! Baking is something else I love to do! (while cooking meals is another story!) And since I can't bake sweet breads, cookies and yummy things like that ALL the time, I CAN bake them for gifts to give! So, I thought I would share a few of my favorite recipes to give as gifts! And if you have any favorites to share, please do so!

Muffins

(with my new grain mill, all my muffins and breads will be using freshly ground whole wheat flour!)

Banana Blueberry Muffins

3 large, ripe bananas

¾ c sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/3 c butter, melted

1 c blueberries

1 t baking soda

1 t baking powder

½ t salt

1 ½ c flour (you can use whole wheat with these)

Mash bananas in large bowl. Add sugar and egg. Add butter and blueberries. Combine dry ingredients and gently stir into banana mixture. Pour into 12 well greased muffin cups. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

 

Pumpkin Bread (I make into muffins)

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar (I use raw)

1 T baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1/4 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t nutmeg

1/8 t ginger or cloves

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 milk

2 eggs

1/3 c shortening (I use butter sometimes, too)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1. Grease the bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, set aside.

2. In a large mixing bolw combine 1 cup flour, the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger/cloves. Add pumpkin, milk, eggs and shortening/butter. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed til blended. Beat on medium to high for 2 minutes. Add the 1 cup flour, beat til blended. Fold in walnuts and raisins.

3. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan (or muffin tins.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60-65 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight. **Muffins take a much shorter amount of cook time - mine took about 15 minutes to bake.

 

Banana Bread Muffins or Loaf

2 ½ c all purpose flour

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

½ cup shortening

2 c sugar

2 c mashed bananas

3 large eggs, beaten

1 t vanilla (or 2 t imitation vanilla)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottoms of 2 loaf pans.

Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl, combine shortening, sugar, bananas, eggs and vanilla. Beat until well blended. Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If making muffins, cook for much less time.

Cookies and other treats!

 

Heath Bits Peanut Butter Cookies

½ c shortening or margarine

¾ c creamy peanut butter

1 ¼ c brown sugar

3 T milk

1 T vanilla

1 egg

1 ½ c flour

¾ t baking soda

¾ t salt

1 1/3 c heath bits, divided

Preheat oven to 375. Beat shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl til well blended. Add egg. Combine flour, baking soda and salt, gradually beat into peanut butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup toffee bits. Drop by heaping teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Top each with toffee bits. Bake 7-8 minutes until set. Cool 2 minutes and remove from pan to finish cooling.

 

Hershey Bonbons
Approximately 21 oz. Hershey's Chocolate™ (I prefer using three 7 oz. Symphony™ Bars)
8 oz. Cool Whip™
4 oz. crushed Vanilla Wafers

Break the chocolate into pieces in a medium-sized microwavable bowl. Microwave for about 3 minutes, stirring every minute (it may need more or less time to melt). Try to get the chocolate into a 'just barely' melted texture. Mix in the Cool Whip™, and let sit for a few minutes while crushing the vanilla wafers.

Drop the chocolate mixture by the spoonful into the crushed wafers. Roll lightly into a ball, and let set up on wax paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. For firmer Bonbons, let them set in the refrigerator uncovered for at least an hour.

 

Magic Cookie Bars
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup (6 oz.) chocolate chips
1 1/3 (3 1/2 oz.) flaked coconut
1 1/3 cups (15 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

Pour melted margarine onto bottom of a 13x9x2 inch pan. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over margarine. Sprinkle nuts over crumbs, then chocolate chips, then coconut. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over coconut. Bake at 350oF for 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cool in pan 10-15 minutes and cut into bars

 

OREO BALLS OR SNOWBALLS
1 package regular size Oreo cookies, crushed
1 (8 ounces) package cream cheese, softened

1 package white almond bark
1 package chocolate almond bark

1. Using a blender or hand held mixer, mix Oreos and cream cheese together.
2. Roll into walnut size balls.
3. Chill for an hour.
4. Melt approximately 3/4 package of white almond bark.
5. Stick a toothpick in an Oreo ball and dip it in the melted white almond bark.
6. Allow to harden on wax paper.
7. Takes about 15 min.
8. While waiting, melt about 1/4 package of chocolate almond bark.
9. When Oreo balls are no longer sticky to the touch, decorate with drizzles of chocolate and white almond bark.
10. I just use a sandwich bag with a tiny hole cut in one corner to drizzle the almond bark.

Peanut Butter Kisses

1 C butter

1 C peanut butter
1 C brown sugar

1 C sugar
2 eggs

1/4 C milk
2 tsp vanilla

3 1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt
sugar for rolling chocolate kisses or stars

Heat oven to 350. Mix butters and sugars. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Roll in 1" balls, then in sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes. Gently press on candy. Cool completely before storing.

 

Thumbprint Cookies

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 ¼ cups flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Your favorite preserves

Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer on medium speed til well blended. Add flour and baking soda. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Indent centers. Bake 10 minutes, then fill each cookie with 1 tsp. your favorite preserves. Continue baking 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.