My sister worked at Half Price Books a couple years ago and got her hands on this neat cookbook from the Cook’s Country editors.  It contains recipes that have been around for a while that have been shared by home cooks.  Stories accompany each recipe telling who they came from, and how and where they originated.  The goal of this cookbook is to bring back recipes that are worth remembering.

This simple chocolate sheet cake is called “Scotch Cake” in the cookbook.  The note about this recipe says:

“The origin of the name of this simple sheet cake, with its unique pecan and coconut topping, was a mystery to Melinda and her mother, whose recipe card for it included a note that said: “I don’t understand the name of this cake.  I just call it my “boil it” cake”.”

I brought this cake to a potluck dinner, and it received a few compliments.  It’s a great potluck dessert because you can make it a day in advance and keep it in the fridge, it’s simple to prepare, you can take it in the pan and it cuts really nicely.  After being refrigerated the cake becomes almost fudgy and the coconut pecan icing gets that nice sugary crunch.  You know what I’m talking about.

Chocolate Snack Cake with Coconut Pecan Icing

From America’s Best Lost Recipes

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1 cup water
• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

I’m not cooking anything really worth posting about.  And even if I was, I don’t really have time to post!  I really miss my kitchen.

This recipe caught my eye on allrecipes.com a few weeks ago, right after Carson was born.  My mom even bought a box of Nilla Wafers that day so that we could make it, but we didn’t have a chance.  Ben and I were having company last night, so I decided to try it out.

I wasn’t too impressed with this, but the people who ate it were very nice to be complimentary!  It wasn’t very sweet, and the texture was quite dense and a little rubbery.

So, I went and looked at the recipe again.  I FORGOT THE SUGAR!  2 C UPS OF SUGAR!  Maybe the lack of sleep is catching up with me.  Maybe it was just a result of my haste to get this made while Carson slept.  Whatever the explanation for my mistake, it was a bad one.  This ranks up there with making a cup of coffee at my parents house over Christmas with one of those Tassimo makers and putting the mug upside down.  I have lost my mind.

I might try it warmed up in the microwave or possibly toasted with some butter.  I will probably try this again sometime.  I like the idea of the using the cookie crumbs as the flour, and I am interested to see the difference 2 cups of sugar makes.

Nilla Wafer Cake

Ingredients

• 6 whole eggs
• 3.5 oz can of coconut (if you use bagged sweetened flaked coconut, just use 1 cup)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounce box vanilla wafers, crushed
• 2 C sugar
• 1 C chopped pecans

Directions

1. Beat eggs well.
2. Mix wafers and all other ingredients into eggs.
3. Pour into greased and floured tube pan.
4. Bake at 350 for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

My mom makes the BEST lemon bars, but these were pretty good and different enough not to be a competitor.  My mom’s are super simple with a buttery crust topped with a tart lemon filling and dusted with powdered sugar.  In contrast, these bars have a crumbly almond and coconut topping that makes them a little special.

I found the recipe on allrecipes.com.  Here is the link.  The recipe calls for a jar of lemon curd, but I think you could easily use any lemon bar filling as a substitute.  This basic filling would be a good one.

Lemon Curd Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 (10 ounce) jar lemon curd
• 2/3 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup toasted and chopped almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl cream the butter. Add the flour, sugar and baking soda. Mix until the mixture forms coarse crumbs
3. Pat 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of one 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
4. Spread the lemon curd over the baked layer. To the remaining 1/3 of crumb mixture add the coconut and the almonds. Sprinkle over the top of the lemon curd.
5. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Bake bars for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

These cookies are very sweet, so one was enough for me.  I could eat probably 3 oatmeal raisin cookies in one sitting, but one of these sweet little things is enough sweet for me.  You could easily leave out the butterscotch chips or replace them with chocolate chips.  You can play around with the add-ins, so make them how you like them.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal, Pecan, Coconut & Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions

1. In a bowl, cream shortening, butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs one at a time, then and vanilla.
3. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.
4. Stir in oats, coconut, nuts and chips. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
5. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls; place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
6. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

One of my favorite cookbooks is The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather.  I won’t say any more about it except for this: If you don’t own a copy, as I have said before, go buy one…now!

I made these quick and easy oatmeal cookie bars this past weekend when our small group from church came over.  Originally I was going to make brownies from a mix since that would not require too much in the ways of time or effort on my part.  I just did not feel like spending any more time than I had to in the kitchen that day.  When I came across this recipe and realized how simple they would be, I had no choice but to make them.  Homemade is always better than a box.

The ingredients and preparation for these crispy oatmeal bars are both incredibly simple and easy.  You probably have everything you need in your kitchen.  The prep could be done with your eyes closed.  They bake for a measly 20 minutes and are ready to enjoy or drizzle with chocolate soon after making their exit from the oven.  Easy and delicious.  It doesn’t get much better than that.

I melted my chocolate chips in the microwave in a Pyrex measuring cup.  Zap the chips on high for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until the chips are smooth.  I didn’t do the best job of drizzling.  A few spots were more globbed on than drizzled.  Another good idea is to chill these after drizzling the chocolate to let them harden up a bit before removing them from the pan and plating them.  A few of my crispy oatmeal treats broke when I took them out, which is a blessing in disguise because that means more for me!  These treats are a simple and humble cookie, and they are definitely worth the time and energy it takes to make them.

Oatmeal Crisps

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (if desired)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray
3. Melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan set over medium heat.  Stir 1 to 2 minutes, until brown sugar dissolves.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl stir together oats, baking powder, salt and coconut.  Add butter mixture and stir to combine.
5. Spoon the batter into the pan and with fingers coated in cooking spray, press the batter evenly into the pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for 20 minutes and cut into bars.
7. Melt the chocolate chips and drizzle over the bars.  Chill in the fridge for a few minutes to let the chocolate harden.

I’ve tried a few variations on the basic cinnamon bread.

1. butterscotch pudding with toffee bits
2. butterscotch pudding with toffee bits and vanilla chips
3. vanilla pudding with pecans
4. chocolate pudding with white chocolate chips

These cookies I made last week inspired my latest bread experiment.  Seeing as how I had dried cherries, almonds and coconut on hand it only seemed natural to give these ingredients a chance in the bread.  I made one loaf plain with vanilla pudding and cinnamon, and to the remaining batter I added the cherries, almonds and coconut; about a handful of each.  What am I doing?  No measuring?  I think I’m turning in to Rachel Ray!  Before you know it I am going to be writing EVOO in my posts and giving all my posts super cutesy names!  OK, OK.  I will not turn in to Rachel Ray.  I will tell you that the amounts were about 3/4 cup each.  Give or take…

If you have friendship bread starter, then just add 3/4 cup each cherries, sliced almonds and sweetened shredded coconut.  If you do NOT have starter, then you can try to make your own using the following recipe from allrecipes.com.  After you make the starter you can make the bread!  The recipe I have been using is at the bottom of this post.  One of the best parts about this bread is the cinnamon sugar coated pans.  It gives such a wonderful, crunchy exterior.  I used some Sugar in the Raw on top of my loaves and it was incredibly good.  Perfect crunchy sweetness.

Amish Friendship Bread Starter

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
2. On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
3. Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).

Amish Friendship Bread

Starter:

Do not use a metal bowl or spoon.

Do not refrigerate.

The mix will rise, bubble and ferment.  So, “burp” the bag as needed.

Day 1: Do nothing

Day 2: Mush the bag.

Day 3: Mush

Day 4: Mush

Day 5: Mush

Day 6: Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.  Mush together in the bag.

Day 7: Mush

Day 8: Mush

Day 9: Mush

Day 10: Follow the instructions below.

1.            Pour entire contents of the bag into a large non-metal bowl.

2.            Add 1 ½ cups each flour, sugar and milk.  Mix together well.

3.            Measure 1 cup of batter into each of 4 gallon size bags and give to friends, along with a copy of this recipe.  Put the date on the bag to help keep track!

4.            Preheat the oven to 325.

5.            To the remaining batter add:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 1 large box instant pudding (vanilla or any flavor)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda

6.            Grease 2 loaf pans and dust with sugar or a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

7.            Divide the batter evenly between the pans.  Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar if desired.

8.            Bake for 1 hour, cool for 15 minutes then remove from pans to cool completely on wire racks.

* Keep a bag of starter for yourself if you want to make more bread.

Almost all of the posts I read are foodie blogs.  I have a few news feeds from Amarillo and Austin as well as a few design blogs including my sister-in-law’s blog Grey is Pink which has some design, some fashion and some life stories.  I have to sift through lots of recipes every day as many bloggers post at least once a day.  I must admit this, the pictures are what hook me.  If there is a tasty looking photo to accompany a tasty sounding recipe, I am in.  This is how I happened upon this recipe for carrot cake.

King Arthur Flour has a ton of yummy sounding recipes.  Their blog, Baker’s Banter, tests some of those recipes and gives an honest opinion of their success and also includes step-by-step photos to accompany the recipe.  So, I won’t make you look at my step-by-step photos since the one’s on Baker’s Banter are pretty thorough.  I will just show you this one photo of my completed cake since many of the ones I took did not turn out that great.  This cake is full of so many yummy ingredients that I could barely control my pure and utter happiness!  Carrots, pecans, coconut and pineapple.  Yum.  The cream cheese icing isn’t too sweet, but sweet enough to pair perfectly with the mild sweetness of the cake.  You will not be disappointed if you enjoy a carrot cake like this…packed with all kinds of goodness and topped with creamy frosting.

Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake

Courtesy of King Arthur Flour

Cake Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 3 ½  cups finely grated carrots
• 1 cup diced pecans or walnuts, toasted if desired
• 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (preferred) or sweetened coconut
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained and squeezed dry

Frosting Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons milk, or enough to make frosting spreadable

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ x 13″ pan.
2. Beat the eggs, sugars, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl till smooth, about 2 minutes at medium-high speed.
3. Mix the melted butter with the oil. With the beater running, add the oil mixture in a stream, beating till smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, leaveners, salt, and spices. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring to make a smooth batter.
5. Stir in the carrots, nuts, coconut, and pineapple.
6. Spoon the batter into the pan, spreading it to the edges.
7. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool right in the pan.
9. When it’s completely cool, make the frosting.
10. Combine the butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and salt in a medium-sized bowl, and beat together until light and fluffy.
11. Add the sugar gradually, beating well.
12. Add the milk a little at a time, until the frosting is a spreadable consistency.
13. Spread frosting over the cake. Garnish with minced crystallized ginger, if desired.

Yield: 9″ x 13″ sheet cake, about 24 servings.

Cherry, Almond & Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1 cup blanched, chopped
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla.
4. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats, almonds, coconut and cherries until just blended.
5. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets, about 6 to a sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes rotating half-way through. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

There is a freezer bag with 18 bananas in my freezer.  I was about to place 6 more soft, blackened beauties in there today when I thought, “This is silly.  Why don’t I just bake some crazy delicious banana bread?”  My favorite banana bread has coconut and pecans.  It is so very decadent.  Almost dessert like.  You should definitely try it.  Seriously.

This banana bread also contains coconut, but with the addition of buttery macadamia nuts and sweet pineapple this banana bread becomes…Hawaiian banana bread!  I love the way that it has made my house smell during its hour long baking time.  I adapted a recipe from epicurean.com to create this bread.  The amounts of the ingredients are the same, I just made some substitutions: walnuts replaced by macadamias, a cup of all purpose flour traded in for a cup of whole wheat, and I added a cup of shredded coconut.

I love banana bread sliced and eaten plain, but banana bread sliced, buttered and broiled is tremendously delicious.  The contrast of the crunchy top and soft interior is lovely.  Try it both ways and let me know what you think.

I found a great way to mash my bananas when I made this bread.  Turns out that a potato masher is a great way to mash your bananas to a perfect smooth consistency.  I love finding new ways to use things in my kitchen!

The combination of flavors in this bread is great.  Sweet pineapple, mellow coconut, buttery macadamias all mixing with delicious banana.  Feel free to change the macadamias to any nut you like, but I think they make this bread a bit different than other banana breads.

Hawaiian Banana Bread

Adapted from epicurean.com

Ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup macadamia nuts – chopped
• 3 eggs – beaten
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups mashed bananas – (about 5)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 can crushed pineapple – (8 oz)—drained
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and pineapple; mix well.
3. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in macadamias and coconut.
4. Spoon batter into 2 greased and sugared 8×4″ loaf pans.
5. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pans.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

Now you’re thinking, “She’s a double cheater!”  You’re right.  I didn’t even consider trying to make anything gluten free.  Again, the lack of time and my laziness got the better of me!  Also, I think I like gluten.  It sounds like glutton…

I had to make the bars before I left for sunny (sorta) San Diego in order to get them done before the craziness began.  When you’re a cheater like me and you use store-bought graham crackers these bars come together very quickly.  You have to give them some time in the fridge before enjoying them, but other than that they are quick and simple.

After chilling in the fridge they have a beautiful hard chocolate-y layer which innocently hides the sweet soft vanilla layer beneath it.  I was not thinking about this HARD chocolate layer when I took a knife to these bars.  All, or almost all, of the chocolate cracked and popped off the top of the bars.  I should have waited a few minutes after taking them from the fridge to let the chocolate soften a bit and adhere to the creamy layer.  You live, you learn.

Even with the shattered chocolate layer, which I managed to somehow replace on a few pieces, these were very delicious.  I will be making these again.  Delicious.

Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer

• 1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
• 1/4 cup (50 g) (1.8 ounces) Granulated Sugar
• 5 tablespoons (75 mL) Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1 Large Egg, Beaten
• 1 1/4 cups (300 mL) (160 g) (5.6 ounces) Gluten Free Graham Wafer Crumbs
• 1/2 cup (55 g) (1.9 ounces) Almonds (Any type, Finely chopped)
• 1 cup (130 g) (4.5 ounces) Coconut (Shredded, sweetened or unsweetened)

Middle Layer

• 1/2 cup (115 g) (4 ounces) Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons (40 mL) Heavy Cream
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Vanilla Custard Powder (Such as Bird’s. Vanilla pudding mix may be substituted.)
• 2 cups (254 g) (8.9 ounces) Icing Sugar

Top Layer

• 4 ounces (115 g) Semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) (1 ounce) Unsalted Butter

Directions

1. For bottom Layer: Melt unsalted butter, sugar and cocoa in top of a double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, nuts and coconut. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch pan.
2. For Middle Layer: Cream butter, cream, custard powder, and icing sugar together well. Beat until light in colour. Spread over bottom layer.
3. For Top Layer: Melt chocolate and unsalted butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, pour over middle layer and chill.