Classic Lemon Cranberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

Serve this for breakfast or tea time with the girls, you will not go wrong serving scones! Easy to make, a classic that everyone will love! If you don't have cranberries, blueberries would be just divine! I prefer using dried cranberries, fresh or frozen work just as well.

Lemon Cranberry Scones With Lemon Glaze

Scones

2 cups                  all-purpose flour
1/4 cup                sugar
1 tbsp.                 baking powder
1/4 tsp.                salt
1 tbsp.                 grated lemon zest
1/2 cup                unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup                whipping cream
1/4 cup                2% milk plus extra for brushing
1                          large egg
1 tsp.                   vanilla extract
1 cup                   dried cranberries

Glaze

1 cup                  icing sugar
1 1/2 tbsp.          freshly squeezed lemon juice


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

Stir in the lemon zest.

Cut in the butter until the mixture is rough and crumbly but still small pieces of butter are visible. It should be lumpy. Do not over mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk the cream, milk, egg and vanilla together.

Add this to the flour mixture and stir to just bring the dough together.

Flatten the dough out in a rectangle (about 1 cm thick), top with cranberries and press the cranberries into the dough.

Fold the dough over once to incorporate the cranberries.

Reshape into a rectangle. Do not handle the dough too much. You do not want the butter to melt into the flour.

Cut the rectangle into 6 even pieces. Cut it in half down the middle (long side), then into thirds (short side), then cut 6 squares into triangles by cutting squares on the diagonal.

Brush the scones with a little milk and bake for 20 - 25 minutes until lightly browned on top.


Glaze

Whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice together and drizzle over the cooled scones using the whisk or a fork. Let the glaze set for an hour before serving. If glaze is too thick, add water, 1 tsp at a time.

The Most Amazing Banana Muffins

Don't throw those ripe bananas away! Peel them, place them in a baggie and freeze. Throw it in a smoothie or make these delicious muffins.

The large quantity of banana makes these muffins flavorful and moist.

Your family will thank you!


Amazing Banana Muffins

The Most Amazing Banana Muffins

Makes 1 dozen

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Grease or line your muffin pan with paper liners

1                          egg
1 1/2 cups           mashed bananas (3 or 4 large)
1/2 cup               melted butter
1 1/2 cups          all purpose flour
3/4 cup               packed brown sugar
1 tsp.                  baking powder
1 tsp.                  baking soda
1/2 tsp.               salt

1.   Beat egg, mashed banana and melted butter in a large bowl until thoroughly blended.

2.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan.

3.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched.

I added 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. You can add 3/4 cup of cranberries or blueberries.

The riper the banana the better. One large banana should yield about 1/2 cup of mashed banana.

I'm concerned about fat so I reduced the butter to 1/3 of a cup. It was just as good.

      

                 

Celebrating A Campfire Tradition

Summer is quickly approaching. Time to spend outdoors hosting a barbeque, going up to the cottage.  What fun! Not all of us have the opportunity to sit around a campfire to eat the delicious s'more. Not to worry. I have you covered. This delicious dessert is a tribute to the famous campfire goodie made right in your kitchen. So easy to make. You can prepare this the night before and toast the marshmallows last minute just before serving.

S'Mores Dessert Squares


64 Nilla Wafers, divided

5 tbsp. butter, melted

3 tbsp. sugar

3 1/4 cup cold milk, divided

1 pkg (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding

2 pkg (4 serving size each) vanilla instant pudding

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degress F. Finely crush 40 of the wafers and place in medium bowl. I used the food processor to do this. Or you can place in a ziplock and crush. Add the melted butter and sugar and mix until well blended. Press firmly onto bottom of 13x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.

Pour 1 1/4 cups of the milk into a medium bowl. Add the chocolate pudding mix. Beat with a whisk for 2 minutes until well blended (I cheat and beat with a mixer fitted with whisk attachment). Spread over crust and top with 24 wafers.

Spread chocolate pudding over crust. Top with wafers

Beat the whipping cream and set aside.


Pour remaining 2 cups milk into a mixing bowl, add the vanilla pudding mixes. Beat for 2 minutes or until well blended. Fold in the whipping cream into the vanilla pudding. Spread over the wafer layer. Refrigerate overnight.

Fold whipping cream into the vanilla pudding

Spread the vanilla/whipped cream mixture over wafers

Preheat broiler just before serving. Top dessert with the mini marshmallows. Broil 1 minute or until lightly browned. I really kept an eye on this and rotated the pan continuously to ensure the marshmallows were evenly browned. You may sprinkle with grated chocolate if you wish.

You may sprinkle with grated chocolate before serving

Serve immediately.

Makes 24 squares.

Cheese Biscuits

I love cheese and especially in biscuits! Serve with tea, some grapes or a nice glass of wine. I cannot stop at one! Make little bite size sandwiches with these cheese morsels. I know when I bake a batch, the biscuits disappear quickly. I love to serve these as a finger food if I'm hosting an event.

Cheese Biscuits

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 cup shredded old cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten (to brush the tops)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using pastry blender (or two dinner knives), cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.

Stir in cheese. Pour milk over top and stir with fork to make soft, slightly sticky ragged dough.

With floured hands, form into a large ball. Turn dough onto floured surface. With lightly floured hands, knead gently 10 times.



Form dough and knead gently 10 times

Gently pat into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick round. Using a 2 inch (5 cm) floured cutter, cut into rounds.

cut into 2 inch round (1/2" thick)

Place on ungreased baking sheet. Gather up scraps and repeat dough; cut more rounds, pressing remaining scraps into final biscuit.

Place on ungreased baking sheet

Brush tops of biscuits with egg. Bake in centre of 425 degrees F oven (220 degrees C) until golden, about 15 minutes.

Brush top with egg wash

Let cool on rack.

Enjoy!

Decadent Ice Cream Pie

If you're intimidated with baking, why not try this recipe out. A delicious ice cream pie that is easy to make and great to make ahead for your dinner or event. Or just make this and savor for a cheat night!

Why not serve this at your next barbeque?

Vanilla Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Pie

Crust:

1 1/4 cup Oreo Cookie Crumbs
1/4 cup melted butter

Press on bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Pie Filling:

1 cup (6 oz) semi sweet chocolate squares, chopped

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy (double cream)

2 tbsp. light corn syrup

1 cup confectioners (icing) sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup Skor bits

1L tub of premium vanilla ice cream

Melt the chocolate, butter. cream and corn syrup on top of a double broiler. Set over but barely touching the simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate has melted.

Add the sugar and vanilla to the chocolate mixture and mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chocolate for the pie topping. Spread the remaining on the cookie crust. Sprinkle with half of the Skor bits. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a large bowl, using a paddle attachment, beat the ice cream with an electric mixer until spreadable but not runny. Pour immediately into the prepared pie plate and freeze until firm (about 2 hours).

Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals until spreadable. Remove, stirring quickly and spread onto the pie. Sprinkle with the remaining Skor bits and freeze until completely firm before serving. If you are making this ahead, remove from freezer about 10 minutes before serving to make cutting easier.

* If you do not like toffee bits, substitute for chopped, roasted almonds.

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

This simple and decadent recipe will be a hit a your next party. I once served this at my child's birthday party and the adults ate all of them! When the kids came up from playing, there was nothing left! Thank God for the birthday cake! These little morsels have a chocolate chip cookie base which adds a little oomph to the dessert.

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

Cherry Cheesecake Bites

1 pkg.          chocolate chip cookie dough
2 pkgs.        cream cheese 8 oz ea. at room temperature
1 can           sweetened condensed milk
2 large         eggs
2 tsp            vanilla extract
1 can            cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 325 degree F. Paper line 24 muffin cups. Place one piece of cookie dough in each muffin cup.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup. Remove from oven.

Beat the cream cheese, condensed milk, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture into the cups and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool. Top with cherry topping.                

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Lemon Chia Loaf

This delicious and moist loaf will be a perfect start to your day. You can serve this for breakfast with a dollop of vanilla greek yogurt or call your friends over and serve this with a nice cup of coffee or tea.

Lemon Chia Loaf

1 1/2 cups    all-purpose flour
1/4 cup        almond flour
1/4 cup        chia seeds
1 tsp            baking powder
1/2               tsp salt
1 cup           granulated sugar
1 cup           plain yogurt
3 large         eggs
1/3 cup        vegetable oil
2 tbsp.         lemon zest
2 tbsp.         lemon juice
1 tsp            vanilla (I used limoncello liquor) for that extra lemony flavor

Mix together flour, almond meal, chia seeds, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Whisk the sugar, yogurt, eggs, oil, lemon zest, juice and vanilla until well blended. Incorporate the flour mixture and blend well.

Scrape batter into a greased 8x4 inch loaf pan.

Bake in preheated 325 degrees oven for about 50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

A delicious and healthy alternative to the pound cake.