Monday, October 18, 2010

Scalloped Sweet Potatoes and Apples

A taste of the season...

6 boiled sweet potatoes
1 1/2 c sliced apples
1 1/2 c brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c butter

Peel potatoes and slice.  Arrange alternate layers of potatoes and apples in buttered baking dish with sugar, salt and butter between each layer.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake in 350 oven for 45-50 minutes or until apples and potatoes are tender.

Lois

Maple Twists


 I found this recipe on my favorite foodie blog, Mennonite Girls Can Cook.  It looked delicious.  And it turned out to be just that-DELICIOUS.


MAPLE TWISTS



Heat 
3/4 cup milk and
1/4 cup butter until very warm.

Blend with 1 cup flour,
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon instant dry yeast
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 egg

Beat this with an electric beater on low for 2 minutes.

Add remaining 1 3/4 cups to 2 cups of flour and knead to a soft dough.
It will become smooth and elastic in about 5 minutes.


Let rise for about 45 minutes in a bowl covered in plastic wrap. In the meantime, make…    





Maple Struesel
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon maple extract


Combine this together and let sit



Divide the dough into 3 balls.

Take out a pizza pan, and butter it.(I used parchment paper but I still buttered it)
Roll out the 3 balls of dough to about 12 inches.

Put 1/3 of the streusel on the first layer of dough, put another layer of dough on top of this and put the second amount of streusel on.

Finish with the third layer of dough and again the 1/3 amount of streusel.
Put a 2 inch cup on the center of the dough and cut 16 wedges with scissors. (use the glass as a guide as to how far to cut. They'll stay even all around . .in the picture below you can see the faint outline of the glass rim in the center)





Twist each wedge 5 times. Remove the glass.
Cover with a light Tea Towel and let rise for 30 - 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. I used a convection oven at 350 degrees.
Bake the twists until golden brown about 18 - 22 minutes
Cool for about 5 minutes on the pan and remove to a cooling rack.






  Make a glaze of
1 cup icing sugar

2 tablespoons of melted butter
1 -2 tablespoons of milk
1/2 teaspoon of maple extract


  



Friday, October 1, 2010

COCONUT MACADAMIA ZUCCHINI BARS












1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. coconut liqueur or 1 tsp. extract
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups raw zucchini, peeled and shredded
1 cup Macadamia nuts or shredded almonds, chopped (I actually used pecans)

Topping:
1 (3 oz.) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. milk
1 tbsp. coconut liqueur or 1 tsp. extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Peel zucchini, discard ends and remove any seeds. Shred the zucchini just before using in a food processor (or use a hand grater).
Beat together oil, butter, and sugar. Add eggs and coconut flavoring, beating until fluffy.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and salt, stirring until well mixed. Add to the first mixture. Fold in raw zucchini and nuts.
Pour batter into a greased 11x15-inch pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until done.
To make frosting, beat together softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup softened (not melted) butter 2 tsp. milk, coconut flavoring and 2 cups confectioners' sugar. Spread the mixture over the cooled zucchini bars. Sprinkle top with flaked coconut.