Lemon Bars

Crust:     3/4 cup frozen butter (cut in to small pieces)

                6 tablespoons of white sugar

                1 1/2 cups flour

Filling:    1 1/2 cups white sugar

                1/4 cup flour

                4 eggs

                3/4 cup lemon juice

                1 tablespoon lemon zest

Instructions:  

1. heat oven to 350 degrees and line 8 x 8 pan with parchment
2. Add butter, sugar and flour to a food processor and let process until dough comes together into a ball, then press into a 8 x 8 pan and bake for 22 - 25 minutes.
3. Combine the 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 4 eggs, 3/4 cup lemon juice and zest in a large bowl and whisk well.
4. Let sit for 15 minutes while crust bakes, whisk just before pouring on to crust and then bake the crust with filling for 30 - 35 minutes { I find it needs a little longer}
5. When cool you can top with sifted icing sugar, if desired.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sauce
2 ½ Cups Heavy Cream
1 Stick Unsalted Butter
½ Cup light corn syrup
1 Cup Granulated sugar

Cake
6 oz dates, pitted
3/4 Cup +2 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 Cup water
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
4 tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 Cup light brown sugar, packed
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla
Vanilla Ice Cream or Whipped Cream for serving

Directions
1. In a medium saucepan, 1 1/4 cups Heavy Cream, with Unsalted Butter, light
corn syrup and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium low heat and stir frequently
until a deep amber colour. About 40 min.
2. Carefully whisk in the remaining cream. Strain through a sieve.
3. In a small sauce pan, simmer the dates in water over med. Low heat until water
is absorbed and dates are soft. About 15 min. Transfer to a blender and process
until smooth.
4. Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter six ½ cup ramekins.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
6. In a mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed til light and fluffy.
7. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then add the date puree.
8. At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Spoon the batter into batter into the
cups and smooth.
9. Bake for 20 min and check to dry release with a tooth pick. Cool slightly and
smooth the tops.
10. Invert onto a cake rack. Slice each in half horizontally.
11. Wipe out ramekins and add 1 tbsp of sauce. Return ½ of cake to ramekin. Add
another tbsp of sauce. Then add the top layer of cake. Add another tbsp of
sauce on top
12. Put onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 min.
13. Let cool for 5 min. Use a thin knife and release the pudding upside down on a
plate.
14. Add more toffee and add ice cream or whipped cream

Tomato Vegetable Soup

3 tbsp.               Butter or Margarine

1 Cup                 Onion, diced

½ Cup                Potato, diced

½ Cup                Carrot, diced

3 tbsp.               All-Purpose Flour

½ tsp                 Salt

1/4 tsp              Pepper

2 Cups              Chicken Stock

1 Can (14 oz.)  Tomatoes, Mashed

1 tsp                 Granulated Sugar

Directions:

1. Put butter, onions, potatoes, and carrots into a sauce pan. Sauté until onions are clear and soft.
2. Mix in flour, salt & pepper. Add chicken stock, stir until it boils and thickens. Simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and sugar. Heat through.

 Squash Soup with Thyme

1½  tbsp butter
½    onion, sliced
2 cloves  garlic
½ tsp  thyme
½  squash  peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups  chicken stock
½  cube  chicken bouillon
1 pinch  ground cumin
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat; cook the onion, garlic, and thyme in the hot butter until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the squash and chicken stock; bring to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Crumble the bouillon into the soup; season with cumin, salt, and pepper; remove from heat.
4. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway. Hold the lid of the blender in place with a kitchen towel and carefully start the blender using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a serving bowl. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup in the pot.

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree
1 can evaporated milk
4 large eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 1 tsp. ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup  unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x13 baking pan.In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, evaporated milk, eggs, sugars, vanilla, spices, salt and combine until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
3. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the pumpkin mixture and use your hands to gently press it into the batter.
4. Sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped pecans and evenly drizzle the melted butter over the entire cake.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. At this point check your cake. If the top is becoming too brown, cover the cake with a piece of foil for the remaining baking time. Continue baking and additional 10-20 minutes or until set.
6. Remove pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Chill for a few hours before serving.
7. If desired, top with whipped cream and chopped pecans, or sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Autumn Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup

Servings: 8
Total Time: 45 Minutes

Ingredients

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 medium yellow onions, chopped

1 tbsp curry powder, plus a bit more for serving

1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

1½ lbs. sweet potatoes (about 2 small), peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces

8 c. chicken broth, best quality such as Swanson

1-3/4 tsp salt

1 tart yet sweet apple (such as Honeycrisp or Fuji), peeled and chopped

2 tbsp honey

Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Do not brown. Add the curry powder and cook a minute more.
2. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the apples and honey.
3. Using a stick blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, cool the soup slightly, then puree in a blender in batches. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open, and cover with a kitchen towel, to allow the steam to escape.)
4. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more honey if necessary.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with more curry powder if desired. (Note: As the soup sits, it will thicken up so you may need to add a bit of water to thin it out.)

Pineapple Raisin Sauce

Serves: 12 servings
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins

4 teaspoons corn starch
2 6-ounces can pineapple juice
1 20-ounces can pineapple tidbits
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon dry ginger
1 cup raisins

1.  In a small cup, dissolve corn starch with enough of the pineapple juice to make a slurry. (A slurry is a cold liquid mixed with corn starch until smooth and glossy.) Set aside
2. Mix all other ingredients in a medium-sized sauce pan and bring to a boil over low heat.
3. Add slurry mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Serve over sliced Baked Ham.
5. Note: Sauce may be thinned with more pineapple juice if it becomes too thick.

Pecan Pie Neiman Marcus Bars

1 box of yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 stick melted butter
1 box of powdered sugar (about 4 cups)
8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
2 cups of pecan pieces
 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease (I use Pam) one 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, 2 eggs and melted butter.  Spread in bottom of pan as your "crust".
3. In a second bowl, beat with electric mixer, powdered sugar, 2 more eggs, and cream cheese. Stir in your pecan pieces.  Spread mixture on top of crust mixture.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes until edges are brown and centre set (it will still be slightly wobbly in the middle).
5. Cool on counter 30 minutes, then refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days.

1. In a large saucepan, melt butter with oil over medium heat.
2. Add onions and sauté until golden brown.
3. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened stirring frequently.

 Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

 ½ cup butter

 ½ cup shortening

1 cup white sugar

 ½ cup brown sugar

1 well beaten egg

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup coconut

½ cup oatmeal

1) Cream sugars and  butter

2) Add egg, molasses and vanilla

3) Then add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir in coconut and oatmeal.

4) Shape into balls, flatten. ( I used a cookie scoop and did not flatten them) Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes depending on your oven (I watched for a golden colour).

Banana Muffins

1 Cup mashed bananas

6 Tbs. Oil

½ Cup white sugar

1 teaspoon Salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1½ Cup flour

1 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Optional - ½ Cup chopped walnuts and/or raisins

Preheat oven to 350'.

Mash the bananas. Add oil, sugar and salt. Beat till well mixed. Add egg and vanilla. Beat again till well mixed. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Stir till all is moist. Divide equally among twelve paper lined muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Mom's Apple Cake

1½ cups sugar

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

5 cups chopped apples

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350’. Grease a 9 x 13 pan.

In a mixing bowl stir together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients. Stir well. Add chopped apples and fold into mixture so that all the apple pieces are coated in batter.

Pour into greased pan. Level as best you can.

Bake 45 min.