Sunburst Lemon Bars

 

(These are a favorite at our house!  It comes from a Pillsbury bake off book, I've been making them for years)

Base:

2 c. flour

1/2 c. powder sugar

1 c. butter, softened

Filling:

4 eggs, slightly beaten

2 c. sugar

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 lemon juice ( I use fresh)

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

2 to 3 Tbsp. lemon juice

** Heat oven to 350 F.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off.  In large bowl, combine all base ingredients; beat at low speed until crumbly.  Press mixture evenly in bottom of ungreased 9x13 - inch pan.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown.

**Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine all filling ingredients except lemon juice; blend well.  Stir in 1/4 c. lemon juice.

**Remove pan from oven, pour filling over warm base.  Return to oven; bake at 350 F. for an additional 25 to 30 minutes or until top is light golden brown.  Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled.

**In small bowl, combine 1c. powdered sugar and enough lemon juice for desired glazing consistency; blend until smooth.  Glaze cooled bars.  Cut into 36 bars.  

Lemon Buttermilk Sheet Cake from Cook's Country

 

This is such a yummy lemony treat!  My husband likes to make in the springtime.  Cook's Country does it again!  

Cake:

2 1/2 c. cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. buttermilk, room temp.

3 Tbsp. grated lemon zest and 1/4 c. juice from 3  to 4 lemons (my husband used a little more of the lemon zest)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 3/4 c. sugar

12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, room temp.

Glaze: 

3 c. powder sugar

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. buttermilk

1. FOR THE CAKE:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.  Combine buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla in liquid measuring cup.

2.  With electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar and lemon zest until moist and fragrant, about 1 minute.  Transfer 1/4 c. sugar mixture to small bowl, cover and reserve.  Add butter to remaining sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.  Beat in eggs and yolk, one at a time, until incorporated.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of buttermilk mixture, and mix until smooth, about 30 seconds.

3.  Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.  Transfer cake to wire rack and let cool 10 min.

4.  For the glaze:  meanwhile, whisk powder sugar, lemon juice, and buttermilk until smooth.  Gently spread glaze over warm cake and sprinkle evenly with reserved sugar mixture.  Cool completely, at least 2 hours.  Serve  

*Note:  Do not over bake!  It will be dry, this cake should be moist it just tastes so much better!  also the sugar mixture shouldn't be clumpy-- tips from the chef :) 

Funeral Potatoes with Ham from Tastes Better from Scratch

 

I had to make funeral potatoes for a neighbor lady's family the other day and since I hadn't made them for a while, I thought I would look up a recipe.  This one had 5 stars from over 5,000 votes so I knew it had to be a winner!  And it smelled so good when I took it out of the oven -  I had to make it for my husband and me and whichever of my kids that pops in.  A reader said she cut up ham and put it in to make a main dish - and that is what I did and it tasted amazing! I love the crunch of the cornflakes on top. 

30 oz. frozen hash browns, diced or shredded, thawed (I used 10 small potatoes diced and parboiled them instead of the hash browns) 

2 c. sour cream

10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup (I used organic - but can also make your own)

10 Tbsp. melted butter - divided  6 Tbsp. for main dish+ 4 Tbsp. for the topping

1 Tsp. salt ( I also used 1 tsp. seasoning salt and 1/2 tsp garlic salt, I love that on potatoes)

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried onion

Ham if you want to make this a main dish.  I just cut up about 1 cup I used honey ham but this would be a great dish to use up leftover holiday ham

1. Thaw frozen potatoes by putting in fridge overnight or spread them on a baking sheet and warm them in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 min. until thawed

2. preheat oven to 350 F.

3. Combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, 6 Tbsp. butter, salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic salt and dried onion in a bowl.  Mix well.

4. Add potatoes and shredded cheese and ham stir to combine.  Spoon mixture into a single layer in a 9x13 pan.

5. Add cornflakes to a gallon size Ziplock bag and crush gently with your hands or use rolling pin.

6. Add remaining 4 Tbsp. of melted butter to the crushed cornflakes and combine well.  Sprinkle mixture over potatoes.

7. Bake uncovered at 350 for 40 - 50 min.

Cadbury Egg Cookies from "Cooking with Karli"

 

These cookies are the bomb! Crunchy crust, and soft in the middle.  I only buy the British Cadbury eggs they taste so much better than the U.S. ones!  I just made these today and my husband blamed me that he ate 6 of them out of the oven!  This recipe is such a keeper! 

1 c. Cadbury eggs (crushed)-  I used a meat mallet,  but can use a rolling pin, I like to use the British Cadbury eggs

1 c. mini chocolate chips

1 c. butter (I didn't soften mine)

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

1/2 c. old fashioned rolled oats (I used quick oats)

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

** Cram butters and sugars together until smooth and fluffy (takes a few minutes)

**Add egg and vanilla

**Add flour and dry ingredients slowly -- Once the flour mixtures is about 1/2 way incorporated, add Cadbury eggs and chocolate chips, mix.  STOP as soon as flour is completely incorporated, avoid over mixing.

** Bake at 350 F. for 11 to 13 min. for medium sized cookies

** Makes about 3 dozen. 

Dominos Stained Glass Cookies

 For my daughter's senior project in college she created a display of stained glass depicting a story representing something of her life, and wanted me to make some stained glass cookies for her opening night reception.  I found this recipe online, and decided to give them a try.  They were a lot better than I expected!  Some people were saying they don't like sugar cookies, but they liked these.  I think I made about 90 cookies!

(I typed out the measurements here, but also in the recipe so it's easy to read as you make them)

24 hard candies ( I used jolly ranchers and crushed them)

3/4 c. butter ( 1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1/2 c or 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. fine salt

Mix 3/4 c. butter and 1/2 c. cream cheese at medium speed with a whisk attachment or hand mixer.

Mix 1 1/2 c. sugar at med/high speed for couple minutes until it becomes lighter in color

add 1 egg and 2 tsp. vanilla :  Mix on low until mixed together.

In separate bowl, sift together : 3 c. flour,  1Tbsp. cornstarch,  1/2 tsp. baking powder and  1/2 tsp. salt,

gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture on low speed until it is JUST incorporated - do in separate installments and scrape sides of bowl in between.

the dough will be pretty sticky.  Divide in 1/2 and wrap in plastic wrap

Chill for 2 hours in fridge, can chill overnight

preheat oven at  350 F. for 30 min.

Take 1 ball out at a time and roll out on floured surface, roll 1/3 " thick with flour dusted surface

cut shapes with cookie cutters and cut out center ( I had a smaller cutter for the center).

Fill the center with crushed candy, it doesn't take a lot so don't overfill, about 1/2 to 3/4 

Chill cookies one more time in fridge for 15 min. or freezer for 10 min.

Bake 10 - 13 minutes on top rack.  Keep eye on it and pull out as soon as the candy has melted and edges are set.  Let them cool completely on pan

While those bake, rewrap scraps and put back in fridge to chill

Repeat with 2nd ball and take out scraps and roll out and cut into shapes

Frosting:

1 c. butter, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Mix in 1 Tbsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt on low speed

slowly mix in 3 1/2 c. powder sugar and 1/4 c. heavy cream until desired consistency

put in piping bag fitted with round tip

pipe frosting and dip into white sanding crystal sugar

--Will last up to 5 days in fridge and  1 month in freezer

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

(These are highly requested from my family at holidays and lately as a snack!  I got this recipe from my nephew, Justin's uncle a few years back and has been a family favorite since, especially as a super bowl snack or new year's eve party)

Flour Tortillas- homestyle not the thin ones

Provolone, Havarti or Muenster cheese slices

Sliced Ham

Cream cheese, softened

Ranch dressing  dry mix

salad supreme - find in the spice section

-- To make about 4, you will need 4 flour tortillas about 8 inches each

- 8 slices of sandwich ham, I use honey ham

- 8 slices cheese

- 4 oz. softened cream cheese

--2 tsp. ranch dressing mix (you can play with it to see how strong you want the ranch)

--Mix the ranch and cream cheese together in a bowl

--spread evenly on top of each tortilla

--lay the cheese on top, then the ham, overlapping if you need to, see picture above. Don't get too close to the edge, it makes it harder to keep it together.

-- roll up and slice.  Can use cream cheese as a "glue" if ends start to come apart.

-- cut roll into about 1 inch slices and sprinkle with salad supreme on top- refrigerate and enjoy!

Mexican Pizza

 

( I found this on instagram and we loved it! )

1 lb. ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

3/4 c. water

1 can (15 oz) refried beans

1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce

1/4 c. diced tomatoes

1 1/2 c. shredded Colby jack cheese

8 flour tortillas 

--Preheat oven to 400 F.

brown hamburger into small pieces, then add :

taco seasoning and water -- bring to boil, simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.

--In large skillet, pour 1/2 of the oil (from the hamburger) into the pan, heat on med/high add tortillas and cook for 4 to 5 min, flipping frequently until crisp, repeat with the rest of the tortillas and oil (may need to add cooking oil or butter)

Spread 1/4 c. beans evenly over the bottom of each tortilla, top with taco meat - place another tortilla over the meat, spread about 2 Tbsp. of enchilada sauce evenly over 

--Divide tomatoes evenly over the top of the tortillas, 

--Sprinkle the cheese evenly over 

--Place each pizza on baking sheet and bake for 8-10 min. until melted and hot

--slice and serve with shredded lettuce, sliced green onions, guacamole, if desired. 

--this makes 4 pizzas, most people will eat 1/2 depending how big your tortilla shells are.