Birthday Pancakes!

 

Light and Fluffy Pancake Batter

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Food Coloring

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Whipped Cream & Sprinkles

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One Happy Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Daughter Ava who turns 8 today!

I love you more than you'll ever know!

 

Fresh Strawberry Muffins!

Went Strawberry Picking today at Dew Fresh in Cambridge and picked two big buckets full of berries!  Wasn't sure what to do with the berries, went more for the experience with the kids than the berries them self.  HOWEVER by the time we got home about 1/3 of the berries were gone.  Kids ate themselves sick in the car on the way home!  I made strawberry shortcake for dessert. . .and here are the Light and Fluffy Fresh Strawberry Muffins we'll be enjoying for breakfast!  These are just the right amount of sweet, super tender, and very light!  Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
Additional Sugar


1.  Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix well.

2.  Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to butter mixture. Add vanilla. Gently stir in strawberries.

3.  Spoon batter into muffin pans.

4.  Sprinkle additional sugar over muffins.

5.  Bake at 475º for 20-25 minutes.

Pecan Praline Baked French Toast

When Dave and I were in Door County we ate at a Restaurant called Julie's Park Cafe for breakfast. Dave ordered this Pecan Praline French Toast and LOVED IT! So for Father's Day I decided to attempt to re-create it for him. He said this was right on! The kids LOVED it too! Which why wouldn't they . . .it's like eating dessert for dinner. Not so much healthy, but it's Father's Day!

Pecan Praline Baked French Toast

1 French bread loaf 
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted 
2 tablespoons maple syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup half and half
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Cut 10 (1-inch-thick) slices of bread. Reserve remaining bread for another use.

2. Stir together brown sugar and next 2 ingredients; pour into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

3. Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Arrange bread slices over pecans; pour egg mixture over
bread. Cover and chill 8 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake bread 35 to 37 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

 

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

TOPPING
3 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, melted
 
BATTER
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
Sweetened whipped cream, optional

Directions

• Place rhubarb in a greased 10-in. heavy oven-proof skillet. Combine sugar, flour and nutmeg; sprinkle over rhubarb. Drizzle with butter; set aside. For batter, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until blended. Beat in the egg. Combine the flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add to egg mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
• Spread over rhubarb mixture. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Loosen edges immediately and invert onto a serving dish.

Swedish "Sweetheart" Kringler

Swedish "Sweetheart" Kringler

FIRST LAYER:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp cold water

1. Mix together all ingredients to form dough.

2. Form dough into heart shape on baking stone.

SECOND LAYER:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract

1. In a saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Mix in flour.

3. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

4. Add in almond extract.

5. Spread over the first pastry layer.

6. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

FROSTING:
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 tsp almond extract

1. Mix together all ingredients and spread over cooled pastry.

2. If you'd like, you can top with toasted almonds.

Baked Chili Cheese Dogs

My husband LOVES Chili Cheese Dogs. . .but not me. He thinks there's nothing better than cranking open a can of fake chili, and smothering a hot dog in it. Top that with a slice of American Cheese. . .and it's heaven for him! I however, am not a fan of American Cheese either. But I found a meal idea online for a baked chili cheese dog and it actually looked good. Again. . .they were using canned chili and American Cheese.

This version of a Chili Cheese Dog, however, is doable for me! More than that, it's delicious! The first thing I had to do away with was the American Cheese. . .I traded that for a nice, sharp, Cheddar. Second thing that had to go was the canned Chili. I mean really, a meaty stew in a can? C'mon. I made a nice sweet/hot chili for dinner two days ago. . .and this is my leftovers! My pot of chili made just enough for dinner one night, lunch for Dave the next day, and these babies right here!

I bought some really good buns, slathered them lightly with a mayo/mustard mix, and then topped them with the dogs, chili, and cheese. I know the mayo/mustard combo may sounds weird, but trust me on this.

The fact that they're baked makes a "hot dog" actually feel like a special meal. The buns get just the right amount of toasty crunchiness to them. They're hit.

Baked Chili Cheese Dogs

8 hot dog buns
8 hot dogs ( I LOVE Nathans!)
2 cups of chili
1 1/2 cups of cheese
mayo/mustard mix

1. Split open buns, and spread the mayo/mustard mix on each one.

2. Top each bun with a hot dog, and place in a baking dish.

3. Top each hot dog with 1/4 cup of chili, and a heavy sprinkle of cheese.

4. Top with foil, and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 3/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp milk
50 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars.

2. Add in egg, vanilla, and baking soda, and salt.

3. Mix in flour until incorporated.

4. Add in milk to thin out a bit.

5. Roll dough into 50 Tbsp size balls.

6. Spray a mini muffin pan with nonstick baking spray.

7. Put one dough ball into each cup.

8. Bake at 350 for 9 minutes.

9. Immediately press one Reese's Peanut Butter Cup into the center.

10. Let cookies cool completely and gently remove them from the pan.