Apricot Scones

I had made a recipe of Ina Garten's recipe but used apricots instead of strawberries. You can find her recipe here








Printable Version
Ingredients:
4 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar, plus additional for final sprinkling
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup cold heavy cream
3/4 cup small-diced dried apricots
zest of one orange
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 4 cups of flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 T. baking powder, and 2 t. salt. Blend in the cold butter at the lowest speed and mix until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and quickly add them to the flour and butter mixture. Combine until just blended.. Toss the apricots with 1 tablespoons of flour and add them to the dough along with the orange zest. Mix quickly. The dough may be sticky.
Dump the dough out onto a well-floured surface and be sure it is well combined. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4 inch thick. You should see lumps of butter in the dough. Cut into squares with a 4-inch plain or fluted cutter, and then cut them in half diagonally to make triangles. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush the tops with egg wash. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the outsides are crisp and the insides are fully baked.

Brunch Egg bake

Jud loves to have a breakfast casserole that he can pop in the microwave in the morning. I found this recipe Here







Printable Version
Ingredients:
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded mozorella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1 (4.5 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I used fresh mushrooms about 4oz. that I cooked with the onions and peppers)
1/3 cup green onions diced
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups diced fully cooked ham
8 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Combine cheddar and mozzorella cheese in a small bowl. Place 3 cups of cheese mixture into a 9"X13" baking dish. (I sprayed the dish with cooking spray)
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms, onions, and red bell pepper until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Spread vegetables over cheese mixture. Top mushroom mixture with ham; sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese mixture.
Beat eggs in a bowl; mix in milk, flour, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.
Slowly pour egg mixture into baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.( I cooked mine more like 55 minutes

Sunny Morning Muffins

Not sure where I found this recipe, but it is a winner.  It calls for 1 cup of chopped walnuts, but I had some toasted almonds so I put those on the top of most of the muffins. My adult children don't care for nuts in their sweets. I know, who doesn't like pecans in their desserts?




Printable Version
Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries, chopped
1 cup sugar, plus 2 T
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 large eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 lemon zested (I also used the juice)
1/2 pint blueberries
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, mix together strawberries and the 2 tablespoons sugar. Let sit 15 minutes until strawberries give off juices.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk together the mashed banana, eggs, oil, 1 cup sugar, strawberries, and lemon zest and juice if using.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the blueberries and walnuts.
Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of muffin comes outy with a few crumbs but not wet, about 30 minutes. Cool on a rack to room temperature.

Herb and Goat Cheese Casserole

This was adapted from an epicurious.com recipe: Herb and Goat Cheese Omelet  I knew that I didn't want to be in the kitchen making omelets for my guests, so Jud and I came up with this recipe.
I cooked my scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes a little before putting them in the casserole dish.  This served 4 nicely.



Ingredients:
8 eggs-- scrambled with salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes ( I placed mine in the cast iron skillet that had been sprayed
with cooking spray and placed them in a 400 degree oven, turning them every 5 min. for about 15 min.)
1/2 can of cream of chicken soup (you could certainly use cream of mushroom or cream of asparagus)
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1-4oz. package goat cheese
Directions
1. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray
2. Spray skillet with cooking spray and place a thin layer of frozen hash brown potatoes in the bottom of the      skillet. Place in a 400 degree oven, turning every 5 minutes for 15 minutes.
3. Scramble the eggs-- You can leave it a little runny because they will cook in the casserole pan. Mine were     pretty-well cooked through.
4. Place the hash browns in the bottom of the prepared baking dish
5. Place the scrambled eggs on top of the hash browns
6. Spread the cream of chicken soup over the top of the eggs
7. Spread the grated cheddar on top of the soup
8. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Take out and put dollops  goat     cheese on top. I put 4 dollops because I was serving 4 people.
9. Put back in the oven for about 5 minutes.
10. Serve and enjoy!
The following is the link to the cinnamon rolls that are in the picture.

overnight cinnamon rolls