Too Good To Be True

Recipe: Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Source: www.mealsmatter.org

When you're tired of oatmeal, cold cereal and bagels, it's time to shake things up and make a coffee cake. This recipe makes an incredibly moist coffee cake with a crunchy topping. With cream cheese and chocolate chips as important ingredients, you'll want to add some eggs or fruit to the menu to make the meal count as healthy. But it's worth it.

1 C butter, softened

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 C sugar, divided

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 C milk

6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 C chopped pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and 1 1/4 C sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Pour into a greased 9 inch spring-form pan.
4. Combine the pecans, cinnamon and remaining sugar. Sprinkle over batter.
5. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen. Remove sides of pan. Cool completely before cutting.

English Scones

Recipe: English Scones
Source: "A Christian Teacher's Guide to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by Christian Ditchfield
Why I like this recipe: "This delicious pastry is a cross between a cookie and a muffin."
These scones were easy to make and turned out nice. They can be made for a tea party for little girls or for a brunch. We made one batch with raisins and one without and the kids preferred the batch without.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 ounces butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins

Ingredients for Step 4
1 lightly beaten egg
1 TBSP sugar

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together by hand. If they don't blend well, add a splash of milk.
2. Pat out dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into circles with a cookie cutter or jar lid.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 400 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Flip scones over, brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar; bake another 8-10 minutes until lightly brown.
5. Allow scones to cool completely; serve plain or topped with butter.
   

Doughnut Muffins

Recipe type: Breakfast/Breads
Recipe source: Bonnie Payne (my sister!)

The nutmeg and cinnamon make these muffins taste just like spice cake doughnuts. Don't skip the final step- it's the most important! I usually make several dozen at a time and freeze them. Good for breakfast or a snack!

1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1 egg

1. Combine dry ingrediants.
   
2. Mix milk, oil and egg then add to dry ingrediants.
3. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degree for 20-25 minutes.
4. Let cool slilghtly. Brush melted butter on each muffin top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Makes 1 dozen.
   

Egg & Cheese Casserole

Meal: Dinner
Menu: Farmer's Casserole
Buttermilk Coffee Cake
Recipe Sources:
Casserole- Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book 12th edition
(The posted recipe is slightly modified from the original.)
Coffee Cake- Linda Hodel, Joni and Friends Cook Book 2007

We're enjoying these dishes for dinner tonight instead of breakfast. My son doesn't care for eggs or cheese but he is at a birthday party this evening so this seemed like a good time to make this casserole. The casserole turns out perfect every time and can be doubled for a larger group. The coffee cake is a new favorite of ours and is good even without the frosting.

Farmer’s Casserole

3 cup frozen shredded or cubed hash brown potatoes
¾ cup cheddar cheese
1 cup diced cooked ham, cooked and diced bacon, or cooked breakfast sausage
4 beaten eggs
1 ½ cups milk or 12 oz can evaporated milk
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp salt

1. Grease a 2-inch square baking dish. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with meat and cheese.
2. Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper and pour over potato mixture.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand before serving.

Buttermilk Coffee Cake

1 cup butter 1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar 1 tsp salt
2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla
2 cup flour 1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
¼ cup while sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar 1 ½ Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp butter ½ tsp almond extract (I leave this out.)
½ tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to egg mixture. Add vanilla and buttermilk. Mix the topping ingredients. Pour half the batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Add half the topping, rest of the batter then rest of the topping. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Mix frosting ingredients. While still warm, drizzle frosting over top.