YW Easy Apple Crisp

6-8 apples; peeled, cored and sliced thinly
3/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. margarine or butter, softened

In a large bowl place apple slices and sprinkle with 3/4 c. white sugar.  Mix lightly.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt margarine or butter.  Add flour, oats, brown sugar, and mix well.

Lightly grease 8X13 in. baking pan and fill with apple mixture.

Top with flour mixture.

Bake at 350 F (177 C) for 35 minutes.

Note: Other fruits might be used.  Adding cinnamon might be good too.

Gingerbread for men & houses :)

Gingerbread Men:

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup (160 ml) unsulphured molasses (To prevent molasses from sticking to the measuring cup, first spray the cup with a non stick vegetable spray.)

Confectioners Frosting:

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tablespoons milk or light cream

Gingerbread Men: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices. 

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and molasses and beat until well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture beating until incorporated.

Divide the dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (at least two hours or even overnight). 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut out the cookies.  With an offset spatula lift the cookies onto the baking sheet, placing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. If you are hanging the cookies or using as gift tags, make a hole at the top of the cookies with a straw or end of a wooden skewer. (If cookies are a little soft, place the baking sheet (with the cookies) in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This will prevent the cookies from losing their shape.)

Bake for about 8 -12 minutesdepending on the size of the cookies. They are done when they are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for about 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, you can press raisins, currants, or candies into the dough for eyes and buttons while the cookies are still warm. Otherwise, confectioners frosting can be used to decorate the cookies. Store in an airtight container.

Confectioners Frosting: In an electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth and well blended.  Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beater. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk if needed. Tint frosting with food color, if desired.Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip and decorate the gingerbread men as desired.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of cookie cutter used.

I used this design for the houses but cut the dimensions in half.  Also, I did not use the chimney cut-out.

(It made several cookies and 7 small house when I quadrupled it.  I also quadrupled the icing recipe and it was for all decorations.  Hot gluing the house pieces together worked much better than trying to glue them with frosting.)

http://disneyfoodreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/gingerbread_house_templates.png

Lentil Soup

This recipe is my modified version of the original (http://www.food.com/recipe/egyptian-red-lentil-soup-94673)

5 c. water
1 bullion cube
1 c. dried lentils
2-3 frozen onion squares
4-5 frozen garlic squares
2 med. butternut squash, peeled and cut into mashed potato sized pieces
2 t. ground cumin
3 t. zatar
salt & pepper

Add water, bullion cube, onion, garlic, squash, & lentils into a large soup pot.  Cover and bring to boil. (Be careful because it will overflow the pot just like potatoes do when cooking them.)  Lower heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until lentils & veggies are tender.  Remove pan from heat.

In a frying pan, place dry spices in an unoiled pan.  Toast spices.  Stir frequently to prevent burning.  Once toasted, set aside and let cool for a moment.

Place spices into soup and then begin pureeing the soup.  I puree small batches in my blender.  Just be careful because the mixture is hot and if you put too much in your blender it will explode on you.  I only fill my blender about 1/3 full each time.

Once soup is ready, add salt & pepper if needed.

I would think this soup could easily be made in the crockpot although I have never tried it.

Pasta Salad

1.5 box macaroni - the different colored ones is the most fun
italian dressing
olives
broccoli
carrots
pickles
salt
pepper

Cook the macaroni according to box instructions.  Drain off water and then place into a new dish.  Add italian dressing and place in fridge to cool.  After a few hours, mix in olives, broccoli, carrots, pickles, salt & pepper, and any remaining dressing you feel is necessary.  Let sit in the fridge until you are ready to serve.  The longer it sits (within reason) the better it tastes.

Ice Cream, oh such yummy ice cream!!

Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base

2 large eggs                                                                        1 cup milk

2 cups heavy or whipping cream                                                3/4 cup sugar

In a bowl whisk eggs until light and fluffy, add 3/4 cup sugar in increments, whisking in between each addition.  Continue whisking eggs and sugar until combined.  Add cream and milk and whisk until combined.

From here, you can take the sweet cream base anywhere.  Two teaspoon of vanilla extract will get you a nice french vanilla.  Or peppermint extract can be the base for chocolate chip mint.  Crushed cookies for cookies-n-cream, malt powder and shaved chocolate, sprinkles, nuts, candy bar chunks, strawberries, toffee bits...the ideas are endless.

One of my favorites is my own version of mint chip.  I add 2 teaspoons of good quality Nielsen-Massey pure peppermint extract to the sweet cream base (McCormick's brand flavoring is fine too but if you are as serious about your mint ice cream as I am, you will want to invest in some of this good quality flavoring-plus it's perfect for holiday peppermint hot chocolate). Shave about 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate with a sharp knife.  Add the shavings to the liquid mixture.  I personally like the shaved chocolate texture better than the frozen chunk of a chocolate chip.

Tips (some things I've learned after making lots of batches of ice cream):

•                 Use the freshest eggs you can find.  This might mean farm to table eggs from your local market or the best quality you can get at the store.  I'm using Ethiopian eggs and they are great-never had an issue.

•                 If you decide against the eggs in your ice cream, you can expect to get a less rich and creamy ice cream.  It will not freeze well so you will need to eat it all at the time you make it or else you will have icy ice cream from freezing.  

•                 If you are really squeamish I'd suggest sticking with a frozen yogurt or sorbet recipe.  Ice cream should be made with eggs for emulsifying the butter fat.  I feel really strongly about this.

•                 Refrigerate your liquid base mixture for a few hours before putting it in your ice cream maker.  This is key.  The churning process will not freeze room temp liquids properly.  Best to start off as cold as you can.

•                 For cookies, candies, nuts, or other add-in you will want to add them when the ice cream is mostly done churning in the machine.  Simply pour the add-in in the top and let it slowly mix with the paddle.  

•                 Freeze your add-ins before adding them or else they will warm your churned ice cream.

•                 Chocolate chips (or shaved chocolate from the bar) are fine to add to the liquid mixture before hand because they will not melt in the liquid while refrigerating.

•                 Freeze your ice cream maker's freezer bowl overnight before use.  

•                 Have the churning paddle inside the freezer bowl before you pour in the liquid mixture.  

•                 Churn the ice cream for a good 5-10 minutes past when you think it's done.  The more air churned in the more fluffy and divine the texture once frozen.  

•                 Cool your storage bowl in the freezer so the bowl is cold when you transfer the ice cream. A bowl with a air tight lid is ideal for keeping the ice cream fresh in the freezer for many days.

Make ice cream the night before you plan to serve for best frozen texture (see fluffy texture in the first photo).  We eat the ice cream the same night I make it all the time,  the texture is more like soft serve and it melts really fast.

Quark

For quark:

Take as many oven dishes that will hold 2 quarts as you want to or can fit in your oven.

Fill each dish with 2 quarts of buttermilk.  I use low-fat but one low-fat + one non-fat works also.  I advise to not use 2 non-fats.

Put them in the oven (does not need to be preheated but you may) at 150 degrees.  My oven goes no lower than 170 and that works fine too.

Leave them there for 8 to 10 hours. 

Line collander(s) with cheese cloth (available in kitchen stores, I wash mine like I do dishes, rubbing it in between my palms and fingers with clean soapy dish water, rinse very well and hang up to dry, can be re-used many times).

Suspend collander(s) over bowl(s) or if you don't care for the whey, the sink.

Pour the content of the oven dishes into the lined collander(s).  A lot of whey will be on the bottom and it is OK if it pours over the quark but I tend to stop pouring into the collander when all the quark is in it.  It is very important that when done pouring, the quark is not touching the whey below the collander, so if needs be, you might want to pour out some of the whey.

Let sit another 6 hours so all the whey can drip out and the quark can dry out.

Pour the quark into a mixing bowl and add as much cream or any type of cow milk as you would like.  Start with a little and use your mixer to mix it up.  Add more until you have the consistency you like.  I keep mine fairly thick because when I start using it, I may add juice from fruit for a dessert or the juice of a cucumber for tzatziki and that makes it thinner.  I also like to be able to spread it on bread or bagel.

Done.

For a yummy healthy dessert: Mix in a little sugar and some jam, or fresh fruit (blueberries, strawberries, add sugar if needed), or even a can of your fave fruit with some of the juice.

For tzatziki: Add very finely shredded (peeled) cucumber and make sure you catch all the juice.  I shred over the quark always, so the juices run right into it.  Shred as many garlic cloves as you desire.  Add some salt and (white if you have it) pepper, mix.  There is no rule as too how much cuke or garlic you put in, it is all personal taste.  This goes well with roasted pork or chicken.

It is the sauce used to make gyro sandwiches, so if you can find the spices for "shoarma" or "gyros", than rub it onto the pork and let sit over night, grill the meat and make wraps with tzatziki.

For the yummiest bread spread (apart from just spreading it on and putting jam or honey on top of it):

Very finely chop some spring onion (scallion), and add other vegetables to taste, finely chopped (they really should be specks) of red pepper, spinach... and mix in with some salt and pepper.  Sun dried tomato?

And of course, there are things you can bake with it too.  I often sub the quark for half of cream cheese or sour cream in a recipe.

I use the whey in bread baking instead of water/milk.  There is a lot of it, so if you plan to not make quark often, you can refrigerate it for more than a month or freeze it. If you make quark a lot, use it in your garden to water or give it away to Dianna Purves.

Have fun, once you make it (and 4 quarts yields more than a pound), you will find endless ways of using it.

Pumpkin Pie & Pumpkin Cheese Pie

Pumpkin Pies (Makes 2 pies, 1 regular & 1 pumpkin cheese)

2 1/4 cups Pumpkin (Mom uses Libby)

2 1/2 cups Evaporated Milk

3 Eggs (beaten)

1 1/2 cups Sugar

Spices

         3/4 teaspoon cloves, all spice, nutmeg, ginger

         2 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon Salt

Blend sugar, spices, and salt in mixing bowl.

Add eggs, pumpkin, and evaporated milk.

Pour into unbaked pie shells (for pumpkin cheese add cheese mixture first).

Bake 425 for 15 minutes

Reduce heat to 350

Bake 350 for 40 minutes

Total baking time 55 minutes

Pumpkin Cheese Pie

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Beat ingredients

Pour into pie shell

Add pumpkin pie mix (half of the above pie mixture)

Bake 350 for 70 minutes