Thimble Sugar Cookies

This is a tried and true (and very delicious) cookie recipe from my Dad's cousin Edith. It's so easy to make, and makes a lovely presentation, too. I'm making a couple of batches for Christmas this year. Good thing that they're not all for me! I'd weigh a ton! I've seen a similar recipe with a Christmas twist, using gumdrops in the centre instead of jam. I use seeded raspberry jam when I cook them. Here it is! Enjoy

Thimble Sugar Cookies (Thumbprint cookies)


2 cups sugar
1 cup margarine or butter
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons creme of tartar
4 cups flour
Jam (your favourite flavour.. I use raspberry)


Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F.


Use a stand mixer to blend the sugar and margarine (or butter) until smooth. Add the 4 eggs, one at a time (and keeping the blender going), then add vanilla and water. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda, creme of tartar and flour. Slowly pour flour mixture into liquid mixture and beat on medium until mixture is all combined, stopping the mixer periodically to scrape down the sides of the bowl.


Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Place cookies about 2" apart as they will spread. Wet your finger and press a small indentation into each cookie. Fill indentation with a small amount of jam.


Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes and keep checking after 10 minutes as you only want them a little browned on top and not burnt on the bottom. Let cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes then place on a cookie rack to cook completely.


Makes 3-4 dozen, depending on the size you like to make them.


Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler

Aaahhh. Blueberry season is the only thing that comes close to strawberry season. During a trip to Meteghan last weekend, we stocked up on local highbush (huge!) blueberries. They are so yummy to just munch on freshly rinsed. There are so many ways to cook up blueberries and this is one of my faves. I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but I've made it since the 80s. Have some Cool Whip or ice cream ready and dig your teeth into this! On a final note, if you are using large highbush berries, add an extra 1/4 cup sugar with the berries. This recipe is sweet enough, though, with smaller wild blueberries. 

Blueberry Cobbler


2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups (two pints) blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening, chilled (I used room temp and it was fine) 
1 egg
1/2 cup milk 


Preheat oven to 375 F. 


In a medium bowl, mix cornstarch and lemon juice until dissolved. Add 1/4 cup of sugar and the blueberries and mix together. Pour into a greased deep 10" round (or square) casserole dish and set aside.  


Measure flour, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture is crumbly. Blend egg and milk and add this to flour mixture. Stir until combined. Drop large spoonfuls of batter evenly over entire surface of blueberries. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Serve warm. 


Enjoy! 

Rhubarb Bread

Oh, how I love rhubarb. My favourite way of cooking it is just to stew it on the stove and adding a bit of Splenda to it. I like to eat this warm, cold, on ice cream and especially on toast for breakfast. I thought I would share this old recipe with you folks. It's one that I've had for years, and it's an old typed recipe, so I am not sure where I got this one from. It's basic and oh so good! It has a streusel top which makes it even more yummy. Give it a try! You won't regret it. :)

Fresh Rhubarb Bread

1/2 cup butter (I use margarine) 

1 and 1/2 cups sugar (I only use 1 cup)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt (I only used about 1/4 teaspoon)

1 cup buttermilk*

2 cups rhubarb 

Streusel: 

1/4 cup butter (margarine)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

* If you don't have any buttermilk, just put 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a measuring cup and add milk to measure 1 cup and stir well. Let stand for a few minutes to become sour milk.

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Blend butter and sugar until creamy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients, along with buttermilk, and blend well. Toss rhubarb with 1 tablespoon of flour and add to cake mixture. Pour into a large, greased and floured loaf pan. Blend streusel ingredients and sprinkle over batter (I only ended up using half the streusel and it was plenty).  Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack. 

Strawberry Bread

Here is an awesome recipe for Strawberry Bread that comes from my friend Pam in Endicott, WA.  She said she got it out of the Colfax Gazette (a local paper) years ago and she's made it many times when her sons were growing up. The original recipe calls for cinnamon but Pam came across the same recipe using almond flavouring instead. I make it with the almond flavouring and it's so good. Also, I don't add chopped nuts to mine. Really easy to make for that someone special... or just for yourself! 

Strawberry Bread

1 quart of strawberries, gently mashed down to 2 cups (leave a few small lumps).

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

3 and 1/2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3 tsp. cinnamon or 1 tsp almond flavouring 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (I used 1/2 teaspoon)

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour two 9 X  5 inch or three 6.5  X  3 inch loaf pans.  


In a mixing bowl, stir berries, eggs, and oil.  In another bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon (if using), soda, and salt.  Add flour mixture to berry mixture, stirring until blended. Add almond flavoring if that’s what you’re using instead of cinnamon. Pour into pans.  Bake 1 hour for the large pans, 50 minutes for the small pans, or until toothpick comes out clean. 

Enjoy!

Dot's Scallop Bubbly Bake

The Doyles have been dear friends of our family since the '70s, when we moved to Prince Edward Island. We enjoyed many a delicious meal and holiday with them. Dot's cooking and Clarence's barbecuing skills always had us going back for more. Lovely memories. Here is a recipe that Dot had shared with my Mom. It is so good! I hope you enjoy it, too.


Scallop Bubbly Bake


1 pound scallops
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 and 1/2 cups chopped celery
1/2 cup green chopped pepper
1 cup mushrooms


Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour (all purpose)
1 teaspoon salt (I use 1/4 teaspoon)
2 cups milk (any type you normally use)


Topping:
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated cheese




Preheat oven to 350 F.


Saute onions, celery, green peppers and mushrooms in a frying pan, in 2 tablespoons of butter, for about 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, prepare the sauce in a saucepan. Melt 1/4 cup butter. Add 1/4 cup flour and stir for a minute or two. Add the salt and milk and stir until thickened.


Pour the sauteed onion mixture into the sauce and add the scallops. Spoon this mixture into a greased 1 and 1/2 quart oven-proof dish. Top with melted butter, breadcrumbs and grated cheese.


Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 F oven .. until bubbly. :)


Serves 4.


Yum Yum !!

Hash Brown Casserole

Our Easter dinner is a little left of normal as, instead of good old scalloped potatoes, I opted to try out my own version of Hash Brown Casserole. Less is more, as far as I'm concerned, as the natural flavours come out in the veggies. I have tried a few recipes like this and decided to make one, which included some of our favourite ingredients. So, here it goes. Enjoy!

Hash Brown Casserole


1 - 567 g (about 1 & 1/4 lb or 4 cups) package shredded hash browns, fresh or frozen (thawed and drained and blotted of moisture)
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 10oz can low-sodium Cream of Mushroom soup
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
Salt and pepper to taste


Topping:
1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup bread crumbs or corn flake crumbs


Preheat oven to 350 F.


Mix first 6 ingredients together in a large bowl until blended. Pour mixture into a greased, 9 x 13 oven-proof pan.


Mix the bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle over top of potato mixture.


Bake for 1 hour, at 350 F, until potatoes and onions are cooked through. 
Serve warm. 


Serves 4-6

Acadian Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the wonderful soup I put together for lunch, today.  It's very similar to an Acadian Chicken Fricot but it has noodles instead of potatoes.  Simple as that. It is really easy and quick to make and tastes wonderful. I hope you enjoy it as much as Dave and I did. 


Jeanne's Acadian Chicken Noodle Soup


1 large onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 tablespoons margarine
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salted onions (optional, this is an Acadian staple item)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (if not using salted onions)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 skinless chicken thighs 
1 cup uncooked ditali pasta (or other small pasta)


Melt margarine in a large saucepan.  Add diced onions and carrots and saute until onions start to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the water, salted onions (or salt), chicken and thyme to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. At this point, remove the chicken pieces and set aside to cool a bit. Add pasta to the broth mixture and let cook for 7-9 minutes (7 for al dente and 9 for well done).  At this point, separate the chicken into bite-size pieces and return it to the saucepan. Cook until chicken is heated through. Serve immediately. 


Makes 4 small servings or 2 large servings.

Delicious Oat Pancakes

With tomorrow being Shrove Tuesday, I thought I'd jump back on the blog band wagon and share this most delicious, tried and true recipe with everyone. While visiting my cousin Dorene near Boston one summer, she cooked up these pancakes for us one morning. The memory of that morning will last a lifetime, but the pancakes went pretty fast. :) I have made these pancakes many times, both for just Dave and myself and also for company. This is the original recipe. The only changes I make is that I used whole wheat flour and, instead of sugar, I sometimes use Splenda. Also, I only use about 1/4 teaspoon of salt. They are so good!  They're very easy to make and you'll want to make them often. 


Oat Pancakes


1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt 
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice 


Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.  Combine eggs, milk, oil and lemon juice and pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. At this point, I let it sit for about 5 minutes or so. Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased, hot griddle.  Turn when bubbles form on top of the pancakes.  Cook until second side is golden brown. 


Makes 6 servings (2 pancakes per serving). 

Chocolate Drop Cookies

I found this recipe among Mom's old stuff.  It was hand written and very old. There is a bakery in Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, across from where my Mom used to live. They sold the most delicious chocolate cookies, when we were growing up.  We always bought some when we were visiting. Mom said that she was sure that this was the recipe that they used (or at least that they tasted exactly like them).  I can vouch for that. Oh, and Dave says that they're melt-in-your-mouth chocolate delights.  I made a double batch today (65 cookies in total) and they are awesome! I made them exactly as they are here. The recipe only included the ingredients so I added the directions as I make other cookies and they turned out perfect. Enjoy! 


Chocolate Drop Cookies


1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar (I used light)
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (extract)
1 and 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)


Preheat oven to 400 F.


Blend shortening and brown sugar together. Add egg and mix again. Add milk and vanilla and set aside. Mix the dry ingredients and nuts, if using. Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Batter will be a bit stiff. 


Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool on a cooling rack. Eat! 


Makes approximately 32 cookies depending on how big you make them.