Christmas Cornflake Wreath

Posting this for my childhood friend from junior high; Janice Dalrymple Wallace who asked about the recipe for these cookies we made in Home Ec

Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

* 4 cups marshmallows

* 1/2 cup butter

* 1 tsp. green food coloring

* 1/2 tsp. vanilla

* 1/2 tsp. almond extract

* 4 cups cornflake cereal

* 2 ¼ oz. cinnamon candies (such as Red Hots)

Directions

1. Place the marshmallows and butter in a large bowl. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir. Microwave on high for two minutes or until completely melted. �

2. Add the green food coloring, vanilla, and almond extract; stir until the marshmallow mixture is smooth. �

3. Add the cornflakes to the bowl, and gently stir to coat the cereal evenly with the marshmallow mixture. �

4. Shape the Christmas Cookie Wreaths around a round cutter on a baking sheet. Remove round cutter, and place candy. Let cool. �

Tips

Making Cornflake Wreath Christmas Cookies With Kids

To successfully make Cornflake Wreath Cookies with kids, use mini marshmallows, which will melt faster than the jet-puffed variety. Add small amounts of cereal to the marshmallow mixture at a time to ensure an even coating. Your kids can do the mixing—just be sure they stir gently to avoid breaking up the cereal too much. To keep the gooey cornflake mixture from sticking to the cookie cutter, spray the exterior of the cookie cutter with a non-stick cooking spray, such as PAM.

 

Cherry Pies -- Christmas Tree

Cherry Hand Pies

4.8 Stars (6 Reviews)

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

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Cherry Hand Pies are shaped like Christmas trees for the holiday season! You only need five ingredients to make festive hand pies with a flaky crust and juicy filling.

Ingredients

• 3 boxes refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts each box)
• 1 can (21 ounce) cherry pie filling
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tablespoons water
• Coarse sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thaw the refrigerated pie crust, according to package directions.  
2. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with water, for egg wash, set aside.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll out one thawed pie crust, ensuring there are no cracks or holes. The crust should be between ¼” and ⅛” thick.
4. Use a 3-4 inch holiday tree cookie cutter to cut out about 7 trees. Save the excess crust. Repeat with all the remaining pie crusts, saving the excess crusts from each roll. When all the ready-made pie crust has been used, and all that remains is the excess, combine it all and roll it out, the same thickness as the original crusts, to complete the remaining hand pies.
5. Place trees on the parchment lined baking sheet and spoon about 1 - 1 ½ Tablespoons of cherry pie filling into the center of each tree. Brush the border around the filling with egg wash.
6. Gently place the trees over the top of the filling. Starting at the trunk, lightly press the edges together, making sure not to press down on the filling.  
7. Using the tines of a fork, press the seams together, working around the outline of the tree. Using a sharp knife, make a few slits in the top crust for venting. Brush the top crusts with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar, if desired.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Remove the refrigerated pie crust from the package and let it sit, at room temperature, for about 10-15 minutes. This will make the crust much easier to work with and roll out without tearing. Homemade pie crust will also work great. You'll need SIX crusts total.
• Feel free to use any flavor pie filling, or try our homemade cherry pie filling or blueberry pie filling instead.
• STORAGE: These are best eaten the same day they are made. However, you can store them covered, at room temperature, the first day. Then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days after that.
• To freeze a baked hand pie, place them on a baking sheet, in a single layer, and put the sheet in the freezer, just until the pies are frozen. Then, place them in individual freezer bags for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and serve at room temperature.

 

Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Sourdough Pumpkin Muffins

Yield: 24 muffins

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 18 mins

Total Time: 38 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups (456 g) pumpkin puree, canned or homemade (see note)
• 1 cup (227 g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard (see note)
• 1 cup (212 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable or melted butter or coconut oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose or whole wheat flour (see note)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt (decrease if using salted butter)
• 1 cup (170 g) chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, sourdough starter, granulated sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well-combined.
• Add the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips (if using) and mix until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling the muffin cups 1/2 to 2/3 full. If desired, sprinkle a few regular or mini chocolate chips on top of the muffins.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch and/or a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Notes

Pumpkin Puree: make sure to use single ingredient pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. If using homemade pumpkin puree, you might want/need to drain excess liquid before using as homemade pumpkin puree tends to be more watery than canned pumpkin. 

Sourdough Starter: this recipe calls for unfed sourdough starter (also known as discard). I have not tried it using recently fed sourdough starter - my guess is that will work fine as well. 

Whole Wheat Flour: whole wheat flour works well in these muffins (as does 50/50 white flour and whole wheat flour). I have only ever used white whole wheat flour. Different varieties of whole wheat will produce different results (for instance, red whole wheat is a bit more dense and heavy in baked goods). 

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/sourdough-pumpkin-muffins/

 

Sourdough Banana Bread

 

Sourdough Banana Bread

Yield: 12 slices (1 loaf)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (350 g) mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
• 1/2 cup (140 g) sourdough starter, fed or discard
• 1/2 cup (100 g) neutral-flavored oil (see note)
• 1/2 cup (106 g) packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (106 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large (100 g out of shell) eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups (249 g) all-purpose or whole wheat flour (see note if using whole wheat)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9X5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray (I cut a strip of parchment paper and line the bottom and two long sides). Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the bananas, sourdough starter, oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg and vanilla until very well-combined.
• Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry streaks remain. Don't over mix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes until the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove the bread from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Notes

Pan Size: this recipe makes too much batter for a smaller 8 1/2 X 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, so make sure the pan is 9X5-inches. (For high elevation baking where batter can rise quicker and sometimes overflow, you might want to reserve some of the batter and bake in a mini loaf pan or 2-3 muffins. I live at 2,500 feet and this bread does not overflow in the oven, but I haven't tested it at high elevation). 

Oil: use a neutral-flavored oil like canola, vegetable, grapeseed, melted coconut oil (refined coconut oil doesn't have a strong coconut flavor) or other oil without a strong flavor profile. I haven't tried subbing part of the oil with applesauce, but you can experiment. You can also use melted butter. If doing so, decrease the salt by 1/4 teaspoon. In my testing, the bread rises less well when using melted butter and the crumb has a slightly greasier texture. For that reason, I prefer using oil.

Whole Wheat: when using whole wheat flour in this recipe, I recommend using white whole wheat (hard or soft wheat) - or a wheat berry or flour like kamut or einkhorn. Those varieties are less dense and dark than using red whole wheat. 

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/sourdough-banana-bread/

Einkorn bread

White Einkorn Sandwich Bread Loaf

Servings: 4 loaves

Author: Julie Koyle

Ingredients

• 4 C Warm Water
• 2 T Honey
• 2 1/2 T Yeast
• 1450 grams All-Purpose Organic Einkorn Flour
• 2 T Pink Himalayan Salt

Notes

Step 1:

• Combine warm water and honey. Let sit while honey begins to melt.
• Add yeast and mix. Allow to proof for about 5 minutes for yeast to activate.

Step 2:

• Mix 400 grams flour into the yeast water mixture. For a more wholesome loaf, you can replace 250-300 grams of All-Purpose Einkorn Flour with Whole Grain Einkorn Flour.
• Add and mix in the salt.

Step 3:

• Add remaining flour, slowly, mixing fully with the liquid base.
• Allow mixer to run slowly for 5-10 minutes.

Step 4:

• Let rest and rise for 15-20 minutes, allowing it to dry out slightly.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 5:

• Wet hands with water then cut, shape and place dough into loaf pans.
• Let rise for 25-30 minutes in covered pans, until it doubles in size.

Step 6: 

• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• After removing from oven, brush top with butter. 
• Let cool before cutting.

 

Pumpkin Scones

 Pumpkin Scones Mix together in large bowl: 

1 ¼ cups flour
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Cut in:
½ cup very cold butter or ghee cut in small pieces, or grated

Add wet ingredients:
½ cup milk (cream, half and half, buttermilk, reconstituted powdered milk)
1 egg (2 tbsp egg powder + 2 tbsp water)
1 tsp extract (vanilla, lemon, almond, etc.)
1 cup pumpkin puree (can be reconstituted from powder) 

Combine with wooden spoon until completely mixed. Then choose one method: a. Turn out on floured counter and roll into 8” circle. With pizza cutter, cut into 8 wedges. Arrange on greased cooking sheet. b. Press into scones mold Bake at 400°F for about 20 minutes or until top springs back when lightly pressed. Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with simple icing.

Pumpkin Breadsticks

Pumpkin Breadsticks 

In a bowl mix together:
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup warm water
Add dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup pumpkin powder

Stir together until a sticky mixture is formed. Pour out on floured counter adding more flour as you knead the dough until it is soft and pliable but not sticky. Place in oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Turn out on floured counter, punch down, flatten, and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a rope shape, place on a greased baking sheet, and cover with tea towel. Turn oven to 400°F and allow breadsticks to rest and rise slightly as oven preheats. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. If bottoms are still white, turn over and bake an additional 5 minutes until browned. Remove from oven and brush with butter. Sprinkle with coarse salt and crushed herbs of your choice.

Pumpkin Pie from Powdered Pumpkin

 (Adapted from Libby) 

2/3 cup pumpkin powder
4 Tbsp egg powder
¾ cups sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp cloves
¾ cup powdered milk
2 cups water to start

Mix all together and whisk until powders have dehydrated. Add additional water until mixture reaches desired consistency. Pour into unbaked 9” pie crust and bake at 375°F until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean—about 45-55 minutes.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Classic Pancake mix
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice seasoning
• 6 tablespoons of brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup of pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons of oil

Directions

1. Preheat your griddle. 
2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the pancake mix, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice seasoning, and brown sugar. 
3. Stir until well incorporated. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine the vanilla, eggs, pumpkin puree, buttermilk, and oil and whisk until well combined. 
5. Stir together the wet and dry ingredients until slightly lumpy. 
6. Pour pancake batter (about ¼ cup of batter for each pancake) onto the pan.
7. Cook pancake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees on a griddle (medium-high heat on the stovetop) or until the bottom is browned, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes
8. Serve warm, topped with the syrup of your choice, and enjoy!

 

Butternut Squash + Coconut Milk

 

Nothing says sweater weather like some fresh homemade soup! Here’s a recipe that will bring the family back for seconds.

Butternut Squash Soup

Feeds 4-6

Ingredients:

- 4 pounds of butternut squash

- Chicken stock – 1 ½ - 2 quarts

- 1 can of coconut milk

- ¾ stick of butter

- Sea Salt

- Pepper

- Fresh Basil

- Peel butternut squash and remove all the green lines.

- Cut in half and remove all the seeds.

- Cube the butternut squash into 1 ½” pieces.

- Place in stock put with butter and a teaspoon of basil.

- Cook for 5 mins to melt butter and slightly brown the pieces.

- Add chicken stock to the pot to cover the squash.

- Cover and boil for 40 mins or until the squash is soft.

- Add ½ can of coconut milk.

- Remove from heat and blend with a blender.

- Put back on the stove on low heat.

- Add coconut milk to thicken or chicken broth to thin to the consistency you desire.

- Serve with some fresh sourdough bread.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Soft and Chewy with lots of pumpkin flavor!

 

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (blotted)

3/4 cup salted butter (I like to use cold cut into pieces)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Cream butter and sugars together until smooth add pumpkin and vanilla mix another 2 min. Add dry ingredients and chocolate chips just until combined.

 

Dough will be sticky and needs to be put in the freezer for 30+ min.

 

Bake 350' for 8 min.

 

Popcorn with Cinnamon and Freeze Dried Apples

 

Ingredients

  

• 1⅓ cups (2 oz) freeze-dried apples or apple chips
• 2 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 cups buttered popcorn

Instructions

 

• Blend together apples, confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon in a blender or food processor until powdery. 
• Toss 6 tablespoon apple powder mixture with 1 bag hot microwave popcorn or 8 cups of hot air-popped buttered popcorn. 
• Store extra apple cinnamon mixture for another batch. Keep popcorn airtight up to 3 days.

strawberry smoothie

 

Ingredients

• 2 oz. freeze dried strawberries
• 4oz Lemon Lime Soda or any soda
  
• 4oz Pineapple Juice
• Ice Cubes

Directions

Step 1

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until smooth and serve!

Banana Bread

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 7 bags Brothers All Natural freeze-dried bananas (1/2 cup bags)
• 3/4 cups white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup butter (melted)

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray (or use paper liners). Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2
Put bananas in a bowl and cover with water. Let bananas rehydrate until soft. Mash together.
Step 3
Combine bananas, sugar, egg, and melted in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Scoop into muffin pans.
Step 4
Bake large muffins for 25-30 minutes (If making mini muffins, reduce time to 10-15 minutes). When done, muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.