Almond Glazed Blueberry Scones

Submitted by Trish Schroeder,

(Here's my scones, adapted from Tyler Florence at Food network. The ingredients are the same, but my method of doing the blueberries is different-he stirs them in, but that just made a purple mess. He also does a lemon glaze, and we prefer almond.)

Blueberry Scones
2 c. flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. sugar
5 tbs. butter (must use butter, needs to be very cold)
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. blueberries (I never measure mine, I just use as many as I think look right)

Rinse fresh or frozen blueberries in cold water and allow to drain while mixing dough. This keeps them from turning everything purple. Sift together dry ingredients. Cut in cold butter (use a pastry blender, or two forks). Make a well and pour in cream. Fold together. (I start with a rubber spatula, but end up using my hands to get it combined well.) Press or roll dough into a big rectangle on floured surface (honestly, I usually don't flour it, and I use a ceramic board) until about 1/2-3/4" thick. (Brush with cream if desired, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. When I do, I also sometimes sprinkle just a little granulated sugar on top.) Use your knuckle or desired instrument to make little divets in the surface and poke a blueberry in each hole. Use a pizza cutter to cut into triangles. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. They should just barely start to brown, but not as much as biscuits.

Almond Glaze
To make 1/2 cup of glaze, which is plenty for a full batch, I use: 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbs. butter, 2-3 tbs. water, and 1 1/2 tsp. almond extract. I put it all in a glass bowl, microwave for 30 seconds, and stir. Then I use a spoon to drizzle over the scones.
(The lemon glaze is on the website linked above. We've also tried orange glaze and it was good, but you just can't beat the almond.)

I've also made cinnamon raisin scones by adding about a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients and stirring in raisins at the end. Obviously I then omit the blueberries. They're yummy, and we've tried both the lemon & almond glaze (almond wins again), but blueberry is still the way to go.

Chocolate Cherry Trifle

(Best for a medium-sized trifle bowl)
Submitted by Abigail Rich

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 cans cherry pie filling
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
1 container cool whip

Directions:
1.Make cake as directed. (You will only need approx. half of the cake - the other half of the batter is great for cupcakes, etc.)

2. Make pudding as directed.

3. Layer pudding, cake, cool whip, and cherries in trifle bowl Repeat layers as many times as bowl size will fit. Top with cherries.

4. To allow all of the flavors to mix well, refrigerate overnight or for several hours if possible. The trifle can also be eaten right away if necessary. Enjoy!

(Variations are endless: yellow cake, vanilla pudding, peaches/raspberries are a delicious combo!)

Cranberry Bread (From Ocean Spray)

Submitted by Trish Schroeder

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).

PER SERVING (1 slice): Cal. 211, Fat Cal. 54, Protein 3grams, Carb. 37grams, Fat 6grams, Chol. 18mg., Sodium 313mg.

January Meeting: Crock Pot Quick & Easy Recipes

Although not really well attended (we'll blame the new year and change up of schedules), January's meeting was a very savory experience. We feasted on 3 different crock pot creations (beef, chicken, and pork represented); and truly had a lovely time. All three recipes are uploaded below, be sure to give them a try.

However, due to the low attendance at the meeting, and the abundance of Sundays this year begging for crock pot cooking, I'm asking for everyone to email me your favorite crock pot dish. We need to beef up that category on this site one way or another.

Please email your favorite crock pot recipes to jodee.leahy@sherwoodfamily.net.

Thank you!

BBQ Pork Roast

Submitted by Patricia Schroeder

pork roast
favorite bbq sauce (might use 1-2 cups total)
brown sugar, optional

Pour about 1/2" layer of bbq sauce into crockpot. Add 2-3 tbs. brown sugar if desired. Add pork roast, cut in fourths if desired. Spoon sauce over roast. Cook on low for ~4-5 hours, turning over a few times. When meat is tender, shred with forks. Add more bbq sauce if needed. Cook another hour or so to allow meat to soak up sauce. Serve on rolls or hamburger buns.

Cran-B-Que Chicken

Submitted by Nicole Sizemore

1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 can BBQ sauce
chicken, 3-4 breasts

Add all together in crock pot & cook. Serve with Veggies, rice, or potatoes as a side.

Sunday Pot Roast/Mexican Meat Mix

Submitted by JoDee Leahy

Pot Roast
1. Sear the roast on all sides in a skillet before placing in the crock pot to seal in the juices and to create some very tasty crispy ends.

2. Place in a crock pot on low for as long as possible(6 - 10 hours). The slower you cook it, the more tender it will be.

3. Do not salt or add water at first. Later if it is still dry in the pot (not likely) you can add about a 1/2 -1 inch of water to the crock pot. More likely you may have to drain some of the juices out of the pot so that the meat is not boiling (that will make it tough). You don't want more than 1 inch of liquid in the pot. Salt in the beginning will also make the meat tough. Sometimes I'll throw a packet of Lipton onion soup over the top for flavoring (however, better to wait to add this till later); but often as not, it tastes great with nothing else on it.

4. If desired, add chopped onions, potatoes, and vegetables, and maybe a little salt, for the last hour or two of cooking, depending on how soft you like them.

5. Cook as large a roast as your crock pot will handle and here's a wonderful recipe to do with the leftovers (from Make-A-Mix Cookbook).

Mexican Meat Mix
5 lbs beef roast or combination of beef and pork roasts (cooked low temp and slow)
3 Tbsp butter
3 onions
1 (4oz) can chopped green chilies
2 (7oz) cans green chili salsa (I've used regular salsa and it's still great!)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 Tbsp flour
4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
Juices from beef roasts

Drain cooked meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then remove bones. Shred meat, and set aside.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and green chilies. Saute 1 minute. Add salsa, garlic powder, flour, salt, and cumin. Cook 1 minute over medium-low heat. Stir in reserved meat juices and shredded meat. Cook 5 minutes until thick. Cool.

Put about 3 cups mix each into 1-quart freezer containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top. Seal and label containers. Freeze. Use within 6 months. Makes about 9 cups of Mexican Meat Mix.

This mix is perfect to use in just about anything Mexican: burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tostados, taco salad, etc. The flavor is fantastic, and I've even used tough meat before (that I cooked too fast on too high a temp) and it still was great. Wonderful on those nights you don't want to cook; just reheat and add some tortillas and toppings.