Coconut Balls

 So glad you enjoyed them!! 

There are a few ways to do it- even flavors!

Ours today was :

2 cups shredded coconut

2 cups puffed rice cereal

*mash with pestle until fine (or in a food processor) then mix in

6 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp melted coconut oil

3 Tbsp coconut milk (from can)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

*put in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, then roll into balls. And roll balls in a pile of shredded coconut for texture.

Makes 24

Must stay refrigerated, could freeze too.

Sometimes we only use coconut, no rice puffs- then no need to mash, just mix all ingredients together.

Sometimes we use maple syrup or coconut nectar or agave nectar instead of honey.

Sometimes we add a flavor-- peppermint or lemon ... instead of vanilla.

Easy peasy delicious!!! Enjoy!!!

Happy holidays!

Sarah Koniak

Traditional Irish Buttermilk Scones

Theodora Fitzgibbon’s 1968 classic, A Taste of Ireland

*source: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2012/02/20/blueberry-scones-american-makeover-for-a-british-classic/

Ammonium Bicarbonate:

A leavening agent, and the forerunner of today's baking powder and baking soda. Originally made from the ground antlers of reindeer, this is an ancestor of modern baking powder. Northern Europeans still use it because it makes their springerle and gingerbread cookies very light and crisp. Unfortunately, it can impart an unpleasant ammonia flavor, so it's best used in cookies and pastries that are small enough to allow the ammonia odor to dissipate while baking. Can be found in German or Scandinavian markets, drug stores, baking supply stores or a mail order catalog. Must be ground into a powder before using. Don't confuse this with ordinary household ammonia, which is poisonous.

---

Season:

available year-round

Substitutions:

1 teaspoon of baker’s ammonia = 1 teaspoon baking powder (This is very similar, but might not yield as light and crisp a product.) OR 1 teaspoon baking powder plus 1 teaspoon baking soda

source: http://www.food.com/about/ammonium-bicarbonate-780

Blueberry Scones (ala Aunt Sharon)

They are delicious! Go to blog.kingarthurflour.com. In "search" type blueberry scones. I only modified it by two things--I added 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla instead of using almond extract and I patted it into a round circle, cut it into eighths but not cutting them apart (does that make sense?). That was Suzanne's request. You can do it in the scoops. I have done it both ways before. If you do it in a circle, just bake it at the same temp for about 20-25 minutes. Any questions, feel free to call or message.

The link: http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2012/02/20/blueberry-scones-american-makeover-for-a-british-classic/

The recipe:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

Whisk together the following:
2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder

*Substitute 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour, if desired.
 
Add 6 tablespoons cold butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is unevenly crumbly; use your fingers, a pastry blender, or an electric mixer.

Stir in 1 cup (about 5 ounces, about half a pint) of fresh blueberries.

Stir together the following:
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup (2 ounces) vanilla or plain yogurt, regular or low-fat; nonfat will make a tougher scone
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel (or 1/4 teaspoon lemon oil)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Add to the dry ingredients and stir very gently, just until combined. The dough will be quite stiff (like cookie dough), though it shouldn’t seem dry.

Use a muffin scoop or 1/4-cup measure to scoop the dough onto the prepared sheet in scant 1/4-cupfuls, leaving about 2″ between each.
Brush each ball of dough with a bit of milk or cream, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired. The sugar adds really delightful crunch and a nicely sweet finish.

Bake the scones for 20 to 24 minutes, or until lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into a scone comes out dry.

Remove from the oven, and serve warm.

A dollop of jam is never amiss.
Want to make these scones in your scone pan? Simply pat the dough into the greased wells of the pan, and bake as directed.
Store any leftover scones airtight at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.
To reheat, wrap loosely in aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

From Marina

"So I just made a variation of my three-ingredient flourless peanut butter cookies. (That recipe is 1 egg, 1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup sugar; combine and drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Gently pat into a cookie shape. Bake at 350°. Remove from baking sheet very gently as they are tender and a bit crumbly. They firm up a bit when they cool.)

I substituted almond butter for the peanut butter, reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup and made it dark brown sugar instead of white, and threw in a bunch of semisweet chocolate chips. Here's my dilemma. They LOOK like regular chocolate chip cookies. Should I warn Elisabeth, or just let her discover the truth?

(P.S. They are even better than the peanut butter version.)"

18 Recipes in a Mug

http://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/delicious-snacks-in-a-mug

Microwave Brownies from Daniel

1 Cube of Butter/ Margarine-softened

1 cup of Sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

 

Cream these together, then add

1/2 Cup Cocoa

3/4 Cup Flour

 

Stir in, then add

2 Eggs

(Optional cup of chocolate chips)

 

Mix till combined, then

Pour into greased 8X8 Glass Pan

 Nuke for about 4 minutes in most Microwaves

 

Let cool if you can stand it till they're not gooey.

 

Hugs,

Auntie Kit

Another stab at rice pudding

I used this recipe with already cooked rice (because I left my rice in my cooker accidentally and now it's dry! I hoped cooking over-cooked rice in a liquid will help make it not so tough again, and it worked!).

Super tasty! Though not quite as creamy as I'd like-- the eggs made it have a slightly lumpy texture. (Not the rice kind of lumpy, mind you. That "eggs are congealed and making some sort of little tiny strands of cooked eggy-ness" which is probably a result of how I added the hot milk to my eggs and cooked it too fast.)

So, the main difference is I used rice that's been dried out accidentally, instead of uncooked rice. I greatly reduced the initial cooking time.

link: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/rice_pudding/

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of whole milk
• 1/3 cup (66 grams) of uncooked short grain white rice
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/3 cup (40 grams) raisins

METHOD

1 In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk, rice and salt to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

2 In a small mixing bowl, whisk together egg and brown sugar until well mixed. Add a half cup of the hot rice mixture to the egg mixture, a tablespoon at a time, vigorously whisking to incorporate.

3 Add egg mixture back into the saucepan of rice and milk and stir, on low heat, for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened, or about 160°F (71°C). Be careful not to have the mixture come to a boil at this point or it will curdle. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in the raisins and cinnamon.

Serve warm or cold.

Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

http://www.momswhothink.com/bread-recipes/starbucks-pumpkin-scones-recipe.html

These pumpkin scones are so moist and flavorful you’ll want them all
year round. Make them on a fall morning and they’re a perfect fit with
hot tea or coffee.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F ( 218 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix 2 cups flour, 7 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon
baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon
nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ginger.
With a pastry cutter (or two knives/forks), cut in 6 tablespoons cold butter.
Mix in 1 large egg, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, and 3 tablespoons whole milk or half and half.

Dallop onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 14-16 minutes, or
until lightly brown. Let sit for a few minutes, then move to a wire
rack to cool.

Sugar Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup and 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar,
2 Tablespoons whole milk.

Spiced Glaze Ingredients:
1 cup and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Mix together, and then gradually add: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8
teaspoon ground nutmeg. Drizzle onto scones with whisk.

Note: vanilla doesn’t work well because the alcohol doesn’t have a
chance to cook out.