Cinnamon Snails

A friend gave me this recipe back when we were in high school and didn't really use the world wide web for much. I have no idea where it came from but had a craving the other day and asked my mother to search her house for it. It is quick and easy and they are tasty!

Dough:

• 1.5 cups flour 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 3/4 tsp baking powder
• Dash of salt (approx 1/2 tsp)
• 3/8 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup milk with 1 egg beaten into it (only use about half in the dough)

Filling:

• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Mix the dry ingredients together. I melted the margarine and mixed it in, then added just enough of the milk/egg mixture to allow the dough to pull together into a mass that was able to be rolled with a rolling pin.  I used just under 1/2 of the mixture, and I ended up with some leftover milk/egg at the end of the recipe so you may wish to just mix the egg with 1/3 or 1/4 cup milk.

Roll the dough into a long rectangle, at least three times as long as it is wide.  I made mine about 18" x 6", and the swirls seemed too small at first but they puffed up while baking.

Spread some of the milk and egg mixture onto the dough and sprinkle liberally and evenly with the topping. Roll into a tight, long log (roll starting from the long side). Cut with a very sharp knife in approximately 3/4" widths. I found that my dough crumbled if I used the dough scraper or even dental floss - I used a filet knife to get a sharp cut. Bake at 350 degrees on parchment paper for about 14 minutes until they have risen and browned - they will harden a bit further after they are removed from the oven and they should be crumbly when eaten.

Enjoy!

Three-Cheese Tomato Orzo Soup

 

Aside from the cheese, I consider this soup to be a healthy meal option. It's quite quick and easy to make (half hour if everything is available), and is a huge hit at my house.

Start with:

• 1 diced yellow onion
• 2-3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and brown the onions over medium heat - just a few minutes until they're tender and translucent.  Add the garlic and brown for another minute or two. 

Add (feel free to be flexible with amounts - this is just a guideline):

• 2 (28 oz) cans of whole or diced tomatoes - I use whole and cut them up a bit. They seem a bit more flavourful than the diced ones. Add the liquid from the can also.
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup fresh basil if available, or a couple of teaspoons of dried basil
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1-2 tsp sugar, to taste (if I use more yogurt because it needs to be used up, another tsp of sugar or so is helpful)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer until well-heated throughout, then blend with an immersion/stick blender. Add cheese as desired - I used a sharp vintage white cheddar (love Tillamook cheese!), a bit of parmesan and some Friulano cheese, a staple of my Italian grandmother-in-law's kitchen.  Probably about 1.5 cups of grated cheese. Add pre-cooked orzo pasta to add some weight to the soup if desired - I love this.  Serve with basic buttered biscuits and enjoy! 

Whipped Shortbread

I first experienced whipped shortbread at a snack table at a funeral.  I nearly asked everyone I saw whether or not they had tried this little piece of heaven... and then I remembered that I'm an adult and I need to restrain myself until a more appropriate time.

A time like Christmas.

Makes about 60 small bite-sized cookies (recipe is easy to halve, double, or increase by 50%):

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 lb butter (approx 450 grams or 1 cup - half a "pack" here in Canada)

Whip the butter in a stand mixer.  Trust me, you will want a stand mixer or your arm might fall off.

Add the rest.  Leave it whipping in the mixer for anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes, literally.  This needs to fill with air. The dough will look very fluffy and white, somewhat like frosting or like meringue peaks. 

It's as easy as scooping with a fork onto a pan and baking at 350 degrees for up to 20 minutes.  My oven cooks hot - check after 12 minutes or so and ensure the bottoms aren't browning. These need to cook through but over baking will dry them out.

Sometimes I even cook a half recipe (my husband doesn't like shortbread) and that makes 30 small cookies. 

Enjoy with milk!

Eggnog-Raspberry Muffins

These muffins are taken from inspiredbycharm.com and are a nice light, sweet muffin. I really like that the eggnog does not overpower the muffin. I didn't have cranberries so I picked the next most tart berry I had in my freezer - raspberries.  The original recipe is posted with beautiful pictures so please go there and admire Michael's skills.


Dry ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup eggnog
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup fresh (or frozen if you're like me and that's all you have) berries

Mix wet ingredients briefly into the dry ones and spoon into a muffin tin (lined or greased). I prefer to make 10 larger muffins and they rise quite well.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes (toothpick test).  I baked my larger ones for more like 26 minutes.

Optional crumb topping (that I'm usually too lazy to bother with - the muffins are good enough):

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces or grated

Cheese Scones

I found this recipe through Kraft's site. These are delectable - I can't even explain how much I adore a good cheese scone.  I will never look for another one now that I tried this one.

It's a good recipe for halving, as I can make 4 large scones with a half-recipe.

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup cold butter/margarine, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (I usually add a few small chunks of cheese too to get some nice cheese pockets in the scones)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk

Mix the first four ingredients well, then cut in the butter. Fork in the cheese and make a well in the middle.  Whisk together milk and eggs and add to the centre of the well, then mix gently and briefly with a fork until somewhat together. Knead gently with hands just to make dough gather together. Divide into flattened circular shapes messily or go to the hassle of rolling 1/2 inch thick and cutting out circular shapes with a biscuit cutter.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes.  My larger biscuits (8 to a batch) take 17 minutes.  They are a little slice of heaven, and are a perfect accompaniment for soup on a colder day. 

Apple Crumble

Topping:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg
• 1/3 cup melted butter or margarine

Fruit filling just requires a pinch of salt, cinnamon, and a bit of sugar to lightly coat the fruit.  Standard recipe would be granny smith apples but nectarines (as above) or blackberries make an excellent summer treat!

375 for 30 min or until apples are soft when poked with a fork.  Best when served with ice cream.  

Cornbread

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp each of salt, baking powder, baking soda
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream for best results (but I usually use skim milk)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Combine dry and wet ingredients separately, then stir together until just moistened. Pour into greased 8x8 square dish.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 20-25 min (add 5 min for a glass dish).  Test done-ness with a toothpick in the centre of the loaf - it should come out clean.

Basic Biscuits

My mom's recipe for light, easy biscuits has saved me a few times when I need a quick soup accompaniment. I know everyone must have a biscuit recipe but I just don't want to lose my tried-and-true morsels of flaky goodness.

This is also a reason why I love my food processor - "cut in the butter" was my least favourite instruction ever until I discovered these wonderful whirl-y blades.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup shortening (margarine is fine)
• 3/4 cup milk for molded biscuits - 1 cup for "dropped" biscuits

Mix together dry ingredients, cutting in shortening. Add milk and mix lightly - just until moistened throughout. Form biscuits however you like or drop on greased baking sheet for crusty goodness. 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes.


Serve hot with butter (obviously)!

Scones

I don't know where I originally obtained this recipe but here is my version.  These are great because you can add whatever "feature" ingredient you like.

The key to flaky layers is cold butter, sliced in in flaky pieces. However if you're lazy and have a food processor, that is an easy way to cut the butter in.

Dry:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar (I often use slightly less)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup margarine (or slightly less than 1/2 cup if using butter)
• 1/2 cup frozen fruit (tart fruit is best... if using sweet fruit like blueberries you may want to add a touch of lemon zest or lemon juice)

Wet:

• 1/2 cup milk (or buttermilk)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients up to the margarine, then cut that in or pulse a few times in the food processor. Mix the fruit into the dry mix with a spatula.

Mix the milk, egg, and vanilla in a bowl with a fork.  Add your dry mix and stir briefly until dry and wet mixes are crumbly. Don't over-mix. Pull together dough with your hands until it looks like this:

Grease a cookie sheet (or line with parchment paper) and form your scones. Either flatten one large circle and but into eighths, or divide your dough into about 8 pieces. Shape into triangular forms (if you're feeling fancy) or just scoop some dough with a small measuring cup and drop it onto the sheet for a rough shape. Sprinkle a pinch of raw sugar on the top of each scone if desired. Bake for 15-17 minutes. 

Voila!  Warm and yummy. Serve with butter or eat them plain.