Phil's Au Gratin Potatoes

• 3 Tbsp butter
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• salt
• pepper
• 8-10 medium yellow/red potatoes, sliced
• 1 cup peas
• 2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp chilli pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a 3qt pan, melt butter on medium-low heat. When butter is melted, add flour and whisk for 2 min or until flour is lightly browned. Next, add the garlic and parsley to the roux and stir just to combine. Add the milk and bring to a simmer whisking continuously. The sauce should thicken. Remove sauce from the heat and then mix in 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Swiss cheeses adding slowly to avoid clumps. Salt and pepper to taste. Add peas to the sauce.

In a 8x8" glass casserole dish, pour just enough sauce to coat the bottom of the dish. 

Slice potatoes thinly, about 1/8" thick, and layer them in the dish. Alternate one layer of sauce to coat and then a layer of sliced potatoes. There should be about 5 layers of potatoes.

Pour remaining sauce on the top and then cover with the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350°F for 80-90 minutes or until the the potatoes are fork tender and the cheese on top is browned.

Eggless Pumpkin Bread

 

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp clove
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 2 dollops sour cream or greek yogurt (a dollop is a heaping tablespoon)
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bow,l mix the sugar, nuts, sour cream, pumpkin, and melted butter.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined.
Spoon the batter into a lightly grease and floured 8x4" loaf pan. I use a glass loaf pan for all my quick breads so that the crust doesn't get too dark.
Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

 

We grew Cinderella pumpkins this year and the processed pumpkin puree made from them was very watery. Phil had the great idea to use the puree to make cupcakes since the puree would be too wet for pie. He used a recipe he has for sweet potato cupcakes as the starting point. He topped them with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon salt roasted pecans.

Makes six large cupcakes or 12 regular cupcakes

Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ingredients

1 ½ C. Flour

1 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

¾ C. Milk

2 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

⅓ C. Canola Oil

½ C. White Sugar 

½ C. Brown Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

½ tsp. Almond Extract

1 C. or 8 oz. Pumpkin Puree (if using canned puree, you may need to increase milk an additional 1/4 C.)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. 

Grease and flour cupcake tins or insert paper cupcake cups.

In a bowl, add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda, baking powder. Set aside. 

In another bowl, whisk together milk, vinegar, and pumpkin puree. Add in sugars and extracts.

When oven is at temperature, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix. Pour batter into cupcake pan and bake. 

For regular cupcake tins, cook for 22-27 minutes. 

For large cupcakes, cook for 30 to 35 minutes.

Test cupcakes, a toothpick interested into the center of a cupcake should come out clean, and take them out to cool.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

¼ C. Butter (half a stick)

½ C. Cream Cheese (4 oz.)

2 C. Powdered Sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla

3-4 TB Maple Syrup

1-2 TB Milk

Preparation

Mix butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and milk. Slowly add in powdered sugar. Frost on cooled cupcakes.

Cinnamon Salt Roasted Pecans

Ingredients

½ C. Pecans

½ tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Olive Oil

Preparation

Mix olive oil with pecans.

Add in cinnamon and salt and stir.

Roast in air fryer at 300F for 7 minutes or until roasted.

Let cool, place on cupcakes as garnish.

Chocolate Vinegar Cake

Ingredients

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
⅓ cup cocoa, well rounded
2 tsp vinegar
2 cups water
¾ cup oil
2 tsp vanilla

Preparation

Sift dry ingredients.
Add wet ingredients.
Blend well.
Bake in a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan at 350° for 45 minutes.

Vanilla Vinegar Cake

1 1/2 cups + 3 tbsp flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla

5 tbsp v oil

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake in a greased 9" round pan for 35 minutes.

Let cool before frosting.

Shortcake

I have always added sugar to my go-to biscuit recipe instead of making actual shortcakes. Oh man, if I had only known what I was missing. These things are amazing!  We have had an abundance of strawberries from our garden this year and had yet to make Strawberry Shortcake.  I remembered seeing a recipe for shortcakes in the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and thought I would try something new. Here is the recipe which I have adapted:

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1/4 cups cold shortening, cut into cubes

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. whipping cream (I bought a small container of whipping cream and used the rest to make the whipped cream for the Strawberry Shortcake)

1 egg-replacer equivalent

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a small bowl stir together butter and shortening.  Cover; freeze 15 minutes.  In a large bowl stir together the flours, 1/2 cup of the sugar, baking powder and salt.  Once the butter is chilled, rub the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers leaving large pebble size pieces. 

In a medium bowl whisk together the 1/2 cup cream, egg-replacer, and vanilla.  Add this to the flour mixture.  Stir with a fork until combined.  Gently knead until smooth, about 1 minute (dough should hold its shape without falling apart.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface.  Roll until 1 inch thick.  Using a 2 1/2-inch cutter, cut 6 rounds, re-rolling scraps as necessary.  Transfer the cakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes.  While the cakes are freezing, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Measure the 1 Tbsp. of cream into a small bowl.  Brush the tops of the cakes with the cream and sprinkle them with sugar.  

Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near centers come out clean.

Remove and cool completely before serving.

Here are the Strawberry Shortcakes we had over the weekend: 

Maple Cookies (Eggless)

These are a childhood favorite of mine and I always make them at the first sign of Autumn.  They are soft and rich with maple flavoring.  

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons maple extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough about 2” apart on greased baking sheet. If you don't grease the baking sheet they will stick.  Bake about 10-12 minutes, or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly. When cooled, spread with maple butter glaze.

Maple Butter Glaze

1/2 cup butter
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons maple extract
2-4 tablespoons hot water

In a small sauce pot, heat butter until golden brown. Blend in sugar and maple extract. Stir in 2 to 4 tablespoons hot water until icing runs off a spoon. 

Also, I tend to dip the top of the cookies into the pot of glaze which I think is easier than trying to spread it evenly.