Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream

A simple homemade ice cream using kefir instead of milk for a tangy, creamy treat! (What is kefir?) Yield: 

6 cups
Ingredients: 

2 cups kefir* (may substitute plain yogurt)
2/3 cup sugar**
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions: 

1. In a 4-cup measuring cup (or medium bowl) stir together the kefir and sugar, until sugar is dissolved.

2. Stir in the cream and vanilla. Pour mixture into your ice cream maker bowl and churn until thick and creamy! Enjoy fresh as a “soft serve” consistency, or freeze for later.

Vanilla Kefir Ice Cream

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.




Plum Pudding Cake

This
old-fashioned dessert has a sweet cake layer on top and a juicy plum
pudding filling beneath! It’s simple to make and a great recipe for your
extra plums!
Yield: 

9 servings
Ingredients: 

1 cup all-purpose or cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons oil
2 cups washed and halved plums (pits removed, too!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup boiling water
Instructions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

2. Beat in the milk and oil. Spread mixture in an ungreased 8×8-inch baking dish. Layer the halved plums on top.

3. Whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the plum-topped batter. Pour the boiling water over everything!

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, until cake is browned on top. (The
top layer should test done with a fork with only a few crumbs, if
you’re unsure.)

Serve warm or cold. Perfect with ice cream or all by itself! 🙂

Plum Pudding Cake

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.




Homemade Wheat Thins Style Crackers

Easy
homemade whole wheat crackers that taste remarkably similar to Wheat
Thins! Thin, crunchy, and salty — you will love these crackers!
Yield: 

About 8 ounces of crackers
Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Salt, for topping
Instructions: 

1.
Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sugar, and paprika in a medium bowl.
Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender, until small crumbs form.
Or, combine the dry ingredients and butter in a food processor bowl and
pulse until crumbly.

2. Make a well in the center, and add the water and vanilla. Stir to
mix, then use clean hands to knead a few times, just enough to form a
ball of dough. (Add just a tad more water, only if needed.) Divide dough
into two pieces and cover with a clean towel.

3. Lightly grease two 11×15-inch baking sheets* and sprinkle lightly with salt. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. On a lightly floured counter, roll each piece of dough into a thin
rectangle approximately 11×15 inches. (Be sure to lightly flour the
dough as you roll, so it doesn’t stick to the counter!)

5. Transfer the sheet of dough to the baking sheet. Use a pizza
cutter or sharp knife to cut dough into squares. Trim edges if desired.
Sprinkle tops with salt.

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly
browned. Crackers will become more crispy as they cool, so don’t
over-bake! (Remove edge crackers that are getting too dark if the middle
crackers aren’t quite done yet, and continue baking.)

7. Remove baked crackers from sheets and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cool, plain or with dips or  and store leftover crackers in a sealed bag or container.

Homemade Wheat Thins Style Crackers

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.




Tammy’s Easy Homemade Hummus

A
simple homemade hummus that’s 100% from scratch! This hummus is thick,
smooth and creamy, with toasted sesame and garlic flavors
Yield: 

about 6 cups of hummus
Ingredients: 

16 ounces dried garbanzo beans/chick peas OR 4 cans (15-ounce cans)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt or more, to taste
Instructions: 

1. Cook garbanzo beans according to package instructions.* When beans are very tender, remove from heat and drain.

2. Heat a heavy (like cast iron) or non-stick skillet over
medium-high heat. Toss the sesame seeds into the heated pan and cook and
stir for a couple minutes, until lightly browned. (Don’t get them too
dark, or they will taste burnt.) Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. In a food processor (or blender), blend the toasted sesame seeds
with the garlic and a tablespoon or so of the oil, until smooth. (This
might take a couple minutes.) Add more of the oil and some of the cooked
garbanzo beans and blend until smooth.

If you have a big food processor or a good blender, you may be able
to blend everything at once (in that case, add the rest of the
ingredients and blend until smooth!).

If you have a smaller food processor, blend the beans in 2 batches,
saving some of the oil for the second batch, and stirring every minute
or two as needed. Then, stir everything together in a bowl.

4. Add more salt if needed. Store hummus in an airtight container in the fridge. Serve with pita chips, unleavened bread, corn chips, or veggie sticks!

Tammy’s Easy Homemade Hummus

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.




Easy Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Jalapeno halves stuffed with cheeses and cilantro and baked for a fabulous appetizer or snack!
Yield: 

24 pieces
Ingredients: 

12 large jalapeno peppers
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (packed) finely chopped cilantro leaves
1/8 teaspoon salt
Bread crumbs or Parmesan cheese, optional
Instructions: 

1. Wearing protective rubber or plastic gloves, slice jalapenos in half lengthwise and remove the meat and seeds.*

2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cheeses, cilantro, and salt
until creamy. Spread into halved peppers. If desired, dip or roll the
tops of the peppers (the open cheese-stuffed side) in bread crumbs or
grated parmesan cheese.

3. Place peppers cheese-side-up on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until hot and lightly browned on top. Serve and enjoy!

Easy Baked Jalapeno Poppers

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.




Maple Oatmeal Scones

Yield: 

8 large scones
Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup buttermilk or kefir
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs

Egg wash ingredients:

1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
Oats, for sprinkling

Glaze ingredients:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions: 

1.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar,
and salt. Cut in the butter, using a fork or a pastry blender, until
butter is in pea-sized lumps. Some remaining lumps of butter are
perfectly fine, and help make flakier scones.

2. In a small bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the buttermilk,
maple syrup, and eggs, beating lightly to mix. Add to dry ingredients
and stir gently until a thick ball of dough forms.

3. With clean hands, gently knead the ball of dough a few times.
Dough should be slightly sticky/wet. Just gently form the dough into a
ball and then start flattening it into a large circle, about an inch
thick. You can flatten the dough on a lightly-floured surface, or right
on a large baking sheet.

4. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the circle of dough into 8
wedges. (If you want smaller scones, either cut the dough into 12
wedges, or make two, smaller circles of dough and cut each into 6-8
wedges.) Place the wedges on a baking sheet, either in  circle (close
together) or else separated (like cookies).

5. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white and teaspoon of water.
Brush a thin layer over the tops of the scones. Sprinkle lightly with
oats.

6. Bake scones at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and done inside. Place scones on a wire rack to cool.

7. To make glaze, put powdered sugar in a small bowl or a 1-cup
measuring cup. Add vanilla extract, and then use a fork to stir in
enough maple syrup to make a glaze that will drizzle.

8. Drizzle glaze over hot or warm scones, or wait until scones are
cooled. More glaze will run off of hot scones, so let them cool a little
if you want a thicker glaze. (I prefer the glaze to end up on my scones
rather than mostly on the counter!) Enjoy!

Scones are best enjoyed within a day or two of being made, although they’ll keep longer. Store these in a sealed container or bag.

Maple Oatmeal Scones

This recipe is taken from Tammy’s Recipes.




Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (copycat recipe)

Yield: 

12 large cinnamon rolls (a FULL 9×13 dish!)
Ingredients: 

1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
4 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour
1 box (3.4 ounces) instant (no-cook) vanilla pudding mix
2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or instant active dry yeast

Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/4 cup raisins, optional

Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
~1-2 teaspoons milk
Instructions: 

**See additional notes below for making this dough in a bread  machine**

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the hot water with the cup of
(cold) milk to make a warm milk-water mixture. Add the butter, sugar,
salt, egg, and a cup of the flour. Stir to mix.

2. Without stirring between, add 2 more cups of flour, the vanilla
pudding mix, and the dry yeast. Then stir to make a sticky dough. Add
more flour as needed (about a cup more, or as much as it takes to make a
smooth dough) and stir until too thick to stir.

3. Use clean hands to knead dough for 10-15 minutes, until smooth and
elastic. With buttery hands, grease the top of the dough and cover the
bowl of dough with a clean towel. Place in a warm location* and let rise
until double, about an hour.

4. Gently punch down dough ad knead for a minute or two, to remove
excess air bubbles. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a
rectangle about 12 inches by 17 inches.

5. Combine the first three filling ingredients and mix well. Heat in
microwave 10 seconds to make spreadable. (It’s okay if it’s fairly
thick.) Spread over rolled dough, covering as much of the surface as
possible. Sprinkle nuts and raisins over dough if using.

6. Starting with the widest end, roll dough into a tight log. Pinch
edges to seal. With a thin sharp knife (I use a serrated knife), cut log
into 12 equal slices. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13-inch glass
baking dish. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm location to
rise until nearly double in size, about 30-45 minutes.

7. Bake rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes. After
about 20 minutes of baking, check on rolls and cover loosely with foil
if they are getting too dark. Rolls can stay in the dish after baking;
set the dish on a wire rack and cover with a clean towel to let it cool.

8. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese. Add
powdered sugar, vanilla, and maple syrup and beat. Add enough milk to
make a spreadable consistency, about 1-2 teaspoons.

9. Frost rolls while they are still warm for a drizzly melty look! Enjoy!

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls (copycat recipe)

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.




Energy Bars

A chewy oatmeal chocolate chip granola bar
Yield: 

36 Bars
Ingredients: 

9 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup goldren ground flaxseed
1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
1/4 cup water
Instructions: 

1.
In a large bowl, mix oats and brown sugar. Melt butter in a small pan
or bowl, and add corn syrup to butter. Stir butter mixture into oat
mixture and mix well.

2. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Grease two baking sheets
(11×15-inch) and divide mixture evenly on both sheets, pressing flat
with a pancake turner.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, until edges are lightly
browned. Remove sheets from oven and place on wire racks. Cut after 6
minutes (set timer!) with a pizza cutter, using a butter knife to cut
the edges that the pizza cutter won’t get. Cover with a clean towel
while cooling.

Store energy bars in an airtight container or bag. These keep well, but will get more crumbly after a week or so, so freeze any extras that won’t be eaten within 7-10 days.

Homemade Energy Bars

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes.