Homemade Toaster Tarts

I know they're a little wonky, but as all of my kids have their own aprons they decided to come and "watch". Of course that doesn't really mean watch, it means touch ... a lot.

Anyhow, we ran out of toaster tarts (Pop Tarts) and as I've had a recipe or two sitting around forever I decided to give it a whirl. Yes, it's too hot for baking, but I cut the dough in half and put one half back in the fridge so I only made 8. I couldn't keep the oven on for that long.

Once they were done and the kids decided they were way better than store bought, I did
some costing and found that for me to make my own they cost about 6¢ each as opposed to
12¢ each for the cheap kind and 20¢ each for the name brand!

They are a bit of work but not terribly so and you can put whatever you want in the middle of
them, even combos the "big guys" haven't even thought of yet. I plan on working around with it to come up with a chocolate dough too and if I pin it down I'll share it.

I promise tomorrow we'll get back to Summertime cooking.

This is a combination of a couple recipes - feel free to cut the recipe in half, it will work just as well.

Toaster Tarts

1c sugar
1c margarine or butter-softened
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 c flour
4 t baking powder

Filling:

Jam, jelly, preserves or whatever will firm up a bit when they are cooled.

Beat butter or margarine together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time while beating and then add vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder until a soft dough forms. Cut in half and flatten each half a bit and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

You can either cut the dough into 16 rectangles and fit two together with filling in the center (about a tablespoon per tart) and trim the edges OR roll a large rectangle and fold in half and cut into 8 pieces so the top and bottom of each are more uniform before putting the filling on them. This is what I did - I didn't want to roll all day long.

Crimp the edges closed with a fork and poke the tops well with a fork. Set on cookie sheets (I didn't grease mine) and bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges. You can poke them with a fork again halfway through baking time to keep them flat or, if that doesn't matter to you, let them bake, they don't get that puffy anyway.

You can brush them with a bit of milk or beaten egg white before baking also and when they are done they can be frosted with a simple powdered sugar icing.

Favorite Summertime Meal

Someone elsewhere on the web today asked what my favorite Summertime meal was and this was my answer.

Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken
Pasta Salad or Grill Roasted Herbed Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Sliced ripe tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
No-Bake Cheesecake (I forgot to add this there! Can't forget dessert.)
Anne's Favorite Lemonade


Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken

Per pound of chicken mix 1 packet of ranch salad
dressing powder and 1/4 c lime juice. Smear on chicken
pieces and let stand several hours. Broil, grill, bake,
or saute as desired.

Tastes very close to Tostitos Hint of Lime tortilla
chips.
That was the catalyst for my coming up with this.


Grill Roasted Herbed Potatoes

I don't have a clear-cut recipe for this but this is close.

Wash several pounds of red bliss potatoes (about 20 for my family) and cut each into
quarters.

Combine 1/4 c olive oil, 1 minced clove of garlic and a tablespoon or so of fresh chopped rosemary. Pour over the potatoes and toss well to coat evenly. You can also set a fresh sprig of rosemary on top of the potatoes instead of using the chopped.

Lay out a large square of heavy duty tin foil and mound the potatoes in the center. Fold up on all sides and pinch closed well.

Lay on the grill and roast for 35-45 minutes until done-turning once during grilling time.


No-Bake Cheesecake

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed
1 prepared graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz.)

Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk or electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon into crust.
Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. Garnish as desired.


I saw a photo in a magazine about 12 years ago with what looked like this mixture in it. It was such a pretty picture and the drink looked so refreshing I had to come up with my own.

Anne's Favorite Lemonade

1 gallon lemonade (any brand)
2 kiwi peeled and sliced thickly
6 ripe strawberries hulled and cut in half
1 lemon sliced
1 lime sliced
3 or 4 fresh mint leaves

Combine all and let stand refrigerated for 24 hours
before serving. Serve in tall clear glasses with lots of
ice and let the fruit fall in also. Very pretty and
VERY yummy!

The 1950's: Did we really go there?

Someone wrote to me to request a recipe from one of my cookbooks, so I dutifully pulled the book from its shelf and looked for the recipe. I got so amused while looking through the book that I had to share some of it.

This is the recipe I sent. I only just emailed it so I don't know if it's what she is looking for or not. This is from the "How To Get The Most Out Of Your Sunbeam Automatic Mixmaster" cookbooklet from 1950. The cover of my copy is a bit battered, but the inside is still great.
By the way, don't make this recipe now unless it's cooler where you live or you have A/C! Otherwise, I would be going against my own good advice.



Thrifty Cup Cakes
("Short-Cut" Method)

Preparation: Have shortening at room temperature. Assemble all ingredients and utensils needed. Grease 3-inch cup cake pans. Sift flour once before measuring. Preheat oven to baking temperature.
Sift into large bowl of MIXMASTER:
1¼ cups sifted cake flour
2/3 cup sugar
1¾ teaspoons double-acting or (2¼ teaspoons fast-acting) baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Add:
1/3 cup shortening (soft)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Beat it on No. 3 speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl while beating. Stop mixer. Scrape beaters.
Add:
1 egg, unbeaten
Beat 1 minute longer, scraping sides of bowl while beating. Fill cup cake pans 2/3 full.
Bake: (375° F)-moderately hot oven-about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Turn out of pans. Cool. Ice with Fudge Icing on Page 18. Put a half nut meat on top of each or sprinkle with cocoanut.
Makes: 1 dozen large cup cakes.

Easy Fudge Icing

Combine in top of double boiler:
3 squares (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate
¼ cup butter or margarine
Melt over hot water.

Put into small bowl of MIXMASTER:
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup hot milk or cream
Beat on No. 2 speed until blended. Then beat in chocolate mixture on No. 10 speed. Beat until thick enough to spread. More confectioner's sugar or cream may be added to give desired consistency.
Makes: Enough icing for two 8-inch layers.

These are what I was getting so amused by. I look at these images and mostly think that they're neat. I sometimes wish we could go back to simpler times but these ads are just so funny. Note that almost all of them say something about being "automatic". These are the same appliances that nowadays would cycle endlessly and drain power from elsewhere. I've owned some older appliances in my time and they are also really hefty. I have to say though, on the whole they were made far better than much of the "junk" we buy today.

Have fun looking, and click on the pictures to open them up fully so you can read them!

Summer Cooking 101 Part III, Soup

Beautiful Soup: Gazpacho

Soup is not something that normally comes to mind in the summer. It's hot enough without hovering your face over a bowl of steaming food. Never fear, there are cool soups that are perfect for summer and simpler to make than you might think.

Give one of these a try the next time you need something cool to dine on.

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Strawberry soup is more a dessert than anything else. Try a small cup for an appetizer as well.

Strawberry Soup
Printable Recipe

1 to 1 1/2 qts fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled
1 clove
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/4 c triple sec OR orange juice
1 c sugar
cornstarch
2 c heavy cream 1/2 liquid and 1/2 whipped

Combine strawberries, clove, cinnamon, sugar and liquor or juice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Thicken if needed with cornstarch. Cool.

Once the strawberry mixture is cooled, remove the clove and cinnamon stick. Mash well or puree, if desired, some like this soup chunky and others prefer it smooth. Add the liquid cream and then fold in the whipped cream. Chill for several hours before serving.

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Cold Melon Soup
Printable Recipe

2 ripe cantaloupes peeled, seeded and diced about 4 cups
1 small can (6-8 oz) apricot nectar
1/4 c honey
1 sachet (cheesecloth tied with string) containing 1/2 cinnamon stick and 3 slivers ginger) OR 1 tsp pumpkin pie or apple pie spice
2 c heavy cream -1/2 liquid and 1/2 whipped

In a large saucepan combine melon, apricot nectar, honey and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes or until melon is very soft. Cool completely and puree (remove sachet first).

Add liquid cream and then fold in whipped cream. Chill for several hours before serving.

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Iced Cucumber Soup
Printable Recipe

5 cucumbers-peeled, seeded and cut into 1" chunks
5 fresh mint leaves
2 c buttermilk
2 c chicken stock
1 T lime juice
1/2 t salt

Place cucumbers and mint leaves in blender or food
processor and whirl to a fine puree. Pour into a 2 qt
pitcher. Add buttermilk, chicken stock, lime juice, and
salt; mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour or until cold.

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Another version of cucumber soup:

Chilled Dill Cucumber Soup
Printable Recipe

1 cup cold chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 lb. fresh cucumbers, not peeled, cut into chunks
3 sprigs fresh dill, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put some of the broth into a blender, just enough to cover the blades.
Add cucumber and dill and blend until liquid. Add remaining broth, salt and pepper
and blend.
Serve sprinkled with additional chopped dill.

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Chilled Vegetable Soup
Ready In: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Printable Recipe

1 small cucumber
1 small zucchini
2 ribs celery
1/2 small Spanish onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 green pepper
2 green onions - white and green parts
2 medium tomatoes - peeled, seeded and diced
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock or water
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon freshly snipped dill
1 Tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Extra vegetables and herbs for garnish

Peel, seed and cut all vegetables into very fine dice (first 8 ingredients). Toss together in a large bowl.
Stir together tomato paste and water or stock and add to veggies. Toss in all seasonings (last 6 ingredients) and stir until well combined. Chill overnight or for at least 4 hours so flavors will blend. Serve with reserved chopped veggies and herbs
on top.

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Cool and Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Soup 
Ready in 15 minutes
Serves 4 as a starter
Printable Recipe

6 large or 8 medium ripe plum tomatoes - peeled and seeded
3 medium cucumbers - peeled and seeded
1 small bunch green onions - tops and whites
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup sour cream (I like Mexican crema for this)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 Tablespoon freshly snipped dill plus more for garnish (or whichever herb you like)

Pop everything into a blender and puree until smooth. Chill for several hours if desired or serve as-is topped with extra herbs and sliced green onion.

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This next soup is what Alice B. Toklas referred to as "Beautiful Soup". Also posted at A Thousand Soups.

Gazpacho
Printable Recipe

2 large very ripe tomatoes concassè (peeled, seeded and diced)
1/2 onion diced
1/2 large green pepper diced
1/2 large red pepper diced
1/2 large yellow pepper diced
1 cucumber peeled, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic minced
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T lime juice
2 c tomato juice
2 c consomme or beef stock (cold)

Puree all together until smooth. Add garnish (below) and chill for several hours. Serve topped with fried croutons if desired.

Garnish

1 c tomato concassè (peeled, seeded, diced)
2 c peppers (green, red, yellow) diced
1 c peeled and seeded cucumber diced
1 c scallions sliced thin
1 T fresh dill minced
1 T fresh cilantro minced

For Fathers Everywhere

This is a recipe that I believe NO man should be without, not just fathers.



Ice Cubes
Makes 10-12

1/2 cup water
1 ice cube tray

Make sure tray is free of any foreign material~crumbs etc.
Carefully pour water evenly over all cube openings.
Do NOT fill any space to the top~water expands as it freezes.
Carefully transfer the tray to the freezer and close the door.
Wait for several hours (peeking doesn't help them along) and they
should be fully frozen and ready for use.
You already know how to get them out so I'll skip that part.

*Note: When I told my husband I would be posting this he told he me he would post about the wonderful "ice miracle" that his life seems to have been filled with. He says that no matter what time of day or how many cubes he uses, the ice seems to miraculously reappear in the freezer the next time he looks. Like magic!

Imagine that.

I actually put this on a recipe card and hung it on the freezer door to no avail.

Please guys, don't miss your opportunity to print this out and keep it handy!
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In case you were wondering, I did the "real deal" Father's Day thing over at my other blog.