Sweet Potato Muffins

This is one of my sons favourite recipes!

1 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 cup mashed, cooked sweet potato
1/4 cup melted butter
Cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 425F.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix well.  Add sugar and walnuts.  In a separate bowl combine egg, milk, sweet potato and butter.  Combine liquid and dry ingredients with a few swift strokes.  Fill well greased muffin tins 2/3 full.  Bake until golden brown, about 25 min.  Remove from oven and sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar wile still warm.  Makes 12 muffins.

Neapolitan Cookies

Just continuing with my Christmas in July theme, these are easy, colourful and good!

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
***
1/2 tsp almond extract
5 drops red food colouring
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

1. In a smal mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set the mixture aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and beat till fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla; beat just till combined.  Slowly add the flour mixture, beating on medium speed about 3 minutes or till combined.
3. Line a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with waxed paper, allowing the ends of the paper to hang over the sides of the pan; set aside.  Divide the dough into 3 portions.  To one portion of the dough, stir in the almond extract and red food colouring; pat onto the bottom of the pan.  To another third of the dough, stir in chopped nuts; pat evenly over pink dough in pan.  To the remaining third of the dough stir in melted chocolate; pat evenly onto nut dough.  Cover and chill at least 4 hours or till dough is firm enough to slice.
4. Lift the waxed paper to remove the chilled dough from the pan; remove the waxed paper.  Cut the dough in half lengthwise, then slice each half crosswise into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices.  Arrange the slices about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. (A stone one if you have it)
5. Bake in a 350 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or till edges are firm and light brown.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute.  Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 72 to 84 cookies.

Cranberry 3.1416

If you use frozen cranberries, let them stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to thaw.

1 lb fresh or frozen cranberries, 4 cups
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 small orange, peeled, sectioned, and chopped
1 recipe Pastry for double crust pie
2 tbsp butter
sugar
vanilla ice cream

• In a large mixing bowl combine cranberries, the 1 1/2 cups sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir in walnuts, and orange.
• On a lightly floured surface slightly flatten one ball of pastry dough from centre ot edge, forming a 12 inch circle.  Wrap pastry around rolling pin; unroll onto a 9 inch pie plate.  Ease pastry onto the pie plate, being careful not to stretch it.  Loosely cover and set remaining dough aside.
• Fill the unbaked pastry shell with cranberry mixture.  Dot with butter.  Trim bottom pastry even with pie plate.
• For top pastry, roll out remaining dough; cut shapes or slits in crust, reserving cutouts for decoration, if desired.  Place over cranberry mixture.  Trim top crust 1/2 inch beyond edge of pastry; fold top pastry edge under bottom pastry edge.  Seal and flute edge.  Brush with water.  If desired, decorate with pastry cutouts.  Sprinkle with additional sugar.
• Cover edge of crust with foil.  Place pie on a baking sheet.  Bake in a 375 oven for 25 minutes.  Remove foil.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes more or till top is golden and fruit is tender.  Serve warm or cool with ice cream, if desired.  

Pastry for Double Crust Pie:

In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups all purpose flour and 1/2 tsp salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in 2/3 cup shortening till pieces are the size of small peas.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork.  Push to side of bowl.  Repeat with 5 to 6 more tbsp water, 1 tbsp at a time, till all is moistened.  Divide dough in half.  Form each half into a ball.

Apple Crisp

I kinda love that this is done in a crock pot!  A very simple recipe but the nuts and spices really work well together in this one!

6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples

2 tsp lemon juice

1/3 cup walnuts

1 1/3 cups uncooked quick oats

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp salt

Dash ground nutmeg

Dash ground cloves

¼ cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

1. Spray crock pot with nonstick cooking spray.  Place apples in medium bowl.  Sprinkle with lemon juice; toss to coat.  Add nuts and mix well.  Transfer to crock pot.
2. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves, if desired, in medium bowl.  Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Sprinkle oat mixture over apples; smooth top.  Cover; cook on low 4 hours or on high 2 hours or until apples are tender.