Lemon Oatmeal Cookies

 

• 2 sticks of butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• zest of three lemons
• juice from three lemons
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Additional sugar to dip cookie in before baking.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. 
2. Beat in eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the mixture.
3. Add baking powder and salt.  Mix well.
4. Add oatmeal and mix well.
5. Add flour and mix well.
6. Chill for 30 minutes. 
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
8. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. With a medium cookie dough scoop, get dough and make into balls. 
10. Flatten each ball into a round cookie.
11. Dip in sugar.
12. Place on the parchment paper.
13. Bake 12 at a time on the bottom oven rack for 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are light brown.
14. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Place on racks to finish cooling.
15. Makes about 36 cookies.

 

 

Plum Rustic Pie

• One refrigerator pie crust (bottom and top)
• 2 lbs. plums (about 9)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place bottom pie crust in a ceramic pie dish.
3. Form edge of the bottom pie crust to edge. 
4. Dock with fork about 30 times. 
5. Use pie weights to keep up the sides and on top of the bottom crust.
6. Bake for 20 minutes in the middle rack of the oven. 
7. Wash, pit, and slice plums into a mixing bowl.
8. In another bowl, mix the sugar, salt, and the cornstarch,
9. Add the ginger, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
10. Remove the bottom crust from the oven.
11. Reset oven to 400 degrees.
12. Remove the pie weights from the bottom crust.
13. Add the plum mixture to the pie crust.
14. Put the top crust on the pie and pinch pie crust at the edges.
15. Do some cutouts to let this juicy pie have some place to let the steam escape. 
16. Mix egg and water. 
17. Brush the top crust with the egg mixture. 
18. Return the pie to the middle rack of the oven and bake 20 minutes. 
19. Add aluminum foil to the edges to keep the crust from burning.
20. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and return to the middle rack of the oven for 40 minutes.
21. Remove pie and remove foil from the edges.
22. Allow to cool at least 3 hours so the cornstarch to set the filling.
23. Cut, serve, and enjoy.

 

 

                             

Oriental Cabbage Salad

 

• 2/3 cabbage, chopped coarsely
• 1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon crystals or 2 cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• Coarsely grated ¼ cup baby carrots
• 1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
• 1 cup sesame oil
• ½ cup cider vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Chow Mein noodles

1. Place the chopped cabbage, chopped green onions, grated carrots and shelled sunflower seeds in a bowl that has a lid available.
2. Mix the sesame oil and seasonings in a deep bowl.
3.  Add the cider vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce.
4.  Stir well.
5.  Pour over the slaw.  Put the lid on it and shake. 
6.  Refrigerate for several hours to let the ingredients mix.
7.  Just before serving top with chow mein crunchy oriental noodles.

 Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

Pulled Pork Using an Instapot

 

• 2 Pork tenderloins (about 3 pounds total)
• Montreal steak seasoning
• 8 ounces of Coca-Cola
• Hamburger buns
• Your favorite barbecue sauce

1. Rub the meat with Montreal Steak Seasoning.
2. Cut the meat into sections about 2 inches long.
3. It is not necessary to saute the meat for this recipe.  It will have plenty of flavor.
4. Put the chunks of meat and the 8 ounces of Coca-cola in the Instapot.  It will not be necessary to add additional liquid for steaming as the cola serves as the liquid.
5. Put the lid on and set the Instapot for 40 minutes. 
6. When finished, let the pot exhaust naturally.
7. Remove the lid and transfer the chunks to a bowl. 
8. Use a mixer to shred the meat.
9. Serve with buns and barbecue sauce.   

 

 

 

 

 

Toffee

 

 

• 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) The salt in the butter helps stabilize the mixture.
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Line a 13” x 9” baking dish with parchment.
2. Put ingredients in a 2-quart pot.
3. Turn burner on medium (that is 5 on an induction cooktop).
4. With a wooden spoon, stir constantly until mixture reaches 285 degrees.
5. It is important to use a candy thermometer to determine when it reaches 285 degrees. 
6. Pour onto the parchment and spread to edges. 
7. Let cool.
8. Put chocolate chips in a microwavable cup.
9. Heat on high in microwave, stirring chocolate every 30 seconds until spreadable.   
10. Spread chocolate over the cooled candy base mixture. 
11. Let cool to room temperature for a few minutes.
12. Place in refrigerator, so the chocolate solidifies.
13. Break into pieces and serve.

 

 Blind Baking a Pie Shell

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
2. Dock the dough in the pan (either homemade or frozen pie shell)
3. Put pie weights in the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish.
4. Bake on center rack for 10 minutes.  
5. Remove and let cool.  

 Air Fryer Times and Temperatures

Item                Temperature      Preheat Time        Cooking Temperature    Air Fry     Turn and Fry

Tater Tots       400                     4 minutes            400                                  5 minutes    4 minutes