Farmgirl Follies

Feelin’ peachy: a pound cake recipe

Posted by Farmgirl on August 30, 2010  |  3 Comments

Fresh Peach Pound Cake

Cream together until fluffy:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
Add eggs, one at a time:
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Reserve 1/4 cup flour, then sift together remaining dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Fold in peaches.
2 cups fresh peaches, pitted and diced

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan or two loaf pans and dust with white sugar.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well. Stir in vanilla.

Reserve 1/4 cup of flour for later and sift together remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in the creamed mixture.

Use reserved flour to coat the chopped peaches, then fold the floured peaches into batter.

Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake 60-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Enjoy!

Swoon for macaroons

Posted by Farmgirl on August 26, 2010  |  No Comments

I thought maybe you’d be bored of elk and deer and woodsy photos by now, so we’re taking a break today. Here’s a recipe pulled from the archives … an oldie but definitely a goodie!

Enjoy!

The Barefoot Contessa’s Coconut Macaroons

14 oz. sweetened shredded coconut
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk and vanilla in a large bowl.

Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, until they make medium-firm peaks.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop or two teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Tasty little coconut-ty treats.

They’re yummy!

Weekend cookie monsters

Posted by Farmgirl on August 20, 2010  |  2 Comments

I’ve posted this recipe before, but it’s so good I wanted to give it to you again.
It’s the perfect chocolate chip cookie … especially if your cookie monsters are
growling and hungry!

Farmgirl’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mix together on medium speed:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar

Stir together in separate bowl. Slowly blend into batter mixture.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Stir in a bag of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Chips.
Place by spoonful onto a cooking sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.
Let sit on cookie sheet two minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Plum perfect

Posted by Farmgirl on August 17, 2010  |  No Comments

Plum Perfect Kuchen

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 pkg. yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 2 1/2 cups sliced ripe plums
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 egg yolks (or 1 whole egg)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut butter into cake mix and add coconut.
2. Pat mixture into an ungreased 13×9x2″ pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. Arrange fruit on warm crust.
4. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Sprinkle over and cover fruit.
5. Blend sour cream and egg. Drizzle over fruit.
6. Bake for 25 minutes until light brown. Do not overbake.
7. Serve warm. Makes 12-15 servings.

Raspberry Swirl Fudge

Posted by Farmgirl on August 5, 2010  |  1 Comment

I promised you a raspberry cheesecake recipe.

But I was mistaken. My brother-in-law’s winning dish, above, was not cheesecake. It was fudge! I guess we’d consumed so much chocolate and it was so hot that I didn’t know the difference. Either way, this is delightful and I know you’re going to love it.

Don’t eat too much at a time though. It’s not a very healthy snack, though it is completely decadent and delicious!

Raspberry Swirl Fudge

5 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 can evaporated milk

Heat above ingredients in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer registers 235 degrees.

Stir in 1 bag white chocolate chips and 1 cup marshmallow cream.

Pour mixture into a buttered bake dish.

Heat 1/2 cup raspberry jam and 1/4 cup white chocolate chips in a saucepan until melted. Pour over the fudge mixture, then use a knife to create swirls on top. Refrigerate. Cut into squares and serve.

Holy cow, that’s mighty tasty!

Posted by Farmgirl on July 31, 2010  |  5 Comments

Mmmm. Brisket.

We’re putting this in the oven today so we can enjoy it tonight for dinner with some friends. It’s truly heavenlyand very aromatic when cooking … but so worth it! Enjoy!

Farmgirl’s Beef Brisket

(Recipe actually belongs to these folks. It’s the best recipe I’ve found — and I’ve made a lot of brisket!)

Ingredients:
2 pounds Certified Angus Beef ^® brand brisket
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 ounces chili sauce
1/2 cup beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine garlic and pepper; spread evenly over brisket.
2. Separate onion into rings; arrange over brisket. Combine chili sauce, beer, Worcestershire sauce and sugar; pour over brisket and onions.
3. Cover and cook 2 hours. Turn brisket over; stir onions into sauce and spoon over brisket. Cover; cook 2 hours more or until fork tender.
4. Transfer brisket to cutting board. Slice on the bias across the grain.

 

I started with a 4.5-pound brisket, so I doubled the ingredients in this recipe. Spray the pan. Then add brisket, fat side up.

I minced the garlic and then sliced an extra-large onion.

Add pepper to the garlic, then rub all over the meat. Then cover with sliced onions.

Pour chili sauce into a bowl and add beer.

I happened to have Heinz Chili Sauce in the pantry. Yuengling is a very tasty beer, but it’s not readily available in this neck of the woods. Farmguy stocked up on our recent trip to Pennsylvania. Like beer? Try Yuengling. It’s America’s oldest brewery!

Add Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.

Now pour it on … literally. Then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for two hours.

This is what it looks like after two hours. It smells even better! Scrape off all of the onions, turn the brisket over, and then spoon the onions and sauce back on top of the brisket. Put it back in the oven: 350 degrees for two more hours.

If there happened to be a man in the house during cook time, he’s probably been anxiously awaiting the final buzzer of the oven timer. Put him to work slicing!

I’m telling you … it’s incredibly tender. So juicy and flavorful and again I say, truly scrumptious. And remember … this will feed a crowd or a family of five for several days.

Unless of course they are ravenous carnivores. In that case it will last for dinner, lunch and one sandwich.

Enjoy!

Holy cow, that’s mighty tasty!

Posted by Farmgirl on July 31, 2010  |  No Comments

 Mmmm. Brisket.

I posted this recipe last November, but it’s good enough to share again!  We’re putting this in the oven today for dinner this evening. It’s truly heavenlyand very aromatic when cooking. Enjoy!

Farmgirl’s Beef Brisket

(Recipe actually belongs to these folks. It’s the best recipe I’ve found — and I’ve made a lot of brisket!)

Ingredients:
2 pounds Certified Angus Beef ^® brand brisket
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 ounces chili sauce
1/2 cup beer
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine garlic and pepper; spread evenly over brisket.
2. Separate onion into rings; arrange over brisket. Combine chili sauce, beer, Worcestershire sauce and sugar; pour over brisket and onions.
3. Cover and cook 2 hours. Turn brisket over; stir onions into sauce and spoon over brisket. Cover; cook 2 hours more or until fork tender.
4. Transfer brisket to cutting board. Slice on the bias across the grain.

 

I started with a 4.5-pound brisket, so I doubled the ingredients in this recipe. Spray the pan. Then add brisket, fat side up.

I minced the garlic and then sliced an extra-large onion.

Add pepper to the garlic, then rub all over the meat. Then cover with sliced onions.

Pour chili sauce into a bowl and add beer.

I happened to have Heinz Chili Sauce in the pantry. Yuengling is a very tasty beer, but it’s not readily available in this neck of the woods. Farmguy stocked up on our recent trip to Pennsylvania. Like beer? Try Yuengling. It’s America’s oldest brewery!

Add Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar.

Now pour it on … literally. Then cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for two hours.

This is what it looks like after two hours. It smells even better! Scrape off all of the onions, turn the brisket over, and then spoon the onions and sauce back on top of the brisket. Put it back in the oven: 350 degrees for two more hours.

If there happened to be a man in the house during cook time, he’s probably been anxiously awaiting the final buzzer of the oven timer. Put him to work slicing!

I’m telling you … it’s incredibly tender. So juicy and flavorful and again I say, truly scrumptious. And remember … this will feed a crowd or a family of five for several days.

Unless of course they are ravenous carnivores. In that case it will last for dinner, lunch and one sandwich.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Posted by Farmgirl on July 29, 2010  |  No Comments

The kids and I planted eggplant this year.

We picked our first purple orbs a couple nights ago. Instead of the first thing that came to mind (eggplant Parmesan), I did a little searching and came up with an idea: ratatouille.

Ratatouille(pronounced rat-e-too-ee) is a traditional French Provencal stewed vegetable dish which originated in Nice. Tomatoes are a key ingredient, as well as garlic, onions, zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, peppers, basil, and thyme.

Several recipes caught my attention. One said to grill each vegetable separately, then dice and combine. Another said to roast the veggies in the oven. Another said combine in a pot on the stove, then bake in the oven. I came up with my own method.

The result was a delicious dish that even FarmGuy enjoyed. FarmBoy ate it all up, too. Oldest daughter ate it, though not with vigor. Youngest daughter? Well … let’s just say it was a battle to the end, when she took a bite and grudgingly admitted it wasn’t bad. I guess when you’re a kid, there’s something wrong about admitting a dish of mixed vegetables is good.

Note: Time to use up extra squash and zucchini! It’s satisfying — and fun! — to throw so many fresh garden veggies into one pot. It looks gorgeous, too!

Farmgirl’s version of Ratatouille

3 eggplants, cubed

2 yellow squash, cubed

2 zucchini, cubed

1 can petite diced tomatoes and juice (fresh tomatoes are best, though!)

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic (more or less to your taste), finely minced

1/2 red onion, petite diced

olive oil

few sprigs of fresh thyme

Drizzle olive oil on baking sheet. Cut eggplant into small cubes and put on baking sheet. Drizzle with more olive oil. Salt and pepper. Baked at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn once with spatula. This helps soften the tough outer skin of the eggplant.

While eggplant is cooking, place minced garlic and diced onion in a stock pot with olive oil. When lightly browned, add can of diced tomatoes. Combine and simmer on low. Cut the rest of the vegetables and add to the pot with thyme sprigs. When eggplant is roasted, add to stock pot. Gently combine with a spoon. Simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, allowing flavors to meld. Remove thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy this fun, colorful way to eat all your veggies!

Recovery: Macadamia Nut Brownies

Posted by Farmgirl on July 27, 2010  |  3 Comments

photo from cookies-in-motion.com

Now that the fair is over, I need to mow, weed and trim.

Things are sorely neglected around here. Including the pantry. Including the refrigerator. And yes, including the Mommy who lives, works and breathes here. She needs something to get her moving.

So in honor of me — the woman who has tackled 27 loads of laundry in 24 hours (or so it seems), I’m going to make Macadamia Nut Brownies so I’ll have the fortitude to get by. It’s a recipe I borrowed from another blogger who adapted it from a Betty Crocker cookbook.

Did you follow that?
It doesn’t matter.

Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

Macadamia Nut Brownies

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped, roasted and salted macadamia nuts (and more for garnish, optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13×9x2-inch baking pan.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent chocolate from burning.

Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

Add flour mixture and nuts to chocolate mixture.

Spread in pan. Sprinkle with remaining nuts.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of the pan. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

Cut into bars and serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container.

Makes 24 bars.

   
P.S. If you are related to me and planning to participate in the upcoming Family Iron Chef: Battle of the Chocoholics, be warned. This one’s mine.

Fair food: make funnel cakes

Posted by Farmgirl on July 24, 2010  |  2 Comments

(photo from TheKitchn.com)

Funnel Cakes

makes four 12-inch cakes

4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
5 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered Sugar for dusting

Heat oil in an electric deep fryer or cast iron pan to 375°F. You will need at least an inch and a half of oil. Line plates with paper towels, the process will go fast once you start!

Mix egg and milk together with a wire whisk or fork until combined. Stir in other ingredients until batter is smooth.

Fry Tip: If you will be frying more than 4 funnel cakes or if you wish to make the batter up to an hour in advance, increase the amount of baking powder by 1 teaspoon to help give it lift during its long wait before frying.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip and squeeze batter in a random, yet overlapping pattern. (It’s all mainly a haphazard process, but crossing the batter back over itself will help it stick together when it’s time to flip.) Once it’s floating and golden brown (usually 60 seconds in), flip using tongs, allowing the other side to cook.

Continue cooking until desired color is achieved and remove from grease and set on a paper towel lined plate. Apply powdered sugar liberally to the top, add fruit toppings if desired and enjoy!

Note: You can use an actual funnel for this process, or even a zip top bag with one corner snipped off. Just as long as the batter is able to get into the oil quickly and efficiently, that’s all that really matters.

Find more fair food recipes.