Maggie's Recipe Blog

cream cheese crepe filling

This is hard to give exact directions to, because we make it to taste.

8 oz cream cheese

sour cream

powdered sugar

vanilla

orange zest, optional

Soften cream cheese to room temperature.  Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Add a few heaping spoonfuls of sour cream, some powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Taste.  It should still have a distinguishable, but light cream cheese taste and not be too sweet.  Adjust, adding more of whatever it needs.  If you use orange zest, start with a tiny bit because it goes a long way and you don't want it to overpower the rest of the flavors.  It should only have a slight hint of orange.

crepes

My mom worked as crepe maker in a restaurant when she was young.  Crepes are a one of our families favorites!  We usually eat them as a dessert since they aren't very filling.  We like to fill them with our traditional cream cheese filling and top them with strawberries or blueberries. Another yummy way to eat them is to use our filling and then to top the crepes with banana's, caramel sauce, and walnuts (candied are even better).  I've seen people top them with an orange butter sauce on cooking shows.  You can fill crepes with a multitude of things like meats, cheese, veggies, etc., but ours never last long enough to venture past our traditional way.  They taste great hot or cold, so you can make them ahead of time if needed.  I double this and my little family of six doesn't feel there is enough, if we are eating them as a meal.  Dessert, maybe...

2/3 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

butter

There are two ways to make this, depending on your tools. 

1.  In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients together, except butter.  Pour batter through a strainer into another bowl, using a rubber spatula to push through anything that gets stuck.  Repeat 3 times to ensure that the batter is smooth.

2.  Put ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix for 2 minutes.  Poor through a strainer, just to be sure everything is smooth.

Let the batter sit for about a half hour to an hour.  When you are ready to cook the crepes, heat a non stick skillet (about 10 inches) and lightly stir batter.  It goes a lot faster if you use 2 pans.  Use a paper towel to butter the skillet and pour a little bit of batter into the pan.  I use a 1/3 measuring cup, not quite full.  Swirl it around quickly, to make sure it evenly coats the pan and there are no holes.  Let it cook until the sides start to lift and the bottom is lightly golden.  It should be cooked through, with no liquid moving.  Flip the crepe carefully and let cook for about 5-10 seconds.  Remove from pan by sliding onto a plate.  This takes practice since they are so delicate.  The first few usually break before I get it down.  Repeat, buttering the pan before cooking each crepe.  Stack them on top of each other until you are ready to serve.

stuffed strawberries

I got this recipe from my sister's friend, Bridgette.  They are addicting.

large strawberries
1 pkg cream cheese
powdered sugar
vanilla

Let cream cheese soften to room temperature.  Wash strawberries.  Cut off a portion the bottom of strawberries, just enough to make them able to stand up.  Cut off the tops of the strawberries and scoop out the middle.  Add three heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar and a couple dashes of vanilla to the cream cheese and beat.  Taste and adjust.  Pipe into the strawberries.

cake tips

My mom NEVER made anything from a box, but mac n cheese.  That is probably why I really like baked goods to be homemade, especially cake (except for Betty Crocker's Rainbow Chip, there is no replacement).  Sometimes I don't have enough time to make one from scratch and I succumb to the box cake.  These are a few tips I have learned from professional cake decorators

Cake Decorator #1
1. Add a box of pudding mix.

Cake Decorator #2
1. Exchange the water needed for milk.
2. Add a teaspoon of vanilla.

Add these two together for a super moist cake mix cake.  Ooh la la!

chewy oatmeal cookies

My mom made up this recipe.  It's really good and it's healthier than regular cookies.

1/2 C butter*
1/2 C coconut oil
1 C packed brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla (Mexican)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon**
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 C spelt flour
3 C rolled oats
1 C chocolate chips
1C chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 C coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together butter, coconut oil, white and brown sugar.  Beat in eggs, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  In a separate bowl wire whisk flour and baking powder.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until all is absorbed.  Mix in rolled oats and chocolate chips and any other optional ingredients.  Spread into a 9x13 pan.  Bake for 22 minutes and check.  Only add 1 minute at a time between checks.  Cook until the middle is set, dough will not look done.  Be careful not to over cook or they will be hard and crunchy.  Take out and let cool.

*Pumpkin, peanut butter or navy beans can be substituted for butter in recipes.  Do this for people who are allergic to dairy.

**Sometimes my mom uses extra cinnamon.  I'm not sure how much, but I would guess and extra 1/2-1 tsp.

brownies

This is my Aunt Lucy's recipe.  Our family loves these!

3/4 C butter softened
1 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 C flour
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, reeses pieces, or reeses peanut butter chips

Preheat oven at 350 degrees, then butter and flour an 8x8 pan.  Blend together butter with sugar then beat in eggs and vanilla till soft and fluffy.  Wire whisk all the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly mix both the butter and dry ingredients mixtures together till everything has been moistened.  Don’t over mix these two because you want chewy brownies not cake.  Poor half the mixture in the bottom of the pan.  Place your chips on top and then cover with remaining half of the mixture.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until you smell the rich aroma and see that the brownies have pulled themselves away from the edge of the pan.

I actually use a whole bag of chocolate chips.  The flavor really changes based on what type of chip you put in the middle.  For example, dark chocolate chips make it rich versus semi sweet.

chocolate chip cookies

This is a recipe I got from Ben's brother, James.  I wrote it down on a 3x5 card and it got so dirty and wet a few times, but I could still make out the amounts.  Plus, I changed it up a little.  About a year and a half ago, I asked Ben to make them for something.  Since then, he rewrote the recipe card, so it is legible and added a yield.  He has definitely perfect the baking time and making it into a pizookie.  We were locked in a head to head battle (friendly of course), over whose recipe it is, for quite a while.  We finally decided to compromise and called it Bowles' Chocolate Chip Cookies, that way James is also factored in.  These won a award at a cookie contest too!

1 C butter
1 C shortening
1 C white sugar
2 C brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
3 tsp Mexican vanilla (a must)
5 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
3/4-1 bag Ghirardelli's 60% Cacao Chocolate Chips

Mix butter, shortening, and sugars together. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. In a separate bowl whisk flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly combine dry ingredients into wet mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop cookies with medium cookie scoop onto stone. Bake @ 375 for about 8-9 minutes. The first batch will take 10-11 minutes on a cool stone. Yields 5 dozen cookies.

truffle frosting

This goes on the chocolate cake.  After frosting, we like to press Ghirardelli white chocolate chips into the side of the cake. Yum!

1 1/2 C whipping cream
1/4 C light corn syrup
1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium heavy sauce pan bring whipping cream and corn syrup to a simmer.  Remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate pieces and vanilla.  Let stand for 2 minutes.  Whisk mixture till smooth and melted.  Cover and chill about 1 1/2 hours or till mixture reaches spreading consistency, stir occasionally.  Beat with electric mixer till fluffy.  This is enough to frost the top & sides of two 9 inch cakes.

chocolate cake

This is just a recipe my sister, Becki, gave me.  I think is is from a cook book, but it is too yummy not to share.

2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 C butter
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla

Grease & flour two 9 inch round baking pans.  Set aside.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl beat butter on high for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and beat until well combined.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Beat in chocolate and vanilla.  Add dry mixture and 1 1/4 C water alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.  Frost and serve.