No-Bake Granola Bars

What a perfect day to enjoy a cup of tea and a granola bar.  Please join me!

You can choose whichever strawberry teacup that you'd like to use.

Riley came over to cook this time!! 

Before we made the bars, we had lunch at Chick-Fil-A, and went backpack shopping.  I think the kids liked the granola bars that they got to sample and then take home. 

Yield: About 20

Author: Kitty and Riley

No-Bake Granola Bars

I saw this recipe in the Dallas Morning News, but we changed it up because the kids didn't want raisins.

ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups rolled oats, we used old-fashioned, but the recipe called for quick
• 1 and 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or raisins)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

instructions:

How to cook No-Bake Granola Bars

1. Grease a 9 x 13" pan with cooking spray.
2. Stir together the oats, cereal and chocolate chips (or raisins) in a large bowl.
3. Heat butter in a small pan until melted.  Add brown sugar and honey, and stir until combined.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat.  Remove from heat,  Stir in vanilla, cinnamon and salt.  We let this mixture cool for a bit because we didn't want to melt all the chocolate chips.  If you're using raisins, pour the hot syrup over the oat/cereal mixture.  Stir well until oats are completely coated. 
4. Pour the oat mixture into baking dish.  Place wax paper on top and press down to make a flat, even layer. 
5. Refrigerate the bars for 1 hour to set.
6. Invert baking pan onto a cutting board and cut into rectangle shapes. 
7. For best texture, keep refrigerated. 

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Mermaid Ice Cream

Who's ready for some mermaid ice cream this summer??

Harper and Hayden came over to spend the day with me, and we made some special ice cream.

Don't you love how Harper decorated this batch?

Here she is busy decorating graham crackers with blue frosting to go along with our theme.

I think she's proud of her accomplishments, don't you?  A friend of mine shared this cute idea with me of using the frosting. fish crackers, "bubble" type sprinkles and mini fish that come with the frosting.  It kept Harper busy while her sister took a nap.  Harper said, "no thank you" when asked if she needed a nap!

Hayden just likes to play, and is not really interested yet in cooking!

My youngest son, shown with his little girls, who spent the night here,  celebrated his birthday over the weekend.  He requested a Creme Brulee cheesecake and sent me a recipe that he found.   He seemed to like it, and even four-year-old Harper, ate a slice. 

Yield: 8

Author: Kitty and Harper

Mermaid Ice Cream (no-churn)

This is another fun no-churn ice cream! I just can't tell you how rich and creamy this ice cream is, and so easy!!

ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• food coloring
• sprinkles

instructions:

How to cook Mermaid Ice Cream (no-churn)

1. Whip the heavy cream in your mixer until stiff peaks form.
2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla.
3. Divide the mixture into several bowls.  We used four bowls, and colored one purple, one teal, one pink, and left some white. 
4. Alternate the colors in a loaf pan or food safe container, and then swirl with a knife.
5. Add the sprinkles  of your choice.

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Sweet Milk Ice Cream and Grandkids

My late beloved Mom would've been 90 on June 30th.  I was able to have all my grandchildren here to get a picture together. 

Caiden and Cissy made my Mom's favorite angel food cake at Cooking Camp this past week.   We also made some homemade vanilla ice cream to have with it, which was very tasty!

Cissy spent the night and we made some patriotic red, white and blue krispie treats and swirled some white chocolate on them, and sprinkled them with sprinkles.  We used a star cookie cutter and put some on lollipop sticks, and the leftovers we rolled into balls, and put them on sticks, too.  We put two each in cellophane bags as party favors for all the kids.  Cissy is a great helper!  

Ready for the party!

Yield: 1 quart

Author: Kitty, Caiden and Cissy, but adapted from King Arthur Flour

Sweet Milk Ice Cream

The kids and I made this to go along with my late beloved mom's favorite angel food cake .

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup whole milk powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch (we used 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

instructions:

How to cook Sweet Milk Ice Cream

1. Instructions
2. In a large  saucepan, whisk together the dried milk, sugar, and tapioca starch.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth.
4. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook the ice cream base, stirring constantly, until it becomes just slightly thicker than heavy cream; it will thinly coat the spoon or spatula you're using.
5. Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the base into a heatproof mixing bowl, stirring occasionally as it cools to prevent a skin from forming.
6. Once the base has cooled to just slightly warmer than room temperature, lay a piece of plastic wrap on the surface, again to prevent a skin from forming.
7. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, to chill completely.
8. Freeze the base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions.
9. Transfer the ice cream to a covered container, and freeze until ready to serve.
10. The ice cream may firm up a bit as it freezes, so leave it at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften before serving, if necessary.

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Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches

Please join me for treats inside today!  I was afraid that my ice cream sandwiches would melt if we went outside in our 90 degree day.

Caiden, who is going into 9th grade still wants to join in a Nana's Cooking Camp this summer, along with Cissy.  Didn't their cookies turn out so beautifully?

I think they like them, don't you?  I have to tell you that these are so delicious!!  This Nana likes them, too.

Harper didn't want to help with the baking, as she was too busy playing, but she did roll her ice cream sandwich in the sprinkles, and enjoyed eating it. 

Yield: About 15 sandwiches

Author: Kitty, Caiden, Cissy, and Harper

Patriotic Ice Cream Sandwiches

These are so good, and could be used with other flavors of cake mix, and ice creams. Since cake mixes are no longer 18.50 ounces, I buy an additional box to keep on hand to add to recipes. I have a scale and the kids get to weigh out the additional mix. 

ingredients:

• 1 (15.25 ) box of red velvet cake mix + 3.25 ounces of additional cake mix  (I actually used white cake mix  to add, but chocolate would be good)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup shortening
• Ice cream of your choosing
• Sprinkles of your choosing

instructions:

How to cook Patriotic Ice CreamSandwiches

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine cake mix, eggs, water, and shortening.  Mix with a mixer until well blended.
3. Using a small scoop, scoop the dough, and shape with hands into a ball, trying to get uniform sizes.
4. Place on parchment paper and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cookies will flatten out as they bake and have a crackly appearance. 
5. Remove from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes, and then remove the cookies to a cooling rack, and allow to cool thoroughly before filling with ice cream.
6. Take scoops of ice cream and place on one cookie.  Place a second cookie on top, and try to squeeze together.
7. Roll the edges of the ice cream into a bowl or plate of sprinkles.
8. Wrap individually in wax paper or plastic wrap.  Store in a container, and freeze. 

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Vanilla Madeleines

For today's tea in the garden, I am using a beautiful vintage, embroidered lunch cloth that my forever friend, Joy, brought back from her vacation.  Joy and I went to the Bush Library to see the First Ladies Exhibit, and we had lunch there, at Cafe 43,  to belatedly celebrate her birthday.  I was so busy gushing over the lunch that I forgot to take pictures.  My lady vase is holding the few flowers that I could find in my garden. 

 

Just look at the pretty detail on this lunch cloth with the beautiful embroidery, and the blue crocheted edging.  Joy even did some repair work on part of it to make  it perfect!   Isn't it the perfect tea time cloth?  I am grateful for my friend in gifting me this work of art that someone so lovingly did.

I crocheted the tea cozy in a granny square pattern, and then joined them together at the bottom.  For the top, I chained a cord, and then wove it though the top, about an 1 and 1/2 down.  I like the way it turned out, and I was able to finally use it on this pretty tea cloth.  I'm using my Royal Albert Petit Point teacup, in the front, and my Rosina teacup in the back.  Of course, some Tazo vanilla bean macaron tea sounds perfect with the vanilla madeleines, don't you think?  Which cup would you like to choose? 

Darling Cissy still wants to come and bake after school, when she can, and this time she chose to make Madeleines.  She learned how to alternately add ingredients, and how to properly fold those ingredients into the batter.  It thrills this Nana to know that she wants to come over for special time with me.

 

Yield: 30Author: Kitty and Cissy, from a recipe from King Arthur Flour

Vanilla Madeleines

These little gems are the most delightful teatime treat! Be careful to watch them, as ours were done before the allotted time. They can quickly over brown! Be sure to plan ahead, as the batter needs to refrigerate for 45 minutes.

ingredients:

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour , sifted or whisked, to aerate

instructions:

Instructions

1. Melt the butter, then set it aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and salt until they're light yellow and very thick. Stir in the vanilla and butter-rum flavor. Add the flour and melted butter alternately, using a folding motion (be gentle!), so the batter loses as little volume as possible. Refrigerate the batter, covered, for 45 minutes or so, until it's thick.
3. Scoop the batter into the lightly greased wells of a standard-size madeleine pan, using 1 slightly rounded tablespoon of batter for each cookie. (If you have only one pan, bake in sequence, keeping the remaining batter refrigerated).
4. Bake the madeleines in a preheated 375 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes (ours were done in about 9 minutes) , until they're light brown at the edges. Cool in the pan for several minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely on a rack.
5. Sift a light coating of confectioners' sugar over the madeleines just before serving.  Store cookies in an airtight container.

NOTES:

If you forget to get your eggs out in time to bring to room temperature, a quick way to do it, is to put the eggs in a bowl and cover them with hot water for about five minutes.

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Homemade Play Dough and Memories

 On August 16th, it was the fifth anniversary of my beloved Rich's passing.  I invited the family over to enjoy his favorite dessert of Ice Cream Dessert with Peanut Butter Crust.  I was planning on showing a picture of it, but when I went to get the pan out of the freezer, someone had finished it off!  You can check our favorite recipe here. 

 I saw all of my four children on the day, but not everyone at once.  Some had to leave early, and one came later with this bouquet of flowers. 

 This little Harper came and spent the night, and she was soooo excited for her visit to my house.   Her parents were on a staycation for the week.

 My youngest son and DIL came to pick Harper up and take her on an outing, and left little Hayden in my care. She is such a sweetheart!

 Cissy came by and she was excited to feed her baby cousin! 

 Harper is enjoying her dance class so much, and Nana wanted to make her a tote for her shoes.

 Here's her new tote I made for her, and a shirt that I embroidered, which you can see below. 

 This little ballerina reminded me of Harper, and she loves getting presents from Nana!

Author: Kitty

Homemade Play Dough

I got this recipe over 40 years ago from my friend Susie, who lived across the street from me.   I've never tried another play dough recipe other than this one.

ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cooking oil

food coloring of your choice

instructions:

In a heavy saucepan, mix the flour, salt and cream of tartar.  Add the water, oil and food coloring.  Cook for 3 minutes or until mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. 

Knead slightly, while still warm.

Store in an airtight container.

Keeps for weeks!

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Millionaire Bars

We are having record highs here in the Dallas area, and whew...we must quickly eat these Millionaire Bars before they melt.  I did make a fresh pitcher of iced tea, and I'll pour you some.  I had to borrow my basket from my coffee table because the high temperatures have been hard on my flowers.

 

 The kids and I were excited to try this recipe for twix-like bars, and they didn't disappoint.  They learned how to make shortbread, and homemade caramel, and to use a thermometer. 

 We also took a field trip to Carlo's Bake Shop (of Cake Boss fame).  I had a gift card that a dear friend had given me, and I thought it would be fun to share with my sweet grands that come to my cooking camp.  Caiden chose cookies and cream cake, and Cissy chose red velvet.  They only ate part, and took the rest home.

 Here's my sweet fairy garden, that I had to spiffy up.  At least it looks cool and refreshing. 

 I used to be able to enjoy sitting on this sectional every evening,  before the record high's barreled in.  Hopefully, I'll be back out there again soon.  Right now about all I do is go out and water and then head back to the A/C. 

Yield: 32 barsAuthor: Kitty, adapted from the New York Times

Millionaire Bars

The recipe called for unsalted butter and then added salt. We used salted butter, and left out the salt.  We're tricky like that!  If you like Twix Bars, you'll love these!

ingredients:

For the Shortbread Layer:

• 12 tablespoons butter at room temperature, but not too soft
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour 

For the Caramel Layer:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Chocolate:

• 8 ounces  semisweet chocolate, chopped (I think milk chocolate chips would be better)

instructions:

1. Make the shortbread layer: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour and salt, and beat on low just until the mixture is evenly combined and the texture of coarse sand.
2. Tip mixture into prepared pan, and press down firmly into an even layer. Bake until top is dry and light golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
3. Make the caramel layer: In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk, butter, Golden Syrup and salt. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until it has thickened and changed from a milky yellow color to the color of butterscotch pudding, 10 to 20 minutes. It should read 220 degrees to 225 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the bottom from scorching. Stir in vanilla extract. Immediately pour the caramel over the baked crust and spread it into an even layer.
4. Prepare the chocolate: In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate in short bursts, stirring often. Spread melted chocolate in an even layer over caramel. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. To serve, cut the parchment-free sides away from the pan with a sharp knife, then transfer the shortbread to a cutting board using the parchment overhang. Cut into 32 small bars.

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