I wrote the first post for this Chocolate Macaroon Pie last Wednesday night. I spent almost three hours that night. I was almost finished and ready to schedule it for the Friday when I accidentally erased the whole thing. I was in shock, to say the least. I couldn't believe it. I had spent a lot of those hours researching about a restaurant in Weston, MO, a town northwest of Kansas City that dates back to before 1850. I had included several links if you were interested in reading more about it. But in a flash, it was all gone.
I was numb....I felt "sick". I was glad I already had something to share with you on Thursday and a recipe from a friend was easy to write up Thursday night (when I was feeling not quite so numb) to share on Friday. I was regretting buying a new laptop computer the weekend before.
I had had problems a couple of times earlier in the week with my cursor jumping around on me and even accidentally erased a paragraph. I had tried to find a solution for the problems I was having, but not having too much luck. Thursday morning I decided I would call tech support for Dell and see if they could help me. They kept hanging up on me after I "pushed 2". Finally I saw a "help" link and ended up in "settings". After reading options, I decided the best thing for me was to "hook" up a mouse and set the touchpad to be off when the mouse was connected. So far (fingers crossed) my problems appear to be solved. The cursor has jumped around once and I haven't had an area go blue and then be erased. Using the mouse isn't so bad. In many ways I like it better. I have also discovered by experimenting that if you "cut" something, if you go back and right click again you can "undo" it. If I had known that Wednesday night I wouldn't be telling you about this now. But maybe this will help some of you.
The reason I was sharing information with you about America Bowman's Keeping Room in historic Weston, MO is because that is where I found this recipe for Chocolate Macaroon Pie. After researching and not happy with the limited information I was finding online, I found two different places in the cookbook that explained who America Bowman was. I should have looked at the cookbook more thoroughly and I could have saved myself some time and trouble. You can read about historic Weston HERE and HERE. According to the cookbook, America was "born in Kentucky on July 4, 1817. Her Pennsylvania born husband, Joseph Bowman, filed his pre-emption claim on a rich riverfront farm in 1843. Eight years later, with the help of their three children - James, Charles and Susan - the Bowmans built their Weston home high on a hill overlooking the town." "It was this bit of history that the Patrick O'Malleys purchased in the spring of 1972. Five years later, in the spring of 1977, Barbara and Pat, with their children Kathleen, Barbara and Sean opened the America Bowman Keeping Room Restaurant and Bowman Wine Cellars Winery, named inn honor of Joseph and America Bowman."
CHOCOLATE MACAROON PIE
3 squares (ounces) unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar (I used stevia)
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (I made my homemade recipe)
2-1/2 cups flaked moist coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 - inch pie pan.
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in small saucepan.
Stir til chocolate melts.
Combine eggs, sugar (stevia), flour, and vanilla.
Add the melted chocolate mixture. I did a little at a time.
Mixture will be thick.
Spread into the pie plate using a spoon or your fingers to form the mixture to the edges of the plate. Leave about 1/2 inch around the sides. It looks like you might have pressed a smaller pie plate over the mixture when you are finished.
Combine the milk and coconut.
Spoon over the chocolate just to fill in the "shell".
Bake for 30 minutes.
This is what mine looked like when I first took it out of the oven.
When it had cooled a little,
I took a wet cloth and cleaned up the edges so that it looked nicer.
Serve warm.
I think it taste really good with a scoop of ice cream.
My husband liked it even when it was cold.
When I have a post with lots of pictures, I like to remind you that you can print the recipe using the print icon below and you will have the option to remove images when the print window opens. If you do not see the print icon below, you need to scroll back up to the title for this post (just under the date) and click or tap on it. That will take you to just this post and the print icon will be at the bottom before the share icons. Home will take you back to my blog and the most recent posts. You can also get back there by clicking on my blog title My Patchwork Quilt.
Three or four weeks ago on our Estate Sales Friday Janice and I ate at Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. The highlight of our meal was the Key Lime Muffins. Before we left, I told Janice I had to find a recipe for them.
I found a recipe for Lemon Tea Muffins in my old red checker board covered Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. I thought instead of using lemon juice I would use Key lime juice and see how they tasted.
Well, the recipe isn't a copycat of the Sweet Tomatoes Key Lime Muffins, but these are really good. So light, not heavy at all like so many muffins. Probably the beaten egg whites is the secret.
I will continue to look for one like Sweet Tomatoes' but until then, I'll just enjoy these Key Lime Tea Muffins.
KEY LIME TEA MUFFINS
1 cup sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons Key lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoon sugar (I use stevia)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
Sift together the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cream the butter and sugar in mixing bowl til light and fluffy. (I heated the butter in the microwave for 15 seconds first.)
Separate the eggs and beat the egg yolks in a small bowl til thick and lemon colored.
Blend the beaten egg yolks well with the creamed mixture.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the lime juice (Do not overmix - I didn't wait until the flour was completely mixed before adding the juice.)
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Carefully fold the whites and lemon peel into the batter.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. (Makes 12)
Combine the sugar (stevia) and cinnamon and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon on each muffin. (I keep this mixture in a small spice bottle and just sprinkled some on top of each muffin.)
Bake 15 - 20 minutes. (15 minutes worked in my oven.)
Remove muffins by running a knife around the inner edge if necessary.
Cool on wire rack.
Nice warm.
Remember you can print the recipe using the print icon below. You will have the option to remove images when the print window opens. If you do not see the print icon below, you need to scroll back up to the title for this post (just under the date) and click or tap on it. That will take you to just this post and the print icon will be at the bottom before the share icons. Home will take you back to my blog and the most recent posts. You can also get back there by clicking on my blog title My Patchwork Quilt.
While my husband and I were having fun helping my son Patrick and his family move last week, my canasta friends were having fun playing canasta and enjoying two desserts Hostess Ellen had prepared. Ellen loves to prepare my Upside Down Strawberry Cake but I had told Janice if Ellen had something new to make sure she took several pictures of it along with the recipe so I could share it on my blog. When Janice sent me the pictures and recipes, I was surprised to discover that Ellen had made two. I will be sharing one of them today.
Ellen had already cut this into serving pieces so Janice didn't get a picture of it before it was cut. Looks delicious and Janice said everyone thought so too. The recipe called for coffee frozen yogurt but Ellen couldn't find any and used coffee flavored ice cream. Janice said she thought that was probably better.
CHOCOLATE BROWNIE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons light stick butter (Ellen used regular butter)
2 tablespoons water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped (Ellen used 6 6 tablespoons cocoa + 2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
1-1/2 cups vanilla nonfat ice cream (Ellen just used regular ice cream)
1-1/2 cups coffee nonfat frozen yogurt (Ellen used coffee ice cream)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray a 10 x 15 - inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray. Line pan with foil, spray again, and just light lightly with flour.
Whisk flour, cocoa, and baking soda in small bowl.
In saucepan, combine sugar, butter, and water, bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until it melts; let cool 10 minutes.
Whisk in egg, stir in flour mixture.
Scrape batter (batter is not thin) into prepared pan and spread evenly. It looks like it isn't enough to cover the pan, but if you use a spatula it helps. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Cool in pan on rack (15 - 20 minutes), then refrigerate 10 minutes.
Soften ice cream and frozen yogurt at room temperature.
Turn brownie onto cutting board and peel off foil.
Cut in half lengthwise, and spread one half with ice cream and the other with frozen yogurt.
Sprinkle one with almonds.
Sandwich layers together. cover with plastic wrap and freeze about 3 hours. (When talking with Ellen about how she did this - because honestly the whole idea makes me nervous ... I suggested placing the plastic wrap down first and then laying the brownie strips on top of them. Then you would just bring the sides up over the top. She thought this was a great idea. She said she used a long spatula to lift up the one layer on top of the other one. She admitted a little bit of the ice cream dripped but she said to work quickly.)
Remove plastic wrap and cut in half lengthwise.
Slice each half into 6 sandwiches. Serves 12.
Remember you can print the recipe using the print icon below. You will have the option to remove images when the print window opens. If you do not see the print icon below, you need to scroll back up to the title for this post (just under the date) and click or tap on it. That will take you to just this post and the print icon will be at the bottom before the share icons.
I discovered Amish365.com when I noticed I was getting traffic to my blog from there. It is a newletter "Exploring Amish Stories, Recipes & News from Maine to Montana" from Editor Kevin Williams. He discovered my blog and has featured some of my Amish recipes in his newsletter.
The other day when I was reading it, I saw some recipes that looked interesting from his Top Stories. When I needed something that would be fast and easy to make to take to Hillcrest Thrift Shop on Tuesday, I decided to try Lazy Woman's Cake.
It was just what fit my mood. You see I had been busy making another new dessert that I will be sharing tomorrow and a casserole for dinner and was just really feeling lazy. I had actually been planning since last week what I was going to make, but it was more trouble than I felt like taking.
The recipe said to frost with icing, but the one picture Kevin had showed just powdered sugar on top. To tell the truth if the title were true and the woman was lazy, that's exactly what she would do....just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. I baked the cake Monday night and covered it with foil for the night,
I really intended to do exactly that the next morning before heading out. But during the night I got to thinking/dreaming about it and decided I would get up and make an easy icing for it. Since the recipe didn't give one, I had to search through a cookbook The Farmhouse Kitchen from the Amish Community in Greenville, PA for one. I didn't really have to look that hard as they had quite a few to choose from.
Well, it was a big hit with the volunteers. That always makes me feel good. (I thought it was a big hit, also. Love the icing, too.)
LAZY WOMAN'S CAKE
2 cups sugar (I used only 1-1/2 cups and everyone thought it was sweet enough)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 heaping teaspoons baking sod
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 scant cup cooking oil (I used 2/3 + 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 cups cold water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda with a whisk.
Sift in the cocoa and whisk together.
Make a well in the center of the mixture.
Add the oil, vanilla, vinegar, and water.
Mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined and smooth. I used a whisk at the end just to make sure it was all smooth.
Pour into pan ...
and bake for 30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean.
Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Frost with icing.
CHOCOLATE CREAM FROSTING
3/4 cups chocolate chips (Use any you like...I used milk chocolate chips)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sour cream (I used lite sour cream)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
In a bowl, melt the chips and butter in the microwave.
Heat on HIGH for 15 seconds, stir...
Heat for 15 more seconds and
stir til smooth. Repeat if necessary. It was long enough for me.
Add sour cream, vanilla, and salt
and stir til smooth.
Add powered sugar 1 cup at a time stirring with a wooden spoon
til smooth.
Frost the cake
Remember you can print the recipe using the print icon below. You will have the option to remove images when the print window opens. If you do not see the print icon below, you need to scroll back up to the title for this post (just under the date) and click or tap on it. That will take you to just this post and the print icon will be at the bottom before the share icons.
I have been wanting to make this recipe for Cinnamon-Oat Crunch for weeks. I found it in a small cookbook at an estate sale that came with a KitchenAid 3 Speed Classic Blender. I don't have the blender but figured I could still use the recipes with my old blender.
Last Saturday morning I decided it was finally time. We woke up to rain falling and that inticed my husband to stay in bed longer than I wanted to. He likes to add granola to his yogurt and fruit for breakfast. It's been a while since we bought any. He will often change his mind when he reads the calorie and fat contents and will come home without any.
I followed the recipe precisely except my reduced fat cream cheese didn't come out of a "tub". It might not have been as soft then. The other thing since I didn't have the blender that might have made a difference also. My results were fine though. We were both happy with the results. If you don't have the blender either, you can experiment like I did to get the results.
CINNAMON - OAT CRUNCH
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash nutmeg
1/4 cup light pasteurized process cream cheese product (from an 8 ounce tub)
Place all ingredients in the blender jar in the order listed.
Cover and blend at STIR, pulsing 3 or 4 times, about 5 seconds each time, until thoroughly mixed. (I did as instructed but the ingredients didn't mix. I also tried BLEND on my mixer. It finally worked but I had to use a knife to stir the ingredients in the jar. But I finally got the ingredients mixed thoroughly.)
Spread in a thin layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until browned about 1 minute, stirring once. (I baked it for 2 minutes and stirred mixture with a wooden spoon.)
Cool completely. (This doesn't take too many minutes.)
Loosen mixture from baking sheet and crumble to desired size.
Serve over yogurt, frozen yogurt, fruit, or pudding, if desired.
Place any unused crunch in tightly covered container and store in refrigerator.
Remember if you want to print the recipe using the print icon below, you will have the option to remove images when the print window opens. If you do not see the print icon, you need to tap/click on the title of this post and it will take you to just this post. Then you will see the print icon with the share buttons. Home will return you to my blog's most recent posts.
This month seems to be a busy month for friends, especially Tasty Bunch Friends. That's the small group that my husband and I belong to through Northland New Neighbors League. It is one of the few groups in which husbands can also participate. We met Saturday night with 3 of the 7 couples. In this group one couple is the host and chooses a restaurant for an early dinner and then serves dessert back at their house.
We met for this month Saturday night. We had dinner at a new restaurant called Beaches Cantina. The owner is the daughter of another friend from NNL. In addition to supporting her new adventure, we also enjoyed a good dinner.
After dinner we drove back to Carol and Keith's house for dessert. Carol had prepared this delicious Orange Pineapple Cake which was perfect after our dinner. She also served orangesicle ice cream. When Carol offered the men seconds with the ice cream, I think all three of them quickly accepted. Then Keith, Leon, and my husband retired to the living room to watch the Royals Baseball game while Carol, Janice, and I "solved the problems of the world".
It was a fun evening all around. Hopefully next time everyone won't be so busy and the whole group will be together.
ORANGE PINEAPPLE CAKE
CAKE:
1 regular size sugar-free yellow cake mix
1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, undrained
4 egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
TOPPING:
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple (in its own juice), undrained
1 1-oz package (4 serving size) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 8-oz sugar-free or reduced-fat whipped topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch baking dish.
Beat the cake mix, oranges, egg whites, and applesauce on low for 2 minutes.
Pour into pan.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Cool.
Combine the pineapple, pudding mix, and topping just until blended.
Spread over the cake.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Store leftovers in refrigerator.
Remember if you want to print the recipe using the print icon below, you will have the option to remove images when the print window opens. If you do not see the print icon, you need to tap/click on the title of this post and it will take you to just this post. Then you will see the print icon with the share buttons. Home will return you to my blog's most recent posts.
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in small saucepan. 
Stir til chocolate melts.
Combine eggs, sugar (stevia), flour, and vanilla.
Add the melted chocolate mixture. I did a little at a time.
Mixture will be thick.
Spread into the pie plate using a spoon or your fingers to form the mixture to the edges of the plate. Leave about 1/2 inch around the sides. It looks like you might have pressed a smaller pie plate over the mixture when you are finished.
Combine the milk and coconut.
Spoon over the chocolate just to fill in the "shell".
This is what mine looked like when I first took it out of the oven.
When it had cooled a little,
I took a wet cloth and cleaned up the edges so that it looked nicer.
Serve warm.
I think it taste really good with a scoop of ice cream.
