CRANBERRY SCONE BITES

 Several years ago we stayed a week on Cape Cod when out then traveling partners, Janice and Leon. One day we went into a gift shop and I found this small cookbook called Yolanda's All New Cranberry Cookbook  by Yolanda Lodi. I found a recipe in it that I wanted to make, but I didn't want to buy the cookbook. I kept repeating lines in it and then going back to where Janice was to write it down. Then I would go back and look at the cookbook again. I kept repeating this until I had the entire recipe down. 

After I got home, I decided to order the cookbook online from Amazon. In the long run, I'm glad I did because I have made several of the recipes in it. The cookbook came from the source and she included a nice note with the book thanking me for buying it. 

This recipe for Cranberry Scones is one from the book. I made the recipe a week ago following the recipe. I wanted to make them for the Cafe Treats since I'm still waiting for Baker Lee to make his famous scones for us. Lee and I have discussed how to make them in a smaller version for the Cafe. 

The scones are one of the best I have eaten! They made up so thick that I decided the next time I would pat the dough thinner. The taste is so unique also and they are surprisingly light tasting not like many scones I have eaten!

Saturday I got to hang out with our granddaughter Madison. In the past we have had so much fun baking together so I told her we were going to make some Cafe Treats for Sunday. 

This time I decided to just pat the dough out as one big circle instead of the two six-inch circles and using a small cookie cutter to cut them in circles. I couldn't find my small cookie cutter and so she used a funnel I have for canning. It is about  2 inches and worked perfectly for our purpose. We ended up with twenty-four + small round ones. The last of the dough I patted into a small circle and cut it into wedges that we enjoyed eating.

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CRANBERRY SCONE/BITES

2-1/2    cups flour

1/2       cup sugar

2          teaspoons baking powder

1          teaspoon baking soda

1/2       teaspoon salt

1/4       cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into small pieces

1/4       cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

1          large egg

1          cup vanilla yogurt

GLAZE

1/2       powdered sugar

1          tablespoon orange juice (I also used lemon juice one time.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cut the cold butter into small slices and then break them up into small pieces.

Add to the flour mixture and using a pastry cutter,

cut in until the mixture forms crumbs.

It's important that you cut the already small dried cranberries into smaller pieces to make sure each scone has some pieces in it.

Stir in the dried cranberries.

In a medium bowl whisk the egg and yogurt until smooth.

Add to the other mixture and mix with a wooden spoon

until the dry ingredients are moistened. 

Light flour a board and knead the dough gently to form a ball. Divide the dough into two equal balls.

Pat each ball into a circle, about 6 or 7 inches in diameter.

Cut the dough into 6 equal wedges. 

Place the wedges on the baking sheet 

To make the bites, pat into one large circle and cut into small round shapes about 2 inches in diameter or to the size you wish. 

Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Mine were brown after 10 minutes.

Separate the wedges.

The "bites"

GLAZE:

In a small bowl mix the glaze ingredients

til smooth. Let stand while scones are baking.

Remove the scones from the oven and spread the scones with the glaze while still warm.

I used lemon juice for the liquid for the glaze for the Bites. I made it thicker using less juice than when I made the wedges. 

CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

Surprise! Surprise! I'm sharing a recipe that wasn't a Cafe Treat, BUT it could be with a few substitutions - mainly omitting the pecans since the Cafe Treats is a "nut-free zone". I think some of the members miss adding the nuts because they will tell me they left out the nuts when they bring their treat in on Sunday. I just smile and tell them that those people who have nut allergies really appreciate that.

I found this recipe in the 40th Reunion Limited Edition of the Midwest Threshers Cookbook and thought it would be a good choice for our Quitlers' Canasta group when I hosted last week. They don't have a lot of sugar as some which is always appreciated and just sounded good!

AND they were good. The ladies loved them. They were so good that Wayne told me later that they were too good; it was hard not to eat a second one. HA. I stored the left overs in an airtight container and we slowly enjoyed them  for several days as I cut them into twelve bars.

I will probably end up making them for the Cafe Treats and cut them into 24 bars. I'm sure they will be pleased. Until then...

PRINT RECIPE.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

1/3       cup butter

1/2       cup sugar

1/2       cup brown sugar

1          egg

1          teaspoon vanilla

1          cup flour

1-1/4   teaspoons baking powder

1/4      teaspoon salt

1/2      cup coconut

1/2      cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

1         (6 - ounce bag) cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 9 - inch square pan. My pan was 8-1/2 - inch square. To double the recipe, use a jelly roll pan. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugars 

thoroughly.

Add the egg and mix well.

Add vanilla.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the cream mixture and

mix well.

Stir in the chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts.

Spread into prepared pan.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool and cut into bars. 

Notes: 

^The dough is thick and I suggest you drop spoonfuls in pan using most of the dough.

Wet or flour fingers to spread and then fill in empty places with the remaining dough you saved.

^You could use unsweetened coconut and sugar substitutes to reduce the sugar content.

^You could use dark cacao chips or any flavor of chips for the chocolate chips.

^If you double the recipe and use a jelly roll pan, check after the 20 to 25 minutes for doneness. Edges should be turning brown.

^Add a scoop of your favorite ice cream for added goodness!

^Nuts could be omitted, if necessary.

 

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

 Sunday was a beautiful sunny day but the wind was strong and cool feeling since the temperatures were cool. Inside the church the Cafe Treats were in abundance. We had six different treats offering a beautiful variety of goodies and I only had a few to freeze for another Sunday.  Overall it was a delightful day!

The first one I am sharing is Member Liane's Chocolate Peppermint Cookies. They were a favorite of the children who would come up to choose something. Be honest...who could resist choosing these beauties!

PRINT RECIPE.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

1-1/2   cups flour

1/2      cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder

1/2      teaspoon baking soda

1/2      teaspoon salt

3/4      cup light brown sugar

1/2      cup granulated sugar

1/2      cup (1 stick) butter (softened in a microwave in a bowl for 30 seconds)

1         teaspoon peppermint extract

1         egg

2         tablespoons water

1/2      cup Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips

Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. 

Cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy...then add the peppermint extract, egg, and water blending well.

Then gradually stir in the dry ingredients. Once it's mixed, beat on low in mixer until it's all well mixed.

Fold in the baking chips.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for one hour. (This makes the cookies soft and chewy.)

After one hour, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a large cookie sheet.

Scoop rounded balls onto cookie sheet using a tablespoon cookie scoop.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes just until they are set. Do NOT overbake.

Store in airtight container to keep them from drying out.

Makes 24 cookies.

LEMONY PINEAPPLE CAKEY COOKIES (no sugar added)

 What an exciting morning with the Cafe Treats at church! We ended up with such a beautiful and delicious variety of treats! 

Since everyone says what they are brining, I can find something at the last minute to make the night before to add to the others. I do like to have something either sugar-free or with no-sugar-added but since I have several different recipe options, I can choose something different. I had not planned on Member Jo Ann bringing in some brownies, but since Member Liane was bringing in some Chocolate Peppermint Cookies that I will be sharing tomorrow, I'm glad I decided not to make a chocolate sugar-free treat.

These Lemony Pineapple Cakey Cookies were not just pretty, but a colorful addition to the collection. I had to make a few extra changes to the traditional cake mix cookie formula but just so they would be no-sugar-added cookies. With my changes they were just right with the amount of lemon flavoring. If you want the cookies to really taste lemon, I would just suggest doubling the amount of lemon extract. If Pillsbury would just make a lemon cake mix that was Zero Sugar, I wouldn't have to make the extra alterations. Another thought I literally just had is to add a sugar-free yellow jello mix to the cake mix. I will definitely try that the next time I need a  zero sugar lemon cake mix to make something sugar-free. 

If you are not concerned with the sugar when making the cookies, you can use a lemon cake mix and glaze with regular powdered sugar. 

I would have sifted some stevia powdered sugar on top of the cooled cookies, but since we have had lemon crinkles several times for the Cafe Treats, I didn't want people to think they were Lemon Crinkles Cookies.

PRINT RECIPE.

LEMONY PINEAPPLE CAKEY COOKIES (no sugar added)

1       zero sugar yellow cake mix

1       stick of butter, softened

2       eggs

1 - 2  teaspoons lemon extract

1/4    teaspoon pure lemon oil

1       (8 - oz) can (1 cup) crushed pineapple, drained well

Glaze 

1-1/2 cups (stevia) powdered sugar 

lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Whisk the dry yellow cake mix to break up any lumps.

Stir the cake mix, butter, eggs, lemon extract, and lemon  on low with electric mixer for a bit;

then add the pineapple and mix til soft dough forms.

 

Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, place dough scoops onto an ungreased cookie sheet or one lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. 

Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges are turning brown and centers are soft and set.

I made some on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and some on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Allow to cool 2-5 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack.

Recipe made 3-1/2 dozen. Store in a closed container.    

Note: You can sift some powdered sugar from stevia on top of cooled baked cookies or make the glaze and ice the cooled cookies with it.