Sticky Buns

Now *these* are sticky buns! I was reading a entry on a friend's Facebook page about how she made sweetbread in her bread machine...and I had never thought of using it for that. I've made plenty of dough for pizza and lots of bread over the years, but for some reason that use never occurred to me. Well it works pretty damn well. Recipe to follow...

Grandma T's Peanut Butter Cookies

On Easter Sunday I had to work for a few hours, but then we went to our friend's house to celebrate. I had just enough time to pop these into the oven to bring with us.

This is certainly the most baked cookie in our house, and X's favorite (besides the Guinness Brownies). They are dense, peanut-buttery, and not too sweet.


Makes 24

1/2 C CRISCO
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1C peanut butter
1 1/2C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine Crisco, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat in egg & vanilla. Add peanut butter. Beat until blended.

2. Sift together flour, soda, & salt. Blend into creamed mixture.

3. Roll into small balls about the size of a walnut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with fork to flatten (but not too hard).

4. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove to cooling rack.

Pork Loin Gone Wrong

I was inspired by a friend's mention of a slow cooked pork loin and wanted to make it at home. I had written down some of the ingredients, but since we had been *ahem* drinking when this occurred, I'm sure I got it wrong. So I Googled, found what I thought was it, and made it. I should have just called. The recipe I made was totally different, and I managed to mess it up. It was for a pork loin with cranberries. Many of my slow cooker recipes say "7-8 hours on low, 5-6 hours on high". This one did not. But I only had 6 hours, so I cooked it on high. Mistake. I caramelized the fruit and destroyed the pork. Maybe I'll try again since it really looked good. 

Meanwhile I've called my friend and gotten the correct recipe for her "ginger spiced pork rub".

Below is what I made and messed up. And this photo is not what mine looked like!

Pork Loin with Cranberries

1 1 can whole berry sauce
1/2 C quartered dried apricots
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 C fresh OJ
1 shallot, chopped
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp fresh ginger
2 lb boneless pork loin roast
snipped chives

1. Mix cranberry sauce, apricots, orange peel and juice, shallot, vinegar, mustard, salt, and ginger in 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Add pork and spoon some of cranberry mixture on top. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours or until pork is tender.

2. Remove pork to cutting board. Spoon off any fat from top of cranberry mixture in slow cooker. Slice pork into 6 thick slices. Serve topped with sauce. Garnish with chives, if desired.

$5 Brownies

I had these awesome brownies at New Year's and managed to get a hold of the recipe. These are incredibly rich, chocolatey, and over-the-top. I did a little twist and put caramel and sea salt on a couple. Yowza.  I only made a half recipe. And I cooked it 10 minutes longer than this says.

If you want a brownie that will thoroughly kick your ass, these are it. (caramel & sea salt at your own risk!)

3 sticks unsalted butter
12 oz fine quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 eggs
1 1/4 C cake flour (not self rising)
1 C plus 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch process)
3 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan, knocking out excess flour.

2. Melt butter with chocolate in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from pan and whisk in eggs, 1 at a time.

3. Sift together flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl and stir into batter with sugar and salt. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven until top is firm and a tester inserted into center comes out with crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours, before cutting into 20 squares.