Peanut Butter Cookies (low carb)

In the fall, I get a hankering to bake, bake, bake!

 

Since I try to live the low carb lifestyle, that limits my baked goods choices.  When I want to bake cookies, this easy recipe always comes to mind.

I found this recipe several years ago in my Aunt Mary's little recipe box.  Last night when I baked these little gems, I subbed Splenda for the sugar.   I have written the recipe here as it is on her recipe card and added my own tweaks.



 

Magic Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar (I subbed Splenda)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla, optional

Mix the peanut butter and sugar well.  Add the egg.  Mix well.  (As the egg is added to the peanut butter mixture, it  causes the mixture to have a cookie dough texture)

Drop by rounded spoonfuls on baking sheet.  Using a fork, press the cookies down to give them that classic peanut butter cookie look.  Bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes.  Do not overcook.

 

Cool and enjoy!

Old Fashioned Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Ok, so not a very good photo.  It was melting fast!  I really needed to give the ice cream time to "ripen" in the metal container nestled in the salty ice.  But as it goes around my house when it comes to homemade ice cream - we just can't wait! 



Here's the "recipe" I use.  It's my mom's.  That's what I always strive to do, make it like Mom's.  The only thing different I do from Mom is to heat the milk and temper the egg mixture.  Then I call the custard cooked just in case I'm serving finicky people who don't prefer to eat "raw" eggs.

Old-Fashioned Homemade Ice Cream

• 6 eggs


• 2 1/2 cups sugar


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 3 tablespoon vanilla extract


• 2 each 13-ounce cans evaporated milk 


• 1 can condensed milk


• 1 pint heavy whipping cream


• whole milk , as needed to fill line


• chipped ice


• rock salt

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar gradually, stirring constantly. Add salt, vanilla, condensed milk, and cream.  Heat the 2 cans of evaporated milk in the microwave until boiling.  Add the milk a little at a time to the egg mixture to prevent currdling.  Pour the ice cream mixture into the metal freezer can.  Add enough whole sweet milk until the mixture reaches the container's fill line.  Stir.

Assemble the ice cream freezer. Add alternating layers of chipped ice and rock salt to barrel around freezer can. If electric, plug the freezer in and let it do it's thing, adding more ice and salt, as needed.  When freezer stops, unplug.  Remove top and dasher.  Ice cream may be soft on top (see pic above :D) but will be firmer near the bottom of the can.   Replace top. Cover can with more ice and salt. Cover ice with a towel, allowing ice cream to "ripen" for at least 1 hour, if you can wait!  :) Makes about 5 quarts of ice cream.

Enjoy!

Here's to the happy days of summer!

Another Brownie Recipe

Honest, that's the title of this recipe.  I considered calling it Easy One Bowl Brownies, but decided to go with what I wrote down on the card.  This is another from my vintage recipe collection.

This recipe is very forgiving and I have made substitutions in the past with great results.

Another Brownie Recipe
 
1 stick butter, melted ( I have used 1/2 cup oil or 1/2 cup applesauce)
5 T cocoa ( I used 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate)
2 eggs
3/4 c flour
1 cup sugar (I added 1/2 cup brown sugar)
1/2 cup pecan pieces, optional

Mix all together.  Pour into 7 x11 dish for thicker brownies. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Aunt Mary's Special Cake with Strawberries

Several years ago I had a chance

to go through Aunt Mary's little recipe box.  I copied down the recipes that I thought I might like to make and read through those that I remembered her making.  There was Date Nut Cake, Chess Pie, Pecan Crisp Cookies and even a recipe on stationery sent from a friend along with a greeting and personal  note.  One that stood out to me was hid near the back of the box, with no name other than Cake.  Not wanting it to get lost in my files I renamed it "Special Cake". 



Over the years, I've made Special Cake several times, usually during the summer to go with strawberries and fresh whipped cream.  My oldest daughter happens to love Strawberry Shortcake. 



I made it again this weekend and decided to use my new bundt pan (can you call it a pan if it's ceramic?) from Williams-Sonoma that was a gift from my dear youngest brother.



My cake wanted to stick a little and didn't brown as well as the one on the cake pan lable, even after baking for 45 minutes.  I took a slice of it and cubed it up for Strawberry Shortcake Trifle. 



Don't you just love spring?  Spring brings us those delicious little red bits of delectable fruit we call strawberries.  Aunt Mary brought me a Special Cake recipe to use with that delicious fruit,  along with many wonderful memories.



Happy Spring and happy Strawberry Shortcake Season!

Read more about Aunt Mary's life and recipes

Chocolate Fudge Pie

 

With work slowing down, we've found ourselves home more during the week.  What better to do than bake?!

I found an easy recipe for My Handyman to make while I was doing other fun stuff, like folding laundry and helping the girls with their lessons.  I thought he did a great job and by that evening most of this delicious pie had vanished.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE PIE

1 c. sugar 4 tbsp. flour 4 tbsp. cocoa 1/2 c. milk 2 whole eggs 3 tbsp. butter, melted 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring chopped pecans (optional)   Dump all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat well. Pour into an unbaked pastry shell. We sprinkled a few pecans in the bottom before pouring in the batter. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool before slicing.  Top with freshly whipped cream.