Keep your clothes on....

Last weekend, I made these incredible brownies - chocolate, of course, with a caramel center, and a generous dusting of powdered sugar.  Incredible.  The recipe is from the Pioneer Woman, and they are called "Knock-You-Naked Brownies."  I won't copy her recipe, but here is a link to it on her website - they are a-MAZ-ing!!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/05/knock-you-naked-brownies/

Scones will put some meat on your bones

Just tried my first scones recipe - they were so easy, and you can make any kind you can imagine!  They were soft and moist - delicious!

Blueberry scones

2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
8 Tbsp unsalted butter (cold)
1/2 cup fresh, frozen or dried blueberried (I used frozen and they worked great)
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 large egg

1.  Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat over to 400 degrees.
2.  Dump 1st 5 ingredients (through salt) in a food processor and pulse a few times to mix.  Cut up butter and put in food processor and pulse until crumbled into the flour mixture.  Dump in a medium bowl and stir in fruit.
3.  In a small bowl whisk yogurt and egg until smooth.  Using a fork, stir into the flour mixture until large dough clumps form.  Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball.  (The dough will be very sticky.)
4.  Place on a lightly floured surfact and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp of sugar.  Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper about 1 inch apart (they will get significantly bigger so make sure you space them out).  Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations:
Lemon-blueberry scones:  Add 1 generous tsp lemon zest to the flour mixture.
Chocolate chip:  Substitute 1/2 cup chocolate chips for the blueberries.
Cranberry-orange:  Add 1 generous tsp orange zest to the dry ingredients and substitute cranberries for blueberries.

Here is the original recipe:  http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/simple-scones/Detail.aspx

Cake Wrecks.... by Caroline

Sometimes, things just go terribly, terribly wrong.  Like tonight.  When I tried to make Mom's "green cake," only in pink.  You know, for Valentine's Day.  However, I got home late from work and threw it together while on a conference call with Singapore.  I greased the pan, but did not flour.  And this is what happened.

Hmmmm... I know it's been a few years, but this is not what I remember it looking like...

 Oh, ok - here's the rest of it.

Then I tried flipping it over.  Right... much better.

Nothing says "I love you" like a giant, jagged, pink doughnut!  Happy Valentine's Day!

This won't give you a muffin top!

We are having a winter storm here in Houston - yes, Houston!  The roads are icy, businesses are closed, and we were expecting snow (which still hasn't come).  So I decided this was a great day for baking.  These are good for breakfast, or a winter storm snack - and this recipe is from Cooking Light, so it won't give you a muffin top!

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I substituted half for whole wheat flour)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 large egg white
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.  Combine flour and next 8 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine pumpkin and next 6 ingredients (through egg white); add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.  Spoon the batter into 18 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Combine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and brown sugar; sprinkle over muffins.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center.  Remove from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.