Cinnamon Chip Scones

Today I made some Cinnamon Scones. My sister and son have been asking me to make them for some time and so I did. They turned out really well and so I thought you might like to have the recipe as they are really not like a traditional scone at all. They are more cookie like, sorta. Traditional Scones are really just triangle biscuits and you can make them with any kind of dried fruit or serve them with Honey or Jelly. They are really good but this is a bit different. These are sweeter then scones. Everyone seems to love them so I thought you might like them too.

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Preheat Oven to 375

Be sure and have cookie sheets sprayed ahead of time and the butter cut and everything measured out before starting.

Cutting the butter:  Slice it long way, then turn it over and slice it long way again. Cut off little cubes of it into a bowl and put back into the refrigerator.

• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 C Sour Cream
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking Soda

Beat the Eggs and then whisk in the Sour Cream, Vanilla and Soda, set aside.

• 4 C Flour
• 1 ¼ C Sugar
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. Cream of Tartar
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 C Butter [cold]
• 1 C Cinnamon Chips

Place flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cream of tartar and salt in Mixer. Whisk a few times to incorporate. Add Butter and beat slowly or it will fly all over the kitchen, until pea size.

Add Sour Cream mixture and beat just until incorporated and then add chips. You may have to work the chips in with your hands but try with the mixer first. Flour counter top, your hands [arms to the armpit] pastry cloth or board. This dough will be sticky. Work it around with your hands until it is together and then press with your hands. Do this quickly so the dough doesn’t get too warm. I make it about 2 inches thick. Cut out with whatever you have. I use a square cutter or a triangle sometimes.  This will make a lot so I make them big because I’m lazy and don’t want to fiddle in the kitchen forever. If you make the triangle you can make several dozen.

Bake 13 to 16 minutes until brown on bottom [if you make them real big “palm of your hand size” then it takes about 20 or so]

CINNAMON GLAZE

• 2 C Powdered Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 T soft butter
• ½ tsp. Cinnamon
• Enough milk to make a thin glaze

Drop a tablespoon on each warm scone and spread around with the back of the spoon. They will drip a bit. These are so good you really don’t need the glaze but I always do it because my family likes it that way.  Hope you enjoy these. 

Sausage Quiche

"And they did all eat, and were filled"  -  Matthew 15:37 (KJV)

I have kinda been waiting for my friend to get back to me. She gave me this recipe many many years ago and I don't know if she still makes it but I do from time to time. A couple of ladies have asked me for it and so Randy I hope you don't mind but I'm sharing.

Sausage Quiche - 375 oven

• 1 unbaked pie shell 9"
• 1-lb. of reduced fat Original Sausage [Jimmy Dean]
• 1/2 C Onions, chopped fine
• 1/3 C Green Pepper, chopped fine
• 1 1/2 C or 8 to 10 oz. pkg grated Colby or Cheddar Cheese
• 1 Tbs. Flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 C Evaporated Milk
• 1 Tbs. Parsley Flakes
• 3/4 C Lawry's Seasoned Salt [important]
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Pepper

Get out your skillet. Put a small amount of oil in it. [I hope you're using Canola Oil]Just enough to cover the bottom. This sausage has no fat and you don't want it to stick. Add the Sausage, Onion and Green Pepper and cook until the Sausage is done. Chop it up with a spatula so you don't have chunks of meat. When done take off the heat and blot with a paper towel in case there is any fat, set aside.

In a big bowl dump all of the cheese and flour. Toss together. When the Sausage, onion and peppers are cool, not cold but cool, add them to the cheese flour mixture and toss. Set aside.

In a small bowl beat the eggs, then add the milk, flakes, seasoned salt, garlic salt and pepper, beat together. Set aside.

Now it's time to put the sausage mixture into the unbaked crust. Pat it around so it is evenly distributed then pour the egg mixture over all. It won't look like enough but it will be.

Set it on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until browned and filling is set. Test it with a table knife if you like or bump it with your hand and see if it wiggles. I don't but I've been making this for a long time. The original recipe called for 3/4 pound of sausage links but I never had that and then there was the problem of what to do with the dab that was left so I just changed it a bit. It's very tasty and really easy. Once you have it together and can wash up and have no other pans to fool with. I always make a green salad with it.

[I will give you my recipe for pie crust at another time if any one wants it. It's a no fail, just takes practice] Hope you enjoy this little Quiche. It's not fancy but it is real good.

Ham 'n' Beans & Simple Dessert

A friend on FB has reminded me that maybe there are a few out there that don't know how to make tasty Ham and Beans. I know this won't be news to some but I thought I would put it out there in case there is anyone that could use the recipe.

HAM and BEANS

The night before:

1 package of raw Great Northern or Navy Beans [1 lb. pkg]

Place the beans in a Dutch Oven or Stock Pot and cover with cold water, put the lid on and let soak overnight. There is a quick way by boiling them for a couple of minutes but I'm not nuts about it. Read the package if you have a doubt.

Next day:

• 2 Smoked Ham Hocks [look for meaty ones]
• 1 Slice of Cooks or Fricks Ham sliced in bite size pieces [set aside]
• 1 large white onion, cut in half

Drain and rinse the beans. They will have gotten chubby during the night. Place the Ham Hocks in the pot and pour the Beans back in too. Add the Onion halves and cover with water.

Unless you want Ham and Bean Soup don't put too much water in there, just enough to cover.
Bring to a good simmer and then turn heat down, replace the lid and let them cook slowly for a few hours. Stir them every so often in case they stick but I don't think they will. Mine don't. After a couple of hours take the lid off and leave it off.

Now comes the QC test.[quality control] Taste it and see if it needs salt and I know it will need pepper. The beans should be done and now is the time to lift out the Ham Hocks. They will be hot as a fleet but set them aside and put in the cubed Ham to let it get warmed through.

The Ham Hocks have a lot of good meat on them and you can slowly remove it and put it in the pot too. [or just eat it right there, who will know?] Once the Ham is warmed through turn off the heat, cover and let it sit on the stove while you make some Corn Bread and a Lettuce Salad. [Balanced meal] These Beans will thicken as they cool or not. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. They are really good either way.


SIMPLE DESSERT

• 2 Sticks of Butter, room temp. or put them in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
•  [No oleo, it's really plastic]
• 1/2  Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2 C Sugar
• 2 1/4 C Flour [not self rising]
• 1/4 tsp. Salt

Dump all the above ingredients in your mixer and beat like mad until it is crumbly. Spray a 13X9 pan [I use glass] and press half of the crumble in the bottom of the pan. Just so it covers the bottom. Save out about 2 cups if you can.

Open a small container of Jam. Raspberry, Grape, Strawberry, whatever you have. Heat it on the stove just until it's smooth. Pour it over the bottom crust and spread it out well, Then top with the rest of the crumble topping.

Bake at 350 about 35, 40 minutes until it's brown. Let cool and slice into bars. They aren't thick but they are good. My sister bought the wrong kind of Cherries for a Cherri Pie and so we had these delicious Black Cherries from Oregon. I took one can and pureed it in the Food Processor and added 1 T. Corn Starch 1/4 C Sugar and a little Cinnamon [taste it] and cooked it till it was thick. I spooned it over the crust and topped it. I made this in just a few minutes. It was really good and easy. 

Hope you enjoy the Ham and Beans and this simple dessert.

Southern Ham Dinner

I have been thinking about this for a bit and have had several suggestions from my daughter. She suggested I write about the Quiche that I make but it's not really comfort food. Ham and Beans was another suggestion but I assume that everyone knows how to make tasty Ham and Beans. I was thinking about something that is warming when you come in from the cold and it is going to be cold tomorrow.
Therefore I'm going to write about something I used to make when I lived in Kentucky, Indiana and Alabama too, come to think of it.

Southern Ham Dinner

• 1 large Skillet with lid
• 1 good sized Ham Slice. [Cooks or Fricks is good]
• 2 heaping Tbs. Bacon Fat. [yes, you'll live with this much]
• Couple of whole cloves smashed into each side of the Ham

Melt the fat in the skillet on very low heat. Lay the Ham Slice in the skillet and cover with lid. Cook very very slowly until heated through. It will be tender and moist after about 10 minutes total. Ham slices are already cooked so you just want to warm them. I usually have prepared Grits with salt and butter to go with this.

When the Ham is done and warmed through NOT FRIED, remove to platter and make a milk gravy.
If there isn't enough fat in the pan add a little more. [you can do it] Remove from heat and stir in about 1/4 C Flour, stir around then add about 1C milk, stir and return to the heat. Cook to the thickness that you like. You may need to add more Milk but you have to look at it and test it yourself. Salt and Pepper to taste of course. Serve with Biscuits, or Potatoes. My family liked Ham, Grits, Gravy, Green Beans and Biscuits. Sometimes I would open a can of Black Eyed Peas and season with Bacon and heat. The Black Eyed Peas were always Ellen's favorite.

This is a cheap meal and good too. Hope you and your family will enjoy it.