Ashby Corner

One of my favorite things to do is bake special goodies for my family. Unfortunately, for those who have been reading my blog and have learned a little about me, my baking has been curtailed somewhat because of the chronic pain I have 24/7. I just can’t stand as long as I used to. But I LOVE baking! It truly takes me to my Happy Place! My grandmother, Mimi, was a phenomenal baker. She couldn’t cook regular food for anything! She always cooked it until it was so dry you needed a hammer to break it apart! But she could make the most incredible cakes, pies, cookies, etc.! She was always baking her famous pound cake and taking them to friends and family just to say she loved you. Her pound cake was Amazing and loved by many!

My Grandmother’s Influence

I think my love of baking came from my Mimi. That is also the name I chose for my grandchildren to call me. I have so many happy memories of baking cookies with my grandchildren, especially over the holidays! We would totally destroy my kitchen but I didn’t care. I would spread out wax paper over the entire counter make up all different colors of icing and just let them have at it. It was a BLAST! I’m the one who always brings dessert to every family gathering and they definitely have their favorites. There is one recipe that I make all the time when I need to make a quick dessert to take somewhere and it is Always a Hit! It has been called by many names from 7-Layers to Hello Dolly, but the ingredients are the same.

RECIPE FOR A QUICK DESSERT

Preheat your oven to 350. Take a 9×13 glass dish and cut up 1 stick of butter. Put the dish in the microwave and melt the butter. Then add Graham Cracker crumbs to the melted butter and form a crust. (I usually use roughly 1 1/2 to 2 cups. You just need to have a medium thick crust that is firm). Next you start your layers. This is where it can vary depending on your tastes and preferences.

For instance, my daughter-in-law is allergic to peanuts, so I don’t put the peanut butter chips when I know she’s going to eat it. You are going to make several layers of various flavored chips. Use everything from milk chocolate to Heath Bar chips. I usually use the Milk Chocolate, Peanut Butter, White Chocolate, Butterscotch (always!), then if I have the Heath Bar or any other chip that I like I throw it in to. Just make a layer with each one on top of each other. Then do a layer of chopped pecans. Put a layer of Coconut on top of the nuts. THEN drizzle an entire can of Eagle Brand (sweetened condensed milk) over the entire thing and bake for 30 minutes. Easy Peasy and SO GOOOOD!!

Does Baking Make You Happy?

I know the satisfaction of sharing something I’ve made with others and seeing them enjoy it is truly special. I’m a lot like my grandmother (Mimi) in many ways, but especially when it comes to baking. Just like her, that is one thing I’m known for in my family. Everyone always wants my desserts!

There is a pie recipe that I want to share with you. Not only is it easy — but it’s beautiful and taste amazing! These pies will make you an instant hit wherever you take them! They are called Hummingbird Pies. I know that’s an unusual name, but I think it’s because the toasted coconut on top makes the pie resemble a birds’ nest. Who Knows?? All I know is that I made these for my youngest son’s Wedding Rehearsal Dinner and there wasn’t a crumb left! They were devoured! OK – here goes!

Hummingbird Pie

• Use 1 Cup Toasted Coconut
• 1 can Eagle Brand (sweetened condensed milk)
• Add 1 (8 oz.) package Cream Cheese
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip
• 2 Graham Cracker Pie Crusts
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
• Caramel Ice Cream Topping

Toast Coconut in 350 degree oven until golden brown. Cool completely. Combine Eagle Brand, cream cheese and Cool Whip. Mix Well. Pour into the 2 pie crusts and add toasted coconut and pecans. Drizzle each pie with the Caramel Topping and refrigerate until ready to serve.

**This recipe also works in a 9 x 13 inch pan. Just make a crust on the bottom with graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Also – Serving Suggestion – when you plate the pie, use the caramel topping to drizzle over each piece and onto the plate. It makes this easy dessert look like something from a Fancy Restaurant!!

SPECIAL QUICK COOKIE RECIPE

This recipe is a great solution when you need to make something to take for a class party for your kids, snacks for baseball, football or soccer practice, or really any occasion! These cookies are delicious and quick and easy to make. I’m not positive this falls under the “baking” category since you don’t use an oven to make these, but I just had to share with you! This is the type of recipe where you might need to make it a few times in order to get it just right.

Special Procedure

There is a procedure you need to use in order to determine if they are ready to take off of the heat. What I do is this: I always have a container of Cold water handy and a small measuring cup to use as the “test spot”. After following the recipe down to the point where you are supposed to remove it from the heat, you need to take the spoon you are stirring with and dip it in the mix. Then, you let it Drip into the measuring cup with cold water. Here is the Main Thing that determines if your final cookies will be the perfect texture OR they will either be runny or hard as a rock!

Anyway, once you drip the mix into the cold water and it turns into small little Balls, then you know it’s ready! If it looks like a “Splat” in the water, it’s not done! Your goal is to get Perfect Little Balls in the water! I usually check continuously until I reach my goal of those little balls in the water. If you wait too long, then you will have Rocks for cookies! OK – that’s all I’m going to say now – below is the recipe – just follow every step and You Will Be Great!

• 2 cups of Sugar
• 1 stick of Butter
• 4 Heaping Teaspoons of Cocoa
• 1/2 cup of Milk
• 3 cups of the Minute Oatmeal or Quick Oats – these come in a tall cylinder type container. Just make sure it’s the “instant” oats – not the kind you have to cook & simmer on the stove.
• Crunchy Peanut Butter – I usually use approximately 1/2 jar of the smaller size jar.
• 1 tsp. of Vanilla

Now – mix together in a sturdy pan over medium heat the Sugar, Cocoa and Milk. As soon as the mixture starts to boil, put in the entire stick of butter and stir to melt. You will be stirring continuously during these steps. Once the mixture makes a small hard ball when dripped into cold water, you can remove it from the heat (see description for this step above). Immediately after removing from heat, add Vanilla and Peanut Butter. Stir until Peanut Butter is melted into the mixture. Then add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of the Oats. (you can determine how much oats is enough by the consistency of the mix. The oats will make the mix more solid so it can be dropped onto the wax paper and harden into cookies).

Make Sure You Prepare Ahead

Make sure and spread out wax paper on your counter so you can immediately start “plopping” down the cookies a spoonful at a time. Now – I never told you the name of these cookies, but I need you to imagine what these cookies look like. (See Picture) That’s why I’ve always known them as Doo-Doo Cookies!! My aunt made them when I was a child and I spent a LOT of time at her house playing with her 5 kids. She would make these and we would be eating them almost as fast as she “plopped” them down. My children also called them Cow Patties! But their official name is Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. They are delicious and once you make them, be ready to make them again because they are always in high demand!

MY COOKIE SECRET!

I just wanted to share a secret with you that I have used many times when I’m doing a lot of baking. If you like peanut butter cookies, then buy the instant mix that comes in a bag in the store and all you have to do is add oil, water and an egg. After mixing together, add in white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips. Oh My Goodness! It turns those instant bake cookies into something that looks like you slaved away in the kitchen all day and they taste Amazing!!

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