Sugar Cut Out Cookies

The nice thing about this recipe is that there is no chilling required!

Makes a large batch of cookies. You may want to cut it in half.

Ingredients:

2 c. salted butter
2 c. granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. vanilla
4 tsp. baking powder
6 c. all purpose flour

Add butter and sugar to the large bowl of your mixer. Cream together until it is completely mixed, but do not overmix.

Add vanilla and eggs and mix until completely combined.

Mix in baking powder.

Mix in the flour two cups ad a time.

Roll out dough on a floured surface tunitl it is about 3/8 " thick. Cut out shapes with a cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 F. for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake - the cookies should be light in color with only slight (if any) browning at the edges.

Cool on racks before frosting.

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9 inch double crust pie
4 c. fresh blueberries*
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
Turbinado sugar to taste.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the blueberries.

Pour berry mixture into bottom pie crust. Dot with butter and then put the top crust on. Crimp edges of pie crust an brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp. water. Sprinkle turbinado sugar over top of pie - adding as much or as little as you like.

Bake pie on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes.

*Fresh blueberries are highly recommended. I've tried it with frozen and it just is not as good.

Apple Fritter Bread

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf

Ingredients:

1/3 c. light brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples (granny smith or other tart firm apple good for baking), diced
2/3 c. sugar + 2 Tbsp.
1/2 c. butter (softened)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 c. milk plus 1 to 3 Tbsp.
1 c. powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x5 in. loaf pan with cooking spray. (you can also line the pan with parchment at this point to make removing the whole loaf from the pan easier after baking. If you do this, also spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Spraying the pan before laying down the parchment will prevent the paper from sliding around as you fill the pan.)

Mix brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Toss apples with 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and remaining tsp. cinnamon in another bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and remaining 2/3 c. granulated sugar together with mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time and the vanilla.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in another bowl, then add to creamed butter mixture and beat until blended. Mix in 1/2 c. milk until smooth.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan; add half of the chopped apple mixture. Sprinkle half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the apple layer.

Pour the remaining batter over the apple layer and top with the remaining apples and then the remaining brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat the apples into the batter. Swirl the brown sugar mixture through the batter with a butter knife.

Bake until done when tested with a toothpick - about an hour and 10 minutes. (If your bread is browning too fast, cover with aluminum foil during the last 15 minutes of baking time.)

Let loaf rest for 15 minutes, then remove from the pan. Place on a wire rack to cool completely before applying the glaze.

For the glaze: Mix powdered sugar with remaining 1 to 3 Tblsp. mil, thinning to desired consistancy. Drizzle the glaze over the bread.