Almond-Oat Strawberry Shortcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup chilled heavy cream, divided, plus more for brushing
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 375°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse flour, oats, almonds, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until only pea-size pieces remain. Add 1/2 cup cream and 1 tsp. vanilla; pulse until large moist clumps form. Transfer to a work surface.
• Knead until dough comes together, about 4 turns. Pat into a 4x6" rectangle. Halve lengthwise, then crosswise into thirds. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Brush with cream; sprinkle with 1/2 Tbsp. sugar.
• Bake, rotating sheet halfway through cooking, until golden brown around edges and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Set biscuits on a wire rack; let cool. DO AHEAD: Biscuits can be made 8 hours ahead. Store cooled biscuits airtight at room temperature.
• Meanwhile, combine strawberries, 1 Tbsp. sugar, and Grand Marnier, if using, in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Let strawberries sit, tossing often, until juices release. Whisk 1/2 cup cream, 1/2 Tbsp. sugar, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla in a small bowl until peaks form.
• Cut warm or room-temperature biscuits in half; place bottom halves on plates. Divide whipped cream and strawberries over. Top with remaining biscuit halves.

Hungry for More? If you have a question about this recipe, contact our Test Kitchen at askba@bonappetit.com. To see more recipes like this one, check out our Strawberries Slideshow.

• nutritional information

  1 serving contains:
  Calories (kcal) 440
  Fat (g) 29
  Saturated Fat (g) 16
  Cholesterol (mg) 85
  Carbohydrates (g) 42
  Dietary Fiber (g) 4
  Total Sugars (g) 18
  Protein (g) 6
  Sodium (mg) 360

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2012/04/almond-oat-strawberry-shortcakes#ixzz1rV6Hnu8I

Apple Pie Baked in the Apple

We are in love with this--Apple Pie Baked in the Apple.

You will need 6 granny smith apples, 1 pie crust, 1/4 cup sugar and 1tablespoon brown sugar. Cut off the top of 4 apples off and discard. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon very carefully, as to not puncture the peel. Remove skin from 2 additional apples and slice very thinly. These apple pieces will give you filling needed to fill the four apples you are baking. Mix sliced apples with sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. If you prefer more or less cinnamon and sugar, make adjustments as desired. Scoop sliced apples into hollow apples. Roll out pie crust and slice into 1/4 inch strips. You can also add a strip of pastry inside the top of the apple almost like a liner to add a little more texture/sweetness to the pie. Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern with pie crust strips. Place apples in an 8×8 pan. Add just enough water to the cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft.

By: Ultimate Women's Expo

I found this on Facebook.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Kirbie’s Cravings

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 c butter, melted

2/3 c granulated sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 c Nutella

1 c chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix well.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter, mixing well after each addition.

Add the Nutella and mix briefly, swirling the Nutella throughout the dough.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop the dough by the tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies have just started to turn brown.

Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

I found this delicious sounding recipe on Facebook... oh yummy!! Many thanks to Leslee Fuller who posted it there.

Overwhelming sadness

Dreams of owning a horse..
That's all they are, dreams.
Longings put to pictures when I'm asleep,
Remembering those days in my childhood when I got to ride.
Maybe I was just teasing myself,
Adding fuel to the fire of things that won't become reality.

Remembering Kimmi

Kim, my little sister,
Born 13 months and 10 days after me,
Childhood playmate,
Teenage confidant,
Doting aunt to her nephews,
Shoulder to cry on.

You left me before I was ready to go at life without you.
I had thought that we would grow old together,
Our children would grow up knowing each other.

I might have been older... but I didn't expect you to leave my life while I was away.
I thought you'd still be there when I got back.