The Best Carrot Cake Ever!

1 ½ c. oats
¾ c. butter
2 ½ c. boiling water
2 5/8 c. wheat flour
1 ½ t. soda
1 1/8 t. salt
1 ½ t. cinnamon
3/8 t. nutmeg
3 eggs
1 7/8 c. honey
1 ½ t. vanilla
1c. raisins
1c. grated carrots
1c. chopped pecans

Combine oats, butter, and boiling water in a large bowl, let stand 20min. Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add honey in fine stream, mixing well. Add vanilla. Stir in oats mixture. Add sifted ingredients, about ½ c. at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in raisins carrots, and nuts. Pour into a 13x9in. pan greased and floured. Bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Cool cake.

Icing
1 large and 1 small pkg. of cream cheese, softened
¼ c. butter
1/3 -1/2c. honey ½ t. vanilla
¾ c. chopped pecans

Beat cheese, butter. Add honey in fine stream while beating. Stir in pecans. Spread on top and sides of cake.

Chef Esther

Nutty Rosemary Bread

INGREDIENTS
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees to 115 degrees F), divided
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups wheat flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 egg, beaten
DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Add the whole wheat flour, oil, honey, cornmeal, rosemary, salt, 1 cup bread flour and remaining water. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining wheat flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; add pecans. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a bowl coated with nonstick cooking spray, turning once to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Divide in half; shape into two loaves. Place in two 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.
Brush egg over loaves. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire racks.


I made this into round loaves, though you can do it either way with great success!
The nuts and herbs are a great complement to each other.

Chef Hannah

Bread dipping oil

3T. olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
1T. fresh basil
Dash of pepper, salt, and red pepper


Saute garlic in 1t. of oil. Remove and stir in remaining ingredients. Serve!
This is great served with french bread, and Spaghetti!

Chef Hannah

Latkes

INGREDIENTS
2 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
3T. green onion(or white)
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4c. oil
DIRECTIONS
Place the potatoes in a cheesecloth and wring, extracting as much moisture as possible.
In a medium bowl stir the potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt together.
In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side, turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!


These are so good served with sour cream and extra green onions! Or omit the onions in the pancake, and drizzle with syrup. Our Grandpa used to make these all the time..................

Chef Hannah

Zucchini Bread

3 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking soda

3/4 t. baking powder

1t. cinnamon

4 eggs

2c. sugar

1c. oil

1 1/2 t. vanilla

2c. grated zucchini

1c. raisins

1c. chopped nuts

Galze

1/2c. powdered sugar

1T. water

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. In another bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add both mixtures together till well combined. Fold in zucchini, nuts, and raisins. Divide batter into 2 greased floured pans. Bake at 350 for about 55min. or till toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pans and let cool. Drizzle with Glaze.

Yields 16 slices per loaf

Chef Esther

Meatballs

1lb. of ground beef

1/4c. bread crumbs

1t. of oregano, basil, thyme

1/2t. pepper, and salt

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl. Shape into 1 1/2in balls. Cook in a sauce pan at high heat with 1T. of oil (beware of hot oil!) Cook rotating the meatballs till browned on each side, and cooked all the way through.

-These are great served in a marinara sauce over noodles. Also great served mixed with marinara sauce, spooned over french bread, sprinkled with mozzarella cheese and broiled :)

Or with BBQ sauce!

Chef Hannah

Mexican Crepes

8-6in. tortillas
3T. butter
1/4c. of cinnamon sugar
Spread butter on either side of the tortillas, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar

4 apples peeled and sliced or chopped
1T. cinnamon
1t. nutmeg
1/3c. brown sugar

Whipped cream

In a saucepan cook apples with spices and sugar, till its cooked and tender. Approx. 8min.
In another saucepan fry tortillas till caramelized. Remove, top 1/2 of the tortilla with apple mixture, dollop on desired amount of whipped cream. Fold over and drizzle with some of the excess brown sugar sauce from apples.
Serve right away and enjoy!


I created this recipe to go with our Mexican dinner on Monday (Cinco de Mayo) not that were Mexican :) It was so yummy that my little brother wants it for breakfast on his birthday!

Chef Hannah

Peanut Butter-Honey Brownies

Filling:

3/4 cup creamy peanut utter

1/2 cup honey

1 recipe for brownies that will fit in a 8 or 9-inch pan

Glaze:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 Tablespoons butter, softened

Combine peanut butter and honey blend till smooth. Set aside. Mix your brownie batter according to your recipes directions. Spread half the batter into greased 8 or 9 inch pan. Score batter into 16 squares. Using 1/4 cup of the peanut butter mixture, place scant measuring teaspoon mixture in center of each square. Carefully spread remaining brownies batter over top. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 min. or until edges pull away from sides of pan. Cool 45 min. Spread remaining peanut butter mixture over cooled brownies. In small saucepan, combine chocolate and butter; cook over low heat till it is melted and smooth, stirring consistently. Spoon chocolate mixture over peanut butter mixture on brownies. Cool 45 min. or refrigerate until set. Cut into bars.

These are probably my favorite or almost favorite brownies. They are so good, you are probably thinking honey?!?! but it tastes so delicious with the chocolate and peanut butter. You have to try it! This picture is not the best but it was the only one we had:(

Chef Esther