Grandma's Ricotta Cheese Cake

1.5 lb. Ricotta cheese, well drained.
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons manna groats (farina)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla or rum extract
pinch of salt


Mix ingredients in mixer and let stand 5 mins.
Add 1/2 cup raisins (make sure you let raisins stand in boiling water for 10-15 mins to soften and plump, then drain and dust with flour).
Grease an 8 or 9 inch round pan and pour in mixture. Cover with foil.
Bake 1 hour in preheated oven at 375'F, removing foil after 40 mins.
Cool.

Tips: A good trick for easily removing the cake from the pan is to cover the pan with parchment paper and pour the batter on top. When the cake is ready, it will be easy to remove the cake from the parchment paper.

Peanut butter filled chocolate cookies

Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg


Filling:
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, or use non stick cookie sheets.
In a bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix butter with white sugar until fluffy, add brown sugar.
Mix in peanut butter until well incorporated. Then add vanilla and egg. Blend well.
Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, gently mix in flour mixture.
Shape dough into 3/4inch balls and place on cookie sheets.

For peanut butter filling, mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter (you can use a mixer)
and shape into 1/4inch balls. 
Flatten each chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Wrap chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling so that it completely covers the filling. Roll into balls again and flatten.
Bake for 8 minutes or until just set and surface is slightly cracked. Cool cookies for 1 minute before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.

Old Fashioned Apple Cake

2 cups apples (peeled, cored and diced)
1 egg
1/4 cup veg oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. 
Combine apples, egg, oil and sugar. Mix well and set aside.
In another bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
Mix wet ingredients into the flour mixture, stirring well.
If ingredients seem too dry, add veg. oil by teaspoons.
Pour batter into greased springform pan. Bake 45 min to an hour.

Tips: If using granny smith or tart green apples, you may want to increase the sugar to one cup.
This cake has a very rich gingerbread taste. It is served best warm with vanilla ice cream.

Almond Pear Cake

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal (finely ground almonds)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 large Bartlett pear
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
extra sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter an 8 or 9 inch springform pan and set aside.
Mix together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well into the mixture.
Add vanilla and almond extracts.
Slowly mix in flour mixture.
Spread batter evenly in pan.
Slice pear as desired and arrange on top of the batter.
Sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar and dust with cinnamon.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Toothpick inserted into center should come out clean.


Tips: Try without almond meal for a less textured cake.

Blueberry Buttermilk Oat Muffins

1 cup quick oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 Tbs. toasted wheat germ
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup veg oil
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen



Mix together buttermilk and oatmeal. Cover and refrigerate 30 mins - 1 hr. 
Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease 12 muffin cups.
Combine flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
Remove oatmeal mixture from refrigerator. Whisk in egg. Add vanilla, oil and sugar. 
Slowly add flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in blueberries.
Pour batter into muffin cups and sprinkle with oats. Bake 20-25 mins until tops are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 mins before serving.


Tips: If you prefer your muffins to be on the sweet side, increase the sugar to 1/2 cup or serve with honey when they are ready.

Mom's Easy Ricotta Cake

1/2 container of Ricotta cheese (about 1.5 lb)
1-2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Farina (manna groats)
2 Eggs
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 cup raisins, washed and dusted with flour (optional)


In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients, add raisins. Pour mixture into 8 or 9 inch baking dish and bake at 375 F. Bake for 45 min. or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean.

Cool and serve with jam, or honey and fruit.


Tips: You can also try this cake with chopped dried fruits such as apricots.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 Cup Ground Flax Seeds
1/2 Cup Quick Oats
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Applesauce
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup or honey
1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
Mix together dry ingredients first, then add applesauce, oil, vanilla, syrup and peanut butter.
Using a wooden spoon to mash together the mixture works best.
Drop by Tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. 
Pat each cookie down with the back of a spoon. 
Sprinkle with coarse sugar if you like.
Place into oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden.
After they are baked let them cool for at least 15 minutes. They will be soft out of the oven but
will become more crisp and chewy when they cool.




Tips: If using honey, cookies may stick to wax paper. To prevent this, either use maple syrup or bake cookies on metal non stick cookie sheet.

Peach muffins

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk (you can use substitute with vanilla soy milk)
2 ripe peaches (peeled (optional), pitted and diced) or
1 ripe peach and 1 ripe nectarine, pitted and diced
1/8-1/4 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Grease muffin cups.

In a seperate bowl, toss chopped fruit with brown sugar. You may also opt to instead use the brown sugar to sprinkle on top of the muffins after you pour the batter into muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine flour, white sugar, salt, and baking powder.

In a medium bowl, mix together oil, egg, and milk.

Blend liquid mixture into the flour mixture.

Fold in fruit.

Fill muffin tins to the top.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops are light golden brown.


Tips: I have also substituted water in this recipe for the milk. I prefer it with soy milk but have gotten good responses to the batch made with water as well. Vegans can also try this recipe with an egg replacer.

The Simplest Ever Almond Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds (or almond meal)
• 2 teaspoons almond extract (or amaretto liqueur)

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• 2. In large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, almond extract or liqueur, and almonds. Gradually mix in the flour until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• 3. Bake 5 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cookies are lightly colored.

Tips: 
The cookies do not necessarily turn a noticeable color on top, but the bottoms do become golden brown when ready.
Also, these cookies will not spread so shape them exactly as you want them to come out.

Banana Crumble Muffins (Vegan option available)

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• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten (for vegan option, replace with 1 extra banana)
• 1/3 cup butter, melted (for vegan option, use 1/3 cup veg oil)

Topping:

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter (for vegan option, replace with vegan butter or omit topping entirely)

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
• 2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
• 3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
• 4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Tips: If the topping is too dry when you are mixing it, simply add a bit of vegetable oil.
If you are using the vegan options, bake about 5 mins longer.