Pumpkin Haystack Cookies (Lion House Bakery)

Pumpkin Haystack Cookies (Lion House Bakery)

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter, softened (I used 1 cup butter flavored crisco & 1/2 cup real unsalted butter)

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (16 oz) can solid pack pumpkin

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (I make these optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add pumpkin, then gradually add the dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Scoop batter onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. 

Makes 4 Dozen 

Cream of Asparagus Soup (Lion House)

So yet another recipe for Asparagus, still using up the 1/2 case of asparagus that I bought. (I really need to buy a pressure cooker so I can can vegetables is I ever do something crazy like that again. :-)) This recipe was good and a nice way to use up some of my asparagus.

Cream of Asparagus Soup (Lion House Christmas p.29)

1 (15 oz) can asparagus, undrained*

3 Tablespoons margarine

1/4 cup minced onions

3 Tablespoons flour

1 (15 oz) can chicken broth

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour asparagus and its liquid into a blender and process until pureed, set aside. In a heavy soup pot, melt margarine over medium-high heat; add onions, and saute until soft. Stir in flour. Add pureed asparagus, chicken broth, milk, paprika, and salt. Cook and stir until slightly thickened.

Make 6 servings.

*If using fresh asparagus, simmer 3/4-pound fresh, cleaned asparagus in 2 cups salted water until tender. Remove asparagus from water. Cool slightly and puree in blender. Follow recipe as above.

Chocolate Orange Logs

This recipe comes from my Lion House Christmas Cookbook. I thought they looked fun and simple fancy. It was a simple dough (Though not sweet enough for my taste. I think I will add a little more powdered sugar next time.) and very delicate. My love for orange and chocolate together runs deep in my blood. My grandma Bartholomew loved orange chocolates and has passed it on to my mom and all of her kids. Can't eat an orange chocolate flavored anything and not think of what an amazing woman my grandmother was to so many people.

These were fun to make with my boys for our Christmas goodie boxes this year. The chocolate and nuts are an absolute must! The cookie just doesn't taste good with out it.

Chocolate Orange Logs (Lion House Christmas)

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon orange extract

2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter in a large bowl, gradually adding sugar and beating until light and fluffy. Stir in orange zest and orange extract. Gradually add flour. Shape dough into a long roll 3/4-inches wide; cut roll into 2-inch pieces. Place on greased cookie sheet. Flatten one end of cookie lengthwise with a fork. Bake 10 minutes, or until light brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Melt chocolate chips in microwave oven or in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Dip unflattened ends of cookies in chocolate, then roll in chopped nuts. Store in covered container.

Makes 4 dozen.

Lion House Cinnamon Rolls

This was my first attempt at making cinnamon rolls and I was pleased with the outcome on the taste. I have some learning to do on how to roll them out and roll them up so that they look pretty when all is said and done! We were invited to a friends house for dinner so we took half of the for dessert and saved the other half for our Sunday Conference Brunch. They are definitely best hot from the oven. But the boys loved them either way--No Complaints here!

Cinnamon Rolls

2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
7 cups all-purpose flour (All the Lion House recipes I've tried have always taken more flour than called for, to make it work)
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Recipe of Powdered Sugar Icing (see below)

Place water, oil, eggs, vanilla, and dry powdered milk in a large bowl of an electric stand mixer and stir vigorously until milk is dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over liquid mixture, then add the 1 cup sugar, salt, and flour.

Put dough hood on mixer and ix for 10 to 15 minutes at low speed. The dough will be very sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and roll out into a rectangle shape (I think I rolled mine to big). Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Roll up rectangle lengthwise and cut into 1-inch slices. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Place rolls on cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. After baking, let rolls cool slightly before frosting. Frost with Powdered Sugar Icing or Buttercream frosting. Makes about 18 rolls. (I got two jelly-roll pans full around 24+Rolls)

**Note: If you want to make the dough a day ahead, mix dough according to directions. Instead of allowing dough to rise, place it in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, remove dough from refrigerator and follow directions for rolling out, rising, and baking. It will take longer for the shaped rolls to rise because dough will be cold.
{Lion House Bakery cookbook, P 9}


Powdered Sugar Icing

2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup half and half or evaporated milk (I used regular 1% milk)

Mix all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and beat until light and well mixed.

{Lion House Bakery cookbook, P 9}

Spinach Salad with Strawberries (Lion House)

This recipe comes form my newest cookbook addition "Lion House Entertaining" I have loved everything I have cooked out of it so far! This was also a recipe that helped me use up a few wontons. I will definitely be making this salad again! It was awesome!


Dressing
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry jam (I used homemade jam)

To make dressing, mix together vinegar. sugar. oil, mustard, salt, and strawberry jam. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Set aside.

SALAD
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cashew pieces
15 wontons cut into thin strips
1 large head red leaf lettuce, washed and broken into pieces
1 pkg. Fresh Spinach, with stems trimmed (I prefer Baby Spinach)
1/3 cup bacon pieces, cooked and well drained
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 purple onion, sliced ( I like the flavor of onion, but this was an overwhelming amount to me so I used 1/4 cup finely minced)
1 cup strawberries, sliced

Heat a medium frying pan and add sugar and nuts. Stir constanly over medium heat until nuts are coated and slightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Fry wontons in hot cooking oil and drain onto paper towels. ( I tried cutting the wontons in to 4ths and they didn't fry as well as when I divided it by 5 or 6 slices per sheet,)

When ready to serve salad, put lettuce, spinach, bacon, red pepper, onion and strawberries into a large bowl and toss. Add salad dressing and toss. Add sugared nuts and wontons last. Makes 10 servings

I divided up everything in half except the strawberries and I didn't put the dressing on the entire salad. Half a salad was a great side addition to our Sunday dinner when we combine with my in-laws. Half a salad fed 4 adults and small servings to the 5 kids.

Variations: Use fresh raspberries and raspberry jam instead of strawberries and strawberry jam. Substitute almonds for cashews. When fresh berries aren't available, substitute dried cranberries.


This is a personal preference, but ever since I made a spinach salad by Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network chef) I fell in love with the way she cut the spinach into ribbons like this picture shows. I think it makes it so much nicer and easier to eat a salad when the pieces are small.