Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

These zucchini muffins are packed with shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts and make a perfect on-the-go snack.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• ¼ cup milk

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup shredded zucchini

• ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts.

3. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full with batter.

4. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Amish Peanut Butter Spread

This is a tasty peanut butter spread, sometimes known as 'church spread' that is common among the Amish and Mennonite communities. Great on bread, bananas, ice cream, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 cup light corn syrup

• ½ cup peanut butter, smooth

• ¼ cup marshmallow creme

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix corn syrup, peanut butter and marshmallow creme until thoroughly combined.

2. Store in an air-tight container.

Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Your mom will love this Mother’s Day treat! So creamy and good - the strawberry flavor really comes through in the cheesecake and the chocolate crust and ganache work great with the strawberries.

Ingredients

Crust:

• cooking spray

• 1 (9 ounce) box chocolate wafer cookies

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

Cheesecake:

• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

• 5 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

• ½ cup granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 5 large eggs

• 2 large egg yolks

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 drops pink gel food coloring

Chocolate Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1 (4 ounce) bar semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 1 (4 ounce) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

• 10 whole and halved strawberries, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Wrap outside of a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

2. Stir together cookies, melted butter, and granulated sugar in a bowl. Press onto bottom and 1-inch up sides of prepared pan.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until crust is set, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; cool completely, 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven again to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

5. Process chopped strawberries in a food processor until completely smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Set strawberry puree aside.

6. Beat cream cheese with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar and flour, beating until smooth, about 1 minute. Add whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition (do not overbeat). Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until just blended after each addition.

7. Beat in reserved strawberry puree, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice on low speed just until combined. Gently stir in food coloring gel until desired shade is reached.

8. Pour batter into the prepared pan (pan will be full). Place cheesecake in a large roasting pan. Place roasting pan with cheesecake in preheated oven and pour very hot water into roasting pan half-way up sides of cheesecake.

9. Bake in the preheated oven until center is almost set but still wobbly, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn oven off, and let cheesecake stand in oven, with door closed, 15 minutes.

10. Remove cheesecake from oven, and gently run a knife around outer edge of cheesecake to loosen from sides of pan. (Do not remove sides of pan.) Cool completely in pan on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Cover with aluminum foil; chill 8 to 24 hours.

11. Prepare Chocolate Ganache Topping: Bring cream to a light simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Place chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Pour hot cream over chocolate in bowl and let stand 1 minute. Whisk chocolate mixture until completely smooth. Let mixture cool until very slightly warm, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.

12. Assemble Cheesecake: Dip a few whole strawberries in ganache and chill until ready to top cheesecake. Remove sides of pan from cheesecake and place on a serving platter. Slowly pour ganache over top of cheesecake, spreading to edges with a small offset spatula. Chill for 1 hour.

13. Top cheesecake with whole and halved strawberries and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

Rhubarb Bread

This rhubarb bread recipe will turn one of the wonderful gifts of spring into a delicious treat for everyone.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 ¾ cups brown sugar, divided

• ⅔ cup vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 ½ cups chopped rhubarb

• ½ cup chopped walnuts

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 tablespoon butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5-inch loaf pans.

2. Stir together milk, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl; let stand for 10 minutes.

3. Mix together 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, oil, and egg in a large bowl. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda, and stir into sugar mixture alternately with milk mixture just until combined. Fold in rhubarb and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.

4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Vaselopita - Greek New Years Cake

On this week’s episode of The Keep Growing Podcast, we looked at 2023 garden trends. Greek-inspired gardens are hot right now so let’s get that trend started with this cake! Traditional Greek New Years Day bread. Served as a coffee cake for breakfast. Also the person who receives the quarter inside gets good luck for 1 year!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter

• 2 cups white sugar

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 6 eggs

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• ¼ cup blanched slivered almonds

• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

• Step 1

  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 10 inch round cake pan.

• Step 2

  In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light. Stir in the flour and mix until the mixture is mealy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Combine the baking powder and milk, add to the egg mixture, mix well. Then combine the lemon juice and baking soda, stir into the batter. Pour into the prepared cake pan.

• Step 3

  Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and sprinkle the nuts and sugar over the cake, then return it to the oven for 20 to 30 additional minutes, until cake springs back to the touch. Gently cut a small hole in the cake and place a quarter in the hole. Try to cover the hole with sugar. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

• Step 4

  Serve cake warm. Each person in the family gets a slice starting with the youngest. The person who gets the quarter in their piece, gets good luck for the whole year!

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m not much of a baker. Cooking is easy, but with baking you need to be more exact with measurements. If you’re like me, this recipe is the perfect route to go.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup white sugar

• 1 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons hot water

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.