Ska Mom's
Easy Desserts

Scones

• 3 Cups Unbleached flour
• 2 Eggs (Large)
• 2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Heavy cream
• 2 tsp. Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Buttermilk
• 1 tsp. Salt
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, cut in little pieces.
• 1/2 Cup dried currants

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 f.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and nutmeg into the bowl of the Cuisinart. Add the butter pieces, and pulse 5 - 7 times to incorporate.
3. Gently stir in the currants.
4. Mix the wet ingredients together in another bowl, and add to the dry ingredients in the Cuisinart. Either pulse a few times to blend, or stir the dough gently until the liquid has been absorbed and the dough is somewhat sticky.
5. Empty the dough onto a lightly floured surface, flour the top of the dough and roll out to a thickness of approx. 1/2 in.
6. Using a wine glass or 2 -3in. round cookie cutter, cut out rounds of the dough and place on a well greased baking sheet.
7. Bake about 15 minutes, or until the scones are lightly browned.
8. Remove and cool briefly on a cake rack.

Lemony Sugar Hearts

• 1 cup regular stick butter or margarine (not spread) at room temp
• 1 cup granulated sugar1/2 teaspoon salt1 large eggYolk from 1 large egg
• 2 tablespooons freshly squeeze lemon juice1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flourdecorating sugar

1. In a large bowl, beat butter,sugar, and salt until pale andfluffy.
2. Beat in whole egg, egg yolk, lemon juice, and vanilla until blended.
3. With mixer on low, gradually add flour until just blended.
4. Press dough together, divide in half, chill for 3 hours (or until firm enough to roll).
5. Flour surface/roll dough (1/8th inch)/cutout/greased pan/yadda yadda.
6. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes until very lightly browned, cool on wirerack.

Store in airtight container up to 2 weeks or freeze.

Mega-Chocolatey Pudding-Cake

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4 stick unsalted butter (6 tablespoons), melted and cooled
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups boiling water

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and 1/3 cup cocoa.
2. In a bowl, mix well the eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined.
4. Spread the batter into an ungreased 8-inch square pan.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/3 cup cocoa, brown sugar and boiling water.
6. Pour the mixture over the batter. DO NOT MIX.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

Vel's Blueberry Cake

Whether it's those huge New Jersey berries, or petite Maine wild berries, this is a great recipe for summer blueberries. (I haven't tried it with frozen berries, but if you're brave, or it's winter and you're craving berries, or frozen is all you have, you can probably give them a try. Probably use them frozen so they don't get all mushy.)

(I got this recipe from a coworker when I was doing office work at the University of Maine. So of course we used Maine blueberries.)

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk (to make "sour" milk, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar to the milk, and let it sit for a bit. It's amazing -- you could never drink it plain, but it gives a cake a wonderful texture. Recipes used to use it all the time.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 full cups blueberries

Cream (mix thoroughly) the shortening, sugar, and eggs, then add the vanilla.

Sift together the flour, soda, and salt.

Add flour and milk alternately. Start by adding 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix it. Then add half the milk and mix it. Add another third of the flour mixture, mix, then the remainder of the milk, mix, then the remaining third of the flour mixture. This doesn't take long. Don't stir it too much.

Fold in the blueberries.

Pour in a greased pan (loaf pan or 13x9 pan), and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or so. Test it by lightly poking the top of the cake. If it "springs" back, and slightly pulling away from the sides of the pan, it's done!

Grandma Ska's Gingerbread

It's gingery. It's comforting. It's just the thing to nibble on when it's a cold Winter's day. (Large glob of whipped cream or Cool Whip is optional.)

Step 1. Sift these ingredients into a bowl (or just dump them in and stir them around really really well):

• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking SODA
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar

Step 2. Add these ingredients and mix it up well:

• 1/2 cup molasses (good, and good for you!)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (do NOT use olive oil!)
• 1/2 cup boiling water

Step 3. Add 1 egg and mix the batter until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9" square pan (or round pan, or loaf pan).

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (it will look nice and puffy, and when you poke it with your finger, it will spring back.

Secret Recipe Banana Bread

Mix together:

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 egg

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup milk

Pour into a greased loaf pan, and bake at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes or until done.

(While you are waiting, you may dance around the kitchen to the new Toasters CD.)

Never-Fail Brownie Pie

When you have a wicked chocolate craving, it's fast and easy.

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, melted
• 2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Blend melted butter and chocolate with all other ingredients.
2. Pour into greased 9-inch pie plate.
3. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Let it cool, then devour. Serves 1 very hungry person, or several if you share.