Mock Devonshire Cream

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cream

Beat all ingredients together with an electric mixer. Serve with scones, pancakes, waffles...

"Wheat Thins"

• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) whole wheat flour
  

• 2 tsp. sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon paprika

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter

• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) water

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

• Coarse salt for topping

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it in thoroughly, using your fingers, a pastry blender, a mixer or a food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Combine the water and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

3. Divide the dough in half or thirds. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll the piece of dough into a large rectangle. Keep your pin and the surface of your dough evenly floured. Flip the dough frequently to keep it from sticking, but too much flour will make it difficult to roll. Keep rolling until the dough is as thin as you can get it without tearing, at least 1/16 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the piece into squares.
   

4. Transfer the squares to a prepared baking sheet; you can crowd them together, as they don’t expand while baking. Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
   

5. Bake the crackers until crisp and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. If some of the thinner crackers brown too quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly, so watch them closely - even 30 seconds can turn them from golden brown to toast. Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on the pan or rack. These crackers will stay crisp for several days, store in airtight containers.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with cooking spray.

Stir together flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Combine peanut butter, eggs, and buttermilk and whisk until smooth. Pour the peanut butter mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently just until the dry ingredients are mixed in.

Divide the batter between the cups, about 1/3 cup each.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

They freeze well.

Spiced Nuts

2 egg whites
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 - 3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 1/2 tsps cayenne pepper

About 2 lbs nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts or a combination)
1/2 stick (4 Tbsps) unsalted butter, melted & cooled

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Beat whites and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer until very foamy. Gradually beat in sugar and spices. Stir in nuts and butter, combining well, and spread in a large shallow baking pan.

Bake nuts in middle of oven, stirring every 10 minutes, until crisp and golden, about 30 to 40 minutes. Spread nuts on a sheet of foil and cool. Break up nut clusters. Keep nuts in an airtight container at room temperature.

Spiced Applesauce Cake

adapted from Smitten Kitchen
For cake
3 cups (13.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 stick (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

For frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup (6 ounces) confectioners sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 9 x 13-inch cake pan. If you don’t have a nonstick cake pan or are a little nervous, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter that too.

Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined. The batter will look a little curdled and uneven but it will bake up perfectly.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Re-invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Do ahead: kept for three days . Keep frosted cake in the fridge. If you’d like to bake the cake further in advance, wrap it well and freeze it until the day you need it. Leave it out on the counter to defrost and frost it up to a day in advance.

Granola Muffins

1 cup granola
1/2 cup milk
1 cup golden raisins or other dried fruit
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF with a rack in the middle. Oil 12 muffin cups. Combine the granola and milk in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cover the raisins with hot water and soak for 15 minutes. Drain and dry on paper towels. (I didn't soak the dried cherries I used.)

2. Sift together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In medium bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, buttermilk or yogurt, canola oil and vanilla. Quickly whisk in the flour, then fold in the granola and raisins. Combine well

4. Spoon into muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool on a rack.

Yield: 12 muffins

Advance preparation: These will be good for a couple of days, and freeze well. Thaw overnight or in the microwave.

Morning Waffles

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. table salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Whisk well. Add the milk, buttermilk, vegetable oil, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk to blend well, so that few (if any) lumps remain. Set aside to rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron.

Pour an appropriate amount of batter into your hot waffle maker. Cook until golden and crisp.