Scottish Shortbread Cookies

I think I've found the perfect shortbread cookie recipe. They were so easy to make, too.
Recipe from Taste of the South cooking magazine (one of my must have cooking magazines) courtesy of Lynda Borden

1 cup salted butter softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300

In a large bowl combine butter and sugar-beat until light and fluffy, approx 4 minutes.

Add flour stir til combined.

Pat dough into 13x9 inch pan or shortbread mold.

Bake until light golden brown 30-40 minutes.

Remove from oven. Pierce with a fork all over in a zigzag pattern to allow steam to escape.

Cut into bars while still warm, cool in pan.

These are so easy and so good. My friend's son told me he wants them for his birthday.

Butternut squash soup

I've been trying different recipes and made one recently from a link on Casey's Musings blog. It was very good, too.

I wanted to try something a bit different so came up with my own recipe today. I loved the one with roast apples and butternut squash but wanted to use less pans.

So here is what I came up with.

Butternut squash-peeled, seeded and cut in chunks
1 large carrot cut in slices
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 cup onion chopped
2 cans chicken broth (you could use veggie broth)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp oil
1 tablespoon butter

Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Add the veggies and saute til lightly brown and becoming tender. Add the butter, seasonings and broth. Cook til all vegs are tender.

Cool and use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or put in in a blender be careful if it is hot it will spew out of the lid)

Skillet Apple Brownies

Warning-if you are afraid of butter don't try this recipe.

Preheat oven to 350. Put an 8 or 9 in. cast iron skillet in the oven to preheat.

Whisk together:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves


Beat together
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter

Toss 2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apples and 1/2 cup chopped pecans together.
Add to flour mixture, then add egg mixture.

Put 1 tablespoon butter in the hot pan and swirl to coat the pan.

Add apple mixture.

Bake about 40 minutes.

Cool 20 minutes (if you can) before slicing.