raisins Archives - The Midnight Baker

Molasses Raisin Buns

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 13 Nov 2022 00:00:11 +0000

Molasses raisin buns are an old-fashioned treat. Easy to make and totally delicious.

Molasses Raisin Buns–Old-Time Treat

If you’re looking for a real old-fashioned treat for Christmas, these molasses raisin buns are just what you’re looking for.

They have a real old-fashioned flavor from the molasses. That’s a deep rich flavor which we’ve gotten away from lately. Molasses used to be used so much more years ago and I really don’t know why it seemed to fall out of favor as an ingredient. Sure, it’s used in gingerbread and all, but it was a more common ingredient not so long ago.

For my UK readers, black treacle is almost the same as the US standard molasses, so just substitute that.

Forming The Dough

First thing to know is even though this recipe has four cups of flour, its yield isn’t big. The reason is you form them into balls about the size of a golf ball (maybe a tad larger) so you are not overrun with buns.

The one thing to remember here is the dough is pretty sticky so you’ll want to form the balls with damp hands. The good thing is you can just scoop–I use an ice cream scoop–(affiliate link) them into a standard muffin pan. Do make sure to grease the cups of the muffin pan if you choose to use one. I didn’t–I used a large baking sheet lined with parchment that I sprayed with non-stick spray. Nothing stuck.

Raisins Or Not

Originally, these molasses buns contained no raisins. I add them because they give them a very interesting flavor.

Funny given the molasses and all, these are not overly sweet. Of course the raisins add a touch of sweetness, but they are still not sugary. They’re excellent for dunking if you have any left over the next day

The Recipe

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Molasses Raisin Buns

Old-fashioned flavor

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: molasses buns, molasses cookies with raisins

Servings: 15 (varies)

Calories: 359kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup molasses
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
4 cups flour
1 cup raisins

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine milk, egg, molasses, cinnamon and baking soda.
Stir well. Add sugar and butter.
Mix well and warm mixture in microwave for 40 seconds.
Add flour and mix well. Form into balls and place in rows in a greased baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted
into the center comes out clean.
Can also be made in muffins pans

Nutrition

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Easy Mini Apple Strudels

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 08 Oct 2016 23:00:02 +0000

Love apple strudel but hate making it? It’s quick and easy when you use phyllo dough.

Apple Strudels The Easy Way

When I was little, I remember my mother making apple strudel the authentic way.

I can see the kitchen table covered with layers of cloth table cloths dusted with flour and my mother rolling and stretching the dough until it covered every inch of the table. I also remember her telling me you have to be so careful because if the dough tears, you have to start over again from the very beginning. Needless to say, she didn’t make this too often because of the work involved, so it was a real treat when we had it.

When my mother got older, she got more into streamlining recipes by using convenience ingredients. Either that mindset is in the genes, because I think that way now that I’m on the cusp of senior citizenry. Or maybe it’s just that when you get older, you want to spend more time doing other things besides tedious tasks.

Phyllo, or filo dough makes this task pretty easy. Certainly when my mom discovered this product, we had strudel a lot more often! One caveat with phyllo dough is you have to work pretty quickly because it dries out fast. Wrapping the rolled-up sheets in plastic wrap or popping them in a plastic bag keeps them from drying.

Layers Of Buttery Pastry

I usually make each strudel with 3-4 leaves of the phyllo dough. Brushing each leaf with melted butter not only seals each sheet to the next one, you get gorgeous buttery flavor throughout the pastry.

What I do, so the remaining sheets don’t dry out, is grab 3 or 4 sheets, lay them on my work surface then brush the entire top surface of each with the melted butter. For example, I brush sheet number one, lay sheet number two on top of that and brush sheet number two. I think you get the idea! Have the short side of the sheet going east to west and the long side going north to south.

I place about 1/4 cup of the filling in the middle of the top third of the sheet. Then I fold down the little “margin” at the top over the filling. After that I fold in the long sides then roll the whole thing up from the short end. I place the seam-side down on the baking sheet. This is very much like making an egg roll or a chimichanga.

Nuts Or Not

I love almonds in apple strudel, but if you prefer other nuts, then use what you like. Of course if you are allergic or just don’t want them in the pastry, then leave them out. They taste fine either way!

The Recipe

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Easy Mini Apple Strudels

Love apple strudel but hate making it? It’s quick and easy when you use phyllo dough.

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Comfort Foods, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple streudel, phyllo dough, raisin streudel

Servings: 8

Calories: 478kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

6 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored & sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
10 tbsp unsalted butter melted
16 oz pkg phyllo dough
extra sugar for dusting.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
Place apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss to coat.
Add the raisins, almonds cinnamon, flour and sugar. Toss to combine well; set aside.
Melt butter either in the microwave or in a small saucepan.
For each strudel: You will need 4 sheets of phyllo layered. Brush the first sheet with butter, lay another sheet on top and brush with butter. Repeat until there are 4 sheets layered on top of one another.
Place about 1/3 cup of the filling in the top third of the layered sheets. Fold the long sides of the sheets toward the center, then roll up from the short side and place on the prepared pan seam-side down.
Repeat until filling is used up.
Brush each strudel with remaining melted butter and sprinkle with sugar (I used sanding sugar but regular is OK)
Bake for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
I got 8 mini strudels from the filling, but had some phyllo left over…you probably won’t use the whole box.

Nutrition

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Carrot and Raisin Salad

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Carrot and Raisin Salad

Carrot and raisin salad is another one of those old-fashioned corner deli favorites. Simple to make, better to eat!

I remember the first time I saw carrot and raisin salad in a supermarket deli. I thought it was odd and I thought I wouldn’t like it.

Surprise, I LOVED it! And that’s strange since I am not a lover of carrots. I don’t hate them, but I don’t love them either. I’m sort of, “I can take them or leave them,” especially raw carrots.

Try it with roast pork!

This I actually tend to eat as a dessert. Combined, the carrots and raisins sort of meld into a flavor all their own, helped along by the simple but sweet dressing.

This also goes lovely with a pork roast or baked pork chops. Substitute this for the candied apples and/or applesauce. And the colors make this a nice early fall combination.

Nice and sweet

I was surprised to hear from a southern friend that this is also very big down south. When it comes to food, you learn something new every day!

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Carrot and Raisin Salad

Carrot and raisin salad is another one of those old-fashioned corner deli favorites. Simple to make, better to eat!

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: carrot, raisin, salad recipe

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 190kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 cups matchstick carrots or shredded carrots
1 cup raisins

DRESSING

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp milk or cream

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the carrots and raisins.
In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients.
Pour dressing over carrots/raisins and toss to coat.

Nutrition

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Apple Raisin Noodle Pudding

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 23:00:00 +0000

Apple Raisin Noodle Pudding (Kugel)

A NYC deli treat easily made at home.

I really forgot how good this is! It’s been years since I had it too.

After I’d done the savory kugel, we’d got to talking about this on my Facebook fan page and I mentioned that they are also made sweet for a dessert. People were interested, so I decided to make one. So glad I did!!

This is also perfect for fall because it includes apples. Feel free to use more apple and more raisins if you wish. Or use any fruit of your choice. If you don’t want cinnamon, just leave it out!!! Easy peasy.

The original calls for cottage cheese, so if you are a purist, substitute the cream cheese for a cup of cottage cheese. I like cream cheese so I used that. I also thought it would be richer and creamier. Not that I dislike cottage cheese, I LOVE the stuff, but in this I just prefer to use another ingredient.

Apple Raisin Noodle Pudding

8 oz (dry) wide egg noodles
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (reserve some for topping)
2 tbs cinnamon sugar

NOTE: All sour cream or greek yogurt may be used in place of the mix. Use 1 1/2 cups of either. Also, any nuts may be subbed for the almonds.

In a large pot, bring 4 qt of water to a boil. Add 1 tsp of oil if desired to prevent sticking. Add noodles and cook until they are al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain & rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease a 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and yogurt until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sugar and beat well.

Stir in the chopped apple, raisins and most of the nuts (reserve about 1-2 tbs for topping). Fold in the noodles, combining well and make sure all the noodles are coated with the cream mixture.

Turn into prepared dish. Top with remaining nuts and sprinkle top with 2 tbs cinnamon sugar,

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, or until center is set and top is light golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving. May be served hot, warm or chilled. Reheats well in microwave.

Serves 8-10

Loaded with delicious fruit and nuts

Apple Raisin Noodle Pudding

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