The best gifts are often when you find a way to give a piece of yourself. Last year I created a cookbook for my clients, friends, and families. It was a way to share a piece of myself as well as a fun and useful gift! Here is a portion of the book where I shared my personal kitchen and favorite recipe.
PEANUT BUTTER BARS

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
²⁄³ cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups oats

Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla together.
Sift dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients and oats to mixture. Spread onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 -18 minutes (depending on your oven).

When cool, spread a thin layer of peanut butter over top. Spread chocolate frosting on top of peanut butter layer.

Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons cocoa powder
4 Tablespoons milk

Contact me if you would like to purchase a copy of Creative Spaces for Cooks.

With just a week away from Thanksgiving I wanted to share a recipe from my favorite cookbook with a picture of the kitchen to whom the recipe belongs. Enjoy!

HOLIDAY PUMPKIN SQUARES
24 single crackers-crushed
½ cup butter (melted)
¹⁄³ cup sugar
Combine and press into a 9 x 13 inch pan

2 eggs
¾ cups sugar
8 ounce package cream cheese
Beat together until light & fluffy. Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

In a heavy saucepan blend:
16 ounce can pumpkin (2 cups)
3 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
½ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Bring to boil.

Dissolve 1 envelope unsweetened gelatin in ¼ cup cold water and add to mixture in saucepan. Cool.

Beat 3 egg whites till foamy; add ½ cup sugar, fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour over baked crust. Refrigerate till set. Add whipped cream before serving.
Cut into squares to serve.

Another delicious recipe from the kitchen of a client with class! This recipe and kitchen are featured in Robert McArthur Creative Spaces for Cooks.

Golden Cream Scones
2-3 ounce piece of unpeeled ginger root                                          Glaze:
3-4 lemons (zest only)                                                                              3 Tablespoons butter melted
2 cups flour                                                                                                   2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder                                                                 (reserved zest from above)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4-1 cup golden raisins
1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the unpeeled ginger into large chunks then use a food processor to chop it into tiny pieces. Set ginger aside. Use a zester to remove the zest from the lemons, avoiding the white pith. In the processor, chop the long strips into tiny bits. Set zest aside in two equal amounts, reserving one for the glaze. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mix well with a fork. Sprinkle the ginger, 1/2 of the lemon zest, and the raisins evenly across the surface of the dry ingredients. Toss together with a fork. Use your fingertips to keep the moist ingredients from clumping together if necessary. Using a fork, stir in the cream until the dough holds together in a rough mass. Lightly flour a board and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough a few times to finish combining ingredients if necessary. Pat it into a circle about 10 inches across. For the glaze, spread the butter over the top of the circle of dough and sprinkle first the remaining lemon zest and then the sugar on top. Cut the circle into 12 wedges and place each piece on an ungreased baking sheet, allowing about an inch between pieces. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. For smaller scones, make two circles cut into 8 wedges each.

These are my variation of the raisin scones traditionally served at teatime. I like them for breakfast.

Happy Holiday Weekend! Here is a delicious recipe from a client who’s kitchen was featured in Robert McArthur Creative Spaces for Cooks.

PILE ON TOP…CREPES
10 eggs
1½ cups flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
butter
sugar

Blend first five ingredients in a blender.  Heat griddle to 200 degrees.  Spray griddle with non-stick cooking spray.  Pour some batter into 1 cup measuring cup.  Pour half on the griddle and smooth and thin out with the bottom of the cup.  Cook both sides.  Place crepe on plate and top with butter and sugar (be generous).  Continue layering crepe on crepe, each time putting the butter and sugar on.

When you are finished you should have a cake of crepes.  Slice like a cake and serve with a big glass of milk.

Just a reminder to enter to win a copy of Robert McArthur Creative Spaces for Cooks. Here’s a taste of what you’ll find, and see in this delicious book.

Best Hot Fudge Sauce EVER!
12 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chips.
1 cup butter

Melt together, and then add:
4 cups powdered sugar
2 2/3 cups evaporated milk

Alternate sugar and milk while pouring.

Boil for 8 minutes, stirring constantly, and then add 2 tsp. vanilla.

Robert McArthur Creative Spaces for Cooks, is being sold at Alice Lane Home Collection (Provo), Three French Hens (Salt Lake), Plates and Palates (Bountiful), and Indigo Sage Gallery (Ogden).

Win a copy of Robert McArthur Creative Spaces for Cooks! This creative cookbook is filled with delicious recipes and pictures of each cook’s personal kitchen.

Enter to win by following these rules:
- Follow this blog and leave us a comment.
- For an extra entry post this giveaway on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Just copy the link into your comment on this post so that we can see it and your name will be entered twice.

Kitchen from my last personal residence.

The giveaway closes two weeks from today, Tuesday, May 10th and the winner will be chosen at random and announced on Tuesday, May 24th. Please leave your email address so that we can contact you. Good luck!

From the kitchen of one of our most creative and talented clients:

Colcannon (an Irish and Scottish favorite)
1 pound all-purpose potatoes-washed but not peeled
1 pound green cabbage-shredded (4 cups)
1 large onion chopped (1 cup)
¼ cup milk
1 Tbs. butter
3 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese coarsely grated.

1. Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until very tender but not mushy.
2. Steam the cabbage and onion until tender
3. When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off skin, place potatoes in a bowl, add milk and butter, mash until they are smooth
4. Add the cabbage and onion to potato mixture
5. Mix 2/3 of the cheese with the potato mixture, Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer it to a greased casserole or shallow dish.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
6. Before serving the Colcannon, heat it through in a moderately hot oven, 350 degrees.  Let the cheese on top brown slightly.

[Robert McArthur] Creative Spaces for Cooks is being sold at Alice Lane Home Collection (Provo), Three French Hens (Salt Lake), Plates and Palates (Bountiful), and Indigo Sage Gallery (Ogden).

My mother’s work in the kitchen helped me recognize that the kitchen is the heart of the home. Thanks to friends and family who generously opened their kitchens and recipe files to create more than just a cookbook. Keep watching and I’ll give you a sneak peek into many of the kitchens that I designed.

Kitchen from my last personal residence.

Being sold at Alice Lane Home Collection (Provo), Three French Hens (Salt Lake), Plates and Palates (Bountiful), and Indigo Sage Gallery (Ogden).