Ranger Rick Cookies - Happy Father's Day

I'm so so late on this - clasically behind. For Father's Day, we always whip up a batch of some of my dad's favorite goodies. This year, I broke out my grandma's recipe for one of my dad's favorite cookies - Ranger cookies.  In my mind, my grandma called these cookies "Ranger Rick Cookies" for my dad, but apparently I made that up. Anyways, they're sweet and chewy and nutty and crunchy - basically a wonderful cookies, especially as a snack during a hike or kayak session.

Ingredients:
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2+ tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1 c. quick oats
1 c. shredded coconut
2 c. corn flakes
1 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugars and vanilla
2. Add eggs and beat
3. Add the dry ingredients and stir unti combined
4. Drop by the rounded tablespoon on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 15 minutes at 350 (rotate pan with 3 minutes left on timer)

Blueberry Pancakes

I LOVE PANCAKES. Plain. Chocolate chip. Peanut butter chocolate chip. Banana. Cinnamon vanilla. Pumpkin. and especially blueberry pancakes in the summer. My dad has making these pancakes for as long as I can remember.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 c. milk
2+ tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix together dry ingredients.
2. Mix together wet ingredients; add to dry ingredients and gently whisk until just moistened. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
3. Over medium heat, pour 1/3 c. batter and let cook until bubbles stop popping. Add blueberries, flip and brown on the other side.

Apple Tart

Many, many months ago (enough for boyfriend and I to have broken up and gotten back together twice in the time frame), I was invited to boyfriend's house to celebrate his father's birthday. Now, I love to give gifts, but boyfriend forebode me from buying anything. So I decided to bake something, but what? As it was fall (and boyfriend's mom is lactose intolerant), apple something seemed like the only option. But, as boyfriend purports his mother's apple pie as the best it seemed foolish to make one and seemingly compete. I opted for a fun, rustic apple tart. The difference between this and apple pie, which seemed so huge and important at the time and so miniscule in retrospect, an apple tart is flat.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple.

Ingredients:
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. Crisco
2 Tbsp ice water
5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3/4 c. sugar
2+ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt and crisco together with a fork or fingers until it clumps together into little balls
2. Add ICE water and mix until it forms a ball
3. Roll out pie crust into a large, rough circle
4. Mix apples, sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel in a bowl. Arrange apple mixture in center of pie crust. Fold edges over apple mixture, making pleats around the outside. (Note: I used an excess of cinnamon because I think it is wonderful. The prescribed 2 tsps however is a reasonable amount.)
5. Brush pie dough with egg. Bake 20-30 minutes or until crust is golden and apples have lost some of their crunch.