delicious – Barnwood and Baked Goods

Jackson Coney Island

@Tour_the_Town has had a busy day! After a quick downtown photo shoot in the freezing cold we made our way to local favorite, Jackson Coney Island!

Jackson Coney Island first opened it’s doors in 1914 under the ownership of George Todoroff. It’s original name was Todoroff’s eatery and the name later changed to Jackson Coney Island in 1931. It’s convenient location next to train depot meant lots of visitors and train depot employees would frequent the small establishment.

George sold the restaurant to the Andy and Don Lazaroff twin brothers with a knack for the restaurant business.

In 1965, Jackson Coney Island itself moved on to bigger things when the original building was torn down along with the McCain Block building next door to make way for the current restaurant and its parking lot.

In 1970, Andy Lazaroff sold out to his brother and Christoff to focus on Andy’s Pizza restaurants. They kept Jackson Coney Island until selling it to Dave White in 1972.

Now more than 100 years later the restaurant continues to call the community together with the diner concept that specializes in a Jackson Coney Dog. A humble hot dog on a steamed bun topped with a perfectly seasoned meat sauce, onions, and mustard. The Jackson Coney is so much more than it’s sloppy southern counterpart. The Jackson Coney has a characteristic meat sauce that isn’t runny sloppy overly greasy or difficult to eat. It’s iconic flavor is something you’ll never forget!

The restaurant also sells a variety of lunch and dinner options as well as some very tasty desserts and classic malts!

The restaurant today keeps with traditon. It has a small dining room with booth spaces and a long bar where you can enjoy your dessert and cup of coffee while visiting with the very friendly staff! There is definitely a taste of Nostalgia when you walk in!

Jackson Coney Island was voted one of the top 5 coney island restaurants in State of MI in 2018, and is a must see when you tour our town!

We want to thank the wonderful staff for allowing to take photos and ask questions! You guys rock! You can find out more by visiting their website, see their menu, and like them on facebook! http://www.jacksonconey.com @JacksonConeyIsland

Hope you enjoyed this weeks tour! Find more behind the scenes photos this week on our instagram page @tour_the_town. Thanks for following along!

Barnwood’s Best Lemon Bars

I know I have shared a lemon bar recipe before which was a bit more pf a short cut recipe. Great of you short on time and usually a little cost saving due to fewer ingredients…BUT…it’s no replacement for a really great, from scratch, recipe.

That what these babies are. Fresh made shortbread crust with a custardy lemon topping that is just amazingly creamy and the perfect blend of tart and sweet. Here’s what you’ll need.

Shortbread crust

1 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
10 tablespoons butter, cubed. I ise mine cold but you can warm to room temperature for easier mixing.

Lemon Filling:

4 lemons, juiced and zested
8 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
powdered sugar, for dusting
Preheat your oven to 350F then butter and line an 8×8 inch baking tin, set aside. In a large bowl combine the sugars and the flour. Next using a pastry blender or large fork blend in the butter until you’ve reached the texture of coarse breadcrumbs. Continue to bring the shortbread together using your hands until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the shortbread dough to your lined baking dish and press into one even layer using your fingertips and the palm of your hands. Then prick the crust all over with a fork.Bake the shortbread crust for 25 minutes. While the base is baking, make the lemon filling.

Lemon Filling:
In a medium bowl combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour, baking powder, soft butter, lemon juice, and zest then mix to combine. If the mixture looks a bit separated, don’t be alarmed. Remove the crust from the oven then fill with the lemon filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top has formed a crackle crust and is golden brown.Allow to fully cool before dusting with powdered sugar and cutting into squares, of ot’ warm at all it will melt into a horrible little messy altgough tasty pile. Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. That’s it! Enjoy!!

Corn Casserole

Christmas Eve with my family was wonderful it felt good to have everyone in one place! The kids are growing up, but not so grown up that they don’t look forward to a few gifts, and I love hearing about all of the successes that my brother and sister are having in their careers and personal lives.

We also enjoyed a very nice meal together. My brother prepared a ham, and brought some shrimp, my Mom made scalloped potatoes, and a cheese ball, my sister brought jalapeno popper dip and the most delicious snickerdoodle blondies…omg so yummy… and I prepared corn casserole. Needless to say none of us left that night hungry!

Corn casserole is a simple recipe reminiscent of old fashioned scalloped corn but with a twist. It uses simple ingredients, and you can make a bunch on a budget! Here’s the recipe, enjoy!

1 can cream style corn

1 box corn muffin mix dry

1/2 stick of butter melted

8oz sour cream

1 can whole kernel corn

1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large bowl mix together all of the ingredients reserve 1 c shredded cheese for the topping. Pour into an oven safe pan, and bake for 30-40 minutes remove and top with remaining cheese place back in the oven until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Holiday baking part two coming up!

So tonight and tomorrow morning I will be wrapping up my holiday baking and I have a few more delicious recipes to share with you as we go!

I am hosting my family for Christmas Eve this year which is nice because I can cook like crazy and don’t have to find ways to transport everything lol! We’re having a pretty traditional meal this year, ham, potatoes, shrimp, and some delicious sides. I will have a few goodies out the fudge, haystacks, and spritz cookies that I made earlier this week, and tonight we’re putting together traditional Christmas cookies, red velvet truffles, marshmallow treat wreaths, and I have to make some more chex mix because we might have already eaten up the first batch hahaha!

Tomorrow morning I’m making monkey bread, dill rolls, and corn casserole. I’ll have all of these great recipes ready to share soon! Merry Christmas!

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

Growing up my Grandma Sammie always made peanut butter fudge during the holidays. I remember sitting on her kitchen counter watching her work on the fudge while we worked on other treats, she would give us tasks to measure mix and pour always making us feel like we were the best helpers and that she couldn’t do it witout us! I truly miss her so much especially this time of year. But I made sure to prepare a batch of creamy peanut butter fudge in her honor. Just the smell of it brought back so many great memories.

Fudge was developed in the United states more than 100 years ago. It’s origins are disputed but a popular story states that the orginal recipe came from a bad batch or “fudged” batch or caramel in the late 1800’s. Many subsequent flavors have come about since then! Here in Michigan fudge shops are found in many of our major tourest destinations. It can be quick and easy to make for all of your special occasions. Here is my recipe for creamy peanut butter fudge! Enjoy!

1 c. Softened butter

1 c. Creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. Salt

1lb. Or approximately 3c. Powdered sugar

Line an 8×8 glass pan with foil set aside.

In a medium sauce pan melt the butter and peanut butter together over med-high heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and Add the vanilla and salt till well combined. Add sugar a little at time it will thicken quickly when it is easily pulling away from the sides of the pan it’s ready to pour into your pan. Smooth out the surface with a spatula and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before cutting into squares. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice No- Bake Cookies~ Fall Cookie Series

I can’t think of a more marketed fall flavor than pumpkin spice! That being the case I couldn’t possibly go through the Fall Cookie Series without including a pumpkin spice cookie of some sort. So, after a little research, and a few trials I came up with a pumpkin spice no bake cookie that is a lot like eating pumpkin pie in cookie form, it’s seriously so yummy.

No Bake Cookies also known as Preacher cookies have been made for many years, They are fast, easy, and don’t require the use of an oven. They often use simple ingredients that anyone may have on hand, and named Preacher cookies because a housewife who saw the preacher coming on horseback round the mountains could have a batch whipped up and cooling before he reached her doorstep. A cookie meant for ultimate levels of hospitality. I love it!

Here is what you need for next level Fall Cookie baking! The Pumpkin Spice No Bake Cookie!

1/2 c. butter

2 c. Sugar

1/2 c. half and half

1/4 c canned pumpkin pie filling

2 Tbsp. Pumpkin pie Spice

1/8 tsp or pinch of salt

1/4 c prepared vanilla or butterscotch pudding (make it a little on the thick side)

1 tsp. vanilla

3-4c. quick oats

On medium-high heat cook butter, sugar, half and half, and pumpkin pie filling allow to boil for 1-2 minutes remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Drop by the spoonful on a cookie sheet lined with parchment and allow to cool! You could also try pressing the mixture into a pan allow to cool and cut into bars. That’s it!

Oatmeal Cream Pies with a twist!

It’s week two of the Fall cookie series and I found a super simple delicious recipe that anyone can make and look like a cookie pro!

Oatmeal cream pies are a soft cookie with sweet cream filling. I’m pretty sure everyone has eaten the little Debbie version of this treat.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3/4c. Butter

2 LG eggs

1 box of spice cake mix

1 c. Quick cook oats

1 container of prepared frosting, this what I used…

1tsp cinnamon

1tsp pumpkin pie spice

Blend together the butter and eggs, add the cake mix and oats stir together well. Refrigerate mix for 1-2 hours. Meanwhile put frosting in a bowl and add spices stir and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350F. Use a small scoop to scoop cookies onto greased cookie sheet, wet your hands and press cookies flat. Bake 12-15min. Cool and add filling. Enjoy!