Almond Cranberry Buttermilk Scones

Made from scratch scones are perfect for breakfast, or snacking.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 6 Tbsp. butter, chilled
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla
  • 2/3 cups dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cups Gurley’s sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  3. Cut butter into ½ inch pieces and distribute over the flour mixture.
  4. With a pastry blender cut in butter to flour mixture until it resembles small crumbs.
  5. In a small bowl, stir together buttermilk, egg and vanilla.
  6. Add liquid to the flour mixture and stir to combine.
  7. Add cranberries and almonds to mixture and stir or knead in.
  8. With lightly floured hands, pat the dough into an 8-inch diameter circle on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  9. With a serrated knife, cut into 8 wedges.
  10. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until top is lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.
  11. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes.
  12. Cut wedges apart and transfer to rack to cool further.

Fresh Apple Cake

This apple cake gets better the second day, when the apples’ juices seep into the cake. The apple cake, a winner here at Gurley’s all year long.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 ½ cups oil
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups apples, chopped
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix sugar and oil then beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
  4. Blend slowly into first mixture.
  5. Fold in apples and walnuts (prior to mixing, look through walnuts for possible shells and discard if found).
  6. Pour into a greased 9” x 13” pan.
  7. Bake 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Bread

This moist, quick pumpkin bread is made from canned pumpkin, resulting in a stronger pumpkin taste. Of course Gurley’s Walnuts give it that final taste of the Harvest Season.

Excellent served warm with some vanilla ice cream on the side.

Ingredients

  • 1-15 oz canned pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/3 cups of white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1 tbsp of flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar.
  4. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
  5. Stir into the pumpkin mixture until well combined, fold in walnuts.
  6. Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan.
  7. Bake in the oven for 55-65 minutes or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.

Walnut Cinnamon Yeast Bread (Iowa State Fair Winner!)

2016 Iowa State Fair winner and for good reason. Absolutely delicious toasted and spread with a little butter and honey.

Ingredients

  • 5 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 pkgs. regular dry yeast
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 2 eggs (room temp.)
  • 1-5oz. pkg. Gurley’s walnuts (chopped very small)
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • 1 egg white

Instructions

  1. In large mixer bowl combine 2 1/2 cups flour and the yeast. In saucepan, combine butter, milk, sugar, honey and salt. Heat till warm (115-120°). Add this liquid mixture to mixer bowl and beat thoroughly. Add the eggs and another 2 1/2 cups of flour and beat well. Add the walnuts, cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup of flour and beat until dough is stiff. Turn out on floured surface, knead 4 minutes. Place in very large bowl – cover – let rise double. Punch down and divide into 2 equal portions. Shape loaves, place into greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Whisk 1 egg white with 1 Tbsp. water and use to brush atop loaves. Let rise until light. Bake at 350° 45-50 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack.

Chocolate Almond Torte

Elegant dessert for a special event or someone special

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup Gurley’s sliced almonds, toasted
  • 1 ¼ cups Gurley’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
  • Powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Set aside 2 tablespoons almonds for garnish. Coarsely chop remaining almonds and sprinkle into a greased 9-in. spring-form (cheesecake) pan.
  2. On a stovetop on low heat, melt chocolate chips stirring until smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
  4. In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved.
  5. Pour gelatin and melted chocolate into cream cheese mixture and blend in until smooth.
  6. Fold in whipped whipping cream.
  7. Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle with reserved almonds and a light coating of powdered sugar.
  8. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Erna’s Gourmet Chocolate Cake

This state fair winner is completely from scratch. Taste the difference of real chocolate cake and homemade icing. This will become your family’s requested birthday cake.

Ingredients

  • 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 ¼ cups brown sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 ¼ tsp vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Frosting:
  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • Gurley’s Walnuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Melt chocolate in a small bowl in microwave at 50% power, stir often until melted; let cool. Grease and flour 2 cake pans.
  3. In a large mixing bowl beat butter.
  4. Add brown sugar and eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
  5. Add melted chocolate and vanilla.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.
  7. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream.
  8. Mix in boiling water. Batter will be thin.
  9. Pour into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
  10. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
  11. Homemade Frosting:
  12. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave.
  13. In a medium bowl, combine sugar, milk and vanilla.
  14. Add the chocolate mixture.
  15. Put this bowl in a larger bowl of ice and stir until frosting is firm enough to spread.
  16. Garnish with walnuts.

Perfect Banana Bread

This easy recipe makes perfect moist banana bread every time.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp shortening
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 overripe bananas, mashed
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ cup Gurley’s chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cream sugar and shortening together in a medium sized bowl; add eggs and bananas and blend in.
  3. In a separate large bowl, mix together flour, salt and soda.
  4. Add banana mixture alternately with milk.
  5. Fold in chopped walnuts.
  6. Pour into greased loaf pan.
  7. Bake for 1-hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Makes 1 loaf

PUMPKIN PECAN LOAF

Ingredients

  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp. butter flavoring
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Chopped Pecans
  • 1-15oz. can pumpkin pie filling

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together flour soda salt cinnamon & nutmeg.
  3. Add sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and butter flavoring and mix well.
  4. Fold in pecans and pumpkin until well mixed.
  5. Pour into three 4″ x 8” greased loaf pans.
  6. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes until browned.
  7. Remove from oven and let sit in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

PUMPKIN NUT BREAD

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups pumpkin
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 3 1/3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Chopped Pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, cream first four ingredients together.
  3. Add pumpkin and water and mix well.
  4. Stir in dry ingredients just until moistened.
  5. Pour into three 4” x 8” greased loaf pans.
  6. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes until browned.
  7. Remove from oven and let sit in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

Lemon Pecan Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tbsp. lemon zest
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Golden recipe chopped pecans
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Grease and flour one 9 x 5″ and two 3 x 5″ mini loaf pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 300 F.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each one. In a small bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour; add to creamed mixture alternatively with buttermilk. Add lemon zest and pecans, stirring by hand.
  3. Spread batter in prepared pans. Bake small loaves for 45 minutes and large loaf for 1 hr. 20 minutes. Cool loaves in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to wax paper covered rack. Glaze while still warm.
  4. Glaze: Mix 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Poke holes in bread with toothpick and drizzle glaze slowly over bread using about half of the thin glaze. To the remaining glaze, add another cup of powdered sugar to get a thicker glaze. Spread this additional glaze over the breads. Cool completely.