Banana Carrot Bread (or muffins)

Why I never thought of this combination before I don't know. These are super moist and delicious, I love eating them straight from the oven with a little butter! I baked the batter in petite loaf pans because they are so dang cute! The recipe will make 1 regular size loaf, 12 muffins, or 8 petite loaves. I got the idea for this recipe from the King Arthur Baking Sheet, I baked their recipe, but decided to try just adding carrots to my standby banana bread recipe and I liked it even better. If you would like to try making my banana bread, just omit the carrots and add one more mashed banana. Oh, and next time I will drizzle cream cheese icing over the top, just because.

Banana Carrot Bread

1/2 c. butter softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
2 mashed ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c. finely shredded carrots

Preheat oven to 325. Spray pan with cooking spray.

Cream together the butter and sugars for 2 minutes. Slowly add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well combined. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Stir in the nuts and carrots. For the petite loaf pans it took 24 minutes to bake, a large loaf would take approximately 50 minutes, and I'm guessing muffins about 18-20 minutes.

Lemon Ricotta Fritters with Sweet Berry Sauce

Mmmmm, mmmmm, my family ate good this morning! These are delicious little pockets of heaven. The fritters aren't too sweet, so they go perfectly with the sweet berry sauce.

Lemon Ricotta Fritters with Sweet Berry Sauce

First heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large wide heavy saucepan. Place candy or deep fry thermometer in oil, you want the oil to be 365-370 when you are ready to fry the fritters.

For the Sauce:
1 lb. strawberries, rinsed and cut in quarters
1/2 small container raspberries
1/2 small container blackberries
(or you could substitute a frozen berry blend and just thaw them first)
1/2 c. sugar
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

Place all berries in a bowl. Pour sugar over the top and stir, let sit 15 minutes. Gently mash with a potato masher. Pour into a medium saucepan and heat on medium until thickened a little and sugar is dissolved, about 7-8 minutes. Pour into a serving bowl and place in freezer to cool a little while you are making the fritters.

For the Fritters:

3/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs. lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. whole milk ricotta
2 large eggs
3 rounded Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Powdered sugar for dusting
Lemon zest for garnish

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt; set aside. In separate bowl whisk together the ricotta, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture and stir gently to combine. At this point the oil should be 365-370 degrees F. Working in batches, gently drop by tablespoons (I used the Pampered Chef cookie scoop) the batter in the oil, about 5 per batch. Turning occasionally, let fry until a deep golden color, about 4 minutes. You can take one out and cut in half to check and see if it is done. Repeat with remaining batter. Place cooked fritters on paper towels to dry. Serve over berry sauce and dust with powdered sugar and lemon zest. Makes approximately 10-12 fritters.

Adapted from a Bobby Flay recipe

Herbed Monkey Bread

Monkey bread is the best! Little rolls rolled in something yummy (here I used butter and herbs), baked in a bundt pan, and then when they are done, you just pull apart and dip! I love making these herbed rolls to go with spaghetti or lasagna. You can also roll them in butter and then cinnamon and sugar for a sweet treat!

Herbed Monkey Bread

Dough
1 cup (8 ounces) water
3 cups (12 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Herb Coating
5 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1 tablespoon fresh stemmed thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, minced

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, stirring until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it's smooth, shiny and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl or dough-rising bucket, cover the bowl or bucket, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Meanwhile, melt butter (or oil) in a saute pan. Add chopped herbs and let cook for a minute or two. Add garlic and then remove from heat. Pour into medium bowl. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray.
Once dough has risen, remove from bowl and cut off 1 1/2 inch pieces, roll in hands to form balls. Place about 5 or 6 dough balls at a time into the butter and herbs, stir gently to coat and then place in the bundt pan, continue until all dough is in the pan. They will rise a lot, to the top of the pan, so don't worry if it looks like there isn't very much. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is browned and dough is cooked through.
Let cool in pan 10 minutes and then invert onto plate, best if served warm with marinara sauce! Would be great with soups too!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches on Homemade "Gorditas"!

I think I will be making these flatbread "gorditas" for a long, long, time. That's how good they are! It does take time to let the dough rise, but other than that they are fairly simple to make. My husband ate six of them in one sitting and wanted more the next night! The fillings you can come up with are endless!

Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches on Homemade "Gorditas"

For Gorditas:

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. potato flour OR 1/2 c. potato buds or flakes
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/4 c. warm water
1 1/4 tsp salt

For filling:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c. good Caesar dressing (my favorite is the Girard's brand, Light or regular)
Torn lettuce leaves
1 zuchinni
1 red bell pepper
1 small onion, or 1/2 large onion
Additional Caesar dressing


Place the two chicken breasts in the 1/2 c. of Caesar dressing in a gallon size zip lock bag. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

To make the bread: Place 2 cups of the flour into the bowl of a mixer. Pour the boiling water over the flour and stir (don't whisk) until smooth. Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl combine the yeast with the 1/4 c. warm water, let rest until nice and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the potato flour (or buds/flakes) with the remaining 1 c. of flour. Add in the yeast mixture and the oil. Add salt, stir to combine everything.

Add this mixture to the cooled flour and water mixture. Knead with your KitchenAid or by hand for about 5 minutes. Dough may look dry but it will eventually turn into a nice slightly firm ball. You can add up to 1/4 c. more water if you need it, but keep in mind this is not a super soft dough. If kneading by hand do so on an oiled surface with oiled hands (not floured!)

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 8 pieces, cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Roll each piece into a 7" or 8" inch circle, this is easy to do by hand, the dough doesn't bounce back. Dry fry(NO oil or butter) on a griddle or large saute pan over medium heat, should take about a couple minutes per side until they are flecked with brown spots like a tortilla or gordita. Transfer the cooked breads to a wire rack and stack them on top of each other to keep them soft and pliable. Serve immediately or store in a plastic bag.


For filling:

Grill the marinated chicken breasts, about 20 minutes over medium heat, turning every five minutes.

While chicken is grilling, slice up the zuchinni into thick slices and chop the bell pepper and onion into large bite size chunks. Saute in 1 Tbs. olive oil until slightly browned and onions are translucent.

Slice the chicken into thin strips.

To serve first lay down some torn lettuce leaves, top with 2 or 3 slices of chicken. Drizzle with a little Caesar dressing and top with some of the sauteed vegetables.

For step by step picture instructions, you can visit the King Arthur Baker's Banter Blog at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/?s=gordita

Homemade Blueberry Muffins

These muffins were absolutely delicious! King Arthur flour really knows their stuff! :)
I loved the consistency of these muffins, kind of crispy on the outside and moist and yummy on the inside. The batter is supposed to be thick, don't let that scare you (I know it did me, I'm used to working with thin batter due to all of the extra buttermilk and sour cream I use!) But they rose beautifully and turned out great. KAF said that this recipe works well with any type of berry and the dough can be refrigerated for up to one week. You can make a few each morning!

KAF Blueberry Muffins

2 1/4 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter, room temp
3/4 c. sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 6 oz. (3/4 c.)container lemon yogurt (I like using the lemon burst flavor from Yoplait)
1 1/2 c. blueberries, fresh of frozen (I used frozen, do not thaw, just throw 'em in there frozen)
coarse white sparkling sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 375.
Spray a 12 c. muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Start out the mixture on low speed and increase the speed to medium until you reach the right texture.
Scrape down bowl and add eggs, one at a time and beating after each addition.
Add vanilla and yogurt.
Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the batter is smooth, will be thick.
Fold in berries by hand.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, using a heaping 1/4 c. for each. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired.
Bake the muffins for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If using frozen blueberries, you will have to cook a little longer. Let cool in pan 5 minutes and then remove to rack.

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits

My family LOVED these! They kind of tasted like a sausage and cheese mcmuffin but way better! The biscuit itself was moist and delicious and the pockets of melted cheese were heavenly. A great breakfast or brunch item.
Thanks King Arthur Flour again for a great recipe!

Sausage and Cheese Biscuits

3 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c. cold butter, cut in pats
1 c. buttermilk (or plain yogurt or sour cream can be substituted)
2 c. cooked and sliced Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage
1 c. diced cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Work in the butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Gently stir in the sausage and cheese. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture is evenly moistened.
Transfer the ball of dough to a lightly floured surface. Pat and roll it into an 8"X10" rectangle, about 3/4" thick. (Try to handle it as little as possible, just like scones, they less you handle it, they better they will be!)
Cut the dough into 16-20 squares depending on how big you want them.
Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet about 1" apart.
Bake the biscuits for about 20 minutes, until they are a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately brush tops with melted butter.
Let cool a little and serve warm!

Apples N' Cream Bread Braid and How To Pics

So I did try the bread braid recipe with the apple pie filling and it was delicious, it reminded me of an apple filled donut I had at Krispie Kreme years ago, so good! I did try a new cream cheese filling though and it worked out even better, here are some pics to show you the process of rolling and cutting out the braid, let me know if you have any questions! It turns out looking so beautiful people will think you are a master baker!

Cream Cheese Filling

1 8oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs. sour cream
1 egg
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice

Beat all ingredients together until smooth, about 30 seconds. This is enough filling for at least two braids, so cut in half if only making one.

For the apple pie filling I dumped the can of filling on a large cutting board and chopped up the apples into small pieces. I then scooped it all up and placed in a bowl. I added 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp lemon juice and stirred it all up, it was then ready to go!
Refer to Cherries and Cream Bread Braid post for instructions and bread recipe.
After brushing on the egg wash, I sprinkled raw sugar over the top of the Apples and Cream braid. drizzling icing over it when it is cooled is also really good, just like a danish pastry!
Oh, and I would highly recommend making this on parchment paper.

Cherry Cream Braid

This sweet bread recipe is to die for! It is so soft and moist and flavorful, I love making cinnamon rolls and even regular bread loaves out of it. This dough recipe will actually make enough for two braids, or one braid and 9 cinnamon rolls. My husband said it tasted like a donut, so that got me thinking.... I think I'm going to experiment and try to make Danish Pastries out of this dough recipe with an apple cinnamon and custard filling, I'll post pics if it turns out good!

Sweet Dough
(King Arthur Flour Co. recipe)

3/4 c. warm water
2 tsp sugar
1 Tbs active dry yeast
1/2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
3/4 c. vanilla yogurt (most small yogurts are exactly 3/4 cup, so that makes it easy!)
*You can also substitute plain or lemon yogurt
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla or almond flavoring, or 2 tsp. citrus zest
4 1/2 to 5 1/2 c. flour (to measure flour, always stir it to "fluff" it up, and then spoon it into the cup container and level)
1 egg + 2 Tbs. milk for egg wash

Filling for braid:
(You can use any type of pie filling, or a chocolate ganache, or almond filling would be good too)
1 can cherry pie filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Sliced almonds to sprinkle on top

In a small bowl, combine the warm water and 2 tsp sugar, stir to dissolve. Stir in yeast and 1/2 c. flour. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until bubbly and active, about 10-15 minutes.

In a large bowl (of bowl of KitchenAid if you have one) combine the yogurt, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and yeast mixture. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, mixing until the dough comes away cleanly fro the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and, adding only enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface, knead about 5 minutes, until soft and pliable but not sticky. Let the dough rest while you clean and grease the bowl. Finish kneading the dough until it's smooth, supple, and springy.

Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn to coat all surfaces, cover with plastic wrap and a clean towel, and let sit in a warm place for about 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled.

Before dough is done rising, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.

Preheat oven to 375

Gently deflate the dough and divide it in half.
Working with one half at a time, roll out into large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Leaving half the dough uncut down the middle (this is where you'll place your filling) make nine cuts down each side to make your braid pieces. Cut out the four corners so that you have a lip in the center on each end. Spread half of the cream cheese mixture down the middle, place 1/2 the cherry filling on top. Starting at one end, pull the lip up and press down on sides to secure. Take one braid piece and fold over and secure. Now take another piece from the opposite side and secure, repeat with remaining pieces. Before you reach the end, pull up lip and secure and then finish braid.
Lightly beat egg and milk and brush over braid. Sprinkle almonds on top. Repeat with remaining dough piece or make into cinnamon rolls.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until braid is a golden brown.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

I had always wanted to learn how to make soft pretzels and then I found this recipe on the King Arthur flour website. It was more simple than I thought it would be! These pretzels are perfect, they have that bagel-like skin on the outside and the chewy middle, yum!

Soft Pretzels

1 Tbs. sugar
2 c. room temp water
2 tsp instant yeast (also known as bread machine)
5 1/2- 6 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp non diastatic malt powder (I mail order mine from King Arthur OR substitute sugar)
1 Tbs. salt

Combine in bowl (or KitchenAid bowl) sugar, water, and yeast; stir to combine. Add the malt powder (or sugar) and salt. Add enough flour to make a soft (but not sticky) dough. Knead for 6 minutes. Place in oiled bowl, turning once to coat, cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450.
Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Roll each piece into a log and shape the logs into pretzels (or doughnut shape, they are easier!)
In large pot, bring 6 c. water and 2 Tbs. baking soda to a boil. Put in four pretzels at a time, let cook one minute. Remove with slotted spoon to greased baking sheet. They should have a skin on them. Continue until all pretzels have been boiled. Paint each pretzel with egg glaze (egg mixed with 1 Tbs. water) and sprinkle with salt or seeds. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until pretzels are well browned.
Yields 16 soft, chewy pretzels. Delicious dipped in nacho cheese.

Bread Bowls

I went to Paradise Bakery the other day for lunch and I ordered their soup in a bread bowl. I was so excited because usually everything there is so good, and I love soup in bread bowls, but it was not good at all! It was dry and tasted like cardboard. So ever since then I've been craving a good bread bowl. What a great idea, instead of having to wash your bowl, you just eat it! These took quite awhile to make, but they turned out delicious. I made my corn chowder recipe which is also posted on this site. I got this recipe from King Arthur Flour, they have the best bread recipes!

Bread Bowls

7 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp instant (also called bread machine) yeast
2 1/2 c. room temp water
2 Tbs. non diastatic malt powder (I order mine from King Arthur flour, or you can just use sugar!)
3 tsp salt
2 egg whites

Mix two cups of the flour with the yeast and water, let sit for 1 hour. Add the malt (or sugar), salt, egg white and remaining flour, mix until it's a shaggy mass. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes, then knead for 6-8 minutes by hand, or 5-7 minutes using your KitchenAid with dough hook. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover and let rise 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide into six equal parts (about 8.5oz. each) Roll each piece into a tight ball and place seam side down on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise 1 1/2 hours. Uncover the loaves and let them sit for 10-15 minutes so they form a "skin", which will make them better able to hold soup or stew.
Preheat oven to 425.
Before placing in oven, mist oven and rolls with water. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until they are a deep, golden brown. Turn off oven and prop open door to let moisture escape. Let rolls cool in oven for 20 minutes, transer to wire rack to cool completely.
To use cut small slice off top of roll and scoop out inside bread with a fork (see picture) leaving about 1/2 inch of the bread all around the bottom and sides. I save the excess bread for dipping into the soup. Enjoy!

Cookie Exchange Party '08!

Happy Holidays Everyone! I am sorry it has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything, I have been so busy! Every year I have a cookie exchange party, and I look forward to it all year! I love cookies and I love to party! :) This year I made appetizers, and then we played some fun games, had an ornament exchange, and then got to take home 6 dozen cookies, Yum! Here are some of the recipes from the party:

Brie Bread Ring
I love this! It is so yummy and easy, it's a great holiday appetizer.

1 round of Brie cheese
2 tubes Pillsbury refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (not the flaky kind)
1/2 c. butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. fresh Thyme, finely chopped
2 Tbs. fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp dried Oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 350.
Scrape/cut the rind off of the top of the Brie (only the top, the side and bottom rind hold the melted cheese in!), set aside.
Cut buttermilk biscuits into quarters and place in large bowl.
In saute pan melt butter and olive oil, add herbs and garlic and saute one minute (do not brown garlic). Pour over rolls and toss to coat rolls thoroughly. This time I used a large square pan to bake this in, but in the past I've used a round pizza pan and formed a ring around the Brie with aluminum foil to keep the rolls together.
Place the Brie in the middle and layer the rolls around the Brie, try to only go two rolls high or it will take a long time for the bread to cook.
Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until rolls are browned and Brie is melted.
To serve you can either let your guests break off rolls and dip in cheese, or you can put a spoon in the cheese for them to put on their plates.
Delicious!

Holiday Cheese Ball
This is absolutely the best cheese ball I have ever had! My sister Becky gave this recipe to me last year, I love the combination of flavors. I'm sure you've all tasted some nasty cheese balls in your time, but I promise you will love this one! :)

12 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs. finely chopped onions
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. coarsely chopped craisins
2 c. finely grated cheddar cheese
1 c. chopped pecans (I toast mine on the stovetop with a couple of teaspoons of sugar)

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add onions and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in craisins and cheddar cheese. Shape into a ball, roll in chopped pecans. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours. Serve with crackers or pretzel sticks.

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus
I have to admit I've never worked with Phyllo dough before, so you won't be surprised that I accidentally bought Puff Pastry instead of Phyllo, Ugh! Thanks Emma for all of your help with this recipe!

8 asparagus spears
1/2 pkg. (16 oz) Phyllo dough sheets, thawed
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. finely grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 375. Break off tough end of asparagus spears.
Cut Phyllo dough sheets in half lengthwise, (you'll only be using half the package). Place dampened cloth over Phyllo dough. Remove one piece at a time and brush with butter, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and place two asparagus spears at end. Roll up jelly roll style. Place on baking sheet seam side down. Brush with more butter and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese. Repeat with remaining asparagus. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
This is a just a quick and easy Betty Crocker recipe that I love!

1 pouch Betty Crocker Peanut Butter cookie mix
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. water
1 egg
1/2 c. Reeses Peanut Butter Chips

Topping:
1 container vanilla frosting (not whipped)
1 Tbs. milk
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. seedless raspberry or strawberry jam

Spray bottom of a 13X9 pan with cookie spray.
Combine cookie mix, vegetable oil, water, and egg, stir in peanut butter chips.
Press dough into bottom of pan using floured fingers. Bake 15-18 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

In small bowl stir frosting, milk, and peanut butter until smooth. Spread over base. Stir jam and drop by teaspoonfulls onto frosting. Swirl jam for a marbled design with tip of knife. Refrigerate for at least one hour, store in refrigerator.


Brownie "Trees"
I was really proud of myself for coming up with this idea! I used a large star tip to make the "tree" and a small star tip to make the "star".

1 Betty Crocker Fudge brownie mix
1 container vanilla frosting
green and yellow food coloring
Sprinkles

Line 13X9 pan with foil and coat with cooking spray. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to box directions. Let completely cool.
Remove from pan and using a small round biscuit cutter, cut the brownies into little circles. Pipe frosting on top to look like trees.

Cinnamon Rolls

I love cinnamon rolls, I hope you enjoy this recipe! Today I tried a little something different and I zested and juiced one medium orange. I added most of the zest and the juice to the dough, and I put the remaining zest in the cream cheese frosting. It turned out really good, I think I'll do it every time. When you add the juice (about 1/4 cup), subtract 1/4 c. water from the recipe so you don't have to add more flour.

Cinnamon Rolls (actually this is my breadstick recipe I posted in May, just made into cinnamon rolls)

2 pkgs. (or 4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1/2 c. sugar, divided
2 c. warm water (between 105 and 110 degrees, or lukewarm)
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. butter, softened
Cinnamon and sugar
Brown sugar

Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar
Milk

In large mixing bowl, or KitchenAid, dissolve yeast and 1 Tbs. of sugar in 1 c. of the warm water(105-110 degrees). Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the oil, egg, remaining sugar, 2 c. of flour, and salt, beat until smooth. Slowly add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms, knead for 6 minutes.
Place in greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Punch down dough and lay out on floured surface. Fold dough over on itself like an envelope. Roll out to a rectangle, dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.
Brush butter over dough. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar and brown sugar over top, be generous! Starting at one end, roll up dough. Cut into 2 inch slices. Place in a greased 13 X9 pan.
Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until light golden brown.

For frosting, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Add enough milk to make it the consistency you want.

French Toast

I've been making this recipe for years now, I think I got it from my sister-in-law Emma. It's a twist on plain french toast that I know you'll love!

Let me know if you'd like to be on my list of people that get notified every time I add a new post!

French Toast

4 eggs

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

Orange juice (I use about 1/2 an orange, just squeeze the juice into the eggs, or you can use 1 Tbs. orange juice concentrate)

About 12 slices bread (In the pic above I've used sourdough bread from Costco, it was really good, the texas toast thick-cut bread is great too)

Whisk together the eggs, cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange juice. Preheat a large frying pan. Coat pan with thin layer of butter. Working with about 2-3 slices of bread at a time, dip each side of the bread into the egg mixture and place in hot pan. Cook each side until done, about 2 minutes each side. Repeat with remaining bread slices.

I love to top it off with strawberries and cream!

Basic White Sandwich Bread

Hey everyone! Sorry it has been so long since I've posted anything. This is my favorite white bread recipe. I think the best tip I could give you is to make sure the temperature of the water that you add to the yeast is about 105 degrees (warm, but not hot). After the water, yeast, and sugar have been combined and have sat for about five minutes, the yeast should have about tripled in size and should be very bubbly. If it is not, DO NOT add it to the dough. If the yeast didn't grow then, it won't grow in the bread and you'll have a flat, dense loaf. Just start over with the water, yeast, and sugar, the water probably wasn't warm enough, or it was too hot. And yes, you do need to let the dough rise twice!

White Bread

2 1/2 c. warm water (105-110 degrees)

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 c. powdered milk

3 Tbs. shortening, cubed (not butter flavored)

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp sugar

2 1/2 c. bread flour

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour

In large mixing bowl (or KitchenAid mixer bowl) add the yeast and sugar. Pour warm water over yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. Add milk and whisk just a little until there are no clumps. Add shortening, salt, and sugar. Gradually add flour until a nice soft dough forms. The dough should not be hard, or too sticky. If you're not using a KitchenAid dough hook, you may need to add the last bit of flour while you are kneading. Knead for 6-8 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turn dough ball to coat top and cover. Let rise for 1 hour.

Punch down dough, place on floured surface. Fold in sides and press down as if you're folding an envelope. Divide dough in half. Spray two loaf pans and set aside.

Working with one dough at a time, push out the dough to form a rectangle (about 9X12). Starting at one end roll up tightly and press edges to seal, place sealed side down in loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. When dough has risen, bake for approximately 25-28 minutes.

Remove dough from pans and let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy! Fresh homemade bread is the best!

Strawberry Shortcake & Buttermilk Biscuits

For dessert tonight I wanted to make strawberry shortcake, so I took my regular buttermilk biscuit recipe (which is killer by the way) and added a little more sugar. I'm going to give both the regular buttermilk biscuit recipe and the modified shortcake recipe. I found this recipe a few months ago on the Food Network website, and I will never go back to rolled and cut out biscuits again! These are so moist and yummy. I love finding and trying new recipes that are so good, you know you'll be making them the rest of your life! It's like finding a treasure! :) Between my pancake recipe and this biscuit recipe, buttermilk has become my new best friend! (I know I'm a freak)


Killer Buttermilk Biscuits

2 c. cake flour, or all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 c. shortening (not butter flavored)
2/3 c. half and half, or 1/3 c. milk and 1/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. or more of flour for rolling
2 Tbs. melted butter

Preheat oven to 425. Butter an 8 inch square or round cake pan.

Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and add shortening, mix until pea sized pieces remain. With a wooden spoon stir in the half and half (or cream and milk), and the buttermilk.
Let sit for 2 minutes. The dough should be very wet and look like cottage cheese.

Place the 1 c. or flour in a 13X9 baking dish. Working with an ice cream scoop or large cookie scoop, scoop out about 6 mounds of dough at a time into the flour. Carefully toss the scoops of batter into the flour so they are completely covered. With a spatula carefully lift the coated pieces of batter and place them along the edge of the cake pan, packing them tightly, then place some in the center of the pan.

Bake in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes. As you take them from the oven brush them with melted butter and serve them hot with butter and jam.

"Shortcake" Variation
Instead of 2 Tbs. of sugar, add 1/2 cup of sugar. After letting the batter rest for 2 minutes, pour all of the batter into the buttered 8X8 cake pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 425. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into squares, and then half each square to serve individual strawberry shortcakes. Makes 9.

Cinnamon Apple Pancakes, Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

This has got to be the best pancake recipe I've ever tried. It is from my Cooking Light Complete Cookbook. It's awesome, the pancakes turn out light and fluffy and they melt in your mouth. I was going to make them this morning with just cinnamon chips in them, but my husband suggested apples too (Yay Ben!). This combination is to die for!


Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 Tbs. canola oil (or vegetable oil)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
stick of cold butter

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup, level with knife, add to large bowl. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, whisk to combine. Make a well in the center of mixture, set aside.
In separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, and egg. Stir to combine. Add to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.
Heat skillet to medium low heat. With cold stick of butter, unpeel end and rub a thin layer of butter over pan. Drop about a 1/4 c. batter onto skillet. Flip pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Remove from pan, and re-butter, then add more batter, continue this way with the rest of the batter.
Yields 9 4 inch pancakes.

Apple Cinnamon Version:
After stirring the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together a couple of times, add 1 whole apple, peeled and grated, to batter (I used Fuji). Add 1/3 c. cinnamon chips, or 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
I added a little cinnamon to Cool Whip to serve on top of pancakes, it would also be yummy to use real whipping cream, whipped up with some cinnamon.

Blueberry Version:
Soak 1 c. dried blueberries in hot water for 5 minutes. Add to batter. I tried using fresh blueberries once, and it was too bitter for my taste.

Cinnamon Banana Version:
Thickly slice two bananas, cut slices in half. Add cut bananas and 1/2 tsp cinnamon to batter. These are delicious! I learned this combo from my sister-in-law Emma!

Garlic or Cinnamon Breadsticks

These breadsticks are super soft and chewy. I like to make half of the recipe into garlic breadsticks, and the other half into cinnamon and sugar breadsticks for dessert (the taste is similar to Indian Fry Bread!)

Breadsticks

2 pkgs. (or 4 1/2 tsp) active dry yeast
1/2 c. sugar, divided
2 c. warm water (between 105 and 110 degrees, or lukewarm)
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
4 1/2 -6 c. flour ( you will have to add more flour if you live in high elevation, or have more humidity in your air than Phoenix AZ! Just keep adding flour until a soft dough forms, until it is no longer sticky when you touch it)
1/2 c. butter
garlic powder
garlic salt
cinnamon and sugar

In large mixing bowl, or KitchenAid, dissolve yeast and 1 Tbs. of sugar in 1 c. of the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining 1 c. water, oil, egg, remaining sugar, 2 c. of flour, and salt, beat until smooth. Slowly add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms, knead for 6 minutes.
Place in greased bowl, turning once to coat. Cover and let rise 45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400.
Punch down dough, working with one half at a time, lay out on floured surface. Roll out to a rectangle, dough should be about 1/2 inch thick.
I use a pizza cutter to cut the dough rectangle into strips. Twist and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.
Cover and let rise 20 minutes.
Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes, until a light golden brown.
Remove from oven.
Melt 1/2 c. butter in microwave. Brush over the breadsticks you want to make into Cinnamon and sugar breadsticks. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar, set aside.
Add garlic powder and a little garlic salt to remaining melted butter. Brush over remaining breadsticks. Best when served warm!

*Remember to always keep the cinnamon and sugar and the garlic breadsticks separate, when you're making them, when you're serving them, when you're storing leftovers! :)

This recipe makes about 18 large breadsticks, in the picture above they are cut in half.

Sloppy Joe Calzones & Roll Recipe

This is comfort food at it's best, hamburger with lots of cheese surrounded by a yummy homemade roll, does it get any better than that? I made the dough to go over these calzones but they would also be good inside a good store bought roll, or you can buy the refrigerated buttermilk biscuits and roll them out.

Sloppy Joe Calzones Filling

1 lb. hamburger or ground turkey

1 packet Sloppy Joe seasoning (I use McCormick)

1 small can tomato paste

1 can olives

about 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger in saute pan and drain. Add back into pan, add the tomato paste, seasoning, and water per the seasoning packet instructions. Let simmer about 5 minutes. Chop about 3/4 of the can of olives into large chunks, add to hamburger mixture.

If you'd like to use a homemade roll recipe, here is mine, I use it for cinnamon rolls, dinner rolls, etc.

Homemade Roll Recipe

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1/3 c. warm water (not hot!)

1 c. milk

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 c. butter

about 5 cups flour

1 egg

1/2 c. cold water

Place the yeast in the bottom of a small bowl, add warm water on top and stir to combine. Cover and let sit 10 minutes.

In saucepan combine milk, butter, sugar, and salt over medium heat. Heat until butter is melted, do not boil. Remove from heat and let cool.

In large bowl, or Kitchenaid fitted with a dough hook, combine 2 cups of flour, the egg, and the cold water. Add the warm milk mixture and mix, then add the yeast mixture. Add the remaining flour until a soft dough forms, knead for 6 minutes. Place in a large bowl, cover it, and let rise 1 hour.

Punch dough down and cut into two balls. Working with one ball at a time, roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired circle size (I used a 4 1/2" round biscuit cutter). Place big spoonfulls of meat mixture onto dough circles, top with a generous helping of shredded cheese. Top with one more layer of dough. With a fork, crimp edges and poke two holes in the top of each calzone. Bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes. Brush with butter and sprinkle Chili powder on top.

I was able to make eight 4 1/2" calzones, or I usually get about 18 dinner rolls out of it.

Pizza Pizza Pizza!

So quite often I will become obsessed with making something, and improving upon it, until I know I won't be able to make it any better. Recently, it's been pizza. I've tried lots of different recipes for crusts and toppings, and I think I've found my two favorites- Chicken Garlic and Pesto Tomato. I found that making the perfect pizza dough takes lots of practice! It really helped to use a pizza stone and a pizza peel, I think you really need these two items to make delicious pizza at home. Two big tips: Make sure the water you put in the dough is between 105 and 110 degrees (just warm), too hot and it will kill the yeast. Also, do NOT roll out the dough with a rolling pin, hand stretching can make all the difference between an OK crust and a delicious, chewy, pizzeria style crust.
Be patient! Really good crust can take up to 24 hours to make!

Pizza Dough Recipe

1 Tbs. active dry yeast
1 1/2 c. plus 3 Tbs. warm water
4 1/2 c. bread flour (all purpose is ok too)
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. salt
3 Tbs. olive oil

Place yeast in bottom of small bowl, pour warm water over the yeast and let sit until bubbly, 5-10 minutes.
Combine all other ingredients, add yeast mixture. If using a Kitchenaid with dough hook attachment, use speed 2 and let run for 3-4 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic.
If you don't have a kitchenaid, mix by hand and knead for 3-4 minutes.
Lightly oil the dough and the interior of a large bowl, place the ball in the bowl and seal air tight with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator overnight.
Three hours before you want to serve the pizza, remove from refrigerator. Punch down and form into a ball once more, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise on counter 1 1/2 hours.
Remove dough from bowl and cut (do not tear) dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a ball. Place in an oiled 13X9 pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise 45 minutes on counter.
Place pizza stone in oven and preheat to 500.
Working with one piece at a time, softly stretch dough until you've reached your desired crust size. Place on a pizza peel covered with cornmeal and top with sauce, cheese, and toppings. Open oven and slide pizza from peel to hot stoneware. Bake for approximately 7-8 minutes. Remove with pizza peel and place on cutting board to cool. Repeat with second dough ball.
I know it takes a long time to make, but it's really pretty simple and you won't believe the quality of pizza dough you'll have!


Chicken Garlic Pizza

1 recipe for pizza dough (see above)
Freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. ranch dressing
3 cloves garlic, minced
pepper to taste
Shredded chicken
3 green onions
1 Roma tomato

Combine ranch dressing, garlic, and pepper. Set aside.
I like to buy a rotisserie chicken, about 1 breast shredded will be enough. Chop tomato and green onions.
Top your pizza crust with the ranch dressing sauce, freshly grated mozzarella cheese, the chicken, tomato, and then green onion. Bake at 500 for 7-8 minutes.



Pesto and Tomato Pizza

1 recipe for pizza dough (see above recipe)
Pesto sauce (I like to buy the large jar from Costco)
2 Tomatoes
Freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese

This is an easy one! Which is probably why I make this one most often! :)
Top crust with pesto, cheese, and tomatoes. Bake at 500 for 7-8 minutes.

If you want to make these pizzas over-the-top-amazing you can use fresh whole milk mozzarella cheese.