August 23, 2010

Banana Blueberry Bread

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 c. mashed ripe banana
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I use sour cream)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed



Topping:
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter
1 c. rolled oats
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon


Heat oven to 350 degrees grease and flour bottoms only of three (6 x 3 1/2 inch) loaf pans ( one 9x5 inch loaf pan can be used). In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. add bananas, yogurt (or sour cream), vanilla, and eggs. Blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda, and salt; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into greased and floured pans. Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over each loaf. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes (60-70 for large loaf pan), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. ** you may need to cover with aluminum foil about half way through so that the topping doesn't burn.** Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely

-Jessi Nelson

Pan Rolls

1 TBSP active dry yeast
½ cup vegetable oil or melted margarine
1 ½ cups lukewarm water
5 to 6 cups hot roll mix (recipe follows)
2 eggs, beaten

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.  Blend in eggs and oil or margarine.  Add 5 cups hot roll mix.  Blend well.  Add additional hot roll mix to make soft, but not too sticky dough.  Knead about 5 minutes until dough is smooth.  Lightly butter bowl.  Put dough in bowl and turn to butter top.  Cover dough with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.  Grease a 13” x 9” baking pan or two 9”, round pans.  Punch down dough.  Divide dough into 24 to 30 balls of equal size.  Place balls in prepared pans.  Cover and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 30 to 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).  Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Makes about 24 rolls.

Hot Roll Mix
20 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. salt
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir together to distribute evenly. Put in a large airtight container. Label. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 6 to 8 months. Makes about 22 cups of hot roll mix.

-Emily Chai

Mama’s Buns/Cinnamon Rolls

2 Cups Warm Water
1 T Yeast
½ Cup Dry Milk
2 T Sugar (double and use brown sugar for cinnamon rolls)
2 eggs
½ Cup melted Butter
1 t salt
About 8 cups of flour

Mix together 1st 4 ingredients in bowl till smooth.  Add eggs, salt, and enough flour to make thin pancake type batter.  Pour melted butter along sides of bowl as to not cook eggs, mix until glassy looking. Add flour slowly well mixing until sticky dough forms.  Spray bowl with nonstick spray and let raise for about 1 hour or until double.  Punch down, form rolls and let rise to double again before cooking at 350 for 25-30 min, should be golden brown and hollow sounding when done.

For cinnamon rolls punch down and roll out into a thin rectangle. Cover with melted butter, add brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and cut with thread set on greased pan and let rise until double.  Cook at that same temp and time as rolls.

-Irene Beyrich

Healthy Honey Whole Wheat Bread

Combine in bowl to start yeast-
5 C hot but touchable water
3 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 C honey
Add
5-6 Cups white wheat flour (fresh ground is great) White Wheat has a lighter texture than the common red wheat and makes for lighter, softer bread.

It should be about the thickness of pancake batter at this point. Let it sit for a few minutes until some bubbles start to form- then you know the yeast is activated and working right.
Add
1/4 C vital wheat gluten
1-2 TBSP lemon juice
2-3 TBSP olive oil (any of your vegetable oils will work I prefer the flavor of the olive with the wheat)
Whip with electric mixer for a few minutes, if you start to notice a stretchy/stringiness to the 'batter' at this point, that is great- it's the gluten starting.
Finally Add
2 TBSP salt (you've waited this long for the salt so it wouldn't interfere with the yeast or gluten production, but don't forget it!)
6-10 more Cups white wheat flour- Just enough so that it forms a non-sticky dough that will pull away from the sides of the bowl, forming a ball in the middle. Don't let it get super stiff, you still have to knead it.

Knead the dough- I use a Bosch mixer on high for 3-5 minutes. A KitchenAid will do a half batch. Otherwise, it's your muscles. Knead until dough is smooth and satiny again. The trick of stretching and seeing if it will spread thin without tearing is very helpful. After kneading, let the dough rest for 15 minutes or so. Then form into loaves- I get 5 of the smaller pans or 3 of the bigger loaf pans. Most pans you find are the bigger. Let raise until double. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. (This is how I used to bake it, but my oven is baking it at a lower temperature, faster lately. I suggest setting the oven at 325-350, a timer for 20 minutes and WATCHING it.) Done when brown and hollow sounding. Remove immediately from pans and cool completely so moisture doesn't condense on it. While still warm, brush tops with oil or butter to keep the crust soft.

-Irene Beyrich

August 08, 2010

To Die for Brownies

1 Brownie mix
1 jar of marshmallow creme
1 jar of chocolate frosting
(you could probably make these things from scratch, but they're pretty cheap when they go on sale and it makes for a quick dessert when you're in a hurry)

Make the brownies as directed and spread the marshmallow creme on hot brownies straight from the oven. Allow the brownies to cool and then spread the chocoate frosting over the top. That's all, but they're to die for.

-Nicole Goring

Swedish Visiting Cake

1 cup white sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon (or a squirt of lemon juice, if you don't happen to have fresh lemons lying around)
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (or imitation, if you're too poor to buy the real thing :)
1 cup all-purpose flour (I use half whole-wheat)
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I use margarine for half and replace the other half with ground flax seed meal)
About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not) (optional--especially if your husband is allergic)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.
Pour the sugar into a medium bowl.  Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and the extracts.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.

Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist.  Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Makes 8 to 10 servings
 
-Jennifer Ricks (adapted from Dorie Greenspan's original in Baking, From My Home to Yours)

Peach Cobbler

5 peaches, peeled and diced    
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour     
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 c. flour          
6 Tbsp brown sugar
6 Tbsp margarine         
2 Tbsp pecans, chopped
whipped or vanilla ice cream

Combine peaches, sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Place in 11 x 7 in baking dish.  Blend flour, brown sugar, butter and nuts until consistency is similar to oatmeal (nut topping).  Cover the contents of the dish with the nut topping. 

Bake @ 350˚ for 30 to 40 min. or until topping is golden brown.  Serve topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

-Michelle Payne

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg Oreos
1 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
Candi-quik (any flavor)

Take 7 Oreos out of the package; eat them.
Place remainder of Oreos in a food processor or blender. Pulverize them.
Mix cumbs with cream cheese.
Form into balls.
Refrigerate or freeze them until firm.
Dip in melted candi-quik.

-Kate Kmetszch

Molten Lava Cake

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, Spray 2 custard cups w/ cooking spray.

Melt 2 - 1oz. semi-sweet chocolate squares with 1/4 C Butter
Add 1/2 C powdered sugar
Mix in 1 egg and 1egg yolk
Add 3 Tblsp flour

Pour in cups and bake for 14 minutes
Let sit for a few minutes, then take a knife around the edge to loosen. Turn upside & serve with whipped cream or Ice cream.


-Lisa Mackrory

Lemon Lush

1 c. + 1 Tbsp flour                                            
½ c. butter, softened 
--mix & press into 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 20 min.  Let cool.

2 (8 oz) cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar                                         
½ of 12 oz. tub cool whip
--mix until creamy, spread on cooled crust.

2 (3 ½ oz) pkg instant lemon pudding
3 c. milk
--mix 3 min until thick, spread over cream cheese mixture. 

Spread remaining cool whip over pudding and refrigerate 3 hrs.

**Can substitute Lemon pudding for chocolate or banana or whatever you like.

-Michelle Payne

Lemon Bars

2 C flour
¾ C powdered sugar
1 C margarine
½ tsp salt

Blend like pie crust and spread in 9x 13 pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350º. 

While baking mix:
4 eggs
2 C sugar
4 Tbs lemon juice
¼ C flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp lemon extract

Blend and pour on baked mixture and bake about 20 minutes.  Sprinke powdered sugar on top; cool.  Cut into squares.

-Dawnee Godfrey

Homemade Strawberry Frozen Yogurt - Altered Recipe

2 Quarts:
4 cups vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cups puréed strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Freeze in a homemade ice cream maker.

-Dawnee Godfrey

Homemade Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

2 Quarts:
4 cups plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen, sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whipping cream

Thoroughly combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Freeze in a homemade ice cream maker.  

-Dawnee Godfrey

Ghirardelli Award Winning Brownies

2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocao (this is actually cheaper than normal cocao at Walmart)
2/3 cup unsifted flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts chopped
1 cup 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (optional)


Preheat oven to 350 F.  Using a spoon, stir eggs with sugar and vanilla; add butter.  Sift Sweet Ground Chocolate with flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir into egg mixture; add nuts.  Stir in chips.  Spread into a greased 8 inch or 9 inch square pan.  Bake 20-30 minutes 

For extra chewy brownies, use 8 inch pan and less baking time.  For cake-like brownies, use 9 inch pan and longer baking time.  Cut into squares.  Makes 16-20 brownies.

-Katherine Matthews

Fyrstekake- “First Cake”

Makes 2 - 9" rounds

1 1/4 C. Butter
1 1/3 C. Sugar
2 Egg yolks
1/4 C. Whipping Cream
3 3/4 C. Flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder

Cream first 4 ingredients and mix in dry ingredients to form soft dough. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Use one portion and roll on floured surface into a 9" round. (I make it a little bit smaller and then just pat it in with your fingers to fit.) Repeat, using another portion, or store in the refrigerator in plastic. It will last in the refrigerator for several weeks.

Filling:
1/2 C. Almonds
1/2 C. Powdered Sugar
1/3 C. water
1/2 tsp. Almond Flavoring or Extract
1 Can (12.5 oz.) Solo Almond filling

Grind almonds very, very fine in food processor. Stir in remaining ingredients.
Cover dough in pan with filling. (This also stores for several weeks, even months in the refrigerator, so if you are only making one pan, you can save the other half of the filling until you are ready to make the second fyrstekake.)

Take another portion of dough and roll it out in a rectangular shape on floured surface. (Don't roll too thin or else it is too hard to pick up. I think I roll mine less than a 1/4 of an inch thick--probably more like 1/8 inch.) Cut into strips with a pastry roller. I make them less than 1/2" wide. You will be able to tell if you are going to have enough strips as you go along—if not, then roll the remaining dough out a little thinner or cut the strips a little narrower to complete the pastry.

Cover the filling with laced crisscross strips of dough and around edge.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour or until light golden brown.

-Jackie S.

Dump Cake

1 20 oz can pinapple tidbits
1 20 oz can cherry pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
1/2-3/4 cup butter (melted)

Grease sides and bottom of 9x13 pan.
Spread cherry pie filling on bottom of pan.
Pour pineapple over cherries (including juice).
Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top.
Drizzle butter evenly (you don't want to leave large dry spots).


Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes (until top is slightly browned)

-Nicole Bergmann

BANANA CREAM PIE (LAZY, BUT GOOD)

1 pkg of graham cracker pie crust (pre-packaged ones)
1 small pkg of JELLO Banana Cream Pudding
1 small pkg of JELLO Sugar-free Vanilla Pudding
1 small bunch of bananas (optional)

Prepare both packages of Jello puddings as instructed. Once they’ve cooled, mix them
together into the same bowl and let them cool for a little bit longer in the fridge. Line/coat
the bottom of the (opened/unwrapped) pie crust with thinly-sliced (or thick if you prefer)
bananas. Pour the Jello pudding mix into the coated pie crust and spread evenly with a spatula.

**NOTE: I usually use the smaller packages of Jello for this pie and it is ALWAYS sufficient.  If you use the bigger packages, the mix might overflow the sides of the pie tin. OR, you’ll just have
extra pudding! **
Top the pie off with another round of sliced bananas and refrigerate until consumption. ENJOY!

-Paola Jellings

Apple Crisp

8 c. sliced, pared apples          
1 1/3-1 ½ c. brown sugar
1 c. flour          
1 c. oats
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon       
1 ½ tsp. nutmeg
2/3 c. butter, softened  
whipped or ice cream (optional)

Place apples in greased 9 x 13 pan.  Mix remaining ingredients thoroughly.  Sprinkle over apples.  Bake @ 375˚ for 30 min or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.  Serve warm.  If desired, top with whipped cream or ice cream.

-Michelle Payne