Luscious Apple Cake

This recipe from my sister notes -

This cake serves 25 hungry men or 35 slender women.

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Luscious Apple Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

2  cups finely chopped tart apples 

Vanilla ice cream - optional

Preheat oven to 350°
Lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking pan.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until crumbled. Stir in nuts. Press 2 cups of mixture into bottom of baking ban. (This step is what makes this cake so luscious.)

To remaining mixture, add cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Blend well. Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla. Gently stir in apples. Spoon batter evenly into baking pan. Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Cut into squares. Top win ice cream, if desired. 

Griddle Cakes

~ Father's Day Breakfast ~

Recipe from:
~ Joy of Cooking ~

Ingredients:

Sift before measuring:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Resift with:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 3/4 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

Combine:

• 1 to 2 beaten whole eggs
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups milk

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients. 

Test griddle: let a few drops of cold water fall on griddle. If the water bounces and sputters, the griddle is ready. If the water just sits and boils, the griddle is not hot enough. If the water vanishes, the griddle is too hot.

Cook about 2-3 minutes before turning. When bubbles appear on surface, but before they break, lift the cakes to check brownness. Turn and cook until done.

Makes about fourteen 4-inch Cakes

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Happy Father's Day!

Homemade Pizza

Our neighbor gave us a gallon sized bag of pepperoni 

and load of mozzarella cheese. 

So, we decided to make pizza

You want quick and easy no-kneading artisan bread crust?  

We use this recipe when making pizza.

It's a breeze!

Five Minutes a Day for Fresh-Baked Bread 

This recipe makes 4 1-pound loaves. You can double or half it. You can use a KitchenAid mixer. I mix mine by hand in a large bowl.

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups warm water 
• 1 1/2 T. yeast 
• 1 1/2 T. salt 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour 
• 5 1/2 cups unbleached flour 
• whole wheat flour to sprinkle on peel 

Mixing and storing the dough:
1. Heat the water to just a little warmer than body temperature (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Add the yeast and salt with the water in a 5 quart bowl.
2. Mix in remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, or kitchenAid with dough hook.
3. Cover, not airtight, and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (about 2 hours) unlike traditional artisan bread, it will not hurt the dough to sit longer than this.
4. The dough can be used immediately but it will be easier to handle if you refrigerate three hours first. It can now be put in the fridge for up to 14 days.

When you are ready to bake: 
5. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1-pound (about the size of a grapefruit) piece. If making pizza - Place your ball of dough on to a greased pizza pan or cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Dust with flour as needed (cooking spray is also handy) to roll-out or press-out with hands.  (After rolling, let the dough rest for just a few minutes before adding toppings.) If making bread - Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go. Allow to rest and rise on a cornmeal-covered pan for 40 minutes.
6. Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place an empty broiler pan on the bottom rack and adjust shelves so that they will not interfere with the dough as it rises during baking (Broiler pan is not necessary for pizza.)
7. For bread, sprinkle loaf liberally with flour and slash a cross, scallop or tic-tac-toe pattern into the top, using serrated bread knife. Leave the flour in place for baking; tap some of it off before slicing.
8. Put bread in oven. Pour 1 cup HOT tap water into the broiler tray and quickly close the oven door.  Bake for about 35 minutes, or until deeply brown and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time. For pizza, I skip the hot water and I bake my pizza for 18 minutes at 450 degrees.
9. Allow to cool before slicing or eating.

Double this recipe using The “6-3-3-13” rule: 6 cups water, 3 tablespoons salt, 3 tablespoons yeast, and then add 13 cups of flour. 

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Recipe for the perfect Artisan Five Minute Bread 

 Easy to follow instructions for mixing and storing the dough 

Your family is sure to love it!

Saturday Morning Waffles with Blueberries

 I promised my husband that I would make him

waffles with blueberries...

Wonderful waffles

from 

Joy of Cooking.

Here is the recipe.

Waffles

Sift before measuring: 

• 1 3/4 cups cake flour (I use all-purpose flour)

Resift with:

• 2 teaspoons double acting baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon sugar

Beat well:

• 3 eggs yolks

Add:

• 2 to 7 tablespoons melted butter or vegetable oil (I use 7)
• 1 1/2 cups milk

Make a hole in the center of the sifted ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients. Combine them with a few swift strokes (do not over beat of over mix). The batter should have a pebbled look, similar to a muffin batter. At this time, you might want to include one of the following:

• (1/2 cup fresh berries)
• (1/4 cup raisins)
• (1/4 cup finely chopped nuts or coconut)
• (1 cup finely diced cooked ham)

Beat until stiff, but not dry:

• 3 egg whites

Fold them into the batter until they are barely blended. 

To cook, heat waffle iron until the indicator shows it is ready to use. cover the grid surface about two-thirds. Close the lid and wait for 4 minutes. When the waffle is ready, all steam will have stopped emerging from the crack of the iron. (I have a Belgian waffle maker - my waffles take 5 minutes before all the steam stops emerging.) The richer the dough, the crisper the waffle becomes. With the butter flavor baked into the waffle, there is then no reason for adding butter - unless you like lots, as do I.

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Makes 6 waffles with a traditional waffle maker
I have to double this recipe to get 7 - 8  using my Belgian waffle maker.

If you make these waffles, I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Cinnamon Rolls

  The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls  Her recipe makes 9-8 pans of cinnamon rolls. I cut it in half and made three pans of 8 rolls each. Total of 24 rolls

Trust me, 

These are not only GOOD, 

They are also NOW my new 

BEST, 

EASIEST, and 

FAVORITE 

go to cinnamon rolls. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Whole Milk 
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (I used butter)
• 1/2 cup Sugar 
• 1 package Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets (I used a tablespoon)
• 4 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Reserved) All-purpose Flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda 
• 1/2 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt 
• Plenty Of Melted Butter 
• 1 cups Sugar 
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon

MAPLE FROSTING:

• 1/2 bag Powdered Sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring 
• 1/4 cup Milk 
• 1/8 cup Melted Butter 
• 1/8 cup Brewed Coffee (It's the coffee that makes this so good!)
• Sprinkle of Salt 

For the dough, scald the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat (to just below a boil). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot (110-115 degrees F), sprinkle in the yeast on top (stir it in if you like) and let it sit on the milk for a few minutes. Add 4 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1/2 cup flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)

~ Dough after chilling for 1 hour ~

Preheat the oven to 375°F. To assemble the rolls, remove the dough from the pan/bowl. Sprinkle surface generously with flour (the dough is sticky if not chilled first). Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, 1/2 - 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Spread the butter evenly.  Sprinkle 1 cup (or more if you like) of the sugar over the butter. Generously sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log. Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices.

Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the counter top for at least 20 minutes before baking.

Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown.

While the rolls are baking, make the maple icing: In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, coffee, and salt. Splash in the maple flavoring. Whisk until very smooth. Taste and add in more maple, sugar, butter, or other ingredients as needed until the icing reaches the desired consistency. The icing should be somewhat thick but still very pourable.

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time.

Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

A reheated piece of cauliflower crust pizza. 

It taste even better the second day.

I made pizza for my family on Saturday. I am on a low carb diet, so I could not eat their pizza. I thought I would try this recipe for cauliflower crust pizza. I have to say that it did satisfy my pizza craving.  However, I think you have to like cauliflower to like this recipe.

Prosciutto Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Ingredients
      Crust

• 1 small head cauliflower, chopped (about 5 cups)
• 2 ounces shredded Asiago (1 cup)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or oregano
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil, for brushing

      Topping

• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (6 ounces)
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 4 slices prosciutto (1 ounce), sliced into ribbons
• Crushed red pepper flakes, for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions

Special equipment: A pizza stone or baking sheet; a pizza peel, flat cutting board or cookie sheet; and a clean kitchen towel.

Preheat a pizza stone or clean baking sheet in an oven to 475 degrees F.

Add the cauliflower to a food processor and pulse until finely ground and the consistency of couscous; you should have about 4 cups.

Transfer the cauliflower to a large bowl. Add the Asiago, egg, Italian seasoning, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few turns of black pepper and combine until the mixture holds together when pinched. Pour onto a clean kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as you can.

Line a pizza peel, flat cutting board or cookie sheet with parchment and brush with some oil. Spread the cauliflower mixture into a 12-inch circle. Slide the parchment onto the preheated pizza stone and bake until barely golden and darker at the edges, about 15 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven, sprinkle with the mozzarella and spread the marinara over the top (this keeps the crust from becoming soggy and the cheese from sliding). Scatter the prosciutto across the top and sprinkle with a good pinch of crushed red pepper. Slide back onto the pizza stone and bake until bubbly with browned spots, about 4 minutes.

Sprinkle with the basil just before serving.

Watch how to make this recipe. 

{Food Network Kitchen}

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Fresh Homemade Bread

 {LIFE Archive}

Traditional White Bread

This recipe from my daughter’s Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook (1996 edition) is my favorite bread recipe. I have made a few variations.

6 to 7 cups all-purpose or bread flour
3 tablespoons sugar (I usually don't add the sugar)
1 tablespoons. Salt
2 packages regular or quick active dry yeast (I use 2 tablespoons yeast)
2 tablespoons shortening (I often don’t use shortening)
2 ¼ cups very warm water (120° to 130°)

Mix 3 ½ cups flour with yeast, sugar, and salt. Add shortening and hot water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. (I use my Kitchenaid with the bread hook [for kneading] and mix on speed 2, for 5 minutes.) Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl and turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place 40 to 60 minutes or until double. Dough is ready if indentions remain when toughed.

With shortening, grease bottoms and sides of 2 loaf pans, 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½ or 9 x 5 x 3 inches.

Punch down dough and divide in half. Flatten each half with hands or rolling pin into rectangle, 18 x 9 inches, on lightly floured surface. Roll dough up tightly, beginning at 9-inch side, to form loaf. Press with thumbs to seal after each turn. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal. Press each end with side of hand to seal. Fold ends under loaf. Place seam side down in pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place 35 to 40 minutes or until double.

Move oven rack to low position so that the tops of the pans will be in the center of the oven. Heat oven to 425°.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until loaves are deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove from pans to wire rack. Brush loaves with butter; cool.

Makes 2 loaves, 16 slices each. 90 calories per slice. (Loaves sliced into 10 slices – 144 calories per slice.)

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NOTE: To make my dinner rolls, I divide the dough into 24 pieces – shape into rolls and place in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake on center rack at 350° for 20 minutes. Cover lightly with aluminum foil to prevent tops from burning and bake 15 minutes more.

Cinnamon-Raison Bread: Stir in 1 cup raisins with the second addition of flour. Mix ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. After rolling dough into rectangles, sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon water and half of the sugar mixture.

Fresh Herb Bread: Stir in 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves just before the second addition of flour.

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 Happy Baking!

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