French Bread

1 1/2c water

1 TBSP vegetable oil

2 TBSP powdered milk

4c flour

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tsp yeast

Put all ingredients into bread machine on French bread dough setting. Divide into two loaves. Flatten loaves into rectangle shape, then fold the lengthwise sides in until they meet in the middle. Karate chop the "seam" with the side of your hand until the middle is somewhat flat, then pull the edges in again and seal them together until you get the right shape. (Wow, that is really hard to explain. If anyone actually wants to make this and needs further instruction, leave a comment and I can put pics up.) Do the same with other loaf then cover with a damp towel and let rise for 30min. While rising preheat your oven and pan to 450deg. (I just use the back of my good cookie sheet.) Cut 4 slices at an angle across the top of your loaf, and then put your bread on the pan. (I grease it a little with oil.) Take 1/2c of water, and throw it in the bottom of the oven and close the door quickly. Bake for around 20min.

Chocolate Cake

This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe. (Minus German Chocolate cake, but that's something else entirely.) It's really good. I found it in one of my Mom's Martha Stewart catalogs, but it was so long ago I don't know which one.

1 1/2 c butter, room temp.
3/4 c cocoa
2 1/4 c sugar
1 TBSP vanilla
4 large eggs
3 c sifted cake flour (I just use normal flour, unsifted :) )
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk

Heat oven to 350deg. Grease 3 8" cake pans,and line bottoms with parchment.
1. Sift (again, I don't sift) cocoa into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup boiling water. Let cool.
2.In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter until light. Gradually beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. In separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt. (I just mix it in the measuring cup so I don't have to wash another bowl.)
4. Whisk milk into chocolate mixture. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the cocoa mixture a little at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add to pans and bake 35-40 min. Invert pans onto wire rack to cool.

Really good Bacon and Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

I found this recipe in my magazine that my mom got me for Christmas, and luckily it's up on their web-site right now. We made it for dinner tonight, and it was really, really good. It's pretty easy, and really tasty. (When you add your bacon, we just used the real bacon crumbles from Costco-lots easier and really good still.) It's also a good warm comfort food meal, for when the weather get a little colder. (As I hear it still does outside of Texas. This is when I miss Oregon...when it's supposed to be fall. :) )

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1918488

Fudge

I made some fudge a couple of weeks ago for FHE treats, and it was so good. It's one from Alton Brown, from the Food Network channel. So here's the link. Mmmm. Fudge.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chocolate-fudge-recipe/index.html

Mississippi Mud Brownies

My mom got this recipe from a friend a long time ago...it is especially delicious. (I'm planning on making one this week for the missionaries; I'll take a picture and put it up if I do.)

2 c sugar
1 cup butter
4 eggs
1 3/4 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1 c pecans (optional-I normally don't put them in.)
1 pkg mini marshmallows

Cream your butter and sugar until light in color. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together (I never do) flour, cocoa and salt, and add to your butter mixture, beating well to combine. Pour into a 9"x13" pan. Bake at 300 deg for 30 min. Remove pan and add marshmallows to the top. Return to the oven and bake an additional 10 min. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 min, then spread your "mud"* mixture.

*Mud-
1 1/2 sticks melted butter (So like 3/4 cup? I'm not sure why it uses diff. measurements in same recipe)
1/3 c cocoa
1 box sifted powdered sugar
1/2 c evaporated milk
1 c pecans (optional-again, I omit them.)

Sift (again, I never sift. I don't know, maybe I should, but it turns out okay.) powdered sugar and cocoa together. Sprinkle over melted butter. Add milk, vanilla, and nuts. Spread on brownies. Mmmmm.

Anita, this is the recipe I used for the brownies. They're really easy...I want some right now. :)

Cameo Cake

Cake:

1 1/2c butter
3/4c water
4 oz white chocolate, crushed (I just use chips)
1 1/2c buttermilk
4 lg eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 c flour (save 1/2c to flour pecans)
1 c chopped, toasted pecans

Bring to a boil butter and water in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally. Add white chocolate, and remove from heat. Stir until melted.
Stir together buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add 3 c flour, sugar, and baking soda, and mix until blended. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture. Toss pecans in remaining 1/2c flour. Gently fold into the rest of the cake mixture.
Pour into 3, 9" greased pans. Bake at 350 deg for 20-25min.

Frosting:

4 oz white chocolate
11 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c butter, softened
6 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate on low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Cool 10min.
Beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add white chocolate, beating constantly. Add powdered sugar, and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla.


This is the cake that I made for Royce's mom for mother's day. (Cameo Cake) Her favorite color is purple, so I made two different shades of purple roses to put on top, but by the time we got there the flowers had turned blue. It was really weird. :)

Dinner Rolls (And slightly healthier cinnamon rolls)

Rolls (Dough)

4 c flour
2 TBSP dry milk
2 1/4 active dry yeast (one packet)
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon/lime juice
2 TBSP oil
1 1/2 c warm water (80 deg, or just about a baby bottle temp :) )

Combine ingredients in bread machine, and set on dough program. Once the dough is done, cut into 12 even pieces, and form into roll shape on lightly floured surface. (Sometimes my dough is too moist, so I knead in extra flour.) Put in sprayed 9x13" pan, and let rise for 20min. Then bake at 350deg for 20-25min. (Since we've been at Brackenridge, I check them at around 18min, since the oven cooks so hot.)

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough recipe (see above)
2 TBSP butter, melted
2 TBSP olive oil (or whatever oil you use...I use olive.)
1/4 c brown sugar
2 to 1 sugar/cinnamon mixture

Roll dough into a rectangle shape on a lightly floured surface. (Again, if too moist, knead in more flour.) Mix your oil and butter, and spread completely over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar, and your cinnamon/sugar mixture. (As much as you like in your cinnamon rolls :) ) Roll into log shape. Slice into 12 pieces, and put in sprayed 9x13" pan. Let rise 20 min, then bake for 20-25 min at 350deg.

I also like frosting on my cinnamon rolls, so here's one that's not too bad.

4 oz neufchatel cheese, softened (the cream cheese with 1/3 less fat)
1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter in mixer on medium speed. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly add milk and vanilla, then spread on warm gooey cinnamon rolls :)

Copy Cat Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

3 c Heavy Cream
3/4 c Butter
3 TBSP cream cheese
1 1/2 c Parmesan*
2 tsp garlic powder

In saucepan, combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer until all is melted and mixed well. Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer for 15-20min on low. Season with salt and pepper.

*I've found that if you're adding cheese that you've just grated, this is a good amount, but if you're using the pre-grated cheese in the bottle, you might want to use a little less.

Potato and Green Onion Soup

I found a good recipe for a creamy potato soup, but I changed it up, and I like it better this way.

4-5 med/large potatoes
2 bunches green onions
1 TBSP chicken base, or 1 chicken bouillon cube
1 1/2 oz cream cheese
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
4 c milk (I used half skim half 2%, because that's that's what I had)
2 tsp garlic powder
salt/pepper as needed

Dice up green onions, saving 2/3 of green onion tops. Peal potatoes and boil with green onion until potatoes are tender. Drain and set aside.

In a medium size sauce pan, melt butter and cream cheese, mix in chicken base, then flour. Slowly add milk, then bring to a boil, stiring frequently. Then add the cream cheese and let it melt. (Thanks Michele!) Reduce heat and simmer until it thickens as thick as you like your soup :). Add the potatoes/onions, and cook a few more minutes. Garnish with green onion tops, and serve.

Caramel Popcorn...Mmm

1 cup Butter

2 cups Brown sugar

1/2 cup Corn syrup

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Popped Popcorn

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat. I also learned that you're going to want to grease you pan before you pour the caramel over the popcorn. The first time I made it I greased a 9x13 pan, and stirred it in there, but the next time I poured the caramel over the popcorn straight in the bowl, but it stuck to the bottom. So grease it. It will help :)

When I made it, boiling for 4min was a little too long, so it didn't pour very evenly. So I'd just watch it, and not let it get too thick. I'll do some research and try to get the exact degree it's supposed to be at. Also in this recipe, they baked the popcorn with the caramel, but I really liked it when it wasn't baked. And it was so so good. Mmm...I want some more :)

Yummy Asparagus

I know, it sounds like a contradiction. But Marissa has a really good recipe for asparagus, and it's easy. I don't know the exact measurements, but you can figure it out pretty easily.

Butter
1 Chicken Bouillon cube (I didn't have the cubes, but I have chicken paste, and it worked just as well)
Fresh asparagus

Melt your butter in a sauce pan, over medium heat. Add the bouillon cube, and mix until it's dissolved. Cut the asparagus into desired size, and cook in fry pan until tender and bright green. (I put a lid on the pan...I couldn't remember if I was supposed to or not.)

They also added a little soy sauce at the end, but I didn't have any, and it still tasted good without it.

Fondant Practice

Baking isn't a very good hobby when you're trying to lose weight.

Almond Roca (kind of :) )

1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 c butter
1 c sugar
3 TBSP water
1 TBSP light colored corn syrup
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c finely chopped pecans, toasted
(I didn't toast my nuts, and it turned out okay)

Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil. Sprinkle 1/2 c coarsely chopped nus in pan. Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Melt butter. Add sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip candy thermometer to pan. Reduce heat to medium, and continue boiling at a steady, moderate rate. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 290 deg. Pour candy into prepared pan. Let stand 5 min until firm. Sprinkle with chocolate. When chocolate has softened, spread. Sprinkle with 1/2 c finely chopped nuts. Chill until firm. Lift out of pan with foil, and break into pieces.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

These are some of my mom's cookies, that I love. Normally if a cookie doesn't have chocolate in it, I don't have a problem with eating too many, but there's just something about these cookies. Mmmm.

3/4c butter, softened
1c brown sugar
1 egg
1/4c molasses
2 1/4c sifted flour (I never sift it though :) )
2tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Mix butter and sugar in blender until light in color. Add egg and molasses, blending well after each addition. Sift together flour, soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and blend into butter mixture. Chill dough in the fridge. Roll into balls the size of large walnuts. Dip tops in sugar. (I like the big sugar crystals...they're made by Wilton. Sometimes I have to double check the label because it looks like glitter :) ) Place sugared side up on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10min at 350deg. Bake just until set, but not hard.

Almond Roca, chocolate dipped peanut butter balls, and molasses crinkle cookies coming soon....

(Here are some gingerbread cookies...they're really not that tasty, but are fun to make...if you want the recipe I can put it up, but they're not that special :) )

Crunch Time!

This year for Thanksgiving I'm in charge of rolls, and pies, so I thought I'd get some recipes up there, in case any of you want to try one out for Thanksgiving. As soon as I get them made, I'll put up some pictures. We're having pumpkin, chocolate, peanut butter, apple, and cherry. (The pumpkin was one of the first posts that I did so you can look in October if you want the recipe; for the cherry, I'm making a crust, opening a can of cherry pie filling, pouring it in, and baking it in the oven. :) )
(Here's the cherry, and pumpkin pie...a little overdone, but hopefully it tastes okay.)

Aunt Gabbie's Peanut Butter Pie

Aunt Gabbie's Apple Pie

This is another one of Royce's favorites...Gabbie always finds us the best recipes :) It didn't look at all like I was planning, because my crust was giving me troubles, but I think it will taste really good, because I think I put a little too much shortening in the crust :)

6-7 cups apple—sliced thin w/lemon to keep white (I use Jonagold, Gabby uses Granny Smith & maybe a mix)

1 c sugar (if jonagold’s are sweet, reduce sugar)

½ c flour

1-2 T corn starch

½ t cinnamon

¼ t nutmet

Peel, core, slice apples thinly—put 1T? lemon juice over them to keep them white while in bowl

Mix all dry ingredients together

• 2 choices

  1. Gabby usually layers apples in thin layer, then sprinkles part of dry over them and repeats like a lasagna---trouble is, you have to come out evenly with apples and dry mix

  2. I poured the dry over the apples and stirred it in & poured it in the pie shell. Worked out fine. Gabby does this also

Dot top of apples with butter and top layer of crust

Bake @ 425 for 40-50 minutes

Gabby puts the crust covers you girls gave her over the edges so they don’t get too done

If you want, you can brush the crust with milk or ½ & ½ & sprinkle sugar on it

(My mom sent me the e-mail with Gabbie's recipe :) )

Chocolate Pie

This is my mom's really good chocolate pie that we always have for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

2 squares chocolate

2 cups milk

5 T flour

¾ cup sugar

Pinch salt

2 eggs

1 T butter

1 tsp vanilla

Baked pastry shell

• Melt cocolate,

• add milk gradually stirring constantly until smooth

• heat in double boiler (I just stir it all the time)

• Mix flour, sugar, 7 salt and add to mik

• Stir until thickened and then cook for 15 minutes

• Add butter, cool slightly 7 add vanilla

• Pour into baked crust

• Serve cold with whipped cream