Soft Pretzels/Pizza Crust

noticing a trend here? I love to cook breads and desserts (no meat to deal with!). This is a favorite of mine I serve the pretzels with hot mustard. They work for dinner rolls too.

Dissolve:
1 package of yeast with 1 cup of (warm-ish) water

Mix in:
2 T. margarine or butter
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. flour

Mix until smooth (by hand or in a kitchenaid)

Add about another cup of flour (add flour just until the dough is smooth and blistered and doesn't stick to your hands too much).

Put in a greased bowl and let rise for an hour.

Divide dough into about six parts.

Shape in to pretzels and let rise another 1/2 hour.

Dip pretzel into 2 cups of hot (boiling) water and 3 T baking soda. (use a slotted spoon or turner)

Put on greased baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 mins (until golden brown)


FOR PIZZA - make the dough. poke holes in the dough before letting it rise for 1/2 hour. Spread into cookie sheet or pizza stone. Bake for 5 mins. Then top with desired toppings and bake until the cheese is melted.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosting to go with Maui's Cupcakes:
Ingredients:
1 bar cream cheese
1 stick butter melted
1 box of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix thoroughly and enjoy with your fave cupcakes, especially goes good with Red Velvet Cupcakes or Carrot Cake...hmmmm.

Cinnamon Rolls

very large recipe. Another tried an true favorite from my home-ec days.

Good thing I'm copying this to online, I'm not sure how much longer the paper version will last:

--DOUGH--
3/4 c. shortening
1 c. milk
3/4 c. sugar
2 t. salt
2 packages yeast (about 2 T)
2 eggs
7 1/2 c. flour

--FILLING--
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 T. cinnamon

--FROSTING--
4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. butter
~ 2 c. powdered sugar (maybe more)
1/2 t. vanilla
2 t. milk
(beat all ingredients on med. until smooth)

Preheat to 350

directions - (Dough can be made with the dough hook in the kitchen aid)
combine 3/4 c. shortening, 1 c. milk, 3/4 c. sugar 2 t. salt in microwave bowl. Microwave 3 mins. or until melted.
Cool until lukewarm.
Combine yeast, 1/2 t. sugar, 1/2 c. warm water. Let stand (it should bubble).
Add 1 c. cold water to shortening mixture, then add 2 eggs (if it's not hot) then add the yeast.
Begin adding the flour add until dough can be handled (about 7 c.). Put on floured counter (or silicone mat)
Knead dough for about 3 mins.
let stand until it doubles in size.
Punch it down and let it raise again.

Roll it out (long rectangle) and generously spread with butter. Sprinkle with sugar mixture and roll it up.
cut it into 1 1/2 inch spirals. (tip - use a clean piece of thread. place it under the roll, and pull up to cross to "cut" the spirals).

Place all spirals in a casserole dish or in pie plates/other pans. Bake for 35-45 mins. Cool slightly and then frost. Makes about 18 large rolls.

apple pie filling

this is pretty simple, but it's written on the same card as my crust so I thought I would add it. It's the best with golden yellow/green apples right off the tree.

1 c. sugar
2 T. flour
1 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/8 t. salt
6-8 medium sized apples
2 T. butter

combine sugar, flour, salt, and spices. Mix in apples. Fill pastry, dot with butter and put the top crust on - make sure you cut out "vents" in the top crust.

Hawaiian Banana Bread

ahhhh, memories of Hawaii. The drive to Hana has many banana bread stands and I usually stop at at least two - for research purposes only...

Here is the closest recipe I have found for my favorite!

3 c. flour
3/4 t. salt
2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 1/4 c. chopped pecans (or macadamia nuts)
3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. mashed bananas
1 8oz can crushed pineapples (drained)
2 t. vanilla

preheat oven to 350

combine flour, salt, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon in large bowl. Mix in nuts. In mixer bowl combine remaining ingredients. Stir in dry ingredients until moistened. Spoon batter into 2 greased/floured loaf pans.

bake 1 hour 15 mins. Cool for 10 mins or so then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Simple banana bread

Sooooo easy. I use to make this with the kids I nanny'd for all the time. (It's even easier if you have a kitchen aid/mixer)

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
3 bananas
2 beaten eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3 T milk w/ a drop of vinegar (to make it "sour")

Preheat oven to 350
mix butter and sugar, mix in flour and baking soda - alternating it with the milk. Drop in the eggs. Mix in the bananas (mash them if you are not using a mixer).

Extras - stir in 1 c. chocolate chips or nuts, or coconut (or all, haha - my fav is 1 c. choc chips and 1/2 cup coconut)

makes 2 medium sized loafs

Bake for 1 hour. Toothpick inserted in center will not come out completely clean, but use your best judgement.

Red Velvet Cupcakes: Perfect for the kitchenaid!

This recipe can be found many places on the web (and I have a pretty good idea that it was taken from the famous Magnolia Bakery's Cookbook)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3 ⅓ cups cake flour (not self-rising) **
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring (wow it's a lot, buy at least one 2oz. bottle)
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

**Must be cake flour. You can substitute 1 3/4c. all purpose flour and 1/4c. corn starch for the same result
- Grease and lightly flour three 9 x 2-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with waxed paper (unless making cupcakes!)
- To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.
- In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter among the prepared pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 1 hour. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.
- When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting between the layers, then the ice top and sides of the cake with frosting.