Sunday, January 16, 2011

heavy rolls

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
2 1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 cups warm water
4 eggs
4 Tbsp yeast
13 cups flour


Mix water and yeast in large bowl. {This recipe fits in my larger KitchenAid bowl}... Add sugar to feed yeast. Melt butter. Add butter, salt, & eggs to yeast mixture. Add flour 3 cups at a time, mixing after each addition until blended. Turn into a greased extra large bowl. Grease the top and lightly cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place and let rise until doubled. Punch down and simply squeeze off blobs of dough, remembering that they're going to rise again. Place on a silpat-lined, or lightly greased cookie sheet. Let rise until doubled. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately brush melted butter on rolls while they're still hot. Cool on wire rack. Store in a cool dry place.


One of our favorite things to do with these rolls is to make Chicken Malibu Sandwiches...
simply cut the roll in half. Place a chicken patty or breaded chicken, a couple thin slices of ham, and a slice of swiss cheese on the roll. You can add any condiments you choose. These sandwiches make a great lunch or dinner

cinnamon pretzels

•1 (16 oz) bag twist pretzels
•⅔ cup canola oil
•½ cup sugar
•2 tsp cinnamon
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees. ace preztels in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir together canola oil, cinnamon and sugar.
2.Pour over pretzels and stir to coat. Place pretzels on a baking sheet.
3.Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Return to oven for 10 more minutes and stir again.
4.Place in oven one more time for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Store in a sealed container.

Baked Manicotti

Tomato Sauce

•1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (in juice)
•1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
•1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•2 teaspoons dried basil
Cheese Filling and Pasta

•3 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
•4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
•8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
•2 large eggs , lightly beaten
•3/4 teaspoon table salt
•1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
•2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
•2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
•10 large square wraps (like for egg rolls. You should be able to find in the refrigerated portion of the produce section of you local grocery store)

1.Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees.

2.Heat oil, garlic, and pepper flakes (if using) in large saucepan over medium heat until fragrant but not brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, basil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes.

3.In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and herbs; set aside.

4.Spread bottom of baking dish evenly with 1 1/2 cups sauce. Using spoon, spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto bottom three-quarters of each wrap, leaving top quarter of wrap exposed. Roll into tube shape and arrange in baking dish seam side down. (You should be able to fit 8 manicotti in one row and 2 along the edge). Top evenly with remaining sauce, making certain that pasta is completely covered.

5.Cover manicotti with aluminum foil. Bake until bubbling, about 40 minutes, then remove foil. Sprinkle manicotti evenly with remaining 1 cup Parmesan. Bake until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 6-7 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 10

[Tip from My Kitchen Cafe recipe - I haven't tried this yet but I would think it would work. I will try it next time I make it. The manicotti can be prepared right up until the baking step then covered with a sheet of parchment paper, wrapped in aluminum foil, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. (If frozen, thaw the manicotti in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.) To bake, remove the parchment, replace the aluminum foil, and increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours.]

freezer biscuits

Perfect Freezer Biscuits

•4 cups flour
•2 Tbsp baking powder
•1 1/2 tsp salt
•1 tsp sugar
•1/2 tsp soda
•1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
•1 (16 oz) container or 2 cups reduced fat sour cream
•3-5 tsp water, if needed
•4 Tbsp melted butter (need when baking the entire batch of biscuits)
1.In a food processor, add all of the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to get the ingredients mixed together.
2.Add butter to the food processor and pulse until butter is cut into pea sized pieces. This will take a few minutes.
3.Next, add the sour cream and and pulse until a soft dough is formed. If the dough is too dry you can add some water. (I didn’t need any water)
4.Remove dough from the food processor and knead a couple of times on a lightly floured surface.
5.Roll out to 1 inch in thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut out into round biscuit shapes or cut into squares using a pizza cutter.
6.If freezing, place biscuits on a cookie sheet for about 1-2 hours, until solid. After they are frozen, place in a freezer bag to store. Use as needed.
7.To bake biscuits whether fresh or frozen: Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes or until top is golden. Halfway through the baking process, brush the tops of the biscuits again with melted butter. Makes 16-20 biscuits.

cinnamon banana bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup all purpose, unbleached flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tbsp vinegar OR 1/2 cup buttermilk OR buttermilk powder & water (according to instructions on the box)
1 tsp cinnamon

Cinnamon sugar topping (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Spray your loaf pans (I use Baker’s Joy) or line your muffin tins with liners.
Mash bananas (I just use the back of a large spoon).
Sift all dry ingredients together (if you’re using buttermilk powder like I do, add the powder to the dry ingredients) and mix together.
Cream butter and sugar (with a spatula or using a hand mixer). Be sure the butter is room temperature so it’s easier to cream.
Add all wet ingredients except buttermilk to the creamed butter and sugar mixture.
This time mixing with a spatula or large wooden spoon, mix easily together half of the dry ingredients then half of the buttermilk (or water if you’re using buttermilk powder). Repeat and do not over mix your batter.
Pour batter into loaf pan and/or muffin tins.
Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture over the top of loaves or muffins before putting into the oven.
Loaves will take around 45-50 minutes and the muffins around 18-25 minutes.
Tips:
Buttermilk is very expensive (and I never use the whole container when I buy) so I buy buttermilk powder. I always mix the powder with the dry ingredients and add the water (amount according to container). Store the container in the refrigerator after opening.

baked oatmeal

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Optional Toppings:

Brown Sugar
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Chopped almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 by 8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until combined. Gently stir in diced apples. Pour oatmeal mixture into prepared pan.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until oatmeal is golden brown and set. Remove from oven and serve warm. Add additional toppings to baked oatmeal, if desired.

Serves 4-6

soft pretzel bites

Soft Pretzels:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

For the Pretzels: Combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring the water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.

Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce, recipe below.

Cheddar cheese sauce:
½ Tablespoon unsalted butter
½ Tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup milk
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

For the cheese sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

*If you want to make cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites-instead of adding salt, sprinkle the bites with cinnamon and sugar. For the frosting mix-soft cream cheese-about 3 T, powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and a little bit of milk. Whisk together. Add more milk if it is too thick, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar. I don’t measure. I just guess until the consistency is right.*