Cinnamon Rolls

This is my mom's super-moist cinnamon roll recipe. It is easy to double or triple the recipe if you are baking for a large group. As mentioned in the recipe, you can prepare these cinnamon rolls the night before and allow to rise in the refrigerator overnight; however, the best cinnamon rolls are the ones that are started at 5AM (those type aren't made often at our place...we enjoy sleeping in too much).


Ingredients:
1/4 C milk
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 C shortening
1 package instant dry yeast
1/4 C warm water
2 eggs (beaten)
2 1/4 C flour
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1/8 C cinnamon
1/8 C sugar
soft margarine
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1 tsp milk
1/4 C powdered sugar

Directions:
1. Combine milk, sugar, salt, and shortening in saucepan.
2. Heat until shortening melts. Cool to lukewarm.
3. Combine yeast and warm water in another bowl.
4. Add eggs to water mixture.
5. Mix both bowls together.
6. Add flour and mix until smooth.
7. Knead dough.
8. Cover dough and allow to rise 30 minutes.
9. Mix cinnamon and sugar.
10. Roll dough into an 8" square.
11. Spread soft margarine over entire surface of dough.
12. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar mixture on dough.
13. Roll dough "hot dog style" and pinch ends of dough.
14. Cut the dough in 6-10 slices (depending upon size and number desired).
15. Place the rolls in greased baking pan.
16. Allow to rise for 30 minutes (or overnight in refrigerator).
17. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.
18. Prepare icing by mixing milk and powdered sugar.
19. Pour icing over baked cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Serves 6-10.

Sweet Sausage Meatballs

We liked this non-traditional meatball recipe from the first taste. The spinach adds a nice flavor.


Ingredients:
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
15 oz. fresh or frozen spinach
1/2 C ricotta cheese
1/2 C onion (finely chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 tsp oregano
2 T olive oil
16 oz. tomato sauce
cooked pasta

Directions:
1. Mix sausage, spinach, ricotta cheese, onion, egg, and oregano.
2. Shape into 1" balls.
3. Using hot olive oil, brown meatballs in large skillet.
4. Drain well.
5. Add tomato sauce.
6. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve on pasta.

Serves 6.

Pigs in a Blanket

We enjoy making pigs in a blanket. Mitch prefers them with mustard on the side; I like them when they are cheese-filled. They warm up well as leftovers. This bread recipe also tastes good as yeast rolls.


Ingredients:
1 package instant dry yeast
1/3 C + 1 tsp sugar (divided)
2/3 C warm milk
1/3 C warm water
1 egg (beaten)
2 1/2 T shortening (melted)
1 tsp salt
3 2/3 C flour
10 hot dogs
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Mix yeast, 1 tsp sugar, warm milk, and warm water.
2. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
3. Add in egg, shortening, 1/3 C sugar, and salt.
4. Mix in flour.
5. Knead dough.
6. Cover dough and allow to rise for 10-15 minutes.
7. Divide dough into 10 equal portions.
8. Roll section of dough into rectangle (5"x2 1/2").
9. Wrap dough around hot dog (and cheese, if desired).
10. Repeat with each piece of dough.
11. Allow "pigs" to rise on greased cookie sheet for 30 minutes.
12. Bake at 350 F for 15-18 minutes (or until golden brown).

Banana Bread

This recipe makes two wonderful tasting loaves or a dozen muffins. The bread/muffins keep well for a couple of days following the original bake. It's our favorite banana bread recipe! Thanks, Christina!


Ingredients:
1/2 C margarine
1 C sugar
2 eggs
3 tsp yogurt
3 bananas (mashed)
1 C flour
1 C oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 C chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
1. Stir together margarine, sugar, eggs, yogurt, and bananas.
2. Mix in dry ingredients.
3. Bake at 350 F for 40 minutes (25 minutes for muffins).

The Basics of Bread Making

Bread making is a science. There are variables, such as temperature and humidity, that are out of our control. This means that we have to know our dough (and know what it likes) in order to have good bread.

I am by no means a professional baker, but I enjoy eating bread so much that I also enjoy experimenting with it. I'd like to share a few basics that I have learned about baking bread:

Yeast:
I have always used Fleischmann's Instant Dry Yeast (as opposed to active dry yeast, which requires proofing and takes about twice as long to rise). Some people say that when using instant yeast, warm water is not required to activate the yeast; however, I always use warm (100-115 F) water. Upon adding water, I mix the yeast and water vigorously until a bit frothy.
2 1/4 tsp = 1 package

Flour:
I normally use unbleached white flour as the main ingredient in my breads. I enjoy adding in a bit of wheat or rye flour for flavor. Many people say that using only bread flour is best. Some breads I have made use rice flour as their main component (these breads are very soft). I stick to my unbleached white flour, because that is what I like best.

Also very important to remember is that when you add flour to your dough, you should be watching the dough closer than you are watching the recipe. So many factors determine the amount of flour that your dough will need on the particular day that you are making it. Using the dough as your guide to how much flour to add is especially important while kneading the dough.

Rising:
After mixing and kneading the dough, only two steps remain: rising and baking. When using instant dry yeast, the dough is to "rest" 10 minutes after kneading. Then, it is to be formed into loaf, covered, and allowed rise until doubled (30-60 minutes). If making the dough into forms (rolls, doughnuts) other than a loaf, knead the dough, allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes as a whole, mold the dough into the desired shapes, and then allow to rise an additional 30 minutes. The dough should always rise in a warm, draft-free place. I find that on top of a preheating oven is a perfect place for it to rise. "Scoring" or slicing 1/4" deep slits into the bread prior to cooking allows the bread to rise further while cooking.

Baking:
Using a stone, covered in corn meal, is best for baking breads. Baking sheets also work fine. I have recently learned that bakery ovens have steamers inside them that continually spray the bread, giving it the hard crust and sealing in the moistness. I am told that these steamers can be simulated in a home oven by removing the bread from the oven and spraying it with water every 10 minutes while baking. I am still perfecting this technique.

Baked Doughnuts

These doughnuts (and doughnut holes) are amazing! They taste the best right out of the oven, so make them at a time when you will have lots of people to eat them up. Be sure to cut the middle holes large enough, or else you will have giant doughnut rolls.


Ingredients:
1 1/3 C warm milk (divided)
1 package instant dry yeast
2 Tbsp butter
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour
A pinch or two of nutmeg
1 tsp salt
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1/2 C unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 C sugar

Directions:
1. Combine 1/3 C warm milk and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Stir in butter, sugar, and remaining warm milk (1 C).
3. Stir in eggs, nutmeg, and salt.
4. Add in flour.
5. Knead dough, shape it into a ball, and cover.
6. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size (30-60 minutes).
7. Roll dough 1/2" thick onto floured counter top.
8. Use a cookie cutter to stamp out 2-3" circles.
9. Transfer circles to greased baking sheet.
10. Stamp out inner circles using a smaller cookie cutter.
11. Cover and let rise another 45 minutes.
12. Bake at 375 F 8-10 minutes (until bottoms are golden).
13. Melt butter.
14. Combine cinnamon and sugar in separate bowl.
15. Remove doughnuts from oven. Let cool 1-2 minutes.
16. Dip each doughnut in butter and toss in cinnamon sugar.
17. Eat immediately.

Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen delicious doughnuts + doughnut holes.

White Chicken Chili

This meal is really easy to make for a large group of people. We normally error on the side of having way too much, because we love to eat white chicken chili as leftovers. It warms up great for days following the initial creation! Thanks, Sarah!


Ingredients:
2-3 chicken breasts, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 onion, diced
1 tall jar (16 oz) salsa
1 small bag (16 oz) frozen corn
1-2 cans (15.5 oz each) great northern beans
1 bag (12 oz) shredded colby-jack cheese
1 package McCormick's White Chicken Chili Seasoning

Directions:
1. Place sliced chicken and onion in large, heated pot.
2. Saute until chicken is browned.
3. Add in all other ingredients. Mix well.
4. Bring chili to a boil.
5. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until chili is desired thickness.
6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 5-6.