Lemon Meltaways

Make dough - form into cylinders & chill for a several hours:

In a mixing bowl, cream together:

3/4 cup softened butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice

the zest of 2 lemons

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with batter:

1-3/4 cups flour PLUS 2 extra Tblsp.

2 Tblsp. corn starch

1/4 tsp. coarse salt

After cylinders of dough have been chilled, heat oven to 350°.

Line several baking pans with parchment, slice dough into 1/4" slices and place on sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie. This dough does not spread.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges begin to look golden.

Remove from oven, cool slightly, toss cookies GENTLY in powdered sugar to coat. Cool completely, dust with additional powdered sugar.

Cappuccino bites

Preheat oven to 350° - in a mixing bowl, combine & mix well:

1 cup soft butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3 tsps. instant coffee dissolved in 1 tsp. HOT water

Combine dry ingredients, then slowly add to batter - mix thoroughly:

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

2-1/4 cups flour

Stir in 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips.

Divide the dough into 4 sections. On 2 parchment lined baking sheets, shape (4) cylinders, then pat them into long, thin rectangles (about 1/4" high - 2" wide X 10" long), leaving a couple inches of space between the rectangles.

Bake for approx. 14-16 minutes until slightly firm. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Cut rectangles into slices, around 1/2". Cool completely.

Melt 1 to 1-1/2 cups white chocolate and drizzle over cooled bars. Put in a cool place (or in the fridge for 10 minutes) to allow chocolate to set.

Raspberry bars

Heat oven to 375° - grease a 9x13" pan

For crust & topping:

In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients and mix together until crumbly:

3/4 cup melted butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar (light brown will work)

1-1/4 cups flour

1-1/4 cups rolled oats

1/4 teasp. baking soda

1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Reserve approx. 1-1/2 cups of crumbs for the topping... set aside for later.

Press the remaining crumbs onto the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool 5 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 350°.

Spread 1-1/2 to 2 cups of raspberry preserves (Trader Joe's brand is delicious, but I also use Solo filling) over the top of the par-baked crust CAREFULLY... dropping by teasps. all over and then gently spreading it evenly.

Sprinkle the remaining crumbs over the top of the fruit filling and gently press down a bit.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is light golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into bars.

Other flavors can be substituted for raspberry - apricot is delicious too!!

Fore a more enhanced flavor, toast the walnuts beforehand (350° for 10 minutes, then cool before chopping).

Toffee caramel bars

Heat oven to 350°

Place 2 cups of sliced almonds on a pan & bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and cool while making the bars.

Grease a 9x13" baking pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine & mix well:

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1 egg yolk

1-1/2 c. flour

Press into the bottom of the prepared pan & bake for 20 minutes or until it's lightly golden. Put on a wire rack.

While the crust is baking, in a heavy sauce pan, combine:

2 Tblsp. butter

1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Over medium heat, stir the mixture continuously until it begins to get bubbly. Cook & continue stirring for 5 minutes. It'll seem to get thin, but after a few minutes will thicken. After 5 minutes of stirring, remove from heat. By this time, the crust should be finished baking.

Spread the filling evenly over the baked crust - return to the oven and bake for additional 12-14 minutes, until the top becomes golden/light brown.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle top with 2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Return to the oven and bake for one more minute - remove and spread the melted chocolate evenly over the top. Immediately, sprinkle the chocolate with the toasted almonds.

Cool completely - cut into small bars.

Buttery pecan crisps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cream together:

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1 cup chopped, toasted pecans (before making cookies, bake pecan halves for 8-10 min. @350... cool & chop up)

Form cookies in 3/4" balls, place on ungreased sheets, leaving a little bit of space (but these cookies don't spread out). Flatten them slightly. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden. While still warm, put a cup of powdered sugar in a bowl & gently toss warm cookies in the powdered sugar. Cool.

Chocolate crinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, cream together:

1 stick soft butter

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa

1-1/4 sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine: 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder & 1-2/3 C. flour and add to creamed mixture.

Put 1 cup powdered sugar into a bowl.

Roll dough into 3/4" balls & roll the balls into powdered sugar. Place them on parchment lined baking sheets (or lightly greased sheets).

Bake for 10-12 minutes @350 degrees.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Line a cupcake pan with papers (12-16). Heat oven to 325°.

For crust:

In a small mixing bowl, combine

3 cups crushed gingersnap cookies

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. melted butter

Mix well and pat 1 Tblsp. crumbs onto the bottom of each muffin paper.

Filling:

In a mixing bowl, combine:

3 8oz. packs of softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 lg. eggs

1-1/2 cups pumpkin, cooked & pureed

1 teasp. vanilla

1-1/2 teasp. cinnamon

1-1/2 teasp. ground ginger

1/4 teasp. ground cloves

1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream

2 tblsp. flour

Mix on low speed until thoroughly mixed; do not over beat!

Spoon a few tblsp. of batter over each crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes - test (shake pan- make sure the filling doesn't jiggle). Remove from oven and cool completely.

For topping:

Mix 1 cup of sour cream with a few tblsp. white sugar & 1/2 teasp. vanilla extract. Spoon a teasp. of sour cream mixture on top of each cheesecake. Sprinkle a shake of cinnamon-sugar over each. Chill.

You can also make this into a 8-10" cheesecake by using a springform pan. Follow the above recipe, putting the crumbs onto the bottom of the pan, using all the batter - and then baking it longer (test after 55-60 minutes).

Potato Leek Soup

This is a 'just threw it together' recipe - I didn't measure accurately, so I'll share as-is:

Peel & dice (small cubes) 8-10 med. brown/russett potatoes. Boil approx. 15 minutes until cooked (without becoming too soft). Drain & set aside.

In a 1 gallon stock pot, melt 1/2 stick (4 T) butter and over medium low heat, saute until wilted but not browned:

2 chopped leeks (rinsed & cleaned well)

1 small chopped onion

3 lg. stalks chopped celery

Add 2 quarts of chicken stock (or same amt. of water plus an ample amt. of chicken 'base'- that paste in a jar... I buy it at GFS) to the onions and stir. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes (low simmer) and then add the potatoes. Season with salt & pepper. If you like a thicker soup, make a paste using cornstarch or flour added to cold water (3 tblsp. dry to a few tblsp. water), add to the soup, stirring until thicker. Otherwise, leave the soup in its more pure form.

To the potato soup, add 1 to 1-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream. Stir to incorporate and heat on low for another 10 minutes making sure it's not cooking on a high heat or it'll scorch.

Top with ground black pepper, cooked, crumbled bacon or shredded cheese, if desired.

Pretzel Popcorn Cookies

Perfect for Fall - recipe is in today's food section of the Chicago Tribune:

Pretzel popcorn cookies

Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 12 minutes Makes: 38 cookies

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature ... 1/2 cup sugar ... 3/4 cup dark brown sugar ...1 teaspoon baking soda ... 1/2 teaspoon salt .... 1 teaspoon vanilla ... 2 eggs ....2 1/2 cups flour ....1 cup pretzels, crushed coarsely 1 to 1-1/2 cups popped popcorn (lightly crushed) ..... 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips .... 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped, if desired.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together with a mixer in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add baking soda and salt; mix well. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. Mix in flour. Stir in pretzels, popcorn, chips and nuts; mix until combined.

2. Scoop batter into 38 flat discs; place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden brown. Do not over bake. Transfer to rack to cool. Can be frozen.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 143 calories, 7 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 24 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 161 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

Dried cherry walnut biscotti

This recipe is adapted (& tweaked) from the May issue of Bon Appetit magazine:

Ingredients

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. lemon zest
• 1 vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract
• 1 cup dried cherries (I use Montmorency dried cherries, avail. @Trader Joe's)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or shelled, chopped pistachios

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; beat on low speed until combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Fold in cherries and nuts.
  
  
• Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; divide in 4 sections. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into a 8-10"-long log. Brush off excess flour; transfer logs to prepared sheet, spaced 5" apart. Flatten each log into a 2"-wide strip (these will spread/flatten out so don't flatten them TOO much). Have oven racks set (top 1/3 and bottom 1/3) and place one baking pan on each rack. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until lightly golden and set, about 20-25 minutes. Transfer to a rack; let cool for 15 minutes.
  
  
• Line 2 more baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer biscotti to a work surface. Using a sharp knife, cut each strip diagonally into 1/2 - 2/3"-thick slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on baking sheets.
• Bake biscotti, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until crisp, about 12-15 minutes (or longer, depending on how dark you like them). Transfer baking sheets to racks; let cool. Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lasagne 'cupcakes'

Daina showed me a recipe for lasagne cupcakes, so I altered it a bit and made my own version. To make them, you'll need 1-2 dozen wonton (or gyoza) wrappers, ricotta filling, parmesan & shredded mozzarella cheese and your favorite pasta sauce.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees (a little lower if you're using dark-nonstick cupcake pans) & spray cupcake pans with nonstick spray. Trim the wrappers (cut to make them round) to fit into the cupcake pan, making sure the wrapper comes up to the top (and then some) & pat down firmly on the bottom & sides of each section.

Spoon a heaping teasp. of sauce onto the bottom of each wrapper. Place a heaping tblsp. or two of ricotta filling (one lb. ricotta, a beaten egg, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese) onto the sauce. Spoon a little more sauce on top of the ricotta filling, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and top liberally with shredded mozzarella. Bake these little lasagna bites for 20-30 minutes, until the tops are golden. They're quick & easy to make and are tasty & fun appetizers!!

Scones

I took advantage of the Farmer's Market down the street from us & bought fresh raspberries & blueberries this morning. After adding them to my scones, I decided to make another batch with chocolate chips for good measure. ;-) Recipe is on a post below.

Heat wave

Once it cools off, I'll be posting a LOT MORE!! :-D

White cupcakes w/vanilla bean buttercream frosting

Scones

The trick in making good scones is to NOT overmix the dough.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl:

3 cups flour

6 Tblsp. white sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

4-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Cut in: 1/2 cup (1 stick) of chopped up, icy-cold butter using a pastry blender, until the flour mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add any 'extras' (toasted nuts, raisins, grated orange peel, miniature chocolate chips, berries...) to the flour mixture. (I made one recipe using 1 c. mini semisweet chips and another recipe using a pint of blueberries that I tossed with a Tblsp. sugar)

Combine all the 'wet' ingredients together in another smaller bowl:

1-1/4 C. heavy cream (whipping cream, not half & half)

1 beaten large egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Pour the cream mixture over the dry mixture and QUICKLY & GENTLY toss together several times until the dough is moistened evenly & just comes together. It will NOT look well-mixed. Don't be tempted to mix it with a wooden spoon or the scones will come out like hockey pucks! Gather the dough together, packing it gently - put it on a lightly floured surface.

With your hands, divide the dough in half. Pat each dough half into a circle (approx. 6-8" across and a good 1/2" or more high). With a floured knife, cut each disc into 8 equal pcs. Transfer the triangles onto a greased baking sheet leaving space between each scone.

Pour a few Tblsp. of heavy cream into a cup and lightly brush the top of each scone with cream. Sprinkle each with sugar.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tops begin to look golden.

Remove to wire racks to cool.

Spinach & mushroom frittata

In a frying pan, put a Tblsp. olive oil and a tsp. butter & heat until VERY hot. Add 1/2# sliced mushrooms and 1/2 cup sliced onions - stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, a pinch of thyme & a dash of cayenne & a tsp. of worcestershire sauce - continue until the mushrooms & onions are nearly cooked. Toss a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach on top of the mushrooms, cover and cook a few minutes until spinach wilts.

Crack a dozen eggs in a bowl, add 4 Tblsp. water & season with S&P, pinch of cayenne & any blend herbs/spices you like. With a wire whisk, beat eggs thoroughly.

Heat a nonstick 10" pan that's been sprayed with nonstick spray. Pour in the eggs and as they're cooking, 'lift' the sides of the cooked eggs, allowing the uncooked eggs to slide underneath. Carefully continue this, making sure the eggs don't get TOO scrambled up.

When eggs are fairly cooked, spoon the mushroom mixture evenly over the top of the eggs. Place under the broiler (not TOO close to the heat) and continue cooking until the top is set, checking often to make sure it doesn't overcook. Remove from heat. Top with shaved swiss or gruyere cheese (as much as you like!) and return to broiler until the cheese melts.

Slide frittata onto a plate - wait a minute or 2 and then slice into wedges.

Bacon cauliflower frittata

Have ready: 3-4 cups cooked, chopped cauliflower.

Saute 8 slices of chopped bacon - half way thru cooking time, add 1/2 cup diced onion and continue cooking until onion is soft & bacon is done. Drain and pat grease. Set aside.

Crack a dozen eggs in a bowl, add 4 Tblsp. water & season with S&P, pinch of cayenne & any blend herbs/spices you like. With a wire whisk, beat eggs thoroughly. Stir in a tblsp. chopped parsley.

Heat a nonstick 10" pan that's been sprayed with nonstick spray. Pour in the eggs and as they're cooking, 'lift' the sides of the cooked eggs, allowing the uncooked eggs to slide underneath. Carefully continue this, making sure the eggs don't get TOO scrambled up.

When eggs are fairly cooked, spoon the cauliflower mixture evenly over the top of the eggs. Place under the broiler (not TOO close to the heat) and continue cooking until the top is set, checking often to make sure it doesn't overcook. Remove from heat. Top with shaved colby-jack, cheddar or whatever kind of cheese you like (and as much as you like!) and return to broiler until the cheese melts.

Slide frittata onto a plate - wait a minute or 2 and then slice into wedges.

PB cup-cheesecakes

These are individual cheesecakes, baked in cupcake papers, with a crust, a Reese's cup on top of the crust, then covered with cheesecake batter. After they're baked & cooled, a spoonful of chocolate ganache puts the proverbial icing on the cake!! Recipe will be posted soon! :)

Bolognese sauce

In a large saucepan, heat 4 Tblsp. olive oil, add:

4 tblsp. chopped bacon (pre-cooked)

1 cup grated celery

1 cup grated onion

1/2 cup grated carrots

6 cloves smashed, minced garlic

Saute over med. heat until fragrant and vegetables are cooked & translucent.

Add 1# ground round & 1/2# ground veal or pork (or combination)

Continue cooking, breaking up meat as it browns, stirring often.

Once meat is cooked, add a large can (16 oz) of crushed tomatoes and a large can (16 oz.) of plum tomatoes (with juice), breaking up tomatoes .. and a small can (6 oz) of tomato paste. ( If desired, add a half cup of wine - I leave it out.)

Season with a couple tsps. of basil (fresh or dried), salt & pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp. oregano, couple tsps. of chopped parsley, a few shakes of cayenne.... Cover and simmer on med-low heat for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check for seasonings - stir in 1/2 cup cream (heavy cream or half and half) to sauce. Add some sauce to cooked pasta, tossing to cover - add more after plated. Serve with or without shaved parmesan cheese.

Chicken curry

Heat a wok or large pan with 4 Tblsp. vegetable oil. Coarsely chop an onion & 4 cloves of garlic and saute over med-low heat, stirring often, until softened.

In a small bowl, make a spice paste using:

2 Tblsp. water

1 teasp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. curry powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Add spice paste to the onion mixture and stir to incorporate thoroughly.

Add 1-1/2# boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1" pcs.) - raise heat a bit and stirfry, turning occasionally, until sides are beginning to cook. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook 15 minutes.

While chicken is cooking, chop a green bell pepper into 1/2" squares. Also, chop 2 tomatoes (if fresh aren't available, canned ones will do).

Add pepper and tomatoes to cooked chicken, stir well. Stir in a teasp. or sriracha or any type of hot red chile paste (if you don't have that, use 1/4-1/2 teasp. of crushed red pepper or cayenne). Taste for seasoning and add more S&P if needed.

Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Chop a handful of fresh cilantro or parsley and stir into chicken before serving.

This is great served over cooked basmati rice (or regular rice or cooked couscous).

Cakies!!

Many call these Whoopie Pies but that name doesn't work here, so: cake + cookies = CAKIES !!

This recipe makes 16-18 cakies. You could probably make them 1/2 the size, but you'll need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 large baking sheets.

1.) In a small mixing bowl, combine:

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

SET ASIDE.

2.) In another mixing bowl, combine:

2 cups flour

1/2 unsweetened cocoa powder

1-1/4 tsp. baking soda

SET ASIDE.

3.) In a large mixing bowl, combine:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

On medium speed of a mixer, mix for 3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down sides frequently.

Beat in: 1 large egg

Mix for another minute, scraping sides of bowl.

Alternately add the reserved buttermilk mixture (1.) & reserved flour mixture (2.) to the creamed butter mixture (3.), incorporating them until all 3 are thoroughly combined. Batter is thick!

Drop HEAPING Tblsp. of batter (gently release into little rounded mounds) onto prepared sheets - 8 to 9 per sheet, leaving space between each.

Bake both sheets at the same time (racks in oven should be spaced apart to allow for circulation) - Bake for EIGHT MINUTES - then quickly open the oven and switch positions of the sheets- close oven door and bake for another 4-5 minutes. Test cakies - they'll spring back when gently touched on the tops. Remove from oven and immediately transfer to wire racks. Cool completely. Take half the cookies, invert them and place a generous dollop of frosting into the center (heaping Tblsp.) - cover with another cookie to sandwich the 2 together.

FROSTING:

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for 3 minutes on medium speed:

1/2 cup softened butter

1-1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 C. marshmallow 'Fluff'

Chocolate (Coke) Cake

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4# butter, 1 cup Coke, 3 Tblsp. cocoa that's been mixed with 1 Tblsp. vegetable oil (mix it into a paste). Bring to a slow boil - add 1 cup miniature marshmallows and remove from heat. Stir occasionally until marshmallows are melted. Set aside until mixture is completely cool.

Mix dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside:

2-1/3 cups flour

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 tsp. baking powder

Make cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9" cake pan.

In a large mixing bowl, beat until fluffy (with whisk or electric mixer):

1/2 cup soft butter (or use 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

Beat in:

2 eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

Add half the dry (flour/cocoa, etc.) mixture and stir well -

Add the cooled cola mixture.

Add the remaining half of the dry mixture (flour/cocoa, etc.)

Stir mixture thoroughly & slowly for 3-4 minutes.

Spoon into the prepared pan & bake for 40-50 minutes until center is done. Test with toothpick. When done, cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. Spread frosting over warm cake. Cool completely before serving. I usually refrigerate the cake, but it's not necessary.

FROSTING:

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly:

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup Coke

1 teasp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup Hershey's chocolate syrup

3 cups powdered sugar

Tuna noodle casserole

Here's a real retro dinner for Lent:

St. Pat's Day spritz

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine and mix well:

3 sticks (1-1/2 cup) soft butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3-1/2 cups flour

After thoroughly mixed, fill a cookie press or cookie gun (I have a Pampered Chef cookie gun thatI love!) and press cookies out onto ungreased baking pans. If you want, you can shake colored sugar or sprinkles on the cookies before baking, otherwise cool completely before frosting/decorating.

Bake for 11-12 minutes (until the edges are golden) at 375 degrees. Remove and cool completely.

For browned butter frosting:

In a 2 qt. saucepan, melt 5 Tblsp. butter over med-low heat - continue heating until butter melts - then raise heat a bit & continue watching until butter begins to froth and turn golden brown... it takes a couple minutes - but watch it carefully because it can go from golden brown to burned in no time flat!

Remove from heat and immediately add 3-4 cups of powdered sugar to butter in pan. Add 1 tsp. vanilla flavoring. Add milk by the tsps... one at a time, mixing steadily to remove lumps. Add enough milk to get the frosting to a spreadable consistency - don't add TOO much.

Frost cooled cookies and decorate however you like.

King Cakes

These are traditionally made for Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras:

If you've never baked yeast bread before, you may want to find another more detailed recipe with more detailed instructions. The recipe below is somewhat abbreviated:

Makes 2 King Cakes:
Dissolve 4-1/2 tsps. dry yeast in 2/3 c. warm water mixed with 1 T. sugar. Let sit for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, add 1/4 c. melted butter & 1 C. warm milk.

In a large bowl, combine both liquids. Add:
1/2 C. white sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
5-1/2 cups white flour (a little at a time, making a pliable dough)

Mix well, knead for 5 minutes until smooth & elastic. Turn dough into a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel & let rise in a warm place for 2 hours.

Make filling: In a bowl, combine & mix well, set aside:
3/4 C. brown sugar
1 Tblsp. cinnamon
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup flour
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter

When dough is ready, divide in half. Roll onto a floured board into 2 rectangles, approx. 8" X 20". Spread half the filling onto one end (the long way) and roll up - jelly roll style - tightly. Form into a ring, sealing the ends firmly. At this time, you CAN (not mandatory) 'HIDE' a little, tiny BOY figurine (aka Baby Jesus) under/inside the dough, concealing it completely.

Place the dough rings on 2 parchment covered baking pans. Cover lightly & let rise for 45 minutes.

Put sheets in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until tops are golden. Rotate sheets once halfway thru baking time.

Remove from oven. Let cool an hour and then brush with icing (1 C. powdered sugar mixed with 1 Tblsp. water), and then sprinkle with colored sugar (authentic colors: purple, yellow, green).

Whoever gets the piece with the baby inside, gets good luck along with it!

Mardi Gras cupcakes

Decorate your favorite cupcakes for Fat Tuesday!!

Irish soda bread

This is a variation and one I prefer. Recipe will be posted shortly!

Irish soda bread

Heat the oven to 375 degrees, grease & flour 2 loaf pans OR a cookie sheet (makes 2 loaves).

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients:
5 sups flour
1-1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
5 tsps. baking powder
2 tsps. baking soda
Mix well - take a cold stick of butter (1/2 cup) and chop it up - put it in the dry mixture and cut in with a pastry blender until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in 1-1/2 cups (dark or golden) raisins.

In a smaller bowl, mix together:
3 lg. eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 cups buttermilk

Slowly, pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, turning it constantly & gently, but not mixing it roughly. The harder you mix, the tougher the end product will be. Once the mixtures are thoroughly incorporated, divide the dough in half and place into prepared pans, patting down lightly - or placing in equal sized heaps onto flat sheets (forming into mounds).

Traditionally, a Tblsp. of caraway seeds should be added to the dry mixture but we prefer the bread without it.

Bake for 45-55 minutes, until crust is golden brown. If you want to, brush the hot loaves lightly with melted butter. Cool completely before slicing.

Cupcakes

Devil's Food cupcakes with cooked vanilla frosting (see red velvet cake recipe).

Peppers, potatoes & eggs

Topped with colby cheese & run under the broiler, this is a perfect meal for Lent. Add other vegetables while you're sauteing, such as mushrooms, zucchini, cooked cauliflower... the possibilities are endless.

Chocolate sheet cake

Cake ingredients:

2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 c. butter (2 sticks)
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. soda
2 eggs

Mix sugar and flour together, set bowl aside.

Heat together in a saucepan the water, salt, cocoa and butter until it's melted together; pour into the sugar and flour mixture. Add the buttermilk, vanilla, soda and eggs; mix together well. Pour into greased & floured cookie sheet (jelly roll pan) with rim (17 x 11 x 1 inch). Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes - frost while warm.

Frosting:

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
4 tbsp. cocoa
6 tbsp. buttermilk
16 oz. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts

Boil well the butter, cocoa and buttermilk. Remove from heat and add sugar, vanilla. Spread on the warm cake.