Archive for June 22, 2009

Pretzels

Ingredients:
- 1 package dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 4-5 cups flour
- 1 egg
- Coarse salt

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except flour
2. Add flour gradually, forming a fairly stiff dough
3. Continue kneading for 10 minutes
4. Divide the dough into 30 pieces
5. Roll each piece into a rope, then shape the rope like a pretzel
6. Place the pretzels on a lightly greased baking sheet
7. Brush with a beaten egg
8. Sprinkle with coarse salt
9. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-14 minutes

Cheese Garlic Biscuits

Ingredients:
- 2 cups Bisquick
- 2/3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Stir Bisquick, milk and cheese until a soft dough forms
3. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds

4. Drop by 10-12 spoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet
5. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown

6. Stir together butter and garlic powder
7. Brush over warm biscuits before removing them from the cookie sheet

Serve warm

Foccachio bread

Ingredients:
- 2 pkgs dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 8 cups flour
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 cups warm water
- Olive oil (to brush on bread)
- Coarse Kosher salt

Directions:
1. Dissolve dry yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside until bubbly
2. Mix flour, olive oil and salt
3. Add yeast mixture and remaining water
4. Knead dough until smooth and elastic
5. Place in large greased bowl.
6. Cover and place in warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 to 2 hrs)

7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
8. Punch down
9. Place on a large baking sheet and flatten to 1/2 inch
10. Make indentations in dough with thumb
11. Brush evenly with olive oil
12. Sprinkle with Kosher salt
13. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown

Peanut butter & Fudge pie

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened
- 9 oz. graham cracker pie crust
- 1/2 cup cashews, chopped and divided
- 1/2 cup jar fudge topping, warmed
Garnish: whipped topping, additional warm fudge topping and chopped cashews

Directions:
1. Combine peanut butter and honey; stir in ice-cream
2. Spoon half of ice-cream mixture into pie crust; sprinkle with half of cashews
3. Drizzle half of fudge topping over cashews; spoon remaining ice-cream mixture over top
4. Sprinkle with remaining cashews and drizzle with remaining fudge topping
5. Freeze about 8 hrs or until firm
6. Garnish with whipped topping, additional warmed fudge topping and shopped cashews if desired.

Serves 6 to 8

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:
- 4 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 15oz. can pumpkin
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda

Icing Ingredients:
- 8oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix at medium speed: eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin
3. Stir together flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda
4. Add dry ingredients and mix at low speed until smooth
5. Spread into greased 13×10 pan
6. Bake for 30 minutes and cool

Icing:
1. Combine cream cheese and butter at medium speed
2. Add sugar at low speed, then vanilla
3. Spread on bars

Chocolate Toffee Bars

Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter (room temp)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 pkg semi sweet chips
- 1 cup pecans

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Generously coat 13 x 9 x 2 baking pan with cooking spray
3. Beat together butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla until well blended
4. Mix in flour and salt
5. Press mixture into an even layer in bottom of pan
6. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes
7. Remove to wire rack and immediately sprinkle chocolate chips + spread with metal spatula
8. Cut into bars

Cream Cheese Clouds

Ingredients:
- 1 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 can cherry pie filling

Directions:
1. Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed in an electric mixer
2. Gradually add heavy cream and mix well
3. Whip until thickened
4. Using the back of a spoon, shape into 3.5″ shells
5. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet
6. Freeze 2 hours or overnight

When ready to serve, fill with cherry pie filling.

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