Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

Day 5 - Mission Rhubarb - Raspberry Rhubarb Pie - Everyone has heard of Strawberry Rhubarb pie, but I found this recipe that combines raspberries and rhubarb.  It's a little different because everyone is expecting strawberries.  It is delicious and refreshing.  Not to mention I always have a ton more raspberries than straweberries.  With a scoop of vanilla ice cream this is fantastic.  I didn't put in a crust recipe, just use your favorite.  I've made this with a single crust, with a lattice top, and a double crust.  I prefer the double crust.  If you do a double crust make sure to cut little vents in it.  And as always put a pan on the rack below your pie in the oven.  You'll thank me.  This is so easy to make.  LOVE IT!

Raspberry Rhubarb Pie Filling

For 9-inch pie:

2 c. raw rhubarb, chopped (fresh or frozen)

2 c. raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1½ c. sugar (use less if using presweetened berries)

1/3 to ½ c. flour (if using frozen raspberries which have more liquid, use more flour)

or you can use 1/4 c. Minute Tapioca. 

¼ t. cinnamon

Directions: Mix the above ingredients well.  (If the fruit was frozen, place mixture in the microwave for a few minutes to warm.)  Place mixture in unbaked pie shell.  Dot with butter.  Bake at 425° for 45 minutes.

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Day 4 - Mission Rhubarb - I never thought to use rhubarb in anything but desserts and drinks.  But I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine a few years ago and thought it was a great change of pace.  The rhubarb tangy flavor is a perfect complement to chicken or pork.  Just slather some on during the last few minutes of grilling, and warm some up to serve on the side.  I always like more sauce.  One other thing that I love about rhubarb is that you can use fresh or frozen almost interchangeably.  So if at the end of all of these recipes you still have rhubarb, just chop it up and throw it in a freezer bag and use it later.  Isn't rhubarb great?  I hope you love this!

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 20 min

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

• In a small saucepan, bring rhubarb and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until tender. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
• Place rhubarb in a blender or food processor; cover and process until smooth. Set aside.
• In the same saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Add the remaining ingredients.
• Whisk in rhubarb puree until blended. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Use as a basting sauce for grilled meats. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2-1/3 cups.

Original Recipe and photo from tasteofhome.com

Nutty Rhubarb Muffins

Day 3 - Mission Rhubarb - Rhubarb adds a surprising tang to these breakfast muffins.  Muffins must have streusel on top or they aren't worth talking about.  And the nuts, which to be honest I usually leave out of most recipes, adds a nice crunch factor.  Make sure you dice your rhubarb small or you'll be biting into raw rhubarb, and that's unpleasant.  It doesn't say you can use muffin liners, but I do and I think they turn out great.  I hope you love these. 

Nutty Rhubarb Muffins

¾ c. packed brown sugar                            TOPPING:

½ c. buttermilk or sour milk                      ¼ c. packed brown sugar

⅓ c. vegetable oil                                         ¼ c. chopped nuts

1 egg, beaten                                                 ½ t. ground cinnamon

1 t. vanilla extract

2 c. all-purpose flour

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 c. diced rhubarb

½ c. chopped nuts

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg and vanilla, mix well.  Set aside.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Add egg mixture; stir just till combined.  Spoon the batter into 12 greased muffin cups.  Mix together topping ingredients.  Sprinkle over muffins.  Bake at 375˚ for 20 minutes or until muffins test done.

This recipe was found in a random family's cookbook, the name of which has slipped my memory. 

Frozen Rhubarb Slush

Day Two - Mission Rhubarb - I served this at a family gathering a couple of years ago.  It completely blew my older brother away.  He took a sip and said, "I think I need to sit down, this is soooo good."  It was evident that he liked it not only from this comment but from the fact that he went back for seconds, thirds, etc.  until we'd run out of ginger ale.  This is the perfect way to cooldown on a hot summer's day.  It's a beautiful color, a delicious flavor, and it makes a large enough batch to keep some in the freezer for those unexpected guests, or just when you want a little something sweet.  Even those of you who are screwing up your face at the thought of rhubarb will love this.  I have served it to dozens of people and they all like it.  Try it and love it.  You can substitute any lemon-lime pop for the ginger ale if you prefer, it's fabulous either way.

Frozen Rhubarb Slush

8 c. diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 pkg. (16 oz.) frozen unsweetened strawberries

3 c. sugar

8 c. water

1 pkg. (3 oz.) strawberry gelatin

½ c. lemon juice

Directions: In a Dutch oven, bring the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Press through a sieve, discard pulp. Stir in gelatin and lemon juice until dissolved. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze, stirring occasionally, until firm. May be frozen for up to 3 months. To use frozen rhubarb slush: In a punch bowl, or several pitchers, combine equal amounts of rhubarb mixture and ginger ale. Or for individual servings, combine ½ c. rhubarb mixture and ½ c. ginger ale in a glass.

Yields: 22 servings

Original recipe found in Taste of Home magazine, photo from tasteofhome.com

Caramel Rhubarb 'n Dumplings

I love rhubarb.  I know that some people have a definite dislike for rhubarb, and I have come to accept that I cannot convert all people to be rhubarb fans.  But I've successfully converted a couple and I am on a mission this week to turn a few more.  Rhubarb is horrible when picked from the ground, washed off and eaten raw.  It is sour in the worst way.  However, cooked in a variety of ways, rhubarb is scrumptious.  Rhubarb can be used in desserts, soups, drinks, sauces, and main dishes.  And you can use it all spring and summer long as long as you don't let it go to seed in the spring.  Lovers of rhubarb unite!

So in honor of my love for rhubarb I am going to be sharing my favorite rhubarb recipes, and by no means will I get through my whole collection of rhubarb recipes.  However, it might get you thinking and maybe even dreaming of new ways you can use rhubarb.  We begin with caramel rhubarb 'n dumplings.  My mom started making this when I was in high school.  It's quick, easy, involves caramel and uses the microwave instead of your oven which is perfect for when it is 100 degrees outside.  A scoop or two of vanilla ice cream is a perfect complement to this sweet tart dessert.  I don't know the original source of this recipe, I got it from my mom.  I'll have to take a picture the next time I make it. I hope you love it as much I as I do.  Check back tomorrow for rhubarb slush.

Caramel Rhubarb ‘N Dumplings

¾ c. packed brown sugar                                        ¼ c. sugar

¼ c. sugar                                                                  1 ½ t. baking powder

3 T. cornstarch                                                          ¼ c.margarine or butter

3 T. margarine or butter                                          1/3 c. milk

3 c. sliced rhubarb                                                    2 t. sugar

1¼ cup flour                                                             cinnamon

Directions: In a 2 quart microwave-safe casserole, combine 1 ¼ cups water, the brown sugar, the first ¼ cup sugar, cornstarch, and the 3 tablespoons margarine or butter. Add the sliced rhubarb. Micro-cook uncovered, on 100% power (high) for 7 to 9 minutes or till mixture is thickened and bubbly, stirring every minute. Cover casserole to keep warm. In a bowl, combine flour, remaining ¼ cup sugar, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. In a custard cup micro-cook the remaining margarine about 40 seconds or till melted; add to dry ingredients along with milk. Mix just till blended. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto hot rhubarb mixture. Cover with waxed paper; cook 5 to 6 minutes, on high, or till dumplings are done, giving the dish a half-turn once. Stir together the 2 teaspoons sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dumplings. Serve warm.

Brazilian Lemonade

I am not sure why this is called lemonade as there is not a drop of lemon in it.  Also what makes it Brazilian confounds me.  However, I don't really care.  It is refreshing and cold and delicious.  It really quenches the thirst and I am not sure I can ever be completely satisfied with plain old lemonade again.  It really is so much better chilled.  I hope you love it as much as I do.

Brazilian Lemonade (Makes 2 quarts)

4 smooth, thin-skinned limes

1 c. sugar

6 c. cold water

6 T. sweetened condensed milk

Directions: Cut limes into chunks. Measure 6 cups of cold water and add 1 cup of sugar. Mix well until sugar is completely dissolved. Add ½ of the sugar water (3 cups) to the blender with ½ of the limes. Put the lid on the blender and pulse the mixture 5-6 times. Then pour lime sugar water mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the pitcher you will be serving from. Use a big spoon to press the lime mixture through the strainer and into your container. Repeat with second batch of limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk to limeade and stir. Serve immediately with lots of ice.

Originally found on http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/ through Pinterest of course.

Old English Oatmeal Bread

This bread is easy to make.  The texture is perfect, not too heavy and not too light.  The flavor is delicious and it goes with just about everything.  This bread especially tasty with steaks, chicken and soups.  I get rave reviews every time I make it.  The two loaves are rather small, it would take both to feed about 8 people.  It is also good for sandwiches.  I hope you like them as much as we do!  And next time I make them I will refrain from eating them long enough to take a picture, maybe. 

Old English Oatmeal Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes + cooling and rising
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: Makes two 13-oz loaves

Ingredients:
1 c. old-fashioned rolled oats, plus extra for tops of loaves
3/4 c. milk
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 T. dark molasses
2-2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (I use regular bread flour)
1 t. salt
1 pkg. (2 1/2 t.) quick-rise yeast
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 t. water, for glaze
Directions: Place the 1 c. oats in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer.  In a saucepan over low heat, combine the milk, water and butter and bring to a boil.  Pour over the oats and let stand until lukewarm, about 30 minutes; stir often to hasten cooling.  Stir in the molasses, 1 1/2 c. of the flour, salt, and yeast.  Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough that holds its shape.  Knead by hand or with a dough hook, adding flour as necessary.  Knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes; knead by hook until dough is not sticky and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, 6-7 minutes.  Form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, greased bowl, turning to grease all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.  Lightly flour a heavy baking sheet.  Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and press flat.  Cut in half, knead briefly and form each half into a ball, stretching the sides down and under.  Place well apart on the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly.  Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled, 20-30 minutes.  Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.  Uncover the loaves, brush with the glaze and sprinkle with oats.  Bake until golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottoms, 25-30 minutes.  Unmold the loaves and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

(This recipe is originally from Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library Breads Cookbook)

Avocado Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad.  All kinds of chicken salad.  I found this different twist on chicken salad on pinterest the other day and decided to give it a try.  We really enjoyed it.  Well, my husband and I enjoyed it, the kids kind of picked at it.  It's green, so it's a bit suspicious to them.  The blog http://becomingbetty.blogspot.com/2011/09/avocado-chicken-salad.html doesn't give exact measurements so I have attempted to make it a bit more exact.  Although you'll want to keep taste testing it to make sure you like it.  You can serve it on a crossiant, a tortilla, in pita bread, or just with tortilla chips.  It would also be good as an appetizer.  Enjoy!

Avocado Chicken Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes (if your chicken is already cooked)

Yield: About 4 servings

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and chilled
2 avocados, or more (I think I ended up using 2 & 1/2)
4-5 green onions, chopped fine
Cilantro, chopped, to taste (I used a lot, about 3/4 c.)
1 T. of lime juice, add a little at a time until you like the flavor
2 pinches of salt
Pepper to taste
If you would like it a little creamier you can add a couple of scoops of mayonnaise. 
Directions: Add it all together and keep tweaking it until you love it.

French Baguettes

The word baguette does not mean "very difficult to make".   It actually means "narrow stick loaf" for those who really want to know.  When my husband and I got married almost 12 years ago his sweet great aunt Arzula gave us a Williams-Sonoma Breads cookbook.  I looked through fairly casually because I felt that so many of the recipes required "fancy cookery" that I didn't own and didn't have the money to buy, (ie a brioche mold, muffin rings, and baguette pans, and a stand mixer).  It has sat on my shelf for a long time.  There are only two recipes that I have tried, one of which is this baguette recipe and the other I'll tell you about another time (it's one of my favorite breads to make).  I finally decided to bite the bullet and make the baguettes after I received my stand mixer for Christmas.  I shared with my husband (he ate a whole loaf by himself) and the other three were shared with friends.  They all thought it was great.  Now a few things about this recipe.  It isn't hard.  It really isn't.  Follow the directions and you should be munching fresh, warm, crunchy, soft baguettes in a little over 3 hours.  Most of that 3 hours requires absolutely nothing from you.  Second, it isn't a traditional baguette recipe as it doesn't start with a polish (pronounced 'pol-eesh'), or a starter, which makes it appealing to me because I never plan that far in advance.  It doesn't have that sour flavor that I've come to expect from baguettes, but it still is pretty darn tasty with a warm bowl of soup, or by itself with pats of butter.  Thirdly, the recipe calls for 5-5 1/2 cups of flour.  The two times I've made these now I've only used about 4 1/2 c.  The dough is soft but not really sticky.  Fourth, I put the pan of tap water in the oven and then preheat my oven and it is boiling by the time I put my bread in, as opposed to trying to pour boiling water into a pan already into the oven, but whichever.  Do not skip this step.  It is imperative for getting that crusty crust.  One word of warning: The oven is set very hot and it will be quite steamy in there when you open the door to take your bread out so remember to stand back and let the steam escape before you stick your face down there.  The steam actually set off my smoke detector the first time I made these.  Lastly, you don't need baguette pans or a stand mixer.  I still don't own baguette pans.  I just use large rimmed baking sheets and they still look like baguettes to me.   If you don't eat all of them right away (what? you can't eat 4 loaves of baguettes in a single sitting). Wrap loosely after they've cooled.  I warmed mine in a toaster oven (thanks Karyli) for about 10 minutes and they were practically as good as when they came out of the oven the first time.  So there, you too can make baguettes.  Bon Appetit!

French Baguettes
Prep Time: 15 minutes + rising time
Cook Time: 20-25 minutes
Yield: Four 1/2 -lb baguettes

Ingredients:
5-5-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour (I use bleached bread flour)
2 t. salt
1 pkg. (2-1/4 tsp.) quick-rise yeast
2 c. lukewarm water (110 degrees)
boiling water, as needed
cornmeal for pans
1 egg white beaten with pinch of salt, for glaze
Directions: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine 4 cups of the flour, the salt, yeast and water.  Stir until blended.  Knead with the dough hook until the dough is elastic and pulls cleanly from the bowl sides, about 10 minutes, adding flour as needed.   the dough will be very soft.  Turn out onto a lighly floured surface and knead for 1 minute. Form into a ball and place in a clean bowl.  Dust lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled, 45-60 minutes.
Scrape the dough out onto a well-floured work surface.  Press flat, knead for a few seconds and return to the bowl.  cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled, 20-30 minutes.
Line each of 2 double baguette pans (4 molds total, or two large baking sheets), each 18 inches long and 6 inches wide, with a kitchen towel and sprinkle with flour, lightly rubbing it into the fabric.  Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface; press flat.  Cut into 4 equal pieces, knead into balls and let rest for 5 mintues.  Press each ball flat and then fold into thirds.  Roll each into a rope 16 inches long with tapered ends.  Place in the towel-lined pans.  Cover with a kitchen towl and let rise until doubled, about 20 minutes.  Preheat an oven to 450 degrees.
Place a shallow pan of boiling water on the floor of the preheated oven.  Pull the pans out from under the towels.  Grease the pans and sprinkle with cornmeal.  One at a time, flip the loaves into the pans, underside up.  Brush with the glaze.  Using a sharp knife, make three 1/4" deep diagonal slashes on each loaf.  Bake until brown and crusty, 20-25 minutes.  Transfer the loaves  to a wire rack.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Cherry Berry Streusel Pie

I have wanted to make this pie for awhile and I finally got to it on Sunday. My son gave this two thumbs “way past up.” My kids are usually not big fans of pie, but they gobbled this up and when given the choice between cookies and pie, the two older ones chose pie. I was shocked because my cookies were pretty good too. A couple of notes on this recipe. It calls for a deep dish pie plate, which I didn't notice until I was too far into it to turn back. I simply didn't put as much filling in and it was still great. Second, if you aren't comfortable with making a lattice-top I am not sure it's necessary. I think next time I'll try it with just the streusel on top and cut the pie crust in half. It looked pretty though, until I tried to cut into it and it all fell apart. I also didn't find it necessary to chill the dough. It was really easy to work with. You can toast your pecans in a frying pan on the stove, just keep an eye on them, they toast quickly. Lastly, don't forget to put a pan on the rack under your pie while it's baking to catch any spills. Serve with a lovely scoop of vanilla ice cream. Let me know if you like it too! By the way, my pie was pretty but it didn't look anything like the picture below.  That's amazing, although maybe easier than lattice top. 

Cherry-Berry Streusel Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes + chilling

Cook Time: 55-65 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2½ c. all-purpose flour

1 T. sugar

1 t. salt

1 c. cold butter

7-8 T. cold water

FILLING:

2 can (21 oz. Each) cherry pie filling

1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

¼ c. packed brown sugar

¼ t. ground cinnamon

TOPPING:

1 c. yellow cake mix

½ c. chopped pecans, toasted

½ c. flaked coconut

¼ c. butter, melted

2 T. 2% milk

2 T. sugar

Directions: Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor; cover and pulse until blended. Add butter; cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While processing, gradually add water until dough forms a ball.

Divide dough in half so that one portion is slightly larger than the other; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger portion of dough to fit a 9-in. Deep-dish pie plate. Transfer pastry to pie plate; trim pastry to ½ inch beyond edge of plate. Combine the filling ingredients; spoon into crust. Sprinkle with dry cake mix, pecans and coconut. Drizzle with butter.

Roll out remaining pastry to a 13-inch circle; cut into strips for a lattice top. While creating the lattice top, twist the pastry strips for a decorative effect. Seal and flute edges of pie.

Brush lattice top with milk; sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 375° for 55-65 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.


The recipe and photo are originally from tasteofhome.com and Taste of Home magazine

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

These buttery bars are sweet and chewy. They remind me of the butterscotch delights (cookies) that my mom used to make for us. They have a lot of butterscotch flavor. They are also better the day you make them, they don't last long. When you're making the glaze don't make it before the bars come out of the oven. It gets hard really fast and I ended up having to frost the bars instead of drizzling. So they weren't real pretty but that didn't stop me from eating half the pan. ENJOY!

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 17-19 minutes + cooling

Yield: 36 bars – They must cut them much smaller than I do.

Ingredients:

BARS:

1¼ c. all-purpose flour

2 c. quick-cooking oats

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

16 T. unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened, each stick cut into 8 pieces

¾ c. butterscotch chips

1 c. packed dark brown sugar

2 t. vanilla extract

1 large egg

GLAZE:

2 T. dark brown sugar

1 T. water

1/8 t. salt

¼ c. butterscotch chips

Directions: FOR THE BARS: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 x 9 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang on all sides.

Mix flour, oats, baking soda,and salt in medium bowl until combined. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until nutty brown in color, about 12 minutes. Pour hot butter over butterscotch chips in large bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in brown sugar until dissolved, then whisk in vanilla and egg until combined. Stir in flour mixture in two additions until combined.

Spread the mixture into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 17-19 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack.

FOR THE GLAZE: Bring brown sugar, water, and salt to simmer in small saucepan. Pour hot sugar mixture over butterscotch chips in small bowl, whisking until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm bars and allow to cool on rack until warm to touch, about 1½ hours. (They're house must be warmer than mine because mine were pretty cool after 30 minutes.) Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and completely cool on rack, about 30 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.

This recipe is originally found on Cook's Country.com

Honey Wheat Rolls

One of my Christmas presents was my very first stand mixer. I am still giddy every time I use it. I love making bread in it because I don't have to get my hands dirty and it does all the work for it. However, now I have to do extra arm exercises to replace the workout I got from kneading. My husband is just as thrilled with this new found love of bread. You see whenever I make anything and I ask if he likes it he'll tell me “It's good.” That's about as much as I ever get out of him. However, when it comes to bread he still doesn't say much, usually because his mouth is full of bread. It's the only thing that gets a rise out of him (sorry I had to). I found this recipe for honey-wheat dinner rolls and thought it might be time to start using the 300 lbs. Of wheat down in my basement. They are completely delicious. My kids gobble them up. The dough is really sticky, which is a bit of a pain. However, they are light, full of honey flavor, and oh so, mouthwatering-delicious warm out of the oven. I hope you like them too.

Honey Wheat Rolls

Prep Time: 15 minutes + rising times + cooling

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 16 dinner rolls

Ingredients:

1¾ c. whole milk, heated to 110 degrees, plus 1 tablespoon

6 T. plus 1 t. honey

5 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg

2½ c. whole wheat flour

1¾ c. all-purpose flour

1 T. instant or rapid-rise yeast

2¼ t. salt

Directions: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Grease large bowl and 9 x 13 pan. Combine 1¾ c. milk, 6 T. honey, 4 T. butter, and egg in 4-cup measuring cup. Using a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined. Slowly add milk mixture and mix until dough comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix until dough is smooth and almost clears sides of bowl yet still sticks to bottom, 6-8 minutes. (I found that I have to scrap the bottom of my bowl occasionally to make sure it all mixes in.)

Transfer dough, scraping sides of bowl, to greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough has doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Punch down dough on lightly floured counter. Divide dough into quarters and cut each quarter into 4-equal pieces. Form each piece into rough ball by pinching and pulling dough edges under so that top is smooth. On clean counter, cup each ball with your palm and roll into smooth, tight ball. Arrange in prepared baking dish and cover loosely with plastic. Let rolls rest in turned-off oven until doubled in size, about 20 minutes.

Remove rolls from oven and discard plastic. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine remaining 1 T. butter and remaining 1 t. honey in bowl. Brush rolls with remaining 1 T. milk. Bake rolls until golden brown and register 200 degrees, about 20 minutes, rotating dish halfway through baking. Brush with honey butter and let cool in dish on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove rolls from dish. Serve.

MAKE AHEAD:

Instead of 20-minute rise in step 4, baking dish with formed rolls can be refrigerated, covered, for 24 hours. Let dough sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before brushing with milk and baking.

Recipe originally found in Cooks Country Magazine, Nov. 2011, photo from cookscountry.com

Best Cornbread in the World

I know that is a supercilious name. I have no idea if it's even true. It's the name on the recipe as I received it. I have, however, tried several cornbread recipes and while most of them are just fine, this one is a little more so. It just has that little extra something that makes it taste better. It also bakes up pretty tall, not wussy like some other cornbread recipes that come out an inch tall. I would like someday to try and double this and put it in a 9x13 pan because as I said yesterday my kids really really like cornbread and we never have leftovers. My son especially loves to come home from school and eat leftover cornbread if possible. If you don't have buttermilk (I never do, okay rarely do) you can substitute with soured (or clabbered) milk. Do not put your milk out until it gets sour, instead put one tablespoon of vinegar in a 1 cup measure and fill with milk; let sit for 5 minutes. Do not use buttermilk powder, I can't seem to get that to work. ENJOY!

Best Cornbread in the World

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients:

½ c. margarine, softened

2/3 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. buttermilk

½ t. soda

½ t. salt

1 c. yellow cornmeal

1 c. flour

Directions: Blend margarine, sugar, eggs and buttermilk. Add soda, salt, cornmeal and flour. Mix well. Pour into a greased 9x9-inch pan and bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes.

This recipe was originally found by me in a church cookbook.

Creamed Chicken Over Cornbread

I apologize for my extended absence from the blogging world but I had a bunch of projects that I wanted to get done. My house was becoming cluttered and disorganized and I do not function well in that environment so I had to do some sprucing up. The projects I've gotten done should hold me over till spring cleaning time.

So today I am going to introduce you to creamed chicken over corn bread. Does that sound weird to anyone else? It did to me, but it intrigued me enough to give it a try, whilst tweaking it a bit. And we like it quite a bit. All of my children LOVE corn bread so while they don't put the creamed chicken on top they still eat it on the side. The original recipe which I am going to give you calls for a corn bread mix. I don't like to use mixes very often because I get annoyed when I want to make something and I can't because I am out of that mix. So I use my regular corn bread recipe (I'll post that tomorrow). Corn bread mixes are slightly faster (not much once you've made the recipe a couple of times) and taste fine. You can also find them at fairly inexpensive prices. So it's up to you which you use. The other is that it calls for 2 cups rotisserie chicken which is way too expensive, so I just use cooked and cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts. If you are really smart, like my mother, you buy a whole chicken, cook it, debone it and freeze already cooked chicken in useable portions. I am not smart like that. I have a thing against deboning anything. It makes me queasy. One thing that I liked about this recipe is that it doesn't use cream of chicken soup, instead you actually make your own creamy goodness. You can get the bread in the oven and make the creamed chicken while it's baking. Serve with a green salad or a fruit salad. Enjoy!

Creamed Chicken Over Corn Bread

Prep Time: 20-25 minutes (this will vary depending on whether you use a mix or not, cooked chicken or not)

Cook Time: Cornbread 25 minutes or so; Chicken mixture about 15-20 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 package (8-1/2 oz.) corn bread/muffin mix

1 T. chopped onion (I put a little more, I live in Onion country and they're free!)

1/8 t. minced garlic

¼ c. butter, cubed

2 c. cubed rotisserie chicken (see ramblings above)

1 package (16 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed (come to think of it, I've never thawed it, I just let it cook a little longer)

2 T. all-purpose flour

1-1/2 t. salt (I decrease this to 1 t. or less)

2 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 c. (8 oz.) sour cream

¾ c. milk

Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions: Prepare corn bread batter and bake according to package directions, using a 9-in round pan. (I bake mine in a 9x9, I like squares what can I say?)

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter for 2-3 minutes; stir in chicken and broccoli. Cook and stir for 5-7 minutes or until heated through.

In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; stir in the egg yolks, sour cream and milk until smooth. Add to chicken mixture; cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until thickened.

Cut warm corn bread into wedges (or squares); top with chicken mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Original Recipe found in Taste of Home's “Fast Fixes with Mixes” 2011, photo from tasteofhome.com

Flank Steak with Loaded Smashed Potatoes

Have I mentioned that I love Cooks Country?  Because I do.  There are several reasons that I love this recipe from their website.  First, it's fast.  Second, it's simple.  Third, it's flavorful and delicious.  When I took a bite of the potatoes all I could say was, "Wow."  I think that perhaps I overcooked my steak a little bit, but that's my fault, not the recipe's.  I don't really like meat that's less than medium-rare.  But flank steak is supposed to be pink in the middle, so watch that.  And cooking potatoes in the microwave is my new favorite thing to do.  Enjoy!
Flank Steak with Loaded Smashed Potatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: about 25 minutes

Yield: 6 servings of both meat and potatoes

Ingredients:
1 (1 1/2 - 2 pound) flank steak, trimmed
8 slices bacon, chopped fine
2 pounds small red potatoes, halved
2 T. vegetable oil
3/4 c. sour cream
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
2 scallions, sliced thin
Directions: Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Cook bacon in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate.  Pour off all but 1 T. fat from pan.  Cook steak over medium-high heat in now-empty skillet until well browned and meat registers 120 to 125 degrees (medium-rare), 5-7 minutes per side.  Transfer to cutting board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave potatoes and oil in large covered bowl until tender, 10-12 minutes.  Add sour cream and, using potato masher, mash until combined.  Stir in cheddar, bacon, and scallions.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Slice steak thinly against grain and serve with potatoes.

This recipe and photo are originally from http://www.cookscountry.com/

Company Salad

My mother found this recipe a few years ago and it quickly became a favorite in our house.  I make it several times a year and usually have the ingredients on hand so that I can make it whenever I want.  We use a store bought poppy seed dressing (Brianna's, which you should be able to find just about anywhere, like Wal-Mart), but you're welcome to make your own.  This needs to be the last thing you put together when you're getting dinner ready, or least don't put the apples or dressing on until right before dinner is served or it will go limp.  Take it easy on the dressing, a little goes a long way, and you can always add a little more later if you think it needs it.  There are days when I want a milder flavor so I leave out the red onion.  I have never put mushrooms in it because I don't like them, but whatever floats your boat.  Enjoy!

Company Salad
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield:  A lot, although I've never measured the number of servings.  I usually half this recipe if I am feeding 6 or fewer.

Ingredients:
1 small package salad mix
1 small package greens mix
2 c. Granny Smith apples, chopped (I usually use whatever apples I have on hand)
1 c. craisins
1/3 c. sunflower seeds
1 purple onion, sliced
6 mushrooms, sliced (opt.)
Poppy Seed Dressing (I use Brianna's white poppy seed dressing, yum)
Directions: Mix greens together.  Add apples and onions and half of the craisins and sunflower seeds.  Pour about 1/2 of a bottle of Brianna's Poppy Seed dressing on top and mix well.  Add the rest of the craisins and sunflower seeds and drizzle more dressing over the top to make it look nice.

Red Hot Apple Jell-O

Once upon a time my mother and I used to attend microwave classes every Tuesday.  The microwave store provided free cooking classes with the purchase of a microwave.  How awesome is that?  It was a fun time for my mom and I.  And we got to eat yummy food.  This is a recipe that we got from those classes.   I had kind of forgotten about this recipe until a couple of weeks ago when I had some at a church dinner.  I forgot how lovely the flavors blend together.  Apples, red-hots, and cherry Jell-O = delicious.  It sounds really odd, but I can (almost) guarantee that you'll love this.  It's unexpected and looks beautiful.  The recipe doesn't call for whipped cream on top, but you really can't go wrong with whipped cream and Jell-O. This might be fun for New Years or a Super Bowl party. Or any old weeknight dinner for that matter.  It cooks in the microwave so it's super quick to make, just don't forget the refrigeration time!  Let me know if you like it!!!

Red Hot Apple Jell-O
You may want to double this recipe - I would
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8-10 minutes

Ingredients:
2/3 c. red cinnamon candies (red hots)
1 1/2 c. water
3-4 apples, medium, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3 oz. package of cherry Jell-O
Directions: In a 1 qt. microwave-safe container combine everything except the Jell-O.  Microwave 8-10 minutes on high or until apples are tender.  Add Jell-O, and stir until dissolved.  Refrigerate until firm.

Fudgy Peanut Butter Mousse Cups

I am sorry about my unannounced absence.  My family was battling the stomach flu right up to Christmas and I didn't really feel like thinking about food.  Then I wanted a few days off with nothing to do.  I hope you understand, which I am sure you do.  But now that we are all well and I've rested for a few days doing absolutely nothing I am ready to get down to business.

I hope that you are not sick of goodies.  I found this recipe at http://www.cookscountry.com/ and I love it.  I gave it out on my goodie plates this year for my neighbors and friends.  The most common word used to describe them, heavenly.  One gentleman tried to convince the rest of his family that they weren't any good so that he could eat them all himself.  The combination of chocolate, peanut butter and a shortbread like bottom just takes this treat over the top.  They are pretty too, although I forgot in my selfish snacking to take a picture of them.  They are a bit involved, so make sure you have plenty of time, but they are worth every minute.  You can pipe the filling into the cups as long as you use a tip with a wide opening.  Otherwise the peanuts from your peanut butter will get stuck inside.  I found I had leftover mousse so I filled the cups a little fuller than the picture below shows.  Make sure you have someone to share them with!  ENJOY! (But of course you will)

Fudgy Peanut Butter Mousse Cups
Prep Time: 25 minutes+ chilling
Cook Time: 10 minutes per batch, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield: 36 cups

Ingredients:
1 package sugar cookie mix (17.5 oz.)
1 c. pecans, toasted and chopped fine (Toast pecans in a skillet over medium-heat for a couple of minutes)
2 T. all-purpose flour
8 T. unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1 1/4 c. heavy cream, divided
1 c. chunky peanut butter (I don't see why you can't use creamy really, but I followed the recipe)
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), softened
1 c. confectioners' sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
Directions: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a mini-muffin tin. (The recipe calls for a 12 cup, I used my 24 cup and it worked fine).  Combine cookie mix, pecans, and flour in a bowl.  Slowly stir in butter until mixture resembles wet sand.  Press 1 T. cookie mixture into bottom and sides of each muffin cup.  Bake until golden, about 10 minutes.  Cool 20 minutes in tin, then turn out cookies.  Repeat with remaining dough.
With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 1 cup cream to stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.  In another bowl, beat peanut butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Fold in whipped cream.
Microwave chocolate and remaining cream in small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 minute.  Pour 1/2 t. chocolate mixture into each cookie cup, then fill cups with 1 T. peanut butter mixture.  Drizzle remaining chocolate evenly over cookiesand refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

(The photo is from cookscountry.com)

Broccoli Chowder

I love broccoli cheese soups.  Any time soup is on the menu I’ll either go for the cheesy broccoli or baked potato.  However, often times it seemed they were either too cheesy with no other flavor, or they were way too salty.  So I was on a search for one that I could love.  My mother supplied this recipe to me a little while ago and it’s just right.  I love the little splash of Worcestershire sauce as it gives it the rounded out flavor I was looking for.  As an added bonus it is chock full of vegetables.  And guess what, my kids love this soup.  I don’t put in as much pepper when I am serving it to children because it can be a little strong.  I love that I can use 1% milk and the soup is still really creamy.  Just be careful after you add the milk.  You can’t leave it for long or it will burn.  Don’t forget to let me know if you like it!  Enjoy!

Broccoli Chowder
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
 

Ingredients:

4 c. fresh small broccoli florets (I substitute frozen all the time and it’s still very good)
2 med. Potatoes, diced
1½ c. water or chicken broth
2 t. chicken bouillon granules (if you use chicken broth you can omit this ingredient)
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped (or less)
1 celery rib, finely chopped
4 c. milk, divided
½ t. – 1 t. Worcestershire sauce
¾ t. salt (If I use bouillon I cut this down to ½ t.)
½ t. pepper
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. cubed process cheese (Velveeta)
Directions: In a large saucepan, combine the first 7 ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add 3 cups milk and the bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat; stir in cheese just until melted.   

Elegant Chocolate Torte

My mouth waters with the memory of this cake.  I made it as a treat for my book club this spring and then again when I was visiting my parents this summer.  It is so good.  It takes a bit of work and a little planning but it is worth absolutely every minute.  It would be a perfect compliment to that fancy Christmas dinner I know you are all planning.  The custard part is a bit tricky and even my mom didn't get it right but it's so good you won't even care that you are eating tiny bits of scrambled egg amongst your custard filling.  I promise.  The frosting is super easy and fun to work with.  Savor every bite and you'll still want a second piece.  Have I sold you on this cake yet?
 
Elegant Chocolate Torte
Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus cooling time for the custard and cake
Cook Time: 30-35 minutes for the cake, approximately 10 minutes for the custard
Yield: 16 servings (Um...I've never had it feed that many since everyone wants seconds)
 
Ingredients:
FILLING:
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. sugar
1 t. salt
1¾ c. milk
1 c. chocolate syrup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T. butter
1 t. vanilla extract
BATTER:
½ c. butter, softened
1¼ c. sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. baking cocoa
¾ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1½ c. chocolate syrup
½ c. water
FROSTING:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
¼ c. chocolate syrup
¼ t. vanilla extract
Directions: For filling, in a small saucepan, combine flour, sugar and salt.  Stir in milk and syrup until smooth.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly.  Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla.  Cool to room temperature, stirring often. 
For cake: In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with syrup and water.  Beat just until combined.  Pour into two greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans.  Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks to cool.  Cut each cake in half horizontally.  Place one bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with a third of the filling.  Repeat layers twice.  Top with remaining cake.  In a  mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until stiff peaks form; spread or pipe over top and sides of cake.

The photo is from tasteofhome.com