Ham and Broccoli Pinwheels

These are so pretty, they would be perfect for a bridal shower or luncheon.  The filling is delicious, the flavors blend perfectly.  My kids really liked these.  They are especially good when served warm, soon after they come out of the oven.  The trick to making them all this pretty is to separate each pin wheel so they won't touch as they bake.  They also need to be baked longer than you would typically bake rolls.  They taste better when they are a little brown around the edges.   

1 roll recipe that makes 12-15 rolls.  (I like this one.)
*Don't use a sweet dough for this recipe.
Fresh Broccoli 
2 C. Diced Ham
5-6 Green Onions, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, pressed
1 T. Olive Oil
Salt Pepper
Parmesan Cheese (about 4 oz.)  
1 8oz. Pkg. Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1/4 C. Butter, at room temperature

Make your bread dough.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle like you would for cinnamon rolls.  Using a hand mixer, whip together the cream cheese and butter.  Spread evenly over top of dough.  Chop broccoli pretty fine until you have about 2-2 1/2 cups.  Heat oil in a large skillet and add garlic.  Saute at medium heat 1-2 minutes then add broccoli, ham, green onions and salt/pepper.  Saute about 3 minutes until broccoli begins to get a little soft.  Spread evenly over the cream cheese.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top and roll up.  Cut into pinwheels using a sharp knife or dental floss like you would cut cinnamon rolls.  Place on a large cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Like I said before, you want to place these apart from each other so they aren't touching when they bake, kind of like when you make cookies.  Sprinkle more parmesan cheese over top of each pinwheel.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until edges are golden brown.

My Favorite Pizza Crust

My sisters and I often make pizza on Friday nights.  I have tried a lot of pizza dough recipes and this is by far my favorite.  I like the texture of it and it is quick.  I usually start the dough and then cut up toppings and mix up sauce while the dough is rising.  By the time I am done the dough is ready and I can put the pizza together.  This dough also works nicely for calzones.  I think the trick to really good pizza is the garlic infused olive oil.  Read on for more details...

1 1/4 C. Lukewarm Water
1 T. Yeast
2 tsp. Salt
2 T. Sugar
2 T. Oil
3 C. Flour
1 1/2 T. Olive Oil
1 large clove garlic

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  Mix yeast, water and 1 T. of sugar together and let it sit for 5 minutes or until it is pretty foamy.  Then add salt, the rest of your sugar, oil and flour.  Mix well then allow dough to rise for 20 minutes.  When dough is ready divide into two equal parts for thin crust pizza or roll out the whole ball for 1 thick crust pizza.  Press 1 clove garlic into 1 1/2 T. Olive Oil.  Using a basting brush, lightly brush the oil mixture all over the pizza(s).  You don't want too much oil on the pizza, just a light coating all the way to the edges.  Bake at 500 degrees for 3-5 minutes until dough begins to barely brown.  Take pizza out and top with sauce, cheese and toppings.  Put the pizza back in the oven for 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Chocolate Banana Bread

Confession: I have started hiding bananas from my kids.  "Why", you ask?   Because of this recipe.  I LOVE this bread.  Let me describe it for you: moist, chocolaty, with a subtle banana flavor and gooey chocolate chips in each slice.  Need I say more? 

1 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
1/3 C. Oil
3 Bananas, mashed
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. Flour
1/2 C. Cocoa
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 C. Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour 1 regular size bread pan.  Mix together all ingredients except chocolate chips until well blended.  Fold in chocolate chips and pour into prepared pan.  Bake 60-70 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to cooling rack.     

Blueberry Zucchini Muffins/Bread

Is your garden producing obscene amounts of squash like mine is?  I am always looking for new ways to use it.  This is a fantastic recipe.  I love the addition of blueberries to this summertime favorite.  This recipe makes a lot (12 muffins and 4 mini loaves).  So freeze what you don't eat for an easy breakfast on a busy morning or share with a few neighbors. You'll be their new best friend!

3 Eggs
1/2 C. Oil
1/2 C. Applesauce
1 C. Sugar
1 C. Brown Sugar
3 C. Zucchini, grated
3 C. Flour (you can use 1/2 wheat flour)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 T. Cinnamon
1 1/2 C. Blueberries (thawed if frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 dregrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, oil, applesauce, vanilla and sugars.  Mix well then add zucchini.  Add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly then fold in blueberries.  Grease pans well then fill each 2/3 full.  Mix together struesel topping by mixing 1/2 C. Flour, 1/2 C. Brown Sugar, 1 tsp. Cinnamon and 1/4 C Butter with a pastry blender.  Sprinkle 1 T. of topping over each muffin then divide the rest among the mini loaf pans.  Bake muffins 25 minutes and mini loaves 45-50 minutes. 

Banana Bread

This is my favorite banana bread recipe. I received it first as a gift from my friend at Christmas time when we lived near Sacramento. I called her and just had to get her recipe and it has been my favorite since that time. If you have bananas on your counter top turning many shades of brown this is a great way to use them.

2/3 cup Shortening
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 2/3 cups Sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 mashed Bananas
2/3 cup Buttermilk (I use sour milk)
2 eggs
2/3 cup chopped Nuts

Combine:
Shortening, sugar and eggs. Add dry ingredients. Add mild and mashed bananas. Mix well and pour into 2 loaf pans or 1 9x13 or 2 8" round pans.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

Orange Rolls

I have never had an orange roll before I made these. I loved them. Perfect for spring! Easy too!


For the dough I just used the sweet dinner roll dough from this site.

Filling

2 TBS melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 oranges zested


Glaze

Juice from the 2 oranges
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Roll dough into a rectangle. Melt butter and spread over rectangle. Mix sugar and orange zest in a bowl. Sprinkle all over the top of the butter. Roll up length wise and cut using string. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Mix glaze and pour over top of each roll while still warm.

Banana Muffins (or Bread)

I have been making this recipe For-ev-er!  It is one of my kids favorite kinds of muffins. The recipe comes from a family friend, Kim Fox, although I have tweaked the recipe a bit from the original.  They are extremely moist and bake up nicely.  If you would like to make loaves of bread instead of muffins just double this recipe and it will make 2 large loaves. 

1 C. Sugar
3 Ripe Bananas
1/4 C. Butter, melted
1 Egg
3/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 3/4 C. Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix all ingredients together and measure in 1/4 C. fulls into a greased or lined 12 cup muffin tin.  Bake 20-25 minutes until tops are golden brown.  *Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour for loaves of bread.

Focaccia Bread

This bread is very good and different from your normal homemade bread. Great with pasta or to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Very easy too!


1/2 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread machine in the order shown and select dough setting. When dough is done roll out on floured surface into a circular shape. Place on baking sheet and let rise double in size or about 40 minutes. Using your finger place dimples randomly on the surface of the bread. Drizzle 1 TBS of olive oil on top. Bake @ 400 for 15 minutes.

Perfect Baking Powder Biscuits

I used to think that the only way to get perfect biscuits was to buy Pillsbury Grands from the store. When I came across this recipe a while back I resolved never to buy store bought biscuits again.  These biscuits are perfectly flaky, bake up nice and high and have the perfect level of sweetness for a biscuit.  Whether you are making biscuits and gravy or eating them with butter and jam like we did this morning, you won't be disappointed.

2 C. Flour
1 T. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 T. Sugar
1/3 C. Butter
About 1 C. Milk

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Mix together dry ingredients then cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives until crumbly and fine.  Add milk gradually and mix until it forms a soft, moist dough.  You may need a little less than a cup or a little more, just add it until it is the right consistency.  Roll to about 1" thickness on a lightly floured surface.  Cut with a round cookie cutter or the top of a glass.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 12 minutes or until biscuits are very lightly browned.  Makes about 12 biscuits.

Sweet Dinner Rolls

So the other day I wanted rolls, but I wanted to try a new recipe (just so I could post one). I found this recipe and it sounded great. Plus it went into a bread machine which was even better! I decided to tie the rolls into knots like Andrea did with her Cinnamon knots (which by the way are fantastic) just so that they would look a little nicer then a normal roll. Anyway- they were great and now I am fat because I am pretty sure I ate 10 of them. So if you want to be fat like me or want some delicious rolls make these! :)


1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 3/4 cup flour
1 TBS yeast

Place all ingredients in bread machine. Choose dough cycle. When cycle is finished flour flat surface and roll dough into a rectangle. Using a pizza cutter cut into 18 equal strips. Roll each strip into a rope and tie into a loose knot. Place into greased muffin tin. Bake @ 350 for 10-15 minutes. Butter tops while still hot.

Bones and Broomsticks

For Halloween we had a spooky dinner of homemade Chili and these bread sticks.  Mom gave me the idea for the witches brooms and the kids LOVED them.  This is my very favorite white bread recipe.  I use it for everything- sweet rolls, french bread, loaves of bread, rolls, and bread sticks (obviously).  I have used 1/2 white, 1/2 wheat flour and it worked great.  I think the first time I tried this recipe I was in high school.  It is a recipe from a family friend, Lori Heathcote.  She says it is an award winning cook off recipe.  I believe it!

2 T. Yeast
1/2 C. Warm Water
2 C. Hot Water
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Salt
1/4 C. Oil
6 C. Flour

Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water.  Combine hot water, salt, oil and flour.  Add yeast mixture then knead aggressively or beat on medium speed in an upright mixer for at least one full minute to get the gluten working in the dough.  This will help the dough rise better.  Let dough rise, covered with a dry dish cloth for 1 hour.  Divide dough into two loaves or shape into rolls/bread sticks.  Let rise for an additional 30 minutes.  Bake loaves at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until light brown on top or, for rolls and bread sticks, bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown then brush tops with butter.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

If Fall has a taste, it is pumpkin.  The spicy smell of pumpkin bread or a pumpkin pie baking seems to pair so nicely with crisp Fall weather and helps you appreciate the season better.  I love this recipe and I really love the use of whole grains and pumpkin. Such a healthy start in the morning.  The muffins hold together well and aren't as crumbly as some recipes can be.  Someday I would like to try it as a loaf of bread instead of as muffins. 

1 1/4 C. Quick Oats
1 C. Flour (you can use white wheat flour instead)
1/3 C. Chopped Pecans
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Cloves
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 C. Canned Pumpkin
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Oil
1/4 C. Milk
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla

Topping:
1/4 C. Oats
1/4 C. Flour (can use wheat)
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
3 T. Chopped Pecans
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 C. Cold Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients for muffins and blend until barely moistened.  In a small mixing bowl combine the topping ingredients and use a pastry blender to cut in butter.  Grease muffin cups and fill 2/3 full.  Sprinkle about 1 Tablespoon of topping  (just use the 1 Tbsp measuring spoon) over top of each muffin before baking.  Bake for 20-22 minutes.  This recipe makes about 15 muffins for me.  You can fill the muffin cups a little bit higher if you really want to use only one muffin pan. 

Whole Wheat Bread

I love this bread! It has great flavor and texture. This is my favorite wheat bread recipe.


2 1/2 cups warm water
1 1/2 TBS yeast
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup molasses, brown sugar, or honey (I use a little of all three)
2 tsp salt
6 to 7 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I used 1 cup of white, 1 cup of oat flour, and white wheat for the rest)


Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the oil and then the sugar. Mix in 5 cups of flour and the salt. Allow to sit for 15 minutes, then add enough flour so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, but is still sticky. Oil hands and working surface. Separate dough in half. Roll each piece to remove air bubbles. Roll up, pinching bottom and tuck ends under. Place in greased loaf pan and let rise about 1 inch above the top of the pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Oil top of bread when hot. Enjoy!

Homemade Doughnuts

These bad boys were darn tasty! We all loved them as our Sunday treat! They are really easy and don't require much work. They just take a some time for the dough to raise. These are by far the best home made doughnuts I have had.

• 2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup shortening (or margarine, that's what I used)
  
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Glaze:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 tablespoons hot water or as needed

1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed, or stirring with a wooden spoon. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double. Dough is ready if you touch it, and the indention remains.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut. I used a small bowl for the outside, and a baby bottle for the hole. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside.
5. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess, (or set them on a plate so they can be nice and sticky!)
   

Butter Rolls

I have two favorite roll recipes.  This one is made in a bread maker and actually was one of the recipes that came in the box with my bread maker.  It is a really soft, melt in your mouth kind of roll, perfect for dinner rolls or sweet breads like cinnamon rolls. 

2 3/4 C. Flour

2 tsp. Active Dry Yeast

2 T. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 C. Warm Water (I just use hot tap water)

1 Egg

7/8 C. Milk

1/4 C. Melted Butter or Margarine

Measure the ingredients into the bread pan in the order given.  Select your dough setting and start the bread maker.  About 5 or 10 minutes into the cycle take a spatula and stir in the flour on the edges of the pan or the dough will never thicken like it is suppose to. When the cycle is finished and your dough is ready to work with, turn it out onto a floured counter and shape however you want.  Put the rolls onto a greased pan and Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes (until they are lightly browned on top).  Take them out of the oven and brush tops with butter.  Makes 12 rolls.

English Scones

This is a biscuit type scone. The recipe came from Martha Stewart.

6 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 heaping tablespoon baking powder

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, chilled and cut into pieces

4 large eggs

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk

More sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add butter. Using your fingers, work butter into flour mixture until a crumbly mixture is formed.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 eggs and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir to combine.

4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead lightly and shape into a round. Roll dough out until it is 1 inch thick. Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter (I used a small glass), cut out scones and transfer to prepared baking sheets.

5. In a small bowl, beat remaining egg and brush the top of each scone; sprinkle each with sugar. Transfer baking sheets to oven and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer scones to a wire rack and let cool slightly before serving.

Autumn Spice Bread

There is a chill in the air and fall is here.  I get excited as the seasons change for the different foods I will make.  This recipe is a fall favorite.  It smells wonderful while baking in the oven.

I first made this bread about seven years ago.  I did the unthinkable... there were guests coming over and I decided to try a new recipe!  Luckily this one turned out well.    

3-1/2 c. flour                         1/2 t. cloves

2 t. baking soda                    1 c. butter

2 t. cinnamon                        2 c. sugar

1 t. salt                                    2 c. canned pumpkin

1 t. nutmeg                             4 eggs

1/2 t. ginger                           1-1/2 c. chocolate chips

                                  1 c. walnuts chopped  (optional)

Grease two loaf pans; set aside.  Combine flour, soda and spices in a small bowl.   In a mixer cream butter with sugar and pumpkin, blend in eggs.  At a low speed add dry ingredients to egg mixture.  Mix in chocolate chips and walnuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min or until tests done.  Top with spice glaze.

Spice Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar               1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. nutmeg                          2 to 3 t. milk

                                         1/2 c. walnuts   (optional)

Combine dry ingredients, then blend in milk until mixture becomes a glaze.  Spread on loaves when removed from oven.  Sprinkle with nuts.

*Can also be used as a muffin recipe!