Homemade picnic buns

1 1/2 c. lukewarm milk
1/4 c. sugar
2 t. salt
2 pkgs. yeast (4 1/2 t.)
1/2 c. water
1 egg
1/4 c. shortening
7 - 7 1/2 c. flour

Mix together lukewarm milk, sugar, salt.

Proof yeast in 1/2 c. lukewarm water for 5 minutes, then add to mixture.

Stir in egg and shortening.

Add flour in 2 additions, using the amount necessary to make it easy to handle. Roll dough 1/2" thick and cut into 3 1/2" rounds. Place on greased baking sheet. Cover with damp cloth, let rise until double (30-45 minutes).

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Best Fudge Cake

sadly, this is the best photo I got...

Denise calls this the Giant Ding Dong cake, much to Grandma's chagrin.
It's pretty much a showstopper.

3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2  cup soft butter or margarine
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

1. Melt chocolate in small saucepan over very low heat

2. grease well and flour three 9X 1 1/2"  pans (I spray with
Pam, set a circle of waxed paper in the pan, and spray again with Pam)

3. Beat butter until smooth in large bowl with electric mixer.
   Add sugar and eggs; beat on high speed until light and fluffy,
   about 5 minutes.

4.  Beat in vanilla and chocolate with mixer on low speed, then add
baking soda and salt.   Add flour alternately with sour cream,
    beating in low speed until smooth.  Pour in boiling water;
stir with a spoon until well blended.  Pour into prepared pans.

5.  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 - 35 minutes or
until center springs back when touched lightly with fingertip.
    Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans;
cool completely.

6.  Split each layer with long serrated knife into 2 layers;
fill with sweetened whipped cream.  Frost with ganache.
      
Note:   Batter will be thin and makes thick layers.

** Quite often, I don't bother to sift the flour. This time I measured
the cake flour, sifted it, then measured again. There was almost
1/2 c. left over. The cake was wonderfully moist. I guess I'll
be sifting from now on.


Filling:

6-8 oz. softened cream cheese
2 c. whipping cream
sugar
vanilla

Whip cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add whipping cream
and continue beating until desired stiffness. Add vanilla and
sweeten to taste.  (I used 6 oz. cream cheese because I wanted it to
taste more whipped cream-y and less cheesecake-y.)


Ganache:

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. whipping cream
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 bar German sweet chocolate
a few grains of salt

(I used a 4 oz. bar of bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate.
Use what you like, for a total of 4 oz.)

Stir together sugar, salt and 1/4 c. cream in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate
and stir constantly until dissolved. Add remaining cream. 

Ganache will be quite thin, and will thicken as it cools.
When completely cool, pour over the cake and smooth on the sides.
Refrigerate cake until serving.

Spud-nuts

I took this donut recipe from my aunt Denise's blog. I made them for the first time on Saturday and they were much easier than I expected. They were delicious and a new Conference weekend tradition was born for us!

• 2/3 c. butter or margarine
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. hot mashed potatoes (we use instant mashed potatoes)

Combine first three ingredients together and add:

• 1 c. warm milk (we use water and powdered milk; we like our homemade breads best when we use powdered milk)

Let cool to lukewarm and add:

• 1 T. yeast that has been dissolved in 1 c. water with 1 t. sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t. salt

Beat well. Add 2 c. flour and mix well. Add an additional 5-7 c. flour and knead thoroughly (we use dough hooks in the mixer). Dough should not be too sticky. Place dough in large Tupperware bowl, spray top with Pam, cover, and refrigerate overnight (we have been known to make dough first thing in the morning for use later that day--the dough is easiest to work with, however, when thoroughly chilled). For a large crowd we have been known to make 1 1/2 batches of dough.

Roll out dough about 3/8"-1/2" thick and cut circles and holes with round cutters. You may have to experiment with sizes. We have a large set of circle cutters and use one of the larger ones. Transfer cut donuts to waxed paper-lined trays that have been generously scattered with flour. The secret to beautiful donuts is being able to get them off of the cookie sheet and into the fryer without collapsing the dough, hence adequate flour is helpful.

We originally tried frying the donuts in hot oil in a skillet, but found it difficult to control the temperature of the oil; the donuts would often get too brown on the outside and still be doughy on the inside. We have since invested in a "Fry Daddy" and it has been worth every penny! We also read up on donut making and discovered that it is recommended to use solid shortening (a.k.a. Crisco) rather than vegetable oil. Fry donuts until golden, turning as needed. Drain on paper towels/newspapers.

Make a watery glaze of powdered sugar, water, vanilla, and a few grains of salt. I am the fryer and my mom is the glazer, and when I asked her for the Secret Recipe for the glaze she laughed. She just starts with some powdered sugar in a bowl and adds 2-3 times as much water, adjusting thickness/thinness as necessary. (for the record, I had to add WAY more powdered sugar to get the proper ratio.)

After the doughnuts have drained for a minute or two (not too long) use a fork to dip in glaze and transfer to wire rack. Donuts are also good dipped in granulated sugar instead of glaze. (We double-dipped in the glaze. Yum! Next time, I'm going to try a chocolate glaze...)

Good luck in your homemade donut endeavors!

Triple Caramel Cake

Grandma gave me this recipe when I was visiting. It's a new discovery and a delicious addition to our family cake repertoire. I can't wait to make it!

3 c. heavy cream
2 1/2 c. sugar
6 oz. butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 c. flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder (3/4 t. at high altitude)

Pour 2 c. cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat and slowly bring to a boil. Lower heat and keep at a bare simmer.

Put 1 c. sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Leave undisturbed until the sugar begins to melt and darken. Gently shake the pan to distribute the sugar and keep from burning. When all the sugar is melted and very dark amber, remove from heat.

Carefully add hot cream, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Don't worry if caramel hardens; it will melt as sauce boils. Return pan to heat and keep at a gentle boil for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Set aside for at least 30 minutes, stirring often, until sauce is cool. Reserve 1 c. sauce for cake batter and refrigerate the rest.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Cream butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gently but thoroughly fold in dry ingredients alternately with 1 c. of the caramel, beginning and ending with the dry.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until skewer comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Set on rack for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely. Bring rest of sauce to room temperature. When cake is cool, drizzle 1/2 of the sauce on top.

Whip remaining 1 c. cream to firm peaks and gently fold in remaining caramel, leaving streaks visible. Serve with cake.

Okay, so it's kind of a lot of work, but doesn't it just sound heavenly??

Overnight Rolls

1 c. scalded milk
1/4 lb. butter
1 T. dry yeast, dissolved in 1/4 c. warm water
1 T. sugar, dissolved with yeast
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
4 c. flour (approximate)

Beat all thoroughly in mixer. (Or, do it by hand! I think that was the secret to my best batch ever -- light as air.)

Let dough rise, covered, in the refrigerator overnight.


The next day, divide the dough in 2 portions. Roll each portion into a circle and cut into 16 pie-shaped pieces. Brush with melted butter. Roll each piece up, from the large edge to the small edge, and place on a buttered baking sheet.


Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 4-5 hours. (The rising time is not critical with these -- they can probably rise up to 6 hours.) Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven.


Makes 32 rolls. (this recipe doubles well)

Grandma's French Bread

2 T. yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 c. very hot water
1 T. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. shortening
6 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water.

In a large bowl, combine hot water, salt, sugar, and shortening and stir. Add 2 c. flour and stir well. Add proofed yeast and stir. Add 4 c. flour and stir well. It should form sort of a "shaggy" dough:


Set the timer for 10 minutes and then stir down the dough. (I took this to mean sort of punching down the dough with your spoon.) Repeat 4 more times (5 times total).

Grandma recommends putting out 5 objects and taking one away after each stir-down, so you don't forget how many times you've done it. I used magnets. Of course, you have to take one away each time or this strategy is useless!

After the 5th time, turn the dough out on a well-floured board and cut in 2 equal portions.

Roll each half into an elongated rectangle. Place both halves, side by side, on a large cookie sheet covered in cornmeal. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slash each loaf 3 times with a sharp knife and brush on an egg/water glaze, if desired. (You may also sprinkle sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or salt crystals on top of loaves at this point.)

Bake 30-35 minutes and cool on a wire rack.

Grandma's Bran Muffins

4 c. Bran Buds
2 c. All Bran
2 c. chopped dates
2 c. boiling water
1 c. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 T (scant) baking soda
1 quart buttermilk
5 c. flour

Combine cereals and dates in a very large bowl and pour boiling water over. Let cool.

Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs and add to cereal mixture.

Combine buttermilk and baking soda and add alternately with flour.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.

*This mixture may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks -- bake as needed.

Grandma's Lemon Bread

yields 1 8" loaf or 2-3 mini loaves

6 T. butter
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 T. lemon juice
2 t. freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/2 c. flour (scant)
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 . milk
1/2 c. chopped walnuts, optional

glaze:
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Add lemon juice & zest.

Combine dry ingredients and add alternately with milk (flour first and last). Stir just until combined.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan.

Stir lemon juice and sugar together until dissolved. Pour glaze over bread while still warm from the oven. Wait 1-2 days before cutting. Freezes well.

Very Good Banana Cake

This not-too-sweet cake is a refreshing change for banana lovers!

2 1/2 c. sifted cake flour
1 2/3 . sugar
1 1/4 t. each baking powder and baking soda (5/8 t. at high altitude)
1 t. salt
2/3 c. buttermilk
2/3 c. shortening
1 1/4 c. very ripe bananas (~3)
2 large eggs
whipping cream
bananas

Sift dry ingredients together. Add buttermilk, shortening, and bananas and beat for 2 minutes.

Add eggs and beat another 2 minutes. Pour batter into two prepared cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. (375 degrees for high altitude)

Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Top each layer with sweetened whipped cream and sliced bananas.

Snowcap Lemon Pie

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice
3 T. cornstarch + 1 1/2 T.
4 T. butter
1 t. grated lemon peel
3 large egg yolks, beaten
1 c. whole milk
1 c. sour cream
sweetened whipped cream

Mix sugar, cornstarch, butter, zest, juice, egg yolks, and milk together in a saucepan. Stir and cook until thick, about 5-10 minutes. Cool. Fold in sour cream and chill at least 12 hours.

Pour chilled filling into a pie shell and top with plenty of sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with sugared lemon slices, if desired.

Grandma's Angel Biscuits

5 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
3 T. sugar
3/4 c. shortening
1 T. dry yeast
1/2 c. lukewarm water
2 c. buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients together and cut in shortening. Add buttermilk and yeast dissolved in water. Mix with a spoon until moistened. Cover bowl and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Roll out as much dough as needed – 1/2” – 3/4” thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass. Place close together on a baking sheet or pan. Bake 12 minutes in a 400 oven.

Grandma's Enchiladas

Large onion, chopped
2 T. flour
1 quart crushed tomatoes
18 corn tortillas
1 1/2 T. chili powder
1 lb. ground beef, browned
garlic salt to taste
shredded cheese

Sauté onion and add flour. Stir well, then add tomatoes. Add seasonings and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Heat vegetable oil in a small skillet and dip corn tortillas to soften. Drain on paper towels.

For each tortilla, place a spoonful of beef and a small handful of cheese on one side. (If desired, sprinkle a small amount of chopped raw onion as well.) Place a spoonful of the tomato sauce inside and fold tortilla over. Place folded tortillas in a large baking pan (they can be squished together if necessary) and pour sauce over. Sprinkle lots of cheese on top and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Garnish with shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and sour cream as desired.

{These are also good with chicken or just cheese.}

Lazy Daisy Cake

{This is the kind of dessert you can make almost any time because it is quick and easy and you most likely have the ingredients on hand.}

1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
1 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
4 T. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
5 T. butter
1/2 t. baking powder
4 T. canned milk
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. coconut

Heat milk to scalding and remove from heat. Add butter. Beat eggs and add sugar, baking powder, salt and milk/butter mixture. Add flour and vanilla and beat well. Pour into an 8”x8” square cake pan (or double recipe for a 9”x13”).

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Mix together brown sugar, butter, canned milk and coconut for topping. Spread over still warm cake and place under the broiler just until topping is lightly browned and bubbly.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

{My grandmother invented this, which amazes me to no end. I don't invent recipes. You can't serve this to people without being asked for the recipe.}

1 angel food cake mix
Reserve 2 T. mix and replace with 2 T. cocoa

Follow instructions for cake. (must be made a night in advance)

Frosting:

Melt together 40 large marshmallows
1/2 c. milk
10 oz. giant Hershey bar w/almonds (or without, to taste)

Cool to room temperature, then fold in 1/2 pint of heavy cream, whipped.

Slice cake into three layers. Frost in between layers and around outside of cake. Chill several hours before serving. (Also may be frozen at this point.)

Frozen Cheesecake

{This is my kind of cheesecake -- not too heavy on the cheese!}

1 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
3 eggs
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 t. salt
1 c. heavy cream
graham cracker crumbs

Cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Separate eggs and beat in yolks. Add vanilla and salt.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into cream cheese mixture.

Whip cream and fold into mixture.

Spread a layer of graham cracker crumbs in bottom of a 9x13 inch pan or springform pan, pour in cream cheese mixture, and freeze.

Grandma's Sweet Roll Dough

2 T yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. + 2 t. sugar
1 cube butter
2 c. water
2/3 c. powdered milk
2 t. salt
7 c. flour
2 eggs

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c. warm water with 2 t. sugar.

Melt butter; add 2 c. water and powdered milk.

Put milk mixture, 1/2 c. sugar, and salt in mixer. Add 3 c. flour and beat well.

Add yeast and beat well.

Add eggs and beat very well.

Add another 4 c. flour and mix.

Let rise 2 times (45 minutes each).

Form into loaves of cinnamon bread or rolls.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. Brush bread with butter after baking.


*For caramel rolls, place a generous amount of brown sugar in the bottom of a cake pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with pecans. Roll out dough with butter and brown sugar and form into rolls. Place in prepared pan. Turn out of pan after baking onto a wire rack.

*Generously frost cinnamon rolls after baking!

Cream Pie

(Just so you know, I had never made just a plain vanilla one before Jill requested it. I usually pour the custard over sliced bananas or mix in shredded coconut, but to each his own!)

mix in a medium saucepan:
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
rounded 1/3 c. flour

whisk in:
3 c. milk (whole is delicious here)

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil for one minute.

Remove from heat and pour about 1/3 of the mixture into a heatproof bowl with 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten. (I use the Pyrex measuring cup that I used to measure the milk.) You must whisk the egg yolks the whole time you are pouring in the hot mixture.

Immediately pour the egg mixture back into the pan and return to a boil (this will be very fast). Cook for 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 4 T. butter and 1 1/2 t. vanilla.

Prepare an ice bath. I plug up one side of my sink and put in lots of ice cubes and about 3 inches of cold water. Place the hot pan in the ice bath. (This cools the custard down more quickly.) Stir every 5 minutes or so to prevent a skin from forming on the custard. When it has reached room temperature, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

**To make a delicious chocolate cream pie, increase the sugar to 1 1/2 c., the flour to a rounded 1/2 c., and add 1 1/2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate when you add the milk.**

To assemble the pie, pre-bake a pie crust, let cool, and pour in the chilled custard. Top with a generous amount of whipped cream. Sprinkle with toasted coconut for coconut cream pie, chocolate shavings for chocolate pie. I have tried a lot of different pie crusts, but, truth be told, I am not a crust connoisseur. For me, the crust is just a vehicle for the filling. Lately, I have been using this recipe from the old Betty Crocker cookbook.

For a 9" pie crust:

Mix together 1 c. sifted flour, 1/2 t. salt. Cut in 1/3 c. shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with 2 T. ice water and quickly mix with fingertips. (You don't want to handle the dough too much or it will not be tender and flaky.) Gather the dough together and press firmly into a ball. Roll out into a circle about 1" larger than your pan. Fit pastry loosely into the pan -- avoid stretching to prevent shrinking. Crimp the edges and prick all over with a fork. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.