Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

6 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup milk

Zest from a lemon
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Glaze:
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
juice from one lemon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x15 in loag pan (or 4 small bread tins)

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a larger bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and eggs until it's light and fluffy.  Add milk and flour mixture in two parts, mixing well.  Stir in the grated lemon peel and poppy seeds.

Pour batter into into prepared baking pan(s).  Bake for 50-60 min (the little tins took 40 min) (rotating pan half-way through bake time from even browning), OR until a toothpick or tester inserted into center of bread comes out clean.  Allow bread to cool for 5 minutes.

Prepare the glaze by mixing sugar and lemon juice, poke wholes into bread with fork and drizzle over warm bread and allow to cool or serve warm.

So yummy :)

Original recipe click here

Chocolate Mint Brownies

This recipe is for a full cookie sheet.

Brownies:
1 1/2 cup margarine
6 eggs
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/3 cup cocoa
2 1/4 cup flour

Green layer
1 1/2 lb powdered sugar
8 Tbs margarine, melted
4 Tbl evaporated milk
1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3-5 drops green food coloring

Top layer
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 Tbl margarine
4 Tbl evaporated milk

Brownies:
Cream margarine, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.  Add salt, cocoa, and flour.  Bake at 350 in a cookie sheet for 25 - 30 minutes.  Cool.

Green layer:
Beat ingredients until fluffy.  Spread on brownies and refrigerate.

Top layer:
Melt chocolate chips and margarine together.  Stir in evaporated milk to make smooth.  Spread on brownies. Refrigerate.

Banana Cream Pie

Crust:
2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup chopped almonds
2 tablespoons powder sugar
6 tablespoons melted butter

Mix and press into a spring form pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and let cool completely.

Filling:
3 bananas
1 large package of vanilla pudding
1 small container of whipped cream

Chopped the bananas and cover the bottom of pie crust (after cooled) with half of them.  Spread pudding over the top and spread the remaining bananas over the top.  Cover with whipped cream.  Chill before serving.

When served add other fruits on top.  I used Strawberries and Raspberries and it was perfect!

Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe: Banana Split Cream Pie

Never-Fail Pie Crust (Apple Pie)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon vinegar

Combine flour and salt in a bowl.  Cut in shortening.  Add mild and vinegar.  shape dough into a ball.  Chill for 30 minutes.  Divide the dough in half.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half to fit a 9-in. pie pan.  Fill or bake according to recipe directions.

Hints - When transferring the dough to the pie plate roll it onto the rolling pin and then unroll it while laying it on top of pie plate.

When doing a plaid top start with the longest on the middle top to bottom then the side to side.  Then back to top and bottom then side to side.  This makes it easier to weave the pieces over the top of pie.

When I made it with my apple pie I just had a filling and baked the pie at 350 until the top was lightly brown.  It was really good!

From Taste of Home "Best loved Pies"

Cinnamon Rolls

Raisin Cinnamon Sweet Rolls

Ingredients:
2 cups scalded milk, col to luke warm
½ cup shortening (use real butter)
½ cup warm water
2 Tbl dry yeast
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup cold mashed potatoes
7 cups flour (about)
½ cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup raisins (can add more, if desired)
Butter, softened
Cinnamon and sugar

Directions:
Pour milk over shortening. Cool to luke warm. Soften yeast in warm water. Beat eggs. Add to the milk-shortening mixture. Add sugar, salt, mashed potatoes and yeast mixture. Sitir in 4 cups flour and mix well. Soften the raisins with hot water. Plour the nuts and raisins and add, blending well. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Let rise in warm place for 1 ½ hours or until double in bulk. Punch down and allow to rise again until doubled. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle ½ - inch thick. Spread with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Roll up jiffy-roll style and cut into 1 – inch slices. Either place in greased muffin tins to bake or place in greased baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Allow to rise again until doubled and bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until done. Frost with *powdered sugar glaze.

*Powdered sugar glaze
1 cup powered sugar
2 Tbl milk
2 drops vanilla
Brush lightly over bread

Streusel Macadamia Slice

(Australian recipe… I tried to convert the recipe, but I am not sure that I am right.)

175g unsalted butter softened ( 3/4 cup)
¾ cup caster sugar (brown sugar)
2 tsps finely grated orange rind ( ½ of an orange juice)
2 eggs
¾ cup plain flour
¾ cup self-raising flour
Icing sugar mixture, to decorate

Streusel Macadamia Topping
¾ cup plain flour
2 tsps ground cinnamon
60 g cold unsalted butter, chopped ( 1/4 cup)
1/3 cup brown sugar
150 g raw macadamia nuts (2/3 cup)
1 Tbs water

Directions
Grease a 19cm x 30cm lamination pan. Line base and sides with baking paper, making sure it extends 2cm above edges of pan.

Beat butter, caster sugar and orange rind in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Combine sifted lours and stir into egg mixture. Spread cake batter over base of prepared pan.

To make streusel macadamia topping, process flour, cinnamon and butter in a food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add brown sugar and nuts and process until nuts are coarsely chopped. Add water and process for another 30 seconds, or until mixture resembles, coarse breadcrumbs.

Sprinkle topping evenly over cake batter.

Cook in a moderate oven, 180 C (350 F) for 40 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Stand slice in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To serve, cut slice into small squares and dust with sifted icing sugar mixture.

Vegetable Pizza

Bottom Crust:
2 cans crescent refrigerator rolls

Filling:
2 8-oz pkg cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
1/3 – ½ cup mayonnaise
1 pkg hidden Valley Ranch style salad dressing mix

Vegetables:
Several of any variety, chopped fine (i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, onions)
Carrots, shredded

Directions
Lay out rolls on greased cookie sheet, forming a full layer of dough. Bake about 12 minutes @ 375. For the filling, mix all ingredients and spread on cooled crust. Chop fine any variety of vegetables and mix together. Put on top of the cream chreese. Then add shredded carrots to top it off.

Cinnamon Bunt Cake

1 yellow or white cake mix
1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1 small carton sour cream (1 cup)
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 cup water
3 Tbl flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbl cinnamon

Mix all ingredients together (except the sugar and cinnamon). Grease a bunt cake pan very well with shortening. Mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the bottom and sides of the cake pan. It will stick to the shortening. Put about 1/3 of cake batter in the cake pan. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of sugar on top of cake batter. (You may use more or less cinnamon sugar, what ever looks good.) Repeat 2 more times. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 30 to 40 before you remove it from the pan. You can freeze this cake for future use.

Cinnamon Rolls

I have tried cinnamon rolls before, and they are hard as soon as they cool. These are fabulous...but you should be appalled at how much butter is in them. I took out 1 cube, and they were still fine, I'll show you where. Honestly, these are the greatest.

ROLLS

1/2 cup warm water

2 pkgs of dry yeast (1 pkg = 2 1/4 tsp.)

2 Tbl sugar

3 1/2 oz pkg. vanilla pudding mix (you will make the pudding)

1/2 cup margarine - melted

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

6 cups flour

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup margarine

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 Tbl milk

To make frosting, mix all ingredients until smooth.

In a bowl combine water, yeast, and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.

In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions. Add margarine, eggs, and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend.

Gradually add flour, knead until smooth. Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Punch down dough and let rise again.

Then roll out on floured board to 34 x 21" size. Take 1 cup soft butter (I only used 1/2 cup of butter and it still turned out great) and spread over surface. In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar, and 4 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over top. Toll up very tightly. With knife, put a notch every 2". Cut with thread of knife. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2" apart. Take hand and lightly press down on each roll.

Cover and let rise until double again.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Remove when they turn golden brown. Do not over bake.

Cookies & Ice Cream

So, I know this isn't anything elaborate....but it's really incredibly tasty. So I thought I'd share.

You will need chocolate chip cookie dough, ice cream, and little glass custard cups like these from target: http://www.target.com/dp/B000FQFDTC/ref=gp_se_search-results-asin-redirect

Press cookie dough into the bottom and halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake in a cake pan....just 'cause they are easier to manage that way...at 375 for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove pan from the oven and let cookies cool for 5 - 10 minutes.

Then scoop ice cream into the dish on top of the cookies. It is easiest to serve these placed inside a larger bowl...so you don't have to touch the hot cups.

They are super good! People always love them!

Elair Cake - Reprise

I know how some of you only buy cookbooks for the pictures, and I have already posted this, but it turned out so well, it deserved another effort.

So, I'm going to write it all out again, but add my comments.

Elair Cake

1 1/2 water
1 1/2 cube butter
1 1/2 cup flour
6 eggs

Boil water and butter. Add flour slowly and mix until it forms a ball. Wisk eggs in separate container and then add to flour mixture and mix well.
Pour into large cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes.
Cook and refrigerate for 1 hour.

In a mixing bowl...
8 oz cream cheese
3 Tbl milk
2 small pkg. Vanilla pudding ( you have to make the pudding first, and instant pudding works fine)

Fold in 16 oz cool whip. Spread over crust and allow it to set up a little so when you drizzle Hershey syrup on top, it won't look like a mess. It is delicious.

Carla's Creamy Lemon Squares

(A recipe I made up all on my own without any help from Melanie at all!)

1 1/2 cups graham crackers crushed
½ c flour
¼ C packed brown sugar
3/4 stick margarine

Mix and press into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes at 350.


1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 TBSP flour
3 TBSP lemon zest, divided
¼ C fresh lemon juice
¼ tsp calumet baking powder


Beat cream cheese and sugar together add eggs and flour. Mix well. Blend in lemon zest and lemon juice and baking powder. Pour over crust. Bake 25-28 at 350 minutes or until center is set. Cool, and refridgerate 2 hours. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining lemon zest. (Can use foil in pan to lift out)

Eclair Cake

1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 cube butter
1 1/2 c flour
6 eggs

Boil water and butter, add flour slowly and mix until it forms a ball. Add eggs and mix well.
Pour into a large cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for 1 hr.

In a mixing bowl mix...

8 oz cream cheese
3 Tbl milk
2 small pkg vanilla pudding

Fold in 16 oz cool whip and spread over crust. Drizzle Hershey syrup on top.

This is really good.

Creamy Lemon Bars

10 graham crackers

½ c flour

¼ C packed brown sugar

1/2 stick margarine

Press in bottom of an 8 by 8 square dish. (I do mine in an 8 by 12 pan, and use a whole package of graham crackers and 2 extra tablespoons of margarine) Bake at 350 for 15 min (I skip this step because I think it makes the crust a little overcooked)

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese

1 C sugar

2 eggs

2 TBSP flour

3 TBSP lemon zest, divided

¼ C fresh lemon juice

¼ tsp calumet baking powder

Beat cream cheese and sugar together add eggs and flour. Mix well. Blend in lemon zest and lemon juice and baking powder. Pour over crust. Bake 25-28 at 350 minutes or until center is set. Cool, and refridgerate 2 hours. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining lemon zest. (Can use foil in pan to lift out)