Recipe: The Cornbread...

The Cornbread, because in my mind, there will be no other!  This is not healthy.  It has an unreal amount of calories in every bite, but it is sooo worth it.  My friend Sarah gave me this recipe I think.

2 c sugar
2 c yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 c wheat flour
1 1/2 c white flour
4 t baking powder
1 t salt

-Mix these dry ingredients in a big bowl.
-Spray a 9x13 pan and put 1/3 c butter (from ingredients listed below) in it.  Stick it in the oven so it gets all melted.

1 c butter (divided into 1/3 and 2/3 of a cup)
4 eggs
3 c milk

-Beat eggs in a medium bowl.  Add milk.
-Melt 2/3 c butter in a small bowl, add to other wet ingredients.
-Add liquids to drys and stir, but not too much.
-When butter in the pan is melted, take the pan out of the hot oven and pour the batter in.  The melted butter will come up over the edges and sort of fry the corn bread (yum!).
-Bake at 375 for about 35 ish minutes.  Check often.  The middle should not be jiggly, but barely golden brown.

Recipe: Thin Pizza Dough...

This is from The King of Grilling, Stephen Raichlen.  Except I think I triple his or something.  This makes a lot...  We usually make these as personal size pizzas.

3 c hot water
3 T yeast
3 t sugar
2 T sea salt
1/2 c white cornmeal
1/2 c wheat flour
3 T olive oil
8 c white flour

-Mix.  Preferably in a kitchen aid.
-Pour more olive oil around the dough in the bowl (so nothing sticks to the bowl).  Let rise.  Punch down and roll out thin.  You'll need a floured surface, and more flour on the dough as you roll.
-Grill or bake!  Do them for a few minutes, then top and finish off.

Recipe: Thick Pizza Dough

This is my Mom's pizza dough recipe, and I usually double it.  Without doubling it makes a normal cookie sheet sized pizza.

1 T dry yeast *
 1 t warm water **
 1 t sugar
1 t salt
2 T vegetable oil
2 1/2 c flour
-Put yeast, sugar, salt, and oil in a bowl, then add hot water.  Stir it up, then let it sit a minute until the yeast starts to get fluffy.
-Add flour and mix until combined.
-Spray a cookie sheet in the middle, I usually leave it unsprayed around the edge so the dough sticks to the side of the pan.
-Let rise, then pick it up (you may need to sprinkle it and your hands with flour to keep everything from getting sticky), and put it on a cookie sheet.  Squish it around until it covers the cookie sheet.
-Heat oven to 350, then bake the naked crust for five minutes.
-Top with whatever, then bake about 12-17 minutes more.

* I, following my Mom's example, always keep my yeast in a jar in the freezer, and I've never had any problems having it not rise.
**  The water should be hot enough to still touch but too hot to comfortably wash your hands in.

Better-Than-a-Candy-Bar Bars...

I made these today for the first time, and when I tasted them, I almost ditched the function for which I baked them- just so I could eat the whole pan myself.  But I was good, and didn't...
Here's what you need:

1 c butter
1 chocolate cake mix (I used devil's food)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c white chocolate chips
1 package of caramels (my package had 41 caramels)

-Melt the butter in a fair-sized glass bowl.  Add cake mix (with none of the cake ingredients- just the mix) and half the can of sweetened condensed milk.
-Press half of this cake mix stuff into the bottom of a sprayed 9x13" pan.  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until the center is not runny.
-Melt unwrapped caramels and other half of the can of milk in the microwave. 
-Sprinkle half bag of semi sweet and half bag of white chocolate chips over cake when it gets out of the oven.  Pour caramel mixture over and spread so it's even.  Then drop the remaining chocolate cake mixture over the top.
-Bake for about 20 minutes.

I'm just thinking of all the other evilness you could add to these...  A marshmallow layer?  Heath bars?

Mom's Rolls...

My Mom was a caterer, and her rolls were always in demand...

2 c warm water (hot from the tap, hot enough that you can still touch it, but too hot to wash your hands in...)
1/2 c sugar
3 T oil (I usually use canola or olive)
2 t salt
2 eggs (beaten in separate bowl)
2 T yeast
7 c flour (you can use all white, half wheat, or any other mixture you want)

Mix first six ingredients- move fast!  Have everything ready so you can get the yeast in before the water gets too cold.
Mix in flour with a sturdy wooden spoon.  No need to knead.
Let rise until double, then roll out and use a round cookie cutter, or drop dough with a spoon into a greased pan.  Let rise again, then bake at 375 for 15 minutes.  If you would like, pour melted butter over the unbaked rolls then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

This is seriously good...  You can make this the night before and leave it raw in the fridge overnight to bake in the morning- a good Christmas Morning treat.

-Grease a large casserole dish, the size larger than a 9x13.  (The recipe is supposed to be for a 9x13, but I figure why not spread it out a bit more so it goes further?)
-For the cake:
3 c flour
1/4 t salt
1 c sugar
4 t baking powder
1 1/2 c milk
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 c butter, melted
-Mix it all together in a big bowl in order.  Pour it into pan.
-For the topping:
1 c butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
2 T flour
1 T cinnamon
-Mix topping ingredients, drop onto the cake and swirl.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 32 minutes.
-While cake is baking, make the glaze:
2 c powdered sugar
5 T milk
1 t vanilla
-Drizzle on warm cake just from the oven.

Yes...

I think I just found my next birthday cake...

This recipe was voted the best Blogger recipe in 2012 and my friend Marie from the English Kitchen is generous enough to share it with you. I made this yesterda...y and it is insanely good.

Fudge Brownie Pie

3/4 cup flour
1 cup of regular sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 ounces butter, melted
2 large free range eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
2 handfuls of mini marshmallows

For the frosting:

2 ounces butter, melted (1/4 cup)
1 ounce cocoa powder, sifted (1/4 cup)
2 ounces evaporated milk (1/4 cup)
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (8 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 inch spring form pan set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Beat together the butter, eggs and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in the toasted nuts. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake on a middle shelf of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Immediately sprinkle the marshmallows on top and return to the oven for a few minutes to melt the marshmallows. Remove from the oven and carefully spread the chocolate frosting over top.

To make the chocolate frosting mix all ingredients together in a bowl, beating with an electric whisk until smooth and thick. Spread on the hot marshmallows. Let cool completely. Cut into wedges to serve.

Gumbo!

1 T oil
1 T garlic (dried)
2 T creole seasoning
1 bag frozen chicken, boneless skinless breast tenders
-Cook in a 6 qt. pot, unless you have a bigger one.

7 stalks celery
1 onion
2 green peppers
1 u-shaped turkey sausage
-Chop and saute with chicken.

1/2 c wheat flour
1 big can diced tomatoes
5 c water
5 t chicken boullion
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 small package small pink shrimp
-Add in order.  Simmer.
-Serve with rice.  (don't cook with rice unless you get a bigger pot!  Then saute about 1 c rice with veggies and sausage...)

109 calories a cup.

The Cookies...

I use the same basic recipe for most of the cookies I make.  My Mom called it:

COWBOY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
1 3/4 c sugar
1 3/4 c brown sugar
2 c shortening
4 eggs
1 t vanilla
4 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
2 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 c quick oats
1 bag chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
-Mix it up!  Drop onto cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 7 to 10 minutes.  Makes about 100 cookies.

-When I make this version, I use a cup and a half of shortening, and about a half cup of vanilla or plain yogurt.  And I don't use the full two cups of quick oats, only about three handfuls.

Here are my variations:

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
-use 1 c shortening and 1 c peanut butter
-use peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch
-sometimes I add Reese's Pieces as well

"HEALTHY" COOKIES
-use 1 c shortening and 4-6 ounces vanilla yogurt
-use wheat flour instead of white
-add about a half cup almond meal
-use chocolate and white chocolate chips
-add dried cherries and dried cranberries

APPLE COOKIES
-use 1 c shortening and 1/2 c applesauce and one small container (4 oz) plain Greek yogurt
-omit all chocolate chips, instead dice up about 4 apples and put in
-add 2 t cinnamon and 1 t cardamom to dry ingredients

Experiment: Homemade Crackers...

I had to take a side to the squadron picnic, and since I'm usually a confirmed cookie person, I thought "Hey, crackers are just like cookies right?  But qualify as a side?"  So I tried two types.  The first ended up like Wheat Thins, but I didn't roll them thin enough.  Therefore they were chewy and largely inedible.  These cheese crackers, however, were about the best things I've ever tasted.  (They didn't go well at the picnic- I don't think people knew what they were- but that was fine, because there were more for us to bring home!)  Here is the recipe:

1 c butter, room temp
6 oz finely shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
1/2 t sea salt
1 t black pepper
3 t fresh herbs (I used rosemary)
2 1/2 c flour
2 T water
-Mix butter in mixer until creamy.  Add other ingredients one at a time.
-Roll into a log on plastic wrap, chill for 30 min.  (You can of course roll out and cut with cookie cutters.)
-Slice and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Honey Wheat Bread...

I like making my own bread.  Especially here in Guam.  I don't know if they freeze all the bread for shipping?  But something makes the bread here, that I have tried at least, taste sort of like styrofoam.  B gave me a kitchen aid mixer for Mother's Day last year, and with that, I find making bread quite easy and satisfying.  Here is my fairly healthy honey wheat recipe:

3 T yeast
4 c warm water
3/4 c honey
10 c wheat flour
3 t sea salt
1/2 c flax seed meal
-Mix yeast, water, honey.  Let live.
-Add all flour, mix.
-Add flax and salt.  Mix, then let knead for six minutes.
-Dough will be sticky.  Cover and let rise 15 minutes.  Punch down well, divide into three loaves, put into sprayed pans.  Let rise 30 minutes.
-Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 325 for 30 minutes.  (I put a pan of water in the oven during baking.)