Sydney's Favorite Pretzelmaker Pretzels

Mix 1st three ingredients and set aside about 5 minutes.
2 Tbsp yeast sprinkles on top of the sugar water
1 Cup brown sugar
3 Cups warm water


Add:
8 Cups flour (aprox.)
(put the first 2 cups into your mixer(Bosch). Pour water mixture all at once into the flour and mix with whisk attachments for 4 minutes. Take out whisk attachments and put in the dough hook. Add the remaining flour gradually, until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Check dough it should be soft but not sticky. Add small amounts of flour until it reaches this stage. Knead dough in machine for 5 minutes from this point.

Transfer dough to a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray and let rise until doubled (aprox 1 to 1 1/2 hour).

Break off pieces of dough the size a little bigger than a golf ball and roll out into long strands aprox 16". Twist into a pretzel shape.

Boil:
2 Quarts water
1/4 Cup baking soda


Put pretzel shaped dough into boiling water for 20 seconds on each side. Then place on cookie sheet. You can shake coarse salt sprinkled on the sheets if you like the tradtional pretzel.

Bake:
400 degrees conventional oven for 8 to 10 minutes. It may take a few minutes longer better to have more browned than doughy.

400 degrees convection oven for 4 to 6 minutes.

Cool for 2 to 3 minutes and dip into desired topping.

Topping:
Melted Butter
Pretzel Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Cinnamon/Sugar

Chicken Bake with curry sauce

# of chicken breasts per person (I used 7 breasts for this amount of sauce)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1/4 cup can milk or milk to thin sauce
2 Tbsp chopped onion
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 1/2 tsp curry
1 tsp lemon peel
1 clove garlic minced
grated fresh parmesean cheese to cover each chicken

Place chicken breasts into baking dish and cover with cheese. Mix all other ingredients and pour over chicken.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

This was a spur of the moment creation that turned out we liked so I am estimating the ingredients as close as possible.

Broccoli Salad

1 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbsp vinegar
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 lb bacon cooked, crumbled
1/4 cup red onion chopped
1 head broccoli washed, chopped

Cook bacon and cool. Crumble set aside. Mix mayonaise, sugar and vinegar, add cheese onion, and bacon and stir. Add broccoli and chill in fridge 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

per serving 312 calories; 28 fat grams; 10 grams protein; 8 grams carb; 32 grams cholesterol; 475 mg sodium.

exchanges: 1 lean meat, 1/2 vegetable, 3 fat, 1/2 other carb.

Oreo Kisses

Oreo Kisses

1 package oreo cookies (divided… use cookie including the cream center)
1 8oz. package cream cheese (softened)
chocolate bark

1. Finely crush all but seven cookies in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency.
2. Stir in softened cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together.
3. Roll the mixture into 1" balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
4. Then, begin to form the shape of a kiss. Flattening the bottom and forming a point at the top. (Mine ended up about 1.5" tall)
5. It helps to put the uncoated balls in the freezer for a few minutes to keep the mixture from starting to fall apart when you drop into the melted chocolate.
6. Melt chocolate as directed on package and then dip "kisses" one at a time into chocolate, tap off extra and slide them off spoon onto wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.
7. Once dry, refrigerate and enjoy! Oh yeah, just eat the extra seven cookies.

Decorate:
1. Handwrite your messages or create them on the computer. Cut out the strips (about 1/4" tall and however wide you need).
2. Cut up some square sheets of aluminum foil (about 5.5" square)
3. Place dry kiss in center and start wrapping the foil around the base. Insert message near top and secure it by pressing the foil together at top.

Buttermilk Ricotta Pancakes Tyler Florence

1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup

For the pancakes

2 cups ricotta
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
Butter, for cooking
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional
1 cup maple syrup, warmed on stove-top

I found this recipie on Nummy Kitchen and the only change I made to the recipie was decreasing the amount of ricotta cheese since it tended to make the pancakes seem doughy. It makes for a really moist pancake and I love to serve it with some raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries rolled up like a crepe.

The original recipie also called for roasted apples on top which I chose to omit.

Death by Chocolate

Every time we have a church supper, I have to make this. It's a favorite!

Yield: 1 - punch bowl
Ingredients
1 (19.8 ounce) package brownie mix
2 (3.9 ounce) packages instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered English toffee
Directions
Prepare brownies according to package directions. Let cool.
Mix pudding according to package directions.
In a glass punch bowl, layer in the following order: 1/2 of the brownie, crumbled; 1/2 of the pudding; 1 toffee bar, crushed; 1/2 of the whipped topping.
Repeat layers in the same order. Save the last toffee bar to crumble and sprinkle on top before serving.
Refrigerate. Best if made the day before you serve it.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

1 3/4 C. Flour
1 3/4 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Cocoa
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tsp. Salt
2 Eggs
1 C. Milk
1/2 C. Oil
2 Tsp. Vanilla
1 C. Boiling Water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour pans (13x9" or two 9" or three 8" layers) Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat 2 min. Stir in boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour into pans. Bake 30-35 min for layers, 35-40 min for 13x9" or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pans on rack for 10 min. Remove from pans. Cool completely.

Top with either choice below, I prefer the Ganache.

Chocolate Ganache:

1 1/2 Cups milk chocolate chips
1 Cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla


FLUFFY FROSTING:

1 C. Cold Milk
1 Pkg. (4 serving) Instant Pudding mix - any flavor
1 tub (8oz) cool whip, thawed

Pour milk into bowl, add pudding mix. Beat with wire wisk 2 min. Gently stir in Cool Whip and spread on cake.

Hot Sticky Chicken Wings

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken wings, cut at joints and wing tips removed
House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup tangy, red barbecue sauce
1/4 cup pomegranate juice, reduced by 1/2
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons butter
Peanut oil, for frying
Celery sticks and red bell pepper slices, for serving
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay the chicken wings out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with House Seasoning. Bake for 20 minutes.

Saute the garlic in vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until softened and fragrant. Stir in barbecue sauce, reduced pomegranate juice, hot sauce and honey. Bring to a boil then lower and simmer for 15 minutes until thick. If using crushed red pepper flakes, add and cook 30 seconds more. Stir in butter until melted and smooth. Pour into a large mixing bowl.

Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

Fry the baked wings for 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined sheet pan to drain.

Toss the fried wings in the red sauce to coat. Transfer to a platter and serve with celery sticks and red bell pepper slices.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Rated: 5 stars out of 53 Reviews

Eclairs

Boil together until butter melted:

1 Cup water
1/2 Cup butter
pinch of salt

Add all at once:
1 Cup flour stir quickly until it becomes smooth.

Remove from heat and add one at a time stirring until completely mixed in
4 eggs. Mix until smooth.

Place on wax paper or other baking sheet lined cookie sheets. Size can be how you would prefer. I like mine aproximately size of a golf ball elongated or slightly bigger.

Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake remainin 20 to 40 minutes until golden brown.

when cooled cut a small opening from the top and hollow out puffs, fill with:

Homemade vanilla pudding or a cream filling

Top with chocolate frosting chill until ready to serve

Million Dollar Fudge (more like million calorie)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 can (15 oz) evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed)
3 packages (12 oz) milk chocolate chips
1 jar marshmallow creme

3 cups chopped nuts (optional)

Place butter, sugar and milk in heavy 4 quart saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 min., stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat. Gradually add chocolate chunks, stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Add marshmallow cream; mix well.


Pour into greased 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan. Cool completely before cutting

makes 60 pieces.

Variation:
I like to split the cooked mixture before I add the chocolate and I will do half with white chocolate and the other with the milk chocolate or just make in two separate pans.

Then I will separate and flavor the white chocolate into bowls and with different extracts and color each differently to differentiate. Once that step is finished I will pour into each individual prepared dish equal amounts of the white chocolate mixture and the brown chocolate mixture.

For appearance you can layer then on top of each other or swirled. I have added candy pieces, cookie bits, marshmallows or what ever you can imagine for a fun twist.

Best cut after cooled overnight in the refrigerator. If covered tightly fudge will store for up to 1 month, shorter time if cookies or softer medium that will go soggy are added to the candy.

This is a smooth creamy recipe and pretty much a no fail.

Lasagna

1 Jar spagetti sauce
Lasagna noodles enough to cover a 9x13 glass baking dish
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 tsp fresh garlic minced
1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped red onion (to taste)
2 1/2 tsp to 1 tbsp dried oregano
1 1/2 to 2 tsp dried basil
1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1 to 1 1/2 lb fried hamburger

1 lb mild Italian sausage

Boil noodles until not all the way softened so they are easier to work with.

While noodles are boiling start the hamburger and sausage frying in separate pans.. Drain and rinse the grease from the meat. Grind in blender for smaller size pieces of meat.  Mix two meats together

Cheese Filling:
mix together the ricotta, minsed garlic and mozarella cheese.

Tomato sauce:
add the seasonings to the tomato sauce along with the onion.

Place a layer of meat on the bottom of your baking dish and coat with some of the tomato sauce. Place your first layer of noodles over the hamburger. Top with your cheese filling. Place your second layer of noodles over the cheese mixture. Top with a small portion of reserved hamburger and enough of the tomato sauce to cover the noodles evenly. Any exposed noodles will dry out during baking.

You can top with more grated cheese and seasonings at this time if you would like.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until all bubbly.

Buenuelos (de Queso optional)

2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tbsp sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
oil for deep frying

Heat the oil to 365 degrees.

Beat eggs, milk and sugar together in a large bowl. Sift the dry ingredients together in separate bowl.

Mix the flour mixture into the eg mixture just enough to moisten all the ingredients and bring the batter together. Do not overmix. Fold in the cheese.

Drop spoonfulls of batter into the oil and fry until golden on all sides (they often turn themselves in the oil at perfect timing for the first sides browness). Remove to a plate covered with paper towels.

Variation:
Omit the cheese. When removed from oil and still warm roll into cinamin sugar or a simple powdered sugar, butter, milk, vanilla glaze (which makes them closely resemble a donut hole without having to wait hours for dough to rise).

This is a puerto rican fritter