Garlic Herb Braid

Garlic Herb Braid

4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) quick-rise yeast (I used SAF instant yeast) = 4 ½ tsp.
2 teaspoons dried basil
1-3/4 teaspoons dill weed
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
3/4 cup 2% milk (I used skim)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, melted
　
In a large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and seasonings.
In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water and cubed butter to 120°-130°.
Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened.
Add egg; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a 15-in. rope.
Place ropes on a greased baking sheet and braid; pinch ends to seal and tuck under.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.
Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Brush with melted butter. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf(16 slices).

Crispy and Creamy Doughnuts

Crispy and Creamy Doughnuts
From allrecipes

Ingredients:
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 5 cups all-purpose flour
1 quart vegetable oil for frying


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


Directions:
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 gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. 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 confectioners' 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. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large heavy skillet to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess. Keep a cookie sheet or tray under racks for easier clean up.

Maple frosting
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup margarine
¼ C. milk
2 tablespoons maple flavoring

Frosted Banana Bars

Frosted Banana Bars
(from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 (16 ounce) container cream cheese
frosting

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with the cream cheese frosting.



Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

Directions:
1. In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth, then fold in whipped cream.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

Homemade Oreo Cookies

COOKIES:

1 devil's food cake mix
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs

Mix the above ingredients together. Roll the dough into dime-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool cookies.

FROSTING:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 square butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 to 4 c. powdered sugar

Mix all of frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost BACKS of cookies and place together to make sandwich cookie.

White Texas Sheet Cake

White Texas Sheet Cake

1 c butter
1 c water
2 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c sour cream
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

In a large saucepan, melt together butter and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in flour, sugar, eggs, sour cream, almond extract, salt and baking soda. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes.

Frosting

Combine:
1/4 c butter
4 1/2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
water or milk to the right consistency

Spread over warm cake.

Cheesy Onion Casserole:

Cheesy Onion Casserole

Ingredients
2-3 Tbs butter or margarine
3 large sweet onions or 4 medium white or yellow onions
2 c. shredded Swiss cheese (8 oz.)
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted**
2/3 c. milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
8 or so slices of French bread
Slice onions and try not to cry. With this many onions, its hard.

Assemble Casserole
Melt butter in a saute pan over medium heat, and add onions. Saute onions until clear, a little brown is ok. In a shallow 2 qt. casserole pan, layer onions, 2/3 of cheese
and pepper to taste.

In a sauce pan, heat soup, milk, and soy sauce, stirring to blend. Pour soup mixture in a casserole and stir gently to mix. Top with bread slices.
Bake at 350 uncovered for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, top of bread should be nice and toasted.

Push bread slices under the sauce and top with the remaining cheese.

Place casserole back in oven and finish baking for 15 more minutes.

Finish Baking and Eat!

Lion House Zucchini Bread “Muffins”

Lion House Zucchini Bread "Muffins"

1 C. Oil
2 C. sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp. Vanilla
2 C. shredded raw zucchini
3 C. flour
1 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Baking powder
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

Combine oil, sugar, and eggs in large mixing bowl. Beat well. Blend in vanilla and zucchini. Sift dry ingredients together. Add to oil mixture and blend well. Add nuts.

Pour batter into 2 loaf pans (8x4x3), well greased and lighted floured. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until loaves test done. Or use 3 medium loaf pans and reduce baking time to about 30 minutes. Let stand in pans for ten minutes, then turn out on racks to cool.

**Note** I like to bake in muffin cups for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen muffins.