Glazed Poppy Seed Bread

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made some tonight without knowing that it was one of Ross' all time favorites! Score! Happy husband = happy wife!


Poppy Seed Bread 
Recipe adapted from Beneath My Heart (my additions indicated by *)

3 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups oil
1 1/2 T. poppy seeds
2 t. butter flavoring
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp almond extract*

Mix together the above ingredients and beat for two minutes.
Fill 5 or 6 mini-loaf pans 2/3 to 3/4 full.
Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Glaze
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 tsp almond extract*
1/2 t. butter flavoring

Mix in a glass measuring cup. Pour over hot bread when removed from the oven. Let stand for 30 minutes.

30 Minute Yeast Rolls

Before making these, I didn't "believe in" 30 minute yeast breads. To my delight, I was totally wrong! These only took 30 minutes, from start to finish! Yep! That's it! I sprinkled garlic powder and parmesan cheese on a few of them and left the others plain. Ohhhhh yum. I also think that this would make a great base recipe for mixing in cinnamon and brown sugar or jalapenos and cheese. We took some to the neighbors so that we didn't devour the entire pan alone. So, do your family a favor and whip some up tonight for dinner! The hubby will definitely approve :)

30 Minute Rolls

Recipe from Your Homebased Mom

1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water
1/3 C oil
2 Tbsp yeast
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 C bread flour (seems to work better but all purpose flour will also work)
Butter (optional)

In your mixer bowl combine the water, oil, yeast and sugar and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.  Using your dough hook, mix in the salt, egg and flour.  Knead with hook until will incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. (Just a few minutes)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown. Butter rolls while hot.

Rosemary Lemon Artisan Bread

This is Ross' mom's recipe for some absolutely amazing bread! I was scared of yeast (still am a bit), but it's not scary in this recipe! The thing is...if you want to take pictures of it, do so quickly. Your husband is very likely to swoop in and eat most of it before you get out your camera. It's definitely hubby approved!


Bread, Artisan Rosemary Lemon

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp chopped lemon zest
**you can use any combo of herbs that you want. herbes de provence also makes great bread.**
Cornmeal as needed
1 5/8 (or 1 1/2 cups plus 1/8 cup) warm water

In large bowl, combine flour, yeast, salt, rosemary and zest. Add water, stir until blended (dough will be shaggy and sticky.) Cover lightly with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at warm room temperature, 70 degrees, until surface is dotted with bubbles, 12-18 hours. (If the room is too cool, there is a way to use the oven to proof the dough-instructions are below)

Place dough on lightly floured surface. Sprinkle dough with flour; fold dough over onto intself once of twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rest 15 minutes


Using very little flour, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a smooth cotton towel with cornmeal. Put dough, seam side down, on towel; dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another towel; let rise until dough is more than double in size and does not readily spring back when poked with a finger, about 2 hours.


At least 30 minutes before dough is ready, put cast iron pot in oven; preheat to 450 degrees. Remove pot from oven, Slide hand under towel; turn dough over, seam side up, into pot; it's okay if it looks messy. Cover with lid; bake 30 minutes. Uncover, bake until loaf is browned, 15-30 minutes. Set pot on wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Using oven mittc, turn pot on side; gently turn bread. It will release easily. (Credit Wm Sonoma who credits Sullivan Street Bakery and Mark bittman "The Secret of Great Bread: Let time Do the Work," The NYTimes, nov 8, 2006.)

Proofing dough in the oven: It is VERY important to turn the oven off before you put the dough in it!!! Turn the oven to 200 degrees for 4 minutes, then turn off. The oven will probably not even feel warm, but it will take the chill off. Put the dough in the oven and put a reminder on your oven controls that there is something in the oven so that no one accidently turns the oven on for preheating. It happens to everyone at least once.

French Dip Crescent Sandwiches with Au Jus

This was a good meal on a cold night...something about dipping the warm sandwich into the hot au jus just made me feel all warm inside. Plus, talk about E-A-S-Y! It's a win-win!


French Dip Crescent Sandwiches with Au Jus for dipping
adapted from Mama Loves Food, photo from bakingbad.com

You need
1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls (8 individual rolls)
4 slices swiss cheese, cut in half
16 slices deli roast beef

Make it
1- unroll crescent rolls and separate into triangles, following the perforated lines
2- place 2 slices of roast beef and 1/2 slice of swiss cheese onto each of the 8 rolls
3- roll up each roll, starting at the wide end
4- bake in preheated oven according to directions on crescent roll package

Au Jus dipping sauce
You need

1 or 2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp all purpose flour (optional)

Make it
1- saute onion in olive oil until softened.
2- add garlic to pan and stir for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
3- add water, bouillon cubes and Worcestershire sauce, dissolving bouillon cubes as you stir. bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes.
4- uncover and let cook until reduced by about 1/2.
5- strain out all garlic and onion, keeping only sauce and serve immediately.
6- optional- if you want to thicken it up even more- whisk flour into a few tbsp of cold water, whisking vigorously to reduce clumping. return the sauce to the pan and stir in flour mixture. bring to boil, stir and serve.

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Ross loved these. He kept saying how amazed he was that they were healthy for you and delicious! As for the baby...well, he is wearing them from head to toe so, I think it's safe to say that he approves.

Whole Wheat Honey Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
adapted from food.com

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 tablespoons wheat germ
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup hot water
Chocolate chips: amount to taste

Directions:

1. Stir together dry ingredients, including cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
2. Beat oil and honey together; add vanilla and eggs and beat well.
3. Add bananas and beat to combine.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet, alternating with hot water; mix well after each addition.
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
   
6. Spoon batter into 24 greased muffin cups; bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, or until muffins are golden brown and test done.
7. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Sticky Buns

Make these. Trust me.

You need:

1 stick of butter, divided
1 cup brown sugar, divided
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1/2 pint fresh washed berries (I have used blueberries and blackberries)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon

Make it:

-In a cast iron skillet, melt 3/4 stick of butter. Add 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir until bubbly and it starts to get caramely. I'm not totally sure if that's a real word...just go with it.


-Remove the pan from heat and arrange biscuits in skillet over the caramelized goodness.

-Sprinkle berries over the biscuits.

-In a food processor, mix remaining butter, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Mix until crumbly.

-Sprinkle the crumble over biscuits.

-Bake at 350. The time will vary. I added about 10 minutes to the directions on the can of biscuits. It will take longer than on the can, since the biscuits are all mashed up together.

-Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. The sugary mixture stays really hot for a long time. *If you need to take a picture of them, you better be speedy...or your family might get to them first and only leave you a few to photograph*

Sweet Potato Cake Bread

I made this the other night and Ross had no idea he was eating whole wheat flour and sweet potatoes! (This may or may not have been to do with the cream cheese icing on top)It tastes a whole lot like carrot cake and Ross couldn't get enough! Yay!

You need---

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I got mine at Sprout's)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup water

1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cream cheese icing (recipe follows)

How to make it--

-Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.

-Pour batter into well greased 9x5 inch loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F for about one hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. This will not rise up as much as you would expect. It pretty much stays flat on top, not rounded.

-Let cool and top with cream cheese icing.

Cream Cheese Icing

You need--

1/2 stick room temperature butter

1/2 block cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar

splash of vanilla extract


How to make it--

-Cream together butter, cream cheese and vanilla until smooth.

-Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing as you combine. Continue adding powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. This may be slightly more or less than 2 cups.

Pie Crust

When my sister was here recently, we made a peach pie with homemade pie crust. I've decided that homemade crust is FAR better than store bought and it costs way less to make it yourself. Plus, when you use your food processor it is super-duper easy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter chilled and diced
1/4 c ice water

Place flour and salt in food processor. Pulse until mixed. Add butter to flour mixture and pulse until it forms coarse crumbles like this.


Add water very slowly (like, one tbsp at a time) while the processor is on. Add water until the pie crust forms a ball. It's so cool!


Roll out dough to about 1/4 inch. I like to bake my pie crust for about 5 minutes at 350 before filling it. This way I'm sure it won't be soggy. Then, fill and bake according to pie directions.

Butterscotch Banana Muffins

My mom used to make these when we were growing up. They're so fabulous!

1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup white sugar
2 ripe bananas
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Puree oatmeal and sugar in food processor until fine
-Mix all dry ingredients and oatmeal mixture
-Puree bananas
-Add bananas and liquid ingredients to dry mix. Stir only until mixed. Don't over mix.
-Fold in butterscotch chips.
-Bake in sprayed muffin pan for 13-15 minutes

Cracker-crispy pizza dough

Last night I made margherita pizza using the Thin n’ Crispy Pizza Crust from this site. Ross is big on crispy pizza, so it was a hit. I added my notes in green.



Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
Italian seasoning

Directions:
Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Stir 1-1/4 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt into yeast mixture to form a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with coil, turning dough to coat. Cover; let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)

Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into a 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of dough with fingers to form a rim.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Drizzle dough with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt (this is important!) and Italian seasoning to taste. Now, using a fork, poke lots of holes all over dough, to prevent bubbles. Place pan on lowest oven rack; bake at 450 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven; top with desired toppings and bake an additional 7-10 minutes or until crust and cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Jalapeno Cheesy Popovers

saw Sunny Anderson make this recipe on TV....adapted it to be more "Ross"
he said it had to be put on the blog...hence earning the hubby approved seal
my changes are in green

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup finely grated Cheddar
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons minced chives (deleted)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (deleted)
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• red pepper flakes
• lots of chopped jalapenos
  

Directions

Special Equipment: 24-cup mini muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and melted butter. Whisk in the flour and salt and fold in the cheeses and chives until evenly incorporated. Cover batter and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Put a mini muffin pan on the middle rack in the oven to warm for 10 minutes.

Remove muffin tin from oven (careful, hot!), spray with non-stick spray and pour the batter into the cups of the hot tin, filling almost to the top. Bake the popovers until crisp and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Bird Biscuits

Here is a super easy and yummy bread that Yaya used to make all the time. Over the July 4th weekend she made them again and brought back all sorts of memories....Amy called them Bird Biscuits because they look like they are rolled in bird seed and I love that name!

Bird Biscuits
-Canned Biscuits cut in half
-Sesame seeds
-Melted butter

It's SO easy! Dip biscuit halves in melted butter. Then roll biscuits in sesame seeds on all sides. Place biscuits on baking sheet and cook according to directions on biscuit can. These are amazing with honey!