Indian Flatbread (Naan)

This recipe creates a mild, slightly sweet, buttery, soft, and chewy flatbread, an ideal balance for the spiciness of the dish below. I used a cast iron pan to cook these, which worked perfectly. I haven't tried them in the oven or on the grill, but either could be used, as well.

2/3 cup warm milk
2 cups white flour
1 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter; I just used regular, melted butter)
2 tablespoons yogurt
minced garlic, garlic powder, onion seeds or onion powder, if desired
(poppy seeds, raisins, etc., could also be sprinkled on the dough, depending on your tastes)

1. Mix warm milk with yeast and sugar until both are dissolved. Let proof for about ten minutes (until frothy).
2. Sift flour, salt, and spices, if desired, in a bowl, then add the yeast mixture, the yogurt, and half of the butter.
3. Mix into a soft dough and knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (you'll probably have to work more flour into the dough for easier handling)
4. Place dough in warm place until doubled.
5. Punch down and knead for five minutes. Divide into 6 pieces, and roll each piece into 8-inch round naans. Cook one at a time (about 30 seconds on each side) in a buttered, cast-iron pan until puffed and just browned OR cover an oven tray with foil, grease the foil, and cook naan on your oven's highest setting for about two minutes on each side until puffed and just browned OR cook on a lightly greased grill for 2-4 minutes on each side.

Spicy Buryani (Chicken and Rice)

After eating some leftovers yesterday (I didn't have more than a few bites the night before), I've concluded that this isn't really super-spicy. It's spicy but not painful, so try it!

-8 medium pieces chicken
-2 cups basmati rice
-4 cups water
-1 cup plain yogurt
-1 tsp. red chilli (I used cayenne powder)
-1 tsp. tumeric powder
-1 tsp. garam marsala (a hot spice blend you can purchase or that you can make if you want)
-1 tablespoon each of garlic and ginger pastes (I made my own; just smush ginger root and garlic cloves in a food processor or in a hand-held garlic press; add a bit of water if needed)
-2 tablespoons butter
-salt
-2 medium onions

Make cuts in chicken pieces. Combine yogurt, chilli powder (or cayenne), garam marsala, half of the ginger/garlic pastes, half of the tumeric, and salt to taste. Rub onto chicken pieces and marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour.

Brown onion rings in butter and set aside.

Heat butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add remaining ginger/garlic pastes and tumeric powder and saute for a bit. Add chicken, rice, water, and salt, to taste. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until water has evaporated and chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes. Garnish with brown onions and serve with naan.

The Best Beans and Carrots Medley EVER

This is pretty much the only vegetable medley I make now. We'll probably get tired of it someday, but that day is not yet here.

A bag of baby carrots or sliced large carrots
Cut green beans, fresh or frozen
1 large onion
At least 4 fresh garlic cloves minimum, minced
butter
salt
pepper
basil
sugar

1. In a pan, cook onion and garlic in @ 3 tablespoons butter until somewhat carmelized (A bit golden-brown)
2. Add seasonings, to taste.
3. Cook carrots.
4. Cook beans.
5. Mix everything together into one delicious bundle.

Marinated Chicken #1

This chicken marinade is a rather unusual one, quite unlike the more typical Italian-dressing type marinades. It can be prepared in a crockpot, too, which is cool. (Crockpots rock, and I don't use ours nearly often enough.)

1 whole chicken, about 2 and 1/2 pounds, cut up, or cuts of your choice

1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning (or corresponding mixture of sage and thyme)
1 beaten egg
Pinch of garlic powder (or several pinches)
3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup water

1. Mix above ingredients and then bring to a boil.
2. Add cut chicken and boil until well-done.
3. Broil in oven about 5 minutes until browned.

Munch, munch, munch.

Marinated Chicken #2

I love this marinade, but it's a bit different every time I make it, hence the vague ingredient list.

About 1/2 bottle prepared Italian dressing (can omit this if you want)
White vinegar
Water, enough (but not enough to water it down too much, if you know what I mean)
Canola Oil, enough, but not too much
Lemon juice, several tablespoons
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
1 chopped onion
Lots of minced, fresh garlic
Parsley
Basil
Onion powder
And I usually throw in a bit of thyme and sage, cayenne pepper, and whatever else strikes my fancy of the moment.

Let cut-up chicken of your choice sit in this mixture in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 days, and longer is even better. Then, when you want to eat it, ovenbroil it in a jellyroll pan (or cookie sheet with edges) or grill it...outdoors.

Savor its savoriness until it's all gone.

Mopsy's Sweet Tomato Pie

We have this in the fullness of summer, when our garden spills over with its bounty. Mmmm.

Spaghetti Crust
1 (7 oz.) package spaghetti, cook al dente and drain
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten

Filling
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 clove minced fresh garlic (I use more)
1 small zucchini, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup (4 large) fresh mushrooms
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (or dried parsley, to taste)
5 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped (can skip the peeling)
1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup mozzerella cheese, grated or cubed (Add LAST)

Cook sausage until browned. Add tomatoes and other filling ingredients; add mozzerella and mix well. Spread over spaghetti and bake in 350 degree oven for @ 25 minutes.

Italian Cheese Bread

This is actually the dough I use for homemade pizza, too, but it makes a delicious flatbread with the addition of a few spices.

When we're not feeling the urge to be healthy, I generally use all-purpose flour, but you can substitute whole wheat for some of the flour, and the addition of a little gluten will increase the chewiness of the crust .
-2 and 1/2 cups flour (*More if desired; see below)
-1 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. sugar
-1 tbsp. yeast
-1 cup warm water
-1 tbsp. oil

1. Combine salt, sugar, yeast, then add water and oil. Let sit for proofing ('til frothy on top).

2. Mix yeast mixture with flour. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. (*At this point, I usually work more flour--at least 1/2 cup-- into the dough as I knead.)

3. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size. Punch down and pat into a roughly 12" circle on pizza pan or cookie sheet.

4. Add toppings and bake in 425 degree oven for about 15 minutes OR do as I do. At this point, if I've planned ahead of time, I cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or up to 24 hours. The flavor improves greatly, and I like the texture better, as well. This last step really is the key reason for my liking this dough.

Make this crust and, before baking, top it with 1/4-1/3 cup prepared Italian salad dressing, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. oregano, 1/4 tsp. thyme, dash pepper, 1 tbsp. parmesan/romano cheese, and enough shredded mozzerella to satisfy the cheese need.

Raspberry Cream White Chocolate Cake

White Chocolate Cake

4 egg whites
1 and ¾ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 oz. white chocolate, chopped or in chip form
¾ cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
1/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla
4 egg yolks

Filling and Frosting

Wild raspberry jam, courtesy of my own Mother Johnson
One and a half times normal recipe of Basic Cream Filling (recipe here)
Grated/chopped semisweet chocolate (You can just finely chop some chocolate chips in the food processor or blender.)
One recipe Fluffy Flour Frosting (recipe below)

Garnish
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips, melted for shape-making
Additional finely grated semisweet chocolate

1. In a mixing bowl allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Grease and lightly flour two 8 ½ inch round cake pans. Stir together flour, baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt; set aside.

2. In a small pan (or in microwave), melt the white chocolate with ¼ cup of the half-and-half, cream, or milk over very low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate begins to melt. Remove from heat and stir until the baking bar completely melts and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the remaining half-and-half, cream, or milk and cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on med.-high speed for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well until combined. Add the dry mixture and the white chocolate mixture alternately to the beaten mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined.

4. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into the cake batter. Spread batter in cake pans.

5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans. Prepare filling and frosting while cakes cool completely.

After the cakes are completely cooled, cut each layer in half lengthwise to make four thin layers. Place one cake layer on platter and spread with a thin layer of raspberry jam. Then spread on a third of the basic cream filling mixture and sprinkle with desired amount of semisweet grated chocolate. Repeat this layering with the second and third cake layers. Top the cake with the last cake layer and frost the top and sides liberally with Fluffy Flour frosting.

Garnish the top and sides with additional grated chocolate, and then make Chocolate Spikes. (For chocolate spikes, carefully melt 6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips in microwave, stir until completely melted and smooth, and, using a spatula, spread melted chocolate onto a large piece of wax paper. Once the chocolate has firmed up, you can cut it into shapes to garnish the cake. I made jagged, porcupine spikes that stuck up all over the top like a crown, and then I lined the sides with a row of chocolate rectangles. A crown-wearing porcupine cake.)

Fluffy Flour Frosting

This is one of my favorite frostings, and its name is a bit misleading as it only has 4 tbsp. of flour in it. It’s fluffy like whipped cream with a delicate sweetness that’s not overpowering—perfect for almost any cake. Plus, this is more stable than whipped cream and can sit out without becoming runny or needing refrigeration. (Just watch out for super-hot days! Like any frosting, this, too, will melt if faced with a sweltering temperature.)

1. Mix one cup cold milk and 4 tablespoons flour until well-combined. Cook over med.-low heat until thick, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. (Cook the mixture to the point at which it's a very thick paste. You should be able to tell when it's reached the point of maximum thickness, because it won't continue to noticeably thicken as you cook and stir. Upon cooling, it will thicken a bit more.) Refrigerate to cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, beat together ½ cup softened margarine and ½ cup shortening. Beat for four minutes.

3. Add 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat four more minutes.

4. Add the thoroughly cooled flour mixture and two teaspoons vanilla. Beat until combined and light and fluffy.

Edible Breadibles-- Baked Bread Bowls for Spicy or Grilled Chicken Salad (or Soups + Stews)

See, I've got a most delicious recipe for spicy popcorn chicken, but it's fried, so recently we've just pan-grilled strips of salt+pepper seasoned chicken in extra-virgin olive oil. (If you want it, though, the recipe for spicy popcorn chicken is yummier, and mum will be the word.)

Either way, these bowls filled with salad and chicken strips are one of mine and John's favorite meals. Perfect texture, perfect taste. Fill them with salad and chicken, prepared the way you favor, after they're removed from the oven. They're ideal for stews and soups, too.

BREAD BOWLS

1 cup warm water
2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

Four small ovenproof bowls (I use stainless steel mixing bowls, and they work fine, but small casserole dishes or something similar would be best.) Experiment with bowl size and dough thickness to reach your preference. Ours usually turn out crunchy in the thin parts and chewy in the thicker parts. Mmmm.

1. Combine the warm water, yeast, sugar, and salt, and let sit until foamy.

2. Combine with flour and knead until smooth and elastic.

3. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

4. Shape over 4 small, greased, overturned, metal or ovenproof bowls and let sit, covered, until puffy.

5. Mix egg yolk and water and brush over dough.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.** 

7. Remove bread bowls from ovenproof bowls, turn right-side-up, fill, and munch.

**Note-- for soups and stews, I usually bake for about 12-15 minutes before taking them off the bowls and placing the bread bowls (without the bowls) back into the oven for three more minutes.  This bakes and hardens the inside of the bowl so that the bread bowls are more firm and stable for stew.

Chicken and Mushrooms in Ale

I used a big bag of delicious shittake mushrooms I found for 69 cents on a reduced rack, but I later discovered they were @ $7.00/lb. normally, so regular mushrooms must do from now on. If you can find flavorful mushrooms for a good price, though, wild or in a store, those would work best. I cut back on the amount of chicken (because it's just the four of us),
but I increased the corresponding amount of mushrooms, onion, salt, pepper, and ale, and I may have cut down a bit on the thyme. I just used regular Worcestershire sauce, but in a lesser amount and only to taste. If you have white wine, that would probably work as a substitute, too.
--------
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves (1 and 1/2 lbs.)
1/3 cup chopped onion (more)
4 tsp. olive oil
2 and 1/2 cups chopped mixed mushrooms (more) (you could probably use canned mushrooms, even, adding them at a later point, but just use much less b/c they won't shrink when cooked)
1 and 1/4 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup brown ale or amber beer (more-- can be non-alcoholic; dark ale is the most flavorful)
4 tsp. white wine worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 tbsp. fresh
1/4 tsp. salt (more)
1/4 tsp. pepper (more)
----
12 oz. fettuccine or other pasta
----
3 tbsp. flour or enough cornstarch to thicken sauce desirably
----
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Brown chicken and onion in oil in a skillet, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Add mushrooms, 3/4 cup chicken broth, the ale or beer, worcestershire sauce, thyme, and salt+pepper. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and cook uncovered about 5 minutes or until chicken is not pink.

Meanwhile, prepare fettuccine or other pasta. Remove chicken breasts from skillet and keep warm. Shake or blend remaining broth and flour (or cornstarch) and pour into skillet. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook one minute more. Place chicken back in skillet and serve with pasta.

Coca Bread

This is a sweet Spanish flatbread that I haven't made in a winter or a two. It's heavenly eaten warm, and I think it's about time for a pairing with tea or cocoa. Now, where's my chef gone off to...

1 tablespoon + 1 tsp. yeast
1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
1 and 1/4 cup sugar
5- 6 cups flour
1/4- 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk, room temperature
4 large eggs
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Combine yeast and warm water. Let stand 10 minutes till foamy. In bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 4 cups flour, and salt. Stir in yeast mixture, milk, 3 eggs, and 1/2 cup melted butter till combined. Work the rest of the flour into the dough with your hands, 1/4 cup at a time, until it's no longer sticky. Knead until the dough has a smooth, satiny texture and springs back when you poke it, @ 5 minutes.

2. Place balled dough in a buttered bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease two baking sheet with unmelted butter. Cut dough in half. Place each half on a sheet and press into an 8" x 17" rectangle. Allow dough to proof for 15 minutes.

4. Whisk remaining egg with water and brush onto the dough. Generously sprinkle dough with remaining sugar and drizzle with honey. Bake until golden and crispy, about 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool a bit. Eat, oh, just eat it!

Savory Oven-Baked Fish

1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. crushed basil
1/4 tsp. garlic powder, or more, to taste
1/2 tsp. salt

Italian bread crumbs

Mild, skinless, white fish fillets (pollock, haddock, etc.)

Combine all ingredients except bread crumbs and fish. Roll fish pieces in butter mixture and then immediately coat with bread crumbs. Bake, on an ungreased cookie sheet, about 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven, or until fish flakes.

Serve with seasoned, oven-baked potato wedges and yummy green beans. Or garlic bread. Or lots of milk.

Beef Bulgogi

This is a spicy Korean dish, made even spicier and more delicious if you double, like we do, the amount of marinating sauce and spices it calls for. This dish is traditionally wrapped in lettuce leaves, but it's also served over white rice. We use brown rice, and it's yummy. We also use a different amount of spices each time and add julienned carrots to it, so I guess what we prepare isn't really beef bulgogi at all, but more of a spicy beef stirfry. Oh, well. It's still good.

1 and 1/2 pounds steak, trimmed of excess fat
---Double ingredients from here on out, if you wish, to strengthen the marinade----
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon hot chili sesame oil (we don't have it-- just use olive or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh peeled ginger (or ground ginger, to taste)
2 medium red onions, cut into wedges (or, if you're lame like us, regular yellow cooking onions)
1 green bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, sliced into 1/2 inch strips (when in season, a mixture of green and red bell peppers is better)
some julienned carrots, if desired
4 teaspoons vegetable or olive oil
We add lots of dried red pepper flakes, too. A must to balance out the brown sugar if you're not using the hot chile sesame oil!

And don't forget to cook enough brown (or vitamin-sapped white) rice to eat with the beef mixture.

1. Freeze beef for 20 minutes (or start with already frozen beef). Slice diagonally across the grain into 1/8 inch-thick strips. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Place onions and peppers (carrots, too, if using) in a small bowl and toss with half the soy marinade. Toss steak in remaining marinade. Let stand at least 15 minutes.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinade with onions and peppers (and carrots, if using). Cook until softened. Transfer from pan.

3. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil. Cook the meat mixture, turning often, until done. Return vegetable mixture to pan and toss with meat mixture.

4. Serve over brown rice. Skip the lettuce.

Chicken Vegetable Soup with Noodle Balls

One dead and plucked chicken, cooked whole in its skin (reserve broth)
a large onion, diced
carrots, chopped
potatoes, cubed
green beans, cut
celery, if desired, sliced

lots of little noodle balls, recipe found below

ground sage
ground thyme
minced, fresh garlic
salt + pepper, in copious amounts
a dash of cayenne pepper for zip
chicken bouillon, if needed
a dash of parsley
*When in season, use chopped, fresh herbs of your choice. They make it even better.

Boil chicken in its skin. When chicken is cooked, remove and discard skin, then cube the chicken, reserving the fluid (chicken broth) for the soup base. Cook carrots, potatoes, onion, and celery in chicken broth until almost tender (keep skins on the potatoes to seal in nutrition). Add beans and cook another five minutes. Add spices, to taste, and let simmer while you make the noodle ball fixings. Add noodle balls and cook another few minutes until done. Serve with garlic bread if you want to feel too stuffed.

** If you have no whole chicken available to make chicken broth, cook + cube the cut you have and use chicken bouillon, to taste, for the chicken soup base. Even with boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, refrain from discarding any skin or fatty parts and boil them in water to make a type of broth.

Noodle Balls-- The Cheater's Way

To be fair, I'm including the real recipe for noodles, which is quite good, but, at the end, I'll give you my I'm-always-in-a-rush version.

NOODLES

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 beaten egg yolks
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon oil

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together 1 and 3/4 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. In a small mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, egg, water, and oil. Add to dry mixture and mix well.

2. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (@ 8-10 minutes). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Divide dough into four equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 12" square about 1/16" thick. Let stand, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Loosely roll up dough jelly-roll style, cut into 1/4"-wide strips. Shake the strands to separate and cut into 2-3" lengths. Pass through pasta machine or hand-cut into 1/4" wide strips. Cut strips in 2-3 inch lengths.

4. To store cut noodles, spread on a wire cooling rack and let dry overnight or till completely dry, place in airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Or, dry the noodles for at least one hour and freeze for up to 8 months.
5. Cook for 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes, a bit longer for dried or frozen noodles. Makes about one pound fresh pasta.

ABIGAIL'S CHEATING NOODLE BALLS

For one large pot of chicken soup, combine 1 cup flour and 1/4 tsp. salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg, @ 1/5 cup water, and 1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil. Dump egg mixture into the well you've made in the flour mixture. Mix well and knead until smooth-ish. Add more flour, if needed, to make an easy "noodle-balling" consistency. Remove small pieces of dough; using your hands, roll lots of tiny little noodle balls; plunk noodle balls into soup; cook for a few minutes.

Voila! In five minutes, you've got Noodle Balls in your Chicken Vegetable Soup!

Honey Oatmeal Bread

I think this is the lost recipe, Leah! It makes three loaves and isn't all that healthy, though it's yummy. You could probably experiment with increased oats and the addition of some whole wheat flour, too.

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1 tbsp. salt
2 cups boiling water
2 scant tablespoons yeast
1 cup lukewarm water
8 cups flour
melted butter

Combine oats, 1/4 cup butter, honey, and salt. Stir in the boiling water. Cool to lukewarm temperature. Sprinkle yeast on 1 cup lukewarm water and stir to dissolve. Add yeast mixture to 2 cups flour and the oat mixture. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the rest of the flour until a soft dough forms that leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and satiny (about 8-10 minutes).

Cover, in a lightly greased bowl, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down dough, divide into thirds, and place in 3 greased 9x5x3 pans. Let rise in warm place until doubled. Beake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes more. Brush with melted butter, remove from pans, and cool on racks.

Drizzle with honey, if desired.

Pizza Stromboli Bread

Ingredients:
Bread:
1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
4 and 1/2 tsp. honey
1 tbsp. nonfat dry milk powder
2 cups flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
@ 6 tsp. pizza sauce

Filling: Add, omit, or adjust ingredients to taste
3/4 cup chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella cheese, divided
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. each chopped ripe olives, chopped stuffed olives, and chopped canned mushrooms.
* I used sharp cheddar (and more of it), grated parmesan (and less of it), more mozzerella, more chopped onion, more pepperoni, and NO olives!

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in honey and milk powder until well-blended and let it proof (let sit until it becomes foamy on top). In a small bowl, combine 1 cup flour, the whole wheat flour, and seasonings. Add to the yeast mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in pizza sauce. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

2. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 14" by 12" rectangle. Sprinkle filling ingredients to within 1/2 in. of edges, reserving some of the shredded cheeses for topping. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

3. Sprinkle with reserved shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.

Pumpkin Trifle- with or w/o Butterscotch

Ingredients:
2-3 cups cubed spice cake (spice cake recipe here), muffins, or crumbled gingerbread
*reserve some crumbs
1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin or the equivalent of cooked, pureed, cooled pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
*I always add more of these spices, to taste
@ 3 cups cold milk
4 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant butterscotch and/or vanilla pudding
*In the past, I've folded melted butterscotch chips into vanilla pudding or used just plain vanilla pudding
1 pint heavy cream, whipped and lightly sweetened
*If, and only if, you're in a real time or budget crunch, use 2 containers of prepared whipped topping
maraschino cherries for garnish, optional

Prepare spice cake and cool OR use muffins, gingerbread, etc. Layer bottom of trifle bowl or large bowl with cubed cake, muffin, or gingerbread, reserving rest for later. (If you don't have a trifle bowl, any glass or punch bowl works well b/c you can see the trifle layers. Or use an opaque bowl and imagine the layers...)

Whip the heavy cream and sweeten to taste. Set aside in refrigerator.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, spices, milk, and pudding. Mix until smooth. If using melted butterscotch chips, fold them into the mixture last. Gently fold in half of the whipped cream.

Layer half of the pumpkin mixture on top of the cubed spice cake, then next place another layer of cake/muffins/gingerbread in the bowl. Make another layer using the remaining pumpkin mixture. Lastly, layer the second half of the whipped cream on top (you can just spread it on, or, if you feel a Martha Stewart spirit astir, use a pastry bag to decoratively pipe it on top). Garnish with reserved crumbs and maraschino cherries, if desired.

Spice Cake

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. ginger
* I usually use a bit more of the above spices, to taste.
1/4 cup butter or margerine, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk or sour milk
*I use a buttermilk substitute: mix a bit more than 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice with enough milk to make 1 and 1/4 cups. Let sit five minutes.

1. Grease a 13"X 9" X 2" pan. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking, soda, and spices. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and shortening on medium to high speed until blended. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add dry mixture and buttermilk alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just till combined. Pour into pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool.
Makes 12 servings.
*If you use this for the pumpkin trifle found above, you will have leftover cake to munch on, which can only be a good thing.