Fill -In-The-Blank Cheese Braid

I just made this for the first time last week for church, and I love it. One, it completes its first rising overnight in the refrigerator. Two, it pleases my belly. Three, in spite of this post's length, it's really quite easy to make. Four, it didn't allow me to ruin it. I used bits of two different recipes to make it, then because I didn't tell my kind husband the dough needed to rise a second time the next morning, he watched the girls while I accidentally slept in. Sooo, I shaped the dough in a mighty-awful-rush and threw it in the oven without letting it rise a second time like I was supposed to. Whaddya know, it still turned out lovely, and we made it to church with seconds to spare. (And, yes, those are the loaves on our car floor, but they're on a cookie sheet, for Pete's sake! Try to guess which loaf was my first try at braiding...)

The cheese filling can be altered to suit your tastes, and the dough doesn't have to braided (see end of recipe for both).

Bread
2 scant tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sour cream (I even used fat free sour cream. Still could't ruin it!)
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 cups all-pupose flour

Filling (I'll give the flavoring I used this last time, but alter it to suit.)
2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
a bit less than 3/4 cup sugar
1 egg + one egg yolk
a bit over 1 tsp. almond extract

Glaze
2 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. almond extract
(Or, do as I did, and use sweetened condensed milk and the tiniest amount of regular milk.)

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a saucepan, heat sour cream and butter to 110 to 115 degrees F (I just heated it and finger-tested it to the same warmth I use in water for bread recipes). Add to yeast mixture. Add sugar and eggs; mix well. Gradually add flour; mix well. Do not knead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, in a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg, and extract until smooth; set aside. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide into two portions and roll each into a roughly 16 X 10-inch rectagle. Place dough on greased baking sheets. Spoon half of the filling down the center third of each rectangle. If you want to braid the dough, make cuts on either side of the filling, creating strips about one-inch wide and about three inches long. Then, simply fold the strips over the filling, angling them slightly and alternating sides as you lay them across. Pinch the end seam shut if filling is spilling out; otherwise, it should be fine. Cover and let rise in a warm place util doubled, about one hour (remember now, this is the step I skipped without ruining them). Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm loaves. Cool on wire racks and refrigerate any leftovers.

Alternate Loaves
If you don't want to braid the dough, roll it into two 16 by 10 inch rectangles and place on greased baking sheets. Spread filling down the center of each rectangle. Fold lengthwise into thirds; pinch side seam and ends to seal. Also, if you want, you can make several one-inch diagonal slits in the center of the loaf before baking to enhance its appearance. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled and bake as for the braided loaves.

Future Filling Alternatives
* Use any flavor extract, to taste, in place of the almond (e.g. vanilla, lemon, cherry)
* Add a bit of lemon or orange peel
* Spread loaf with raspberry jam (or peach, etc.) before spreading filling over dough
* Spread some cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese filling before folding dough and sealing
* And, lastly, I'd like to try thinly slicing some canned peaches and spreading them on top of the filling before sealing. Yum.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Swirl Kuchen

This yummy kuchen is akin to coffee cake.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 and 1/3 cups sugar, divided
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and shortening. Gradually add 2 cups sugar; beat until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine milk and vanilla; set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk mixture, beating just enough after each addition to keep the batter smooth. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle 1 and 1/2 tsp. into a greased 10-inch tube pan. Pour a third of the batter into pan. Sprinkle with half of the remaining cinnamon-sugar; top with a third of the batter. Repeat layers. Smooth with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, 15 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, and remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

* I nearly double the cinnamon-sugar mixture, sprinkling 2 tsp. into the greased pan, and then using most of the rest layered in with the batter. I add more sugar to what I have left to use on morning toast (and afternoon and evening and midnight toast, if you must know).

* I drizzled on a glaze made from between 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups confectionary sugar, a few tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk (because I had some leftover in my fridge and, besides, it creates a nice glaze), a splash of vanilla extract, and a teensy amount of regular milk to make the glaze the right consistency.

* I bake this in a bundt pan. It could probably be baked in a 13 x 9 pan, too, though I've not tried that. It would bake much more quickly in a 13 x 9, so just keep an eye on it while it bakes.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

This one's for you, Mary. (And, for the rest of you, I'll add a nicer picture the next time I make it. This was snapped at church yesterday morning. Not that you care or that it matters one whit...)

I usually add chocolate chips, because if I'm going to eat unhealthy foods, I might as well eat really unhealthy foods, but they can be omitted if you wish. This recipe is easily doubled, tripled, and quadrupled.

1/3 cup vegetable shortening (e.g. any kin to Crisco)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup ripe, mashed bananas
1 cup chocolate chips, if desired

Beat the shortening and sugar well. Add eggs and beat well. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately to the shortening mixture with the mashed banana, mixing between each addition. Pour into well-greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

* Allow your bananas to become as black as a moonless night before you mash them, but use them the split-second before they begin to ferment.

* I usually tent aluminum foil over the loaves during the last 15-20 minutes of baking so they aren't overbrowned.

* Wrap bread and allow it to sit overnight for fullest flavor.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These are some of the best cookies I've ever tasted. They're a Johnson tradition at all times of the year, but no Christmas is complete without untold dozens stacked in Tupperware bowls. The picture above isn't completely accurate, because we hadn't yet spooned the rich, fudgy topping on the cookies, but you get the idea.
Soft chocolate cookie bottom
Cherry in the middle
Fudgy chocolate on top

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries (reserve some juice)

Cream together butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients and blend for one minute. Shape into one-inch balls and place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Make a thumbprint indentation in each ball. Cut cherries in half and place one half in each indentation, cut side up. Prepare frosting and use immediately.

Frosting
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened, condensed milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1- 1 1/2 tsp. reserved cherry juice

Mix together and carefully melt in microwave or on stovetop, stirring often to avoid scorching. With a teaspoon, generously spoon a heaping swirl of frosting over each cookie, and then bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.

Pizza Dough

EDIT: I haven't used this recipe in a good, long time. We prefer the other pizza dough recipe on buildabelly, but if you prefer a thicker, puffier crust, use this one instead.

2 1/2 cups flour (I usually use all-purpose flour, but you can use a white/wheat mixture if you're a moral person.)
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--about 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 a cornmeal-dusted pizza pan or cookie sheet.
4. If I've planned ahead, I cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for a few 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. (If you haven't planned ahead, bake immediately after placing toppings. More often than not, that's what I do...)

So there you have it.
Eat up.

Sugar-topped Blueberry Muffins

We broke into our first quart of summer-frozen blueberries on Saturday morning to make these yummy muffins for the second time ever. This recipe makes a very rich, indulgent muffin with a scrumptious sugar topping that I'm always tempted to eat off of everyone else's muffins... (I usually make Mopsy's recipe of blueberry muffins, which makes a light, springy muffin with even more blueberries; the next time I make them, I'll post the recipe for a change of taste and texture.)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
In a large bowl, cut butter into sugar.

2 eggs
Beat until light and fluffy, then fold into butter/sugar mixture.

In a bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Add to the butter mixture and stir in 1 tsp. vanilla. Mash 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or thawed) and add to the dough. Fold in 2 additional cups unmashed blueberries and spoon batter into muffin tins.

Mix together 4 tablespoons sugar with 1 tablespoon vanilla and crumble on the top of muffins. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25-30 minutes.

Makes 12 unhealthy, real-good muffins.

Raspberry Ribbons

These cookies are made primarily with four ingredients that have stood the test of time-- butter, sugar, vanilla, and raspberry-- and they have an uncomplicated and thoroughly delicious taste. They are crisp-edged, soft-crumbed, and melt-in-your-mouth-ish when fresh. After storing in an airtight container, they become simple, soft butter cookies but are still yummy.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 - 3/4 cup wild raspberry jam (or regular raspberry if you don't have access to a jam-making Mopsy Johnson)

Glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough into four porions; shape each into a 10-in. x 2 1/2 in. log. Place 4 inches apart on greased or foil-lined baking sheets.

Make a 1/2 inch depression down center of each log. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 mintues (or a bit less). Fill depressions with jam. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes and cut into 3/4 inch slices. In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredents until smooth and drizzle over warm cookies. Cool completely (if they last that long). Makes about 5 dozen (but I usually cut them wider, so this recipe makes about 3 dozen.)

Homey (Country) White Bread

The last few weeks, I've used this recipe for the Communion loaf, and I think I'm sticking with it. The texture is soft and tender, the flavor is somewhat sweet with a hint of buttery richness (even though it contains no butter), and, very importantly, the crust is soft enough for Elder Jones to break the loaf without popping a blood vessel. I like to eat this bread by the handful.

2 packages (1/4 oz. each) active dry yeast (about 4 and 1/2 teaspoons)
2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs beaten, room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 1/2 to 7 cups flour, divided (I use a 50/50 mixture of all-purpose and bread flour)

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast, sugar, and salt in warm water. Let sit to proof (until foamy on top). In a large bowl, combine eggs and oil. Add yeast mixture to this, and stir in about half the flour until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky, and you can add extra flour, as needed, but use as little as possible in order to handle it.  (Although I love to knead bread, for this recipe, I use the dough hook on my stand mixer, so that it can be kneaded without adding too much extra flour.)  If you don't have a stand mixer with a dough hook, turn onto a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.

Place in a greased bowl; turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about one hour.

 Punch dough down. Divide in half and shape into two loaves (see below). Place in two greased 9x5x3 loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown and hollow-sounding when thumped on the bottom.  If they don't sound hollow, pop them in for a few more minutes. If they begin to brown too much on the tops before they're done, loosely tent them with aluminum foil.

To shape loaves:
To create evenly-rounded loaves (using a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface), roll each ball of dough into a roughly 12-inch x 8-inch rectangle (you may hear air bubbles pop as you do this). Dust off any loose flour clinging to the dough, and, beginning at the short end, tightly roll up each rectangle. Pinch the seam and the ends to seal. Place seam side down in bread pans.

Two-Tone Cheesecake

Cheeeeeesecake.

Most of the times I've made this simple cheesecake, it's been exceptional. The other times, it's still been delicious enough to eat a third helping, but I'm easily swayed by cheesecake of nearly any variety, so that doesn't say all that much. I'll post a picture the next time I make it, but, until then, this is a two-layer cheesecake: chocolate crust, chocolate cheesecake layer, plain cheesecake layer, topped with grated semisweet chocolate.

Here is the recipe, as nearly as I recall, as I cobbled it together from a handful of other recipes. It's okay if it's not exact, because cheesecakes are very forgiving creatures.

Crust:
About 3 cups crushed chocolate crumbs (out of thriftiness, I use generic oreos from Aldi, but chocolate graham cracker crumbs might work better, and, if you aren't thrifty, you could add some finely chopped almonds, too.)

If using generic oreos, stir in about 1/3 cup melted butter, enough to help the mixture stick together.
If using chocolate graham cracker crumbs, stir in 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup melted butter.

Press onto the bottom and 1 and 3/4 inch up the sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake for five minutes in a 350 degree oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling:
3 packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, and beat on low speed just until combined. Beat in vanilla just until blended. Set cheesecake mixture aside. Meanwhile, melt about 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or 6 oz. semisweet chocolate) in the microwave, stirring frequently to avoid scorching. Divide the cheesecake filling into two bowls, with one bowl holding about one cup less than the other. Fold the melted chocolate into the smaller amount of filling until fully incorporated.

Spread the chocolate cheesecake filling evenly over the cooled crust. Then, carefully spread the white cheesecake filling over the chocolate layer, spreading gently so that the white layer rests on top of the chocolate instead of sinking into it. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for ten minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the crust. Cool for one more hour and then refrigerate overnight to let the flavors ripen. Throw a cup of semisweet chocolate chips in the blender, coffee grinder, or food processor OR grate 6 oz. of semisweet chocolate and sprinkle on top of cheesecake.

Tips:
Place foil or a cookie sheet under the cheesecake because many springform pans leak, and a houseful of burnt butter's smell and sting isn't pleasant.

Dip a knife in warm water before cutting the cheesecake, and wipe and dip again in warm water before making each cut in order to make clean cuts.

Molasses Whole Wheat Bread

We usually make this with only whole wheat flour, but since Sneaky Mouse ate some of our whole wheat flour, I used a 50/50 mixture of regular whole wheat flour and white bread flour for the last batch, which resulted in a lighter, higher loaf. Our usual practice of using all whole wheat in this recipe makes a dense, flavorful loaf, which is excellent toasted and slathered with butter. Do as you desire with the flour; if you're finicky about 100% whole wheat taste or dense texture, then use a proportion of white flour to suit.

The molasses isn't too pronounced, but it adds a nice, deep flavor.

3 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses (I usually add a tad more; we use unsulphered, dark, blackstrap, but other types can be substituted)
2 1/2 tablespoons yeast
1/4 cup warm water
about 8 cups flour; either all whole wheat or a mixture of wheat and white (all-purpose flour or bread flour; if using all-purpose, you can also add a tablespoon of wheat gluten per loaf, if desired)

In a small saucepan, combine milk, butter, salt, honey, and molasses. Heat and stir until warm and blended. Remove from heat and cool until warm but not hot. Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water. Pour liquids from saucepan into large bowl and add yeast. Let proof until foamy on top. Stir in some of the flour and beat well. Dough will be quite soft and very sticky. Stir in remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic, adding a bit of extra flour as needed to knead (but only just enough). Let rise in covered, greased bowl until doubled. Punch down and shape into two loaves. Place in two well-greased pans, cover, and let rise until almost doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until the loaves sound hollow when thumped on the bottom.

Greek Chicken Souvlaki Salad

I intended to try ecookbook's recipe first, but our computer was broken, so I tweaked and combined several recipes instead. It was yummy, and with even further tweaking, I think it'll be sublime. This is a Greek salad topped with marinated chicken strips and served with warm pita bread.

Marinated Chicken

2 tsp. dried oregano (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth

Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl. Add about 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Marinate overnight or for up to three days. (The longer you marinate it, the more flavorful and moist the chicken will be, but if time constrains, marinate it for a couple of hours before cooking.)

After marinating, grill the chicken until it's slightly charred (our preference) or broil in your oven in a lightly oiled broiler pan until done. Cut chicken into strips and use to top the salad.

Salad
Mixed salad greens (We toss mesculin mix with dark romaine)
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced, as many as desired
Tomatoes, chopped, as many as desired
Feta cheese, crumbled (a must!!!!!)
Red Onion, sliced into rings or chopped
Hot pepperoncinis (John loves these, but I skip them)
Kalamata olives, if desired (we both skip these)

Mix salad greens, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Top individual plates with lots of crumbled feta, red onion, and a few pepperoncinis and olives, if desired. Top salad with chicken strips, drizzle with Greek dressing, and serve with warm pita bread. (One can eat the pita separately, though it's not recommended, or break it into pieces and eat it with the salad, or stuff the salad inside the pita, or....you decide.) If desired, serve tzaziki on the side.

Greek Salad Dressing
recipe below

Warm Pita Bread
Confession: The only time I made pita bread, though good (what bread isn't?), my results were less than stellar, so I just made naan instead this time. If anyone has a good pita bread recipe, let me know!

Greek Salad Dressing

This is a fairly standard Greek dressing; as with all dressings, tweak and add ingredients to taste.

3 cloves fresh garlic, minced, then crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard (I just used a pinch of dry mustard)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sugar (I used a bit more, to taste)
5 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. basil, or to taste
1/4 tsp. oregano, or to taste
If desired, a dash of thyme and a bit of grated parmesan cheese.
(I added about a tablespoon of crumbled feta cheese.)

Mix together and shake well.

OR GREEK DRESSING #2

I tried this one, too, and it's good.
3/4 cup vegetable oil (I used a mixture of vegetable oil and extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 cup cider vinegar (I used red wine vinegar, and a bit more of it)
2 tablespoons water
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. sugar, or to taste
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 and 1/2 to 3 teaspoons crumbled feta cheese

Shake well and drizzle over.

Tzaziki (Garlic Cucumber Sauce)

This is a classic Greek accompaniment, usually served with pita wedges or on the side with Greek dishes. We have our souvlaki without it, but just in case you prefer souvlaki with tzaziki (too fun to say), here's a recipe.

1 large cucumber, peeled and cut lengthwise, with seeds removed
3/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup sour cream (OR use plain yogurt)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons fresh dill, minced (or a few shakes of dried dillweed)
4 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
*This can be made without the dill entirely, or with mint substituted for the dill, to taste.


Grate the cucumber into a small bowl and squeeze between paper towels several times to remove excess moisture. Stir in remaining ingredients and blend well; if desired, blend in food processor. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour and serve with pita wedges, etc.

Spicy Popcorn Chicken OR Spicy Chicken Breasts

We use these in salad-filled bread bowls, or, in the case of Phil and Heidi's visit, overbaked cracker bowls. (Oops, sez I.) It's a meal that's out of this world.

Mix the following in a small bowl:
1/3 cup hot sauce
2/3 cup water


Sift the following ingredients in a large plate or large, shallow bowl:
1 cup flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2-4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tsp. coarse-ground black pepper (or regular)
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
a few healthy, generous dashes of garlic powder

Cut two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into chunks (or the equivalent of self-boned chicken). Coat each chicken piece in the flour mixture, dredge it in the hot pepper sauce, and then coat again in the flour mixture.

Fry in a heavy-bottomed pan or fryer in a few inches of oil until golden brown, light, and crispy and drain on paper towels.

Toss these with your favorite salad greens (we recommend the greenest possible), chopped veggies, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and drizzle with your choice of dressing.

Tips:
The oil is hot enough for frying when you drop in a pinch of flour, and it immediately sizzles.

The chicken only takes a few short minutes to cook, so fry it in a few small batches to avoid overfilling the pot/fryer.

Be careful not to overheat the oil, or it will begin to scorch and smoke and fill your home with the same.

IF DESIRED, DON'T CUT UP THE CHICKEN BREASTS. This recipe makes excellent spicy chicken sandwiches with chewy, soft rolls, onion, lettuce, tomato, and mayo as accompaniment.

Spicy Nuts

Watch out. These spicy, New Orleans-style, cocktail nuts are highly appealing. Mrs. Finbar from our church in Buffalo would bring these quite often, and I would munch handfuls into disappearance. When she visited us this past weekend, she brought a large bag for us, which I munched into disappearance the day before yesterday. She kindly shared the recipe with me. (Compliments to Emeril Lagasse.)

1 large egg white
1 teaspoon water
4 cups assorted, shelled nuts (I've only had it with a walnut/almond/pecan mixture)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Essence (recipe below)
1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or tin foil).

In a large bowl, whisk together egg white and water until frothy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, Essence blend, cayenne, and salt. Add the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Spread the nuts on the prepared pan and bake until dry, about 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir to separate. Let cool on the baking sheet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Yield: About 2/3 cup.

Eat A Dozen in One Sitting Cinnamon Rolls

Well, maybe not a dozen, but I made 32 of these for our small congregation last week, and I came home with two empty pans. (Pastor Jones polished off a fair share, and I unsuccessfully struggled against doing likewise.)

This is the best cinnamon roll recipe I've yet come across, bar none. I'll have to post a yummy sticky bun recipe sometime, too, now that the weather outdoors calls for warm bellies.

First things first, you MUST make the cream cheese topping.  I highly recommend you double it.  The rolls would not be the same without it.

1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margerine, melted
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour can also be used)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast, salt, and a few tablespoons of the sugar with the milk. Let sit until foamy. Sift remaining sugar into the flour and lightly mix the eggs and melted margerine. Mix all ingredients together and knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, combine 1 cup brown sugar and 2 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon in a small bowl.

Roll dough into a 16" by 21" rectangle and spread with 1/3 cup softened butter. Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar mixture. Roll up the dough, pinch the seam shut with your fingers, and cut into 16 rolls. (I use a small length of dental floss to easily cut the dough into rolls. Simply wrap the floss around the roll and pull the floss ends together. This cleanly cuts the dough without any fuss.) Place the rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled (@ 30 minutest) while preheating oven to 400 degrees. Bake about 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.

Topping:
Mix 3 oz. cream cheese, softened, 1/4 cup softened buter, 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt together until a smooth consistency is reached. After taking the rolls out of the oven, slather them.
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TIPS:
1. I usually make these rolls the night before and, after shaping them and placing them in the pan, I let them finish their second rising overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, I pull the rolls out of the refrigerator about 15-30 minutes before I need to pop them in the oven. Voila! Sleeping in and fresh cinnamon rolls for breakfast can be achieved.

2. DON'T OVERBAKE THESE. The first three times I made them, I thought that they looked too gooey in the middle even though they were golden brown. I ended up with dry rolls. If you don't overbake them, they have a similar texture (and taste) to Cinnabons.

3. The frosting for these is so darn tasty that I usually at least double the amount it calls for. Then I top the rolls with as much as I deem appropriate and save the rest for people to slather on their individual rolls.
Soooooooo good.

Fruit Pizza Variations

Use a graham cracker, gingersnap, or chocolate cookie crust instead (Mix 1/3 to 1/2 cup melted butter, a bit of sugar, and the crumbs together, press into pizza pan or pie plates, and bake for about 5 minutes at 350 degrees).

Fold some whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture before spreading it on pizza.

Pair a chocolate cookie crust with sliced strawberries and bananas layered over the cream. Drizzle with melted chocolate.

Or anything else your tastebuds dream up.

The Usual Fruit Pizza

Crust:
Cream together 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and one egg. Mix in 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. cream of tartar, and 1/2 tsp. baking soda.

Press dough into pizza pan (or into two pie plates) and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool.

Filling:
Mix well 8 oz. cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons lemonade or pineapple juice. Spread over cooled crust.

Arrange fruit of your choice on top of filling.

Glaze:
If the pizza won't be eaten immediately, brush this glaze on top to keep the fruit from browning.
In a saucepan, mix together 3/4 cup pineapple juice and 3/4 lemonade (or 1 1/2 cups lemonade or pineapple juice) with 2 tablespoons corn starch. Bring to a boil while stirring and boil one minute until thickened and clear. Spread glaze over top of pizza and refrigerate until ready to gobble.

Sweet Squash Pickles with Red Pepper

The following quantities only make two pints, so definitely double, triple, quadruple, etc., the recipe. I almost quadrupled it, and had no trouble fitting it all in a large pot.

3 cups yellow squash, cut 1/2 inch thick
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large sweet, red pepper, sliced in strips

Combine these in a large, non-metal bowl, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of salt over it, and stir. Cover and keep in the refrigerator for one hour, then drain off the juice.

Meanwhile, in a pot combine:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup white vinegar
3/4 teaspoons mustard seed
3/4 teaspoons celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

Heat to boiling, add the veggies to the pot, and reheat to boiling. Spoon into two pint jars and process in a boiling water bath for one minute. Turn off the heat and let stand in the hot water for five more minutes before removing to cool on a rack or towel.

Soft Pretzels

Today I made these to scare some of the chill from our house, but since I haven't made them since long before our move, I only just realized that I may have accidentally discarded my usual recipe for them as I sorted through cookbooks. Oops! This recipe sounds similar, so I gave it a whirl. We gobble up salty, soft pretzels like nobody's business, and I bet eating these will remind John that I haven't made bagels in about as long a time. (Let's hope that recipe hasn't been thrown out.)

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour (may use regular flour; just add 4 tsp. wheat gluten to make a full cup)

4 cups water
2 tablespoons baking soda

one egg yolk
2 tablespoons water
coarse salt, sesame seeds, etc.



In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar, and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size.

Punch dough down and divide into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape and secure edges, using a bit of water to seal if necessary. Cover pretzels and let rise about 20 minutes, until about doubled in size. Meanwhile, combine 4 cups water and baking soda in a pot and bring to boil. Drop pretzels singly or in pairs into the boiling water and boil for about 30 seconds on each side. Remove immediately with a slotted spoon, drain, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Before baking, brush with the egg/water wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, sesame seeds, or pretzel salt.

Bake in 450 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

NOTES:
Best eaten warm and fresh.
If desired, skip the salt, brush with melted butter after baking, and roll in cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar.
Or, keep the salt, and dip in honey mustard. (We just ate some with honey mustard for breakfast. Mmm.)