Pumpkin Pie

Pin It This was so good and delicious I had to share.

Recipe for the Pie! 
Recipe for the Crust!

Topped ours with some light cool whip and Its hard to stop eating it!

Yummy Breadsticks

Pin It Dough:
1 1/2 cups Warm/hot water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast but warm enough for the yeast to bubble)
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp  instant yeast
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 1/2 – 4 cups flour

Glaze:
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt ( I use Lawrys brand With coarse ground parsley, has a GREAT taste and you dont need garlic powder as well,  Otherwise you may need to do 1/4 tsp garlic salt  1/4 tsp garlic powder)
1/4 tsp dill weed
 1/8 tsp Italian seasoning

Sprinkle with Cheese:
1/2 cup or Desired amount of shredded Parmesan Cheese (I like to use the Kraft Shredded that comes in a plastic shake can)

Combine water, sugar, salt, yeast, and allow to set for 5-10 minutes. Then add the olive oil and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 3-4 minutes. On greased counter (I use CRISCO), break off pieces of dough and roll into thin ropes that are about 1 1/2 times the length of your skewers. Twist the rope around the skewer and place on a greased cookie sheet. (or instead of the skewer you can just roll out your dough double in length and fold over then twist together.)  Repeat till all dough is used. Cover and let twists rise till doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake twists at 375 for about 10-12 minutes or till just barley a light golden brown.

While they are baking, combine the glaze ingredients so the flavors will blend.
Remove Twists from oven and brush with the butter glaze.

Enjoy!

Taco Soup

Pin It Taco Soup

2 Cans Corn (Drained)
2 Cans Diced Tomatoes (Drained)
3 Cans Water
2 Fresh Tomatoes Diced
1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
2 Tbls Chili Powder
3 pkgs Taco Seasoning Mild
2 lbs Ground Beef
2 Cans Black Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Fritos Chips

Directions:

In a crock pot combine the tomatoes and then fill the tomato cans with water. Add 3 cans water. Add your corn, bell pepper, 1 pkg of taco seasoning and chili powder. Start the crock pot on High heat.

Brown your ground beef with 2 pkgs of the taco seasoning.
Add the cooked ground beef to the crock pot. Cook on high for 1 hr then add the black beans. Turn to low or keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve with Shredded cheese, sour cream and Fritos and ENJOY!

Fig Bars

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Fig Bars

Ingrediants:

(Filling)

2 Cups Fresh Figs

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

1Pkg Unflavored Gelatin

1/2 Cup Canned Milk

2 TBLS Vanilla

(Dough)

1/2 Cup Butter Softened

1 Cup White Sugar
2 TBLS Brown Sugar
1 TBLS Milk

2 Cups Flour

1 1/2 Baking Powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tsp Vanilla

1 Egg

Directions:

1. Create your filling:

Blend the figs.
          Soften the Gelatin in the 1/2 Cup milk

Combine the Figs, Softened Gelatin, Vanilla and Sugar. 

Heat until boiling, Stirring constantly.

Cook for 5 mins then remove from heat and set aside.

2. Create your dough:

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar, beat in milk, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour baking power and salt into the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. 

3. Bake:

Divide the dough into two pieces and knead each piece. On a well floured surface roll the dough out. Lightly grease a 9x13 in pan. Line the prepared pan with one piece of the dough. Spread the fig mixture over the dough. Then cover with the other piece of dough.

Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 f.

Super Soft Sugar Cookies - mmm Good!

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SUPER SOFT SUGAR COOKIES! 

(making about 3-4 Dozen depending on thickness and size of cookie shape)

Around the Holidays I love to make sugar cookies. Last night Talia and I Made these again and I realized that I have not yet posted them here on my blog.   I hope you enjoy these as much as my family and I do.

The Cookie-

1 cup sour cream
2 cups Sugar
2/3 Cup Crisco Shortening
1/3 Cup Butter Softened
4 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
6 Cups Flour (set aside 2 extra cups for later use in rolling your dough)
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Salt

Preheat Oven to 360 degrees F. Combine SOur cream, Sugar, Shorening, butter, eggs and Vanilla. Mix Well.

Slowly add the following while mixing until everything is mixed together. Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt, Flour.  Chill dough for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Lightly flour your counter or table and kneed your dough 3 or 4 times to mix in a little bit of the flour. Sprinkle more flour on the counter as needed. You are going to now roll out your dough. I like to divide my dough in half to easier handling. Once rolled out use those fun cookie cutter shapes and enjoy this time with the kids.


Place your cookies on a cookie sheet and depending on the darkness of your sheet as well as the thickness of your cookies you will bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes. They will look cooked but not browned in anyway. Pull the cookies out from the oven and allow them to chill on the cookie sheet for another 2 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack. (this allows they to finish baking on the tray without crisping the edges. I love my cookies SOFT)

For icing these deliciously soft cookies, I like to use the following recipe.

1/2 Cup Crisco Shortening
1/2 Cup Butter Softened
1 Tsp Vanilla
Mix together well
Add in slowly 4 Cups of Powder Sugar.
Once they are all mixed it will be crumbly.  Add 1-3 TBLS Canned Evaporated milk. (or whole milk if you desire)  adding this 1 TBLS at a time. Only add enough milk to make the frosting smooth and fluffy.

Add some color as desired. Spread and ENJOY!   Don't forget that Glass of milk when you sit down to enjoy these deliciously soft cookies!
 

The NEED for Eggs Benedict!

Pin It Sunday afternoon as we are diving home from the park, I got a sudden craving for the SUGAR SHACKS eggs Benedict. Now the SUGAR SHACK for those you know is in California just off Huntington Beach. I live in Utah. This is a slight problem.  Now when you are pregnant and you get a sudden craving you have to have EXACTLY what you are craving or your craving will keep haunting you. Im not in a position where I can just fly to California for some yummy food, no matter how good. So I quickly handed my husband my cell phone and asked that he find the BEST recipe so we can attempt our own. I arrive home and on our way home he had done it! He found an excellent recipe.  Here it is almost 9pm on a sunday and I didn't have all the ingredients. This being the second issue of the night to satisfy this very pregnant, very hungry appetite. So we substitute. and although I'm sure it much better with English muffins, Toast seemed to work just fine.

So I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and although they still do not COMPAIR to the SUGAR SHACK they are the next best thing! (Use quality ingrediants and you wont be disappointed)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hollandaise-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
• Pinch cayenne
• Pinch salt

Directions

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl and until the mixture is thickened and doubled in volume. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water (or use a double boiler,) the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume. Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne and salt. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

• EGGS BENEDICT
• 8 slices Canadian bacon
• 4 English muffins, split
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 8 eggs
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Hollandaise sauce, recipe above
• Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Brown the bacon in a medium skillet and toast the English muffins, cut sides up, on a baking sheet under the broiler.

Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain. To assemble: Lay a slice of Canadian bacon on top of each muffin half, followed by a poached egg. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 4 servings

Baklava Ice Cream

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Baklava Ice Cream is an all time favorite for me and those in my house.
I originally got the idea from this little shop in Kaysville (no longer open)  that served this ice cream. I later found that they ordered their ice cream from the Spotted Dog creamery here in salt lake (unsure if its still open). I began buying this ice cream for $20 for an avg bucket.  (kinda pricey for me but SOOO worth it)

Last summer I decided to take my try at this delicious Dessert. And I LOVED the result I got.
SO here goes my third time making this and I wanted to share it all with you! Hope you enjoy!


There are 3 parts to this, Starting with the Baklava:

Baklava

Ingredients

• 1 pound chopped mixed nuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
3. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
4. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
5. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
6. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.

Then you FREEZE the Dessert.
 In the mean time make your Ice cream. I LOVE the custard taste of this recipe.

PUDDING MIXTURE

Ingredients

• 1 pkg Vanilla pudding 
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
• 2 tbls Mixed nuts (ground or chopped into very small pieces)
• 2 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream (used from the batch you are making)
• 1/2 cup Milk

Directions

1. Combine ice cream, milk,  and pudding mix well. 
2. Add in the other ingredients and stir until well mixed. 

ICE CREAM CUSTARD

Ingredients

• 2 Tbls Unflavored Gelatin 
• 3 Cups Milk
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1/4 Tsp Salt
• 6 Eggs
• 1 1/2 qts Light Cream ( I prefer to use half of this as "half and half"  the other half "Heavy whipping cream")
• 1 pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding 
• 5 Tsp Vanilla 

Directions

1. Soften Gelatin in 1/2 Cup cold Milk. 
2. 
   
3. Scald 1 1/2 cup milk and stir into gelatin mixture until it dissolves. Add Sugar and salt stirring until dissolved. Add remaining 1 cup milk.
4.  Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. Add light Cream, pudding mix, vanilla and milk mixture. 
5. Pour into 1 gallon Ice cream freezer container. Freeze and ripen by basic directions of your maker.
   Be sure to layer ice and salt. 

Combining the 3 parts 

1. Take your baklava out of the freezer and cut up desired about to smaller chunks about the size of  legos.
2. After Your maker is finished put ice cream into another freezer container, Fold in your "Pudding mixture"  and chunks of Baklava, then place in freezer overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Cakes

Pin It Who knew that Cakes could be so fun!
Here are a few pictures of cakes I have tried, Just using Boxed Cakes and Home made Buttercream Frosting.

Pasta! Pasta! and More PASTA!

Pin It Most everyone who knows me knows that I LOVE homemade pasta!
You can make so many Different dishes with simple Flour, Water and Eggs.


I am going to share with all of you the recipes I have tried and LOVE for Pasta.
As well as some pasta sauces and fillers.

(I am using my husbands computer today and it is throwing me all off, the keys are all in different places and I keep having to correct my mistakes. So bare with me if you find some errors beyond the normal Sherrie typos.)

PASTA DOUGH! 

There are 2 basic recipes that I start with and adjust based on what I am making.  These are both the Weston Brand Pasta basic recipes. The seafood is my own recipe.

Egg Dough - With a fork beat the eggs until well blended then add to flour all at once. Mix well with a fork then knead the dough 10-12 times until well blended.  Cover with a damp towel and let rest for at least 20 mins.
3 Eggs
2 1/2 Cups All purpose Flour

Non Egg Dough - Combine wet ingredients and mix well then add to flour all at once. Mix well with a fork then knead the dough 10-12 times until well blended.  Cover with a damp towel and let rest for at least 20 mins.
3 Cups all purpose Flour
1 Cup warm water
2 TBLS Olive Oil



Seafood Pasta Dough -  For seafood Pasta, Follow the EGG DOUGH recipe above and however use 1 less egg yolk (use the white only)  then add.
1 Teaspoon Lime Juice Fresh
1 1/2  TBLS Finley Grated Lime Zest



Divide your dough in half and cover one half with a damp towel.

If using a Pasta Roller-  Using a nice rolling pin, Roll out the dough just slightly to prepare it to use in your pasta roller. Using the pasta roller Roll through the sheet side first several times until well packed and at desired thickness. (see pasta roller instructions)


If using a Rolling Pin only - Roll out the dough to desired thickness, Fold the dough in half and then roll out again. Repeat this step 5 times before cutting your dough. 

Cutting your Dough

Once your dough is all rolled out it is time to cut your dough. If you are making Ravioli it is best to cut your dough immediately. If making any other non filled pasta then you should let your pasta dry for about 20 mins before cutting to get the best results.

Cutting - Cut your pasta as desired. Most pasta rollers come with the basic cuts, Sheet , Round Noodle and Fettuccine. This making your cutting processes much easier. Otherwise I find that a basic pastry cutter helps a ton. Rolls nice and cleanly cuts the pasta (the one I use is Pampered Chef however I'm sure most would do)

On the Ravioli  you will cut into basic squares of desired size for the ravioli you are making. Keep in mind they do swell as you cook  Be sure the pasta is rolled thin for this.


*For seafood Pasta I have done both Spaghetti and Fettuccine, However I do prefer the Fettuccine pasta cut for this. Or even a stuffed Seafood pasta is Delicious!

Fillings for your Stuffed Pasta

Lasagna is one of my favorite fillers.
For this you will use:

1/2 lb Ground Beef.
1/4 C Ricotta Cheese
1/4 C Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Jar/can Your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce.

Cook and brown your Beef. Drain the Beef then add the Cheeses and 1/4 Cup sauce.
Mix and continue to cook on your stove top an additional 5 minutes or until cheese are well melted and the sauce is all soaked into the mixture. (the thicker the mixture the easier to keep the pasta from breaking)

 Cooking your Pasta

Ravioli - Fill your pasta but be sure to not fill to much as you do not want your pasta to open while cooking.
Seal the ends of the pasta either using a fork to press down or a pastry cutter to press the ends together. I like to wet the ends first. Sometimes using Eggs whites to ensure it is well sealed.

  Let the pasta dry now for about 15 minutes on one side then turn and let dry on the other side for an additional 15 minutes.

For all PASTAS - 


  Start a LARGE pot of boiling water and add 1 tsp salt to prevent sticking.
Add the pasta a handful at a time to ensure they do not stick together. Cook on a boil for about 5-10 minutes or until pasta is cooked. (do not overcook, Test every 3-5 minutes)
Drain the water from the pasta then add to the sauce. Heat the sauce to a simmer before adding pasta or spoon the sauce over the pasta.  Serve and Enjoy!

Pizza Rolls

Pin It One of my favorite snacks, I hope you enjoy!

Things you will need:

Pizza Dough

6 oz Mozzarella Cheese
3 Tbls Spaghetti sauce
1 Tbls Garlic Salt

Pizza dough Recipe:

• 2 Cups All Purpose Flour 
• 1 pkg Yeast (quick rise)
• 1 Cup Warm Water 
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Start by Measuring out the 1 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the Sugar into the warm water then add the Yeast. Stir a little to let water cover all of the yeast. Let this rest for about 10 minutes until foamy.  Now add the Oil and Then flour. Mix with a fork scrapping the sides of the bowl.  Knead the dough about 12-15 times. Cover with a warm damp towel.  Let rise for about 30 minutes, until double in size.




In the meantime cut your mozzarella cheese into Rectangular pieces. Should have about 25-30 pieces.

On a lightly floured surface punch out the dough and knead again about 5-10 times.
Roll out the dough into a rectangular shape. as if you were making a square pizza.
Cut your dough into rectangular pieces, about 25-30.
Place a small amt of sauce in the middle of each rectangle. Then place the cheese at one end and start rolling the cheese in the dough as you roll the dough up to the other end.

With the over preheated to 350 f   spray your cookie or pizza sheet with a non stick spray and lightly sprinkling the garlic salt on the pan.  Place your pizza rolls on the pan and bake for about 10 minutes or until just barley browned. Let cool on pan about 5-10 mins.

These are great warm or cold  YUMMY