Easy Rolls - jpg

Here is a copy of the roll recipe with some added notes. I hope you can read it.

Chocolate Ganache

My aunts made this dessert about a year ago for a family gathering and I loved it. I pulled it out to try for the first time as a wonderful treat for a book club I recently hosted in my home.

"Ganache is a French term referring to a smooth mixture of chopped chocolate and heavy cream." (Definition and further info go to www.joyofbaking.com/ganache.html ).

Here it is...
Just like the cinnamon rolls, it's wonderfully easy and amazingly delicious.

Chocolate Ganache
1 chocolate cake mix prepared according to instructions and baked in 13x9 pan.

Ganache- 1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream, 1/2 c butter, 2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

When cake is 1/2 done baking, start the ganache. Bring cream and butter to a boil on the stove (med size saucepan). Let cool slightly and add choc. chips which will melt as you mix them in.

Take cake out of the oven when it's done and immediately cut the hot cake into 2" squares. Place into your mixer or a large bowl and mix (or use hand mixer to mix) until the cake is crumbly. Add 1 3/4 c. ganache mix into the cake crumbles and mix this thoroughly.

Press into a 9" spring form pan lined with parchment or waxed paper. Level tops and place pan in freezer for 45 min. Take cake out of freezer and frost with the rest of the ganache.

Store in fridge until served.
Serves 12-18 (slice thinner than cheesecake).
Rich and wonderful but not too sweet.

opt. - add whipped cream and a raspberry on top of each piece for extra elegance.

Amazingly Easy Cinnamon Rolls

This is the recipe for an AMAZINGLY easy batch of cinnamon rolls.
I just got word that a newly married lady tried these out and had success the first time (it was her first batch of 'yeast' bread too).

You really can make great cinnamon rolls - just try.

If this method of going back and forth between ingredients and instructions confuses you, print it out and highlight the ingredients. Then you'll know what to gather to start with for the project.

Fast Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs (or 2T) yeast
1/4 c. water (slightly warmer than lukewarm; comfortably warm enough to wash your hands in)
1 T sugar (brown or white, doesn't matter)
1- Mix above well in a large bowl or 4 c pyrex (it needs room to grow)

1 1/2 c. buttermilk (add 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk)
2- Warm in microwave until at room temperature.

1/2 c oil (or applesauce for a lighter recipe)
3- Mix milk (#2) with oil and yeast (#1) all in the yeast container.

4 1/2 c flour, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 T sugar (brown or white), opt. 1/2 tsp ginger-
4- Combine all of these dry ingredients in a larger bowl (8 c.) and add the wet mixture (#1,2,3) to it. Blend well with wooden spoon until everything is combined.

5- Place about 1 c of flour on your clean counter (keep one more cup nearby if needed) and knead the dough for 5 minutes.

To do this you push your two palms down in the center of the dough and push away from your body. Then grab what you pushed away and pull it back to the middle. Turn the dough ball 90 degrees and repeat. Keep going for 5 minutes.

If you feel the dough is a little sticky, but not sticking to your hands, it's perfect. If it's sticking to the counter or your hands, add more flour and continue.

6- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes.

Wow! In 30-35 minutes you've got dough! Look how easy that was.

Now for the even more fun part.....

7- While the dough rests, turn on the oven to 375 F, spray a jelly roll or 9x13 pan, and get the filling ingredients ready.

Filling:
1/2 c soft marg or butter
1-2 T cinnamon
1 c brown sugar

More filling options:
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 c chopped nuts
1 c plump raisins

Here we go.....
8- Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of flour onto same area where you kneaded the dough. It should be in a rectangular shape - about 18x12 inches (Do not measure it, I didn't). Place the dough ball in the center and roll it out. Push in the middle of the dough ball and out away from your body again. Instead of rotating the dough like you did to knead it, move the rolling pin around into different angles pushing down and flattening the dough as you go. Add more flour on the bottom of the flattening shape only if you can't move it around without it sticking to the counter. If you're feeling confident, flip it over and sprinkle flour on any sticky spots. Keep going until you have a mostly rectangle shape (No one is going to know if it's not exact) that is mostly even in height; about 1 inch thick.

9- Spread the soft butter all over, then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon on top of that.

Add whatever other fillings you'd like.

10- Roll this amazing piece of artwork (okay mine isn't, but yours probably is) so that it looks like a long even snake. Tuck and turn up and down the roll as you go slowly towards the back of the counter (away from you). When you get to the end, pinch the dough into the roll a bit and lay that part on the bottom of the roll. Smash and pull the middle towards the ends, encouraging an evenly tall roll.

You are less than 20 minutes from eating this masterpiece!

11- Cut the roll into 15-20 pieces and place them evenly spaced on your pan (with the swirly part on facing up and down).

Pop them in the oven and bake at 375 for 15-17 minutes.



By the third time I did this, I could make it in one hour or less. Now as a tradition, every General Conference weekend, I make this wonderful breakfast and we enjoy a favorite at least twice a year. What will your new tradition be?

And you said you couldn't do a 'yeast' bread? Ha- you proved yourself wrong. ;)

opt.: when they come out, put one or two on each person's plate and drop a T of white frosting (Store bought, homemade, whatever) on each and let your family spread with delight.

12- Enjoy this marvelous demonstration that something amazingly fantastic and satisfying doesn't have to take a lot of skill or time!

Irish recipes - including candy

While it's still March, I thought I'd put my Irish info down. I did a fun presentation on Ireland a year ago and this is the food portion of it.....The first recipe (gems) were the best candy, I thought.

“The art of having fun with music, food and family all together or ‘craic’ (pronounced crack) as the Irish all it, is embodied here by these ideals”. (quote from a website for a restaurant named MacCool’s).

Recipes: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,boxty,FF.html for boxty – Irish potato cakes or pancakes
.

Irish (Potato) Gems (from http://www.justapinch.com/recipe/irish-gems-by-judy-few-nanajc2004 )
Ingredients
3/4 c mashed potatoes
1 bx powdered sugar
4 c coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 6-oz pkg chocolate chips
1/2 oz paraffin

Directions: Blend together mashed potatoes and sugar. Add coconut, vanilla and salt.
Drop from tsp onto wax paper or greased cookie sheet. Shape into peaks. Let stand uncovered 30 minutes.
Melt in saucepan over very low heat, chocolate chips and paraffin. 4
Using a teaspoon, pour chocolate mixture over peaks of candy. Cool.
Makes approximately 4 dozen.
Note: I usually add about 2 cups of chopped pecans.
Note: If you shape the mixture around an almond and dip the ball in the chocolate you have a mini faux Almond Joy!

Potato Candy:
Ingredients
1 large potato
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 cups confectioners' sugar
5 cups sweetened coconut flakes

Instructions
Peel the potato and boil it in water until soft. In a mixing bowl, mash the cooked potato with the salt and butter. Then -- this is key -- let it cool completely, or else it will melt the sugar when you add it.
Mix in the vanilla extract and 4 cups of sugar. At this point, the mixture should be stiff. If it isn't, add more sugar.
Sprinkle half of the coconut onto a waxed-paper-covered surface and turn the potato mixture onto it. Roll the batter until all of the coconut has been mixed in, then shape teaspoonfuls into small balls.
Roll the balls individually in the remaining coconut. Chill the finished candies until you're ready to serve them. Makes about 4 dozen

Corned Beef (from website above)
Ingredients
4 pounds corned beef brisket
1 cup brown sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle Irish stout beer (e.g. Guinness®)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Rinse the beef completely and pat dry.
2. Place the brisket on rack in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Rub the brown sugar on the corned beef to coat entire beef, including the bottom. Pour the bottle of stout beer around, and gently over the beef to wet the sugar.
3. Cover, and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Footnotes Editor's Note: During the last hour, you may put vegetables in the roasting pan as well. Try a wedge of cabbage, new potatoes, onion, carrots, etc. You may need to add a little more beer with your vegetables.

Guava Chiffon Cake - the hardest, most delicious dessert I've made

If you've ever had DeeLite Bakery's Guava Chiffon Cake (only found in Hawaii) - this is a very close second. It takes a very long time, but for me it was worth it.

Guava Chiffon Cake by Chef Don Sprinkle
Yield: 2 – 9” rounds (Variations- any concentrate can be used instead of Guava).

Cake Ingredients:
2 c sugar, 3 c cake flour, 1 tsp salt, ¾ tsp baking powder.
1 c. vegetable oil, 5 large whole eggs, ½ c. guava juice concentrate,
1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp red food coloring.
16 large egg whites, 1 ¼ c. sugar, pinch of cream of tartar.

Icing Ingredients: 1 qt whipping cream,
1c guava concentrate

Guava Glaze Ingredients: 1 c guava concentrate, 1 T cornstarch, 2 T water

*1* Separate the 16 eggs placing the egg whites in a very large mixing bowl you can whip them in later (My Kitchen Aid 5 Qt was barely big enough).

*2* Make the guava glaze (see directions below) and place it in the fridge for later.
Guava Glaze – Mix cornstarch with water until dissolved. Bring guava juice to a quick boil and add cornstarch mixture. Stir. Simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and chill well before using.

*3* Make the cake (see below).
Cake - Mix the first four (dry) ingredients for the cake. Set aside. Blend oil, 5 eggs, guava juice concentrate, vanilla and food coloring in a large bowl. Add 1st mix of dry ingredients and blend well 5 min. on med. speed). Take your very large mixing bowl with the egg whites and whip until triple in volume. Slowly add 1 ¼ c. sugar and cream of tartar. Whip until soft peaks form. Fold first mixture into egg white mixture and mix until smooth. Pour batter into two 9” round cake pans (filled to top) and bake at 350 F 18-20 min or until done.
[Note: this is very deceiving – I checked the cake at 20 min and it was not done. I looked at some notes at the end of the recipe and found this: “Oven temperature is critical, one effort with this recipe had the oven 50* hotter than the dial indicates and the insides were raw after an extended cooking time. The best test was with a 300* (dial set at 350) oven and the cake cooked for 33 min.”
My experience was this – cook for 20 min at 350 and then turn the oven down to 300. Check after 7 min, then another 5 min. Using a wooden skewer was the best way to check for doneness].

Remove from oven and immediately turn over pans onto cooling racks. Cool with pan in place.

*4* Cool the cake down (best overnight in fridge, but can be done in the freezer until firm).

*5* Make the icing (see below).

Icing – Whip cream at high speed until soft peaks form. Fold in guava juice concentrate and blend well. Use to fill and ice cake.

*6* Put it all together- placing the guava glaze in the center like a little pond.

(found on-line in 2001 by me on a page that I can no longer find - Maui Community College’s Food Service Program’s recipes).

Most requested desserts and holiday treats

These are the most requested desserts and Holiday treats. Enjoy!

Easy Fantasy Fudge (makes 6 lbs)
1 1/2 c. marg. (3 sticks)
6 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. evaporated milk
2 pkg. (12 oz each) semi sweet chips* (3 c.)
1 jar (13 oz) Marshmallow creme +
2 c. chopped nuts
2 tsp vanilla

* variations- milk chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter chips, mini snickers
+ I double the recipe and substitute the 13 oz for 2-7 oz jars in each batch
Mix marg., sugar, milk in heavy 5 qt. saucepan. Bring to full boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling 5 min. over medium or, if you really want to use a candy thermometer, until 234 F (soft ball); stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased pans. Either use 3- 9 x 9 or 2- 13 x 9 pans. Cool at room temperature. Cut into squares. Makes 6 lbs.

Special K Bars (my tweak on Grandma’s special treat)
1 c. lite Karo Syrup & 1 c. white sugar
Put in med. Saucepan on med heat until it just boils. Take off heat.
Add: 1 1/3 c. peanut butter (any variety) 1 tsp vanilla
Put peanut butter mixture in large bowl with:
7-8 c. flake cereal (Special K or Cornflakes are good)
Mix until evenly coated. Meanwhile, melt ½ pkg chocolate chips and ½ pkg (6 oz each) of peanut butter chips. Put ½ of cereal mixture in rectangle pan. Pour and spread melted chips on top. Add remaining cereal and press down. Cut into small pieces. Put in fridge until hardened (45 min).
Variety: Add raisins or chunky peanut butter. Use butterscotch chips instead of p.b. chips.


Cream Cheese Mints (from my grandmother, LAF)
3 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/2 tsp. flavoring (lemon, almond, peppermint, orange, cinnamon)
3 c. sifted powdered sugar
few drops of food coloring
granulated sugar
waxed paper

In a small mixing bowl stir together softened cream cheese and flavoring. Gradually add pwd. sugar. Stir until mixture is smooth (knead in the last of the sugar with your hands). Add food coloring. Knead until evenly distributed. Form into 3/4" balls. Roll in sugar and place on waxed paper. Flatten each ball with tines of fork or bottom of glass or use molds. If using molds, sprinkle them with sugar and place 1 tsp at a time in mold. Cover with paper towels and dry overnight at room temperature. Store in tightly covered container in fridge or freezer. Lasts up to 1 month in freezer. Makes 48-60.

Molasses Sugar Cookies
3/4 c. marg. (step 1- melt and let cool)
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. dark molasses
1 egg (step 2- add all these 3 to marg. and beat well)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
Sift these dry ingredients and then all to above mixture. Chill for at lest 1 hour. Form 1" balls, roll in sugar, and place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 F for 8 minutes. Will still be soft. They harden a bit as they cool.
Variations- substitute olive oil for melted marg. and increase flour to 2 1/3 c. I also like to change around the flour, adding some wheat flour or oat flour in place of part of the white flour. I always keep at least 1/2 of it white.

Almond Triangles (a great cookbook find by me)
Line 15x10 pan with foil (shiny side up).
1) Beat 2 c. butter & ½ c. granulated sugar until creamy.
Add ½ tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. almond extract; then beat in 1 egg.
Add 2 ¼ c. flour. Mix then pat into pan (spreading up the sides). Refrigerate until cool (12-15 min). Prick with fork, then bake 10 min. at 375° F.
2) Meanwhile (while dough is in fridge), Take a 4-5 qt heavy saucepan and add 2 c. butter, 1/3 c. honey, 1 c. brown sugar, ¼ c. granulated sugar. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally until boiling. Once it boils, let it boil for an additional 3 minutes, without stirring. Take off the heat and add ¼ c. heavy whipping cream and 1 lb (5 ¼ c.) sliced almonds.
3) Place on dough hot out of the oven and bake an additional 15 min. at 375° F. It should be bubbling evenly when you take it out.
4) Cool and then cut into 2” squares and then again into triangles.
Note: Step 1 takes about 15 min. before you start on step 2. I usually preheat the oven at the same time I put the pan on for #2. That way, your dough comes hot out of the oven at the right time. Makes 80.

Butter Toffee (from my mother-in-law)
6 small Hershey bars (or 15 miniatures)
1 c. finely chopped nuts
1 lb. marg.
1/3 c. water
2 c. sugar
Cook and stir only last three ingredients every minute until when tested in cold water it makes a good hard ball (260 on a candy therm.- takes about 22 minutes on medium heat). Pour into a 13 x 9 pan. Use 6 small Hershey bars and put on top of hot candy mixture. Spread evenly with a spatula. Candy will melt as you go. Pour (or sprinkle) nuts over top of chocolate. Let cool. Break into pieces.

Two More Reicpes - this time from N.S.

We had our Crock Pot Cooking Lesson today. Here is a couple of recipes from one participant - N.S. Thanks for the recipe donation!
Note: this is not my post 3 of 3. I will do the last three recipes I promised soon.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Yellow Onion
2 Garlic Cloves
29 oz Tomato Sauce
6 oz Tomato Paste
16 oz Cottage Cheese
Salt & Oregano (to taste)
Grated Parmesan Cheese
8 oz Shredded Mozzarella
16 oz Lasagna Noodles

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in fry pan. Drain fat.

Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and oregano.
Cook until meat sauce is warm.

Spoon a layer of meat sauce onto the bottom of the crock pot.
Add a double layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break to fit) and top with layer of the cheeses.
Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheeses until all are used up.

Add 1/2 cup of water around the outside edge of the lasagna.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.

Serves 6.


Pork Barbacoa

4 lbs Pork Roast (Boneless)
5 8 ounce cans Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
4 cups Dr. Pepper
3 tsp Garlic Powder
4 tsp Cumin
3 tsp Molasses
Flour Tortillas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Lettuce
Sour Cream



Mix garlic powder, cumin, molasses, tomato sauce, brown sugar, and Dr. Pepper in a large bowl.
Pour mixture over pork roast and cook in crock pot on low 6 - 7 hours.
Shred meat, return to crock pot and cook 1 hour in the sauce on low.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve in tortillas.
Garnish with shredded cheese, lettuce, and sour cream.


NOTE: This recipe made a lot of sauce. I used a little more than half to cook the pork roast which was between 4 and 5 pounds. Since pork roasts are pretty fatty, I dumped the sauce it cooked in, and put in the remaining sauce once the meat was shredded. My boys loved it.