Chocolate Zucchini Bread

3 cups shredded zucchini
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 1/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 9x5 bread pans. Combine zucchini, greek yogurt, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix again until all is combined. Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 55-65 minutes until bread springs back when lightly pressed with finger.

Neapolitan Pizza Dough

This recipe is best for use inside a high heat pizza oven. Makes eight 250-gram dough balls (for 12-inch pizzas)

1225 grams 00 flour
735 grams water
37 grams alt
3.3 grams yeast
4 grams oil

Put water and yeast into bowl of stand mixer with a dough hook. Mix until thoroughly blended. Add oil. Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl. Put dry ingredients into the bowl of the stand mixer with the wet ingredients. Turn machine on low for 5-10 minutes until dough is firm and stretchy. 

Cover dough with dish towel and let rise for about 2 hours until doubled in size.
Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Form into balls. Let rise another 30-60 minutes until doubled in size. 

Heat your pizza oven before forming your crust and adding pizza toppings to ensure it's hot enough before you begin. Aim for 850 degrees. Stretch your balls into small, flat discs. See ooni.com for tips on dough stretching. Lightly flour your pizza peel and lay base on it. Add your toppings. Launch pizza and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning every 20 seconds or so. Remove from oven and enjoy! Recipe from Ooni, adjusted to my liking

Waffles

 1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 c buttermilk
2/3 c oil
2 eggs
3 T sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add went ingredients. Mix until combined. Allow to stand for 30 minutes before cooking.

Heat waffle iron. Cook according to waffle iron directions.

Makes 10-12 waffles.

Recipe by Aretha Frankensteins, via Our Best Bites (with a few of my own adjustments)

Chicken Pillows

 This is a recipe that is familiar to a lot of people, and is a major comfort food to me. It's another great way to use a rotisserie chicken. I like to freeze bags of shredded rotisserie chicken to have on hand for quick dinners. You can also used canned chicken.

4 T. butter
1/8 t. pepper
4-8 oz. cream cheese, I like to use a whole package
2 c. shredded chicken
2 stalks celery, optional
1/2 c. diced onions
favorite roll recipe or 2 cans crescent rolls

Roll out dough into large circle and cut into triangles, pizza style. Fill with 1/4 c. filling. Roll up and tuck in ends; brush tops with melted butter. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Gravy:

1 can cream of chicken soup

Make according to directions on the can. Serve over rolls. 

Annie's Sourdough Bread

Annie taught me how to make this bread.  I typed it up and added in my own personal notes. 

Put starter on the counter for several hours or overnight

 

Put starter on the counter for several hours or overnight

 

Take 30 grams from the starter. Put the rest in discard jar and put in the refrigerator

 

Put 30 grams back into the starter jar

Add 125 grams water

Mix to break up the starter

Add 125 grams of flour and mix well

Let raise (to peak) on counter until there are bubbles at the bottom of the jar and the top is slightly domed. 4-8 hours 

 

Dump in large bowl.

Put 30 grams back into the starter jar

Add 125 grams water and 125 grams flour 

 

To the large bowl add

700 grams of water—stir with whisk to break up starter and then add

1100 grams of flour (all-purpose unbleached)

Mix together by hand wetting your hand as needed to help with the stickiness

 

Let sit 30 minutes and then add

50 grams water

27 grams sea salt

Pinch it in

Knead 3-5 minutes

Cover and let rest 30 minutes

 

Stretch and fold every 20 -30 minutes for the next 1 1/2-2 hours

 

Put in fridge overnight (8-10 hours)

 

Dump dough onto counter (use a little flour)

Split in half, stretch each loaf into a square, fold in half, roll into a sleeping bag, then push & pull each loaf to make into a round, smooth loaf. Leave on counter for 20 minutes and repeat. Place each loaf in banneton basket or line two bowls/baskets with a floured dishtowel.  Carefully lift each loaf and place in the bowls/baskets top side down, cover, and place in refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours. 

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees with large 5-6 quart Dutch oven inside the oven. Leave Dutch oven in 450 degree oven 5-10 minutes. While heating, remove one loaf from the refrigerator and carefully dump onto a large square of parchment paper.  Sprinkle a little flour on top of the loaf and smooth over the top of the loaf. Score and decorate the loaf as desired with a sharp knife or razor blade. Remove Dutch oven from the oven. Carefully lift loaf into the Dutch oven. Bake bread in a covered Dutch oven for 25 minutes, remove lid, bake 10-15 more minutes to golden brown.

 

You can also make four smaller half loaves and bake them in a 2-quart Dutch oven. Bake 20 minutes covered and 10-15 more minutes until golden brown.

 

 

Challah Bread

1 ½ c. milk (brought to a scald-180°)

1 cube butter

1 ½ c. warm water

1 T yeast

½ c. sugar

2 eggs slightly beaten

6-8 c. flour

 

Remove milk from heat and add a cube of butter. Allow to cool.

 

Add milk/butter to mixer, add water, yeast, sugar, eggs, and 3 cups flour. Allow to sit 20 min.

 

Add salt and remaining flour. Let rise until doubled. Make four-strand braid for each loaf. Look up on You Tube how to braid. Brush with egg wash.

 

*Makes 3 loaves.

 

Bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes.

 

 

To braid: 

4 over 2

1 over 3

2 over 3

Dressed Up Rhodes Rolls

If I'm using Rhodes Rolls, I like to dress them up a little to make them more yummy.  I love topping them with this garlic and Parmesan mixture.

• 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 
  
• 10-12 Rhodes Rolls

Allow rolls to raise according to package instructions.  Combine all ingredients.  Before baking, brush half of the mixture on tops of rolls.  Bake according to package and once removed from oven, brush with remaining butter mixture.  

Recipe Source: damndelicious.net

Perfect Pizza Dough

We make pizza a lot at our house.  We use a pizza stone or cook it on the grill.  This is our favorite recipe for the dough.  I usually double the recipe and freeze half of it in a freezer bag for an easy dinner another night.

1 pkg. yeast
1 c. very warm water
1 t. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
2 T. olive oil
extra flour

Dissolve yeast in water, allow to stand for 10 minutes.  Combine flour and salt in mixer.  Add half the yeast mixture, all the olive oil, followed by the remainder of the yeast mixture.  Add a little water, if needed, to make the dough soft.  Using the dough hook attachment, knead for 5 minutes.  Spray the top with cooking spray, cover loosely with a thin towel, and let rise for 45-60 minutes.  Separate into two balls and roll out into circles.  Top with your favorite toppings and bake at 450 for 20-25 minutes.

Zucchini Bread 2

Here is another great zucchini bread recipe.  This one is from my friend, Khyra.

3 eggs, well beaten
1 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. raw, peeled, grated zucchini
3 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon
1/3 t. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla and mix well.

Sift flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder together & add zucchini mixture, blending well.  Stir in chopped nuts.
Prepare a sugar cinnamon mixture.  Grease & sugar(using cinnamon sugar) two loaf pans.  Pour batter into pans.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top.  Bake at 350 for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Don't overbake.

Cinnamon Zucchini Bread (2 ways)

I have two recipes I like for zucchini bread. When I pulled them together to prepare to post them here, I realized they are nearly the same. The major difference is one has a blend of delicious Fall spices and the other one has cinnamon chips. We use the food processor to grate our zucchini quickly. I like to grate up a bunch and measure 2 cups of zucchini into ziplock bags to keep in the freezer to quickly make zucchini bread all year long.


Zucchini Bread
Recipe by Paula Smith, slightly modified

3 eggs
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
1 c oil
2 c grated zucchini
3 c flour
1 t salt
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
3 t vanilla

Sugar 2 loaf pans by spraying with cooking spray and then shaking around a few tablespoons of sugar until coated. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Combine wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet and mix. Pour into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes.



Cinnamon Chip Zucchini Bread (variation)
Recipe adapted from Kelly Meppen

Follow recipe above, but omit cloves and nutmeg. Add 1/2 c sour cream to the wet ingredients. Replace the brown sugar with a second cup of white sugar (so 2 cups total of white sugar). Follow the directions, but stir 1 1/2 c cinnamon chips into the batter before pouring into pans.

Perfect Pizza Dough

We love to make pizza at our house and this is a really great dough recipe.

Yield: two 12 inch pizzas

2 1/2 t. yeast
1 c. very warm water
1 t. salt
3 1/2 c. flour
2 T. olive oil
extra flour if needed

Dissolve yeast in water; let stand 10 minutes.
Add flour and salt and mix.  Add olive oil and mix.  Knead in mixer for 7 minutes, until soft and smooth.  Add a T or more of water, if needed.  Dough should not stick to side of bowl, add a little more flour if needed.  Spray with cooking spray and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.  Let rise for an hour.

Divide dough in half. I like to bake my pizza on a pizza stone.  I roll out dough onto parchment paper and prepare with toppings.  I preheat my pizza stone at 500 degrees for 25 minutes, then lower to 475 degrees and put the pizza on the pizza stone, in the oven.  Pizza peels are perfect for transferring the pizzas to and from the oven.

Recipe Source: Old Stone Oven

Buttermilk Biscuits

I love this biscuit recipe.  I like to serve it with sausage gravy.  I have tried several biscuit recipes in the past and have never like them, but this one is yummy!  The key is to use a food processor and to not overwork the dough.  It is also important to fold the dough a few times before cutting them into circles (this makes all the yummy layers).

• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons very cold butter cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, more or less (here is a guide for making your own buttermilk)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture is like coarse meal and the butter is in small, pellet-sized pieces (slightly smaller than a pea). 
2. Pour in the buttermilk and mix/pulse only until just combined. The dough should start to come together but you don't want to overmix the dough. If there are lots of dry patches throughout the dough, add a bit more buttermilk, just a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough comes together.
3. Scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Gently pat (do not roll with a rolling pin!) the dough to about 1/2-inch thick. Gently fold the dough in half or in thirds, repeating for a total of 4-5 times and pressing it gently to 1-inch thick after the last fold. These folds, combined with the cold butter, are what help to create flaky layers in the biscuits.
4. Use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut into circles. Do not turn the cutter while pressing into the dough, just press firmly enough to cut all the way through the dough.
5. Line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper. Place the biscuits on the pan with the sides barely touching each other. This helps the biscuits rise up instead of out. If you like crustier sides to your biscuits, space them further apart. They won't rise as high but they'll have golden edges.
6. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and bottom, do not overbake.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Foccacia Bread

I like to use this bread for paninis. I bake it, allow to cool slightly, then slice horizontally very carefully, and cut loaf into 4 large pieces. 


Easy Foccacia

• 1/2 Tbsp. dry active yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups flour
• 2 Tbps. melted butter
• Italian seasonings

1. Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in bowl and stir until dissolved.
2. Add flour and stir until well blended. Do not knead. Cover and let rise until double in size (about 1 hour).
3. Remove dough from bowl and place into a well greased 9×13 baking dish. Don’t worry about being perfect; you’re going for rustic look.  You want indentations all over the dough.  Drizzle melted butter over the dough.  Use a brush if needed to coat the entire top.
4. Now sprinkle the top with desired seasonings.  
5. Let rise an additional hour. Then bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until golden.

Recipe source: Real Mom Kitchen

DEANNA'S CORNBREAD MUFFINS

2/3 c sugar (or 1/2 c honey)
2 eggs
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c milk
2 t white vinegar
1/2 t soda
1 c cornmeal
1 c flour
1/2 t salt

Grease a muffin pan. Mix sugar (or honey), eggs, and butter. Add milk, vinegar, and soda and mix to combine. Mix in cornmeal, flour, and sugar. Divide into a dozen muffins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Can also bake in an 8x8 pan for about 30 minutes or until center is set.

GREAT HARVEST BREAD PUDDING BARS

A few weeks ago, I was talking to my mom on the phone.  She told me she had just gotten some bread pudding at Great Harvest and she would save me some.  I thought, "bread pudding?  Yeah whatever.  Great, Mom." AND THEN I TRIED IT.  Oh, baby, it's become my new obsession.   You really have to try them to understand.  Most bread pudding is a cinnamony, mushy, custardy mess, but Great Harvest has made bread pudding into bar form and topped it with a delicious glaze.  To me, it's kind of a mix between french toast and cinnamon rolls. Yum! I went to buy some the other day and they were out.  So I decided to try to make it myself.  And it worked!  I'm so excited about this recipe.  And so scared.  I was about 1 pound away from reaching my pre-pregnancy weight, but fear I may never get there now that I can create these bars of goodness at home.

Bread Pudding
11 cups cubed, stale Great Harvest Cinnamon Burst bread (about 2/3 a loaf)
3/4 c sugar
3 eggs
2 c cream
1 c milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla


Glaze
2 T butter
2 c powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-4 T milk

Grease 9x13 pan.  Add bread cubes.  (If your bread is not stale, place pan of bread in 180 degree oven and toss occasionally to dry out bread.) Whisk together sugar, eggs, cream, 1 cup milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in mixing bowl.  Pour mixture over bread.  Press down on bread crumbs to moisten. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until slightly golden and middle is set.  Allow to cool slightly while you make the glaze.  To make glaze, beat ingredients in mixing bowl adding milk as needed.  Drizzle over slightly warm bread pudding.  Serve warm or cold.  Store in fridge.

Source: Make Your Taste Buds Dance Original Recipe

Garlic Parmesan Rolls

These were amazing and too easy! I couldn't get enough of them!1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh or canned)
20 rise and bake frozen rolls (like Rhodes)

Place the butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a microwave-safe dish and heat until melted. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese.

Place the frozen dough balls in a large bowl. Drizzle the butter/cheese mixture over the dough and then toss quickly to evenly coat the dough in the butter and cheese. Place the dough in a 9×13″ pan and allow to rise until doubled (follow the package directions. Rhodes need 3-5 hours to rise). Bake according to package directions (Rhodes bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes) until the rolls are evenly golden on top and serve.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Church Rolls

--> I got this recipe from a lady in my ward at church. It's called "Church Rolls" because they can rise for 3 hours while you are at church. I like it because it's very fast to throw the ingredients into the mixer before heading to church. I used regular yeast because that's what I had and it worked great. This recipe can also be used to make cinnamon rolls.
2 ½ C warm water

1 cube butter, softened
½ C sugar
2 t salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 T yeast (instant SAF fast yeast recommended, but I used regular)
8-9 C flour (or more as needed, until the dough isn't sticking to sides of bowl, but don't add too much!)

Use a stand mixer to blend water, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs for 1 ½ minutes. Add yeast and blend for 30 seconds. Add flour and stir well. Cover with a dish towel and let rise for 3 hours. Cut dough in half. Roll out on floured surface into a large circle. Spread the top with melted butter. Cut in 16 pieces with a pizza cutter. Roll up starting with the wide end of dough. (Crescent roll style) Spray large cookie sheet with Pam and place rolls on to rise for 30 minutes. Bake on bottom shelf @ 400 for 12 minutes. Butter tops of rolls while hot.

Makes 32 rolls.

Recipe from Lisa Walker & Jill Fish

Copycat Pizza Hut Pizza

I'm really excited to post this recipe. We love Pizza Hut and this pizza is a copycat version that is very close to the real deal, especially the crust. Enjoy!

1 1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pk. dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
9 ounces vegetable oil (3 oz. per pan)
Pam
Sauce:
1 (8 Ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dry Basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into three balls. In three 9" cake pans, put 3 Oz. of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle. Place in cake pans. I used one cake pan and it was perfect. Spray the outer edge of dough with Pam. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Servings: 4

Sauce:
Combine ingredients and let sit for 1 hour.
For Each Nine Inch Pizza:
1. Preheat oven to 475F
2. Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge.
3. Distribute 1 1/2 Oz. shredded mozzarella cheese on sauce.
4. Place toppings of your choice in this order: Pepperoni or Ham Vegetables Meats (cooked ground sausage or beef)
5. Top with 3 Oz. mozzarella cheese
6. Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.

Recipe from cdkitchen.com

snake calzone

Today for preschool we learned about the letter S. I made the calzone recipe and made it into a snake, added sliced olives for the eyes, and cut out a tongue from pepperoni. The kids thought it was really fun.

Ham & Swiss Rolls

These are really simple sandwiches to put together that are very yummy. Toasting them in the oven makes the buns a little crunchy. We've made these twice in the last couple weeks; that's how much we like them.

12 rolls, I used this recipe

Mayo

Ham (black forest is good or a spiral cut ham would be extra tasty)

6 slices Swiss cheese

¼ c. melted butter

2 t. mustard

A few shakes Worcestershire sauce

2 t. poppy seeds or sesame seeds (I’ve tried both ways and like it.)

Slice rolls in half so they open. Spread mayo on top and bottom of the inside of each roll. Assemble rolls with cheese and ham. Place all of these on a baking sheet. Mix together the melted butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and poppy or sesame seeds with a whisk. Brush this mixture all over the tops of the rolls. If needed, cover with tin foil to prevent from browning too much. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes until heated through.

Recipe: Becky Higgins