Best White Bread

Wow! This white bread will knock your socks off! Super tasty! Found this recipe in the instruction manual for our KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

1/2 cup low-fat milk
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine (I used 1 1/2 T. of each)
.4 Oz active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (I run the water in the faucet until it gets hot)
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour

1. Combine milk, sugar, salt, and butter into a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until butter is melted and sugar and salt have dissolved. Allow mixture to cool to luke warm.

2. While mixture is cooling, warm mixing bowl by swirling with hot water. Add 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Sprinkle in yeast. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and stir if necessary. Add lukewarm mixture and 4 1/2 cups of flour.

3. Mix on level 2 for 1 minute and 1/2 cup at a time, add remaining flour. Allow to continue mixing with dough hook until dough sticks to the hook, and cleans the sides of the bowl.

4. Place dough into greased bowl, flipping 1x. Cover with tea towel and allow to rise for 1 hour in a warm, draft free location. (I warmed the oven to 400 for 1 minute and then turned it off and placed bowl on center rack) Removed dough from bowl and divide in half. Roll dough out onto floured surface with floured rolling pin. After dough is rolled out to approximately 14x9, roll dough tucking and pinching ends. Place into 9x5 bread pan.

5. Allow to rise 1 hour covered in warm location. Preheat oven to 400 for baking. Bake for 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven. Remove from pan immediately and allow to cool on a rack.

ENJOY!

Baked Macaroni

My mom has made this recipe for years. Once you try it, you'll love it!

2 cups uncooke macaroni noodles.
1/2 cup of butter or magerine
2 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups grated cheddar cheese (We like sharp)

Boil macaroni noodles and drain. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and allow to cook. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Do not allow the butter to brown. Stir in cheese, milk, salt & pepper. Cook until smooth and thickened. Add macaroni and mix. Pour into 11x17 inch casserole dish. Top with slices of tomatoes and sprinkle remaining cheese ontop. Bake, covered in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes.

Fried Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

A great recipe to pair with a cold beer from AllRecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• 1 quart oil for deep frying
• 1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese sticks

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the eggs and water.
2. Mix the bread crumbs and garlic salt in a medium bowl. In a medium bowl, blend the flour and cornstarch.
3. In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C).
4. One at a time, coat each mozzarella stick in the flour mixture, then the egg mixture, then in the bread crumbs and finally into the oil. Fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.

Soft Pretzels

Wow! These are so yummy, it's insane! We like to freeze them and pop them into the microwave for a great snack!

1 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup bread flour
3 cups regular flour
2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons baking soda
Kosher salt to taste
4 tablespoons melted butter

1. Pour warm water into stand mixer mixing bowl and sprinkle in yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add sugar, salt and stir to dissolve. Add flour to the mixing bowl and mix. Allow dough hook to work with dough on speed 2 for 7 minutes. Cover dough and let rise for 30 minutes.

2. While dough is rising, mix baking soda with warm water in a container large enough to fit entire pretzel in. After dough has risen, cut dough into 12 pieces and roll out into a long rope and shape into pretzel shape. Dip pretzel in baking soda solution and place on Silpat or greased baking sheet. Allow pretzels to rise again for 20 minutes. Bake in 450 oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt. ENJOY!

These freeze well and can be reheated in a microwave for 35 seconds.

Buche de Noel (Yule Log)

We were in charge of a desert this year (2009) for Christmas and I wanted to make a dish that was very traditional. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and it received rave reviews.

• 5 eggs, room temperature, separated
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

 FILLING:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• MOCHA BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon strong coffee
• confectioners' sugar
• Chopped nuts

Directions 

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is thick and light-colored. Add flour and cocoa, beating on low speed. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; fold into batter. mix until no streaks of white remaining. Grease a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan; line with waxed paper, and grease and flour paper. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cover with waxed paper and cool completely on wire rack. Remove paper; invert cake onto an 18-in. long piece of waxed paper dusted with confectioners' sugar. Trim edges from all four sides of cake. For filling, combine flour and milk in a saucepan. Cook over low heat; stirring until thick. Cool. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Add flour mixture; bet until fluffy. Fold in walnuts if desired. Spread on cake; roll up, jelly-roll style, starting from one short end. For frosting, beat butter until fluffy in a small bowl. Beat in sugar, cocoa and coffee. Spread over cake, using a fork to create a bark-like effect. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and nuts if desired.

Salmon Rosemary Burgers

In attempting to cook more with fish, I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It was very tasty!

2 1/2 pounds king salmon
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Prepare the salmon by chopping the fish until well minced. (Be sure to remove any remaining bones)

2. In a large bowl, mix the minced salmon with bread crumbs, red onion, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and eggs. Season with rosemary, salt, and pepper. Chill at least 30 minutes in teh refrigerator.

3. Prepare an outdoor grill for medium-high heat

4. Form the salmon mixture into 8 burger patties. Lightly coat each patty with olive oil.

5. PLace salmon patties on the grill, and cook 4 or 5 minutes on each side.

Parmasean Chicken/Eggplant

A great breading for chicken or eggplant parmasean.

Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts/Eggplant
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmasean cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip the chicken into the egg and drudge in crumb mix. In a large skillet, brown on each side the chicken or eggplant in butter and oil mixture until juices run clear. Apply a thin layer of marinara sauce and fresh mozzrella. Brown mozzarella in broiler. Serve with pasta.