German Bread and Birthday Cake

Baking  German Bread

I didn't mean for my blog to turn into a cooking and baking blog, but I spend so much of my time as a mom cooking for my family that it has just seemed natural to keep track of my favorite recipes and new experiments.  Today is my husband's birthday and I really wanted to take him out for dinner with the family to get some Sonoran Hot Dogs- a specialty of the Tucson, AZ where we live.  However, after checking the bank account last night and realizing that we had exactly $2.78 left in our checking account, we realized we couldn't afford to go out.  So instead, we are going to grill up some German Bratwurst that S bought at Wegman's while on a business trip in PA.   I've pulled out my German Baking Today book to make some rolls for the Brats.  Here is  how I made them (I doubled the book's recipe and made some "American" adjustments) :

First I took 1 cup of butter and put it into a saucepan and started it on low.  When it started to melt, I added 14 oz of fat-free milk (you can probably use any kind) and continued to keep the stove on low until the butter completely melted, stirring occasionally. 

Then I poured the butter mixture into my Bosch mixer. 

M helps me do the baking.

While it was cooling a bit, I mixed 5 cups flour (mine was about 1/4 whole wheat, 3/4 white), 4 1/2 TBS of fast action yeast (2 pkg.), 4 TBS sugar, 2 tsp salt, 2 whole eggs and the whites of 2 eggs, reserving the yolks in a small bowl for later.  Then I mixed 1/2 tsp vanilla extract with 2 TBS of sugar until the sugar was well coated. Add the vanilla sugar to the flour mixture.  Slowly add the flour mixture with the butter mixture in the Bosch, then stir until combined and a dough forms.   



Kneading the dough

Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and take it out of the bowl.  Knead it again briefly on  floured work surface. Then I divided the dough and shaped it into rolls. Since we are going to be using this for Bratwurst, I shaped half of the rolls in a long shape to fit the sausages.  At this point, you should mix the egg yolk with 4 tsp milk and brush it over the rolls.  I forgot this step and did it after it has risen, but it still worked out ok.  Let the dough rise until doubled in a warm place in your kitchen.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and bake the rolls for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.  Don't they look delicious!

The finished product.

Raspberry-Laced Vanilla Cake

For my husband's birthday, I decided to make this cake whose recipe came from Gold Medal Flour.

 

First, I greased and floured 3- 9" cake pans. 

Then, in a small bowl, I mixed:

 2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

I mixed the following in my stand mixer:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

At this point, I turned on my oven to preheat it to 350 degrees F.

Then, I slowly mixed the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. When it was well combined, I divided the batter into the 3 cake pans and smoothed them out. 

I baked them for 30 minutes, then cooled them on racks for 10 minutes before turning them out and letting them completely cool (this will take at least an hour)

Once the cakes are cool, make the frosting by

Mixing 1 cup softened butter with 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 cup of corn syrup.  You may also use raspberry syrup for pancakes instead of the corn syrup, but I didn't want a pink cake for my husband. 

Then, cut each cake in half horizontally.  Place 1 layer, cut side up, on the serving plate and spread about 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam over the top.  Then place the next cake layer, cut side down, on the jam and spread with the frosting.  Continue to layer your cake, alternating jam with frosting between each layer.  On the top layer, spread with frosting and frost the entire cake.  Pipe frosting on top of the cake in a lace design if desired. Garnish with raspberries or chocolate leaves. 

This cake looks stunning and tasted wonderful.

Celebrating Dad's Birthday!





Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving 2012

Our Menu and Recipes

 We are so grateful this Thanksgiving to have my sister, G.S. and her husband S and their 3 sons, joined us for Thanksgiving.  Our table is set for 14 people and we are so excited to enjoy our meal together.  Here is the menu for this year and I'll follow it up with the recipes so I can use this blog to find them again next year!
Turkey

Dressing

Potato Casserole

Mashed Potatoes

Corn Casserole

Yam and Apple Casserole

Not your Mother's Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Jell-O Salad

Homemade Rolls

Cinnamon Honey butter

Cranberry sauce

Gravy (from a jar)

Sparkling Grape Juice

Pies
(See post below for Pie recipes!)

Turkey

Stuart took our 20lb turkey and soaked in a brine of salt, pepper, and chopped onion as it defrosted. This took 3 days.  After dumping the brine down the sink he removed the giblets and I took over.  I preheated the oven to 475 degrees F.  I first separated the skin from the breast, then I poured 3 Tbs of melted butter mixed with 1tsp each of dried rosemary and dried thyme, then I gently rubbed this into the breast meat.  I then generously salted and peppered the whole bird.  I stuffed the cavities with chopped onion, carrot and celery. After putting in one of those pop-up thermometers, I covered the whole thing with foil, the shiny side toward the bird.  I placed it in the oven and cooked it for 20 minutes, then reduced the heat to 250 degrees F for 20 minutes per pound (about 6 hours for this one).  After removing it from the oven, we let it sit for 30 minutes to let the juices redistribute themselves and make it even juicier.  Then we carved it up to serve.

Stuffing

G.S. made the stuffing using 2 small loaves of sourdough bread from the reduced bakery shelf.  She sliced it very thin. Then she added sliced mushrooms, sliced celery, chopped artichokes, chicken broth, shredded parmesan cheese, rosemary, salt, and pepper.  You could also add chopped onion, but the S's don't like onions.  Mix it all up and bake at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes.

Potato Casserole

This classic recipe that we have every Thanksgiving and Christmas comes from S's mom.  Here is her recipe that we doubled:

6 med. potatoes

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup chopped green onions

1 cup grated cheese

1 pint sour cream

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 cups corn flakes, crushed

1 Tbs butter, melted

Boil potatoes in jackets until medium soft.  Cool and peel.  Grate potatoes while still warm.  Add 1/2 cup melted butter, green onions, cheese, sour cream, and soup.  Mix lightly in serving casserole.  Cover with crushed corn flakes mixed with melted butter.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Mashed Potatoes

Everyone has their own favorite way to make these.  We just peeled and quartered our potatoes and boiled them until they were soft.  Then we mashed them in our KitchenAid mixer with a stick of butter and pint of sour cream and some milk.  We sometimes add ranch dressing mix, but we omitted it for Thanksgiving since the S's are not big ranch dressing fans. 

Corn Casserole

This is Scott Skelly's traditional family recipe.  It is the most delicious way to eat corn ever. 

Yam and Apple Casserole

Yam and Apple Casserole

From: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/yam-and-apple-casserole/

4 large yams

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups apple juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

3 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced, cubed or cut in rounds

1. Place yams in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 30 minutes, or until tender but firm. Drain, peel, and cut into 1/3 inch thick slices.

2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the cornstarch and brown sugar. Mix in the apple juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, and allspice.

4.Alternate layers of yams and apples in the prepared baking dish. Pour the apple juice mixture over the layers.

5. Cover, and bake 1 hour in the preheated oven. Remove cover, and continue baking 30 minutes. Baste frequently with the juices from the pan to prevent drying.

Serves 4-6 people.

Not Your Mamma's Green Bean Casserole  

Green Bean Casserole with Swiss cheese

 http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/2011/11/recipe-not-your-mamas-green-bean-casserole/




Cranberry Jell-O Salad



5 cans Fancy cut/ French cut beans 8oz cream cheese
8oz sour cream
1 Pkg Ranch mix
1 lb shredded Swiss cheese
corn flakes
Mix 5 cans green beans (drained) with ranch mix, sour cream, cream cheese, and half of the shredded cheese until smooth. Spread in glass 9X13 baking pan, top with rest of shredded cheese, and then top with crushed corn flakes.
I put all the cheeses, creams and ranch mix in the blender first- A lot easier! Then mixed in the beans.
Bake 350 until bubbly and corn flakes start to brown. (Approximately 30-40 min.)




Cranberry Delight.  We used our Tupperware ring that I found at a Thrift shop!

From:http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cranberry-Delight
•1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, juice drained and reserved
•1 cup of water
•1 package (6 ounces) strawberry gelatin
•1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
•3 tablespoons lemon juice
•1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
•1/2 cup chopped pecans
•Fresh strawberries, optional
Directions
•Combine pineapple juice and water in a 2-qt. saucepan; heat to boiling. Remove from heat; add gelatin and stir until it dissolves. Stir in cranberry sauce, lemon juice, peel, and nutmeg. Chill until the mixture thickens slightly. Add sour cream; stir until thoroughly combined. Fold in pineapple and pecans. Pour into an 8-cup mold; chill until firm. Unmold onto a serving plate. Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired. Yield: 12 servings.



Homemade Rolls

We made some in crescent shape in and some in squares for sandwiches with leftovers.

From: eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/2011/04/texas-roadhouse-rolls-copycat-recipe.html

4 tsp. active dry yeast

1/2 c. warm water
2 c. milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
3 Tbl. of melted butter, slightly cooled
1/2 c. sugar
2 quarts all-purpose flour (7-8 cups)
2 whole eggs
2 tsp. salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of sugar; let stand until frothy. Combine yeast mixture, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and enough flour to make a medium batter (about the consistency of pancake batter). Beat thoroughly. Add melted butter, eggs and salt. Beat well. Add enough flour to form a soft dough. Sprinkle a small amount of flour onto counter and let the dough rest. Meanwhile, grease a large bowl. Knead dough until smooth and satiny and put in greased bowl; turn over to grease top. (I used the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid to knead this for about 4-5 minutes). Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk. Punch down. Turn out onto a floured board. Divide into portions for shaping; let rest 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired forms. Place on greased baking sheets. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Baste immediately with butter.

Cinnamon Honey Butter
From: http://eatcakefordinner.blogspot.com/2011/11/cinnamon-honey-butter.html
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Whip the room temperature butter with the whisk attachment for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, honey, and cinnamon and beat until completely combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn up speed and whip for a minute or two or until really light and fluffy. Yield: about 3/4 cup.


We gathered together!

G.S. and I enjoyed spending time together

Counting our Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving 2012





Pies, Pies, Pies

Pies! Pies! Pies!

Thanksgiving 2012

This year our family hosted another pie party at our home in Catalina.  I made 2 pies for the party- a Pumpkin Cream pie and a Raspberry Cream pie.  D. was home from college to spend Thanksgiving with us and she made an apple pie. For Thanksgiving day, my sister, G.S., and her family joined us. We made a few more pies to eat for dessert.  I made a traditional pumpkin pie and a cherry pie as well as another apple pie using D's crust recipe.  At the last minute, G.S. taught me how to make a cream pie from scratch and we made a peanut butter chocolate cream pie. In order to remember all these great recipes in case I ever want to use them again, I've decided to copy them all down here. I'll try to write down the references where I found the original recipe, but all have been tweaked a bit to fit our family's tastes. So enjoy your pie!

Pumpkin Cream Pie

from: tastykitchen.com

crust:

1 1/2 package Graham Crackers (about 15 cookie sheets)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

filling:

1 3oz. box cook and serve vanilla pudding

1 cup half-and-half

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

1/2  cup (overflowing ) pumpkin puree

1/2 cup heavy cream (additional)

2 Tbs brown sugar

Whipped cream (or Cool Whip)

extra graham cracker crumbs for garnish

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Grind graham crackers in a blender. Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined.  Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until "set".  Remove from oven and cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick.  Remove from heat.  Add pumpkin and stir to combine.  Place lid on the pot and set aside to cool for 20 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to completely cool.

Mix 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar.  Beat until very light and fluffy.  Fold in cooled pumpkin mixture until combined.  Pour into cooled crust.  Cover and refrigerate a few hours or overnight. Spread whipped cream over top and sprinkle on graham cracker crumbs to garnish.

Raspberry Cream Pie

From: tastykitchen.com

25 whole Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

4 Tbs butter, melted

1 (generous) cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)

3 Tbs sugar

2 containers (6 oz) raspberry yogurt

1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

extra raspberries for garnish

To make the crust, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Crumble cookies in a blender.  Stir in melted butter until all combined.  Pour into a regular pie pan and press crumbs into a firm crust on the bottom and sides.  Bake for 3-4 minutes to set. Cool completely.  

Place raspberries on a plate or in an empty pan.  Smash with a fork, then sprinkle on 3 Tbs sugar. Stir together and allow to sit for 15 minutes.  

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine raspberry yogurt with pudding mix.  Beat on low until combined.  Pour in heavy cream and whip on low for 30 seconds.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Turn mixer on med-high speed and beat for 2 minutes, or until mixture is thickened.  Fold in raspberries until just combined.  Pour into cooled crust and spread evenly. Freeze for 2 hours or until very firm. Cut into slices and top each slice with cookie crumbs, dollops of whipped cream and extra raspberries. Keep in the freezer, allowing time to thaw before serving.   

Apple Pie

Easy Pie Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cooking oil

3/4 tsp salt

2 Tbs sugar

2 T cold milk

Dump flour in an ungreased pie plate. Add the oil, salt, and sugar; stir well. Pour in the milk, and mix with a fork into a stiff dough.  Press into the shape of the pie plate.  For fruit pies bake at 350 degrees F for 3-5 minutes before adding the filling. For cream pies bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned, and let cool before adding the filling.

Filling:

2 cans of apple pie filling                 cinnamon

Dump apple pie filling into crust. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top.

Topping:

Crumble together 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 T flour, 1/4 cup oatmeal and 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional).

Cut 1/4 cup cold butter into the sugar mixture.  Sprinkle on top of the apples.  Bake pie at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 degreed F and bake for 30-40 minutes more.

Cherry Pie

Never-Fail Pie Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup shortening or butter

2 1/2 Tbs cold water

1 1/2 tsp vinegar

1 egg, slightly beaten

In a mixing bowl, blend flour, salt, and shortening.  Use a pastry blender to cut shortening into flour.  combine water, vinegar, and egg; blend into the flour mixture.  Shape into 2 balls and refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze to use later.  Flatten 1 ball of dough and roll into a circle on waxed paper. Place in the pie plate by lifting the dough with the waxed paper and turning it upside down into the plate, then peel off waxed paper.  Fit the dough to the plate, shaping the edges as desired. Prick bottom with fork tines. For fruit pies bake at 475 degrees F for 3-4 minutes. For cream pies, bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool.

Filling:

2 cans cherry pie filling

cinnamon

Dump cherry pie filling into crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Topping:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs flour

1/4 cup cold butter

Crumble topping ingredients together to resemble small crumbs.  Sprinkle on top of cherries.  Then bake in 475 degrees F oven for 15 minutes.  Then reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake for 30-40 minutes longer. Top with ice cream or whipped cream before serving.

Pumpkin Pie

crust: Use either easy pie crust or Never-fail pie recipe above. 

filling:

From: King Arthur Flour

Chad Taste-Tested the Pumpkin Pie for us :)

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin
• 1 cups light cream or evaporated milk

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, salt, and spices.

2. In a large measuring cup, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, and cream or evaporated milk. Whisk into the dry ingredients. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the filling overnight before baking.

3. Lightly grease a 9" pie pan that's at least 1 1/2" deep. Roll the pie dough out to a 13" circle, and transfer to the pan. Crimp the edges above the rim; this will give you a little extra headroom to hold the filling when it expands in the oven. Refrigerate the crust while the oven preheats to 400°F.

4. When the oven is hot, place the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.

5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is set 2" in from the edge. The center should still be wobbly. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a rack; the center will finish cooking through as the pie sits.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cream Pie

Crust: use directions for graham cracker crust above, or use a purchased graham cracker crust.

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup + 2 Tbs corn starch

1 tsp salt

4 cups of milk

Cook in a large saucepan on med heat stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then boil for 1 minute longer.  Will be thickened.  Meanwhile, put 4 egg yolks in a mixing bowl and stir with a fork.  Pour 1/2 of the milk mixture into the yolks and stir to blend, then pour it back into the saucepan and blend into the remaining milk mixture. 

Divide the cream into 2 parts.  In one part add 3/4 cup peanut butter and mix well.  In the other part add unsweetened cocoa powder (about 1/4 cup) and mix well. 

Pour the chocolate cream into the crust.  Then pour the peanut butter cream on top of the chocolate.  Refrigerate for several hours before serving.  Serve with whipped cream.

New Year, New Goals

As I start this new year, I've been thinking about my priorities and what goals I plan to pursue this year.  I've basically categorized my priorities into 4 parts: Spiritual, Family/Social, Educational and Personal
I've set some goals to help me grow in each of these categories this year.  Since they say that a goal is only a wish until you write it down and that sharing a goal with another person makes it more likely that you will achieve that goal, I'm going to write my goals down here in my blog and share them with you.
Spiritual:
Say a personal prayer at least once every day
Read the scriptures for at least 10 minutes every day (I hope to finish the Book of Mormon and then read The New Testament after that)
Family/Social:
Maintain a family Budget and live within our means, saving for college and future expenses
Hold Family Home Evening once a week
Spend one on one time with each of my children every week
Catch up on family scrapbooks
Visit and or call a friend at least once a month
Educational:
Read at least one book a month
Try at least one new recipe every month
Personal:
Eat a healthy diet and avoid sugar and processed foods
Exercise at least 4x a week
Volunteer at children's school regularly
Look for ways to serve others without them knowing

Besides all that, I'm hoping to start a new blog.  I've been toying around with an idea to put together a W Family blog that will document the histories of my parents, siblings and other relatives.  We all have interesting stories to tell and I'd like a way to share them with each other, so I hope to put something together for that part of my extended family.  Maybe I'll do one for Stuart's family too, who knows? 
I wish you all the best in the year of 2012!

Christmas at our home

C, G, and E all participated in a live children's nativity

I have often heard people exclaim how much fun it must be at our house on Christmas morning.  One of the advantages of having a big family is that even simple Christmas traditions are big! I must admit, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning are some of the best days ever at my house.  2011 was no exception.  So, I'll share with you some of my favorite pictures from the holiday.  Enjoy!

A decorates the gingerbread house on Christmas eve

Our Family loves Christmas

C tears the sheet off his new bike

M is delighted with his picture book

A opens up an RC truck



Santa gave D some makeup




G is our new Spy Kid

Merry Christmas!

E and A move to the new Xbox game

M is all worn out by the fun



The completed puzzle that E gave Mom for Christmas