No Monkeying around with Monkey Bread

This is a huge favorite in our house. Best known as the pull apart sweet dough, this breakfast addition is super wonderful. Most people will make it with pre-bought biscuit dough , but I prefer to cut down the calories a little bit. It's high enough with the calories it has in it now........ This is still easy to make so give it a try!

The dough should be sticky, but if you find that it's too wet and not coming together in the mixer, add 2 tablespoons more flour and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass. After baking, don't let the bread cool in the pan for more than 5 minutes or it will stick to the pan and come out in pieces. Monkey Bread is at its best when served warm

MONKEY BREAD (Adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

Ingredients

For the Dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus 2 tablespoons melted
1 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 package rapid-rise yeast or instant yeast
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons table salt

For the Sugar Coating
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted

For the Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS
For the Dough:
**Adjust oven rack to medium-low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn it off. Butter Bundt pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Set aside.
**In large measuring cup, mix together milk, water, melted butter, sugar, and yeast. Mix flour and salt in standing mixer fitted with dough hook, (see below for making Monkey Bread without a mixer). Turn machine to low and slowly add milk mixture. After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until dough is shiny and smooth, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured counter and knead briefly to form smooth, round ball. Coat large bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place dough in bowl and coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 50 to 60 minutes.

For the Sugar Coating:
**While dough is rising, mix sugar and cinnamon together in bowl. Place melted butter in second bowl. Set aside.

To Form the Bread:
** Gently remove dough from bowl, and pat into rough 8-inch square. Using bench scraper or knife, cut dough into 64 pieces. (See photos 1 and 2 below.)
**Following photo 3 below, roll each dough piece into a ball. Working one at a time, dip balls in melted butter, allowing excess butter to drip back into bowl. Roll in sugar mixture layer balls in Bundt pan, staggering seams where dough balls meet as you build layers.

**Cover Bundt pan tightly with plastic wrap and place in turned-off oven until dough balls are puffy and have risen 1 to 2 inches from top of pan, 50 to 70 minutes.
**Remove pan from oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap pan and bake until top is deep brown and caramel begins to bubble around edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then turn out on platter and allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

For the Glaze:

** While bread cools, whisk confectioners' sugar and milk in small bowl until lumps are gone. Using whisk, drizzle glaze over warm monkey bread, letting it run over top and sides of bread. Serve warm.

Mistake , but it worked out....

So I made these cookies today, and as usual making them from memory with no recipe. And I was chit chatting, and trying to hurry. Which I guess you shouldn't do when baking.....and I forgot the granulated sugar. Yes the sugar! Well it didn't turn out too bad. I might not have know, because the taste was still delicious, but I went to fill the sugar canister and realized I hadn't used it.....Ugh!
It turned out fine, and my friends on a diet thought it was terrific ......they could afford to eat two. I don't know where that thinking came from, but I go with it! LOL So here it is my delicious -less sugar Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 c. butter
1 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. oatmeal flakes
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. coconut
2 c. chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
* Cream the butter, shortening, and sugar
* Add the eggs and vanilla, continue to mix
* Add the baking soda, oatmeal, flour, coconut
* Fold in the chocolate chip
* Bake for 10 minutes @ 375 degrees

Super Simple and Fast Pizza Dough

I have come up with the easiest pizza dough that will have you skipping the takeout route. This dough can be ready in about 15 minutes, then top with toppings, and then into the oven for 13 minutes. With the addition of a little more yeast and sugar, and then a little less salt, you're on the way!

PIZZA DOUGH

Ingredients

3/4 cup luke warm water (May need 1 to 2 Tbl. more at end)

1 Tbl. yeast

2 tsp. sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup bread flour

2 Tbl oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions (stand mixer with dough hook is best)

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water

2. Add in the 2 cups of flour, continue to mix well

3. Add in oil and salt, continue kneading with the mixer, until it comes together to a soft dough. That is not sticky. *Remember you may have to add more water gradually.

4. Place dough ball in plastic wrap, and place in microwave oven for 30 seconds to "proof", transfer to lightly floured surface to shape into round pizza disk. do this half way, let rest 2 minutes, then continue. Don't forget to form crust. Dock the dough before adding sauce.

5. Add toppings and bake for 13 minutes @ 425 degrees.

Pulled Pork Sliders

Simple and super delicious. These little sliders were the hit of the NYE party I catered over the weekend. This recipe is so crockpot easy. After the pork has cooked for about 6 or 7 hours, it is easy to pull apart with two forks and just shredd it. The Root Beer ads that little hint of sweetness. Party on!

Pulled Pork
Ingredients
2 pounds of Pork Loin
1 can of Root Beer
1 bottle of Spicy BBQ sauce

Directions
Place all ingredients in Slow cooker on high/medium for 6 to 7 hours. Pull apart to shred. Add more sauce before serving if you prefer.

Happy New Year!!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Have you made your New Year's resolutions yet? There are those of us who do, and those of us who don't. I fall in the category of those who would like to, but would probably break it anyway, so why bother. Of course, I do hope to lose a few pounds, just like everyone else. Maybe I would be able to keep that one. But, it is so hard when you love to bake. LOL....

Have a Happy and Healthy 2012!

Buckeyes.......

Buckeyes...not Wolverines! Michigan joke!!LOL These are a Midwestern favorite, and my family can just devourer them. Sometimes a little too much!!

BUCKEYES

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

*3 – 4 cups melting chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. In the bowl of a mixer, combine peanut butter and butter until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, until well-mixed; then add graham cracker crumbs. Mixture should be dry.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form dough into teaspoon-sized balls, and lay on the baking sheet . Press a toothpick into each ball and put baking sheet into freezer for at least 30 minutes.
3. In a double-broiler or a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, melt the melting chocolate.
4. Using the toothpick to hold them, dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet, remove toothpick, and refrigerate until serving.

Cinnamon Snowballs

I found these cookies over on Cookie Madness. And they are so easy to make, I let my 11yo son attempt it. They turned out great, and he recieved many compliments. They should be on your cookie platter!

Cinnamon Snowballs (reprinted from Cookie Madness)

INGREDIENTS

8 oz butter (2 sticks)

3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 cups cornflakes, crushed after measuring

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Powdered sugar and extra cinnamon for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

*Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

*Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon with an electric mixer.

*Stir in the cake flour followed by the cornflakes and nuts.

*Shape dough into about 48 small balls.

* Arrange on cookie sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan.

*Roll in powdered sugar while warm. Sprinkle with some extra cinnamon if you feel like it.