Chocolate Eclairs

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2 1/2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons hot water

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a No. 10, or larger, tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.
3. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.
4. For the filling, combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl according to package directions. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold whipped cream into pudding. Cut tops off of cooled pastry shells with a sharp knife. Fill shells with pudding mixture and replace tops.
5. For the icing, melt the chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until icing is smooth and has reached desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and drizzle over filled eclairs. Refrigerate until serving.

The filling makes A LOT so either double the dough and give half to your friends or half the filling. Or just have a lot of extra pudding...it tastes good with strawberries :-)

Don't be scared of the slightly long directions, these are surprisingly easy and SO delicious. You wouldn't find anything better at a bakery. I used a 230 Wilton cake tip to fill (a long and skinny one) so use that if you have one, it is a lot easier than cutting off the tops and then you can dip the eclairs instead of drizzling, if you want to. Oh and I used a ziplock bag with the corner cut off to pipe the dough for the pastries. These PUFF A LOT so leave a few inches between each one!

Amish Bread

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.

2. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

3. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.


THIS IS NOT the amish "friendship" bread that some of you may have had before (the cinnamon one that has to "proof" or "ferment" like sourdough). It is way better. The easiest homemade bread I have ever made and ALWAYS turns out delicious. I used to make it about once a week when we were going to BYU. You might want to make two batches so you have some left for breakfast the next day.

Blue Ribbon Apple Pie

We love this apple pie. Be sure you use the first recipe tip at the bottom and add some whipping cream to the pie the last 5 minutes. Makes it extra yummy!!!!




BLUE RIBBON APPLE PIE

Crisp pastry filled with a juicy apple filling is an American favorite.

Preparation time: 1 hrs Baking time: 45 min

Yield: 8 servings

Crust Ingredients:

2		cups all-purpose flour
1		teaspoon sugar
1/4		teaspoon salt
1/4		teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4		teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3		cup cold LAND O LAKES® Butter, cut into chunks
1/3		cup shortening
4 to 5		tablespoons cold water

Filling Ingredients:

1/2		cup sugar
1/4		cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4		cup all-purpose flour
1/2		teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2		teaspoon ground nutmeg
6		medium (6 cups) tart cooking apples, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch
1		tablespoon LAND O LAKES® Butter
1		teaspoon sugar

Heat oven to 400°F. Combine 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg in large bowl; cut in 1/3 cup butter and shortening with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in enough water just until flour is moistened.

Divide dough in half; shape each half into ball. Flatten slightly. Wrap 1 ball of dough in plastic food wrap; refrigerate. Roll out remaining ball of dough on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough into 9-inch pie pan; unfold dough, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Trim crust to 1/2 inch from edge of pan; set aside.

Combine all filling ingredients except apples, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon sugar in large bowl. Add apples; toss lightly to coat.

Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust. Roll remaining ball of dough into 12-inch circle. Fold into quarters. Place dough over filling; unfold. Trim, seal and crimp or flute edge. Cut 5 or 6 large slits in crust. Brush with melted 1 tablespoon butter; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover edge of crust with 2-inch strip aluminum foil.

Bake for 35 minutes; remove aluminum foil. Continue baking for 10 to 20 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust. Cool pie 30 minutes; serve warm. Store refrigerated.

Recipe Tip
If desired, remove pie from oven when lightly browned and bubbly. Run knife through slits in crust. Pour 1/2 cup whipping cream evenly through all slits. Return to oven for 5 minutes to warm whipping cream.

Recipe Tip
Read more about this recipe on Recipe Buzz™ Blog.

Nutrition Facts (1 serving): Calories: 400, Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 170mg, Carbohydrates: 60g, Dietary Fiber: 4g, Protein: 4g

Pasta Shrimp Toss

8 oz uncooked dried linguine or spaghetti
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion or shallots
12 oz fresh medium raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, drained (we used cooked shrimp from costco)
1 medium (1 cup) green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1/4 cup half & half or whipping cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 to 6 (2 cups) Roma tomatoes, cubed 1/2 inch
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine according to package directions. Drain. Set aside; keep warm.
Meanwhile, melt butter in 10" skillet until sizzling; add onion, shrimp turn pink (6 to 7 minutes) or if using cooked shrimp just until heated through and veggies are cooked.
Combine half & half and flour together in small bowl until smooth; stir into shrimp mixture. Continue cooking until mixture just comes to a boil (about 1 minute). Stir in tomatoes and basil
Place hot, cooked pasta in large pasta bowl or onto serving platter; top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Serves about 6

This was so good! It sounded like something fancy and hard just because it has shrimp in it but it was really easy!

Baked Potato Soup

2 large baking potatoes (about 8 oz each)
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions (3)
3 tablespoons all purpose-flour
2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill or chives or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups shredded cheese (5 oz)
4 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled

Preheat oven to 425 F. Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush; pat dry. Prick several times with a fork. Bake for 40 to 60 mins or until tender. Let cool. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; gently scoop out pulp, breaking up any large pieces. Discard potato skins. (We peeled, cubed and boiled the potatoes instead of baking them and it worked just fine.)
in a large saucepan, met butter over medium heat. Add half of the green onions; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour, dill, salt, and pepper. Add milk all at once. cook and stir for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add the potato pulp and 1 cup of the cheese; stir until cheese melts.
Ladle soup into bowls. Top with the remaining cheese, remaining green onions, and bacon.
Makes 5 to 6 servings


Sorry that we took so long to get this up Laura. We really liked this recipe! It was one of the best Potato Soup recipes that we have had.

Potato Soup?

Hey I was wondering if anyone, Emily or Mom, could post the recipe for potato soup that was made when we were all home. Brian really liked the recipe that includes mashed potatoes instead of mostly potato chunks and broth. So that would be great.

Lazy Day Breakfast

This sounds like my kind of Breakfast! I haven't tried it yet but will soon. Mom

German Mush
Makes 4 Servings
Try something different this weekend with a hot, comforting breakfast. This recipe takes a delicious twist on traditional Cream of Wheat.

• 4 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup Cream of Wheat
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoons vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
• Butter
• Optional add-ins:
• Raisins
• Peanuts
• Sliced bananas

Whisk eggs into milk until froth forms on top and no more egg bits can be seen. Whisk in Cream of Wheat, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook on stove over medium heat, stirring constantly with flat-tipped wooden spoon to avoid clumping. Cook until mixture begins to boil.

Spoon into bowls and add 1 tablespoon of butter to each. Stir in raisins, peanuts, sliced bananas, or other additions, if desired.

Zip-Lock Bag Fudge

2 oz. (1T) Cream Cheese
3 cups (3/4 cup) Powdered Sugar
1/4 cup (1T) Margarine
1/4 cup (1T) Cocoa

Measure ingredients in a gallon freezer zip-lock bag. Push the air out of the bag and seal well.
Squish the mixture to mix well. It will be dry at first, but will soon become fudge. It will take about 20 minutes of work.
Slit the sides of the zip-lock bag and roll the fudge between the plastic of the bag to 1/2" thick and cut into squares.
Press in chopped nuts if desired.

We made this in my cooking class. It is so good! The amounts of ingredients in parentheses are for making a single serving in a sandwich size bag.
-Laura

Spencer's Mac and Cheese

1 lb. macaroni or other pasta, cooked

1 lb. cheddar cheese, grated

1 lb. cottage cheese

8 oz. sour cream

1 egg, beaten

salt and pepper to taste

paprika

Bake pasta, mix together with all ingredients. Place in greased 9x13 casserole dish with paprika on top. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

This stuff is SO SO SO SO good. Spencer (my sister Whitney's husband) made this for us again last night, it is definitely in my top 10 favorite meals. So easy and so dang good.

Candy Bar Hot Chocolate

1 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bar
1 cup Milk

Heat milk in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Chop up candy bar into very small tiny pieces or even powder in the food processor.
Mix chocolate with hot milk until melted.
Drink!

You can make this in any size batches. Just 1 candy bar to 1 cup of milk. This hot chocolate is very creamy and I like it a lot because it is just candy bars which are really good anyways. Just make sure to heat up to milk enough so the chocolate melts all the way and you don't get a goop at the bottom of your cup. Making this on the stove in a big batch worked well.

Rosemary Bread

• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select white bread cycle; press Start.

If you don't have a bread machine I am sure its very easy to figure out how to make this regularly. We had this with dinner last night and it was great - reviews say that it tastes just like the bread at Macaroni Grill, I've never been there though so I don't know. All I know is that it is very tasty and filling.

Cocoa Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa or HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl; add cocoa, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to cocoa mixture, beating well.

2. Cover; refrigerate until dough is firm enough to handle, at least 6 hours.

3. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

4. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly and tops are crackled. Cool slightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

This is a great recipe if you don't want to use your butter, it takes oil instead...a little cheaper way to do it.

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:

• 38 to 40 REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
• 3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease. Remove wrappers from peanut butter cups. Cut each peanut butter cup into 4 pieces; set aside.

2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Add sugar and cocoa; stir to blend. Remove from heat; stir in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, salt and baking soda; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in peanut butter cup pieces.*

3. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and edges are firm. Do not overbake. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies.

I got this off of the Hershey website. I used Reses peanut butter chips instead of the cups because it was what I had in the cupboard. You could probably try all kinds of chips like white chocolate or mint chips instead of pb. The recipe is right! DO NOT OVERBAKE! If you do then the cookies get pretty hard after they have cooled. (this happened to my first tray, but I just heat them up in the microwave and they get soft again) These were sooooo good...I totally recomend.

Pumpkin Chili

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin
• 3 lbs ground beef (I used ground turkey)
• 2 (16 ounce) cans red kidney beans

1 can black beans

• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 3 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms

1. 1

   Brown the ground beef (or turkey!) and pour off grease.

2. 2

   Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, stirring well. Simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

Mmmm...yummy. This stuff was really tasty. We sprinkled cheese over the top (of course). I just cooked it in the crock pot for a few hours. A really good twist, thick and creamy and surprisingly delicious!

Mini Chip Snowball Cookies

Josh took these cookies to work today- not as yummy as the mint brownie cookies yesterday but still good. These poor cookies didn't stand a chance next to the brownie ones because they aren't full of chocolate but they are good :). I didn't have any mini chocolate chips so I just used regular. I didn't sprinkle the powdered sugar over them either I stuck them in my container of powdered sugar and rolled them so they were coated. So mine were definitely whiter than the picture here.

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=29549

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies

Made these cookies for Josh to take to work yesterday and they were so good! I used some peppermint flavoring I had in my candy making stuff so it wasn't peppermint extract or anything but it worked!

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=32387

Nestle has lots of other really yummy things on this site!

Oven Fresh Seasoned Potato Wedges

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into eighths

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Place Parmesan cheese, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, and potatoes into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, then shake to coat the potatoes with the seasoning. Spread the potatoes over a baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.

I really, really enjoyed these! Although I did more than 2 potatoes and doubled the other stuff. It was more than enough for like the 8 potatoes that I did. I didn't have any onion powder but it worked fine without it. I also baked these for about 50 minutes before they were crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. Go here to see the original recipe from All Recipes and there are more comments and tips.

Homemade Rootbeer

25 cups Water
2 1/2 Cup + 9T Sugar
5t or 1 oz. Root beer Extract
4-6 lbs Dry Ice

Get a large water jug, like the big ones with the spigot.
Dissolve sugar in lukewarm water.
Add extract until well mixed.
Add dry ice and let sit for a while, maybe 20 minutes or so until the root beer is carbonated.
(Carbonation only lasts a day or two then it goes flat)

Kneaders Famous Fresh Cranberry Sauce

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Prepared by Chef Tami Vincent www.kneadersbakery.com Ingredients: 1 quart fresh cranberries 1 cup white sugar 2 to 3 oranges to equal 1 cup fresh orange juice 1 teaspoon orange zest option #1 ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg ¼ teaspoon cloves option #2 ¼ cup chopped pecans Method: Squeeze oranges to equal 1cup fresh orange juice. In a large saucepan with a heavy bottom combine cranberries, sugar and orange juice. Add orange zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until cranberries begin to pop. This will take 15 to 18 minutes. Do not over cook Remove from heat Let cool. Blend to desired consistency. For option #1, blend spices into sugar before cooking. For option #2 add pecans after blending. This recipe can be make 2 days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Nothing tastes as good as fresh.

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Praline Pumpkin Dessert

We tested this out on the missionaries tonight and it was a hit. Very nummy!!!

Eat cake instead of pumpkin pie! Made easier with a cake mix and baked in a pan everyone has, this dessert feeds a crowd!

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 1 hour 45 min
Makes: 12 servings

1	can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1	can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3	eggs
1	cup sugar
4	teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow or spice cake mix (any flavor you like)
1 1/2	cups chopped pecans or walnuts
3/4	cup butter or margarine, melted
	Whipped cream, if desired
	Additional pumpkin pie spice, if desired

	Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan. In medium bowl, beat pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice with wire whisk until smooth. Pour into pan.
	Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Pour melted butter evenly over top.
	Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 30 minutes.
	To serve, cut dessert into 4 rows by 3 rows. Serve warm or chilled with dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice. Store covered in refrigerator.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.