Dr. Pepper BBQ Sauce

INGREDIENTS
     4 tablespoons unsalted butter
     1 large yellow onion, chopped
     4 cloves garlic, chopped
     1 cup ketchup
     3 tablespoons tomato paste
     1 12-ounce can Dr. Pepper
     1/2 cup cider vinegar
     1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
     1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
     2 teaspoons ancho or New Mexican chili powder
     1 teaspoon fine-ground white pepper
     1 teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter.

2. Saute the onion and garlic in the butter until translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the flavors have blended. Continue cooking until the sauce begins to thicken, 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if desired.

5. Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes or until it is warm but no longer hot.

6. Puree with an immersion or traditional blender—this will make the sauce thicker.

7. Let finishing cooling. Keep the sauce tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Rainbow Cake in a Jar

INGREDIENTS
   
     1 box white cake mix made according to package instructions
     Neon food coloring in pink, yellow, green, turquoise, and purple
     3 one-pint canning jars
     1 can vanilla frosting
     Rainbow sprinkles




INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly wash and dry the inside of each canning jar. Spray the inside of each jar thoroughly with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Scoop about 1/2 cups of cake batter into five small bowls.

3. Tint each bowl of cake batter with the food coloring until very vibrant.

3. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the purple batter into the bottom of each jar.  Spoon equal amounts of turquoise batter, then green, yellow, and pink. 

4. Place the jars in a shallow baking dish, add about 1/4″ in water in the baking dish.

5. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.

6. Remove jars and allow to cool completely before scooping a small portion from the top of your cake and adding a hefty dollop of vanilla buttercream to the top.
 

Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

INGREDIENTS
For the Dough:
2 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Filling:
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted until browned

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl (I used just the bowl of my stand mixer) whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Set aside.

2. Whisk together eggs and set aside.

 3. In a small saucepan, melt together milk and butter until butter has just melted.  Remove from the heat and add water and vanilla extract.  Let mixture stand for a minute or two, or until the mixture registers 115 to 125 degrees F.

4. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula.  Add the eggs and stir the mixture until the eggs are incorporated into the batter.  The eggs will feel soupy and it’ll seem like the dough and the eggs are never going to come together.  Keep stirring.  Add the remaining 3/4 cup of flour and stir with the spatula for about 2 minutes.  The mixture will be sticky.  That’s just right.

5. Place the dough is a large,  greased bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Place in a warm space and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 1 hour.  *The dough can be risen until doubled in size, then refrigerated overnight for use in the morning.  If you’re using this method, just let the dough rest on the counter for 30 minutes before following the roll-out directions below.

6. While the dough rises, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg for the filling.  Set aside.  Melt 2 ounces of butter until browned.  Set aside.  Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch  loaf pan.  Set that aside too.

7. Deflate the risen dough and knead about 2 tablespoons of flour into the dough.  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes.  On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out.  The dough should be 12-inches tall and about 20-inches long.  If you can’t get the dough to 20-inches long… that’s okay.  Just roll it as large as the dough will go.  Use a pastry brush to spread melted butter across all of the dough.  Sprinkle with all of the sugar and cinnamon mixture.  It might seem like a lot of sugar.  Seriously?  Just go for it.

9. Slice the dough vertically, into six equal-sized strips.  Stack the strips on top of one another and slice the stack into six equal slices once again.  You’ll have six stacks of six squares.  Layer the dough squares in the loaf pan like a flip-book.  Place a kitchen towel over the loaf pan and allow in a warm place for 30 to 45 minutes or until almost doubled in size.


10. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place loaf in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is very golden brown.  The top may be lightly browned, but the center may still be raw.  A nice, dark, golden brown will ensure that the center is cooked as well.

11. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.   Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the bread and invert onto  a clean board.  Place a cake stand or cake plate on top of the  upside down loaf, and carefully invert so it’s right side up.  Serve warm with coffee or tea.

I think this bread is best served the day it’s made, but it can also we wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Pizza Braid

All you need is one Rhodes loaf,  one pound of ground beef, pizza sauce, pizza toppings and, your choice of cheese. The dough takes a few hours to rise so take it out in the morning and place a towel over it. Once it has risen spray a cookie sheet and press out the dough into a large rectangle.

Then with a pizza cutter start cutting about 1 inch thick strips down the whole rectangle. You want to make the strips on each side the same size and make sure you have the same amount. Don’t get frustrated your first time. it takes a few times to get the braiding down.

Then you spread out the sauce and lay the meats down then other toppings followed by the cheese.

You take the first strip and pull it down to the second strip on the other side. Then take the first strip on the other side and do the same. Keep braiding all the way down and make sure to tuck in the ends or the sauce will spill out during baking.

Then bake it around 325 until golden brown for about 19-27 minutes

A few minutes before it’s done brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano.

The Ultimate Chewy Snicker Doodle Cookies

 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter at room temp
1 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsps. pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Small bowl of 1/2 Cinnamon 1/2 Sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly butter them, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, or a large bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, and mix until just combined.

3. Using your hands (I used my cookie scoop), shape knobs of dough about the size of a large walnut.

4. Roll them in the bowl of cinnamon sugar and place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

5. Bake 12-15 for smaller cookies (I found that 10-11 minutes was perfect), 14-17 for larger ones or until the tops are a light golden brown. If the cookies are neither firm nor dark when they are removed from the oven, they will cool chewy and soft. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. If somehow they don't get inhaled immediately, they may be stored airtight at room temperature for up to one week.

Panda bread

INGREDIENTS

     3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
     2 1/2 tbsp sugar
     1 cup milk w/ 1 egg yolk (both should total 1 cup together)
     3/4 tbsp salt
     1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
     1 tbsp green tea (matcha) powder mixed w/ 2 tsp hot water, OR green food coloring
     3 1/2 tsp cocoa powder mixed w/ 1 1/2 tsp hot water
     2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, microwave milk and egg yolk for about 30     seconds. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar and yeast.

3. Add in butter, salt and milk mixture, stirring on low speed with the dough hook attachment.

4. Increase speed to medium and knead until dough comes together and pulls away from the sides, about 5-10 minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a tbsp-ful of dough at a time until it is smooth and elastic.

5. Divide dough into three pieces, two about equal and one about 1/3 the size of the other two.

6. Place one of the large pieces in the stand mixer bowl and mix with green tea/water mixture OR green tea food coloring until desired color is reached.

7. Remove dough from bowl and place in a lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.

8. Clean stand mixer bowl, then place smallest piece of dough in stand mixer and combine with cocoa powder/water mixture until color is blended through. Remove dough from bowl and place in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled.

9. Place plain piece of dough in a separate, lightly greased bowl, covered, to rise until doubled. All pieces should double in about an hour.

10. Once dough is risen, on a floured surface, divide plain dough in thirds, with one piece being half the size of the other two (as you did before). Use one of the larger pieces to form the face. Divide the cocoa dough in quarters and use two quarters to form the eyes.



11. Quickly place the smallest piece of plain dough between the eyes to keep them in place. Stretch remaining piece of plain dough over the whole bread to lock everything in place.

12. Take last two quarters of cocoa dough and form the ears.




13. Divide green dough in two pieces, one twice the size of the other. Take the small piece to fill in the space between the ears. Take the larger piece of green dough and stretch over the whole bread to lock everything in place.


14. Place dough in a lightly greased loaf pan, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

15. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

16. Once dough is risen, bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown on the outside (the inside should register 190 degrees F). Allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before slicing or serving.

Cheese fries

Pretty easy! Cook fries when done add shredded cheese and the heat from the fries will melt the cheese.

Zebra cake

 INGREDIENTS

1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup milk (whole, 2% or 1%)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Double Dutched Dark Cocoa







INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9″ x 2″ round baking pan with cooking spray (you can use a 8″ x 2″ for a slightly thicker cake). Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment, and spritz again. Set the pan aside.

2. In the bowl of your mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On low speed blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed 1-2 minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing.

4. Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place it in the measure you used for the liquid ingredients. Sift the cocoa over this batter, and stir well to combine. Be sure to use a sifter to avoid cocoa lumps in the batter.

5. Now for the stripes. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue to alternate batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center.

6. Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar or frost if that strikes your fancy

Strawberry Torte

Ingredients
Unsalted butter, for pan
8 extra-large eggs, room temperature, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons sifted baking powder
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for work towel
1 quart strawberries, washed, dried, and hulls removed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and line a rimmed 15-by-10-by-1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar together until light in color, about 1 minute; stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Add cake flour and baking powder; stir until well combined.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold into flour mixture.

3. Pour cake batter in prepared pan and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until cake springs back when touched, about 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, set 6 strawberries aside for garnish. Thinly slice remaining strawberries. Place heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat on medium speed. Slowly add remaining teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. Set half of the whipped cream aside. Gently fold sliced strawberries into remaining half; set aside.

5. Lay a clean kitchen towel flat on a work surface with one of the short ends facing you. Generously sprinkle dish towel with confectioners' sugar. Flip cake onto towel, remove baking sheet, and peel off parchment paper. Using the dish towel, roll cake away from you; let cool.

6. Unroll cake. Evenly spread strawberry whipped-cream mixture over surface of the cake and re-roll. Transfer cake to a serving plate and evenly spread top and sides of cake with reserved whipped cream. Cut reserved whole strawberries in half lengthwise and place on top of cake for garnish.

http://www.marthastewart.com/255854/strawberry-torte