Cinnamon Twists Newest Article

1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup instant potato buds
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup butter, cut in pieces
3 large eggs
2 pkgs dry yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup warm water
4-5 cups flour
soft butter and cinnamon sugar mixture

Measure boiling water into large mixing bowl. Add potato buds and salt; beat well. Add sugar, milk powder and butter; mix until butter is melted. Beat in eggs. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and stir into milk powder mixture. Add 3 cups flour and beat well, gradually adding enough flour for soft dough. Knead until smooth and satiny. Let rise in draft free place until double.

Lightly grease 2 - 12" pizza pans. Punch down dough and divide in half. Using 1/2 for each pan. Divide each half in 3 equal portions. Roll and spread with softened butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with second circle of dough and spread with butter and cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with third circle of dough. Place a 2" daimeter drinking glass in center of dough. Cut dough layers into 16 equal pie-spaced wedges, leaving ledges attached to center portion under glass. Remove glass and twist each wedge 5 times. Repeat with other half of dough. Let rise until double.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and drizzle with glaze.

VANILLA GLAZE:
3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tb milk
1 tsp vanilla

Val

Lemon Risotto

3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken  broth
2 Tb olive oil
1 shallot, finely copped
1 cup  uncooked rice
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp pepper

In a small saucepan, bring broth to a simmer; keep hot. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallots and cook 1-2 minutes. Add rice and garlic; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup hot broth. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook and stir until broth is absorbed. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until the broth has been absorbed after each addition. When rice is tender but firm to the bite and risotto is creamy, remove from heat and stir in lemon peel and pepper.

Kelly
Recipe from Taste of Homes Magazine

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and blend until combined. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.

Using a standard cookie scoop or a tablespoon, drop onto a greased pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until barely golden brown around the edges. Do not cook longer than 10 minutes.

Let cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Makes approximately 3 dozen.

**You can substitute shortening for butter if you'd like. They still turn out great!

Kelly
Recipe from Apple A Day

Bagels

DOUGH:
1 Tb yeast
4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 Tb brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water

WATER BATH: 
2 quarts  water
2 Tb brown sugar
1 Tb white sugar

Place all the dough ingredients in a bread machine, starting with the water. Set the machine on "dough" setting. Check the dough after 10 minutes, it should be quite firm.

After the first rise, punch down and transfer to a greased working surface. Divide into 8 equal pieces. Work each piece into a round, smooth ball and transfer to a lined or greased pan. Cover with a towel (I spray the towel with water so it is slightly moist) and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.

Once rested, poke your thumb in the center of each ball and stretch gently to make a hole about 1-2 inches in diameter.

Prepare the water bath in a deep pot or electric skillet. Bring the water/sugar mixture to a gentle boil.

Preheat oven to 425. Place four bagels into the water bath face down. Cook for 2 minutes. Flip the over and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove them from the water and gently place them on the lined/greased baking sheet. Repeat with the last four bagels.

Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until as brown as you like.

Kelly
Recipe from mel's kitchen cafe

Old-fashioned Beef Stew

3 lbs boneless chuck roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tsp salt

1 tbsp freshly ground pepper

2 yellow onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

1/4 cup flour

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup red wine

3 cups beef broth

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried thyme

4 carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch slices

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch slices

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces

On medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil to a large heavy pot (one that has a tight fitting lid). When it begins to smoke slightly, add the beef and brown very well. Do in batches if necessary to make sure all pieces get a good sear. Add the salt and pepper as the beef browns.  Once browned, remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onions to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. The flour should darken and create a roux with the oil and drippings. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. The flour will start to thicken the wine as it comes to a simmer. Simmer wine for 5 minutes, and then add the broth, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, and the beef.  Bring back to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on very low for about 1 hour.

Add potatoes, carrots, and celery, and simmer covered for another 30 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serves 12.

GOOEY CHOCOLATE COOKIE BARS

Chocolate filling:
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Cookie dough:
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (2 sticks)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Optional -- 2 cup chocolate chips or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9x13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing enough overhang on the long side to lift the bars from the pan.
Prepare the gooey chocolate filling: Place the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add vanilla, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Prepare the cookie dough: Place the butter and sugars in a large bowl (or stand mixer). Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Beat well. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture. Beat until everything is well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Prepare the bars: Using half of the batch of cookie dough, place dollops into the prepared pan and press down lightly to even it out. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the dough and then add small dollops of the remaining dough on top. Don't worry if the dollops don't completely cover the chocolate mixture. Just spread it together as much as you can, and let some chocolate peek through.

Bake until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside to cool completely, then cut into bars. Makes about two dozen bars.

Tips: I halve the amount of gooey chocolate filling. (Actually, I make a full batch, put half on the cookies, and put the rest on pancakes in the morning.) You can substitute peanut butter or butterscotch chips in the filling, but it makes it very sweet.

Kris
Recipe from recipegirl.com

Guo Li Wen's Fried Rice

2 cups rice, uncooked
2 small green onions
2 Tbsp oil divided
4 eggs
1/2 to 1 cup of ham
1 cup of frozen peas
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
3 Tbsp soy sauce

This is a great way to use up extra day old rice or you can make fresh rice for this dish. Put the rice and required amount of water into the rice cooker and cook until done. While the rice is cooking slice up your green onions and ham and scramble your eggs in another pan. This cooks pretty quickly so it is nice to have everything chopped and prepared before you start frying the rice.

To begin heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium high heat, once hot drop in the onions and ham. Cook for 3 minutes then add the rice. Let the rice cook until you can see the ham start to brown a little (bout 5-7 minutes) then add the soy sauce and bouillon powder. Cook for 2 more minutes then add the peas and eggs. Cook for about 3 minutes to heat the peas and then take off heat.



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