Friday, January 16, 2009

Poppy Seed Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 large vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract
5 eggs
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar
1 T cinnamon
mix sugar and cinnamon and dust well greased bundt pan.
Heat oven to 350.
Combine all other ingredients and beat for 5 minutes.
Pour into bundt pan and bake for 35 minutes.
Let cool slightly, place plate or platter over top of bundt pan and invert to remove cake.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Cream Cheese Braid


Make bread recipe (2 loaves).
Once complete, divide into two equal loaves. You can make 2 cream cheese braids, or 1 braid and 1 something else!

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Frosting: (also cinnamon roll frosting)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 T water
I only use half of this recipe for one braid.
Spray cookie sheet with pam and roll out one loaf onto it. Using spatula cut every 1 inch along both sides of dough. Spread cream cheese filling down the middle of the dough. It should look like this.You may also add a couple tablespoons of jam on top of the cream cheese mixture. I have also added cinnamon to the cream cheese filling, then it tasted like a cinnamon roll.

Begin at one end and fold a little bit of dough over cream cheese, begin braiding dough.


Finish by tucking last pieces under the braid. Spray top with pam and cover with dish towel. Let raise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Check bottom to see if browned. Remove immediately to cooling rack, unless using stone. Cool slightly, then frost and devour!

Bread Recipe

* recipe by Jeannie Dayton http://www.pantrysecrets.net/ *

No one was more surprised than myself that I could make bread and actually enjoy doing it!
2 loaves
5 1/4 cups bread flour (Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 rounded T Saf-Instant yeast
1 1/2 T liquid lecithin (3 nickel size drops)
2 cups HOT tap water

4 loaves
10 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 T salt
3 rounded T Saf-Instant yeast
3 T liquid lecithin (3 quarter size drops)
4 cups HOT tap water

Mix dry ingredients. Add lecithin and water. Mix for 1 minute and check consistency. If dough is too dry, add more water. If dough is too moist, add more flour. Mix for 5 minutes. (Do not add water or flour to the dough after it has finished mixing.) Spray counter and pans with cooking spray. Shape loaves and cover with a dish towel. Let rise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Bake times will vary with other items.

For whole wheat bread, use the same recipe but add 1 cup of applesauce as part of the hot tap water. Add an extra T of lecithin. Mix for 10 minutes.

TIPS:
-do not use all-purpose flour
-Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Flour is best
-you can use other sweeteners like honey or brown sugar
-do not measure lecithin, approximate amount is ok (it is super sticky)
-store your yeast in the freezer
-a 2 1/2 qt. pitcher is equal to 10 1/2 cups
-if mixing by hand, knead for 10 minutes
-put baked bread on a cooling rack ASAP (unless using a stone)

Use your loaves to make bread or:
Pizza crust
dinner rolls-16 per loaf
breadsticks
scones
orange rolls
cinnamon rolls
and more!

Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas

1 medium onion chopped
2 T. butter or marg.
4-6 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken (4-6 breasts)
1 1/2 cups picante sauce or enchilada sauce
1 cup shredded cheese
6-8 flour tortillas

Cook onion in butter on medium for 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup picante sauce and cream cheese. Stir until combined. Remove from heat and add chicken. Spoon into tortillas and top with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Enchilada Sauce

1 1/2 T. Butter
1 1/2 T. Flour
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans water
1 T. chili powder
1/3 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. salt
Melt butter in sauce pan on low heat, add flour and mix until lump free. Add tomato sauce, water, and seasonings. Cook until thick.

Use with any meat for yummy enchiladas!

Long Grain Cream of Chicken Soup

6 cups water
1 package Long Grain Wild Rice Rice-A-Roni
1 envelope Lipton Chicken Noodle Soup
Bring to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes.

Add:
2 cups chopped celery
2 cups chopped carrots
1/3 cup chopped onion
Simmer 10 minutes, or until veggies are tender. (If you like your veggies soft, I would recommend pre-cooking them or cooking the soup longer.)

Then add:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups diced COOKED chicken
1/2 can chicken broth or water and chicken bullion (8oz.)
Simmer 10 more minutes.