Lemon Crumb Muffins...

adapted from taste of home magazine

These I did not bake on a Sunday...

and I was WAYYYYY over my calories yesterday because of it...

Dang It!!!

But they are delicious and the reason I made them is so that Taylor could grab one out of the freezer at night, put it in the fridge and have them the next morning for breakfast...

The recipe made 51 muffins for me and they are about 235 calories each at that quantity...

the original recipe says it will make 40 muffins and then they are 300 calories each...

FYI...



Lemon Crumb Muffins:

2 cups butter melted

2 cups sour cream

8 eggs

3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Cream this together until smooth.

Add:

4 cups sugar

6 cups flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

This makes a very thick batter but trust me, they are so good!

Fill greased muffin lined cupcake pan with the large pampered chef scoop.  (this made 51 for me)  Top with struesal topping...generously.

Struesal topping:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cold butter

Mix this until course crumbs

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes and drizzle with lemon glaze.

Lemon glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

Mix in a magic bullet or small blender or just by hand vigorously...

Drizzle liberally and remove from pans so they don't stick...these freeze beautifully which is why I like them...Breakfast for Taylor for a whole month...yes please!!!  (I shared the rest with some neighbors) 

Note:  You will need about 3 large lemons for the entire recipe.

Inside view

Beautiful!

for the sake of the picture I had to eat some...

again...

for the sake of some good pictures, I took another bite...

and for the record...

I only ate two!

Cheesey Bread...

I'm not gonna lie...

I have more dissappointments than successes from Pinterest recipes...

but this one makes up for all those mess ups...

Cheesey Bread!

nuff said...

Cheesey Bread:

1 can biscuits (I used the large flaky ones)

butter, melted

cheese

Spray your pan, I used a round baking dish, pour melted butter into dish.  Cut biscuits into fourths and pile them in the dish.  Mix it all around so the butter is covering every biscuit.  Sprinkle shredded cheese all over the biscuits making sure to get it on the ones on the bottom too.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes.

Variation:  I made two pans of these and in the second one I sprinkled some garlic salt and parmesan cheese over the biscuits too...they were divine!

My favorite part was the very bottom pieces that had oodles of butter on them and some overcooked cheese on the edges...chewy goodness!!!

Homemade Rolls...

K - Don't freak out!!!  Homemade rolls can be really easy to make with the right recipe...and I think this one is perfect!  It's super easy, makes a ton and they taste fantastic!

Homemade Rolls:

1 cup water
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 cup cold water
4 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/2 cup warm water
4 eggs, beaten
7 1/2 cups bread flour
butter for spreading on dough and on top of rolls when they are out of the oven

Bring the 1 cup of water to a boil.  Add the butter, sugar and salt and remove from the heat.  When butter is mostly melted, add the 1 cup of cold water.  Let mixture come to room temperature.

In a separate bowl,  Dissolve yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water.

Pour the first mixture into a counter top mixer and add the yeast mixture and beaten eggs.  Mix briefly.   Add flour and stir together well.  It will seem like it is too sticky...but it's okay, I promise.  Cover tightly (I put mine in a greased ice cream bucket) and store in fridge overnight.

When ready to roll out, divide the dough into 6 equal parts.  On a lightly floured surface, roll each part into a circle and brush the circle with some melted butter.  Cut into 8 pieces and roll into crescent shapes.  Place on greased cookie sheets (24 to each sheet) and let rise for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-14 minutes.  After a few minutes out of the oven, brush tops with melted butter.  Makes 48 rolls.  Store any leftover rolls in an airtight container or bag.  So good!

The reason why I love this recipe and think it's easy is because of the refrigeration step...this step makes the dough sooo easy to work with.  I hope you like them as much as we do!

Pizza Crust...

We made pizza's for YW the other night and I found this recipe on a blog and decided to give it a go...

it was soooo good!!!

and the crust was all brown and cooked all the way through...

unlike other recipes I have tried...

this will only make one pizza so I suggest doubling or tripling it if you are feeding a crowd the size of my crowd...

I can't remember the blog, but because I changed the recipe a bit so I don't feel too bad...

I did steal this picture from a blog too because I never took one of  my own...

doesn't that look delish?

Pizza Crust:

1/2 cup warm water (from the tap is good, I let mine get a little hot)

1 1/4 tsp. yeast

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 tsp. salt

Combine the warm water and yeast in a bowl.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Add the flour and salt and mix in a countertop mixer for 3-4 minutes.  Roll dough onto cookie sheet...no need to grease the sheet, just a little flour and you will be all set.  Top with your favorite toppings and bake.

The trick to a good pizza crust is a really hot oven and putting it on the lowest rack in your oven.  This recipe calls for a 420 degree oven and baking it for 11-13 minutes.  

Also, we tried doing a pizza without using any sauce and it was really good.  In fact, it was so good that I have to intention to ever make my pizza with sauce again!  The flavor really comes through with your toppings...YUM!

Bread Machine Mall Pretzels...

Doesn't that look DIVINE!!!

I am telling you...

these are amazing and soooo easy to make!

Mall Pretzels...

1 1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
4 cups flour (I used bread flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

Wash
1 cup water, mixed with
1 tablespoon baking soda

melted butter
   

Put ingredients into your bread maker and set on the dough cycle.  Let it do it's thang!

Pull the dough out and divide into 16 equal parts.  Roll each piece out into a rope about 16 inches long.  At this point you can either shape your pretzel or keep in a rope shape to make pretzel bites.  Dip into the wash and place on a greased cookie sheet.  If making bites, cut rope into little bite sized pieces with scissors and spread them out a bit.

Let the pretzels rise for 15 minutes.  While they are rising, preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Brush pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle with the topping of your choice.

I discovered how to make the 'powdery' cinnamon sugar and parmesan cheese like they have at the pretzel stores in the mall...just blend the tar out of em to get em all 'powdery' and good.  I have a ninja type blender that works wonders!

I found this recipe over at CDKitchen...Love it!

Conference Krispy Kreme Donuts

I've been reading alot of nice stories of Conference weekend traditions and realized that we don't have any...traditions that is! Until today...we are now officially going to make these donuts for every Conference weekend until the end of time...or at least until we get bored of them...They are really good and taste like the Krispy Kreme's but with a little different texture...I increased the second rise time to maybe change the texture so it's a bit lighter. I found this recipe in the Worldwide Ward Cookbook...I slightly changed it so if you have the book, it doesn't read the same...sorry, it's what I do...I change recipes until I like them...Have fun!



Conference Krispy Kreme Donuts...

Donuts:

2 Tbsp. yeast
1/4 cup hot water
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup shortening
4-5 cups flour
Vegetable oil for frying.

Dissolve yeast in water. Add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape sides, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the flour until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a donut cutter or round cookie cutter. Place on a cookie sheet to rise for a second time, not so close that they will touch when they rise. Cover and let rise until at least doubled or a more, about 1-2 hours. Fry in hot oil and glaze while still warm.

Glaze:

1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
water

Melt butter, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Start with 2 Tbsp. water to make a glaze. Add more water as needed.

While we were watching conference Jenner was fascinated with the rain. She loves it...and loves to go outside and run around in it...crazy girl!

Chocolate Chip Muffins...

Either you love them or you don't...I happen to love them and I found this recipe online. It's an Otis Spumkmeyer copycat...Grady helped me make them and we couldn't get enough of the batter...sooo good!

1 box white cake mix

1 4 oz. package vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 package chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet) mixed with a little flour to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray muffin pan.

Beat eggs in a mixing bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients. Mix the batter well, about 1-2 minutes; overmixing will result in a 'heavy' muffin. Batter will be thick. Add chocolate chips and fold them in. Scoop into greased muffin cups with a large pampered chef scoop. Bake for 18 minutes. Makes about 18 muffins.

P.S. Haley...I'm bringing them to your house tomorrow...YAY!

Holy Chicken Alfredo and Homemade Bread BATMAN!!!

See here for more details...are you drooling yet?

So I just made these breadsticks I found on http://www.ourbestbites.com/ and we loved them and they were super easy...I copied the recipe exactly like she did...

One major advantage is that this dough is very, very forgiving, so a it's great yeast dough to start with if you're a yeast dough virgin.

Breadsticks

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

3-4 1/2 c. flour

In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly. Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger. Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter. Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures! Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes. Look how fat and happy they are...When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt. Or you could sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar.

Coffee Cake...

So my boys absolutely love this coffee cake, well at least they LOVE the topping. Check out the pictures of Grady's plate when he had eaten 2 pieces...funny huh?

Coffee Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray pan:

2 cups Bisquick

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 egg

2/3 cups milk

Struesel topping:

1/3 cup Bisquick

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Note: When I was little, I used to make this for my family all of the time. We decided we liked the topping so much that I used to triple it. It was so good but it might be a little too much for the faint of heart, I would strongly recommend at least doubling it.

Mix cake ingredients together and put into either a bundt pan or a small casserole pan. Prepare stuesal topping and put on top of cake. Bake for 17-22 minutes. Eat while still warm with butter on top. Yumm!