Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

found this here http://annies-eats.net/2011/03/23/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/

Yield: one 9 x 5" loaf


Ingredients:

For the dough:

2¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed

¼ cup granulated sugar

2¼ tsp. instant yeast

½ tsp. salt

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1/3 cup whole milk

¼ cup water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs


For the filling:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg


Directions:

To make the dough, combine the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Combine the butter and milk in a small saucepan and heat just until the butter is melted. Set aside and let cool briefly, until the mixture registers 115-125˚ F on an instant-read thermometer. Add the milk mixture, water, vanilla and eggs to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until a cohesive dough forms. Continue to knead until smooth and elastic, adding additional flour as needed 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and is tacky but not sticky. Knead about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat, and cover. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. (After the dough has doubled, it can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before proceeding.)


While the dough rises, add the butter to a small saucepan and melt until browned. Set aside. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl and mix well.


Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently deflate. Roll into a ball, cover with a clean towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Roll the dough out into an approximately 12 x 20-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the browned butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the dough in an even layer. (Yes, really, use all of it.)


Lightly grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Slice the dough vertically into 6 even strips. Stack the strips on top of each other and again cut again into 6 equal slices. Stack all the squares on top of each other and set into the prepared loaf pan. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm place, 30-45 minutes.


Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Transfer the loaf to the oven and bake 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. (If the top seems to be browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil at the end of baking.) Remove from the oven and let rest in the pan 20-30 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen and carefully turn the loaf out, transferring to a serving plate. Serve warm.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread

found this here http://userealbutter.com


1 tbsp instant espresso powder (I like Medaglia D’Oro)
1 tbsp boiling water
8 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped OR 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. Set aside to cool to tepid. Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in vanilla and espresso, then reduce mixer speed to low and add flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate or chips with a sturdy rubber spatula. Using the spatula, transfer dough to a gallon-size zip-loc bag. Put bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet (okay, I didn’t poke the cookies and they’re fine). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point (I didn’t do that either – I bake one sheet at a time). The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving. Makes about 3 dozen.

What to do with left over pickle juice

1. Heat it up the pickle juice in a saucepan
stuff raw veggies (carrots, cauliflower, celery,green beans,asparagus etc) in the jar a sterilized jar pour the juice over everything and tighten the lid...in about a week, you got "magic" in the jar!!!!

2.Marinate chicken in it before grilling.

3.Add peeled boiled eggs to it for pickled eggs

4.Put sliced onions and let them marinade. Then use them on burgers and grilled food

5.Cut cucumbers in the shape of Vlasic pickles and marinate them!

Lemonade Dessert

found this at taste of home.com

Lemonade DessertHere's a tasty way to finish off your summer barbecue. Adults and kids will be standing in line for this easy-to-make treat.
12-15 Servings
Prep: 30 min. + freezing


Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
1 can (12 ounces) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
Directions
•In a small bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until
crumbly. Stir in pecans. Spread in a single layer into a greased
15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 9-12
minutes or until golden brown, stirring once. Cool on a wire rack
for 10 minutes.

•In a large bowl, beat ice cream and lemonade until blended. Sprinkle
half of the crumbles into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Spread with
ice cream mixture; sprinkle with remaining crumbles. Cover and
freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before serving.
Yield: 12-15 servings

Homemade Hummus and Bagel Chips

Humus ingredients:
15 ounce can of garbanzo beans, mostly drained
2 Tablespoons tahini or un-salted almond/cashew butter
½ teaspoon salt
Juice from ½ lemon
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Steps:
1.Put all of the humus ingredients into a blender or food processor. Add some of the liquid from the canned garbanzo beans. Blend together and chill in the refrigerator before packing for the beach.


Bagel chip ingredients:
3 bagels
1/4 cup olive oil
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
Gallon-sized zip-top plastic bag

Steps:
1.Slice each bagel crosswise into 4-6 slices.

2.Pour olive oil, onion, garlic, chili powder, and salt into the plastic bag.

3.Add bagel slices, zip the bag, and massage the bag, coating each bagel slice with oil. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Flip. Bake 10 minutes more.

.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

found this here!! http://elizabethsedibleexperience.blogspot.com/2009/03/cake-cravings.html

Yield
1 (10-inch) cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened at room temp
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened at room temp
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy (do not over beat);

gradually add sugar, beating well.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until combined. Crack eggs into a bowl first before adding to the mixture to make sure you avoid shells in the cake mix.

Sift 3 cups of flour. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla from the huge 1 liter Mexican vanilla bottle my mother in law shared with me.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch Bundt pan.
Smooth the top of the cake or bottom of the cake (depending how you look at it) with a spatula to even it out.

Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack. My pound cake had a crazy crusty layer on the bottom that I just peeled off. It was like candy, it was so sweet and cruchy but it wasn't pretty so I just threw it away.

Bubblegum and Bullfrogs Giveaway

Hi There...this isn't a recipe I wanted to let all my folloers know that Bubblegum and Bullfrogs (my new business) is giving away a monogramed totebag on facebook and if you refer someone and they win you win too!! So if you are a facebooker PLEASE click on the Bubblegum and Bullfrogs link on the right and signup for the giveaway...
and while you are there check out my photos of what I have to offer!!!
GREAT PRICES!! Thanks Bunches..

Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries

Found this one here
www.clockworklemon.com


For cake

•1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
•1/2 teaspoon baking powder
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
•1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
•1 cup granulated sugar
•3 large eggs
•3/4 teaspoon vanilla
•2 tablespoons milk
•2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For glaze

•1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
•1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
•1/2 tablespoon heavy cream
For the Strawberries•Two cups strawberries (or more if you want them)
•1/4 cup sugar (I used a bit less than this)
•Splash of Cointreau or Grand Marnier (optional)
Before you make the cake (preferrable the day before): Combine the strawberries, sugar, and Cointreau and let sit in the fridge until the strawberries have released their juices (3 hours to overnight)

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a loaf pan and sprinkle with flour

2. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and zest. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Beat in half of flour mixture. Beat in milk and lemon juice and beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.

3. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven 45 to 55 minutes (If the top of the cake seems to be browning too fast tent it with some foil) until golden brown on top and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 15 minutes and invert onto rack to cool completely.

4. In a small bowl whisk half of the confectioners's sugar, a little at a time, into lemon juice. Then whisk in the whipping cream and keep adding the powdered sugar until the glaze is smooth and thick.

When the cake has cooled completely drizzle it with the glaze and let it run down the sides. Serve with strawberries

Root Beer Sherbet

found this recipe here http://oneordinaryday.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/root-beer-sherbet/


2 12-oz. bottles of root beer (opened and left to sit and get a bit flat)

1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

1 c. whole milk or half-and-half

Stir all ingredients together and allow the foam to settle a little. Pour into ice cream maker and churn for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

found this here http://jennysteffens.blogspot.com/2011/01/recipes-tomato-basil-soup-best-grilled.html


3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes
1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes
2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 tsp of sea salt
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup of heavy cream
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned
parmesan cheese


In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.


To finish, reduce the heat to low and stir in heavy cream and basil. Serve topped with parmesan cheese or a grilled cheese sandwich

Squash Pickles

found this keeper here http://chickensintheroad.com/farm-bell-recipes/squash-pickles/
make 8-10 pints
Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 dozen yellow crookneck squash (Any size will do, but smaller squash have less seeds.)
4 medium onions
6 sweet banana peppers, fresh. seeded and sliced thin

4 1/2 cups sugar
4 1/2 cups vinegar
4 teaspoons celery seeds
4 teaspoons pickling spice
2 squirts prepared yellow mustard (yes, hot dog mustard)

Directions
Slice squash, onions, and peppers into thin slices (do not peel squash). Place in large bowl, add 1/4 cup salt, cover with cold water. Let stand for one hour, use ice to keep cool or refrigerate. This step is VERY important – don’t skip it! After an hour or so, drain through a colander.

While vegetables are draining, combine the following in a pot large enough to hold the vegetables: sugar, vinegar, celery seed, pickling spice and mustard. Boil ingredients for three minutes, stirring occasionally, then add drained squash mixture. Simmer for three more minutes. Bring to a boil.

Pack in hot canning jars and fill to 1/2 inch of top of jar with juice. Process as for pickles. Makes 8-10 pints.