Breakfast Danish

I got this recipe from a friend back in the 80's it is soooo good and easy you will never buy danish again...

part 1
preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup flour (sifted)
1/2 cup cold butter (margarine or shortening can be used)
2 Tblsp. water
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Put flour into bowl and cut in butter . sprinkle with 2 tblsp of water and mix with a fork . form into a ball and divide in half. On a cookie sheet pat dough with hands into two long strips 12"x3" should be 3 inches apart
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part 2

1/2 cup butter (margarine or shortening can be used)
1 cut water
1 teasp almond flavoring
1 cup flour (sifted)
3 eggs
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In a saucepan, combine butter, water, and bring to a rolling boil, remove from heat and  stir in almond flavoring. Add flour a little at a time to prevent lumping. Add eggs one at a time beat each until smooth.
Divide in half and spread evenly over the strips.

Bake for about 60 minutes until top is crisp and lightly brown.
remove from oven and let cool.
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Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz cream cheese
2 Tblsp milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (enough to reach a spread consistency

Mix with electric mixer until smooth. Spread on top of cooled danish top with nuts.
you can also top with canned pie filling

Photo to come....

Cupcake Shop Cupcakes!!

Ingredients

1 box cake mix (any flavor) )I used Red Velvet)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil)
1 package instant pudding mix ( chocolate for devil's food/chocolate cake mix vanilla for white/yellow cake mix,)
4 eggs, room temp. (lightly beaten)
2 teasp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, beat together ALL ingredients for 2 minutes scraping down the sides.
With an ice cream scoop, scoop out cupcake batter into cupcake liners so that they are 3/4 full or a little less.
Check doneness at 15 mins. (Mine took 25 minutes) check with toothpick, if it comes out clean, they are done)
Yield 24-30 Cupcakes (depending how full you filled the liners)

Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1/2 cup of salted butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. almond extract
4+ cups powdered sugar
food coloring (optional)
Instructions

Beat the shortening and butter on high for 3-4 minutes or until it is creamy/fluffy.
Turn the mixer off and SLOWLY add 1 cup of the powdered sugar at a time
Mix on low until combined, then beat on high for a minute.

*Be sure to taste the frosting in between adding the sugar/creamer to get it the way you want it to taste.
Turn off of the mixer and add the milk.
Mix on high and beat until fluffy (about 4-5 minutes).
Add the Almond extract and beat 1 more minute. Add food coloring if desired
enjoy!

Cake Mix Biscotti

This has got to be the best biscotti recipe I have ever tried!! Great texture, not break your tooth hard like some recipes I've tried. I used a spice cake to make mine and dipped in Wiltons Pumpkin spice candy melts. I think they are seasonal because I can't find them now so you can just use any kind of candy melts or none at all... you can make these out of any flavor of cake mix just make sure it doesn't have pudding in the mix. The variations are endless. Give them a try, you won't be sorry!

Ingredients
1 (18 ounce) box cake mix, your choice of flavor... avoid those with pudding in the mix
1 1/2 to 2 cups flour, add until not too sticky to handle
4 large eggs room temperature 
¹⁄₂ cup margarine or butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, substitute with whatever suits the cake mix flavor 
³⁄₄ cup nuts (optional)
³⁄₄ cup chocolate chips or cinnamon chips or any other flavor chips you might want to use.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
2. Pour the cake mix into a mixing bowl. Stir in 1& 1/2 cups flour.
3. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, margarine and vanilla extract.
4. With an electric beater mix on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the dough does not stick to the sides of the mixing bowl. It will look and feel like play dough! this is where you add more flour if you need it.
5. On a lightly floured board, divide dough into two halves.
6. Pat and form each half into a log about 1" thick.
7. Put onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet or on parchment paper on cookie sheet
8. Flatten the top of each cookie log until it is about 3" wide.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Remove baking sheet from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
11. Reduce oven temperature to 325 and do not turn off.
12. Gently slide one cookie log onto the counter or piece of parchment paper.
13. Using a serrated knife or better still an electric carving knife, slice each log across the width into 3/4" slices.
14. Place cookies cut side down back onto the baking sheet and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes turn over and bake another 10 minutes
15. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.
16. Melt Wilton candy melts and dip bottom of biscotti put on rack to harden
17. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container or freeze.
18. Variations include:.
19. PECAN BISCOTTI: butter pecan cake mix - chopped pecans - maple extract.
20. APRICOT BISCOTTI: golden cake mix - chopped dried apricots - toasted slivered almonds - almond extract.
21. CRANBERRY BISCOTTI: vanilla cake mix - chopped dried cranberries - toasted slivered almonds - almond extract.
22. ORANGE SPICE BISCOTTI: spice cake mix - walnuts - grated orange zest.
23. GINGER BISCOTTI: spice cake mix - walnuts - chopped crystalized ginger pieces.
24. CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI: chocolate cake mix - chocolate piece or chips, freeze first so they retain their shape during baking.
25. LEMON ALMOND BISCOTTI: lemon cake mix - toasted slivered almonds.