Dinner Rolls

1 package instant yeast
½ c. warm water
½ tsp. sugar

1 c. milk
1/3 c. oil
2 tsp. salt
½ c. sugar

1 large egg
4-6 c. all-purpose flour

Combine yeast, ½ tsp. of sugar and warm water (hot from the tap should be fine). Let it do its thing while you warm the milk over low heat. (Do not let the milk boil.) Add oil, salt and sugar. Let cool after sugar dissolves. Combine the milk mixture and the yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.

Beat in the egg and slowly add 4 c. flour.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour until it is the correct texture. (Humidity and altitude are large factors. You want it to peel off your hands without sticking or crumbling.)

Let it rest, covered, in a large bowl until double in size.

Knead, again, to remove large air pockets. Pinch and roll into 2 oz rolls. Allow to rise on greased sheet pans until doubled, again.

Bake at 375ºF for 12-15 minutes.

Kathy’s Tassajara Herb Bread

I knew Kathy for one weekend when I was visiting a friend in Gloucester, Virginia and I have had this recipe for nearly 40 years. I think she invented it because she had a bread knack.  I could be wrong.  The ingredients look like she put it together from what she had in her kitchen, though.  It is spectacular.

Combine:

1 pkg dry yeast
½ c. warm Dr. Pepper and let them start percolating. (I need to try 4 oz H2O and 5 tsp, sugar next time I make it.)

Heat to lukewarm:

1 c. cottage cheese
1 Tbsp butter

Beat in a large bowl:

1 egg
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp minced onion
½ tsp salt
½ tsp soda
1 Tbsp dill seeds
½ tsp anise seeds
½ tsp caraway seeds
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp savory
½ tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme

Add yeast and cottage cheese mixtures. Add 4 c. flour and knead it in.

Rise and bake at 350ºF until it smells like Heaven. @ 1 hour.

PS It is amazing for day-after-holiday-leftovers sandwiches.

Sybil’s Molasses Cookies

2½ c. flour
1½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. ginger
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. sugar
1 c. molasses
4 eggs
1 c. oil

Sift together dry stuff. Beat in wet stuff.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350ºF for @ 12 minutes.

Sybil Wood gave me this recipe in 1985. It’s effectively the recipe that was on the Grandma’s brand molasses with the spices doubled.

Artichoke Tarts

The original recipe came from Weight Watchers.

Ingredients:
cooking spray
Wonton wrappers
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. sweet red pepper, chopped
7 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 c. fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a miniature muffin pan with cooking spray or give thema wipe with a little oil.
Gently press one wrapper into each muffin hole, allowing ends to extend above the cups. Coat the edges of the wrappers with cooking spray and set aside.
Mix all the other stuff together. (Except the parsley)
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the mixture into each muffin cup.
Bake until the mixture is set and the edges of the wrappers are lightly brown. About 10 minutes.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

Amanda’s Long Island Iced Tea

Long Island Tea is 5 white liquors:

1 c. Rum
1 c. Vodka
1 c. Tequila
1 c. Gin
½ c. Triple sec

Mix in a big pitcher or decanter with one liter of Coke and one liter of lemonade and ice. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

This does not taste strong and it goes down fast.

Edit: I mixed the booze together into a bottle and just mixed equal parts Coke, lemonade and booze mixture.  It worked.

Crab Rangoon Dip

1 cups crab meat
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Allow cream cheese to soften. Blend in onions and crab meat. Add sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, powdered sugar, garlic powder and lemon juice. Bake for 30 mins at 350ºF. Serve hot with chips or fried wontons.

Sugar and Spice Pepitas

This recipe came from my cousin, Jennifer . She had a bowl out for snacking on when we visited her in Las Vegas and we loved them.

Grease the damn pan!! Or, maybe, try parchment paper. (I like parchment paper.)

I had to make a couple of minor modifications because of what was in the pantry when I started. I’ll tweak this as I get better at it.

2 c. raw pepitas (and/or pine nuts, I had a lot of those and a surprisingly small volume of pumpkin seeds)
1 large egg white
1/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp (chipotle) chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne

Whisk egg white until frothy. Stir into seeds, stir in spice mixture.

Pour onto a cookie sheet and spread out as thin as you can. Bake at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes, giving them a stir every so often. (Started with 5 minutes and check every 2.5.) Use the middle rack.