PIZZA BUNS

I called this recipe "pizza buns" for lack of a better title. Actually, it can be any flavor filling that you like. The "magic" is in the dough; it is on the slightly sweet side but (as unlikely as it seems) it compliments a savory filling perfectly.
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Originally, this is a dough that my German Russian ancestors used for a hot and savory ham and sauerkraut sandwich. I decided to experiment with various fillings and they have been such a big hit with Hubby that I've made them twice this week. I've made calzones for years, but these are so much better...not bready or doughy at all and the dough raises just enough (as it bakes) to make the perfect sandwich...light, crispy and delicious.

This one was pizza flavored

DOUGH
¾ cup very warm water
½ cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
3½ cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons dry active yeast
1 teaspoon salt
Mix the warm water (hottest out of your tap) with the sweetened condensed milk, vegetable oil and sugar and salt. The hot tap water will cool down in temperature once it is mixed with the oil and milk (so it won't hurt the yeast). Next, whisk in the egg and the yeast. Let this sit for several minutes until the yeast looks well dissolved.

NOTE: When you first mix up this dough, it will seem stiff and dense. Don't let that freak you out...just follow the instructions and it will bake up beautifully.
Once it is well dissolved, mix in the flour (using a stand mixer is easiest) and mix with dough hook on medium speed until smooth (about 5 minutes or so). Place in a bowl sprayed with vegetable spray and cover with plastic wrap. Let this sit in a warm place for an hour or until it is double in size.
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Remove from the bowl and cut into 8 pieces (makes 8 sandwiches). Roll each piece out into an 8 inch circle. For pizza filling, put about ¼ cup of cheese in center of circle; top with a little pizza sauce and some toppings.
I found that these were easier to shape if you sit the 8" circle in a cereal bowl before you add the fillings (see above photo). Draw up the edges of the dough and pinch them together like this
This dough is a dream to work with...it stretches without tearing and sticks together beautifully when it comes time to "pinch it shut".

A word about pizza fillings:

I filled these with sweet Italian sausage and some thin strips of pepperoni. I fried this in a pan until it was very well done, then I drained it completely and blotted all of the grease I could get out of it...I highly recommend this step. Don't add any meat that has not had the fat rendered out of it (sausage, pepperoni etc.). If you do, the fat will make the sandwich greasy and leak out of the pinched seam. Once pinched shut (make sure you pinch it totally shut...place them pinched seam side down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. They will look like this: Cover with plastic wrap and let them sit for 20 minutes. Bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, brush them with butter. Aren't they pretty? Be careful when you first bite into them...they are SO hot inside.

I also made them the other day using a ham and cheese filling.
NOTE: These sandwiches stay super hot for an unbelievable length of time, so they would be excellent for a potluck or picnic (they are also excellent at room temperature). This dough recipe makes 8 big sandwiches, but you could easily make them smaller for a party snack.
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NOTE: I have plans on making these, using sloppy joe filling, barbecue beef filling, bacon and egg filling and much more. I can see many uses for this sammie.
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NOTE: The fully baked leftovers (full size) reheat, beautifully, in a preheated 350F oven in 20-23 minutes and taste exactly like they did the first time they came out of the oven.

COFFEE-CHOCOLATE CAKE (AND AN UPDATE)

Before Christmas, I purchased the holiday issue of a magazine called Sweet Cakes, published by The Best of Fine Cooking. I've made several desserts from the magazine and all have been well received by Hubby and friends.
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Recently, Monica from Lick the Bowl Good told me she had the same magazine so we decided to try the magazines recipe for Coffee-Chocolate Cake together. I think she will be posting about it today, as well, so I hope you will visit her web site to see what she did with this great little recipe.

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (soft)
1+2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon table salt
1½ cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
½ cup + 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups quality coffee (brewed and cooled)
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Preheat oven to 350F and generously butter a 9" square baking pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper, then flour the bottom and sides of the pan (tap out excess flour). See note below.
With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar & vanilla until smooth (about 1 minute). Blend in eggs, one at a time, mixing just until incorporated (about 20 seconds). With a whisk, mix in the rest of the ingredients by hand, until batter is smooth and mostly free of lumps.
Pour into prepared pan. Tap pan on counter a couple of times to remove any potential air bubbles. Bake on center rack of a 350F oven for 40 to 43 minutes.
Remove from oven and set pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the pan, invert onto cake rack and remove pan. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container (at room temperature) for up to 5 days...but it won't last that long.

NOTE: Recipe says do not used Dutch-processed cocoa powder
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NOTE: Although the directions say to bake in a 9" square pan and take extra precautions with parchment paper, extra greasing and flouring, I did not do ANY of that. I baked mine in a little half-bundt pan I have and I just sprayed it with a cooking spray that has flour in it (no parchment paper). It came out of the pan extremely easy.
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NOTE: Hubby hates the taste of coffee, so I made this cake using Earl Grey tea and it tasted great.
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NOTE: Wrap this cake with plastic wrap (directly on the surface of the cake) while it is still very hot. Let it cool completely like that and you will have a wonderfully moist cake that will last for several days. I do this with ALL of my cakes and it never fails.
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NOTE: This is such a great little one bowl chocolate cake, with excellent flavor and moistness. It would make great cupcakes and I'm sure you could double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13. ONE WARNING: If you eat this cake while it is still warm, you will not be able to restrain yourself...it is really tasty!!

NOTE: Our family members are safe at the Alaska Iron Dog finish line in Nome, Alaska, although hubbies twin brother and snowmachine had to be towed the last 170 miles (by his son) and hubbies youngest brother and snowmachine had to be towed the last 53 miles (by a buddy). Both of their engines blew up (they were brand new snowmachines). At least they are all safe and off of the trail. Thanks for your well wishes.

BANANA-CHERRY BREAD

I found this recipe on http://www.mixingbowl.com/ and it is a keeper for sure. Super moist banana bread, mixed with maraschino cherries and pecans. Hubby loves this toasted with butter!!

3 large overripe bananas
2 teaspoons lemon juice
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (soft)
¾ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1½ cups self rising flour
4 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup chopped pecans (I used ½ cup)
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
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Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan. Mash bananas and stir in lemon juice. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until creamy. Beat in banana mixture and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture, alternately with milk. Mix only until incorporated. Fold in nuts and chopped cherries.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake about one hour (my oven took 70 minutes) or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto rack.

HEIDI's MEXICAN PORK CHOPS

Recently, Heidi, from Tried-and-True Cooking With Heidi, posted a recipe for Mexican Pork Chops. I'm always searching for simple pork recipes and this one caught my eye. It was a snap to make and tasted great, thank you Heidi!!

Browned pork chops are baked on top of a taco seasoned rice. The flavor of the pork bakes down into the rice and just before serving, it's all topped with cheese. Oh so good!!.
6 pork chops (I used 3 thick ones)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for frying)
1½ cups water
¾ cup long grain rice
8 ounce can of tomato sauce
2½ tablespoons taco seasoning
1 medium green bell pepper chopped (I used red)
1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar)
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Brown the pork chops well, and set aside. Mix the water, rice, tomato sauce and seasoning and put it into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with browned pork chops and the chopped bell pepper.
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Cover tightly and bake in pre-heated 350F oven for 1 hour. Uncover and top with cheese. Return to the oven for 15 minutes.
NOTE: I seasoned the pork chops with the seasoning mix from my last post, (before I browned them). I used this same "taco seasoning" in the rice.
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NOTE: I used chopped red bell pepper (instead of green pepper) because we like it better. I also mixed it into the rice (instead of putting it on top of the meat and rice). I also added a 15 ounce can of (rinsed and drained) black beans to the rice.
NOTE: Just before I serve this, next time, I'm going to sprinkle it with a little chopped avocado and cherry tomatoes.

TACO SEASONING

Make your own taco seasoning!! It is simple, quick, cheap and useful for almost anything. I use it on steak fajitas, tacos, Spanish rice, chicken and much more. It is so much more convenient (and tasty) than the commercial packets.

 In a bowl, mix together:
12 teaspoons chili powder
8 teaspoons paprika (not the spicy kind)
8 teaspoons ground cumin
6 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder (not salt)
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons oregano
1 tablespoon beef bullion granules

Mix well and store in a tightly covered jar. Can be used as a dry rub or if you are making taco's, brown the meat and drain well. Add 7 teaspoons of this mix and ½ cup water to a pound of ground beef. Stir well and simmer until liquid evaporates.


NOTE: This is not super spicy, but it is very full flavored. If you like more heat, you can always add more cayenne. Approximately 7 teaspoons of this mixture will season a pound of ground beef.
NOTE: If you don't want to make a whole jar of seasoning...just divide this recipe by 4.

DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

Last week, I was watching the cooking channel, and someone was raving about a bakery that sold donut muffins (a new one for me). A few days later, I bought a baking magazine and sure enough, there was a recipe for...doughnut muffins!! I don't need to be hit over the head THREE times in order to get the message...I needed to make doughnut muffins!! I'm very glad I did, they are delicious.

Light and tender, buttery and sweet, these muffins are more like a delicious cake doughnut than a heavy dense muffin. Another delightful thing about this recipe is that it makes four dozen muffins, AND you can keep this uncooked batter in the fridge for up to three days, which gives you plenty of time to bake them all off!!

1½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1¾ cups white sugar
4 large eggs
6 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon +2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 + 2/3 cups milk
¼ cup buttermilk

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl (stand mixer works best because it's a lot of batter). Beat in eggs, one at a time until well mixed.
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Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Mix the milk and buttermilk together and set aside.
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Mix the dry ingredients, into the butter-sugar mixture, alternatively with the milk mixture (add in thirds), mixing only until it is well mixed after each addition. Don't over mix.
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Grease and flour standard size cupcake pans and fill them 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch.
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Remove the baked doughnut muffins from the pan and dip them (on all sides) in melted butter, then roll them in cinnamon sugar.

To make cinnamon sugar, just mix 2 cups of white granulated sugar with a tablespoon of ground cinnamon. If you are a BIG cinnamon fan, use two tablespoons. These muffins are extremely light and tender and taste like a very good cake doughnut.

CARAMEL PEAR UPSIDE DOWN CAKE FOR VALENTINES DAY

I hope you will consider making this caramel pear upside down cake for your Valentine sweetheart. Served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, it will knock his/her socks off. Fresh Bosc pears, are baked in a homemade caramel sauce while a ginger-cinnamon cake bakes on top. This recipe has a couple of extra steps (to make the caramel sauce) but it is not hard to do. It is the most moist cake I've ever made.


Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a 9" x 2" cake pan with vegetable spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then spray it again.

TOPPING
2 large firm-ripe Bosc pears (about 1 pound)
1 cup white sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup cold water
4 tablespoons warm butter (cut up)

Peel, core and slice the pears in ¼" slices. Arrange the slices in the bottom of the pan, set aside. Make the caramel in a heavy bottomed 2 quart sauce pan. Stir sugar, lemon juice and cold water together. Bring to a boil over medium high heat (occasionally brush the walls of the pan with a wet pastry brush to wash down any sugar crystals). Boil, stirring, until it starts to turn amber. Watch carefully, once it starts to turn color, because it will darken quickly. Remove from heat and stir in the butter (it will really foam and sputter, so be careful). When it is well mixed, pour over the pear slices, set aside.

CAKE

1½ cups all purpose flour

1¾ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

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In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon together, set aside. In another small bowl, mix milk and vanilla extract, set aside.

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With electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter for one minute, or until it is light and fluffy; add brown sugar and beat on high for 3 minutes. Reduce speed and add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the bowl once in a while.

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Now you need to mix in the milk mixture and the flour mixture, but make sure you alternate (dry...milk...dry...milk etc.). Scrape down the bowl and give it one final mix but don't mix too long. Pour the batter over the caramel-pears.

Bake at 350F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert on a serving plate and peel off the parchment paper. Cool.

Happy Valentines Day!!

NOTE: Do not make this in a springform pan because the caramel sauce might leak out.

NOTE: Bosc pears are a "baking pear".