Soft Buttery Rolls

November 8, 2017 by

I love making whole grain breads and typically when I make bread that’s the route I go anymore.  But for holidays I always make a soft white roll.
If you aren’t experienced with bread making this is a great recipe to start with.  White bread is much easier to make than whole grain as well.
These are super soft, buttery, and you can use the dough to make all manner of shapes.  Sometimes it’s fun to do a variety of shapes for a holiday meal as well.  There are so many you can do, but these are a few easy ones to get you started!  My daughters love to help make the bread and it’s a fun thing to get the kids helping with.  Don’t worry how perfect they look, they will still taste good!
While these are super easy, they are also some of the best rolls you’ll ever have!

SOFT BUTTERY ROLLS

2 cups warm water
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast (or 2 packages)
5-6 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup instant powdered milk (2 T non-instant)
1 egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (plus extra for brushing)

In a small bowl add the sugar and yeast to the warm water.  Gently mix and leave to bloom for 5-10 minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if mixing by hand) measure in 3 cups of the flour, the salt, and milk powder.
Whisk to combine well.
Add the egg and melted butter to the bloomed yeast mixture.  Pour into the flour and mix until well combined.
Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough starts to pull together.
Lightly flour your counter and scrape dough out.  Knead for several minutes.  Add flour as needed but don’t be tempted to over flour.
The dough should be slightly sticky.
Place in a greased container and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes.
Dough is done rising when it is double in size and when you poke it with a finger it doesn’t bounce back.

For rolls:
Divide dough into 24 for smaller rolls, or 12 for large rolls.
Form each section into a roll by pulling the dough and tucking on the bottom to make a smooth top.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet and let rise until double in size, approximately 25-30 minutes.
Bake for about 15 minutes (add extra time as needed depending on size of rolls.) Brush with melted butter right when you take out of the oven.
For pan rolls:
Form rolls, place rolls about 1/4 inch apart in a 9 by 13 pan.  Rise and bake as above.
For Flowers and Pumpkins:
Shape rolls.  After the rise use sharp kitchen scissors to snip 5 times around the edges, cutting all the way through. Bake as usual.

Add a pretzel stick or rod “stem” after baking for pumpkins.

For Bow Knots:
Divide into 24 sections (or 12 for large knots)
Roll into a rope and tie a knot.  Place on greased baking sheets and let rise and bake as usual.

For Rosettes:
Follow directions for bow knots, but make an open knot with a hole.

Tuck one end underneath and up into the hole.  Tuck the other through the hole from the top side to the bottom.
Raise 25-30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

For Crescent Rolls:
Divide dough into 4 equal sections.  Roll each section into a 12 inch circle.  Brush with melted butter and cut into 12 pieces.

Starting from wide end roll up and place on greased baking sheet, with the small end tucked underneath.
Raise 25-30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
(If you want large crescents, divide dough into 2 instead of 4 and roll out to an 18 inch circle.  Cut and rise and bake as usual, adding a few minutes to the bake time).

For Turkey Rolls:
Make crescent rolls as directed, but instead of rolling up place in greased mini muffin tins with ends on top of pan.
Use scissors to snip 3-4 times to make tail feathers.  Raise and bake as usual.

Gobble gobble!

Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins, Holiday Recipes

Confetti Corn Casserole

November 17, 2016 by

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I make this side dish for most holidays.  I usually make it a day or 2 ahead of time and pop it in the oven about 20 minutes before we eat.  One thing I have learned over the years is that having some dishes you can make a day or 2 before a holiday meal really helps everything go so much smoother.  Plus, maybe the cook wants to enjoy the holidays a little too! 🙂 Of course, there is a reason the kitchen is the center of the home.
Don’t forget to plan out your menu and make a schedule to take some stress off of the holiday. I think all of America could use a break from politics right now and a good family holiday is just what I’m looking forward to!

CONFETTI CORN CASSEROLE

8 oz bacon
32 oz frozen corn (approx 6 cups)
1 onion, diced (approx 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
8 oz cream cheese
2 T milk
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 green onions, thinly sliced

Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp.  Chop bacon and discard all but a couple teaspoons of bacon grease.
Add the corn, onion, and pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until cooked through and veggies are softened.
Add the cream cheese, milk, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
Stir in the green onions and bacon (or you can sprinkle the bacon just on the top if you’d rather).
Place mixture into a greased casserole pan.
If making ahead of time,, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate before warming in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe and Southern Living

Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes

Marshmallow Lollipops

December 15, 2015 by

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I might have gotten a little carried away… no, not yet.  These are too cute.  Homemade marshmallows are a must for Christmastime for us.  Last minute I decided to do something fun and they couldn’t have turned out cuter!
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I made a double batch of my regular marshmallows, which I put in a large baking sheet, but I’ll include the recipe for a 9 by 13 pan since you may not want a ton of them.. maybe 🙂
If you want step by step instructions for making the marshmallow mixture, refer to my original recipe, here.  You can also make these  any color or flavoring you want by adding candy flavoring and food coloring too.  I like to add a scraped vanilla bean to mine.

MARSHMALLOW LOLLIPOPS

2 pkgs unflavored gelatin (about 2 T)
1 cup cold water, divided
1 1/2 c sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Sprinkles, for rolling
sucker sticks

Place 1/2 cup of the water in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the gelatin on top.
Combine in a small saucepan the remaining 1/2 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup.
Put heat on high and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.
Clip a candy thermometer onto the pan and continue cooking until it reaches 240 degrees F, without stirring, which should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat.
Fit mixer with a whisk attachment and turn on low.
While running, slowly pour in the sugar syrup into the gelatin.
Increase speed to high and continue to whip until mixture becomes thick and cools to lukewarm, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Add vanilla in the last minute.
Mix together the cornstarch and powdered sugar.
Spray a 9 by 13 pan with nonstick spray and coat with cornstarch mixture. (Save the extra)
Spread marshmallow in pan, using a greased spatula.
Dust with more cornstarch mixture.
Let marshmallows sit for at least 3 or 4 hours, or overnight, uncovered.
Turn marshmallows out onto a cutting board, gently pulling out of pan if needed.
Brush off excess powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture.
Cut into 1/2 inch strips (cut along the short edge).

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Roll into a pinwheel, using the sticky cut edge to roll onto itself.

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Keep rolling to the end..
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Roll outer edge in sprinkles. Dust middle with powdered sugar if sticky at all.
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Push onto a sucker stick, about 2/3rds the way through the pinwheel.
Serve on a platter, or cake pop holder.  These would be cute in a little bag tied with a ribbon for a gift too.
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Filed Under: Candy / Confections, Holiday Recipes

Smoky Roasted Sweet Potatoes

December 10, 2015 by

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I know what you’re thinking.  It’s almost Christmas and you were expecting a decadent dessert or rich holiday dish.  Well, I have a few of those too.  While this may not seem “special occasion” side dish kind of recipe, trust me, it is.  It’s also “monday” kind of special too.  Just before Thanksgiving our 90 pound baby dog was injured and knew I needed to simplify.  It was more important to me that we still have time together as a family than make time intensive dishes.  Instead a sweet potato casserole I opted for roasting them, and tossed in some smoky spices I know we all love.  Everyone loved them and while we usually have some sweet potato casserole left, these were gobbled up until the dish was clean.  I found it so refreshing to have a lighter side dish and the spices cut through all the richness of a holiday meal.  So these are definitely going to be repeated again!
Oh, and the baby dog is done with surgery and doing great!
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SMOKY ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

2-3 sweet potatoes
2 T olive oil
1 T smoked paprika
2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into about 3/4 inch cubes.
Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and spread out potatoes.  Make sure to not crowd the pan.
Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with spices and toss to coat again.
Roast at 450 degrees for about 20  minutes or until cooked through and browned.

Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Side Dishes

Pretzel Toffee with Sea Salt

December 3, 2015 by

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Almond Toffee has always been on my list of Christmas candies to make.  But now that my youngest is severely allergic to tree nuts I came up with a great substitution.  Pretzel toffee!  The pretzels have a good crunch, just like the nuts.  And honestly, I think everyone likes this better!  While you do have to stir a pot for awhile, it does make a large batch and other than a little time is quite easy to make.  And don’t forget to play Christmas music while you cook it, it does make it taste better 🙂

PRETZEL TOFFEE WITH SEA SALT

1 pound butter
2 T water
2 cups granulated cane sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
pretzels
10 oz chocolate chips, I like dark or semi-sweet

Line a 12″ x 18″ cookie sheet with a silicone mat (or spray with nonstick spray).  Lay pretzels out in a single layer on tray.   Set aside.
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Put butter and water in a heavy 12″ pot or skillet over medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until melted, then add sugar and salt as you continue stirring.
Continue cooking, stirring constantly, to 300 degrees F.
Mixture will be a caramel color. Remove from heat. Should take about 20 minutes cook time.
Pour over pretzels in prepared pan and cool about 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate over double boiler or in microwave. Spread over cooled toffee and sprinkle with sea salt.
When chocolate is set break into pieces. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

VARIATION: Break the toffee into pieces and then dip each piece in melted chocolate.

Filed Under: Candy / Confections, Holiday Recipes

Aunt Lela’s Blueberry Pie

November 20, 2015 by

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One of my Mom’s favorite foods from her childhood was her aunt Lela’s blueberry pie.  But sadly, nobody had the recipe.  Before my Grandmother passed away she gave me her recipe collection.  A hodgepodge of index cards and a notebook of recipes my Mom had typed up for her many, many years ago.  Imagine my excitement when I found a scribbled recipe for Lela’s pie!  It seems that splash of vinegar is what I needed to get mine to taste more like Lela’s.  It just takes it to another level.  I’ve tried it with lemon juice as well, but I think the vinegar makes the blueberries taste more… well, blueberry!
I want to share the recipe with you for Thanksgiving.  Make it, you won’t be sorry!
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Some pie tips: My favorite pie pan is the USA pan.  It gets the bottom crust the most crispy and perfect!  Amazon sells them, or Bed Bath and Beyond.
I LOVE this silicone pie pan shield.  Works so much better than foil.  Sold at the same places.
If you want pictures of piecrust in the making, look at this post here.  If you have a food processor, I show how to make a crust in it here.  This is my favorite way to make them because it’s so fast and easy.  The most important thing to remember when making pie crust is to keep everything cold.  You want some chunks of butter so the crust gets flaky and if you are warming the dough with your hands that won’t happen.
Oh, and you’ll have some pie dough scraps.  Just brush them with a bit of butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake.  Your littles will thank you! 🙂

AUNT LELA’S BLUEBERRY PIE

For piecrust:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes
8-10 T ice water

Pie filling:
3 cups blueberries (don’t thaw if using frozen)
1 cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
pinch salt
1 T white vinegar

Egg wash:
1 egg yolk
1 T heavy cream
1 T vanilla sanding sugar

Make the piecrust:
Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl with a fork.
Add butter and use a pastry blender to cut into the size of peas.
Add water and mix until just starts to come together.
Divide into 2 and wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill while you make filling.

Make filling:
Stir all pie filling ingredients together in a bowl.
Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.  Make sure it is bigger than your pie pan.
Fold into quarters and place in pie pan, unfold.  Pour filling in.
Roll out remaining dough and cut circle our of center if desired.  Top pie.
Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut off extra dough.  Crimp edges with fingers.
Cut slits in top.

Mix the egg yolk and cream together and brush on top of pie.
Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
Bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then lower to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes longer.  If your crust is getting too dark, cover the edges with foil or silicone shield.
Swat away hot pie thieves.

Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Pie

Holiday Sausage Rolls

November 7, 2015 by

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Sausage rolls are mainly from England and Ireland, making appearances in a couple other countries as well.  Basically they are sausages wrapped in pastry.  A tasty finger food served for parties and holidays.  Sausage rolls are usually made with puff pastry but I like making them with pie crust.  Especially my pie crust 🙂 Super flaky, buttery, and makes my hubby one happy guy.  My 8 year old is becoming quite the pie dough expert and I can’t wait to make these with her again for the upcoming holidays.
These are a great appetizer for taking to parties or serving before a holiday meal.  You could even make them ahead of time, a few days even and rewarm in the oven before hand.  If you want to make them further ahead of time, I would bake them, then freeze.  Thaw in the fridge and then rewarm in the oven at 350 degrees. (You could probably bake straight from the freezer okay).

HOLIDAY SAUSAGE ROLLS
makes 32 pieces

Double pie crust dough, a double batch of this recipe
Egg wash (one egg beaten with 1 T water)

Filling Spices: (OR use a seasoned pork sausage and skip the seasonings.. but this makes them super yummy!)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried fennel
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried sage

Filling:
1 lb ground pork
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg

Grind spices in a spice grinder if desired.  mix with remaining filling ingredients until well combined.  Divide into quarters.
Roll out half of the pie dough on a lightly floured surface to about 9 by 13 inches.  I have a silicone mat this size I use for a guide.
Cut in half lengthwise.
Shape one quarter of the filling into a log and place on the center of one of the strips of pie dough.
Repeat with another quarter of filling on the other half.

Holiday Sausage Rolls

Brush the length of pie dough and wrap around filling snugly to seal.
Holiday Sausage Rolls

Cut each roll into 8 equal pieces.
Holiday Sausage Rolls

Place rolls on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Cut slashes in top if desired and brush with egg wash.
Repeat with remaining half of dough and filling.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until meat is cooked through and pastry is golden and flaky.

Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks, Freezer, Holiday Recipes, Irish

Cran-Blue Berry Sauce

November 24, 2014 by

Cran-Blue Berry Sauce

I know some people only like the canned gel-like cranberry sauce.  I personally can’t get on that band wagon.  A sauce shouldn’t be gel, if you ask me.  Fresh cranberry sauce is so easy and I love having something tart and fresh on the table with the feast.  I usually make my cranberry sauce with blackberries in it, but I thought this batch with blueberries was amazing.

CRAN-BLUE BERRY SAUCE

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
12 oz cranberries
1/2 cup orange juice
zest of 1 orange
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 granny smith apple, chopped fine

Put all ingredients in a pot and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until cranberries have popped.  Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Filed Under: Holiday Recipes, Sauces / Condiments

DIY Sparkling Cider

November 21, 2014 by

DIY Sparkling Cider

We may or may not have decorated for Christmas… a couple weeks ago… I’m not saying.  But if we HAD, then I most definitely have served this for our annual “Tree decorating dinner” (I know, catchy name).  Every year, the day we decorate for Christmas we have a dinner by candlelight and fancy appetizers and such.  I plan ahead so I don’t have to do any cooking that night, except maybe rewarming in the oven.  Sparkling cider is a must too, but I forgot to get some at the store.  A friend told me about this way of making it and thought we’d try it.  Honestly, we couldn’t really tell much difference!  We’re going to try some other juices sometime too for fun.  If you are making a bigger batch serve in a closed drink dispenser if possible to keep the bubbles better.
I served with some frozen cranberries to help it keep cold instead of ice since they look better and won’t water down the drink.  You may want to warn people about eating them though since they are pretty tart 😉

DIY SPARKLING CIDER

12 oz frozen apple juice concentrate
1 liter club soda (or carbonated water)

Place juice in a pitcher and pour club soda over juice and stir just to combine.
Serve immediately.

Filed Under: Drinks, Holiday Recipes

Maple Bacon Crackers

November 18, 2014 by

Maple Bacon Crackers
I’ve seen the original version of this everywhere and wanted to give it my own twist.  In the original recipe a full piece of bacon is wrapped around each cracker and there is no maple syrup or black pepper.   A full piece of bacon seemed a bit much to me (for one little cracker too).  Even though the bacon isn’t wrapped around the cracker they stay together just fine, I didn’t have any issues with them separating.  The maple syrup almost candies the bacon and adding the black pepper gave some bite with all that sweet.  If you like things spicy I would even use red chili flakes instead of pepper.  These are great served at room temperature and if you want to make them ahead for holidays or a party just put them in an airtight container after cooking and cooling and bring to room temperature when ready to serve.  I did make some plain Parmesan crackers (see variation at bottom of post) and some with brown sugar but no syrup,  but these were most definitely our favorite!

MAPLE BACON CRACKERS

1 sleeve club crackers
1/2 lb thin sliced bacon
1 cup brown sugar
maple syrup, for drizzling (1/2 to 1 cup)
black pepper, to taste

Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack on top.  Spray with nonstick spray.
Line crackers on wire rack and top with about 1 tsp of brown sugar on each cracker. (I was making half Parmesan crackers on this tray)
Maple Bacon Crackers
Cut bacon in quarters, so they are about the same length of crackers.  Place a piece of bacon on each cracker.
Drizzle with maple syrup, about 1/2 to 1 tsp on each.  Sprinkle with black pepper.
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Bake at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes.

For Parmesan crackers:
Top crackers with 1/2 tsp grated Parmesan and top with bacon, then black pepper.  Bake as directed above.

Maple Bacon CrackersHAPPY HOLIDAYS!

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Filed Under: Appetizers / Dips / Snacks, Holiday Recipes