Category Archives: Baking

Turkey Pot Pie


1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) double crust pie

4 tablespoons butter, divided

1 small onion, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, diced

3 tablespoons dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

2 cubes chicken bouillon

2 cups water

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Roll out bottom pie crust, press into a 10 inch pie pan, and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion, celery, carrots, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper. Cook and stir until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the bouillon and water. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm.

In a medium saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the turkey and flour. Add the milk, and heat through. Stir the turkey mixture into the vegetable mixture, and cook until thickened. Cool slightly, then pour mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Roll out the top crust, and place on top of filling. Flute edges, and make 4 slits in the top crust to let out steam.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown

Easy to Make Crusty Home Baked Bread


I don’t make homemade, from scratch, with the hands, bread very often because I am a bit intimidated by it.  This recipe is SO forgiving that EVEN I can have success with it!
Crusty Bread
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 cups water
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until a shaggy mixture forms.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 – 18 hours.  Overnight works great.
Heat oven to 450 degrees.  When the oven has reached 450 degrees place a cast iron pot with a lid in the oven and heat the pot for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour dough onto a heavily floured surface and shape into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and let set while the pot is heating.  Remove hot pot from the oven and drop in the dough.
Cover and return to oven for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Remove bread from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
Pictures of MY bread:
[after 30 minutes baking]
[after final baking time]
[cooling on wire rack]

Baklava


My oldest daughter introduced me to a wonderful, little Greek restaurant. This recipe is a close match to their signature dessert! Do not be intimidated. Enjoy!

1 package of phylo dough
1 lb chopped walnuts or pistachios
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c butter melted
1 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.

Mix chopped nuts with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place one sheet of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 – 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep. Don’t forget to butter the top layer!

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and
water until sugar is melted. Add honey and lemon juice. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and pour syrup over as evenly as possible. Let cool.

**  In Middle Eastern bakeries they will serve each individual piece of baklava in a cupcake liner.

Old-Fashioned Fudge Cake


Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4-1/2 teaspoons baking cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • FROSTING:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup miniature marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

  • In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, then egg white, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in water until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured 6-in. round baking pan.
  • Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
  • In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in marshmallows and chocolate chips until smooth. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. 

Greek Olive Bread


1-1/2 c. Flour, plus additional for dusting
1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 c lukewarm water (slightly less)
1/2 c roughly chopped black olives
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh cilantro

In a bowl, mix flour, yeast, salt, water and oil until stiff dough is formed.  Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until double, approximately 1 hour.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and punch down.  Add remaining ingredients and knead until well mixed.  May require more flour.  Roll into ball and place into a lightly oiled bread baker.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise til size doubles.

Place bread baker into cold oven, set temp to 350 and bake for approximately 45 minutes.

Cream Cheese Cake Mix Cookies


Ok, these are not only easy and fast, but de-lish!  I like the depth of flavor the cream cheese gives these cookies.  There are other recipes using cake mix for cookies, but without the cream cheese they are just another ho-hum cookie.

 

 

1 bx cake mix, any flavor
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla (optional, depending on flavor)
1 c any add-ins (flavored chips, candy, nuts, etc) amounts can be varied. For the chocolate chip variety, add a 12 oz bag of semisweet chips.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add egg and vanilla and mix until well blended (I used a mixer for this part only).
Stir in cake mix a little at a time until it’s all blended and then add any chips, candy or nuts, as you like.  Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are brown.


Fun, Chewy, Soft Pretzels


  • 12 Servings
  • Prep: 1 hour + rising Bake: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
  • 1-1/2 cups warm water (110° to 115°)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 to 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 8 cups water
  • 1/2 cup baking soda
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Kosher salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds or grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  • In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the sugar, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
  • Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
  • Punch dough down; divide into 12 portions. Roll each into an 18-in. rope; twist into a pretzel shape.
  • In a large saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Place pretzels into boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
  • Place on greased baking sheets. Brush with egg; sprinkle with desired topping.
  • Bake at 425° for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen.

Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies


2/3 c butter, softened
2/3 c brown sugar
2 large eggs
1-1/2 c old fashioned oats
1-1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1, 6 oz package of Craisins Dried Cranberries
2/3 c white chocolate chunks, I used the white chocolate chips and added a handful of dark chocolate chips too (I’m flexible like that :) )

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, mixing well.  Combine the oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.  Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each.  Stir in the cranberries and the chocolate pieces.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2-3 dozen cookies.

Peanut Butter Meltaway Cake


3 c flour
2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c oil
2 tsp vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp cooking oil
1/2 c butter
1/4 c cocoa
1 lb powdered sugar
6 Tbsp sour milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c peanut butter or you can use a little more if you really like peanut butter.
2 eggs
1 Combine the first 8 ingredients, eggs and two cups of cold water. Bake in a 9×13 pan in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
2  Cool cake entirely.
3 Mix together peanut butter and 3/4 tsp of cooking oil. Spread this mixture on top of cooled cake. refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4 Heat in a saucepan 1/4 cup of cocoa, powdered sugar, sour milk, butter, and vanilla.(you can sour the milk with vinegar) Mix this until smooth and comes to a boil. Let cool for a few minutes… Pour and spread over the peanut butter layer. Cool and keep refrigerated.

Dutch Apple Pie


Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 3/4 cup butter, melted

  • FILLING:
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1-1/4 cups cold water
  • 3 cups diced peeled tart apples
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oats and butter; set aside 1 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate; set aside.
  • For filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a large saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in apples and vanilla.
  • Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.