Soft Dinner Rolls

When I first moved to Vermont my son was starting first grade and I really wanted to have the same schedule as him, so when I saw an ad in the local paper for the head cook position at my son’s school I jumped at it. I had never had a job cooking before, but I knew that I loved to cook and I figured if they hired me then the rest would work itself out. Besides, having all school vacations and summers off overshadowed any second thoughts I had about applying for the position!

I worked in that kitchen for a little over 4 years and needless to say, it was an interesting experience. I learned a lot doing this job, and eventually I became the Supervisor/Baker and learned how to make the rolls pictured above. These rolls were always a big hit at the school. They are soft and delicious, and really they are just the perfect dinner roll. I make these all the time for my family and everyone loves them.

So, this recipe comes from the kitchen at the little school I worked at in northern Vermont. Give them a try.....I'm sure you will enjoy them as much as we do!

Soft Dinner Rolls

3 packages of Active Dry yeast (2 tbsp + 2 tsp)
6 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup warm water
2/3 cup instant nonfat dry milk
1 tbsp salt
¼ cup + 3 tbsp sugar
¼ cup + 3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ¼ cup water

Dissolve yeast in warm water, and let stand 4-5 minutes. Place all dry ingredients (flour, dry milk, sugar, and salt) in mixer bowl.  Using a dough hook, blend on low speed for approximately 2 minutes.  Add oil and blend on low speed for 2 minutes. Add water and mix on low speed for 1 minute.

Add dissolved yeast and mix on low speed for 2 minutes.  On medium speed knead dough for 8 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Place dough in warm area for about an hour to rise. I  usually put the dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray and place it in the oven that had been turned on previously for a few minutes to get it a little warm. 

After the dough as double in size, punch down dough to remove air bubbles.  Form rolls and place a sheet pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Place in warm area until doubled in size, 30-50 minutes.  Bake until lightly browned in a convection oven for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees. 

Yields 22-24 rolls, depending how big you make them

Blueberry Turnovers

What are your thoughts on pie?  My husband LOVES pie.....any and all pie.  If I ask him what he'd like for dessert he 9 times out of 10 will say pie.  For me, I could take it or leave it.  I like pie, but I can turn it down without a problem.  Wave a cookie under my nose however, and I'll gobble it up without thinking twice. 

So, once in a while when my husband requests pie my mind goes to turnovers.  I don't know why but they sometimes seem more appealing to me.  Maybe because it's a little less labor intensive.  Or maybe it's because you can take a few and pop them in the freezer for an easy dessert for later.  Or, maybe it's just because it's something different to make. 

Either way, the filling for these blueberry turnovers is delicious.  It's also the filling recipe I have been using in my blueberry pies for years (adapted from a Stonewall Kitchen recipe).  If you are in the mood for something different, give these a try and watch them disappear....  

Blueberry Turnovers:

1 (17.25 oz) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
Use the filling from the Blueberry Pie recipe (click here for recipe)

Heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2

Preheat oven to 400. Unfold puff pastry, and cut each sheet into 4 squares. Spoon blueberry filling onto the center of each square. Fold over from corner to corner to form a triangle shape and press edges together with a fork to seal. Place turnovers onto a cookie sheet, leaving about an inch in between each turnover. Brush tops with heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 25 minutes, or until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.  Makes 8 turnovers

Eggplant Parmesan

Are you a stress eater?  I tend to reach for goodies when I'm stressed out, but obviously that's not a good habit so instead I try to channel that desire to eat into something else.  So instead I start cleaning like a maniac....now to some people who know me that may not sound surprising.  However, the truth is that I am more of a "neat freak" not a "clean freak" - meaning my house is almost always tidy but it's not clean.  For instance, if you were to look at the tops of my curtains there is most likely good layer of dust, or if you look closely at the ceiling in the half bath you'll probably see cobwebs.  I like everything to be tidy and put away, but as far as the real cleaning goes.....I'm just not into it! 

Anyway, I was a little stressed out recently, but I was tired too so cleaning to relieve the stress wasn't doing it for me.  So I turned to food, but instead of unhealthy stuff I decided to make one of my favorite things to eat in hopes that it would give me a little comfort - eggplant Parmesan.  I loooove eggplant Parmesan....it's like lasagna but better because it's healthier!  Even though I bread my eggplant slices before cooking them and assembling the dish, I don't fry them - instead the breaded eggplant slices are baked in the oven.  I don't really like breaded and fried eggplant....too greasy for me.  Cook up some garlic bread to go with this delicious meal and I promise it will comfort you too!

Eggplant Parmesan

2 large eggplants

3 cups tomato sauce (homemade or bought is fine – I like to make a meat sauce with mushrooms in it for this dish)
8 oz sliced mozzarella
2 eggs
2-4 cups (start with 2 and add more if needed) of seasoned breadcrumbs
Olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
                  
Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and coat each pan with olive oil (it’s easier if you spread it around with your fingers).  Peel and slice eggplant about a ¼ inch thick.  In a small bowl whisk together the eggs with about a tablespoon of water.  Pour 2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs on a plate and set aside.  You will dip all the eggplant in the egg mixture and then dredge in the bread crumbs and set each piece onto the baking sheets.  Once you’ve finished this process you will need to drizzle a little olive oil on top of each piece of eggplant.  Place in oven and cook for about a ½ hour, turning each slice of eggplant after 15 minutes.  The eggplant should be a nice golden brown, so increase your cooking time if need be.
 
Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.  Spoon about a ½ cup of sauce onto the bottom of the pan, then add one layer of the cooked eggplant.  Top the eggplant sauce and then the sliced mozzarella, and repeat process with more eggplant/sauce/cheese (mine is usually 3-4 layers high, depending on the deepness of the dish I’m using).  The last layer will be just the eggplant topped with sauce, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top, and end with a layer of the shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 for about a ½ hour or until hot and bubbly.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

I LOVE cinnamon rolls, however, let's face it - they are not great for the thighs. Because of that I do not make them very often, but once in a while I get a craving for them and when I do I want them to be worth it. I want them to be soft and decadent, and most of all I want the glaze to be like the glaze on the Pillsbury cinnamon rolls. I'm not a big fan of the powdered sugar glaze you find in most recipes, so I finally figured out that the closest I could find to the Pillsbury glaze is actually a cream cheese glaze. Some of you are probably thinking "Duh", but what can I say.....it took me a little while to figure it out!

Lastly, I want to eat these for breakfast (alright, sometimes I sneak them for dessert...whatever!) and I don't want to mess with putting them together in the morning. If I make them it has to go in the fridge the night before so the next morning all I have to do is turn the oven on and pop them in.

This recipe hits all my requirements and is, to me anyway, the ultimate cinnamon roll. Mmmm, my stomach is growling just thinking about them......

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup butter melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 package of active dry yeast - .25oz

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Add sugar, flour, salt, eggs and melted butter. Mix/knead on medium speed until dough is smooth, about 4-6 minutes. Spray large bowl with cooking spray, place dough in bowl, cover and let rise in warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size.

In small bowl combine 1 cup of brown sugar and 2 tbsps of cinnamon. Roll out dough onto floured surface into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Spread dough with 1/3 cup of softened butter and sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Gently roll dough into a long log and cut into 12 rolls. Spray a 13 inch pan with cooking spray and place rolls into pan. Cover and place in fridge overnight. In the morning I take them out and let them rise on the counter for about 30-45 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

While rolls are baking beat together 2 oz softened cream cheese, 2 tbsp of softened butter, 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/4 tsp salt until smooth. Spread onto rolls when they come out of oven. YUM!!!!

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Every week I try to have at least one thing that is homemade for my son to take to school for a snack.  There are times that I am just out of ideas, and there are times when he decides that pretty much nothing sounds good.

One day I was going through all the recipes I've collected over the years to try and find something I hadn't tried before, and I came across a recipe for apple cinnamon coffee cake.  Since I had lots of apples on hand at the time & buttermilk (which is not something I always have on hand), I decided to give it a try. 

Honestly, I don't know why I waited so long to try this recipe!  It is just bursting with cinnamon yumminess, and is so moist.  It is now my son’s favorite snack.  If I ask what I should make he ALWAYS suggests this.  In fact, one time his teacher got irritated with him because the whole time he eats this for snack he says "mmmmmm" and it became distracting to the class!!  It doesn't last more than two days in my house, less if we have company.  This is a must try.....

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp + 1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup vegt. oil
2 cups chopped apple
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 325.  Butter and flour a round baking dish (I use the biggest pie plate I have, but I'm sure you could just put it in anything you want).  Mix first 6 ingredients & 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon in food processor or large bowl.  Add oil and process (or stir with a fork) until it becomes crumbly.  Transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to a smaller bowl and stir in remaining cinnamon, and set aside and reserve for topping.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until just combined.  Pour into pan and sprinkle reserved topping over top.  Bake for an hour and 10-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

Overnight Egg Casserole

So we are breaking records lately in Vermont for the warmest days in March!  Love it, but we know it's not going to last.  Just hope we don't get anymore snow.....that's all I'm asking since the last bit of it in my front yard has finally melted. 

I have taken advantage of the nice weather by washing everything I can get my hands on and hanging it out on the clothes line to dry.  Hanging laundry is therapeutic for me.....I'm not sure why, I just know that I love it.  Last night I went out to collect my clothes from the line and was shocked to see that it had fallen over!  All the clean clothes were laying in the mud with the wooden side toppled on them.  What a mess.....and to make it worse I can't hang anything else out until my husband has a chance to fix it.  It's always something isn't it?

But on a lighter note, our chickens have gotten back to laying eggs on a regular basis now that spring has arrived and the molt is over.  Hence I have acquired an over abundance of eggs, so I decided to throw together this overnight egg casserole.  I actually got this recipe from my mother who introduced it to me when I was a teenager.  I loved it then and I still love it now.  It's also great for when you have company - instead of being tied up cooking in the kitchen in the morning you can sit and chat with your guests and enjoy a cup of coffee while this cooks away in the oven.  It makes for a delicious and hardy breakfast without any real effort....perfect!

Overnight Egg Casserole

1  cup Montery Jack cheese 
1 tbsp flour    
sausage or bacon - I just use as much as I think will be good
3 oz can green chilies, chopped
1 cup Cheddar cheese
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Cook sausage or bacon, drain and set aside.   In a separate dish mix eggs with milk until well blended.  Spread Montery Jack cheese in bottom of greased 9 x 11 casserole dish.  Sprinkle the flour over cheese.  Layer sausage or bacon and chilies, and then pour in the egg mixture.  Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.  Feel free to add any other ingredients you think your family would like - sometimes I'll add scallions, mushrooms or spinach.  Cover and let set overnight in the fridge for at least 12 hours, longer is fine.  Cook at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

Rice Krispy Treats with a Twist

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This weekend we had our two granddaughters stay overnight.  Food wise, this can be a challenge as the oldest one is a pretty picky eater.  I don't want to make it stressful for her (or us) by cooking things she doesn't like, so trying to come up with something to eat other than spaghetti, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese or pizza can be a challenge!  However, as usual, she was an angel and ate what we gave her (even if it wasn't what she was used to). 

I know she loves my chocolate chip cookies, but I wanted to try something different this time so I took a chance and chose to make these rice krispy treats that have been a favorite of mine since childhood.  My Aunt Judy in Maine made these for me when I was a kid every time I went to visit. I loved them, and they love to tease me about how I ate almost the whole batch by myself on one of my visits - that's how good they are!  These are not your average rice krispy treats.  These are peanut butter rice krispy treats with a chocolate and butterscotch topping.  They are yummy....and very addictive.  Kids and adults will not be able to keep out of them.  Luckily it was a hit this weekend as well.  She even asked if she could take some home with her :)

Aunt Judy's Rice Krispy Treats

1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies
6 oz butterscotch morsels (sometimes I use more butterscotch than chocolate)
6 oz semi sweet chocolate morsels

Bring the Karo syrup and the sugar to a boil in a large pot, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter. Next, add the rice krispies and stir until well combined. Butter a 13x9 baking dish and press the mixture into pan. Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips in a double boiler. Once it's melted and well combined, spread over rice krispy mixture. Let them firm up before serving. ENJOY and watch them disappear!