Cinnamon Rolls - Little Family

Ingredients:

•            Rolls:

•            1/2 cup warm water (100-110° F)

•            2 packages dry yeast (1-1/2 tbsp.)

•            2 tbsp. sugar

•            3-1/2 oz. pkg. vanilla pudding mix

•            1/2 cup margarine -- melted

•            2 eggs

•            1 tsp. salt

•            6 cups flour

•            1 cup butter

•            2 cups brown sugar

•            2 tbsp. cinnamon

•            Cream Cheese Frosting:

•            8 oz cream cheese

•            1/2 cup margarine

•            1 tsp. vanilla

•            3 cups confectioner's sugar

•            1 tbsp. milk

*I replaced all margarine with butter, yum!

Frosting Directions:

To make frosting, mix all ingredients until smooth.

Roll Directions:

In a bowl combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Set aside.

In large bowl, take pudding mix and prepare according to package directions (Use warm milk to aid in rising). Add ½ cup melted margarine, eggs and salt. Mix well. Then add yeast mixture. Blend.

Gradually add flour; knead until smooth (may take more, or less than 6 cups, keep dough as tacky as you can work with it). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until doubled (~45 min).

Punch down dough and let rise again (~30 min).

Then roll out on floured board to 34 x 21" size. Take 1 cup soft butter and spread over surface. In bowl, mix 2 cups brown sugar and 2 tbls cinnamon. Sprinkle over top. Roll up very tightly.

With knife, put a notch every 2". Cut with thread or knife (dental floss works the best).

Place on lightly greased cookie sheet 2" apart.

Take hand and lightly press down on each roll.

Cover and let rise until double again (~25-30 min). Bake at 350 15-20 minutes. Remove when they start to turn golden.

Don't Over Bake.

Frost warm rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

Serving Size: Makes about 20 very large rolls

Linsey's Mandarin Salad, Alma's Potato Salad & Mona's Cous cous salad

Linsey's Mandarin Salad


1/4 cup sliced almonds
1T plus 1t sugar
Lettuce- I used feuilles de chenes and feuilles pommes
1 cucumber thinly sliced in moons
1 medium green onions, thinly sliced (2 tablespoons)
1 can mandarin orange segments, drained

1. Cook almonds and sugar in sauce pan over low heat, stirring
constantly, until sugar is melted and almonds are coated; cool and
break apart

 2. Make sweet-and-sour dressing (below)

 3. Toss almonds, dressing and remaining ingredients


Sweet-Sour Dressing

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 T sugar
2 T white or cider vinegar
1 T chopped fresh parsley (flat Italian)
1/2 t salt
dash of pepper

Whisk all ingredients in a blender.

Alma's Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds clean, scrubbed new red potatoes
• 6 eggs
• 1 pound bacon
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion and celery. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for an hour before serving.

GREEK SALAD

cucumber

tomato

green pepper

Italian parsley

red onion

Kalamata olives

Greek feta

couscous (optional)

DRESSING

fresh squeezed lemon juice

olive oil

fresh ground black pepper

Greek spice mix (I bought mine in the US, and it's running out, so I may have to find a recipe to make my own)

fresh chopped mint (optional)

fresh chopped oregano (optional)

fresh thyme (optional)

That's it! It's super-easy, if you don't mind chopping, and so refreshing. The feta and olives make it filling, and if you add couscous or eat it with a fresh baguette (or some other delicious bread) on the side I find it's a great meal. 

Enjoy! 

Hummingbird Vanilla Cake

For the cake:

 2 cups plain flour

1 ¼ cups caster sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

240ml whole milk

2 egg

½ tsp vanilla extract

For the vanilla frosting:

250g icing sugar, sifted (I didn't convert b/c it's half a pkt in Sing and GVA)

80g unsalted butter, at room temperature

25ml whole milk

a couple of drops of vanilla extract

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F) Gas 3.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.

Whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together in a separate bowl for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.

Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until light golden and the sponge bounces back when touched. (since I make the cake and NOT cupcakes, I use 2 9inch pans and bake for around 35 min)

A skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave the cupcakes to cool slightly in the tray before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

When the cupcakes are cold, spoon the vanilla frosting on top and decorate with hundreds and thousands.

For the vanilla frosting:

Beat the icing sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed.

Turn the mixer down to slow speed. Combine the milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, then add to the butter mixture a couple of tablespoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed.

Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

Red & Yellow Pepper Soup

1/4 cup butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound (500 grams) tomotoes, seeded and chopped

1/2 pound (500 grams) red peppers, seeded and chopped

5 cups chicken stock

1/2 pound yellow peppers, seeded and chopped

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup almonds

1/2 slice white bread

1/2 cup cream

Divide butter, garlic, and onion between two pans and sauté.  Add

tomatoes, red peppers and half of stock to one pan.  Add yellow

peppers and half of stock to the other pan.  Simmer each until peppers

are soft- about 20 minutes.  Puree each in a blender or food

processor.  Pureé the almonds, white bread, and cream with the yellow

pepper soup.  Put both soups back in pans.  In a small bowl, mix

together cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water.  Add to red pepper soup.

Serve separately or pour the yellow pepper soup into the middle of

each bowl of red pepper soup.

Triple Berry Trifle

I love trifle and pudding desserts, they are so pretty (and easy)!

Bake a regular yellow cake mix in a 9x13 and let it cool.

Make 1 pkt of raspberry jello, set aside (but do not refrigerate).

Make 2 pkts of vanille instant pudding.  Instead of using milk, use half full milk and half cream.

Wash and prepare 1 pkt each of raspberries, blueberries and sliced strawberries.

All you do is layer:  cake, spoon raspberry jello ON the cake, throw in the berries, spread the vanilla pudding.  Repeat 2x.  Allow to set in fridge overnight.  Just before serving, top with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, and extra berries.

Sugar Cookies with Sour Cream

5 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1 c. shortening

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. sour cream

2 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream. Sift in dry ingredients. Chill 1 hour. Roll out the dough and cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Hummingbird Chocolate Cake

Mix together:
1 3/5 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/5 cup white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder

Blend in:
80 grams of butter so it looks sandy

Add half of this mixture:
240 ml milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix.  Add remaining half of liquids and mix but don't overbeat.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

No Knead Bread

Lindsay H. gave me the simplest directions.  


Mix 3 cups bread flour, 1/4 tsp yeast, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, 1 1/2 cup water in a bowl and set aside for 12-18 hours (covered, room temp).


Punch down, fold in two, let rise until double.


Bake in oven for 30 minutes covered, 30 minutes uncovered.

Note from Lindsay about temperatures...
I bake my bread at 425-450DF, but i like darker "european color". Temp of bread should be between 190-200 depending on what type of bread you are making.

I asked if I had less time she said - It will rise, just let it ferment for the 8-10 hours, form it and bc it is so hot here it should rise in 40 mins.... The 12-18 hours isn't for rising, but for flavor development.

 for microwave help....boil water in microwave, turn off and put formed bread in with bowl of steamy water..be careful though as bread is much more vulnerable to deflating with this method so you have to be gentle with it when you transfer it to oven.

Carrot Cake - Adrienne's Tropical version

Carrot cake is one of my FAVORITES.  I pretty much try every carrot cake in all cities around the world.  Best one so far is London's Prete a Manger.  This one is lovely and moist...the macadamia nuts add a great crunch.  Made for the sweet Bikman family leaving to return to the USA after 2.5 great years together in Singapore.

3 cups grated carrot

1 cup chopped pineapple, fresh or canned

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cups macadamia or walnut pieces (optional)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 1/2 -Adrienne cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. or 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the carrots, pineapple,  and coconut with 1/2 cup of the flour to coat them—keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake batter.

Sift together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.

In a mixer with a whip attachment, mix the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy then slowly add the vegetable oil. Fold in the dry ingredients and pour over the carrot mixture. Fold carefully to blend, then pour the batter into a buttered, 2 or 3 floured 10-inch round pans containing a circle of wax paper in the bottom. Bake until firm to the touch in the center, about 45 min-1 hour.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. Cream Cheese

½ cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

½ tsp coconut extract

Layer and frost cake, top with a ½ cup toasted coconut.

Choco Nut Oatbars

Seems like I'm into making BAR cookies lately, but they are useful in Singapore for outings b/c we're out and about in the heat and taxis.  This recipe is from Phyllis Sperry - I met the Sperry family when I was ten years old and they had such a wonderful influence on our family.  Made these for a picnic at Botanical Gardens Symphony with the Robison and Dozier families.  Sweet Jack Dozier just loved these so I'm posting this for him.

1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk

2 oz unsweetened chocolate (I doubled this b/c I'm Swiss)

1 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used 1 cup only)

1 cup butter

1 1/4 cup brown sugar (I halved this)

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned NOT quick cooking)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, grease 9x13 pan.  Melt chocolate in condensed milk on low heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in nuts, set aside.  Beat together butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add flour, salt, and baking soda.  Blend thoroughly.  Stir in oats, mix until crumbly.  Press half of oat mixture in pan, spread evenly with chocolate mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture, pressing into chocolate.  Bake 25 minutes until golden brown on top.  Cool and cut into squares.

Tartelettes au Citron

 

Tartelettes au Citron

2 oeufs

120gr. de sucre          

jus de 2 citrons pressés

150gr. de beurre tempéré

Mélanger les oeufs, le sucre et le jus de citron et faire chauffer au bain-marie pendant quelques minutes.  Ajouter le beurre et remuer pendant 10 minutes au bain-marie (jusqu'à épaississement).  Voilà, c'est tout simple, régalez-vous :o)  Patricia (Firmenich colleague)

Lemon Tarts (translated)

*I tripled this recipe to make 36 mini tarts

Mix 2 eggs, ½ cup sugar, and the juice of two lemons in a double boiler for a  few minutes.  Add ¾ cups of butter and stir over low heat for ten minutes until it thickens.  Pour into little store-bought tarts and they’re ready to go!

 

Oatmeal Coconut Cake

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl:

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add:

2 eggs
1/2 cup cut up butter
1 1/2 cup boiling water

Beat well, batter will be thin, pour in greased/floured 9x13 pan.

Spread this on top:

1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream
1 cup chopped nuts

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour

Seven-layer Cookie Bars

I've been in a cookie bar mood. I thought I'd make these for Mother's Day.

Melt 1 cup butter (250 grams), Mix 1 1/2 packets of butter cookies (In Singapore I use German ones Leuwenz in yellow package)

Press into a 9x13 pan.

Sprinkle with:
1 packet of sweetened coconut (American kind, so moist, blue packet)
1 packet of chocolate chips (I use Van Hounten b/c they are mini)
1 cup chopped pecans (I skip this step, hubby doesn't care for nuts)

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk.

Bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes.

Jonna's Brownies

Jonna said after I use this brownie recipe, I'll never buy a brownie mix again. She's right! This recipe is so simple/fast. Note to self - I really need a new 8x8 b/c this 9x9 made them too thin and it baked too fast in the oven. Underbaked is definitely much better!

¾ cup melted butter

1 ½ cups sugar

1 ½ tsp vanilla

3 eggs

¾ cup flour

½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips (I use Ghiradelli bittersweet)

Melt butter. Add sugar & vanilla; mix with wooden spoon. Add eggs & mix well with spoon (don’t use mixer).

Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt gradually to egg mixture, beating with wooden spoon until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread in well-greased 8” square baking dish.

Bake at 350’ F (180'C) 40-45 minutes.

Jonette's Taste of Italy Pasta Salad

We loved this simple salad - so fresh - perfect for a picnic in the park!

1 box of good penne pasta
1 container of honey cherry tom or any cherry tom
1 container of yellow cherry tom
1 bunch of basil
fresh mozzarella (I used Polenghi in a little bag w/water from cold storage)
course sea salt or other nice larger grain salt ( I used the course sea salt from CS I think it only cost 60 cents a bag)
olive oil

Cook pasta, cut tom in half, cut basil, cube mozzarella and salt. I assemble the salad about an hour before serving or less.....

It is really a made up salad but that is the gist of what it is :) Jonette

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cake

Recipe originally from Judy Kirkham in Geneva Ward Cookbook. Made for April 2011 picnic at Macbeth Singapore with Jeff/Michal, Jonna/Anna, Rochelle, Jessie, Jonette/Martin. I did 1 1/2 times the recipe to fill a 9x13 pan, otherwise I usually do a 9 inch circle pan. Next time I think I'll add salt in the crumble, also not bother adding half an egg if I increase recipe b/c it became more flan than cheesecakey.

Crust:
2 - 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup margarine
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp. almond

Combine flour & sugar in large bowl. Cut in margarine to resemble coarse crumbs. Set aside a cup of this mixture. To remaining mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, sour cream, egg and almond extract. Blend, chill 15 minutes.

Filling:

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 Tbsp. water

Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg and peel. Best well, set aside. In separate bowl, combine raspberry jam and water. Set aside. Grease ad flour your pan. Spread crust batter on bottom and up sides. Pour in cream cheese mixture. Top with raspberry mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-60 minutes.