Modified Sugar Cake

I really had a craving for sugar cake this morning. I didn't have the patience to make the real thing, so this is what I did.

1 refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Roll out crust onto cookie sheet. I didn't roll it out all the way because I wanted my sugar cake to be pretty thick (and all I had was thin crust dough). Thinly slice the butter and distribute evenly over the crust. Sprinkle sugar on top. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Although not as good as the original, (you MUST try the original!) it was delicious and certainly hit the spot this morning!

Great Grandma Schmuhl's Sugar Cake

This recipe comes from Germany and has been passed down for generations in my family. It's the most delicious thing you will ever eat. We always serve it on Christmas morning with hot chocolate. It's perfect for a chilly morning. I know we don't have very many of those left, (those of us in the valley definitely don't) so here you go!

Grandma Schmuhl's Sugar Cake

1 recipe Refrigerator Butter Rolls (see below)
1 cube butter
1 cup sugar

Divide raised dough into two pieces. Knead into ball. Let rest while you grease two large cookie sheets. Put on cookie sheet (use a pastry roller or a glass to roll out). Dot (dime size chunk) each pan with butter and sprinkle with sugar. Let raise until double and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 min.

Refrigerator Butter Rolls

1 cup milk, scalded, poured over
1 cube (1/2 c.) butter or margarine
1 pkg. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (it should bubble)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

If you use powdered milk, you do not have to scald the milk. While waiting for the butter or margarine to soften or melt, you can add the sugar and the salt. Add yeast and eggs. Mix in 3 cups of flour and mix well. Add last cup of flour. You do not have to knead dough.

Cover and put in refrigerator over night, or cover and let raise until double in bulk.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These aren't just any chocolate chip cookies. These are THE cookies. The cookie recipe that I swore I would never part with. The recipe that was given to me as a wedding gift from my friend Alicia. The top secret recipe that I've held on to for many years.

Why am I sharing it now? Well, it turns out my top secret recipe isn't so top secret. It's the recipe on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse chips bag. Alicia first mentioned this on her blog, The Story Lady, but I didn't believe her. I didn't want to believe her.

Until today. Today I had a craving for cookies, so I started making the delicious recipe that I've had memorized for so long. I took out my bag of chocolate chips and unwillingly looked at the recipe. What I saw brought tears to my eyes. It is, in fact, the same recipe.

I feel like I just stepped off of the set of Friends Season 7 "The One with Phoebe's Cookies". When Phoebe realizes that her Grandmother's famous recipe is none other than Nestle Tollhouse's she curses, "it is stuff like this which is why you're BURNING IN [HECK]!" I, of course, don't want Alicia to go to heck, but somebody should!

Anyway- these are the best cookies ever, and now I'm going to share them with you.

Cream together:
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together

Add:
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 1/4 cups flour

Mix well. Add 1/2 bag of chocolate chips. Bake at 375 for 7-9 on an ungreased cookie sheet.

That's it my friends. This is the Nestle Tollhouse recipe. With ONE MAJOR difference.

Shortening.

You must use shortening instead of butter. It will change your life, and you'll never look back. I've made this recipe a couple times with butter, and then don't turn out nearly as good. Not even close.

Pizza Rolls

This recipe comes from one of my readers! Thanks Mike! These were delicious!


1 roll refrigerated pizza dough (or make mine!! recipe is below)
marinara/pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t dried Italian seasoning

Pizza toppings of your choice: ham and pineapple, pepperoni slices, sausage, etc.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400 degrees. If you make your own dough, 400 is usually a good heat as well.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square. (Note that you're not putting the marinara sauce on the dough- it's for dipping after)

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Pinch to make sure each ball is sealed shut and then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish).

Brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil or melted butter and then sprinkle with the garlic and Italian seasoning and top with Parmesan cheese ( I bet that's good, but Dustin would kill me if I did that).

Cook them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top. Keep an eye on them! Doughs vary, so I'd check them after even 10 minutes.

Serve warm with warmed marinara sauce on the side for dipping.

Pizza Crust

Makes 2 delicious crusts:

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon yeast
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 olive oil (I've used vegetable oil before and this works too)

Directions:

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm water and let work. In a separate bowl combine the flour and the salt. With an electric mixer on low speed (or if you're poor like me you're using a man powered wooden spoon) drizzle in the oil until just incorporated. Then drizzle in the yeast/water mixture. Mix until the dough forms a ball. Drizzle a little oil into a clean bowl. Toss the ball of dough into the bowl and turn to coat. Cover and set in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. Use your hands to stretch the dough on your pizza pan. Cover with toppings and bake for 8-10 minutes at 500 degrees.

**tip- I always pre-bake my crust for about 3-4 minutes before covering with toppings. This helps avoid a soggy crust.

The Easiest Doughnuts Ever.

Seriously.

You may not want to read this post.

I can't stop making these things! They've become a Sunday morning tradition. Or anytime it's rainy and cold. Or when we're hungry for a late night snack. My husband thinks this is the best thing I've ever learned how to do!

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated biscuit dough. Original flavor is best. I've played around with other flavors (because it's what I had in my fridge), and they still turn out yummy. The ones I use for this tutorial are homestyle butter tastin'. Not the best, but still good!


Oil for fryin'

That's it!

Let's get started.

Start by opening your biscuits. If all you have is Grands! then make sure you flatten them thin or else your doughnuts won't cook all the way through. Gross.
Then take a small circle shaped cutter to cut out the holes. I'm using a baby bottle! Clever right?


Then when your oil is good and hot, fry them up real nice.


Set doughnuts on a paper towel. Or a real towel if you're out like I was.


Meanwhile make a simple glaze. I don't have a specific recipe for this so here's what I do. I dump some powdered sugar in a bowl. I add a little bit of water at a time (I mean a little!) and whisk it until I feel it's about the right consistency. Then I add a little bit of vanilla, and taste test until it's satisfactory.

Then plate your doughnuts, and pour the glaze right over the top.

Serve warm! They are the BEST when they are warm/hot!