Update- Number Cookie Tart Cake

 Origional: 

I made this "cake" for Jacki Sears 90th birthday. I used the recipe from this blog. I used lemon juice instead of orange juice. For the piping cream, I used whipped heavy cream and a cheesecake pudding box.

Marcy and Aaron Wedding: 

I have been practicing this for Marcy's wedding so far these are the changes I have to add: 

Sugar Cookie:

1/2 c. oil

1/4 c. orange juice

2 eggs

3/4 c. sugar

3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

I have been mixing in this order: 

Eggs(mix a little to break up), oil, juice, sugar, and baking powder. Once well mixed, add half the flour. After mixing, add the rest, mixing until incorporated. This is a pretty wet dough. 

I have premade and frozen with success. I have also been doubling and depending on the letter/number doubled it makes about 3 big cookies. 

roll to be 1/8 inch thick cut out letter ( pizza roller and hot knife work well for cutting) on parchment paper so it can be easily transfered to the cookie sheet

bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Piping Cream:

2 c. Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1 3.4 box of pudding - I have been using either white chocolate or cheese cake flavored- the white chocolate is the whitest color result. Vanilla makes it light yellow. 

1.5 c. whole milk

2 tsp. unflavored gelatin (one envelope if getting in the small boxes)

Cream Directions:

1- make pudding ahead box plus whole milk mixed and refrigerated.

2- "bloom" gelatin (5 minutes with 2 tbsp water in a bowl).

3-whip heavy cream until peaks (not so much it turns to butter

4- add p. sugar

5- after gelatin has bloomed microwave for about 6 seconds (until melted) add a little cream to the geletan (about 1 tbsp) and mix together. Add to whipped cream and mix until encorperated

6- add pudding to cream gently mix together

Now it's ready to go into piping bags.

top with what makes sense

Turkey or Chicken Noodle Soup

There is a "good, better, best element to this recipe: 

Good- use chicken breasts or other boneless chicken. Chop the chicken into small pieces (the fattier chicken will have the most flavor but it's also fattier so.... you will also add some chicken bullion to this to give it some flavor. 

Better- use a rotisserie chicken carcass or left over turkey carcass with some meat left on the bone and pressure cook (15 min, high pressure) or boil for about 1 hour, taking the bones out and leaving the broth and meat. 

Best- use a raw whole chicken with the breasts removed (You can use the breasts for a different meal or include them if you want the soup to be on the meaty side or if you are making a large pot). Pressure cook or boil in a large pot, covering the bird with water. Remove the bones and return the meat to the broth.

Add to the broth/chicken:

1 small onion (or dry onion flakes)

1/2-1 cup celery

4-5 carrots

thyme to taste

Boil until the veggies are tender

Add some frozen veggies if desired (peas, corn, etc.)

Homemade noodles:

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp. salt

Flour- enough to make stiff, about 1 c. 

Mix together (don't over mix) roll very thin on floured surface. Let it stand 20 minutes, cut with a pizza cutter into long strips and put in soup. Cook about 10 minutes longer. 

InstaPot Mac and Cheese

 Long before InstaPots were a craze I had a stovetop pressure cooker.  One evening I forgot to turn off the stove that had a pot of black beans cooking in my pressure cooker when I left home to pick up a kid from soccer practice. When I got home, I found the beans had exploded across the kitchen ceiling. I then banned myself from stovetop pressure cookers. Shortly after that, I saw an electric pressure cooker at a yard sale that had a timer. It had all the markings of a late-night home shopping network purchase- It even came complete with a cookbook. Not only has the Instant Pot become a staple in my kitchen, but  this mac and cheese recipe has become a winning dish: 

Add to InstaPot in this order: 

2 1/2 c. macaroni noodles

2 tsp chicken bullion

3 c. water

1 tbsp. parmesan cheese

Set InstaPot for 5 minutes. Quick release and then add:

2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 oz cream cheese

1 tsp yellow mustard

Mix together and serve. 

Eliza's Covid Chocolate Chip Cookie Bake Off Winning Recipe

3/4 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

2 tsp. corn starch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 c. chocolate chips

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla, and blend in.
3. Mix in dry ingredients, adding flour last. 
4. Bake 8-10 minutes on parchment-lined cookie sheet. 

5 Minutes a Day Bread Recipes:

I heard about this bread-making technique from the designer who helped us with our remodel plans. It's all over the internet- for good reason- 

Master Recipe: makes 6 loaves (fits well in container, minus 1 loaf for cooking day of) 

Luke Warm Water: 2 lbs 4 oz 

Yeast: 1.5 Tbsp 

Salt: 1.75 Tbsp 

All Purpose Flour: 3 lbs 

Mix together in order listed directly in storage food container. It should be on the wet side. Once mixed, allow to rise at room temp in container with lid until dough begins to collapse (about 2 hours). Use or store in fridge until ready to use. Keep lids loose for the first couple of days. Use within 2 weeks. 

Artists Loaf: Pull off grapefruit-sized loaf. Shape and place on cast iron pan that has parchment on the bottom. Rest 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 with broiler pan full of water on the bottom of the oven. When temp is reached, place bread in oven. Bake 20-30 minutes. 

Make a sandwich loaf: Oil Pullman loaf pan. Pull off enough dough to fill pan ¾ full. Put on lightly floured surface. Rest for 45min-1 hour. Preheat oven to 450. Bake covered 45 minutes. Remove lid and bake another 10 minutes. 

Soft Rolls: Pull off enough dough to make the desired number of rolls—shape on a pan with parchment. Rest for 20 minutes. Bake about 25 minutes. Can clip an X on the roll before resting to get an open top design. Use butter to help soften rolls. 

Oil Dough for Pizza: 

Makes 8 1lb crusts 

Luke Warm Water: 2 lbs 8 oz 

Yeast: 2 Tbsp 

Salt: 2 Tbsp 

Sugar: 2 Tbsp 

Oil: ¼ cup 

All-purpose flour: 4 lbs 

Boiled Raisin Cookies

Years ago I was serving in a Relief Society presidency and the other counselor (Kathleen Francom) served these at one of our meetings.  I had never had anything like them and I LOVED them. I asked for the recipe and have made them a few times. Teich discovered the recipe and gave it a try. Our friend, Marcela asked for the recipe saying they remind her of cookies she had as a child in Chile.

2 c Sugar
2 c Raisins
1 1/2 c water
1 c oil
1 tsp soda

3 c flour
3 c rolled oats
1 c nuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix together the remaining ingredients. Add the two combinations. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.

Old Fashioned English Muffins

1 tbsp yeast

1 cup warm water

4 cups flour

½ cup toasted wheat germ

2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 ½ cups warm milk

2 tbsp butter, melted

½ cornmeal

1.In a small bowl stir together yeast, warm water, and honey. Set for 10 minutes

2

        2. In a large mixing bowl combine 2 cups flour, wheat germ, and salt. Make a well and add egg, milk, butter, and yeast mixture. Beat until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add remaining flour ½ cup at a time to form a soft dough that just clears sides of the bowl.

          

          3. On lightly floured surface knead dough until smooth and springy, 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of flour at a time, as necessary to prevent sticking. The softer you can leave this dough, the lighter the muffin will be. Place dough in a deep, lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat. Cover and let rise until double about 1 ½ hours.

      4. Sprinkle work surface with corn meal. Turn dough out onto surface and roll into a rectangle about about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle top lightly with corn meal to prevent sticking. Cut in 3 inch circles. Re roll scraps using al the dough. Cover cut circle and rest 30 minutes.

      

       5. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Place several muffins on hot griddle. Cook for 10 minutes on eac side. Muffins will be quite brown. They take time to cook all the way through so don’t rush. If they are rising too fast, refrigerate while the others are baking.  

Notes: Can substitute wheat flour if wheat muffins are desired.