Chocolate Filled Biscotti

I will be making these tomorrow and it does take two days, the cream cheese dough needs to chill in the fridge overnight. And yes I have officially gained 5 pounds due to all this baking. And this is not traditional twice baked biscotti so it stays soft and not super hard.

Ingredients:

Cream cheese dough:

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. butter (1 stick), softened

3 oz plain cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate Filling:

1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional, you could use pecans, cashews, hazelnuts)

For the dough, in a small bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl with paddle attachment beat butter and cream cheese until well blended. Add the egg and mix well then add vanilla. reduce to low speed and gradually add flour mixture just until blended. Divide dough into three equal pieces. wrap separately in plastic and put in fridge overnight.

When ready the next day make chocolate filling first. In a saucepan heat sweetened condensed milk and chocolate over medium heat just until chocolate melts. Remove from heat and add walnuts, or whatever nut you choose. Set aside and let cool to room temp. Now preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  and grease your cookie sheet. Remove one piece of dough and on a lightly floured piece of wax or parchment paper roll out dough into a rectangle about the size of a piece of notebook paper. Just make sure it's an even rectangle. Spread heaping 1/4 c. filling down the middle lengthwise. Starting from a long side fold over filling using the paper to help it over. then fold the other side over the filling so it overlaps. Pick up waxed paper and flip your cookie log onto the cookie sheet seam side down. Repeat with another one and bake 2 at a time for 20-22 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks. While cooling prepare remaining of dough and filling and finish baking. When completely cool slice crosswise on diagonal to make 12 equal pieces. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or dunk half in melted milk or white chocolate, or drizzle chocolate on top. Roll chocolate dipped ones in chopped peanuts or sprinkles. Wrap tightly in plastic to store.

Maple sauce for blonde brownies

This is the copycat for Applebees blondie with the yummy sauce.

3/4 c. maple syrup, use real maple syrup!! imitation will not taste as good

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine syrup and butter in saucepan and heat until butter has melted, then add sugar and mix until dissolved and stir in walnuts. Pour over your blonde brownie and vanilla ice cream and it's awesome!

Blonde Brownies

Ingredients:

1 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/8 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

1/3 c. butter

1 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 T. vanilla

1/2 c. white chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt,and walnuts and set aside. In saucepan melt butter, then add brown sugar and mix well. Then add egg and vanilla until well combined. Gradually combine with flour mixture, then fold in white chocolate chips. Pour into a greased 9" square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Banana Bread

I've tried a lot of different banana bread recipes and none of them have really been great, so I found a basic one and I've added my own tweaks with spices.

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 t. cinnamon

1 t. nutmeg

1 t. cloves

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/3 c. mashed overripe bananas

1 c. chopped walnuts and/or chocolate chips(optional)

In a large bowl combine flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. In a smaller bowl cream butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs to butter mixture then add mashed bananas stir to combine. Then add to flour and stir by hand all ingredients until moistened. Pour into greased 9X5 loaf pan bake at 350 degrees F for 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Russian Tea Cakes

These are also known as Mexican Wedding cookies or Snowballs. I will be making them for when we start cookies and brownies.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

1 c. chopped and toasted pecans

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar, for rolling

Cream butter and powdered sugar until creamy and blended well. Add salt and vanilla. Slowly add flour until it just comes together. Fold in the pecans. Let dough chill in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. Take out dough and roll into ball shapes on a lined cookie sheet with parchment paper or greased foil. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool, once cooled enough to touch roll each cookie in remaining 1/2 c. powdered sugar until cookie is coated.

Roasted Red Potatoes

Red potatoes are so yummy and I love them since I don't have to peel them, I hate peeling stuff almost as much as I hate shredding stuff. This is nice to do cause mashed and baked potatoes can get kinda boring.

2-4 red potatoes per person

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, enough to coat potatoes evenly

Mrs. Dash

Salt

Black Pepper

Ranch Packet, the stuff to make the dressing or dip out of

Wash the potatoes with water and clean off any gross stuff. then dice into pieces. I like to make them uneven. Some smaller and some a little bigger. Put in a large bowl mix together, the seasonings are to taste. The ranch I use about 1/4 of packet for every 4 people eating. Just put enough in to coat the potatoes evenly. I line the cookie or baking sheet with foil then spray with veg oil Spread out in an even layer, don't have them piled up on eachother. Bake at 350 degrees for abut a hour or until largest potato pieces are tender.

Yummy! Cinnamon Orange Loaf, and Hot Cross Buns

Ok, I think I'll probably be posting stuff I do in class and since it's an advanced baking and desserts, I'm already getting fat, and the two people who actually look at this you just may add a few pounds, but it's oh so good!

Cinnamon Swirl Orange Bread

5-5 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp yeast

1 T orange peel

1 t. salt

1 c. milk

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. orange juice

1/4 c. butter

1 egg

Cinnamon Filling

1/2 c. sugar

1 T cinnamon

Orange Glaze

1 c. powdered sugar

2 T. orange juice

1 t. orange peel

Combine 1 cup flour, sugar, orange peel, undissolved yeast, and salt in a large bow. Heat milk, water, orange juice, and butter until very warm 110-120 degrees. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead lightly on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half, roll each section to roughly 12X7" rectangle. Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon filling. Beginning at the short end, roll up tightly. Pinch seam and ends to seal. Place seam side down into 2 loaf pans, greased. Cover; let rise until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from pans and let cool on wire rack. Drizzle with orange glaze.

CINNAMON FILLING: combine cinnamon and sugar.

ORANGE GLAZE: Combine powdered sugar, orange juice, and peel in small bowl and stir until smooth.

HOT CROSS BUNS

These are a nice change from cinnamon rolls. Don't get me wrong I love cinnamon rolls as much as the next guy, but it's always nice to change it up.

3 c. flour

1 t. salt

1/2 t. all spice

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

3/4 c. raisins, optional (craisins would also be good)

1/3 c. candied citron fruit, optional

Yeast Mixture:

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

2/3 c. warm milk

1/2 c. warm water m(110 degrees!!)

1 c. flour

Glaze:

2 T milk

2 T water

3 T powdered sugar

Mix all yeast ingredients in bowl, and set it aside and let it foam. Mix flour, salt, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon in large bowl. Add fruits, raisins or craisins and mix together. Mix butter and egg and add to yeast mixture. Add yeast mixture to flour, and mix with dough hook for about 8-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Divide into 12 equal pieces, and shape into round buns. Place rolls close together in a baking pan. Cover and let rise for about 45 minutes or until doubled. With a sharp knife, cut an X shape into top of buns. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on rack. Make glaze by bringing ingredients to boil in a sauce pan for 2 minutes. Brush over buns thickly.