Pretzel Bread

*makes 4 large buns

*makes 6 roll-size buns

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ tsp yeast
• 1 cup water (110-120 degrees)
• 2 Tbsp room temperature milk
• 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 ½ – 3 cups bread flour
• 4 quarts water
• ½ cup baking soda
• Kosher salt to taste
• 2 Tbsp melted butter

Directions

1. Add yeast, water, milk, brown sugar and butter into a large bowl, whisking until all ingredients are combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes for yeast to activate. Mix in kosher salt. Start by adding two cups of the flour to the bowl, combining it with other ingredients. Add more flour as it’s needed, reserving just a bit for coating the dough mat later.
2. The dough should form a slightly tacky, but firm ball. Oil the bowl, place the dough ball in the bowl, and cover with a damp towel for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, knead the dough by hand or machine for at least 5-10 minutes until the dough is elastic and satiny. Place dough back in the bowl and recover for 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bring the 4 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, slowly add the baking soda.
4. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently degas it. Form two separate balls of dough, forming them into the shape you want. Drop one of the smaller balls into the baking soda bath for no longer than 30 seconds, turning it once to guarantee both sides covered. Drain the excess water from the dough and place it on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with second ball of dough.
5. Sprinkle the kosher salt over the bread to your specific tastes, and make sure to use a knife to cut a small incision on the top of the bread so the dough has somewhere to expand.
6. Cook the bread for 22 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once.
7. Once removed from the oven, immediately brush the melted butter over the loaves to guarantee a soft crust.

Jessica F's Hashbrown Casserole

2 lb bag of hashbrowns

1 stick of melted butter

1 pt. sour cream

1 chopped onion

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups of chedder cheese

salt

pepper

garlic powder

cook on 350 for 1 1/4 hour

Baked Grapefruit

Cut it in half, run a knife between the fruit and the rind to loosen it a bit, drizzle with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon, bake for 15 min at 375. I'm not big on grapefruit, but I really loved it.

Janae's Stuffed French Toast - DELICIOUS

Stuffed French Toast:

stuffing:

1 pkg cream cheese

1 c powdered sugar

Mix and spread between two pieces of bread. Dip in egg batter and grill.


French Toast recipe:
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 Tbls. sugar
4 Tbls. butter
4 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

(Covers about 8 slices of bread, or 4 stuffed french toasts.  I double for 6-8 guests).

Homemade Berry Syrup:

1 c sugar

2 T cornstarch

3/4 c water

4 c berries

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Stir in the water until smooth. Add berries. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 min or until thick.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

"

I cover mine in water and turn on the heat. I don't cover the pot while they come to a boil. When the water comes to a full boil, I let it boil 1.5 minutes, then shut the burner off, put the lid on the pot and let them sit there for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes I put them in ice water if I have enough ice on hand otherwise I just put them in cold water for however long it takes for them to be cool enough to handle. The shells peel right off.

If all else fails, you can dump a lot of salt in the water they boil in and they peel off easy that way too."

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Directions

1. 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, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.
2. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.
3. Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving