Spätzle

Spätzle

1 c. all purpose flour
2 eggs
1/4 c milk
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Use mixer to combine ingredients into a thick dough.  Let rest 15 minutes.  Boil water and use spatzle maker, colander or slotted spoon to push dough through holes into boiling water.  Cook until spatzle floats, fish out with slotted spoon and run under cool water. 

Melt butter in large skillet and add spatzle in manageable batches to brown in pan.  Serve with minced chives (optional). 

Angie's Cinnamon Roll Coffee Cake

https://cakescottage.com/2017/04/12/easy-cinnamon-roll-coffee-cake/

Ingredients

• Cake:
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1½ cups milk
• Topping:
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• Glaze:
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the cake ingredients together until well combined.
3. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.
4. For the topping, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
5. Spread evenly on the batter and swirl with a knife. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
6. For the glaze, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl until it is a consistency like pancake syrup.
7. While warm drizzle the glaze over the cake and it will set into a harder glaze.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana Nut Bread

• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (3 ounces)
• 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 3 medium overripe bananas, mashed (1 1/4 cups)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• • How to Make It

    Step 1    

    Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Spread the walnuts in a pie pan and toast in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant; let cool.
    Step 2    

    In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and oil and beat at high speed until light-colored and creamy. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in the dry ingredients until thoroughly blended. Fold in the nuts.
    Step 3    

    Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is springy and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.

Crockpot Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 4 to 6 large sweet or yellow onions
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter (NOT margarine ) OR 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

Steps to Make It

1. Peel onions and cut off some of the top and bottom. Do not separate into rings and do not chop or slice the vegetables.
2.  In a 4-6 quart crockpot, place peeled whole onions and top with the butter or olive oil. Cover and cook on low for 9 to 11 hours: 7 to 8 hours if you have a newer, hotter cooking crockpot. 
3. Stir the mixture; the onions will fall apart. Let cool for about 20 minutes, then serve, or cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Butterfinger Lush

Ingredients

• 32 Oreo cookies
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 bag mini Butterfingers
• 1 (16-ounce) container Cool Whip, divided
• 1 (5.9-ounce) box instant chocolate pudding mix
• 2 cups milk

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together crushed oreo cookies and melted butter. Transfer to a 9X13-inch baking dish and press firmly all along the bottom. Refrigerate.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese. Gradually add confectioners' sugar. Beat in peanut butter. Fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip. Crush 6 mini Butterfingers and fold them into peanut butter mixture.
3. Spread peanut butter mixture evenly over oreo crust.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk together. Let sit to thicken for a minute or two and then pour over peanut butter layer.
5. Spread remaining Cool Whip on top. Crush remaining Butterfingers and sprinkle on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Notes

The Butterfingers are really easy to crush while they are still in the wrapper. Just use a rolling pin to tap them a few times.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

Ingredients

• 12 slices day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (Italian bread works best I have found)
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 12 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

1. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour this mixture over the bread cubes. Press down the cubes a bit to sort of “soak” them and make them “French toast-like”. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
6. Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25-30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned. Enjoy warm!
7. In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries.
8. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries begin to burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast. Enjoy!

Uncle Mike's Bolognese Meat Sauce

6 Tbls. Butter
2.5 Tbls. olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped carrot
1 stalk finely chopped celery
1 finely chopped bell pepper
2/3 c. finely chopped bacon
3/4 cup ground pork
3/4 cup ground beef
1/4 cup sausage meat
2-3 chicken livers (optional)
2/3 cup dry white wine
fresh garlic, salt and pepper & Italian seasoning to taste
4 tsp. tomato paste
1.25 cups beef stock
4 Tbls. cream or milk

Heat half the butter and all the oil in a deep frying pan.  Add onion, carrot, pepper, celery and bacon and fry until veggies soften.  Add remaining meat and fry until browned.  Moisten with wine and cook until it evaporates, then season.  Dilute tomato paste with some stock.  Stir into sauce, cover & cook slowly, gradually adding remaining stock. 

After sauce has simmered for 1.5 hours, add cream and cook until reduced.  Add remaining butter.

At the last moment another option is to add 1/4 lb sauteed finely chopped mushrooms. 

Amy's Cinnamon Bun Caramel Popcorn

https://ourbestbites.com/cinnamon-caramel-corn-with-pecans-white-chocolate-aka-cinnamon-bun-popcorn/

Description

A delicious twist on our regular caramel corn, this Cinnamon Bun popcorn embodies all that is heavenly about fall! When it bakes, the pecans get toasted and the creamy white chocolate just makes it food-gasmic.

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Ingredients

• 12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)*
• 1 C roughly chopped pecans
• 1 C brown sugar
• 3/4 t cinnamon
• 1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)
• 1 stick real butter (1/2 C)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 squares almond bark

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees
2. Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a very large bowl and set aside.
3. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a big, microwave-safe bowl. Like a 2-quart bowl or Pyrex measuring bowl. Use a bowl larger than you think you need.
4. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything.Microwave on high for 30 seconds (just to soften the butter a bit) and then stir to combine.Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.
5. Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. When combined, pour over popcorn and stir until it’s coated. Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.**(See baking note at end of post)
6. After 30 minutes, take a piece out and let it cool. “Sample.” If it’s not crunchy enough, bake for another 5 minutes. When it’s done, give it a final stir and let it cool off for a bit while you melt your almond bark (just nuke it in the microwave according to the package directions) If you want, you can spread out your caramel corn on a clean piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. I always do this because sometimes it sticks to the hot foil if I leave it on the original pan. Use a fork and drizzle the melted almond bark over the popcorn mixture.
7. When it’s hardened (pop it in the fridge to speed that process along) break into chunks and enjoy!

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Notes

IMPORTANT NOTE

• *You can use air popped or microwave popcorn. If using microwave, anything works, but I prefer a “natural” flavor that’s low in butter and salt.

GREAT TIP

• I’ve experimented a lot with baking, and found that baking at 300 degrees for about 13-15 minutes works just great as well. Much faster!

Royal Icing from Penny Knapik

Penny's Royal Icing

3/4 c warm water
5 Tbls. meringue powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract or almond extract
2 1/4 lbs powdered sugar
3 Tbls. corn syrup

In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and meringue powder.  Whisk for about 30 seconds.  Add the cream of tartar and whisk 30 seconds more.  Add flavors and whisk again.  Add powdered sugar and start mixer on low.  After one minute, add corn syrup and mix on low 4-5 minutes until icing is thick and creamy.  Tint with food coloring or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency. 

Icing tips:

Keep bowl covered with damp towel to prevent crusting.
Don't overmix when adding colors.
Let icing sit overnight for brighter colors. 
Icing can be stored in airtight containers for several weeks or can be frozen for several months.