Miniature Cookie Houses
Ingredients & Directions -FOR COOKIE HOUSE- 4 1/2 c Flour (may need up to 5) 2 ts Baking powder 1/2 ts Salt 1 c Margarine; room temperature 2 c Sugar 2 ea Eggs 2 tb Milk 2 ts Vanilla extract Egg wash FOR DECORATING #5,#7 round and #27 star tip Three decorating bags Decorating icing Colored sugar Assorted candies Decorating bag with coupler Make the cookie dough: Stir or whisk together 4 1/2 cups of the flour, the baking powder and salt; set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light; add the eggs, milk, and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the dry ingredients and blend to form a smooth ball of dough. If the dough is sticky, add just enough of the remaining flour to eliminate the stickiness. The dough should not be dry. Divide the dough in half, wrap each ball in plastic and refrigerate for several hours, or until firm enough to roll. Meanwhile, cut cardboard templates for the base and the three parts of the cookie house. The dimensions are as follows: THE BASE: is a circle 6″ across (cut 1) THE SIDE: is a rectangle 2 3/8″ x 3 1/2″ (cut 2) THE FRONT/BACK: is funny shaped. It’s 3″ wide and 4 1/4″ tall (total height). From the bottom to the beginning of the “roof” section is 2 3/8″. At 2 3/8″ cut up to form the “roof” top like an upside down “V” (cut 2). Finally cut the ROOF: it’s a rectangle 2 3/4″ x 4 1/4″. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a flour-dusted cookie sheet or the back of one jelly roll pan, roll out one ball of dough to 1/8″-1/4″ thick. For each house cut one base, two sides, two front/back pieces, and two roof pieces. Lay out the cardboard patterns on the dough, leaving 1 1/2″ between them. The layout will depend on the size of your cookie sheet and how many houses you are making. Use a sharp knife to cut around each template, removing excess dough as you cut. Wipe the knife frequently. Repeat the rolling and cutting process to make the remaining pieces. If you want some small trees in front of your house, make them using a cookie cutter. Bake both sheets of cookies at the same time, for 10-15 minutes reemoving pieces when they are done (preferable to overbake than underbake since we need firm cookies). The cookies may brown, but this is O.K. Transfer immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate the pieces before assembling the houses. You can do this many ways. Mostly use your imagination. Frost or pipe/apply candies to the “wet” icing. To “sugar-coat” areas, brush on egg-wash (being careful not to touch any piping or decorations); then sprinkle immediately with colored sugar. Tap gently to shake off excess sugar. Set aside to dry for half an hour. Next to assemble houses. Use the #7 icing tip . Pipe a thick line of icing along edges to be put together and “glue” the houses together and on the base. Make sure to do one area at a time and hold until icing sets. Let all set for a few minutes. When icing is firm, do any finishing touches. MAKES THREE COOKIE HOUSES WITH BASES The Christmas Kitchen by Lorraine Bodger Yields 1 Servings
Greek Christmas Bread
Ingredients & Directions 1 pk (or 1 tablespoon) Active Dry -Yeast 1/4 c Warm Water (110 to 115 -degrees) 1/3 c Sugar 1 ts Ground Cardamom 1/4 ts Salt 1 Egg 1/4 c Milk 1/4 c Vegetable Oil 1 1/2 c Whole Wheat Flour 1 c All-Purpose Flour 1/4 c Golden Raisins 1/4 c Walnuts, chopped Keywords: Ovo-Lacto Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Combine the sugar, cardamom, salt, egg, milk and oil in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the yeast mixture, flours, raisins and nuts. Mix well. Add enough extra flour to make soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a round loaf. Put the dough into a lightly-oiled 8-inch-round cake pan. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Bake in a 350-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until brown. Serves 15 One Serving = Calories: 147 Carbohydrates: 22 Protein: 4 Fat: 6 Sodium: 40 Potassium: 101 Cholesterol: 18 Exchange Value: 1 Bread Exchange + 1/2 Fruit Exchange + 1 Fat Exchange Yields 15 Servings
Strawberry Nut Bread
Ingredients & Directions 4 md Eggs 2 c Sugar 1 c Cooking Oil 2 pk Frozen Strawberries; 10 -ounce 3 c Flour 1 ts Cinnamon 1 ts Baking Soda 1 ts Salt 1 c Chopped Nuts Beat eggs until fluffy; add sugar, oil and thawed strawberries. Combine flour, cinnamon, soda and salt; sift together. Add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in nuts. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes For that little extra, serve with strawberry butter: Mix 2 sticks margarine or butter with 1/2 cup strawberry jam; blend well. A Taste Of The Holidays, compiled by Dot Gibson, 1988 ISBN: 0-941162-07-9 Recipes for that special time of the year. Cakes, cookies and specialties that will become family holiday traditions. Every recipe perfect for a gift for cherished friends or for your own very special family. Shared by Karen Coe, Kentucky ayla@duo-county.com 11-09-1997 Yields 18 Servings
Fudge Crunchies
Ingredients & Directions 1 c Corn flakes 1 c Rice Krispies 1 c Cheerios 3 tb Cocoa 285 g Marshmallows 450 g Caramels 1/2 c Milk 2 tb Butter or margarine In top of a double boiler, combine milk and cocoa. Add marshmallows and cook until melted. Add caramels and butter, cook until caramels are melted. In a large mixing bowl, blend together, corn flakes, rice krispies and oat cereal. Mix the cereal and caramel mixture together. Pour into a buttered 16 x 12 x 2 inch pan. Chill overnight. Cut into squares. Author says kid will love this one! Yields 1 Servings
Mandel Bread
Ingredients & Directions 3 Eggs 3/4 c Oil 2 tb Potato starch 3/4 c Finely chopped nuts 2 tb Matzo meal 3/4 c Sugar 1/2 ts Salt 1 ts Cinnamon 3/4 c Cake meal Sift potato starch, cake meal, matzo meal, salt and cinnamon together. Beat eggs and sugar together. Add oil, beating well. Add sifted dry ingredients and nuts and blend well. Refrigerate for a while. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Shape dough on sheet into 3 x 1 inch rolls. Bake at 350 F. for 30 min., or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Slice rolls and place, cut side up, on cookie sheet. Return to hot oven after turning heat opff. Let stand in oven until lightly browned and crisp. One tablespoon lemon or orange rind may be added instead of cinnamon. Yields 1 servings
Pita Bread (large Quantity)
Ingredients & Directions 8 oz Active dry yeast; ( 220 gm ) — you also could use fresh 1 qt Water; (1 L) 8 oz Sugar; ( 240 gm ) 6 oz Salt; ( 170 gm ) 3 oz Malt syrup; 0ptional (90 gm) 1 1/4 ga Water ; (4 1/2 L) 22 lb Bread flour; ( 10 kg ) 1/2 oz Commercial dough -conditioner; optional (15 -gm) -conditioner; optional -(15 gm) -conditioner; -optional (15 gm) 4 oz Shortening; optional (120 -gm) (about 124, 4 0z units ) Dissolve yeast in water and set aside to proof( foam ) Dissolve sugar, salt, malt in water.Add the flour to it and stir well. add the dissolved yeast and mix well to form a dough. Add the shortening and mix well and let rise until light. Punch down and let rest 20 minutes before shaping. Scale ( weigh out ) into units( pieces )of 4 0z balls and let rest 15 minutes. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness or slightly thicker circle. Place on sheet pans or peels dusted with cornmeal. let proof ( rise ) 3/4 in volume.Do not dock ( prick ). they will become puffy related to the fermentation when they are baked as the moisture is released. Bake in an oven or hearth on peels or baking sheets 460 degrees ( 237 to 240 C ) about 6 minutes. Units will be pale but done. They will collapse partially when cool. However when baked properly the pita will have an open pocket of dough. Note: Typically in the Mid East a 10 to 11% protein flour is used. If you use a stronger flour ( more gluten/protein ) your water amount will be variable. Note2: make sure your water temp is about 80 degree fareheit to maintain proper dough temperature Note 3: shortening is only added as a lubricant to the dough but it does help condition the dough Note4: if you plan to go commercial may I suggest you use dough conditioner to inhibit mold and increase shelf life. I dont know how you plan to use the 1000 pitas!! But good luck and glad I could help somehow!! Joan,”Flour Power” Yields 1 Servings
Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake
Ingredients & Directions 75 g Unsalted butter 175 g Amaretti biscuits; (almond -macaroons) 400 g Mascarpone cheese Grated zest of 3 unwaxed -lemons And juice of 1 lemon 100 g Caster sugar 2 Eggs; separated 30 ml Cornflour 1 Pinches salt Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4. Grease a deep 20cm (8″) loose-bottomed cake tin. Melt the butter. Crush the Amaretti biscuits, then mix the crumbs with the melted butter. Put the mixture in the bottom of the prepared tin. Put the cheese, lemon zest and juice, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix together. Sprinkle the cornflour over the top and fold in. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff. Fold into the cheese mixture, then spread the mixture into the cake tin and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin. Yields 8 servings
