Feather-Light Overnight Rolls

This is the best recipe to make if you don't have a stand-up mixer like a Bosch or a Kitchen Aid because it doesn't need to be kneaded!  The rolls are super light and fluffy; the best I've had.  I have also frozen the rolls prior to rising and baking and that works pretty good too.  FYI: this is a huge recipe!  It makes 6 dozen rolls.  So if you don't have a lot of cookie sheets and cooling racks, then I'd definitely half the recipe.

Feather-Light Overnight Rolls:

1 c. water

1 c. butter (2 sticks)

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 c. cold water

2 tbs. yeast

1/2 c. warm water 

4 eggs, beaten

7 1/2 c. flour

In a large saucepan bring 1 cup water to a boil.  Add the 1 cup butter, sugar, and salt.  Remove from heat.  Add the 1 cup cold water.  Separately, dissolve 2 tbs. yeast in 1/2 c. warm water.  When the first mixture is lukewarm, add yeast mixture and beaten eggs.  Stir briefly.  Add flour and stir together.  THIS WILL BE A REALLY WET DOUGH!  Resist the urge to add more flour.  Cover the pan with a lid and refrigerate overnight.

Divide dough into six equal parts.  Lightly flour surface and roll out each portion into a large circle about 1/2" thick and 12" in diameter. Spread melted butter over the dough.  Cut the dough into 12 wedges with a pizza cutter by first cutting the dough into 4 pie pieces and then cutting each 1/4 into 3 more pie pieces.  Roll up each pie piece starting with the wide end to form a crescent roll.  Tuck the end underneath the roll and place on a greased cookie sheet. 

Let rise about 3-4 hours (like while you are gone to church is the perfect time, especially because there are not little bodies around to get into them while they raise).  Bake at 400 degrees about 8-10 minutes.  

Note: These rolls will rise a lot!  So don't cut out the initial roll very big or you'll have footballs for rolls by the time you are done.  Also, I have made these plenty of times when I only put the dough in the fridge for an hour instead of overnight.  That works too.

 Roll each portion into a circle about 12" in diameter.

Next, cut the circle into 12 equal pieces by first cutting the circle into 4 and then cutting each quarter into three pieces.
Roll up each piece starting with the fat side and then place them onto a greased cookie sheet with the "tail" tucked underneath.  This forms a crescent shaped roll as seen in the pic below.
 Cover and let rise about 4 hours or so depending on how warm your house is.  The picture below is of them risen.  Bake at 400 about 7-10 minutes.  Watch them closely.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

Cinnamon Roll Cake

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 c. melted butter

topping:

1/2 cup softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. flour

1 Tbs. cinnamon

glaze:

2 cips powdered sugar

5 Tbs. milk

1 Tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1.  Mix flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla together.  

2.  Stir in melted vanilla, slowly.  Pour into greased 9"x13" pan.  

3.  Mix topping ingredients all together.  Drop over cake mixture evenly.

4. Swirl your topping and cake mixture with a knife going up and down the length of the pan.  

5. Bakre at 350 dergrees 28-32 minutes.

6.  Drizzle with glaze while the cake is still warm. ENJOY!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

When I make Chicken Noodle Soup I don't follow any kind of recipe, except for the noodle making part.  But if I had to write something down, this would be closest to it.  You will notice in my picture that I didn't have any celery on hand . . . oops! Oh well, I had already started to make it before I realized this fact.

Chicken Noodle Soup

*About 8 cups water

*chicken bouillon (1 tsp for every cup of water you use)
*2 c. chopped carrots  

*2 c. chopped celery 

*2-3 small potatoes, cut into small bite-sized pieces

*3/4 c. onion

*garlic clove, minced

*2 c. cooked and cut chicken
 * uncooked noodles (see recipe below)

*can cream of chicken soup

Boil potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, noodles, and garlic in about 8 cups or more water flavored with bouillon.  When everything is done (about 10-12 minutes), add cream of chicken soup and cooked chicken.  Add salt and pepper, garlic salt, or more bouillon depending on taste preferences.  

Noodles

1 egg, beaten    2 Tbs. milk
½ tsp. salt         1 c. flour

**Mix all together, use your hands if needed.  Turn out onto well-floured surface and roll thin.  Cut with pizza cutter into thin noodles.  Drop into boiling water. It takes about as long to cook them as it does to cook the vegetables, so add everything around the same time.  MY BOYS LOVE NOODLES, I usually triple the recipe!

Note: Sometimes when I am in a hurry, I cheat and use the premade noodles from Costco.  They are not as good, but they work.  If I do use these, they take longer to cook so I add them to my bouillon and water very first thing and they get a head start on cooking while I cut up the vegetables.  They take about 18-20 minutes to cook and the carrots, potatoes, celery etc. will take about 12 minutes.  

--Ways to cook your chicken:  I use my own bottled chicken which is super convenient, but you can also boil your chicken in chicken bouillon, water, and garlic for about 20 minutes and then shred it.  What's even better is to cook chicken in your crock-pot all day with water, bouillon, and garlic on low about 6-8 hours.  This is the tastiest and most tender way.  

Popeye Pancakes

This recipe has many names, puffed pancakes: German pancakes, baked pancakes.  In my family wee call them popeye pancakes.  

Popeye Pancakes

1 c. flour

1 c. milk

6 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cube butter

Melt butter and pour into a 9"x13" glass pan.  In a blender, blend flour, milk, eggs, vanilla, and salt and pout into the pan with the melted butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  

Whole Wheat Muffins

Despite the fact that these are whole wheat, they are not the healthiest food.  But  they are yummy.

Whole Wheat Muffins:

1 cube butter, melted

1 egg

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. brown sugar (firmly packed)

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. soda

1 c. milk

Mix liquid ingredients first, then add dry ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  

Bread Soup Bowls

Bread Soup Bowls

1 c. warm water

1 c. warm milk

3 tbs. yeast

1/2 c. shortening

1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs

2 tsp. salt

6- 6 1/2 c. flour

Pour warm water and milk in a stand-up mixer.  Sprinkle the yeast over top, and the sugar over top of that.  Mix it for a second so the yeast gets wet and can start to activate.  Add the other ingredients and 3 cups of the flour.  Let mix until smooth.  Then slowly add the rest of the flour until a nice soft dough that is not overly sticky to the touch if formed.  Let knead for at least 5 minutes.  Cut dough into 10 equal pieces and form like large round rolls.  Place on two different greased cookie sheets.  Let rise until double.  Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes.  

I know the dough has enough flour when the sides of the mixer are clean.  As the dough mixes, add a little flour at a time until the sides of the bowl are scraped clean by the dough as it mixes.  

Form dough into 10 large round rolls.  Place on greased cookie sheet with plenty of space between them.  Obviously, you will need 2 cookie sheets. 

Cover and let rise until double in size.

  

Bake at 350 about 20-25 minutes.  

Cut the top off each soup bowl and then carefully remove the inside of the bowl.  Save it to eat with butter or jam on the side.

Basic Granola

I like this granola because it can be as simple or etravagant as you want it to be.  Most often, I don't have nuts, dried fruit, m&m's, flax seed, and all that fun stuff on hand to throw in.  But that's ok, it doesn't stop me from making granola.  And if I do have something to add, well then I can do that too. This is also a good cold cereal alternative.

Basic Granola

3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats

3 Tbs. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1.  Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together oats, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.

2.  In another bowl, stir together honey, canola oil and vanilla.  Dump this over the oat mixture and combine everything thouroughly.  Get your hands in it to mix everything well, and to coat the oats evenly with the honey mixture.  

3.Spread the mixture in a thin, even layer on a baking sheet and place on the center rack of the oven.  Bake, stirring after 15 minute, until the granola is a very light golden brown.  It will take 20-30 minutes depending on your desired "toastiness".  

4.  Cool the granola completely, stirring it around so it doesn't stick together.  (It hardens as it cools.)

5.  Mix in nuts, fruits, or whatever is desired (or nothing at all).