Bacon Wrapped Dates

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Ingredients:

1 cup cold buttermilk ( place in freezer for 10-15 minutes) I made the buttermilk with whole milk  and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

1 stick butter melted. Allow to cool slightly.

2 cups White Lily flour (I will try with King Arthur but biscuit do best with low protein flour or so I am told)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt.

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. Chill buttermilk in freezer for 10-15 minutes
3. Mix with melted butter. (combination will look like runny cottage cheese)
4. Mix dry ingredients and create a well for liquid ingredients.
5. Pour in liquid ingredients and mix about fourteen times with a spoon until combined.
6. Spread on light dusting of flour and kneed about four times.
7. Flatten dough with palm. 
8. Cut out biscuits with edge of glass or whatever you have.
9. Cook for 10-15 minutes. (For my oven, ten minutes was enough).
10. Enjoy incredibly delicious biscuits—made in a flash and eaten as fast!

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

2 envelopes active dry yeast

11/2 cups very warm water

3/4 cups milk

1/1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, margarine or vegetable shortening

1/3 cup molasses 

3 1/2 cups unsifted whole wheat flour

3 1/2-4 cups sifted all purpose flour

1. Sprinkle yeast over very warm water in a large bowl. Stir in 1/8 cup of the sugar. Put it in a warm oven (turned off) for ten minutes. Make sure it expands!
2. Heat milk remaining sugar, salt and butter. Stir until sugar dissolves and butter melts. Blend in molasses and then cool until warm. Mix cooled milk mixture into yeast. (I keep things quite warm, so I don’t cool the mixture too much—just so I can comfortably put my clean finger into it without discomfort)
3. Add 2 cups whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose flour to yeast mixture and beat hard until smooth. Mix in remaining whole wheat and enough all purpose flour to make a soft dough. You may need to knead in the final cup of flour. Knead dough hard on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until satiny and elastic. I  often knead 12-15 minutes to get the feel I want). See youtube for great videos on how to knead dough. This is the zen part.
4. Place dough in a greased bowl. Turn greased side up. Let rise until Double in bulk, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. (I put the bowl in a warm oven away from drafts. I cover it with a warm damp towel. It doesn’t always double in bulk because whole wheat flour is heavy.)
5. Punch dough down—one of the fun parts. Divide the dough into two round mounds Let it rest for ten minutes with the bowl over it to keep out drafts. Then roll or press each mound into a rectangle. Roll it up and tuck the ends under to make a loaf. Press it into a greased bread pan. Cover the pans and let the dough rise until almost double—another hour or so. I put the the pans back in a warm oven and cover with another damp cloth. To get a warm oven I turn the oven on to 250 or so leave it for a few minutes and turn it off. It should feel like a place you might want to curl up for a while. Dough loves warm and cozy. It hates drafts And bread requires it be made with love. My bread anyway.

If you love chocolate, pecans and cake, this is the recipe for you. Even if you’re not sure you love all those things this magnificent cake will convince you.

Servings: 10-12

Difficulty: Moderate. This is more time consuming than difficult but worth the effort.

Cake Ingredients

1 stick margarine (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 squares unsweetened chocolate or 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 cup water

2 cups unsifted all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup sour milk (place 11/2 teaspoon vinegar in 1/2 measuring cup. Fill with milk)

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
2. Combine margarine, oil, chocolate and water in a saucepan and heat until chocolate is melted.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl
4. Combine both mixtures.
5. Pour batter into a greased 12 by 18 inch pan or two greased and floured round cake pans.
6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until done.
7. Five minutes before cake is done, make frosting. (I usually start the frosting when I pull the cake out of the oven. I like to use the cake rounds even though it makes the cake a little trickier to frost.

Icing Ingredients

1 stick margarine (1/2 cup)

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

6 tablespoons milk

1 package confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Combine margarine, chocolate and milk in saucepan and heat until bubbles form around edge.
2. Remove from heart.
3. Add confectioner’s sugar, vanilla and pecans.
4. Beat.
5. Ice cake while still warm. (Pan cake can be iced immediately. Cake rounds will need ten minutes so they slip out easily from the pans.)

From Sara (internet) and Ellen Albanese

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:

1¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

⅓ cup sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

cooking spray

For the filling:

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

⅔ cup key lime juice (regular lime juice can also be used)

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup sugar (Ellen uses 1/8 cup to make the flavor a little more tart)

For the topping:

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

lime slices for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8"x8" pan with foil and coat the foil with cooking spray.

Place the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl and mix until well combined.

Firmly press the graham cracker mixture into an even layer in the bottom of the pan.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, prepare the filling.

Beat the egg yolks with a mixer until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the condensed milk, continuing to beat the mixture. Add the lime juice, lime zest and sugar, then beat until completely smooth.

Pour the filling over the crust.

Bake for 15 minutes or until filling is just set.

Cool the bars completely then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.

Prior to serving, cut the bars into 9 equal pieces and prepare the whipped cream topping.

Place the heavy cream in a bowl and beat with a mixture until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sugar.

Place the whipped cream inside a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe rosettes of whipped cream onto the bars.

Top with lime slices and serve.

The Perfect Last Hurrah for Summer

(from Ellen Albanese)

Makes 6 drinks

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1-1/2 cups chopped hulled strawberries

6 thin lemon slices (pick out seeds after slicing)

Ice cubes

1 750-ml bottle chilled Prosecco

Make simple syrup: Stir sugar and water in heavy small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and bring to boil. Cool syrup.

Divide strawberries among six 6- to 8-ounce glasses; add 1/2 tablespoon syrup to each and mash with muddler or handle of wooden spoon. Add lemon slice to each and mash to release flavor. Add several ice cubes to each glass, then fill with Prosecco. 

Can also use sparkling water instead of Prosecco to make a non-alcoholic version.

Adapted from the Rustic Canyon restaurant in Santa Monica, California.

INGREDIENTS

4 ounces ( )

Sour cream

8 ounces

Cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon

Italian seasoning

4 ounces

Pizza sauce

2 ounces

Sliced pepperoni, chopped1/4 cup

Green onions, sliced

2 ounces

Land O Lakes® Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Crisp breadsticks or large corn chips

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Beat sour cream, cream cheese and I

talian seasoning in small bowl until smooth.

2 Spread sour cream mixture in shallow 9-inch quiche dish 

or 9-inch pie plate. Spread with pizza sauce. 

Top with pepperoni and green onions.

3 Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until heated through. 

Top with cheese. Continue baking for 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with breadsticks.

NUTRITION FACTS ()

Calories

130

Cholesterol

30 mg

Carbohydrates

3 g

Protein

4 g

Ingredients:

Cake:  

1 box chocolate cake mix 

1 box fudge brownie mix 

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups water  

1 cup oil 

Ganache:  

1 cup heavy whipping cream

I bag (12 oz) semi sweet chocolate morsels  

Instructions:  

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare bunt pan with bakers spray or use the butter/flour method.  
2. Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl and whisk for 2 mintues or until lumps are mostly gone.   
3. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-55 minutes. 
4. When done baking, remove cake and allow to cool in pan for up to five  minutes.
5. Carefully turn cake out onto a cooling rack and cool for 30 minutes more.  

 For Ganache       

1. Place heavy whipping cream in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for about 2 minutes. You want the cream to be just boiling.  
2. Carefully pour chocolate morsels into cream. It may rise up and bubble and this is OK.   
3. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute.  
4. Pour over cooled cake and serve.  

This cake looks just like the picture and tastes as good as it looks.

This is the best granola you will ever make or ever want to eat. It’s from the internet, and while I’ve played with the ingredients, the original recipe is still the best. Give some away and you’ll have friends for life.

Servings: 30 

Difficulty: Easy to moderate (lots of nut chopping and a little judgment     about when the granola is done but not too done)

Ingredients:  

1. 8 cups rolled oats
2. 1 1/2 cups wheat germ
3. 1 1/2 cups oat bran
4. 1 cup sunflower seeds
5. 1 cup finely chopped almonds
6. 1 cup finely chopped pecans
7. 1 cup finely chopped walnuts
8. 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 cup brown sugar
10. 1/4 cup maple syrup
11. 3/4 cups honey
12. 1 cup vegetable oil
13. 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
14. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
15. 2 cups raisins or sweetened dried cranberries

Instructions:   

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with    parchment or aluminum foil.
2. Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds  pecans and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Then pour over the dry ingredients and stir to coat. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheets.
3. Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through. (This is important to keep edges from getting overcooked.) Cool. Then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.

What you'll need:

2 cups plain flour

2 1/2 cups milk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 pinch salt

Canola oil or butter for frying

Toppings;

Set aside some honey, butter and sugar to serve

How to make it:

Beat or whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Heat a frying pan and drop a little bit of butter to fry the malawa or use cooking oil.

Ladle some batter into the pan and seirl the pan to make a thin layer.

Fry for about a minute on each side until slightly golden.

Serve immediately by spreading melted butter and honey on top or sprinkling with some sugar.