Flour Tortillas

-Heather Jordan

2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. very hot water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 c. shortening

In a heavy-duty mixer, combine flour and salt. Add in shortening and mix until well combined (it will resemble coarse bread crumbs). Add hot water. The water hotness is the key to these being easy to make–it needs to be hot enough to melt the shortening, but not SO hot that the dough turns into an ooey-gooey mess. Or a hot mess (literally), as Mia Michaels might say. I usually get relatively warm water from my tap and then heat it for 45-60 seconds in the microwave.

Anyway, after you add the water, the dough will start to come together. When it is fully combined, remove from mixer and divide into portions. Now…the recipe yield really depends on how many tortillas you want. If you want small tortillas (like for fajitas), then you’ll probably get around 10-12. If you want medium tortillas (burritos), then you’ll probably get 8 or so. For large tortillas (like for salad wraps), you’ll get around 6. Shape portions into round balls.

Preheat a non-stick or cast-iron skillet to medium-low heat. If necessary, spray your work surface with non-stick cooking spray; you may not need to because the dough isn’t particularly sticky, but it may be and you also don’t want to add any more flour to your dough. Press your palm against the surface of the dough ball, trying to maintain as much of a round shape as possible. Place rolling pin in middle of flattened dough ball and roll to desired thickness, shaping in a circle as you go.

Place raw tortilla on preheated skillet. Now…be forewarned–the first one may not work out great; it’s like the first pancake or the oldest child (TOTALLY kidding, oldest sister and oldest child!) You’re going to be watching for bubbles. If you get little blistery bubbles, your skillet is too hot and you need to reduce the heat. You’re looking for big, fat, slow-bubbling bubbles.

When you start to see them, flip the tortilla over and cook for another 30-45 seconds or so.

This is where some personal taste comes in, but in my experience, dark marks on your tortillas (like you see on store-bought ones) usually lead to brittle tortillas when they cool down. Personally, I’m keeping my eye out for a kind of “greasy” look inside; I know that sounds gross, but that’s the best way I can think of to describe it. These ones are cooked enough to not taste raw, but they’re also very soft when they cool and they hold up to being wrapped, folded, twisted, and turned.

If you’re cooking these quickly, you can just stack them on top of each other and they’ll stay warm. You can also wrap them in damp paper towels and then wrap them in foil and keep them in a warm oven (170) until you’re ready to use them. But be sure and save one just for you–you have to eat it while it’s still hot and you can spread some butter on it or butter with cinnamon sugar or just eat it plain and BLESS the wonder that is real Mexican food!

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

-Heather Jordan

Sweet Roll Dough:

1 pkg active dry yeast (1 scant T)
1/2 C warm water
1/2 C lukewarm milk, scalded then cooled
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C shortening
1 t salt
2 eggs
3 1/2-4 C flour

Cinnamon mixture:

soft butter
1/2 C sugar
4 t cinnamon

Creamy Glaze:

Beat 1 1/2 C powdered sugar, 2 T butter (softened), 1 1/2 t vanilla and 4-6 t hot water until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Directions:

Scald milk about 20 minutes before starting so that it has time to cool. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, shortening, salt, eggs and 2 C of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough more solid. Place all remaining flour in a mound on the counter and place dough over it. Knead in all flour until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in a greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 2 hours. Punch down dough. Cover with inverted bowl; let rest 15-20 minutes. Shape into rolls.

Shaping:

Take dough and split into 2 even balls. Roll each dough ball flat into about a 9x15 in rectangle. Make sure dough is even in thickness. Spread softened butter in a thinish layer over the rolled out dough. Then sprinkle evenly with cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough from the long side all the way across. Pinch closed. Cut into 9 rolls. Place in a greased 9x9 pan. Repeat with other dough ball.

Let rolls rise 40 minutes. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes covering with foil after about 10 minutes. When done let cool and mix up creamy glaze. Drizzle over the top of all 18 rolls.

Italian Bread

-Krista Pendleton

1 1/2 c. warm water
1 TB yeast
2 TB sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
EITHER:
2 tsp. rosemary
1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. crushed thyme
OR:
1 1/2 TB basil
1 TB oregano
Mix ingredients in mixer until smooth. Raise 1 1/2 hours or until double. Punch down (spray hand with Pam - dough is sticky). Form into either 1 large or 2 small balls and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Let raise another 1/2 hour. Bake at 375 for 20 min. Remove from oven and brush tops with olive oil. Can be served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Easy Breadsticks

-Heather Jordan

1 T yeast dissolved in 1 1/2 C warm water
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
3 C flour
1/4-1/2 C butter

Mix and knead on a floured table top for 3 minutes. Let rise for about 10 minutes. Melt butter in a 9x13 inch pan. Roll out dough. Cut into strips. Twist strips and place in butter. Sprinkle with flavoring (garlic, parmesan cheese, etc...) Let rise. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Baking Powder Buscuits

-Heather Jordan

2 C flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 to 1/2 t salt
1/3 C shortening
3/4 C milk

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the milk all at once. Using a fork, stir just till moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Quickly knead dough by gently folding and pressing dough 10 -12 strokes or till nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough with a floured biscuit cutter. Place biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or till golden. Remove biscuits from baking sheet and serve hot.

Zucchini Bread

-Heather Jordan

2 C sugar
3 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla
3 eggs
2 C zucchini, shredded
1 C oil
1/4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t cinnamon

Beat eggs, sugar and oil. Then add dry ingredients. Add zucchini last. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Pour mixture into pans. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until tooth pick inserted into center comes out clean.

Mom's brown & serve Potato Rolls

-Heather Jordan

1 T yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
1 C unseasoned mashed potatoes
2/3 C sugar
2/3 C shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 t salt
6-7 C flour

Desolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in potatoes, sugar, shortening, eggs, salt and 3 C of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to Make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic. About 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl. Turn greased side up. Cover bowl tightly. Refrigerate at least 8 hours. Punch down. Roll into small balls. Grease cups in a muffin tin. Place 3 dough balls into each muffin cup. Let rise 45 minutes-1 hour. Heat oven 275. Bake 20 minutes.

(At this point you can place desired amout of rolls in a freezer bag and freeze. They are great freezer rolls. When ready to eat. Pull out of freezer 1 hour before baking. Then follow directions below.)

When ready to serve: Bake 400 until brown. About 8-12 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

-Heather Jordan

3 1/2 C flour
3 C sugar
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 C oil
3/4 C water
2 C canned pumpkin
4 eggs
6 oz chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients. Mix oil, water, eggs, and pumpkin. Add to dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Put into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

**Same recipe makes 6-9 mini loaf pans. Bake 45 minutes.

Banana Nut Bread

-Heather Jordan

1/2 C oil
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1/4 C nuts (optional)
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 large bananas

Crush bananas first and let set. Cream oil, sugar, and eggs. Add flour, soda, salt and nuts. Then add bananas. Pour into large greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

**You can double the recipe and make 2 loaves with the same amount of bananas.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

-Heather Jordan

3 C flour
1 T plus 2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 t baking soda
1 1/2 t salt
3 C sugar
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
4 eggs
1 C vegetable oil
1/2 C orange juice or water
1 C sweetened dried, fresh or frozen cranberries

Grease and flour 2 9x5 inch loaf pans. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil and juice in large mixer bowl; beat just until blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into loaf pans. Bake 60-65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely.

French Bread

-Heather Jordan

1 T margarine
1 3/4 C warm water
5 C flour
1/4 C flour to sprinkle while kneading
2 T yeast
1 T salt
3 T sugar

Add margarine into the warm water and mix until dissolved. Mix all other ingredients. Add water and butter to the flour mixture. Knead 2-5 minutes. Let rest covered 20 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves and refrigerate 2 hours. Slash tops. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes cover with foil and bake another 15 minutes.

*Great dough for homemade pizza crust too. As soon as it is kneaded separate into 8-10 balls and roll flat to make mini pizza crusts. Top with sauce and desired toppings. Bake 425 for 15 minutes.

Jenna's Orange Rolls

-Nicole Bender

12 Rhodes Rolls, thawed but still cold
1 medium orange rind, grated
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Citrus Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 TBLS. butter, melted
3 TBLS. orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix grated orange rind with sugar. Roll each roll into a rope. Tie into a loose knot. Dip in butter and then roll in the sugar/rind mixture. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam. Cover with plastic wrap for about an hour or until doubled in size. Remove wrap and bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Remove from pan and brush with glaze while still warm.

Monkey Bread

-Heather Jordan

1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired
1/2 cup raisins, if desired
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted


Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan.
In large plastic food-storage bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan, adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.
Mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.


Icing:

Ingredients:
1/2 pound cream cheese
1/2 pound butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
1.Allow cream cheese and butter to get to room temperature.
2. Beat butter and cream cheese together in a large bowl with a mixer.
3. Slowly add in the pound of powdered sugar.
4. After all the powdered sugar is added mix for 12 minutes (do not mix less than that).
5. When almost done, add in the extract and lemon juice.

Sour Cream Rolls

-Lisa Pett

1 large carton of sour cream (2 cups)
1/4 cup shortening

Heat them together in a little pan, but don't boil.

Place in mixing bowl and stir in:

1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, well beaten

Directions:

Take 2 packages of dry, fast rising yeast and dissolve in 1 cup of luke warm water. Then mix with other ingredients in large bowl. Add 7 1/2 cups flour, and knead. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil and place a dishtowel over it. Place bowl and contents, well covered, in a refrigerator overnight (or in a cold oven for 3 hours) and until the dough has doubled in bulk. Make rolls and place in roll pans, cover with dishtowel and let raise for about 3-4 hours. ***However, I have made them and let it rise in a semi warm oven to go faster and it works just fine too.

Don't make them too small. If you fold them over, put a little butter between the folds. Bake 9-12 minutes, depending on oven, at 350 degrees. Bake until rolls are light brown--not dark brown.

**I cut the dough into 4 equal parts and then roll it out into a 16 inch circle. Then I use a pizza cutter to cut the circle into 16 even triangles. I roll them up like Crescent rolls and butter them with a melted butter and a pastry brush hot out of the oven.

This dough is an excellent base for cinnamon or orange rolls.