Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
• 1 envelope Fleischmann’s RapidRise Yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter OR margarine

Directions

1. Combine 3/4 cup flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 degrees to 130 degrees F). Add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 1/4 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed. Stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough. Knead on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes.
2. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces; shape into balls. Place in greased 8-inch round pan. Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; brush with additional melted butter, if desired. Serve warm.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Shrimp Or Crabmeat
• 3 lg Eggs
• 1/2 c Bisquick
• 1 1/2 c Milk
• 1/4 ts Salt
• 2 c Grated Cheese
• 1 d Tabasco Sauce
• 1/2 c Melted Butter
• 1/2 c Combination Of Chopped:
• Green Bell Peppers
• Red Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Mushrooms
• Celery
• 1 10-1/2″ Pie Shell

Directions

1. Saute‚ peppers, onions, mushrooms and celery in the melted butter. Lightly beat eggs and combine with Bisquick, milk, salt, Tabasco sauce and cheese. Add shrimp or crabmeat to mixture along with vegetables.
2. Pour into a prepared pie shell and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 45 minutes.

A fabulous article on my friend Bryn Rawlyk and the Night Oven Bakery in The StarPhoenix

Bryn Rawlyk starts his day while the rest of the world is sleeping.

He arrives at the bakery by 3 a.m. to build a fire in the brick oven he painstakingly built over the course of seven months. While the fire is heating the oven to a toasty 900 degrees, he forms loaves and pastries for the day.

There’s a problem at the Night Oven Bakery this morning though, which he owns with his wife Beth Cote. After days of non-stop rain, the birch, delivered yesterday, is wet.

Loud indie rock plays in the background. It helps Rawlyk relax as he works to get the fire hot enough to bake the day’s four types of bread.

“Today might be a gong show,” he smiles wryly.

That’s just the way it can go with artisan bread. Everything from the weather to the way the loaves are shaped can affect the final product.

It’s a physically demanding job. Watching Rawlyk stoke the fire is enough to break out in a sweat.

“I like work. It’s engaging,” he says. “We’re not a wholesale bakery. We’re looking to connect customers with the process of bread. Part of that is the baker being engaged.”

A gauge beside the oven’s door tells Rawlyk each section’s temperature. He then moves the fire around to get a uniform heat. When the oven is ready, the top of the nine-foot dome turns white.

“You can’t just throw bread in and take it out. You have to do it in a spiral pattern when you’re loading the bread,” explains Rawlyk.

The process begins with the grain delivered by farmers to the Night Oven’s back door. Ancient heritage Red Fife wheat comes from Marc Loiselle, an organic farmer near Vonda.

Rawlyk is almost finished building a large stone mill for the wheat. For now, a smaller mill is used for the wheat and other grains (rye, barley, spelt, kamut).

The dough is fermented at least 12 hours, before Rawlyk hand shapes each loaf. He sticks to the most basic ingredients in his artisan bread.

“That’s my interpretation — if you’re not using things to condition the dough and you’re not using things to speed up the process — the bread comes out as the flour, water, salt and the environment will determine,” he explains.

In a society where goods are expected around the clock, artisan bread’s unpredictability puts some off. It’s a one-man show at the Night Oven. Rawlyk will hire help in the future so the bread will be ready when the doors open at 7:30 a.m. For now though, it’s just him.

“People get really angry when I don’t have bread on time,” he says with a chuckle.

But then there are the majority, who appreciate what he’s doing and are willing to wait until 9 a.m. for the first loaf.

Best bakery in Saskatoon.  If you haven’t visited, you are missing out.

Ingredients

• 1 c Warm milk
• 1 t Sugar
• 1 tb Yeast
• 1 c Flour
• 3/4 c Milk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 ts Salt
• 1/4 c Sugar
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1/2 c Butter melted and cooled
• 4 c Flour
• 1 c Cold butter
• 1 Egg, beaten with cold water

Directions

1. Stir warm milk and sugar together. Add yeast. Let stand 10 minutes. Stir well. Add flour; beat well.  Add milk, sugar and egg. Beat until smooth. Add butter; beat and set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the 4 cups of flour and the chilled butter. Cut butter into flour until pieces are the size of beans (not too small). Pour the liquid batter into the flour mixture; stir until moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove from refrigerator. Press into a compact ball on a floured board and divide into 4 parts. 
3. Roll each into a circle 12″ or 16". Cut each circle into 6 or 8 pie-shaped wedges. For each croissant roll a wedge towards the point. Shape into a crescent and place on ungreased baking sheet. Let rise at room temperature until doubled. (May take 2 hours or more). Brush each with egg beaten with cold water. 
4. Preheat oven to 400 F. Place croissants in oven. 
5. Lower temperature to 350 F and bake for 15 - 20 minutes until golden. 

Makes 24 - 32.

Ingredients

• 1 3 oz pkg cream cheese -- softened
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine -- softened
• 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 c chopped green onions with tops
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 loaf French bread -- sliced

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add cheese, onions and garlic salt; mix well. Spread on both sides of each slice of bread.  Wrap loaf in a large piece of heavy duty foil; seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium coals for 8-10 minutes, turning once. Unwrap foil; grill 5 minutes longer.

Ingredients

• 2 pkgs crescent rolls
• 2 8 oz pkgs. cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg yolk, save white

Directions

1. Line bottom of 9 x 13 inch pan by pressing together one package of crescent rolls.
2. Mix together, cream cheese, sugar, yolks, and vanilla. Spread over dough.
3. Top with remaining package of crescent rolls. Whisk egg whites and brush over the tops. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
4. Optional: when cool, top with sifted powdered sugar, powdered sugar glaze, or chocolate glaze, or fruit and whipped cream.

Ingredients

• 2 pk Active dry yeast
• 2 Or cakes compressed yeast
• 1/4 c Water; * see note
• 3/4 c Milk; scalded
• Sugar
• 2 ts Salt
• 1 1/3 c Butter or margarine; divided
• 1/2 ts Lemon extract
• 3 Eggs; beaten
• 4 1/2 c All-purpose flour
• 1 cn (20 ozs.) sliced apples
• 3 ts Cinnamon

Directions

1. Use very warm water (105` to 115`) for dry yeast; use lukewarm water (80` to 90`) for compressed yeast. Sprinkle dry yeast or crumbled cake into water. Let stand a few minutes, then stir until dissolved. Pour hot milk over 1/3 cup sugar, the salt and 1/3 cup butter. Cool to lukewarm. Add the yeast mixture. Stir in the lemon extract and eggs. Add the flour gradually.
2. Place the dough in a greased 9x13x2-inch pan. Chill for 1 to 2 hours. Turn the chilled dough out onto a floured surface. Roll into a rectangle 16x12-inches. Spread 1/3 cup butter or margarine over 2/3 of the dough. Fold the unspread portion of the dough over half the covered portion. Fold the 3rd section over the first 2.  Roll the dough to its original size, and repeat this process twice, using the remaining butter. Return the dough to the refrigerator, and chill overnight.
3. Next day, divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a rectangle 14x9-inches. Cut into strips 14x3/4-inches. Twist and form each strip into a spiral roll. Put a few drained apple slices in center of each. Sprinkle with the cinnamon mixed with 1/2 cup sugar. Cover. Let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk. Bake in preheated 375` oven for about 12 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen 

Ingredients

• ½ Olive oil, for muffin pan
• ½ All-purpose flour, for rolling
• 1 lb homemade or store-bought pizza dough, in 6 pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• shredded mozzarella (4 ounces)
• large tomato, coarsely chopped
• Desired toppings, such as cooked vegetables, pineapple and ham, or pepperoni

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly brush 6 standard muffin cups with oil. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough piece to a 6-inch round. Fill each cup with 1 round, gently pressing dough into bottom and sides of cup. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Sprinkle each dough cup with 1 tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Add desired toppings and another tablespoon each cheese and tomato. Bake until dough is golden brown and crisp, 12 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from cups.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2/3 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Melted Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg

Filling:

• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 3 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1 1/4 Cup Milk
• 1 Egg, -- Slightly Beaten
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 Medium Bananas, -- Cut into 1/4 Inch Slices

Glaze:

• 1 ounce Unsweetened Chocolate
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• Dash of Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
• 3 tablespoons Milk

Directions

1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 9 inch pie pan. Line bottom with waxed paper and grease again. In large bowl, blend on low speed, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, butter, vanilla and egg.
2. Blend until moistened. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour into pie pan.
3. Bake 20-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool 5 minutes. Invert on wire rack. Remove waxed paper. Cool completely.
5. Split horizontally, making 2 thin layers. Filling: in medium saucepan, mix together sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Boil 1 minute. Stir constantly. Blend 1/4 cup hot mixture into egg and egg mixture back into saucepan. Cook until mixture is bubbly. Stir constantly. Remove from heat.
6. Stir in butter and vanilla. Cool. Stir often. Spread half of filling on cut side of larger cake layer. Arrange banana slices on filling. Spread remaining filling on top. Top with cake layer, cut side down. Glaze: in small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter.
7. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar, dash of salt, almond extract and enough milk to make spreading consistency. Mix until smooth. Spread on top of cake, letting glaze drip down sides of cake. Refrigerate until serving time. Store in refrigerator.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 4 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup cold whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Brush on top

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 pinch salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine Bisquick and cold butter. Don't combine too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter about the size of peas.
3. Add cheddar, milk and 1/4 tsp garlic.
4. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
5. Drop 9 equal portions onto greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until tops are light brown.
7. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a bowl. Stir in 1/2 tsp garlic powder and parsley flakes.
8. Use a pastry brush to spread garlic butter over tops of biscuits.

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes; peeled/quartered
• 2 peck of dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine; melted
• 1/4 cup shortening; melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 eggs; beaten
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 6 1/2 cup all-purpose flour; about

Directions

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water to cover 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup water; set potatoes aside.
2. Cool water to 105 to 115 degrees. Stir yeast and sugar into water; let stand 5 minutes. Mash enough potatoes to measure 1 cup; place in a large mixing bowl. Add butter, shortening, honey, eggs, salt, yeast mixture, and 2-1/2 cups flour.
3. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer 2 minutes. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes).
4. Place in a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down, and divide into thirds. Shape each third into 15 balls.
5. Place in three greased 9-inch round cakepans. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 40 to 50 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Yield: 45 rolls.

NOTE: Potato Rolls may be wrapped in aluminum foil, then placed in a freezer bag, and frozen up to 2 months. To reheat, let thaw almost to room temperature, place in cake pans, cover with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Source: Southern Living

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

• 1/3 cup melted butter

• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)

• 1 egg, beaten

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• Pinch of salt

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.
• Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix.
• Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
• Bake for 1 hour.
• Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Ingredients

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 3 cups white sugar, divided
• 3 cups milk

Directions | Do not use metal containers or utensils.

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a 2 quart container glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture. Cover loosely and let stand until bubbly.

Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle.

1. Leave loosely covered at room temperature.
2. On days 2 thru 4; stir starter with a spoon.
3. Day 5; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
4. Days 6 thru 9; stir only.
5. Day 10; stir in 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk.
6. Remove 1 cup to make your first bread, give 2 cups to friends along with this recipe, and your favorite Amish Bread recipe.
7. Store the remaining 1 cup starter in a container in the refrigerator, or begin the 10 day process over again (beginning with step 2).
   

Once you have made the starter, you will consider it Day One, and thus ignore step 1 in this recipe and proceed with step 2. You can also freeze this starter in 1 cup measures for later use. Frozen starter will take at least 3 hours at room temperature to thaw before using.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of cold butter
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degees F. Put butter in food processor bowl. Add flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Process to coarse crumb consistency (about 12 seconds).
2. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together. Stir into flour and butter mixture just until dough comes together. (Do not over mix.) Place on to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until all flour is incorporated.
3. Roll dough out to 1-inch thickness. Cut into rounds with a glass. Press leftover dough together and roll until smooth; repeat cutting. Place on parchment paper on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 minutes.
   Turn pan 180 degrees. Bake another 8 minutes or until golden.

Makes 12 biscuits.

I have been working on the right pizza dough recipe for years and a couple of years ago I adapted a recipes from Better Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Cookbook that is for traditional white bread.  After tinkering with it for several months, the family declared that I had found the right combination.  

Ingredients

• 6-7 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 packages regular or quick-acting active dry yeast
• 2 1/4 cups very warm water (120 to 130 degrees F.)

Directions

1. Mix 3 1/2 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, shortening and yeast in a  large bowl.  Add warm water.  Beat on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently.  Stir in remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, making dough easy to handle.
2. Knead for 5 minutes. 
3. Place tablespoon of cooking oil in bottom of large bowl.  Place dough in and flip over.  Let rise for 1 hour.
4. After an hour, punch down, divide into three equal parts and roll out for pizza dough.
5. Dough will make three pizzas (depending on how thick you want your crust.
6. Sprinkle teaspoon of corn meal in on pizza pan before putting dough on pizza stone or pizza pan.
7. Place pizza sauce, desired toppings, and cheese.
8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. (and if using pizza stone, preheat stone)  Cook for 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness of dough and toppings.

Another great Yorkshire Pudding recipe from scratch that is a great addition to the holidays.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 2 egg
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons meat, drippings
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, leaves

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt and pepper, eggs and milk until you have a smooth batter.
2. Add rosemary and thyme leaves.
3. Allow mix to refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Preheat a non-stick muffin tin in oven for five minutes.
6. Add fat and heat until fat smokes.
7. Carefully ladle batter to fill each cavity half way.
8. Bake in oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until crisp and golden on top.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg (227 g) Imitation crab, chopped
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) seafood seasoning
• 1 pkg (220 g) corn muffin mix
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) creamed corn
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded mild or medium Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) diced tomato
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) milk
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) minced celery
• 1/4 cup (50 mL) sliced green onions

Sauce:

• ¾ cup (175 mL) sour cream
• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) seafood seasoning
• Hot pepper sauce, to taste (optional)

Directions

• Mix imitation crab and 1 tbsp seafood seasoning with all remaining ingredients.
• Generously grease 12-cup mini muffin pan. Fill each muffin cup with about 1-1/2 tbsp (22 mL) batter. Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Remove from muffin pan and cool on wire rack.
• For sauce, blend sour cream, seafood seasoning and hot pepper sauce, if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of refried beans
• 1//2 package of  cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1/2 plum tomato, seeded and chopped.
• 2 green onions thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro or parsley

Directions

1. In an 8 x 8 inch pan, lay the refried beans on the bottom.  In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and garlic.  Spread over refried beans.  Top with grated cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes (melt the cheese).  Remove from oven and top with tomato, onion, and cilantro.  Use as a dip with nachos and crackers.

Source: Tasty Treasures from the Beach

As many of you know, the Pillsbury Cook-Off is the mother of all cooking contests with over 4000 entrees.  The finalists have been posted and you can check out many of them here.

There are my personal favourites.

• Thai-Style Mexican Chicken Wraps

• Chili-Cheese Dog Pizza

• Blue Cheesy Prosciutto Appetizer Pizza

• Breakfast Quiches to Go

• Jalapeño Popper Cups

• Tomato-Basil Eggs Alfredo in Bread Baskets

Here is the million dollar winner.