Craig's Monkey Bread

 Monkey Bread

2 large Pillsbury Biscuits (tube) Flaky variety (cut each biscuit in 4 pieces with scissors)

Put in a Ziploc bag and shake till coated with 1 cup sugar and 2 T. cinnamon.

Spray bundt pan, lay in

Melt 1 cup butter, add 1 cup brown sugar and 1 T cinnamon.  Drizzle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Surprise Fruit Cobbler

 Surprise Fruit Cobbler  - Jill Dorrough    (6 servings)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut up

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup milk

3 1/2 cups fresh or canned fruit, drained (see Variations)

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Ground cinnamon

Ice cream or whipped cream (optional)

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Melt the butter in a square baking pan in the oven.  Remove the pan from the oven.

3.  Stir the flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Stir in the milk. Gently pour the mixture evenly over the butter in the baking pan.  Do not stir.

4.  Place fruit of your choice evenly over the batter, top with the brown sugar, and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Bake until the cobber is well-browned and the fruit is cooked (if using raw fruit).  The baking time will vary depending on the fruit.  Start checking for doneness at 40 minutes.

Serve right out of the oven, plain or with ice cream or whipped cream, or my favorite way - with milk poured over it.

VARIATIONS:  Used sliced peaches or blueberries (or a combination), sliced apples, sliced pears, ora red cherries.

Potato, Onion, and Cheddar filling

 

Potato, Onion, and Cheddar filling - Make with Savory Crust 

By Natalie Bradley

1 large yellow onion

1 tablespoon butter

½ pound Cheddar cheese

½ pound yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into ⅛ inch slices

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

¾ cup heavy cream

1 egg yolk

1. Cut the onion in half and cut into ¼ inch half-moon slices
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. When it begins to sizzle, add half of the onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining onions and saute until softened, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook, stirring frequently and adding a few tablespoons of water if the pan begins to dry out, until the onion is brown and caramelized, 45-60 minutes. Spread the carmelized onion in the tart shell. Set aside
3. Preheat oven to 350
4. Cut the cheese into ⅛ inch slices, then cut at least 30 1-inch squares (I use a cookie cutter for that). Finely chop the remaining cheese and set aside.
5. Place the tart shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Add a single layer of potato slices over the onions and season with ¾ teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle the chopped scrapes of cheese evenly over the potatoes. Layer the remaining potato slices over the cheese and season with the remaining ¾ teaspoon salt.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and egg yolk. Carefully pour the cream mixture over the tart, letting the liquid sink into the gaps between the potato slices.
7. Layer the cheese slices over the top. Cover the surface but make sure there isn’t any cheese hanging over the edge.
8. Bake the tart on the rimmed baking sheet for 40-45 ,minutes until a knife inserted in the center indicates the potatoes are tender. Broil on high for 2 minutes to create a crisp, golden cheese crust.
9. Serve hot…but cold slices also make a delicious breakfast.

Oreo crust

   

    Natalie Bradley

24 Oreo cookies (I like to get the chocolate filled ones but you can play around with flavor here)

6  Tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted

¼  cup rainbow sprinkles (you can play with the colors)

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Put the Oreos in a food processor and blitz until the cookies are a sandy texture. Pour the melted butter and pulse until the mixture comes together like wet sand. Add the sprinkles and pulse 10 times to distribute but not obliterate.
3. Turn the mixture out into a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9 inch pie tin. Use your fingers to pack in the mixture tightly going up the sides, then use your palms to flatten the bottom. Make sure the edges and bottom are even in thickness. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter drips.
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the crust is no longer shiny with butter. It will continue to crisp as it cools.
5. Keep the tart shell in the pan, cool completely.

Ideas to fill the oreo crust- ice cream, peanut butter mousse, any pudding

 

Herbed Tart Pastry Shell

 

 Natalie Bradley

1 ½ cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling out the dough

5 small fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons finely chopped green onions

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg

2 tablespoons of milk

1. Put flour, herbs, and salt into a food processor and pulse 5 times. Sprinkle the butter cubes on top and pulse 15 times to break up the butter. Add the egg and milk and pulse 25 times until the dough comes together.
2. Turn the mixture onto your work surface and Press it into a flattened disk with your hands. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes- overnight is ideal.
3. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Carefully roll dough onto your rolling pin and gently unfurl it over a 9 inch tart pan. Gently ease the dough into the pan and don’t stretch it to fit, this can cause it to shrink when baking.
4. Trim the end of the dough leaving an ½ inch overhang. Fold the dough overhang back into the pan and press to adhere to the dough. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
5. While the shell is in the freezer preheat the oven to 350
6. Line the frozen shell tightly with foil, fill with baking weights all the way to the top. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any butter drips that occur during baking.
7. To partially bake the crust- bake shell with weights for 22-25 minutes until the foil no longer sticks to the dough, remove the foil and weights and bake for 5-10 minutes more. The tart shell should look pale but not raw.
8. To fully bake the crust, bake the shell with weights for 22-25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and bake for 15-17 minutes; until the shell is dry.

Ideas to fill the herbed tart pastry shell- quiche, onion and potato pie, tomato tart

Vanilla Almond Granola

 

Vanilla Almond Granola

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
 
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
 
• Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
 
• Yield: 2-3 cups

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Sweet, sticky, and crunchy granola exploding with vanilla and almond flavors. Ditch store-bought, healthy homemade granola is easy! This recipe is vegan and gluten free (if using certified GF oats).

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Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups (200g) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 cup (100g) slivered or sliced almonds*
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup (60ml) melted coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, Tablespoon)
• craisins, raisins and coconut

 

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F (149°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Toss the oats, almonds, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup and coconut oil together until combined. Whisk in the almond and vanilla extracts. Pour over the oats and toss to coat. Make sure all of the oats are moistened.
3. Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow granola to cool completely – the air will help the granola obtain a crunchy texture.

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Notes

1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Granola is the perfect recipe to make ahead because it stays fresh for so long. Store this in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
2. Almonds: I used honey roasted slivered almonds that I found at Trader Joe’s – they’re delicious! If you use honey roasted almonds, the granola will no longer be vegan.

Based on: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/vanilla-almond-granola/

Ginger Molasses Cookies (Jill Dorrough)

 

Ginger Molasses Cookies (Jill Dorrough)

½ cup unsalted butter  (1 stick)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½  tsp ground cloves

2 ½ tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter with 1 cup of sugar.  Add the molasses and egg and beat well. 

Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, stir to combine

Use a ¼ cup measuring scoop, shape dough into 12 balls.  Roll in raw sugar or other large sugar crystals.

Bake one sheet at a time (6) for 20 minutes or until cookies are beginning to turn brown.

Cookies should look slightly underbaked.  Move to a wire rack to cool.