Easy, Peasy Recipes -- Baking

I got this recipe from my mother-in-law and I have no idea where she got it, but it is by far the easiest, most wonderful, yummy recipe ever. You can whip it up quickly for your family or make it in a jiff for a church potluck. Five ingredients --

One yellow cake mix
One can condensed milk
One can Coco de Leche (found with the drink mixes -- this is cream of coconut, not coconut milk)
One tub of Cool Whip
Shredded coconut

Bake the cake mix according to the directions (high altitude -- add 1/4 cup flour).
Pour the milk and the Coco de Leche over the cake while it is still hot. Poke some holes in it to allow the juice to really soak through.
Let the cake cool.
After it has cooled, spread the Cool Whip over the top and then sprinkle lots of shredded coconut over that.

This cake is best served cold. After refrigerating for a little while, the milk and Coco de Leche make this awesome gooey yumminess at the bottom. It makes my very happy.

For years, I was terrified of yeast. Then, a couple of years ago, a friend of mine who was not so bright in the kitchen (love ya, hon) started making her own bread. I thought to myself, "If she can do it, I can do it." So I began . . .

I started by trying to do sourdough bread, made my own starter, etc. and while that was okay it was a little more labor intensive than I was ready to deal with (pregnant as I was with my second child). So I got on the internet, much as you are doing right now, and found some simple bread recipes.

I do not use a bread machine. There is something very satisfying about beating the crap out of the dough. Therapeutic, you might say, and definitely cheaper than a shrink. And it really isn't any more time consuming, mostly just messier. You spend most of your time waiting for the dough to rise and only as much time as you need kneading it.

My white bread recipe is below. I honestly don't remember where I got it but has served me very well. You can also substitute the first two cups of flour with wheat flour to make a nice wheat bread.

5 to 6 cups bread flour (I use all-purpose flour, it works just fine)
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
2 pkgs active dry yeast
2 cups water
1/2 cup oil (I use canola)

I put the water and oil in my large glass measuring cup and heat it up in the microwave for 30 seconds and then 30 seconds. This warms it up just enough.

While that is heating, I put two cups of flour, salt, sugar and yeast in a big bowl. Then I add the heated oil and water and stir it all together with a wooden or plastic spoon.

I start adding more flour to the bowl by the cupful, usually a couple of cups more, until it is starting to stick together really well. Then I add another splash of flour to the countertop and dump the dough out onto the counter.

Time to start kneading. I knead the dough until it has a smooth surface and forms a ball, usually about five minutes. Then, while I let the dough rest a minute, I rinse and dry the bowl and spray the bottom with cooking spray. I put the dough in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap and a heavy dish towel. I usually set it on the stove (unlit of course) to rise. That tends to be a warm place in my house. I let it rise for an hour or more, or until the dough is pushing the towel up into a dome shape.

Time for another beating. I get the flour back out and sprinkle some on the risen dough, then punch it down with my fist. It goes back onto the countertop for a little more kneading and then I cut it in two. Knead the two halves a little and then put them into two nine inch loaf pans coated with cooking spray. For the second rise, I put them into a cold/warm oven (on a cold CO day, I might let the oven heat for just a few minutes at 250, but otherwise I leave it cold). Let the bread rise a second time to about an inch above the side of the loaf pan.

Time to cook: Turn the oven on to 375 and get ready for the wonderful aroma of baking bread. I bake mine for about thirty minutes. It comes out soft and wonderful and fresh. Bake for forty minutes for a little browner crust -- mine comes out a nice golden brown. I lay them out on a clean dish towel to cool. Take a stick of butter and run it over the tops. It probably isn't more than 10-15 minutes before we are enjoying our first slice of delicious yumminess with some butter and honey.

I'm telling you, you can do this.

I like to mix it up with some wheat bread as I mentioned above, some french bread when we are having a nice Italian meal and I have recently started making my own pizza dough. Check out the french bread recipe I like below.

I found this french bread recipe online at suite101.com, published by Linda Larsen in 2006. This bread comes out wonderfully crispy and buttery. It makes great garlic toast to serve with your spaghetti, lasagna, whatever. Enjoy!

French Bread
2 packages dry yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
1 tsp sugar
6 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into a bowl of warm water (warm to the touch, if it is uncomfortable for your finger it is too warm). I have found recently that it does better if I stir it together. Let stand for five minutes until yeast dissolves and starts to bubble. Stir in 2 cups of flour and salt. Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour.
Then start stirring in enough flour to make a soft dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. While you let the dough rest, rinse out the bowl and grease it -- I use cooking spray -- you can use butter or shortening. Place the dough in the bowl spraying the top of the dough as well. Cover it with plastic wrap and then a dish towel and let rise at room temperature for about 2 1/2 hours, until doubled in bulk.
After it has risen, uncover and punch down with your fist. Divide in half. Roll each piece into a 12 x 6 approx. rectangle. Roll the rectangle up tightly, pinching the edges to seal the seam.
Grease a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. I stick them in a cold oven at this point to rise again to double, about one hour.
Bake at 425 for 40 minutes or so, until loaves are golden brown. Cool and enjoy!

We always called it the former, well, because we were baptists. But the latter definitely applies. The picture here is fancier than mine normally looks. We just plop some in a bowl and go to town. Yummy, yummy goodness. You can find this recipe all over the internet but I am going to add it here for your convenience.

Chocolate Dessert a.k.a. Better Than Sex
1 1/2 cups flour
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans or nut of choice, I have seen it done with peanuts and walnuts
Mix this together and press it into the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Bake at 300 for 20 minutes, then cool.
Cream together:
1 8 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Cool Whip
Spread over crust.
Mix together:
1 large instant chocolate pudding
1 small instant chocolate or vanilla pudding
3 cups milk
Pour this over the cream cheese layer. Top with Cool Whip and nuts or mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate before serving.

Another wonderful dessert that my mom discovered recently is the Chocolate Eclair Ice-Box Cake from Great American Recipes. Oh man, she brought this recipe with her the last time she came to visit and it was a complete hit. I suggest you double it because there won't be nearly enough.

Chocolate Eclair Ice-Box Cake
14 graham crackers, split into 28 squares
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsps milk, divided
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding
1 tub Cool Whip
1 tub chocolate icing (the original recipe had a chocolate icing recipe, but this was much easier)

Stir the pudding into 1 1/2 cups milk with a wire whisk. Let stand for five minutes. Gently fold the Cool Whip into the vanilla pudding until well mixed.

Put a layer of graham crackers in the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. Pour half of the vanilla pudding mix over the crackers. Add another layer of crackers, then more pudding mix, then top with the rest of the graham crackers. Spread the chocolate icing over the top. Pure heaven.

I just threw this one together today on a whim. It is Labor Day and how could we not have dessert? So, what do I have in my cupboard . . .

1 chocolate cake mix
1 bag of chocolate chips
1/2 container of chocolate syrup

Bake the cake per the directions on the box (add 1/4 cup flour for high altitude) and adding the chocolate chips before you bake.
Pour the chocolate syrup on while the cake is hot.
Serve warm with ice cream or cold for yummy gooeyness.

This is a recipe a got from my mother-in-law when Shelby and I got married. I have only done it a couple of times, but these are super delicious.

Snow biscuits
1 pkg dry yeast, rapid rise
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter

Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Mix the dry ingredients. Add melted butter and yeast water. Knead and shape into balls. She uses a muffin pan to contain them as they rise. Let rise for thirty minutes. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes.

Easy, peasy and delicious!

KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer, Empire Red

OvenStuff Non-Stick Six Piece Covered with Handles Bakeware Set
White

Pyrex Smart Essentials 8-Piece Mixing Bowl Set

Progressive International 19-Piece Measuring Set

Pyrex Prepware 2-Cup Measuring Cup, Clear with Red Measurements

Farberware Soft Touch 9-by-5-Inch Loaf Pan