Cannoli's

Since I am making a Cannoli cake for my husband's birthday, I thought it might be nice to share an awesome cannoli recipe!  Cannoli's are not that difficult to make, just a bit time consuming.  The final product is so worth your time, however!!

Cannoli
2 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 Cups ricotta cheese
1 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup sugar (Yes there are two different sugar amounts)
1 TBS vanilla
1/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 Cup shortening
2 eggs - beaten well
1/4 Cup cold water
1 egg white - beat slightly
2 TBS white vinegar
Confectioner's Sugar to top

Combine 1 cup sugar, vanilla & ricotta in mixing bowl & beat with electric mixer until smooth.  Fold in the chocolate and cover.  Chill mixture.
Combine flour, cinnamon, salt & 1/4 cup of sugar. Cut in shortening using two knives, or pastry knife - or just use your hands - cut until mixture resembles corn-meal or small peas.  Set aside.
Combine eggs, vinegar & water.  Mix well.  Add to flour mixture and stir until dough forms a ball.  Divide ball in half and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll each half to just a touch under 1/8 inch thickness.  Using a knife cut the pastry into oval shapes about 6-7 inches long & 4inches wide.  (don't re-roll the trimmings of pastry).  Starting with the long side roll loosely around cannoli tube fastening the edges with the egg white, pressing gently to seal.
Deep fry in oil for about 1-2 minutes.
Once the cannoli pastry has cooled remove the metal tubes.  Using a pastry tube, or zip-lock freezer bag with a small hole cut in the bottom, squeeze cannoli filling into pastry.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

Enjoy!!

Fresh Fruit Fritters

I wanted to make a quick desert yesterday..one that wouldn't keep me in the kitchen for hours and hours.  The kids love fritters, as does my husband, so I took a look in the fruit bowl to see what I could work with.  A fritter is simply fried dough, very much like donuts..only more tasty in my personal opinion.

I still had some mango, apples, peaches and bananas, so I peeled and cut up the fruit into small bite-size pieces and let it sit and soak in a few tablespoons of lime juice while I prepped the mixture.

One thing I have learned with baking and cooking is that everything turns out better when you sift the dry ingredients.  Flour is tricky.  My kids like to tell me that the bag of flour notes that it is pre-sifted.  It may be pre-sifted but not enough for my baked goods! I use a hand sifter and spend a few minutes sifting the dry ingredients.

The dry ingredients for fritters:
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp salt

Sift, mix well and set aside.

Separate 2 eggs into two bowls.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and peaks start to form.  In the bowl with the two egg yolks add 1/2 Cup of milk and blend with mixer until well blended.

Add egg yolk & milk mixture to dry mix and mix by hand.  Fold in beaten egg whites.

Take the pieces of fruit and dip them into the batter and then drop into hot, deep-frying oil.  (For pan-frying, be sure to turn the fritter over so both sides cook and brown.) Fritters take about a minute to cook.

For no fruit fritters, simply drop the fritter batter by the tablespoon into fry-cooker.  Sprinkle fritters with confectioner's sugar.

Fritters! A fun and easy treat. :)

Fritters
1 Cup All Purpose flour
1/2 Cup white sugar
1/2 Cup milk
1-2 Cups Canola Oil for deep-frying
1 1/14 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs - separated
Bite size pieces of fresh fruit (bananas, apples, peaches)

Mix dry ingredients and set aside.  Mix egg yolks and milk and add to dry mix.  Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mix.  Dip fruit into batter and drop into deep-fry oil for about 1 minute each piece.  Top with powdered sugar and enjoy!

The Best Baked Macaroni & Cheese

This is my favorite recipe for Baked Mac & Cheese.  I spent months researching recipes for this wonderful family meal & couldn't find one that turned out "just right".  I played around with a number of recipes trying to get this dish perfect.  Below is my personal recipe for the Best Baked Macaroni & Cheese.  I hope you like it!

Sandra

Prepare 1 pound of macaroni noodles according the directions on the pasta box.

Combine pasta with sauce & place in greased/buttered casserole dish.  Bake in a 350 oven for 40-55 minutes until dish is bubbly and top is browned.  Serves 6-10

Sauce
10 Tablespoons butter
1 Cup flour
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon pepper - fresh ground is best
4 cups milk
Optional seasonings - Oregano, Tarragon, Basil - approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each. Another addition is 1 Cup of finely diced white or sweet yellow onion. (Go easy with the Oregano it can be very overpowering.
3 1/4 Cups of Colby Jack Cheese shredded
1/2 Cup of Parmesean cheese finely grated
1 Cup Italian bread crumbs


Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Blend in the flour & seasonings creating a roux.  Continue to cook over medium heat until mixture is smooth & bubbly.  Add milk 1 Cup at a time while stirring continuously.  Continue cooking over medium heat and add cheese a handful at a time stirring until fully melted.

Place macaroni noodles into a large baking dish & pour cheese sauce mixture over noodles.  Top by sprinkling Italian bread crumbs over the entire dish.  A thin layer of bread crumbs is all you need.  Cover with foil for the first 25 minutes, uncover & sprinkle with parm cheese or romano & continue baking.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Never said this recipe was healthy..but it sure is tasty!

Graceland 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Thank you to my dear friend Terri Sponsler for sending this recipe to me!! 

Graceland 100 percent whole wheat bread

This recipe uses 5 lb. (16 to 18 cups) flour, or 5-6 cups for the smaller recipe.
In the small bowl of your mixer or by hand in a bowl combine:
Large recipe: (6 loaves)

3 Tb pkg yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
2 tsp. honey
In a large bowl, with mixer running, or by hand:
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup honey
2 Tb. Salt
5 cups hot tap water

Smaller recipe (2 loaves):
In small bowl:
2Tb. (pkgs) yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
2 tsp. honey
In large bowl:
1 egg
2TB oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups hot tap water

Add whole wheat flour, enough to make a thick batter. Beat until you have a thick gummy mass on the bottom of the beaters. Watch t while it beats; often when it is readh ty dough will climb up the beaters. Add the yeast mixture, which had been set aside in the smaller bowl, and beat in well. With spoon, add enough flour to make a dough that will knead easily. Roll out onto a board floured with whole wheat flour. Knead, adding flour slowly until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cover the dough with greased waxed paper, or a tea towel.

Allow to rise double in bulk. Knead it down thoroughly to eliminate all large bubbles. Divide the dough into 6 or 2 equal parts depending on the recipe. Shape into loaves and place in small loaf pans (7 ½ x 3 ½ in.). Grease the pans with shortening. Allow to rise double.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 17 minutes until it is as brown as you like it. Reduce heat to 250 degrees and bake 30 minutes more. Remove from oven, turn out unto a wire rack to cool.

Menu's

For those who live in Las Vegas or Henderson and surrounding areas I am offering the homemade meals - hot, fresh & simply needs to be picked up on your way home from work.  Meals will be ready to serve.  Some items, like deserts & salsa & pasta sauce can be jarred & shipped to you.  Call or email me to discuss a menu that works for you.

Meals -
Lasgne/Manicotti/Stuffed Shells
Meatballs and/or Italian Sausage with Italian tomato sauce (this cooks all day - authentic Sicilian recipe)
Meatloaf
Fried Chicken Tenders and/or bites - (plain, bbq, parm & garlic, spicy hot)
Traditional Old Fashioned Southern Chicken & Dumplings with buttermilk biscuits or cornbread muffins
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Baked Ziti
Stuffed Peppers
Pepper Steak or Beef Stir Fry with Vegetables
& more...

Deserts/Baked Goods
Fresh Berry Muffins
Cakes - Vanilla, Chocolate, Devil's Food, Cannoli, & more
Brownies
Fudge
Cookies
Peanut Britle
Cupcakes
Fritters & Italian Fried Dough
Pies
& more...

Sides & Extras
Rice - brown, white, natural long-grains
Potato's - mashed, baked, twice-baked, fries (fresh cut & deep fried)
Onion Rings - fresh white or yellow deep fried onion rings
Salsa/Picante
Mango Salsa
Fruit Salads
Vegetables steamed or stir-fry
&  more..

Contact me by email Sandeybon@yahoo.com and let's work out a menu that is perfect for your family's needs!

Birthday Dinner!

Today is my husbands birthday.  Tomorrow we will be having Sunday dinner & celebrating his birthday with our children.  John has already requested Cannoli cake so I have begun to prepare for this.  I have already baked a vanilla cake & I will start on the filling this evening.  Cannoli cake filling is best when it has the time to chill overnight.

I have yet to decide the dinner menu.  I made sauce & lasagne & manicotti for my daughter's birthday just two days ago..so I am wondering if pasta should be on the menu again?? I just don't know.  John loves peppers, so maybe I will do stuffed peppers or a spicy beef & veggie stir-fry?

I am going to try & video my time in the kitchen & walk through the steps.  Of course I will take lots of photo's though!!

Thank you all so much for your support!

Recipe sharing tomorrow...

Sandra

Deserts!

I was going through my camera & pulled up some pictures of recent deserts that I have made.  Mother's Day was the most fun for baking! I made pudding deserts, strawberry cake, brownies, peanut brittle, mini-Boston Creme cupcakes & vanilla cupcakes!  I hope you enjoy the pictures!