The Best of the Best

My favorite recipes from the first 6 weeks of Food Prep 101...enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Bowknots

1 1/2 tsp. instant dry yeast 1/8 tsp. cloves
¼ c. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. milk, warmed to 110° 5 T. melted butter
3 - 4 C. flour 1 large egg, slightly beaten
1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1 C. pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1. Place an 8 x 8 baking pan of hot water in your kitchen’s top oven on the floor of the oven and pre-heat oven to 170 degrees. TURN OVEN OFF. You have just made a proofing oven.

2. In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar, and warm milk (30 seconds in the microwave). Let stand a few minutes, until the yeast is well dissolved. Warm the flour for 30 seconds in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl.

3. In the KitchenAid mixer, combine 1 C. flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Mix, using the mixing paddle.Add the melted butter, one tablespoon at a time, and mix until the mixture resembles cornmeal.

5. Add yeast mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Mix slightly.

6. Add egg and warmed pumpkin (30 seconds in microwave). Beat on low until well mixed.

7. Change to the dough hook and continue to mix on low (knead), adding small amounts of the remaining flour (up to 3 cups) until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead an additional 3-4 minutes.

8. Spray a dinner plate with cooking spray. Put dough on plate; turn to cover dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 seconds for every cup of flour in recipe (20 seconds). Turn dough over and microwave for half of the first microwave cycle (10 seconds).

9. Divide dough in half. Preheat your lower oven to 400 degrees, convection setting. This will be used for baking your bowknots.

11. Meanwhile, roll the bowknot dough into two 12 x 7- inch rectangles. Cut EACH rectangle into twelve 7-inch-long strips. Tie each strip loosely in a knot. Arrange knots 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

12. Cover and let rise in proofing oven for 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk. Remove bowl of water from oven and bake bowknots in the preheated lower oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Immediately remove rolls from baking sheets. Brush with melted butter. Cool on wire racks.

14. Serve with cream cheese butter piped from a small hole (pea-sized) in the corner of a freezer zip-lock bag onto the bowknots.

Cream Cheese Butter
4 oz. cream cheese, softened

½ tsp. vanilla ¼ C. butter, softened

¼ tsp. cinnamon ½ C. powdered sugar

Black-Bottom Cherry Cream Cheese Pie
(best thing you will ever eat)

Note: This pie has a standard pastry crust with an oreo crust on top of it (black-bottom). After cooling, it is then filled with the cream cheese filling and topped with cherries, whipped cream and oreo crumbs.

1 (15 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 can cherry pie filling

standard pastry
1 ½ C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. + 2 Tbsp. shortening
3 to 5 Tbsp. ice cold water water

Oreo Crumb Crust

1 cup finely crushed Oreo crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Pat ¾ of the mixture over the bottom of a single-crust baked 9-inch pie crust. Use the remaining ¼ of the mixture to sprinkle on the whipped cream at serving.

Filling

Soften cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Add milk, slowly, while beating. Add lemon juice, vanilla and beat well. Pour into crust. Chill and then top with cherry pie filling.

To serve: Whip the whipping cream and gradually add 2 Tbsp. sugar. Top each slice of pie with whipped cream and chocolate cookie crumbs.

Fruit Pizza
(the crust/frosting is to die for)

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookie:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt

Frosting:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:
½ can (4 oz. or ¼ cup) canned pineapple tidbits
1 fresh kiwi
¼ cup mandarin oranges
¼ cup frozen blueberries
¼ cup frozen raspberries
1 fresh banana

Mix sugar, shortening, egg, vanilla and milk with electric hand mixer until creamy. Add dry ingredients. Press onto a greased and floured pizza pan in a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Bake at 375° for approximately 12 -15 minutes or until edges start to turn a light golden brown. Cool cookie on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula, lightly loosen cookie from pan so it doesn’t stick while it cools. For lab purposes, give cookie to instructor to cool in freezer. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.Use a variety of fruits to decorate the top. Eat and enjoy!

Easy Mango Salsa
(best salsa I've ever had)

½ onion
1 jalapeno
½ clove garlic
1 ripe mango, peeled and pitted
1 tbsp. lime juice
1/8 bunch cilantro, washed
1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Cut jalapeno in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Using food chopper, chop onion and jalapeno and set aside. Mince garlic with knife or garlic press. Chop mango with knife. Snip cilantro into smaller pieces with clean kitchen scissors. Assemble food processor with metal blade. Put lime juice, cilantro and tomatoes into food processor. Pulse until tomatoes are consistency you want. Add onion, jalapenos, mango and garlic and pulse just enough to mix, until it reaches desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Store in refrigerator for 1 hour for flavors to blend. Serve with tortilla chips.

Shells and Veggies Soup
(One of the best soups I've ever had)

1/2 tsp. vegetable oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 clove garlic, chopped 1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth 1 can (14 oz.) crushed or diced tomatoes 1/4 cup small shell pasta 2 Tbsp. dried parsley 1/4 cup chopped frozen spinach 1/4 cup cubed zucchini 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup sliced celery 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. dried oregano Salt and pepper to taste

3 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese - This will be put on the serving table, by the teaching assistant, for all to use when the soup is served.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, parsley, basil and oregano to saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat , and simmer covered for 10 minutes. Add spinach, carrots, celery and pasta. Cook 10 minutes covered at a low boil. Add zucchini and cook 7 more minutes. Test for doneness by forking vegetables and pasta to see if tender. Spoon into bowl; add salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese to taste. ENJOY!

Pineapple Muffins (30 muffins)

3/4 C. sliced almonds. Divide in half.
1 ½ cans (30 oz. total) crushed pineapple. Drain and reserve juice for glaze.

3 C. flour 4 oz. cream cheese
1 ½ tsp. baking soda 1 ½ C. sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt 1 Tbsp vanilla
¾ C. sour cream 1 ½ egg

Measure and combine flour, baking soda, and salt.Cream sugar, vanilla and cream cheese. Add egg and beat. Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.Fold in drained pineapple.Prepare muffin tin by inserting paper liners. Spray paper liners with cooking spray. Distribute half of sliced almonds in the bottom of the cups.
Spoon muffin batter over the almonds. Sprinkle the remaining almonds on top of the batter. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden.

Glaze

2 C. powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. pineapple juice
2 Tbsp. soft margarine

Beat until smooth. Drizzle over warm muffins.

Streusel Raspberry Muffins (2 dozen)

Pecan Streusel Topping

1 C. milk
3 C. flour 1 C. butter or margarine, melted
1 C. sugar 2 eggs, beaten
4 tsp. baking powder 2 C. fresh or individually frozen raspberries

Preheat the oven to 375° and grease muffin pans. Prepare the streusel topping and set aside (recipe below).
Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.Combine milk butter, and egg in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture, and stir just enough to combine. Spoon half the batter into the muffin cups. Put 4 raspberries in each cup. Spoon the rest of the batter over the raspberries, leaving enough room for streusel topping. Sprinkle topping onto batter.Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool on a rack.