Cheesy bread from French bread loaf

We are having Italian dishes for supper tonight. The French bread recipe makes two loaves and normally I freeze the second loaf but I decided to make some cheesy bread for my two teenage sons as a midnight snack. There on break from college right now so they stay up late. The extra french loaf was perfect. I cut in half and added 3 types of cheese, italian spices, garlic and butter.  Baked it until the cheese melted and slightly golden brown. It was delicious. So if you have some leftover french bread, try it, makes for an awesome snack and easy to, just add your favorite toppings.

French Bread

This is the best homemade french bread recipe, it is just like you buy in the deli at the supermarket. Light, airy, and fluffy. Perfect sliced up with some garlic butter spread on it for all those Italian dishes.

Ingredients:
recipe adapted from Deals to Meals
This recipe makes 2 large loaves:

2 1/2 c. warm water ( between 105-115 degrees)
2 Tbs. yeast
3 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. white vinegar -Add these ingredients together and let sit until bubbly, about 4 minutes
1 Tbs. salt
1/3 c. oil
6-7 c. all purpose flour

Making the dough:

Add first four ingredients together and let sit until bubbly, about 4 minutes. Then add salt, oil and flour. Add flour 1 cup at a time until incorporated. May need to add a little extra flour is dough is too moist, add just enough flour when dough pulls away from side of bowl.

 Knead for 3-5 mintues and then put in the oven with a small pot of boiling water. The water will keep the dough moist. Watch the dough and punch it down when it gets to the top of the mixing bowl. Do this every time it gets to the top of the bowl, as long as you have time to babysit it (2-5 times). Put the dough on a greased countertop and divide into 2 equal sections.

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom of the sheet. Roll the dough balls into rectangle/long French bread shapes. Place on cookie sheet.

Slash tops of bread diagonally 3-5 times and cover with a beaten egg.

Let rise 30 minutes (or until doubled) on the counter, or you can put them in your oven at 170 and wait until they are the size you want to cook them at. Once they are to the right size, turn up your stove to 375 (without opening the door!) and let them bake until done. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes until tops are golden  brown.

     Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Roll

So I have been trying to make the perfect peanut butter roll, have tried several recipes and finally found the perfect recipe that my Mother in law gave me. It had to be moist, fluffy, creamy. I've had some that tasted dried and hard. The roll made with potato just can not get sodt and fluffy so I totally threw that recipe away. I think you'll love this one as good as I do.

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. warm water
3/4 c. white corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1 + c. peanut butter

Directions:

In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites very stiff and set aside. Be sure you have very carefully separated the eggs so there is no sign of any yellow in the whites. Mixing bowl should be very dry. In a saucepan, mix sugar, water and syrup. Cook on medium high heat and at first use a spoon to remove sugar crystals from side of pan. After mixture starts to boil rapidly, place the lid on the pan only 30 seconds, then quickly take the lid off. ( This melts all crystals). Do not stir anymore while sugar boils. Place candy thermometer on side of pan and watch carefully for temperature to reach hard ball stage.

Immediately take pan off of burner at exactly hard ball stage. Remove candy thermometer. Again re-beat you egg whites to stiff and while using beater, gradually add hot cooked syrup mixture ( about 1/3 of it at a time) beating in between until most all syrup is used.

 Do not take a spoon and rake syrup out of pan ( as you do not want crystals).

Add vanilla: keep beating, then later use large spoon beating until you can spoon white mixture out on theree sheets of waxed paper placed lapping over each one.

First of all this waxed paper should be well greased with butter, then butter you hands and wait until white candy is cool enough for you to work with your hands, patting it out like bread dough.

Spread peanut butter over entire area and start rolling it up lik a jelly roll.

When candy roll is completly cooled, slice and place in airtight container.

                                                                   Enjoy!!

Perfect Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is our family's favorite pie, there perfect for any holiday, birthday, any occasion. Told you it was our favorite. I got this recipe many years ago and have never strayed, it is so good.

Ingredients:
Makes 3 pies
Goes perfectly with my homemade pie shell recipe, makes 3 http://onespecialway.blogspot.com/2011/12/perfect-pie-crust.html

2 sticks margarine or butter
16 oz. chopped pecans
1 lb. light brown sugar
1 heaping Tbs.self-rising flour (serving tablespoon, not measuring spoon)
16 oz. bottle light corn syrup
1 Tbs. imitation vanilla
6 eggs
3 regular size pie crusts

 Melt butter until melted and set aside. Chop pecans or if you prefer whole, that's fine, set aside.
 In a large bowl add brown sugar. Using a fork, whisk brown sugar around to break down any lumps. Next add a heaping serving tablespoon of self-rising flour and stir until the flour disappears into the brown sugar.

 Add whole bottle of Karo syrup.

Then add 1 serving tablespoon of vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined. Add melted butter. Slowly add into the mixture so it doesn’t splatter until mixed well.

 In a small bowl, crack open six eggs and beat with a fork, fold the eggs into the pie mixture until they disappear.

Add pecans and stir until completely coated. Pour the mixture evenly into the three shells.

Be sure there is the same amount in each pie. Using a spoon, redistribute pecans  to make equal in each pie. I forgot to get a picture before I put on oven so I took a quick one in the oven.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350. Cook pies until they swell and then fall. At that point they are done.
Remove and cool for about four hours. Pies can be stored on the counter or in the refrigerator.

Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole

A family favorite of ours is cheesy hashbrown casserole. There are many variations you can do with the recipe to have different outcomes. We like the southwest flavor best. But any combination of spices taste great in this casserole.

Ingredients:

2 lbs frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed  ( I used 1 pd. southwestern flavor and 1 pd. plain cubes)
1/2 c. margarine or butter, melted
1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Chop onion and place in large bowl. Add melted butter, cream of chicken soup, salt and pepper and mix together well.

Next add cheese and mix again.

Then add hashbrowns, mixing well to coat all potatos well.

Then pour  into a greased 9×13 pan and bake in oven at 350 for thirty minutes, or until bubbly.

These are very similar to Cracker Barrells Hashbrown Casserole.

                                                         Enjoy!!!!

Braided Calzone Pizza Loaf

 This is our familys favorite calzone, pepperoni!  We fix this at least once a week. It is unbelievably good.
This recipe makes 2 large loaves, eat one now and freeze one for later. (They never make it to the freezer at my house, though)

Dough:
1 Tbs. shortening
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. salt
1 c. boiling water
1 c. cold water
1/3 c. lukewarm water
1 Tbs. yeast
5 1/2-6 c. flour
1 egg

Filling:
1 package of pepperoni or salomi
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Topping:
powdered Parmesan cheese
oregano
garlic
anything that sounds good to you

Make the dough:

 In a small bowl dissolve 1 Tbs. yeast in 1/3 c. warm water, set aside. In your mixer bowl: add sugar, salt, and shortening together and mix together. While still blending, pour the boiling water over the sugar mixture. Next add the cold water into the sugar mixture. Lastly pour the yeast and water into the sugar mixture.
Add the flour 1 C at a time while mixing. You know you have enough flour when the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Once you have enough flour mix on high for 6 minutes. Let the dough rest in the mixer bowl for about 5  minutes.

Divide the dough into two equal parts and let them rest on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray for about 5 minutes.

Lightly coat your counter with oil. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Using a scraper or pizza cutter, cut one inch wide strips along both long sides of the rectangle. Be sure to leave about 5 inches down the center uncut, leaving a space in the middle for your toppings.

Next fold over each strip to center of loaf on each side and fold ends together, now move the dough to your baking sheet and unfold. (It is alot easier to move it now than after you have your toppings on)

Place pepperoni, cheese and in my case, mushrooms down the center of the dough.

Next fold the end edge over and start pulling the dough strips across the loaf, criss-crossing as you go, when you get to the end stop at he third strip in and start at the end edge and fold over and then finish criss-crossing.

Beat the egg until bubbly. Brush over the entire top of the loaf.

Add your desired toppings (We used parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, oregano today, but usually we just use parmesan cheese and italian seasoning)

Repeat these steps with the other piece of dough.  Turn oven on 170 degrees and let rise for 20 minutes. Then turn your oven up to 400 degrees and bake for about 15 minutes, until loaves are golden brown. (Leave the dough inside while the temperature rises)

Let the loaves rest for about 5 minutes, then cut into slices.

                                                                    Enjoy!!!!