Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy

 From:  Easy Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe - Food.com

Yields: 8 servings

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons flour

4 cups chicken broth or 4 cups turkey broth

salt and pepper

pan drippings from turkey

In a medium saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour.

Cook over medium-high heat until flour is incorporated and white bubbles begin to form on the top of the roux.

Cook the roux for 2-3 minute after the white bubbles have formed, whisking constantly.

Gradually add the broth, whisking constantly until the gravy is thickened and comes to a boil.

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

At this point, you can cool, cover and refrigerate the gravy base for as long as 4 days. Reheat in a medium-sized pan. When turkey is done, skim off fat and pour drippings into gravy base and bring it to serving temperature.

Italian Bread

From:  Italian Bread Recipe - Amanda's Cookin'

Yields: 2 loaves

1 ½ tablespoons active dry yeast 2 packets

½ cup warm water 110F

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

2 cups hot water hot to the touch, not boiling (115-120F)

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

½ cup vegetable oil

5-6 cups all-purpose flour add more if needed to get to a pliable dough

1 large egg white for brushing on loaves

Notes:

If your dough is still super sticky, you can add small amounts of flour until the dough just comes together.

You can use the packets of active dry yeast available at any grocery store. I bake a lot of bread, so I prefer to by SAF instant yeast in larger packages. If you use active dry, just follow the instructions in the recipe and let it sit for a few minutes to proof (it will get a little foamy).

When a bread recipe calls for warm water, the temperature should be around 110 degrees F. If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast, and too cold will delay the rise process.

Use regular white granulated sugar for this recipe.

In a separate step, you’ll also use hot water in this recipe. Since you are mixing it with other ingredients before adding the yeast mixture it will be fine. You want hot tap water, not boiling water.

Regular everyday table salt is used, not Kosher or sea salt.

A note about yeast:

You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If you use active dry yeast it needs to be proofed in order for it to be reactivated. Instant dry yeast doesn’t need proofing. Active dry yeast must be reactivated by proofing in warm water, or the bread won’t rise properly. This process is to “prove” that the yeast is still alive.

This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but olive oil can also be used.

We are using all-purpose flour, white not wheat, to make this bread.

Instructions:

Dissolve yeast, 1/2 cup warm water (110F), and 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine 2 cups hot water (115-120F), 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, the salt, and the oil. Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture in this large bowl/mixer and mix well. Stir in yeast mixture.

Add 2 – 3 cups more flour and mix until well blended. (At this point your dough will still be quite sticky). Leave in bowl, cover with a towel and let rise for 1 hour. (If using a mixer, remove the bowl from the mixer and cover. Otherwise your paddle attachment or dough hook will get covered in dough when it rises). NO KNEADING IS REQUIRED.

After the rise, if the dough is too sticky to handle, add more flour until its workable. For some people this can be up to a cup or more! Just don't dry out the dough. Add by quarter cupfuls until its workable.

Divide dough into 2 (or 3 if you want smaller loaves) pieces. Roll out each piece on a floured surface into the length desired then roll up lengthwise like a jelly roll. If it's still too sticky, add more flour until it's workable but not dry.

Put on a greased cookie sheet, sealed side down, and tuck the ends under. Slash the top diagonally across the top every couple of inches with a sharp knife.

Cover and let loaves rise 30 more minutes.

While loaves are rising, preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk the egg white and brush over the top of loaves.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls

 From:  Copycat Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Recipe - Fun Happy Home

Yields: 12

Cinnabon Dough Ingredients

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm milk

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup softened butter

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

4 cups flour

Cinnamon Rolls Filling Ingredients

1 cup packed brown sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon

⅓ cup butter, softened

Cinnabon Icing Ingredients {You can double this recipe is you want more icing!}

6 tbsp butter

1½ cups powdered sugar

¼ cup cream cheese

½ tsp vanilla

⅛ tsp salt

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

To start the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.

Pour the milk/yeast mixture in the bowl and mix.  If using a stand mixer you will want to use the dough hook. Mix well until well incorporated.

Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Roll the dough out on a silicon mat or lightly floured surface, until it is approx 16-18 inches long by 12 inches wide. It should be approx ¼ inch thick.

Make the Copycat Cinnabon Filling And Add To The Cinnamon Rolls

To make the cinnamon filling, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. If you prefer, you can spread the butter first on the dough and then the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Back To Making The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls...

Carefully starting from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. The roll should be about 18 inches in length. Cut the roll into 1½ inch slices.

Place the cut rolls into an oiled 13×9 inch pan Cover them with a damp towel. Let them rise again for another 30 minutes until they double in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. (Prepare for your house to smell AH-MAY-ZING!)

While the rolls are baking, mix all icing ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Best Chocolate Cake

 From:  The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe {Ever} - Add a Pinch

Yields: 24 servings

2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

▢2 cups (396 g) sugar

▢3/4 cup (63 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

▢2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder

▢1 1/2 teaspoons (9 g) baking soda

▢1 teaspoon (2.8 g) kosher salt

▢1 teaspoon (2.3 g) espresso powder, homemade or store-bought

▢1 cup (227 g) milk, or buttermilk, almond, or coconut milk

▢1/2 cup (99 g) vegetable oil, or canola oil, or melted coconut oil

▢2 large (100 g) eggs

▢2 teaspoons (9.4 g) vanilla extract

▢1 cup (227. g) boiling water

▢Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe (see below)

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray, buttering and lightly flouring, or brushing them with homemade chocolate pan release.

Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.

Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the cake batter until well combined.

Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely.

Frost the cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Notes

The cake batter will be very thin after adding the boiling water. This is correct and results in the most delicious and moist chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted! 

Frosting:

1½ cups (339 g) butter, softened

▢1 cup (84 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

▢5 cups (567.5 g) confectioner’s sugar

▢½ cup (113.5 g) milk, whole, half and half, or heavy cream preferred

▢2 teaspoons (9 g) vanilla extract

▢½ teaspoon (1 g) espresso powder

Add cocoa powder to a large bowl or bowl of stand mixer. Whisk through to remove any lumps.

Cream together butter and cocoa powder until well-combined.

Add confectioner's sugar to a large bowl. Whisk through to remove any lumps. Alternatively, you may sift the confectioner's sugar into the large bowl. Add the confectioner's sugar and milk to the cocoa mixture by adding 1 cup of confectioner's sugar followed by about a tablespoon of milk. After each addition has been combined, turn the mixer onto a high speed for about a minute. Repeat until all sugar and milk have been added.

Add vanilla extract and espresso powder and combine well.

If frosting appears too dry, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency. If it appears to wet and does not hold its form, add more confectioner’s sugar, a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the right consistency.

Quick Pickled Cucumbers

 From:  Grandma's Quick Pickled Cucumbers - Refrigerator Pickles — Bless this Mess

Yields:  1.5 cups

▢1 cup water

▢1/3 cup vinegar, (apple cider, white, and rice wine are all good)

▢2 tablespoons sugar, optional

▢1 to 2 teaspoons salt

▢sliced garden cucumbers, (about 2 cups)

▢sliced onion or green onion, (about 1/2 cup)

In a small bowl add the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine and until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add the cucumber and onion. Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking.

All the cucumbers should be covered in the brine, if you have lots of cucumber or are making a big batch, make more brine.

Let the mixture rest in the fridge until you are ready to eat. The flavors develop over time, so an overnight soak is great but mine are normally gone by dinner.

Worlds Best Lasagna

 From: World's Best Lasagna Recipe (with Video)

Yields: 12 Servings

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

¾ pound lean ground beef

½ cup minced onion

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

½ cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

1 ½ teaspoons dried basil leaves

1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided, or to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

¾ pound mozzarella cheese, sliced

¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat until well browned.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water. Season with sugar, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 ½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce, overlapping slightly. Spread with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Rest lasagna for 15 minutes before serving.

Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

 From:  Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce (Video)

Serves:  4-6

For the Sauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

¾ cup finely chopped shallots, from 2-3 large shallots

1¼ cups red wine

3 cups beef broth

6 fresh thyme sprigs

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

For the Beef

1 (2 to 3 lb) center-cut beef tenderloin roast

Kosher salt (½ teaspoon per pound of beef)

Freshly ground black pepper (¼ teaspoon per pound of beef)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

¼ cup beef broth

For the Sauce

Melt 5 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the wine, beef broth, thyme sprigs, salt, pepper and sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.

While the liquid is reducing, place the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl and soften in the microwave, if necessary (it should be soft but not melted). Add the flour and, using a small spoon, mix into a smooth paste.

Once the wine mixture is reduced, reduce the heat to low and remove the thyme sprigs. Whisk the flour-butter paste, a tablespoon at a time, into the simmering liquid, and simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Set aside. (The sauce can be made up to this point and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead of time.)

For the Tenderloin

Let the beef stand at room temperature for 1 hour before roasting. Set an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Season the beef all over with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Cook, turning with tongs, until well browned on all but one side, about 10 minutes total. Turn the tenderloin so that the un-seared side is down, and transfer the skillet directly to the preheated oven. (If your pan isn't oven-proof, transfer the beef to a lightly oiled roasting pan.) Roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 120°F-125° for medium rare, about 15 minutes, or until done to your liking (115°F-120°F for rare, 130°F-135°F for medium). Keep in mind that these temperatures account for the fact that the temperature will continue to rise about 5 degrees while the meat rests.

Transfer the meat to a carving board (preferably with a well for collecting juices) and let it rest, covered loosely with aluminum foil, for 10 to 15 minutes. Place a dishtowel or oven mitt over the handle of the roasting pan to remind yourself that it's hot.

Meanwhile, carefully discard the fat from the roasting pan (remember that the handle is hot!). Set the pan on the stovetop and add the ¼ cup of broth. Bring the broth to a boil and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the fond, or brown bits, from the bottom of the pan. Add the flavorful broth to the red wine sauce, and then bring the sauce to a simmer.

Carve the tenderloin into ½-inch-thick slices. Serve the beef, passing the red wine sauce at the table.

Perfect Graham Cracker Crust

 From:  Perfect Graham Cracker Crust (Video) - Sally's Baking Addiction

Yields: 1 9" crust

1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted

If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin.

Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks.

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or square pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tip: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. If making a pie, run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust⁠—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart when you cut slices.

For a baked dessert, pre-bake this crust per your filling recipe’s directions. I usually pre-bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C). For a no-bake dessert, cool the crust completely before using, unless your filling’s recipe instructs otherwise.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

 From: Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting | Mel's Kitchen Cafe

4 large eggs

1 ⅔ cups (353 g) granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil, can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

2 cups (284 g) sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing

1 (8-ounce) package (227 g) cream cheese, softened

½ cup (113 g) butter or margarine, softened

2 cups (228 g) sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

 From:  Apple Pie by Grandma Ople Recipe

Yields: 1 pie

6 small Granny Smith apples, or as needed

½ cup unsalted butter 

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup white sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup water

1 (9 inch) sour cream pie crust (see recipe in blog)

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Peel and core apples, then thinly slice. Set aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir to form a paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add both sugars and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Press one pastry into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining pastry so it will overhang the pie by about 1/2 inch. Cut pastry into eight 1-inch strips.

Place sliced apples into the bottom crust, forming a slight mound. Lay four pastry strips vertically and evenly spaced over apples, using longer strips in the center and shorter strips at the edges.

Make a lattice crust: Fold the first and third strips all the way back so they're almost falling off the pie. Lay one of the unused strips perpendicularly over the second and fourth strips, then unfold the first and third strips back into their original position.

Fold the second and fourth vertical strips back. Lay one of the three unused strips perpendicularly over top. Unfold the second and fourth strips back into their original position. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 to weave in the last two strips of pastry. Fold and trim excess dough at the edges as necessary, and pinch to secure.

Slowly and gently pour sugar-butter mixture over lattice crust, making sure it seeps over sliced apples. Brush some onto lattice, but make sure it doesn't run off the sides.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and continue baking until apples are soft, 35 to 45 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!