Homemade Soft Pretzels

Prep Time: 30 min
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Serves: 8 pretzels

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Place them on a wire rake to let the water drip off. Place onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Pork Roast and Mashed Potatoes

Pork loin roast (I usually cut them in half)
Peeled Potatoes (1 ½ per person serving)
2 onions
4 peeled cloves of garlic.

Being of German descent, I grew up with a lot of pork roasts. Making this dish comes naturally. It occurred to me that you might not know how to make a pork roast. This is perfect to put in the oven as you walk out the door for church and come home to a great smelling house and fabulous tasting dinner.

Place all ingredients in a 9 X 13 pan. Add water so it comes halfway up the pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Cook for four hours at 300 degrees. Remove the potatoes and garlic cloves and blend them in an electric mixer with a stick of butter. Add milk until the mashed potatoes are creamy.

I serve with gravy made from McCormick pork gravy mix. Don’t buy the generic.

Scotch-A-Roos

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup light corn syrup
6 cups Rice Krispies
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 bag peanut butter chips

I am not sure why these are called Scotch-A-Roos. I think some people make them with butterscotch chips in the topping. I personaly love peanutbutter.

Mix sugar, peanut butter, and corn syrup in a glass bowl and melt on high for two minutes in the microwave. Mix well and add Rice Krispies. Pour into a greased cake pan. Mix milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chips together and melt in microwave for 2 minutes on high. Pour over rice Krispies mixture. Let cool in the refrigerator and cut into small pieces. Serve at room temperature and you do not need to store these in the refrigerator.

Brownie Swirl Cheesecake

crust

10oz brownie mix prepared according to package

filling

4 x 8 oz packages cream cheese

1¼ C granulated sugar

½ C sour cream

2 t vanilla extract

5 eggs

1 cup milk Chocolate Chips Melted

garnish

whipped cream

All ingredients should be room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt a T of butter and brush onto a 10 X 3 round cake pan. Line the pan with parchment paper cutting out a circle for the bottom and a long strip to go around the sides. You could also use a 10” spring form, but I prefer the cake pan.

Pour brownie batter into your pan. If using a spring form, wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake in the water bath. Bake for 10 minutes at 350, not in a water bath. Take out of the oven and reduce the temperature to 250 degrees.

Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar. Mix for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and mix well. Combine vanilla and eggs in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and mix it with a fork. Add half of the liquid mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the egg mixture and blend well.

Pour filling over your brownie crust. Spoon melted chocolate over cream cheese mixture, cut through cheese and chocolate mixture several times to achieve a marble effect.

Heat about 8 cups of water in the microwave for 8 minutes. I use a 16 X 3 inch round cake pan for my water bath. I place the pan in the oven with a dish towel in the pan (this prevents splashing). Place the cheesecake into the 16” pan. Add the water. It should go about halfway up the cheesecake. Bake for 1 ½ hours. The cheesecake will not look done. Turn off the oven and leave the door open for 1 minute. Close the door and leave the cake in the oven for 1 more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the cheesecake is cool, cover the cheesecake and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Too remove from pan, fill your sink with hot water. Float the cheesecake in the water for 10 minutes to melt the butter. Pull up the parchment paper from the sides. Place a cake board or a spring form bottom on the top of the cake. Flip the cake over. Flip cake over again onto your serving surface.

Apply a pile of canned whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve.

I made up this recipe from a combination of recipes I found. I didn't love the chocolate swirl. In the furture I will leave it out and use hot fudge as a topping. The chocolate made the pieces hard to cut.

Peanut Butter and Cream Brownies

19.5 oz package of brownie mix
8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
1 cup peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 8oz. carton of Cool Whip
4 Reeces Peanut Butter Cups Frozen

Prepare brownie mix according to package directions.

Line two muffin pans with aluminum foil cupcake liners. You should have 24. Spoon the brownie mix into the muffin pans. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove for the pan but not from the liners and let cool completely.

In an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese with the peanut butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and blend. Fold in the cool whip.

Put the mixture into a cake decorator bag and pipe it on each brownie starting from the outsides and swirling your way to the middle.

Coarsely chop up the peanut butter cups and sprinkle on top. Refrigerate to set up.

A Tiffany Original

The Easiest Mint Brownies EVER

One Brownie Mix
One bag of Andes Mint Chips
One stick of butter

Prepare the brownies according to the directions, in a 9 X 13” pan. Let them cool.

Put the butter and chips in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Spread on the brownies. Chill in the refrigerator until the topping has set. Serve at room temperature.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I would have a picture, but my family ate this so quickly that there was no time for photos.

Crust
1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)
1/3 cup butter, melted

Filling
½ C raspberry preserves
¼ C water
4 x 8 oz packages cream cheese
1¼ C granulated sugar
½ C sour cream
2 t vanilla extract
5 eggs
4 oz white chocolate, chopped into chunks ( I used white chocolate chips in my food processor)

Garnish
2 oz white chocolate, shaved
whipped cream

All ingredients should be room temperature.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt a T of butter and brush onto a 9 X 3 round cake pan. Line the pan with parchment paper cutting out a circle for the bottom and a long strip to go around the sides. You could also use a 9” spring form, but I prefer the cake pan.

Measure 1 ½ cups chocolate cookie crumbs, or crush 20 Oreo cookie wafers (with the filling scraped out) into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted butter. Press the crumb into a 9" pan. Using your fingers, press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. If using a spring form, wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake in the water bath. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

Combine the raspberry preserves with ¼ cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1½ minutes on high in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds (toss them out), then let the strained preserves sit to cool, and then put the bowl in the refrigerator until later.

Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar. Mix for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Add the sour cream and mix well. Combine vanilla and eggs in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup and mix it with a fork. Add half of the liquid mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the egg mixture and blend well.

Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle 4 oz of white chocolate chunks onto the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. Just a couple passes is fine, you don't want to blend the raspberry and cream cheese together too much. Pour the other half of the filling into the crust.

Heat about 8 cups of water in the microwave for 8 minutes. I use a 16 X 3 inch round cake pan for my water bath. I place the pan in the oven with a dish towel in the pan (this prevents splashing). Place the cheesecake into the 13” pan. Add the water. It should go about halfway up the cheesecake. Bake for 1 ½ hours. The cheesecake will not look done. Turn off the oven and leave the door open for 1 minute. Close the door and leave the cake in the oven for 1 more hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the cheesecake is cool, cover the cheesecake and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

To remove from pan, fill your sink with hot water. Float the cheesecake in the water for 10 minutes to melt the butter. Pull up the parchment paper from the sides. Place a cake board or a spring form bottom on the top of the cake. Flip the cake over. Flip cake over again onto your serving surface.

Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 oz of shaved white chocolate. To serve, slice the cheesecake into 12 equal portions. Apply a pile of canned whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve.