Maple Butter Twists

This recipe brings back fond memories of the Bettendorf Grocery Store Bakery in St. Louis.  If you are a Maple Lover..check this link out:  http://www.maplesyrupworld.com/pages/maple-syrup-recipe.html

Yield: 2 cakes; 16 servings

1/2 cup milk

1 envelope active dry yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast

1/4 cup warm water

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, divided

3 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided

11/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs

3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring

1/2 cup walnuts chopped

Powdered sugar or maple glaze, see note

1. Heat milk in a small pot just until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Remove from heat, but keep warm. Soften yeast in warm water.

2. In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, salt and hot milk. Stir in unbeaten eggs and softened yeast. Gradually add 3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups flour, just enough to form a stiff dough, beating well after each addition. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

3. Meanwhile, let the remaining 1/4 cup butter come to room temperature. After dough is done rising, beat softened butter until light. Add brown sugar, remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar, maple syrup, remaining 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, maple flavoring and walnuts. Beat until fluffy.

4. Toss dough on a well-floured surface to coat with flour.

Divide dough in half. Roll out one portion to a 14-by-8-inch rectangle. Spread with half of the nut filling. Roll up, starting with a 14-inch side. Cut roll in half lengthwise. Twist strips together, cut sides up. Shape into a ring in a well-greased 8- or 9-inch round pan. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

5. Cover pans. Let rise in a warm place until light, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake cakes 25 to 30 minutes, until done. If desired, spoon glaze over cooled cakes.

Note: To make a glaze, stir together sifted powdered sugar with milk or water to reach desired consistency. Flavor to taste with vanilla or maple flavoring.

Per serving: 250 calories; 9g fat; 4g saturated fat; 40mg cholesterol; 5g protein; 38g carbohydrate; 17g sugar; 1g fiber; 230mg sodium; 30mg calcium.

Tex Mex Pot Roast and Beef Tortilla Soup

This recipe calls for a Chuck Pot Roast...BUT... this recipe is perfect for a goat/shoulder roast..slow cook with lots of moisture.

Ingredients

2 medium carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp quick-cooking tapioca
1 (2-1/2 pound) chuck pot roast
1 (1.25 ounce) pkg Hy-Vee taco seasoning mix
1 (14.5 ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ounce) jar Hy-Vee mild thick and chunky salsa
Preparation
In a 3-1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker combine carrots, bell pepper, onion and garlic. Sprinkle tapioca over top. Rub roast with taco seasoning mix; place on top of vegetables.
Combine tomatoes and salsa and pour over roast in cooker. Cover; cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
Remove roast from cooker. Reserve one-third of beef.* Slice remaining beef and return to cooker. Serve beef and vegetables with a slotted spoon. Reserve remaining liquid.*
*Note: Shred beef or cut into chunks; place in a container. Transfer remaining liquid to another container. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Use in Beef Tortilla Soup.
Source: Hy-Vee Seasons Back to School 2010.
Yield Serves 4 + reserves.

Beef Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
Reserved beef and liquid from the Tex-Mex Pot Roast
1 (14.5 ounce) can Hy-Vee diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can Hy-Vee stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 ounce) can Hy-Vee pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Hy-Vee frozen whole kernel corn
Hy-Vee tortilla chips, for serving
Preparation
Combine reserved beef and liquid, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, pinto beans and corn in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve soup topped with tortilla chips.
For lunches to go: Transfer soup to individual insulated containers and tortilla chips to airtight containers.
Source: Hy-Vee Seasons Back to School 2010.

Goat's Milk and Brown Sugar Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

• 1. 2 cups goat's milk
  2. 2 cups heavy cream
  3. 8 large egg yolks
  4. 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
  5. Pinch of salt
  6. Splash of rum

  7. DIRECTIONS

     1. In a medium saucepan, bring the goat''s milk and cream just to a boil; remove from the heat.
     2. Meanwhile, in a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the brown sugar. Very gradually whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot milk and cream, then gradually whisk in the rest. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and rum.
     3. Strain the custard into a large stainless-steel bowl set in an ice-water bath and stir occasionally until thoroughly chilled. Working in 2 batches, freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer''s instructions. Freeze the ice cream in airtight containers for up to 1 day.

Charleston Coconut Cakebread

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 ounces)
a 7-ounce jar macadamia nuts (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs
1-tablespoon vanilla
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt

Glaze: 1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup amber or dark rum 


Baking:  Preheat oven to 350°F. and butter and flour a 10-inch (3 quart) bundt pan. Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in middle of oven, stirring occasionally and watching carefully to avoid burning, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer coconut to a bowl and cool. Spread nuts in pan and toast in middle of oven until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool nuts and chop coarse.

Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy and beat in cream cheese. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in vanilla. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl and beat just until combined well. Stir in coconut and chopped nuts.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto rack.

Finishing:  In a small heavy saucepan bring water with sugar to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in rum.  Brush hot glaze evenly over outside of warm cake until absorbed. Cool cake completely before topping with ice cream.

ETLLI EKMEK (Meat Stuffed Bread)

Ingredients:
Bread Dough:
1/2      teaspoon active dry yeast
1/4      Cup warm water plus 1/4 cup water or more as
           needed
1 3/4   Cups flour, plus more for kneading
1/4      teaspoon salt
1         Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Lamb/Kid Filling:
1          Small onion, very finely chopped
1          Large Tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
            small*
7          Ounces Lean ground Lamb/Kid (about 1 cup)
1          teaspoon lemon juice
1/2       teaspoon ground allspice
1/4       teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4       teaspoon cayenne pepper
--         Salt and fresh ground blackpepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the dough:
Stir the yeast into 1/4 cup warm water until creamy. Stir 1 3/4 cups flour and salt together in a bowl. Then make a well in the center.  Add the olive oil and work it in with your fingers. Then add the yeast mixture and another 1/4 cup water, or a little more if needed to make a dough that cleans the bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Dusting with flour as needed. Cover with an inverted bowl. Let rest for 15 minutes.

To Make the Filling:
Combine all ingredients for filling.
Mixing well with your hand.

To SHAPE and COOK:
Preheat oven to the highest setting and fit with 2 racks. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. Sprinkle with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and  rest for 15 minutes.

Working with 1 ball at a time. Flatten with your hand into a 5-inch round. Then pull and stretch it into a 10-inch-long oval. If the dough is elastic and wants to spring back, let it rest for a few moments. Then try again.
The stretched dough should be quite thin. Transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining balls of dough.

Divide the meat mixture among the ovals. Spreading it evenly and pressing it into the dough so it adheres.
Bake 15-20 minutes until the bread it golden.
Serve immediately.

Note:
* to peel and seed the tomato:
Place in boiling water about 15 seconds. Drain adn place in ice water. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins. Cut in half cross-wise and squeeze out the seeds.

Makes 4 breads:

As this bread travels quite nicehly across borders.. some are 'spicier' some may even add some exotic concoctions like pomegranate molasses and omit the tomato. Heck, if you like to Experiment you may even come up with something that you could put your 'signature' on.