Mardi Gras King Cake

My recipe is modified from this one from All Recipes.

Ingredients
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 C white sugar
1 C warm milk

1/2 C butter, melted and mostly cooled
5 egg yolks

4 1/2 C all purpose flour + more for kneading
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

for the filling:
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 C powdered sugar

for the icing:
2 C powdered sugar
scant 1/4 C lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk

green, yellow, and purple sprinkles

Directions:
Melt the butter and set aside so it can cool a bit.  Preheat the oven to 175; when it reaches the temp turn off the oven so it is the right temperature for raising the dough.

Mix the first three ingredients together; set aside for about 10 minutes while yeast activates.

Blend butter and egg yolks in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest.

Combine yest and butter mixtures.  When well blended, add the flour mixture.  When the dough has gathered into a ball in the bowl, dump it onto a lightly floured surface to knead.  Add flour as needed; the dough should be soft but not sticky. 

Take a large, oven-proof bowl (I use a large, glass bowl - the same one I mix in so I have to quickly wash it out.) and lightly coat with canola oil.  Put the dough in the bowl and flip it over so the top of the dough is coated with oil.  Loosely cover with a damp towel (I used a wet paper towel) and place in a warm oven.  It should take 1-2 hours for the dough to double.  Meanwhile mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar.

When doubled, remove the dough from the bowl and roll out into a long, thin rectangle, approximately 6"x30".  (You could also divide the dough in half and make two smaller King Cakes.)  Spread the cream cheese filling down the center of the rectangle.  Fold the two sides over the filling, creating a thick rope.  Pinch the ends of the rope shut so the filling won't bake out. 

Place the rope on a lightly greased baking sheet, seam side down.  If you have a baby Jesus to bake into it, put it in now.  Position the dough so the hole in the center is large and won't fill in as the dough rises again.  Put a damp cloth on it again and place in a re-warmed oven so it can rise again.  This will take 30-60 minutes.

When the dough has raised again take out of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the icing. 

When the King Cake has cooled frost with the lemon-icing.  Add purple, green, and yellow sprinkles. 

The Best Apple Cider

My friend Joanna and I were talking about her post for the Advent series over at A Knotted Life.  She mentioned to me that she is in possession of the  best apple cider recipe, a beaut that was handed down from her grandmother. 

And she offered to share it with me and my readers.  So yay for us!

Ingredients:

2 quart cider
1 quart cranberry juice
1 C orange juice
1 C sugar
1 tsp whole allspice
1 tsp whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

Also needed: cheesecloth and stock pot

Directions:

In large stockpot combine cider, juices, and sugar.
Place allspice, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in cheesecloth.  Wrap and tie into a bundle.
Place cheesecloth bundle in stockpot and bring the cider to a boil.
Simmer for approximately 45 minutes to let the spices do their magic.

Can be stored in fridge and enjoyed warm or cold.

Homemade Casey's Breakfast Pizza

I married a man with a thing for Casey's Breakfast Pizza.  I hate to admit it, but the stuff actually is pretty good. 

Last weekend he decided that he would make his own breakfast pizza at home and it was a triumphant success. 

So, so, so good.

 Ingredients:

pizza crust (see recipe below)

1 small can Frito's cheese dip

1 lb sausage

6 eggs

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350

- Prepare crust.

- Brown sausage and drain fat.

- Scramble and cook eggs.

- Assemble pizza: Spread 1/2 the Frito cheese dip on the pizza crust.  Spread the cooked sausage and eggs on top of the cheese.  Cover with the shredded cheese.

- Bake for 10 minutes.

- Enjoy the awesome.

My pizza crust recipe:

3 cups flour (can use 1c whole wheat)
1 package fast-acting yeast
1 cup very warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

-In a large bowl combine 1c flour and the yeast. Add the water and stir.
-Add the oil, sugar, salt and remaining flour, blending it until it forms a ball. (You may need to add more water, oil or flour depending on the texture and humidity in the air. It should moist but not sticky.)
-Turn it out on a lightly floured surface and knead 8 - 10 times, form it into a ball. 
- Roll dough into disc and let rise in warm space.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

Simple.  Yummy.  Filling.  Everyone loved it.  It does not get better than that.

Here's my "I-slapped-this-together-for-dinner" recipe.

1/2 box rigatoni (or similar pasta), cooked to al dente
pepperoni slices
1 C shredded mozzarella
1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese
red sauce (recipe below)

Red sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1-2 Tbsp sugar
1 scant Tbsp basil
1 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
bit of pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp oregano
 Cook til thickened.

In deep casserole dish layer pasta, sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, parm cheese.  Put in microwave for 3 mins for cheese to melt.

Eat awesome.

chocolate crinkles

Per Joanna's request:

Chocolate Crinkles

1/2 C vegetable oil
4 sq unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 C sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 C powdered sugar
Mix oil, chocolate, and sugar.  Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed.  Add vanilla.  In seperate bowl mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to oil mixture.  Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350.  Shape teaspoonsful of dough into balls and drop into powdered sugar.  Roll in sugar.  Place about 2" apart on greased baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 min.  Do not overbake!

Cool on cookie sheet a couple of minutes; cool completely on wire wrack.

Pour a glass of milk and indulge.

spinach lasagna rolls

Tonight's dinner featured

- spinach lasagna rolls from skinnytaste.com

and as sides we had

- chicken breasts
- green beans
- spinach and lettuce salad

It was delicious!  Our female dinner guest and I both loved the lasagna but even Travis liked them!
I even thought the assembly was easy!

super good from skinny taste

Dinner this week has included this outstandingly good Potato Soup.  It uses more cauliflower than spuds and is delish topped with some crumbled turkey bacon and sharp cheddar cheese.

I modified it a bit - made a bigger batch and used a few more taters in the process - but the result was still fabulous.

And perhaps the best part - I didn't burn the bacon!!!

Dinner tonight is in the crock pot and smells awesome:  Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken.

Both dinners are fairly easy, really good, and pretty good for you.  Must continue to use Skinny Taste for my meal planning.