February Recipes Part 2

PANNEKOEKEN

1 c. flour
1 c. milk
4 eggs
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of salt

Heat 2-4 tablespoons butter in 9-inch metal deep dish pie pan (I use a wok or my cast iron fry pan) in 400 degree oven.
Gently mix flour, milk, eggs, nutmeg and salt, leaving lumps. Pour into the hot pie pan. Bake 20 minutes until puffy and brown. It will deflate when cooling.

Serve plain with butter, powdered sugar, syrup or jelly or jam.

OPTIONAL: Spoon 1 can apple or any flavor of pie filling over batter before baking.
Sprinkle ham, cheese, bacon, onions, green peppers, mushrooms or desired topping before baking

ROAST BEEF WITH COKE

1 beef roast, of choice
1 package onion soup mix
1 (12 ounce) can Coke

Put roast in a crock-pot,sprinkle with onion soup mix. I use the Lipton's Onion/Mushroom Soup mix.
Add coke to almost cover the roast.
Cook all day on low (8-10 hours),or on high 5-6 hours.
Liquid makes a great gravy.

MACARONI CON QUESO

2 cups macaroni or other tubular pasta
1 8 oz cream cheese
2 1/2 cups whole milk or half & half
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt, black pepper and cayenne to taste
1 can of diced tomatoes, drained (Rotel tomatoes work great)
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro or basil or 2 tbs dried
1 cup shredded cheddar (divided)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack (divided)

Place dry macaroni in bottom of greased 10-inch pan.

In a blender, mix together the cream cheese and milk with mustard powder, garlic, salt and peppers.

Pour over macaroni. Stir in tomatoes and cilantro or basil.

Stir in 1/2 cup each of cheddar and Monterey Jack. Cover pan tightly with foil, and bake for 30 minutes in a 350 oven.

After the 30 minutes take the pan out of the oven. Remove the foil and gently stir the macaroni once. Top with remaining shredded cheese and continue to bake uncovered for 30 more minutes. Serve.

LEMON POPPY SEED CAKE

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups cake flour (see note)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup poppy seeds
1/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
Confectioners' sugar

Cream butter in mixing bowl. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy. Beat egg yolks in separate bowl until light and lemon colored. Blend yolks thoroughly into butter mixture.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add poppy seeds. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, blending well. Beat in lemon peel, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon extract.

Pour batter into well-buttered, lightly floured 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 40 minutes, or until loaf pulls away from sides of pan and tester comes out clean.

Let cool on rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar before serving.

KING CAKE

PASTRY:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup melted butter

FROSTING:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon water

Scald milk, remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of butter. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm water with 1 tablespoon of the white sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

When yeast mixture is bubbling, add the cooled milk mixture. Whisk in the eggs. Stir in the remaining white sugar, salt and nutmeg. Beat the flour into the milk/egg mixture 1 cup at a time. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours. When risen, punch down and divide dough in half.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F Grease 2 cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

To Make Filling: Combine the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup raisins. Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over the cinnamon mixture and mix until crumbly.

Roll dough halves out into large rectangles (approximately 10x16 inches or so). Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough and roll up each half tightly like a jelly roll, beginning at the wide side. Bring the ends of each roll together to form 2 oval shaped rings. Place each ring on a prepared cookie sheet. With scissors make cuts 1/3 of the way through the rings at 1 inch intervals. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Push the doll into the bottom of the cake. (I use a Pecan and bake it in the cake) Frost while warm with the confectioners' sugar blended with 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle with colored sugars in traditional colors, gold, purple, green.