Thursday, January 21, 2010

Sugar Cookies

• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2½ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix butter, sugar, eggs & vanilla thoroughly. Then blend in the dry ingredients, adding the flour gradually. Cover and chill for at least an hour. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take part of the dough, knead it a bit with flour so it handles easily. Then roll & cut the cookies, using flour so the dough doesn’t stick to the counter top or the rolling pin.

Bake 6-8 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen 3-inch cookies.

SOUR CREAM FROSTING
Everyone wants to lick the beater

• 4 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 4 teaspoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla

food coloring

Whip all ingredients except food coloring together until smooth. If the frosting is too thin, add a little more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk (or sour cream to taste). Once you have the frosting texture you want, add food coloring as desired.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

French Peasant Bread

-1 package (2 1/2 tsp) dry yeast
-2 C warm water
-1 Tbsp sugar
-2 tsp. salt
-4 C flour
corn meal
melted butter

Place yeast, water, sugar, and salt in bowl and stir until dissolved. Add flour and stsif until blended. Don not knead. (also no need for your kitchen aid, just mix with spoon) Cover and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size. Flour hands, remove dough from the bowl and place in 2 round pans (prepare the pans with oil and sprinkled with corn meal) the dough will be goopy and sticky! Let rise and additional hour. Brush the tops with melted butter and bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven to 375 and cook an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with butter again. Serve warm.