Spritz Cookies

Cream together:
3/4 c sugar
1 c butter

Add:
2 egg yolks
1 t vanilla or almond extract

 Mix together and stir in:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt

Beat well. The dough should be pliable, but not too soft. If it is, chill slightly. Put dough in cookie press and press onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Add decorative sugars before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking.

Erin's Pasta Bake

Erin Hutton made this for her baby shower at Eva's house. It was a hit!

• 16 oz package of uncooked pasta, shells or small zita
• 1 jar of Prego pasta sauce, garlic/her flavored
• 16 oz package of ground Johnsonville hot Italian sausage, not links. If using links, remove from casing.

• 2 cups grated mozarella, not fine shred

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Brown the sausage.
3. In a 9X13 pan, add the uncooked pasta, sauce, and sausage. 
4. Add 1 jar full of water.
5. Mix well,making sure the pasta is completely covered with the sauce.
6. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. 
7. Remove from the oven and stir. Cover and return to oven for another 15 minutes. 
8. If the pasta is tender, remove from oven. If not, return to oven until tender.
9. Sprinkle cheese over the cooked pasta and serve.

Pie Crust in the Processor

Ingredients for 1 pie crust. Double if you need crusts-it will fit in the processor

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

5 tablespoons shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons ice water

 

Directions

1. Measure the flour into the processor with the regular blade attached. Add the unsalted butter, cut into cubes. (Your fat should be frozen or very cold.) Add salt. Pulse three times with three counts per pulse to lightly mix the ingredients.
2. With the motor running, pour ice water into the workbowl just until the dough just starts to get noticeably crumbly. Don't wait until it is a big clump or it will be way too wet and will turn out tough.
3. Stop the machine, dump the crumbly dough into a bowl, and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. you can squeeze it a bit to make it stick together. If it just won't form a ball, add a tiny bit more water. (Note that if you are making crust in the food processor, you will use less water than most recipes call for.)
4. Wrap your dough ball in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill it about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll it out on a cool surface if you can. Then follow your pie recipe for baking.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 207 | Total Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 16mg

Mike's Nutz

Ingredients
 1 - egg white
 1 - Tbsp water
 1 - Lb pecan halves
 1 - cup sugar
 1 - tsp salt
 1 - tsp cinnamon (may use more for taste)

Procedure
- Beat egg white and water until fluffy
- Mix in sugar, salt, and cinnamon
- Stir in pecans until all are covered
- spread pecans on silpat
- Bake @ 300 degrees for 45 minutes

Special Note:  stir every 15 minutes during baking.  Let cool on silpat.

My brother, Mike Hutton makes these at Christmastime.

Tres Leches

Texas Sheet Cake

 

6/6/08 Big hit at Kevin's graduation BBQ. 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Frosting:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

PREPARATION:

Cake

Grease a 15X10X1-inch or jelly roll pan or a 13X9X2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. With an electric hand-held mixer on medium speed, beat chocolate mixture into the dry mixture until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute (batter will be thin). Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes for the 15X10-inch pan or 35 minutes for the 13X9-inch pan, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Pour warm chocolate frosting over the warm cake, spreading evenly. Place cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly before cutting.

Makes 24 servings.

Frosting:

In a medium saucepan combine 1/4 cup butter or margarine, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 3 tablespoons buttermilk. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until smooth. If desired, stir in 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans.

Cover with plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.

Rabbit Easter Cake

 

Cut out cakes as indicated.

Place on foiled lined platter.

Frost with white buttercream frosting, sprinkle with coconut immediately. Sprinkle green coconut around the rabbit.