Amish White Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 packet active dry yeast 

1/3 cup sugar

3/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cups bread flour

Instructions:

Mix sugar and warm water; stir in yeast.

Add salt and oil.

Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time. Knead dough until smooth.

Let dough rise in an oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth, for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Punch dough down, knead for a few minutes. Shape into loaf and place in oiled loaf pan. Let rise for another 30 minutes in the pan, or until dough has risen an inch above the pan rim.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Read More

Caramel Apple Cream Cheese Cookie Bars

ingredients

3 Tablespoons melted butter

3 Cups Golden Graham Cereal

1 Roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough 

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

21 oz can apple pie filling

1.5 oz package Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey Crunchy Granola Bars , crushed 

9.5 oz Kraft Caramels

1/2 Cup half and half

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine melted butter and ground cereal into a large bowl; press into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes then remove from oven. Crumble half of the cookie dough over partially baked crust.

2. Place cream cheese, sugar and vanilla into a mixer; beat until smooth. Pour over crumbled cookie dough layer. Bake for 25 minutes then remove from over. Top with 3/4 of the apple pie filling. Next top with remaining cookie dough, breaking off into little pieces evenly over top. Sprinkle with crushed granola bars and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes clean from center. Let cool completely then cut into squares. Melt caramels and half and half according to package directions. Drizzle over each bar. Refrigerate leftovers.

Read More

Creamy Cheesy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

5 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz spaghetti

1 cup cooked pasta water

1 chicken bullion cube

1 cup heavy cream

1 and 1/2 cups of Four-Cheese Italian White Cheese Blend (Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Provolone, Asiago)

parsley or chives or green onions, finely chopped

Instructions:

Cook minced garlic and shrimp in olive oil and butter for about 2 minutes on medium heat, occasionally stirring, without burning. Remove the shrimp from the pan.

Cook pasta in a separate pan, drain. Reserve some of cooked pasta water. Dissolve 1 cube of chicken broth bullion in 1 cup of hot pasta water.

Add pasta water (with the dissolved chicken broth bullion cube in it), heavy cream, and cooked spaghetti to the skillet where you cooked shrimp. Bring to boil, stirring. Once the liquids are boiling, immediately add cheese and keep stirring everything together (spaghetti and the cream), while boiling, until cheese melts and coats pasta, for about 1 minute. Reduce to simmer and continue to cook, constantly stirring, to thicken the sauce - for another minute or two. Stir in half amount of shrimp.

To serve, top each serving with the remaining half amount of shrimp and top with chives or finely chopped chives, or green onions, or parsley

Read More

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cups

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs 

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 tbsp. sugar

For the cheesecake:

12 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup sour cream

½ cup peanut butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Dash vanilla extract

Pinch of coarse salt

For the ganache:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 

½ cup heavy cream

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. 

2. To make the crust, combine the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a small bowl.  Mix with a fork until evenly blended.  Divide the crust mixture between the wells of the prepared pan, about 2-3 teaspoons in each.  Press the crumb mixture into a flat layer on the bottom of the well.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300˚ F.  To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and well blended.  Add in the sugar and mix until incorporated, about 1 minute more, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the egg and egg yolk, vanilla and salt.  Continue to beat until the mixture is completely smooth.

4. Divide the mixture evenly over the cookie crumb crusts and smooth the tops slightly.  Bake just until set, about 22 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature.  Once completely cool, transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill thoroughly, at least 3 hours.

5. Once the cheesecakes are well chilled, carefully remove them from the pan.  To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer over medium heat.  Once simmering, remove from the heat and immediately pour over the chocolate.  Let stand 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in small circular motions until a smooth ganache has formed.  Whisk in the butter until completely incorporated.

6. Let the mixture stand at room temperature until slightly thickened for piping onto the cheesecakes. 

Read More

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter

kosher salt and black pepper

1 pound penne rigate 

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each) 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour

6 garlic cloves, finely minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced (I used 8 oz of button mushrooms)

1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces) 

1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.

While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes). Use a little extra olive oil if needed.(Since I used left over chicken, I just cooked the mushrooms in the olive oil)

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot , melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer. Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes. If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie. If cooking, sprinkle on top.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Read More