Apple Cider Donuts

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Apple Cider
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Solid Vegetable Shortening
2 Large Eggs
½ Cup Buttermilk
3½ Cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Nutmeg
Vegetable Oil or Shortening for frying.

Before baking starts, set up donut making stations to streamline the process and keep everyone from stepping on each other’s toes.

Step 1: Mixing Station

At the first station, put a few of your Home Maven friends in charge of heating the cider and mixing the ingredients together in bowls to create the dough. If you’d like, you can reduce several cups of cider (one for each batch you plan to make) beforehand to speed up the process.

Friends stationed here will follow these instructions:

* Boil 1 cup of apple cider in a small saucepan for 8 to 10 minutes or until cider is reduced to 1/4 cup; let cool.
* In a large bowl, beat sugar with solid shortening until smooth. Add eggs and mix well, then add buttermilk and cooled cider.
* In a medium-sized bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add to liquid ingredients; mix ingredients just enough to combine.

Step 2: Donut-Cutting Station

At the second station, set up an area on a flat surface with a lightly floured board for cutting and shaping dough. Place baking pans covered in wax paper or parchment nearby for finished donut shapes.

Friends stationed here will follow these instructions:

* Transfer dough to the lightly floured board and pat to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a 3-inch donut cutter; re-roll the excess donut holes and cut scraps back into the dough.
* Refrigerate formed donuts on baking sheets for about 20 minutes to help firm the dough prior to frying.

Step 3: Frying Station

If you want to work at a faster pace, you can provide two frying pans at this station so more donuts can be fried at once. Also provide plates with several layers of paper towels for draining the donuts after frying.

Friends stationed here will follow these instructions:

* Add enough oil or shortening to fill a deep (3-inch) pan; heat to approximately 375°F or until the oil is bubbling.
* Fry several donuts at a time, turning once or twice until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
* Remove and place on paper towels for draining and cooling.

Step 4: Cinnamon and Sugar Station

Have one or two helpers put the finishing touch on the donuts by supplying large plastic zip-top bags containing a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Once the donuts have drained and cooled a bit, they will shake up the donuts in the bag. Finished donuts can be placed on a wire rack to continue cooling.

For an added touch, have friends at this station pour the excess apple cider into a large saucepan and heat with cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves and orange peel. Since they won’t have much to do right away they can keep an eye on the hot apple cider and stir occasionally. Not only will it add warm festive fragrances throughout your home, it makes a tasty complement to the donuts.

Triple Layer Pumpkin Pie

I saw this one while in a store and really liked it. Hope you will too.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups cold milk
* 2 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Pumpkin Spice Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
* 1 (6 ounce) HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust
* 1/2 cup PLANTERS Pecan Halves
* 1 tablespoon honey


DIRECTIONS

1. Beat milk, dry pudding mixes and cinnamon with wire whisk until well blended. Spread 1-1/2 cups onto bottom of crust.
2. Add 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping to remaining pudding mixture; stir gently. Spoon over layer in crust; top with remaining whipped topping.
3. Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook pecans and honey in skillet on medium-low heat 2 to 4 min. or until pecans are caramelized, stirring frequently. Spread onto sheet of waxed paper, separating larger clusters. Cool. Sprinkle over pie just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.


Nutritional Information

Servings Per Recipe: 10
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 294

* Total Fat: 12.8g
* Cholesterol: 4mg
* Sodium: 421mg
* Total Carbs: 20.6g
* -Dietary Fiber: 0.9g
* Protein: 2.9g

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Wet Ingredients
2½ -Sticks Butter
¾C -Brown Sugar
½C -Sugar
1 -Egg
1 tsp -Vanilla

Dry Ingredients
1½C -Flour
1tsp -Baking Soda
1tsp -Salt
1tsp -Cinnamon
¼ tsp -Nutmeg

Oats & More
3C -Oats
1C -Craisins


In separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and set aside.

In another bowl combine all of the wet ingredients blend well.

Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixing in between.

Once all is blended well add the oats one cup at a time mixing after each addition.

Once the oats are mixed in add the craisins and nuts and whatever else.
Mix well.

Spoon onto a lined cookie sheet. You can fit about 20 cookies onto a sheet. A double batch yields over 100 cookies.

Bake at 350º for about 12-15mins or until golden brown.

Pumpkin Buns

I found this one on Lisa's Craft & Food Blog. She has some great ideas and recipes you should look through.

I am always looking for new ways to use pumpkin so I HAD to post this one. Enjoy!

1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 15 oz. solid packed pumpkin
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt

Filling: 1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze: 2 cups confectioners sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in karge bowl. Add 1 teaspoon sugar; let stand til foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the eggs, butter and pumpkin.

Gradually add 5 cups of the flour and the salt, scraping side of bowl, until soft dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface and knead remaining 1/2 cup flour onto dough. Dough will be soft.

Grease a bowl; add dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.

Coat 2 13x10 inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Make filling: Mix butter, sugar and brown sugars, cinnamon in a bowl.

Punch down dough. Roll out half onto lightly floured surface to form a 16x10 inch rectangle. Spread with half of filling. Starting on one long side, roll up jelly roll fashion. Pinch seam to close. Repeat with second half of dough and filling.

Cut each log crooswise into 12 generous 1 inch pieces. Arrange 12 pieces, cut side down, in each prepared pan. Cover with plastic; let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30-45 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden brown and bubbly, 28-33 minutes. Tranfer to wire rack; let cool 10 minutes.

Glaze: Blend confectioners sugar and milk. Drizzle over buns. Serve warm.

Millionaire's Shortbread

Ingredients

Shortbread:
2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pans
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter

Chocolate Topping:
3/4 pound good-quality milk chocolate

Shortbread:
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 9x13 nonstick pan and coat with flour, tapping off excess - or line with parchment paper. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pan and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula.

Chocolate Topping:

Prepare the chocolate by chopping finely or have a bag of mini milk chocolate - chocolate chips ready. While the caramel is still warm sprinkle the chocolate on top of the caramel mixture and let set until chocolate starts to melt. Once warm enough spread the chocolate with an off set spatula to cover the caramel mixture. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container, at room temperature, or my favorite - keep in the refrigerator for a yummy sweet and cool treat!

Vanilla Cookies

Found a mother friendly recipe for all of you who have children and who probably have a box of vanilla cookies in their pantry cupboard. So why not try making a batch for your little ones!

Courtesy of Kitchen Tandav

As easy as easy gets

Recipe:

Vanilla cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix and drop marble sized balls onto greased baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

You can use any of the following combinations to replace the cake mix and extract:

- lemon cake mix with lemon juice
- chocolate cake mix with kahlua chocolate sauce
- Spice cake mix and cinnamon

Cake Doughnuts

So Joe wanted to make doughnuts a while back. . .from scratch. I was exhausted that day so I just printed up a recipe real quick and told him to have at it. He made them and they turned out like fried rings of something unidentifiable.

But some of the rings that were fatter tasted like they should have. So I wanted to give it a go. I also quadrupled the recipe to accommodate our large family. As it is we can't order just one dozen of doughnuts and be satisfied. Now we need at least 2 dozen and 3 dozen if we want some to snack on later in the day. Since Joe used the original recipe and it BARELY made enough tiny squashed doughnut I knew I needed more.

8 C. Flour
2 C. Sugar
1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp Salt
¼ C. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 Stick Butter Melted
2 C. Milk
4 Eggs

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix in butter until crumbly. With a mixer; mix in milk and egg until well incorporated. Divide dough into manageable section and then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a doughnut cutter, or use two round biscuit cutters of different sizes.

Carefully drop doughnuts into hot oil, a few at a time. Do not overcrowd pan or oil may overflow. Fry, turning once, for 3 minutes or until golden. Drain on paper towels.

GLAZE:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
6 Tbsp Milk
Some lemon or lime juice to taste.

POWDER:
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
¼ Cup Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg

Recipe Yields apx 3 Dozen Doughnuts and 3 Dozen Doughnut Holes

Make Your Own

I did not know that you could make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk!

It was brought up in the Fudge thread that you could make it and I did NOT know that!

It is yet another super simple recipe that you can do, especially if you are in a pinch and find you are out of it. Or do like others and just always make your own.


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3/4 cup boiling water
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup white sugar
2 2/3 cups nonfat dry milk powder


DIRECTIONS
Combine water, butter, sugar and milk powder in a blender and blend until thickened, 2 minutes. Store in refrigerator.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Delicious Fudge

Ok. I have to hand it to the ladies at the Large Family boards, because they really do know how to cut down on time and really make things super simple!

I don't normally make fudge because I always felt it was way to labor intensive! Then someone posted this super simple fudge recipe. I tried it tonight with some of the Andes Mint chips for some minty fudge and it was delicious. My husband was shocked at how fast I made it too, LOL!

Seriously you have go to try this one and add it to your holiday baking list.


Chocolate Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 C chocolate chips
4 Tb butter

Put all ingredients into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir well. Microwave again for another 30 seconds and stir again. If it is not thuroughly melted at this point then nuke for 20 second intervals, stirring inbetween until completely melted and mixed.

Pour into an 8x8 greased or lined pan.

Chill until set.

Cut and serve.

*You can add nuts, crushed up candy canes, mint extract, orange extract, flavored extracts of any kind, whatever you like. Try making two layer fudge with peanut butter fudge!


Peanut Butter Fudge
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C white baking chips
1/2 c peanut butter
1tsp vanilla

Prepare the same way as above.

Minty Chocolate Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C chocolate chips
1 C Mint Chips
4 Tb butter

Prepare as above, but pour only half of the mixture into the pan then add a layer of the left over mint chips and then pour the rest of the mix on top. (This is what I did for the Andes mint fudge and it was delicious!)

Other ideas:
Cherry flavoring with some chopped up dried cherried added.
Orange extract or flavoring and add dried citrus with some chopped walnuts.
Raisins with peanuts for a Chunky Candy Bar effect.

Be creative and share the fun this holiday season.

Thanks to JoyofSix for this wonderful recipe!

Parker House Rolls

Makes 3 dozen

• 1/2 cup melted (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more melted butter for brushing bowl
• 1 1/2 cups warm (115 degrees) milk
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 to 6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

Directions

1. Brush a large bowl with butter; set aside. In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over 1/4 cup milk. Let stand until soft, about 5 minutes. In another large bowl, combine butter, sugar, salt, remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, and egg. Whisk to combine. Whisk in yeast mixture.


2. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour, 1 cup at a time, until you have a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in prepared bowl, turning to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let stand in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.


3. Punch down dough. Cut into 2 pieces. Invert bowl over dough, and let rest for 10 minutes. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll into a 12-inch square, about 1/3-inch thick. Cut into six 2-by-12-inch strips. Cut each strip into three 4-by-2-inch rectangles.


4. Brush rectangles with butter. Using the handle of a butter knife, crease rectangles slightly off center. Fold at crease. Arrange in rows, slightly overlapping, on buttered baking sheet, with shorter side facing down. Allow at least 1/4-inch of space between rows. Cover and let stand until doubled in bulk, 20 to 30 minutes.


5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush rolls with melted butter. Transfer to oven and bake until golden, about 17 minutes, if baking a single strip, about 25 minutes if baking 3 strips at a time (1/4 sheet pan). Remove from oven and brush once more with melted butter.


6. For freezing: shape rolls; arrange in same manner on parchment lined baking sheet. Transfer to freezer until frozen. Transfer to freezer bags. When ready to bake remove from freezer, arrange on buttered baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm place until defrosted, and doubled in bulk about 2 1/2 hours. Cook according to step 5, above.

Delicious Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough

2.5 c. warm water
2 TBS. Sugar
2 TBS. Yeast
2 tsp. salt
5 TBS. butter or margarine
6.5 c. flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix water, sugar and yeast, let rise 15 min. (I usually put it in a stainless steel bowl and put in on the center of the stove, because it's getting warm and it helps it rise faster). In a large bowl mix flour, butter, and salt. Then add yeast mixture, and knead until dough is soft. I usually add about 2 TBS. of olive oil to the bowl, or you can use any other kind of oil, this helps it from ticking to the bowl. Let it rise in a warm area until really light.

This is a GREAT basic dough for bread, pizza crust, cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls.

Bake for 15-20 min.at 400º for crusts & rolls

For Bread bake for 30 min. at 350º degrees.

Cinnamon Roll Fillings

1C Brown Sugar
5Tbsp Cinnamon
1 stick butter

Remove the margarine from the refrigerator once you've started the dough cycle and allow it to reach room temperature. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon.

After the dough cycle has completed, roll and stretch the dough out on a lightly floured surface into a 15" by 24" (38 cm by 61 cm) rectangle.

Mark off 1" along the 24" edge of the dough, closest to you. You will not spread any Margarine or Sugar-Cinnamon mixture on this edge so that you can seal the roll. Spread the softened Margarine over the dough with a rubber spatula and then evenly distribute the Sugar and Cinnamon mixture. Be careful to leave your 1" edge clean. As a final step, use your rolling pin to lightly roll the Sugar and Cinnamon mixture.

Starting at the far edge of the dough, roll it up tightly. Begin at the far edge and roll up the dough toward the 1" clean edge. The clean 1" edge is used to seal the finished roll. Trim the left and right ends of the roll. The result will be a 24" roll. Trim off the left and right ends of the roll so that you have a flush end at each end of the roll. Then mark the roll every 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm). Cut the roll into 1 1/2" long portions. This may be done with a knife, as they do at the store. However we've found it easier to use dental floss. (We use cinnamon flavored dental floss just for dramatic effect!) Cut the roll by placing the thread under the roll at your mark, crisscross over and pull it to cut. You should get 15 rolls.

Line your baking pans with parchment paper. Place 5 rolls into 8" square baking pans 1" apart. (One roll in each corner, and one in the center.) Cover with a lint free cloth and let rise in a warm, draft free place until almost double, approximately 1 hour. After rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan. This is important for best results. This gives the resulting rolls the soft, moist outer edge that most people prefer.

After rising, bake in a convection oven at 310°F for 15 minutes. If you are using a conventional oven, bake at 335°F for 20 minutes. The resulting rolls should be only lightly browned. We bake only one 8 inch square pan of rolls at a time to obtain uniform results.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz Cream Cheese - room temp
1 stick butter - room temp
1¾C Confectioners Sugar
1tsp Vanilla (preferably Alcohol Free)
1/8 tsp lemon flavoring (preferably Alcohol Free)

in a bowl cream together cream cheese and butter for 6 mins. Add 1 Cup of the powdered sugar and mix for another minute. Add the remaining sugar and again min for 1 minute. Lastly add the flavorings and again mix for 1 minute.

Transfer the finished frosting to a convenient covered container and refrigerate it. Once the rolls are finished baking, frost them while they're still very warm and serve them immediately. Yum, yum!