Honey Butter and the Like....

For Thanksgiving last year I brought these different kinds of butters for the table.  Seriously, divine.  Around Christmastime my singles ward did a service auction and all the money that was raised went to help provide Christmas for a few families in the stake.  So I brought some honey butter (it tastes a lot like the stuff from Texas Roadhouse- um, yum!) and guess how much it sold for.  Yep, fifty bucks!  So here's the fifty dollar cinnamon honey butter recipe...

Cinnamon Honey Butter

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 c. honey

1. Make sure your butter is nice and soft (leave it on the counter all day) then mix all ingredients together until totally mixed and fluffy

Raspberry Butter

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/3 c. raspberries
• 2 T powdered sugar
• dash lemon juice

1. Follow same directions as the honey butter.  The key is making sure your butter is room temp.  
2. I used the food processor to get my raspberries really finely blended.  You make the call- blend less for a more chunky butter.  

Caramel Biscuit Ring Around

I'm pretty sure Courtney got this from her 6th grade friend Stephanie at a sleepover.  It receives automatic coolness points because it comes from the big sis.  Super easy, super cheap, super healthy..........eh ok maybe not that last one, but still super good!

The recipe:

• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/3 c. butter
• 2 T water
• 2 cans biscuits

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a bundt pan.
3. Melt butter.  Add brown sugar and water.
4. Using kitchen shears, cut biscuits into quarters.
5. Mix butter/sugar mixture into biscuits. Toss lightly.
6. Spoon into pan and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked throughout

Rye Bread

Rye Bread + Homemade Strawberry Jam = reason to wake up in the morning.

See?  Happy girl. 

I don't even need to preface this recipe, it's that good, and we all know it.  This recipe comes from Grandma Manning.  Here's a picture of her baking it in her sweet little kitchen.

The Recipe

• 1 pkg. yeast, softened in 1/4c water.
• 4 c. warm water
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp oil
• 2 c. (or more) rye flour
• white flour

1. Mix yeast, water, salt, sugar, and oil.
2. Add 2 c. rye flour (add more if you prefer it darker)
3. Add enough white flour to make a very stiff dough.  (For me it was a little under 8 cups)
4. Let rise in a warm area until almost doubled in size.
5. Shape into round loaves (usually 2 large loaves or 3 smaller).  Let rest 20 minutes.
6. Grease and flour your pans. (this is the cutest part of the recipe.  A sauce pan will give you the classic grandma's rye bread shape.)  Flouring the pans makes a unique blotched look on the lower crust like this: 

 Bake for 1 hour at 375.  If it gets too dark, lower temperature to 350.  Experiment!

Yes, You Can! Bagels

I first made this recipe last week in my Family Meal Management class. Then I tried it with my sisters. It was a fun family activity, especially for a Sunday afternoon. So I think it qualifies for the family food blog. We spent the afternoon laboring over the bagels, then when they were finished we pulled out the old family videos and had a bagel/movie party. Funny how food and the past make such fun memories. We noticed that in several of the videos I was found sitting on the counter helping Mom with the cooking....or licking a beater....or snitching a taste from the bowl...... not much has changed huh?

The recipe:
(from Chef Emeril's "There's a Chef in My Kitchen")

• 2c warm water (110 degrees)
• 2 packets active dry yeast
• 3T sugar (+1 more T for later)
• 5-6 c. bread flour
• 2t salt
• 2t vegetable oil
• 2T yellow cornmeal

Note: This is NOT a good recipe to just mix together everything in the ingredient list. The directions are a big deal here!

1. Combine water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. gradually add 4 c. flour and salt. Mix.
3. Add 1-1 1/2 c flour 1/2 c at a time until very firm and stiff (should be stiffer than regular bread dough)
4. knead until no longer sticky- about 5 minutes, adding flour if necessary.
5. grease bowl with 1 t oil. Let rise covered in warm spot until doubled in size. (about 30 minutes in warmed oven)
6. Remove and punch down dough. Divide into 12 equal pieces.
7. Poke a hole in the middle and form doughnut shape.
8. place on lightly floured surface. Cover with cloth, let rest 20-30 min
9. Preheat oven to 400
10. Grease baking sheet with remaining oil and cornmeal.
11. In a large pot, bring to boil 12 c. water and 1T sugar. Boil bagels (about 3 at a time) 2 minutes on each side.
12. Place on baking sheet. Brush with egg for shine (if you want to add toppings like poppyseeds, cinnamon sugar, etc. do it here.)
13. bake about 25 minutes
14. Let cool on a wire rack
15. Get out the cream cheese, juice, and family videos and enjoy!