Cheddar-Pepper Bread

- Posted in Baked Goods, Side Dish

It’s so rewarding to smell fresh bread baking in the kitchen. This is a perfect activity to do with kids. 6-8 servings.

  • 1 package yeast
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
  • ½ cup warm LDF milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup Tillamook Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

In a measuring cup, add yeast to ¼ cup of warm water, stir and let sit for 10 minutes to activate.

Combine flour, sugar and pepper in a food processor. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, melted butter and egg, and stir well.

With the processor running, pour the yeast mixture and then the milk mixture through the feed tube. When dough has formed a ball, stop and add the cheese. Pulse for about 15 seconds. Check to see that cheese is combined into the dough.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Place in a buttered bowl, and roll the dough ball to coat with butter. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in a warm location allowing the dough to rise for about 30 minutes.

Butter a baking sheet.  Punch down the dough and form into a loaf and place on the sheet. (You can also place in a loaf pan.) Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F during the last 10 minutes. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until medium brown. Serve warm with butter.

Mooo News, September 2017

Peaches and Cream Pie

- Posted in Dessert

Easy and yummy. 8 servings. Pre-heat oven to 375° F.

3 cups fresh peaches, peeled and sliced 1 9-inch pie shell, unbaked
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup LDF Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Scald the peaches for about 20 seconds, in boiling water to make them easy to peel. Slice peaches about ¼” thick and place in pie shell. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add the sugar, flour and salt. Add the cream and vanilla and stir well. Pour evenly over the peaches.

Bake at 375° F. for 40-50 minutes. Check that center shakes slightly when moved. Serve warm, or chill for a firmer pie.

Lyric’s Chocolate Éclairs

- Posted in Baked Goods, Dessert

Lyric is 10 years old and loves to bake. Your kids can try this (with adult supervision.)
Éclairs:

1 cup water
1 cup flour
½ cup butter, cut into cubes
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt

With adult supervision, add the water, butter and salt to a large saucepan and boil it. While boiling, add the flour all at once and stir it until it makes a smooth ball. Remove it from the heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl, to be sure you don’t get any of the shell in the egg. Then add the eggs, one at a time, into the dough, beating well after each egg. Beat until the dough is smooth and shiny.

Using a tablespoon, or a pastry tube with a #10 tip, make 4” by 1½” strips of dough on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove and place on a wire rack. Immediately cut éclairs open and remove the tops. Discard the soft dough inside. Let cool.

Filling:
2½ cups LDF milk
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 cup LDF Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 5-ounce package instant pudding mix – vanilla

Following the package directions, mix milk and vanilla pudding in a large bowl. In another chilled bowl, with clean and chilled beaters, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Mix in the sugar and vanilla, then gently fold (stir in) the pudding. Fill the cooled éclair shells and replace the tops.

Frosting:
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1¼ cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons hot water

Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave, then stir until smooth. Add the sugar and enough hot water to make the frosting smooth, and stir. Cool slightly. Frost the tops of the éclairs. Store in the refrigerator.

Mooo News, July 2017

Cream Puffs

- Posted in Dessert, Frozen Treats

1 cup water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup butter
1 pinch of salt 4 large eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Bring water to a boil in a heavy-bottom sauce pan. Add the butter, salt and sugar and boil slowly until the butter has melted. Measure the flour.

3. Remove from stove and pour in flour. Beat with a wooden spoon for several seconds. Return to stove and beat the paste over medium heat for about 2 minutes, until it forms a mass and leaves the sides of the pan.

4. Remove pan from stove. Make a well in the middle of the batter and quickly break an egg into the well. Beat the egg into the batter until it is absorbed. Add each of the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating them each as before. Be sure all are blended and the batter is smooth.

5. Fill a pastry bag, or plastic storage bag with a corner snipped off, with batter. Pipe a tablespoon-sized dollop of batter onto the cookie sheet. Or, drop the batter with a tablespoon. Place puffs about 2 inches apart.

6. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes on top ⅓ rack of the oven, until they are a light brown. Remove and cool completely on a rack.
Make small slits in puffs and fill, using a pastry bag, with Cream Filling. Or, cut through the top of each puff, leaving it connected, and fill with a spoon.

Cream Filling:

1 cup LDF Whipping Cream
3 tablespoons regular or powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chill a medium glass or stainless steel bowl (do not use plastic) and beaters in the freezer. Beat cream, on high, until it begins to thicken.

Slowly add the sugar, about a teaspoon at a time, blending after each addition, so that all the sugar is evenly incorporated into the cream. Add the vanilla. Beat until cream holds peaks.

Katrina’s Cookies

- Posted in Baked Goods, Dessert

2 sticks butter—softened
¾ cup sugar – cream with butter.
Add 1 large egg – cream with butter and sugar
Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, cream some more
Add 2 cups flour—slowly and cream until just blended
Cut two sheets of parchment paper to fit a 17” x 11” baking sheet. Lay the first sheet on the baking sheet and place cookie dough on the paper. Place the second sheet on top of dough. Spread the dough, between the parchment paper, flat, almost to edges of cookie sheet (not too close to edge to prevent getting too thin).
Place pan in the refrigerator to chill for one hour. Preheat oven to 350*. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes.
When still warm, cut into 2” x 2” cookies. Frost when cooled.

FROSTING
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Splash of Longmont Dairy Whole Milk
1 teaspoon lemon extract
¼ fresh squeezed lemon
Powdered sugar to your taste
Add a little powdered sugar at a time and beat, with mixer, until smooth and thick enough to spread on the cookies.

Easter Bunny Cake

- Posted in Baked Goods, Dessert, Kids Recipes

Bake 2-9″ round cakes from your favorite recipe or 18.25 oz. box cake. Let cool completely.

Frosting:
6 Cups powdered sugar
3 sticks butter, softened
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
2- 3 Tbs. milk

Items to go on top of frosting:
1 1/4 Cups sweetened, shredded coconut
Gum drops for the nose and eyes
Marshmallows for feet and tail
Pink construction paper for the ears

In a large bowl, beat butter until softened. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until almost incorporated. Add vanilla and milk and beat on high until smooth.

Remove cooled cakes from pans. Cover the flat side on one cake with a thin layer of frosting. Place the second cake, flat side down, on top of the frosting.

Measure 5″ from the side of the cake and cut across the cake making a piece with a 5″ radius and one with a 4″ radius. Place the large, flat side down, on a long platter or board as the body.

Cut the smaller piece in half making 2 wedges – one for the head and one side for the legs. With one wedge, place the head, with one flat side down and one flat side connected to the body.

Separate the two layers of the second of the second wedge and place one layer on each side for the legs. Use a serrated knife to trim and round the head and legs, and to flatten the front of the face. Save all cake scraps in a small bowl.

Tail: With a fork, mash the scraps in the bowl. Then form into a ball with your hands. Apply ball to back of bunny with frosting.

Frost the bunny cake with the frosting. Sprinkle the coconut and gently tap into the frosting.

Place a pink gum drop as the nose and two black gum drops as the eyes. Cut a marshmallow in half lengthwise and place as feet. Make 3 small cuts in the front of the foot to make the toes.

Fold pink construction paper in half and cut a 5″ arc (with fold in the middle) for each ear. Place between the body and head for the ears.

Bird Nests

- Posted in Dessert, Kids Recipes

1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup chow mein noodles
1 Tbs. hot water
Jelly Beans or Tic-Tac candies
Waxed paper and spatula

In microwave, melt chocolate chips in 10 second intervals, until melted. Quickly add hot water and stir until smooth. Add chow mein noodles and stir until coated with spatula. Drop onto waxed paper making 5 equal-sized mound. With clean hands gently form into the shape of a nest and use your thumb to make a depression in the center. Add the jelly beans eggs. Store in a cool place.

Spinach & Bacon Squares

- Posted in Breakfast

Serves 12

1 lb bacon
1 onion – chopped
2 10-ounce bags spinach
1 dozen large Eggland’s Best eggs
8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350° F. and coat 13 x 9” baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Cook bacon until crispy, in large skillet. Reserve 1 TBS drippings and drain the remainder. Crumble bacon when cool. Brown onions in same skillet with reserved drippings. Remove and set aside. Cook spinach for 2 minutes in same skillet until wilted.
Mix eggs in large bowl. Add cheese, spinach, onions, and bacon and stir to mix. Pour into baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, until eggs are set.
Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Or, you can prepare a day before serving, but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Remove 30 minutes before baking to bring to room temperature. Bake as directed.

Recipe from Egglandsbest.com
Mooo News, February 2017

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

- Posted in Breakfast

1 Cup Oats
1 Cup Longmont Dairy milk
1 Teaspoon Chia seeds (Optional)
½ Teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Cup Bananas, sliced
¼ Cup Creamy peanut butter
1 Tablespoon Honey
Combine oats and milk in a container of your choice. Mix in vanilla extract, chia seeds, and cinnamon. Alternate layers of peanut butter and layers of sliced banana. Drizzle with honey. Place in fridge overnight. Get a fast and delicious start to your morning.

Recipe from QuakerOats.com
Mooo News, January 2017