Ruth's Rolls

 Grandma Ruth's Rolls (Ruth Ellis)

1. Combine the following in a microwave safe bowl:
1 stick butter
3 and 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 T salt
Microwave for 8 minutes. Stir and let sit until cool. 

2. Combine the following:
2 cup hot water, 4 T sugar
4 T yeast, let rise

3. In a stand mixer mix milk and yeast mixtures together. Add 4 beaten eggs.

4. Add 12 to13 cups of flour until dough is soft, squishy, and slightly sticky and pulls away from the edge of the mixer bowl. 

5. Put in a greased bowl and turn in so dough has oil on the top surface. Cover. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled about 45 minutes. 

6. Punch dough down and let rise to double again.

7. Roll out and cut for rolls (or doughnuts or cinnamon rolls) then Let rise for another ½ hour on pans. 

8.Bake at 400 degrees for 12-13 minutes, until golden on top.

Pan de Muerto

Ingredients

Bread

• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 tsp Orange Extract
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/2 tsp Anise Seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups flour

Egg Wash

• 1 Egg yolk
• 2 tsp water

Orange Glaze

• 1/4 Cup Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Orange zest
• 3 Tbsp Juice from the orange

Directions

Mix together the eggs and warm water, on the stove melt the butter once melted add the sweetened condensed milk and let that warm up, once it is warm add to the water and egg and beat that together with one cup flour and yeast. Take the remaining flour and lay that on top of the yeast mixture and let that sit for about an hour.

After you have let the mixture sit add the salt and anise seed and the orange extract and mix together till the flour is wet, let this sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Kneed the dough for about 7 minutes, you may need to add a little more water you want the dough to be just slightly sticky. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise till doubled in size about 30 minutes to an hour.

Punch dough down, and cut out 3 small balls from the loaf (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll out 2 of the dough balls to form the "bones" Shape the remaining dough into a round loaf. Gently press the bones on top of the loaf crossing each other to make an "X" roll the remaining small dough ball to form the skull and press down in the middle of the "X". Place loar onto a prepared baking sheet and allow to rise about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush the top of the loaf with egg wash, bake for 20 minutes.

You can start making the glaze by miking all the ingredients in a small sauce pan on a warm heat.

Remove the loaf from the oven and brush with the egg wash once more. Return to oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until the loaf is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush on the orange glaze and cover with colored sugar (optional), return to oven for an additional 5 minutes. Serve warm or let cool. Best when eaten the same day prepared.

Tips

• You can shape the dough and cover it and let it do a cold rise in the fridge over night.
• You can shorten the rise times by boiling some water and putting it in the oven with the dough, when you do this you don't have to worry about covering the dough.

Virgin Mint Julep

Virgin Mint Julep

1 can lime concentrate
1 can lemonade concentrate
2-2 liter bottles fresca or lemon lime soda
1- 2 liter bottle of ginger ale
2 lemons squeezed
2 limes squeezed
pebbled ice
creme de menthe syrup to taste

 Mix all ingredients together except creme de menthe syrup. Laddle into cups and let each individual add the amount of creme de menthe to taste.
Fun and refreshing. Great to celebrate the Kentucky Derby with!

Pressure cooker Puerto Rican Pink beans...with a Brazilian twist

Puerto Rican beans and rice!

1. 1 pound dry pink beans (sorted and rinsed)
2. 4 slices bacon (or a whole pound of bacon) diced
3. 1 small-medium onion, diced
4. 5-6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
5. 4 cups vegetable broth (can use chicken or beef, or even water instead)
6. 1 cup water (more if desired, for "soupier" beans)
7. 1 small can tomato sauce
8. 2 packages sazon seasoning
9. 4 sofito frozen cubes

in your pressure cooker saute bacon when almost done add chopped onion and garlic let cook for 3 more minutes. 

add the rest of the ingredients.

put lid on and place valve on closed and set pressure cooker on 60 minutes and let cook. Quick release the pressure cooker. Test beans for tenderness. If it needs more time, cook longer.  Serve over cooked rice

1. 
   

mmm mmm better brownies

Ky and Kristin's recipe for brownies (allrecipes.com). They say they are better and cheaper than boxed.

½ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ Teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
2. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

Kristin says it tastes best with butter. Ky 3x’s this recipe and bakes in a cookie sheet pan.

Sharon's Buttermilk Brownies

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups flour
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick butter or margarine
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Sift sugar, flour, and cocoa. Bring the water, butter and oil to a boil. Let cool slightly and then pour over dry ingredients. Whisk until creamy. Mix buttermilk and baking soda together and then mix it in with the batter. Add the eggs and mix. Add the nuts if desired. Pour into a greased and floured 11x17" baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 to 25 minutes. While still warm, frost with the following:

Buttermilk Brownie Frosting

Boil:  1 stick butter
         1/4 cup cocoa
         1/3 cup buttermilk
Add:  1 teaspoon vanilla
         1 pound powdered sugar
         dash of salt.