German rolls

I found this recipe on a German recipe site on Facebook.  These rolls are easy to make. This recipe only makes 7-8 rolls.

German Rolls

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients together.  If you use instant yeast you can mix all at once.  I often start my yeast in 1/4 - 1/2 cup water with 1/2 tsp. sugar.  Either way should work.  I mix this in my mixer with the dough hook.
2. Leave dough in mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap, or put into a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
3. Let rise 45 minutes.
4. Punch down, knead 3 minutes.  Let rise 30-40 minutes.
5. Roll into a 2 1/2" by 14" log.
6. Slice into 2" pieces.
7. Put on parchment lined, or well greased baking pan.  Let rise 45 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
9. Place a flat pan on bottom rack of oven.
10. Make a slit in each roll.  Brush rolls with milk.
11. Pour 1 cup ice cubes in pan on bottom rack.
12. Place rolls in oven.  Change oven temperature to 450 degrees.
13. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Yields 8 rolls.  Calories: 259 per serving.

Apple Cake

I found this recipe in the paper and saved it.  I found it in with some recipes a week ago.  I still had some apples from our apple trees, in my basement refrigerator drawer.  This recipe uses a lot of apples and I had apples I needed to use.  

Apple Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
6 cups coarsely chopped, unpeeled Granny Smith apples or any tart firm apple such as Fuji or Gala

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a Bundt pan.

Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on low speed until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time and continue to blend.  Slowly add flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon; mix well.

Add apples and mix with a spoon.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake about 60 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before removing from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  

Biscuits

I have not made too many biscuits in my life, and usually when I do they are not that good.  Then I found this recipe online and they are delicious! Cold butter makes them so good.  I cut my butter in small chunks and freeze it for a bit. You can also freeze the butter and shred it into the flour.


Perfect Homemade Biscuits

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup COLD butter
1 egg
1 cup whole milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

The secret to excellent biscuits is COLD BUTTER! Really cold.  Often the biscuit dough gets worked so much that the butter softens before the biscuits even go in the oven.  Try cutting the butter into small pieces and stick back in the fridge pulling out only when ready to incorporate into the dough.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Use a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into the flour mixture.  Don't go too crazy here - you want to see small pea -size pieces of butter throughout the dough.

Add in the milk and egg and mix just until the ingredients are combined.  The dough will be sticky but don't keep working it.  You should be able to see butter pieces in the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface.  Sprinkle some flour on the top of the dough so it won't stick to your fingers and knead 10-15 times.  If the dough is super sticky just sprinkle on more flour.

Pat the dough out to 3/4 - 1 inch thickness and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass.  I actually just cut them in squares when I couldn't find my biscuit cutters!  Should get 9-12 biscuits.

Place the biscuits on a lightly greased baking sheet or parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

For over the top biscuits, brush the tops with melted butter.