This is a favorite recipe that I got from Than’s mom. These rolls are hearty but soft, and so delicious especially when eaten warm on the day they were baked. They also freeze pretty well, though, so you can stash some away for later.
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Cracked Wheat Rolls
Hearty, nutty dinner rolls with lots of good grains
Instructions
Pour 1 cup boiling water into a glass mixing cup. Stir in cracked wheat set aside to soften.
Mix 3/4 cup warm water, sugar, and yeast together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk well and allow to sit about 5 minutes or until foamy.
Blend in salt, egg, and oil. Add softened cracked wheat along with any additional water in the cup.
Mix in 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour. If you've been using a different attachment, switch to the dough hook at this point.
Add 1 more cup of all-purpose flour and 1 more cup of whole wheat flour or other ground grain (flax, rye, wheat germ). Knead in mixer until well combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow dough to rise to the top of the bowl, about 1 hour.
After dough has risen, gently knead it back down with oiled hands. Allow dough to rise once more if you have time. (This second rise is optional).
With oiled hands, separate out portions of the risen dough and shape into rolls of desired size and shape. Place on greased cookie sheets.
Allow rolls to rise once more after shaping. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake rolls at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until they begin to brown. Don't overcook!
This recipe was originally from Yummy Addiction via Pinterest. I’ve made it a few times, and have been known to shift around flavors and mix-ins based on what I have available!
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Orange Poppy Seed Ricotta Cookies
This is an easy recipe to halve, if you have part of a container of ricotta cheese that needs to be used up. The texture of these cookies is very different from an ordinary cookie--a nice chewy change of pace.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, or a Silpat liner. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and poppy seeds. Stir with a whisk to blend. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine sugar and orange zest. Mix with your fingertips until the sugar is moistened and fragrant. Add butter to the mixture and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the orange juice, vanilla and ricotta cheese. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and beat for another minute to make sure everything is incorporated.
Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. The dough will be moist and a bit sticky because of the ricotta cheese.
Spoon/scoop about two tablespoons of dough for each cookie on a baking sheet. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from oven and and let rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
While the cookies cool, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, orange juice and zest. Whisk until smooth. Spread about a teaspoon of glaze on the top of each cookie. Let glaze harden before serving. Enjoy!
November 2016 in Review, and Christmas Cookie #11
A favorite photo…
A few highlights…
- A 90th birthday party for Grandpa Train
- A second story for the treehouse
- Thanksgiving road trip to Salt Lake, San Francisco, and back again
And a cookie recipe to go with it!
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Chocolate Crinkles
I got this recipe from my sister-in-law and have loved it ever since. Katya requested "just plain dark chocolate cookies" this year, and these always fit the bill.
Instructions
Mix oil, cocoa, and sugar well in a large mixer bowl.
Blend in one egg at a time until mixed well. Add vanilla.
Gradually blend in flour, salt, and baking powder.
Chill dough for several hours (overnight is best).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease several cookie sheets.
Use a cookie scoop or teaspoon to shape dough. Roll dough in sugar (either granulated or powdered) and place on prepared sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes, until set and tops begin to crack. Don't overbake. These are best soft!
October 2016 in Review, and Christmas Cookie #10
A favorite photo…
A few highlights…
- The tree house begins
- Family Fun night with all of us dressed in flamenco style
And a cookie recipe to go with it!
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Citrus Gumdrops
These are the Christmas treat that Nathan requests the most. When they turn out correctly, they make a lovely green and red addition to a cookie plate or a popular gift item. The temperatures are tricky, however, and I have had plenty of failed batches amidst the successes.
Instructions
Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil, covering bottom and sides completely. Spray lightly with cooking spray and set aside.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the 1 cup sugar and the corn syrup. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring often with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes to dissolve sugar. Carefully clip on a candy thermometer.
Cook over medium heat (mixture should boil at a moderate, steady rate over the entire surface), stirring occasionally, until the thermometer registers 280 degrees F (soft-crack stage), about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in another heavy bottomed saucepan, combine juice, pectin, and baking soda. Mixture will be foamy. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring often. This should take about 2 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.
When sugar mixture in first pan has reached soft-crack stage, remove from heat. Remove candy thermometer. Return pectin mixture in second pan to boiling.
Gradually pour the hot sugar mixture into the boiling pectin mixture, stirring constantly. This step should take 1-2 minutes. Don't rush! Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute.
Remove saucepan from heat. Pour candy mixture into prepared loaf pan. Let stand until firm--overnight is best.
While candy cools, make the flavored sugar. Place 1/2 cup sugar and the zest of the lime or grapefruit in a food processor. Pulse several times to combine well. Transfer flavored sugar to a bowl or lidded Tupperware.
When candy has set, use foil to lift it out of the pan. With a wet knife, cut candy into strips and then cut each strip into cubes. Toss squares in the flavored sugar to keep them from sticking together.
Recipe Notes
The gumdrops (if they turn out) keep well for several weeks.
June 2016 in Review, and Christmas Cookie #6
A favorite photo…
A few highlights…
- Nathan turns 11
- Super fun vacation Bible school with an international missions theme
- Katya finishes Suzuki Piano Book 1
- Summer backyard barbeques begin
- Extended family comes for a weekend to watch Beauty and the Beast on stage
And a cookie recipe to go with it!
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Candy Cane Thumbprints
I got this recipe from a fellow pastor's wife at a cookie exchange many years ago. Even though there is no chocolate involved, they still end up as one of my favorites each Christmas! I always double the recipe when I make it, and then freeze half of the finished cookies for eating later in the month.
Instructions
Beat butter for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar and salt and cream well. Add egg and vanilla.
Mix in flour until well combined. Cover dough and chill for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned just around the edges.
Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use the back of a rounded measuring spoon or a melon baller to make an indent in the center of each cookie. Allow to cool completely.
While cookies are cool, mix peppermint filling ingredients together. DON'T ADD THE CANDY CANES! Whip everything else well to form a soft, fluffy icing that holds its shape.
When cookies are cool, spoon filling into indents and then sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top.
Recipe Notes
Cookies can be stored at room temperature for several days, or frozen for up to 3 months.
May 2016 in Review, and Christmas Cookie #5
A favorite photo…
A few highlights…
- School year ends
- A family wedding with lots of festivities
- Visit to St. Louis, complete with a backyard Senegalese meal and lots of good family time
And a cookie recipe to go with it!
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Peppermint Swirls
These pretty mint swirls are fun to make with kids, since they can help with the rolling and swirling. They make a colorful addition to Christmas platters. The recipe originally came from Light and Tasty magazine.
Instructions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Divide dough into thirds. Stir red food coloring into one portion of dough; stir green food coloring into another portion. Leave remaining dough plain. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Divide each portion of dough into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-in. rope. Place a red, a green and a plain rope next to each other. Cut through all three ropes at 1-in. intervals, forming sets of three differently colored doughs. Repeat.
Roll each set of doughs into a ball; place balls 3 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to 1/8-in. thickness with a glass dipped in additional sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
