Soft Pretzel's -- The right way!

Makes a bunch of random sized pretzels

1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt (I just use a pinch)
2 Tbsp softened butter
1 Cup warm water (nice and hot from the tap is fine)

2 3/4 cups flour (divided - see below for specifics)
Kosher or Sea salt to put on top of pretzels
pre-heat over to 400 F or so

Put yeast, sugar, salt, butter and 1 cup of the flour into a bowl and then add the warm water.

Mix until smooth.  Yeast will start to bubble through dough.
Now add the rest of the 1 3/4 of flour and mix in.
Pick up the dough and knead until baby-butt smooth.

Put dough ball back into bowl and cover with dish towel unit it doubles in size.
Punch down dough and knead again for a few minutes.

Divide how you see fit and make your pretzel shapes or whatever you want.

To make it a Pretzel:

2 or 3 Tbsps  Lye - Yes, real lye.  If you use baking soda your pretzels will taste like crap.  DON'T do it.
4 or so Cups of water
Slotted spoon or the like
Pan (that will hold the water)

Heat the water to a simmer
Add the Lye - mix until dispolved

Carefully place the soon to be pretzel in the lye water.
Make sure it is completely covered and flip if needed.
The pretzel only needs to be in the lye water solution for a few moments (honestly...)
Take out the soggy pretzel and place on cookie sheet
If desired sprinkle Kosher salt
If you like that cool white split that is sometimes seen on a pretzel....take a knife and drag a line in the spot you want the split.

Shove into oven and bake until golden brown.

NOTE:  Once again, please, please, don't use baking soda instead of lye.  Your pretzels will suck.

Perfect Brownies

Perfect Brownies

2 oz. Bakers Chocolate

1/2 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1 ts. Vanilla

1/2 Cup Flour


8 x 8 Baking Pan



Bake @ 325 deg for 35 minutes

Fondant - Candy Centers

Part 1:

4 c sugar
½ c hot water
pinch salt
1 ½ c heavy cream
1/4 c light corn syrup

Part 2:

1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs unsalted butter

Combine part 1 ingredients in heavy pan and place over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture boils.

Cover and cook 3 minutes and then remove cover and cook without stirring until a candy thermometer reaches 240.

Without scraping pan pour fondant onto a marble slab.Add butter, but do not stir.
Let sit until center of fondant is lukewarm.
Beat with a broad spatula until the fondant is white and creamy.
Use a pushing motion to turn it over and fold it into itself from underneath.

When it is cool enough, knead with the hands until completely smooth.
Add vanilla and knead into fondant.
Cover and let ripen in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before using.

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup sugar
2 Tbs coco
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanalla
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 -1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup wheatgerm or extra 1/2 cup oatmeal

Combine sugar, coco, butter, milk in pan and boil for 1 minute

Fold in remaining ingredients

Drop on wax paper and let harden (doesn't take long)

Peanut Butter Creams

Peanut Butter Creams


1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 cup peanut butter


Mix all ingredients together. Roll in balls and chill for 1/2 hour. Eat... yum yum yum

Kukkonen's Hot Garlic Dills

1 qt dark vinegar
2 qts water
1/2 to 3/4 C salt

Heat above to boiling.


Place a piece of dill, 2 garlic cloves
and 2 jalapeno peppers in bottom of jars.

Fill jars with sliced picking cukes.

Pour brine over cukes and top with another
clove of garlic and pepper - seal jars.


Process in water bath for 5 minutes.

Kukkonen's Green Chili

2 quart bags roasted hatch chilis
pork (chicken and/or beef)
2 large cans chopped tomatoes (or a bunch of fresh ones)
2 onions
chicken broth
corn
olive oil
chili powder
salt
pepper
garlic
crushed red pepper

Chop 1 onion, 6 chilis or so, along with pork (cubed) and saute in the olive oil.
Add chili powder, salt, pepper, garlic, crushed red pepper.

Pour in chicken broth

Puree a big can of tomatos, more of the green chilis, and a second onion and add to pot.
Add more tomatos chopped this time.

Cook all day. Later on... stick corn in there.

Truffles

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 tbsp unsweetened butter, in small slices
2 bars Ghiradelli Semi-sweet chocolate
Cocoa (optional)

Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan.
Remove from heat and add butter; mix until butter
is melted.  Melt Chocolate and Mix until completely
smooth.  Add chocolate to cream/butter mixture.
Stir until smooth.  Pour into a small bowl and refrigerate
at least 2 hours.  Use a melon baller to scrape 1"
balls and place balls into cocoa.

Edit 9/4/08
Paint chocolate (or vanity silicon ice cube trays) molds
with molding chocolate
Put in freezer for a few minutes to harden
Place dolop of truffel in center
Cover with more molding chocolate
Place in freezer for another few minutes to harden

Brooklyn Steve's Margarita Pie

Ingredients:

½ cup butter
1¼ cups finely crushed pretzels
¼ cup sugar
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
⅓ cup lime juice
4 tablespoons tequila
2 tablespoons triple sec
½ pint heavy cream whipped

Crust:

Melt butter in saucepan Combine butter, pretzel crumbs & sugar. Press crumbs on bottom and up side of a buttered 9-inch pie pan. Place in freezer to set.

Filling:

Combine sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, tequila & triple sec. Mix well. Fold in whipped cream.
Spoon filling into prepared crust. Chill till firm; 2 hours in freezer or 4 hours in refrigerator.

Optional:

Cover top of filling with more pretzel crumbs prior to putting in freezer for a top crust.

Micah's Curry Chicken

2 Chicken breasts (cut in chunks)
1/2 large Onion (cut in chunks)
Oil (olive oil works)
1 cup coconut milk
2 Tbs. curry powder (divide in half)
1 Tbs sugar
Pinch of Ginger
A few handfuls of peanuts
Black pepper to taste

If you want it hot... a few shakes of habanero powder does the trick
Toss onion into oil and saute for a few. Add chicken and continue to saute.
Add 1 Tbs curry powder and mix thoroughly to cover. Saute until chicken is cooked
Add coconut milk and rest of curry powder. Add rest of ingredients.
Cook down to a thicker consistency.

Serve over rice.

Red Beans & Rice

1 large Onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
sausage to taste
 saute above together

add -
 1 tsp chili powder
 1/2 tsp corriander
 pepper
 tabasco
 2 bay leaves
 2 cans dark red kidney beans
 1 can water
 chopped pickled jalapinos


Cook very low covered for several hours

//cjk - I add some garlic to the onion celery and
sausage at the beginning and use chicken stock instead
of water.

Double Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups Brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened coco
1 tsp baking soda
salt

12 Tbsp butter
4 oz unsweetened chcolate
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips

Batter will be a sticky pasty consistancy.  This is correct.

 350 de. 18-22 min

Strawberry Pie

5 cups quartered hulled strawberries
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch
2 T lemon juice
2 t. grated orange peal

Graham cracker crust -- baked 12 min

2 cups strawberries in sauce pan-- mash
add sugar, corn starch & lemon juice -- stir
Oven hear until it thickens -- let cool
Add rest of strawberries and peel, add to crust
 Chill

Better than Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes

For the Cake:

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 cup strong coffee (instant is fine)

6 oz. Semi-sweet baking chocolate, finely chopped

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sour cream, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350^NF. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Combine sugar, flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Bring coffee to simmer in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and vanilla extract in another large bowl to blend; add chocolate-coffee mixture. Add one-third of chocolate-sour cream mixture to dry ingredients; whisk to blend well. Add remaining chocolate-sour cream mixture in 2 more additions, whisking well after each addition. Fill each cup ¾ full.

Bake for 20 – 22 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks completely.

For the Filling:

½ cup shortening

½ tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until light and fluffy.

For the Icing:

2/3 stick butter, softened

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 4 oz.

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbs. Milk

2 ¼ cups powdered sugar

Melt the chocolate, In a mixing bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate. Blend in the vanilla, milk, and powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.

Assembly:

Use a toothpick to make a hole in the top of the cupcake. Stick the toothpick into the middle of the cupcake and swirl it around to carve out a cavity. Use a pastry bag or ziplock bag with an end snipped off to fill.

Spread a layer of icing on each cupcake. Use white/butter cream frosting for swiggly line down the center, if desired.

Mamie Eisenhower Fudge

4 1/2 cups sugar
4 T. butter
1 large can evaporated milk
12 oz German Chocolate
12 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 jar marshemello cream (small)

Boil sugar butter & mils for 6 min.
Remove from heat
Add rest of ingredients
Beat until everything is melted.
Pour into pan, let cool.

Green Chili

Brown Pork (and or beef)
Add:
diced onion
jalapenos
garlic
green chili
flour

Add cream of chicken
1/2 can water
1/2 can milk
add rotel cook for long time

Brownies

4 oz Baking Chocolate - nonsweet
 or 12 tbs backing cocoa and extra butter
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Melt butter and chocolate
Mix in sugar
Add eggs and vanilla
Mix in flour
Put in greased pan

 350 deg.  20 min. or so

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blend together --
 2 cups butter
 2 cups sugar
 2 cups brow sugar

Add -
 4 eggs
 2 Tb vanilla

Blend togather --
 4 cups flour
 5 cups oatmeal flour
 2 tsp. baking powder
 2 tsp. baking soda
 salt - tiny bit

Combine 1st ingrediants with second (dry) add Chocolate
chips & chunks (or whatever)
 

Potato Knishes

2 Potatos
1 small onion
1 cups chicken broth
Black pepper
Puff pastery sheets

Peal and Cook potato in chicken broth until soft
Drain & save broth.
Chop & saute onions in olive oil
Mash potatos & add broth to correct consistancy
Stir in onions.
Roll pastery very thin and cut in 1" squares.
Fold around dollip of potato mixture

Heat 350 deg until golden brown 

Micah's 23.5 Hour Chili

Ground Beef
Stew meat (chopped small)
Chili powder
Cumin
Garlic Cloves
Ground Black Pepper
Habanero pepper fresh (chopped very small)
 Other peppers to taste if desired
Habanero Powder
Red wine vinager
Paprika
Kidney beans
Pinto beans (soak over night if dried)
Brown sugar (very little bit)
Honey (also very littel bit)
Large can whole tomoato (chop into chunks)
Can tomato paste (dilute with some water)
Beer
Dash of Tabasco

Let cook in pot on low.  Transfer into Crock Pot to cook over night.
Cook for 23 & 1/2 hours.

Serve with cheese and whatever else you like with your chili

Micah's Cheese Beer Soup

1/4 - 1/2 cup carrots chopped
1/4 - 1/2 cup celery chopped
1/2 cup onions chopped very small
1 large potato chopped small
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. worchester sauce
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. cheddar cheese (white is perferred)
1 T. paprika
1/2 stick butter
1 cup flour
1 bottle beer (Bud or somthing cheap and light)
1 T. dry mustard
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup milk or half & half (half & half is perfered)


Saute vegies with butter.
Add spices and flour
Add broth
Stir in half & half (at this point DON'T let it boil)
Add beer slowly to avoid head.
Shred cheese and add a few small hand fulls of flour and toss to cover (to avoid sticking)
Very slowly stir in cheese one handfull at a time until cheese has melted
Cook until thick soup like consistancy stiring the ENTIRE time.