Elephant Ear Bread

Dough
2 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 packet)
1/2 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 eggs (at room temperature)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Filling
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

In a large mixing bowl, mix 2 cups of flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Set aside.  In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and milk. Once the butter is completely melted take off the burner and add the water and vanilla. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.  Pour the milk mixture into the large bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well. Whisk together the eggs and add to the batter. Keep mixing. Add 3/4 cup of flour and mix well. The mixture will be very sticky which means it's perfect. Place the dough in a medium greased bowl. Cover with wrap and let it sit in a warm place to rise for about 30-45 minutes. Once the dough has doubled its size, knead in 2 tablespoons of flour. Cover the dough again for 5-10 minutes.   Meanwhile, start on the filling. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.  Once the dough is ready, roll it out on a floured surface. Brush the melted butter on the dough and add the sugar mixture. Make sure everything is covered. Using a shape knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into equal sized strips (about 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide). Then cut the strips into equal sized squares. Stack the squares on top of each other and place them in a bread pan. Cover the dough for another 10-15 minutes to rise.  While dough is rising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place a cookie sheet under bread pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until outside of bread is golden brown.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

1 1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated
6 egg yolks from fresh jumbo eggs
Salt and black pepper to taste

Heat milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it begins to simmer. Turn off heat. Slowly whip in cheese, then remove from heat.  Place egg yolks in a separate bowl and slowly whip in a portion of the hot milk and cream mixture. Slowly add egg yolk mixture back into remaining cream mixture. Place back on very low heat and continually stir until simmering. Take sauce off heat so it thickens. (This will increase temperature of egg yolks, known as tempering).  Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup stick pretzels, broken into thirds
1/2 cup caramel bits
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a stand mixer, cream butter with sugars. Add vanilla & egg. Incorporate & scrape bowl.
Combine salt, baking soda, & flour. Gradually add to wet mixture. Mix until combined.
Fold in broken pretzels, caramel bits, & chocolate chips with a spatula.
Spoon onto a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bake at 350*F for 11-12 minutes.

BBQ Pulled Pork

1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin (pork shoulder or butt can also be used)

1 (12 ounce) can of root beer

1 (18 ounce) bottle of barbecue sauce

8 hamburger buns

Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker and pour the can of root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork.  After pork has cooked, drain and discard the root beer. Shred the pork and place it back in the slow cooker. Pour the barbecue sauce over the pork and stir to combine. Serve immediately or keep warm in slow cooker until ready to serve. Serve on hamburger buns.

White "Wedding Cake" Cupcakes

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups water
2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans (you'll need approx. 36).  In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.  Use ice cream scoop to fill prepared cupcake tins- fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pizza Quesadillas

8 flour tortillas
8 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese
6 ounces sliced pepperoni
1 (16-ounce) jar of pizza sauce
butter for pan

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat and fry the pepperoni until crisp. Transfer onto a paper towel to drain.  Brush each tortilla with a thin layer of pizza sauce. You want the layer so thin that if you turned it over, none would drip.  Sprinkle cheese on top of the sauce on the bottom tortilla. Top with pepperoni and other toppings, if desired. Sprinkle with another layer of cheese and place the other tortilla on top (sauce side in).  Preheat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little butter if desired and melt.  Gently place quesadilla in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy.
Slice into quarters and serve with a little bowl of warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Garlic Cheese Rolls

Pizza dough
Garlic butter
Mozzarella cheese


Roll dough into a rectangle (like for cinnamon rolls) or just use refrigerated pizza dough {Pillsbury}.  Spread the garlic butter (either homemade or store bought) over the dough.  Sprinkle with Mozzarella Cheese.  Roll Jelly Roll style.  Cut into 12 pieces.  Bake according to directions for dough.

Pizza Dough

2 c flour
1 Tbls butter, softened
1 Tbls sugar
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 c plus 2 Tbls water (105-110 degrees)

Doubled (for 2 pizzas):
4 c flour
2 Tbls butter, softened
2 Tbls sugar
2 tsp yeast
2 tsp salt
1 1/3 c water (105-110 degrees)

Add all ingredients into your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Make sure that the water is warm enough to proof the yeast (about 105-110 degrees). Turn your bread machine to the dough setting. After a couple minutes check on your dough. Make sure that the ingredients are thoroughly combined and that the dough is not too wet or too dry. Depending on where you live and the flour you use there can be some variances in the dough. If it's too dry, add 1 tsp of water at a time. If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tsp of flour at a time.After the bread machine is done (mine takes about 90 minutes on the dough cycle) - dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and work it until you achieve your desired shape.  Depending on the size of pizza pan or pizza stone you are using, you may not need all of the dough.
 Make up your pizza and bake at 400-425 degrees for 18-25 minutes.

Pretzel Bites

1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 quarts water
1/2 cup baking soda
coarse salt
melted butter – not in the original recipe, but a must for mall food pretzel like experience

In bread machine pan, place the first four ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons water or flour if needed).
When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into eight balls. Roll each into a 20-in. rope; form into pretzel shape. In a saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Drop pretzels into boiling water, two at a time; boil for 10-15 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
Place pretzels on greased baking sheets. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with salt.

Lemonade

2 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar or a sugar substitute. (You can add more or less depending on how you like it!)
12 cups water

Boil water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add in the fresh squeezed lemon juice and pour into a heatproof glass pitcher. Refrigerate until cold.