Soft Pretzels & Bread Bowls

These are a bit time consuming, but so worth the effort. We love them! Soft and chewy and buttery. We ate them with this delicious Beer and Cheddar Bacon Soup. Fantastic!

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• About 4 1/2 cups flour
• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter, melted
• 2-3 quart pot full of water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• course salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the water, sugar, yeast and salt on low speed for 10 seconds. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour and butter. Mix on low until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approx. 4 minutes. Take the dough out of the bowl and spray the bowl with cooking spray. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in a warm place for approx. an hour or until the dough has doubled in size. Spray a pastry mat or cutting board lightly with oil. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into about a 24-inch rope and then make into a pretzel shape. See link below for detailed pictures! Cover the remaining dough with a towel while you work, so it doesn't dry out. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Bring the pot of water and baking soda to a rolling boil. Using a flat spatula, gently lower the pretzels into the boiling water and boil them for about 30 seconds. you can probably boil 2-3 pretzels at a time. Remove the pretzels from the water using your spatula, draining as much water off as possible and place on cookie sheet. Brush with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with course salt. Bake until golden brown, about 12-14 minutes. Serve warm.

To Make Pretzel Bread Bowls OR Rolls:

After the first rise separate the dough into four even balls, for bread bowls, or into 6-8 balls, for dinner rolls. Place on floured surface, about 2 inches apart, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes. Continue as above directs with the baking soda bath. Brush with butter and sprinkle salt and bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly browned. When cooled scoop out inside, if using for bread bowls, leaving about an inch of pretzel and fill with your favorite soup.

Freezer directions: pretzels, bowls and rolls can be frozen after baked. Just cool completely and then place in a freezer bag and freeze up to 6 months. When ready to eat, thaw to room temperature and then wrap in foil and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes.

S'more Cupcakes

These are the perfect summer treat, and bonus, you get to use a torch.

• Graham Cracker Layer:
• 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
• ⅓ cup butter, melted
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• Chocolate Cupcake layer:
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup boiling water
• Toasted Marshmallow topping:
• 8 egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Hershey Chocolate pieces 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line your muffin tin with 2 dozen liners. Pulse graham crackers in your food processor, add butter and sugar and mix until well mixed. Press 1 full Tablespoon onto the bottom of each liner. Put to the side. Make the batter: in your stand up mixer add all the dry ingredients and whisk well. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Slowly add in the hot water. Mix just until incorporated, do not overmix. Scoop unto graham cracker layer until about ⅔ full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through and bounce back when lightly touched. Place one bar of hershey chocolate in the middle of each hot cupcake. Let melt and spread around chocolate. Place cupcakes to the side and finish cooling. Make the marshmallow topping: put the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the heat proof bowl of your mixer. Place the bowl over a saucepan with boiling water. Whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and is warm to touch. Do not let it get hot. Place bowl back on your stand up mixer and using the whisk attachment, whisk, starting on low and then gradually going up to high. Mix for 8-10 minutes. Or until it forms stiff peaks. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. Place marshmallow frosting into your bag fitted with a 1M tip and pipe onto your cooled cupcakes. Torch and place a hershey chocolate piece into each cupcake. 

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

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Queso Fundido w/ Chorizo

This is one of our favorite appetizers (and sometimes a meal by itself). Super easy to make and comes together quickly. 

• ½ lb. chorizo (or regular sausage, if you prefer)
• ½ onion, diced small
• 2 small orange and/or red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped tomatoes, if desired
• Green onions, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In your cast iron skillet, over medium heat, cook your chorizo, onion and bell peppers until the meat is cooked through and veggies are browned. Remove from heat. Cover with cheese and place entire skillet in the oven. Cook 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and brown. Top with tomatoes and onions and serve warm with tortilla chips.

Green Chile Cheese Bread

This has become my go to savory quick bread recipe! It's fantastic! And it's so versatile. We tried it just this past week with Mozzarella, cheddar, bacon and chives. YUM! Try this recipe today! You will not be disappointed! :o)

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cubed cheddar & Monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup oil
• 1 egg
• 4oz can chopped green chiles
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped jalapenos (I usually use the jarred jalapenos)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 8 inch bread loaf pan. Blend the flour, salt, pepper, sugar and baking powder together in mixer. Add cheese. Pour in the milk, oil, egg, chiles and jalapeno. Blend just until incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and springs back when touched. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Serve warm with butter.

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

These might be one of my favorite cupcakes. I could probably sit down and eat a whole bowl of just the custard filling. There just so good. Try some for yourself!

• Custard filling:
• 1 ⅓ cups heavy cream
• 3 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons butter, cut into 2 pieces
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
• Cupcakes:
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ½ sticks butter, at room temp and cut into small pieces
• Ganache:
• 8 ounces chocolate, chopped (semi-sweet or dark)
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• ¼  cup light corn syrup
• ½  teaspoon vanilla

Make the pastry cream by bringing the heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat in a saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch together until pale yellow and thick. Slowly stir some of the hot cram into the egg mixture, then return the whole bowl in the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter. Transfer to a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly to surface of custard. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Make the cupcakes: preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners. In your stand up mixer, mix the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Beat in the butter, adding 1 Tablespoon at a time. Continue to beat until the mixture looks like moist crumbs. Beat in the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing well. Scoop into your prepared liners, filling about 3/4" full. Bake for 18 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

Make the ganache: Microwave all the ganache ingredients together, whisking often, until melted and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Let glaze cool until it's thick but pourable. About 30 minutes. 

To fill the cupcakes with the custard: scoop out the inside of the cupcake by cutting around the inner edge of the top of each cupcake, removing a cone-shaped piece from each cupcake. Fill with 2 Tablespoons of the custard, trim and replace the cupcake top and set back on wire rack over wax paper. Spread ganache over cupcakes.
Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes.

Peanut Butter M&M Cookies

One of my all-time favorite cookies. Chewy with the crunch of the M&M's, makes it one great cookie!

• 2 cups flour (¼ cup flour added for higher altitude)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temp
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 cups M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter, sugars and peanut butter, mixing until smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and milk and mix on low until completely combined. Slowly add the flour, salt and baking soda. Fold in the M&M's. Drop the cookie dough by rounded Tablespoons on cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden around the edges. Let cool on wire rack.
Makes about 3 dozen.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Tiramisu

This dessert is a lot like a tiramisu, but instead of layers of ladyfingers there are delicious chocolate chip cookies. And in between those layers of chocolate chip cookies? A creamy mascarpone mocha mousse. And it's perfect for these hot steamy days when you don't want to turn the oven on.

• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• 12oz container mascarpone cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
• 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 24oz chocolate chip cookies

Using the whisk attachment of your mixer, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until the mixture forms firm peaks.  To assemble the dessert: arrange cookies in a 9x13 dish fitting as many as you can. Spread half of the mixture onto pan. Place another layer of cookies and then the remaining mousse. Top with sprinkles, cocoa powder or chocolate shavings. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight (the longer you refrigerate the better it will taste!).
Serves 12-16 people.