Monkey Bread Spider Webs-Week 1

Dough
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 cup very warm milk (115 F), I use whole milk.
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup butter, well softened almost melting.
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
4 cups all purpose flour

In a large bowl, stir together the yeast and milk until dissolved. Beat in the sugar, butter, salt and eggs until well combined. Add the flour, one cup at a time, stirring until incorporated. The dough will be shaggy and still sticky.
Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead 5-6 minutes until smooth and elastic. Or if you use a mixer knead 4-5 minutes. Freeze or refrigerate at this point if desired. If not, continue by placing the kneaded dough into a greased bowl. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. The length of time needed to rise will depend on how warm the room is. Ideal rising temperature is 72 F.
When dough is risen, punch dough down with a floured hand and shape and bake as desired.
For the cinnamon sugar coating
½ cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

For the caramel sauce

⅓ cup butter,
⅓ cup whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt

Make the yeast dough as directed in this recipe through the first rise. While the dough is rising, make the caramel sauce.
To make the sauce, add the butter, whipping cream, brown sugar and salt to a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for exactly 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a small bowl.
When the dough has risen, punch it down and knead several times until smooth. Grease a 12 cup bundt pan and pour in ⅓ of the caramel sauce at the bottom, pinch off 1 inch section of dough, dip them in the melted butter, roll them in the cinnamon sugar and place in the bundt pan.
Continue the process until half the dough is in the pan, then pour on another ⅓ of the caramel sauce. Repeat the process with the other half of the dough. Finally, add the last ⅓ of the caramel sauce on top.
Let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake uncovered for 30 – 35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before carefully inverting onto a tray. It is best served warm, but will keep several days tightly covered.
Make a light icing with 3 T powder sugar and ½ tsp of water put in piping back and make a web on top of bundt pan.

Turkey Chili with Corn muffins-week 2

1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 diced tomatoes
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 cup chopped kale

In a large skillet, cook the turkey over medium-high heat until browned, breaking up into small pieces with a spatula. Season with salt. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
Add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, broth, cumin, chili powder, and paprika to the pan and stir. Bring to a simmer and cover. Cook for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt to taste. Stir in the kale and cooked until wilted. Serve warm, garnished with fresh cilantro.

Cornbread

1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled*
1 large egg
*For moister cornbread, substitute 1/4 cup vegetable oil or corn oil for 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of the butter.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9″ square or round pan or 12 muffin cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Stir in any desired herbs, corn kernels, or other flavorings.
In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vegetable oil (if you’re using it), and egg.
Pour the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, stirring quickly and gently until just combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan, or scoop into the muffin tin.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the pan and a cake tester or paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 5 minutes before cutting; serve warm.

Baked Chicken Balls-Week 4

Filling
1 ½ cups roasted chicken shredded or Turkey
1 15 oz can of sweet peas
1 med onion diced
3 celery stalks diced
3 carrots peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 sticks of butter sweet
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp flour

Sauce pan sweat the onion, carrots and celery in the butter
Add in flour mix until mixture becomes thick
Add in roasted chicken, peas, salt, pepper
Add in heavy cream slowly and stir for 1 to 2 minutes

Crust
1 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup butter diced and chilled
1/4 cup ice water

Use food processor add all ingredients besides water and slowly blend water a little at a time until ball forms. Remove and chill for half hour
Roll out and fill and place in med size cupcake holder to help keep shape. Bake at 350 till dough is cooked 15 mins.

Chocolate Ganache Bundt Cake-Week 5

2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup oil (vegetable or canola oil)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top of cake (optional)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cup chocolate chips

Grease and flour a standard size bundt pan (make sure to grease it really well so the cake doesn’t stick!) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, set aside.
Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in oil, cocoa powder and water and bring mixture just to a boil, whisking constantly. Pour hot butter mixture into flour mixture and stir.
Stir in buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and whisk mixture until well combined. Fold in mini chocolate chips, if using.
Pour mixture into prepared bundt pan and bake 45-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Cool cake in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once cake has cooled, make ganache.
Ganache
Place cream in a large microwave safe bowl and heat for about 2 minutes, or until the cream is simmering. Carefully pour chocolate morsels into cream and allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute. Use a large spoon to drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with remaining mini chocolate chips, if desired.

Latkes with Applesauce-Week 6

2 1/2 lbs potatoes (I prefer Yukon Gold)
1 large onion, shredded
3/4 cup matzo meal or bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp potato starch, or more if needed
1 1/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
1/2 tsp pepper
Olive oil for frying

Cut the potatoes into large chunks and shred using a hand grater or food processor shredding attachment with large holes (large shreds). I really recommend using the food processor, it saves a ton of time and will help you avoid tears when grating the onion. Place grated potato into a bowl and immediately cover with cold water.
Meanwhile, grate the onion using the grater or food processor attachment with fine holes (small shreds).
Drain the potato shreds in a colander. Rinse and dry the bowl used to soak the shreds and set aside.
Place drained potato shreds and grated onion in the center of a clean tea towel or multiple layers of cheesecloth. Wrap the shreds up in the cloth, twisting the cloth to secure the bundle, and squeeze firmly to remove excess liquid from the shreds. Pour potato and onion into the clean dry bowl. Stir the shreds with a fork to make sure the grated onion is evenly mixed throughout the potato shreds.
In a skillet, add oil to reach a depth of 1/8 inch. Heat slowly over medium to about 365 degrees.
While oil is heating, use the fork to stir the matzo meal, beaten eggs, potato starch, salt and pepper into the potato and onion shreds. Add salt and pepper to taste; I add about 1 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. You can sprinkle on more salt to taste after cooking, if desired. Take care to make sure the egg and seasonings are fully mixed throughout the potato shreds. Scoop up 3 tbsp of the potato mixture and shape into a tightly compacted disk.
Place the disk carefully into the hot oil. Latkes can break apart at this point, they’re very delicate. If you can get them into the hot oil in one piece, chances are they will stick
together – frying them is like the “glue” that holds them together. It takes a gentle touch, and it may take you some practice to get the “feel” for it.
The oil should sizzle, but not pop when the latke hits it; if the oil jumps wildly or smokes, it is too hot. If it only bubbles weakly, the oil is not hot enough. Use the first latke to test the oil temperature, and don’t fry a whole batch until the temperature is right. Remove the latkes from the pan using a metal spatula and place them on the wire cooling rack to drain.

Homemade Applesauce
4 Granny Smith and 4 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup apple cider or juice
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash nutmeg

Add apples, apple cider, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks and a dash of nutmeg to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce to a simmer. Let cook for 15 minutes or until apples are tender. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.
Mash with a potato masher, and stir in the 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and dash of nutmeg. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm.