Cheesecake

Contributed by Milicent Matheson

Make a day ahead or at least 8 hours

Crust:

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs very finely crushed

2 TBSP sugar

4 TBSP melted butter

Pat crush into 9 inch spring form pan

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the following together until smooth and then pour over crust

24 oz cream cheese softened

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp vanilla

Bake 35 minutes. Immediately refrigerate for 30 minutes to stop cooking process

Mix together until smooth:

1 pint sour cream

3 TBSP sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Carefully spread over cake and return to oven (350 degrees) and bake 5 minutes. Immediately return cake to refrigerator.

Serve plain or with fruit or favorite topping

Sister Matheson's Favorite Rolls

Combine and let stand in a mixing bowl for 20 minutes:

1/2 cup warm water

1 TBSP dry yeast

1 TBSP sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

Scald: 1 cup milk

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

dash of salt

Add: 2 beaten eggs- mix continually while adding eggs

Combine yeast with milk-egg mixture (make certain the milk mixture has cooled enough so it doesn't' kill the yeast)

Combine all with at least 4 1/2 cup flour (add enough flour to make dough workable) not too much flour or it makes the dough dry

Let rise until double- about 1 hour- roll dough out on a lightly floured cloth

Cut into wedges and roll into crescent shape (or whatever shape desired)

Let rise on lightly greased pans- about 1 hour

Bake at 390 for about 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned

Thin Mints

Don't worry that Girl Scout cookie season is going to end soon- you can make your own thin-mints! Follow this recipe:

http://bakingbites.com/2005/10/thin-minties/

"Secret" Cinnamon Roll Recipe

I had two friends combine Cinnabon, Betty Crocker, and a few others until they felt their recipe was perfected. This was once a secret, but I begged, and alas, now the world has the greatest cinnamon roll recipe!

DOUGH:
2.5 teaspoons yeast (1 pkg.)
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons wheat gluten
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla (double if "imitation")

1. Mix 1 cup flour with yeast and wheat gluten in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Melt butter in a saucepan and then add milk. Add sugar and salt until just dissolved. Heat through until warm and add to mixing bowl (the flour mixture).
3. Mix on high for 3 minutes. Add eggs and mix until blended. Add vanilla. Add flour gradually until dough is pliable and can be kneaded (you may need to add another cup or so of flour).
4. Knead dough on lightly floured surface for 6-8 minutes, or until dough is elastic. Put into a large, greased plastic bowl and let rise until double, about 1 1/2-2 hours. Once dough has risen, roll out to the size (about) of a cookie sheet and about 1/8-1/4 inch thick (aim for 1/8 inch thickness).

MIDDLE STUFF:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons cinnamon

1. Mix cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl and set aside. Spread butter evenly on dough and then sprinkle with sugar mixture. (You can leave one end plain--about 1/2 inch edge--to make the log stick together.) Roll dough into a log and cut every 2-3 inches. You can use a serrated knife or dental floss to avoid smashing the log.
2. Place on cookie sheets 1-2 inches apart (they will grow a lot in the oven!) Let rise on cookie sheets for about 1 hour. Bake at 335 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove when tops begin to brown (to avoid dryness).

FROSTING:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon lemon flavor

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together at low speed for 6 minutes. Switch to whisk attachment and whisk on high for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar on low speed, and then go back to high speed for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla, lemon, and remaining sugar on low and then return to high speed for another 3 minutes, or until creamy.
2. Keep leftover frosting in fridge. Store extra rolls at room temperature, covered. Don't ice the rolls until just before serving.

(*note: when I made these, I kept my oven at a low temperature (around 150 degrees) while the dough was rising. Then I put the bowls (when the dough ball was rising) and the cookie sheets (when the rolls were rising) on top of the oven to make sure they were warm enough to rise properly. It worked like a charm!)

Homemade Oreo Cookies

This is my most asked for recipe- by far.

1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix

2 Eggs

1/2 c. Shortening

Mix eggs and the cake mix then add the shortening. Roll into very small balls. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Once cookies are cooled match up into pairs of equal size and frost.

Frosting:

1 8-ounce Package Cream Cheese softened

1/4 c. Butter

4 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar

*I added food coloring for Halloween and rolled the edges in orange sugar for more impact

German Pancakes

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons salted butter

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Whisk the eggs, flour, milk, salt, vanilla extract, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside.
3. Put the butter in a 9x11-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in the preheated oven, making sure it doesn't burn, about 5 minutes. Pour the batter into the baking dish with the melted butter.
4. Return to the oven and bake until the pancake is puffed and no longer moist in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Mediterranean Stuffed Chicken

4 Chicken Breasts

7 ounces feta cheese

2-3 cups chopped fresh spinach

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, chop)

3/4 tsp. minced lemon peel

1 tsp. dried basil or oregano (I like basil)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Ground Pepper

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained

1/2 cup olives (packed in oil) (I like green)

Steps:

1. Place each chicken breast between 2 large pieces of saran wrap, and pound to be 1/4 inch thick with a mallet or skillet

2. Combine feta, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon peel, bail, garlic powder, and pepper in a bowl

3. Lay pounded chicken with smoothest side down on a work surface. Place about 2 TBS feta mix on the widest side of the chicken breast, roll tightly. Repeat with all breasts and stuffing.

4. Place rolled chicken with the seam side down in a slow cooker. Pour diced tomatoes with juice and the olives over the top.

5. Put lid on the slow cooker, cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6