Tomato Tart

Ingredients:
4 Tblsp butter
2 whole (large) onions, Thinly sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 whole store-bought pie crust (or 1 large homemade crust)
1 1/2 cup Fontina or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup Gruyere or Swiss cheese, grated
3 cups cherry tomatoes (red or yellow, or combo)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
16 whole basil leaves

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

2. Saute onions, salt and pepper in the butter. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the onions are soft and deep golden brown. Set aside.

3. Knead pie crusts together into a ball, then roll out into a thin (single) crust.

3. Place crust into a large jelly roll pan, or cut in half and use two standard pie plates.

4. Sprinkle on all cheese in a single layer, then top with caramelized onions. Add tomatoes and basil last.

5. Mix together the egg and milk in a small bowl and brush it all over the crust around the edge of the tart.

6. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, watching crust carefully. Crust should be deep golden brown, and tomatoes should start to pop apart. Reduce heat to 425 if tomatoes are done too far in advance of the crust.

7. Allow to sit five minutes before serving.

Bacon-wrapper crackers

Ingredients:
1 package Club Crackers
1 pound Thin Sliced Bacon (adjust based on number of crackers - 1/2 slice per cracker)
Grated Parmesan Cheese (Note: Can substitute brown sugar for cheese)

Preparation:
1. Place crackers face up on a cookie sheet.

2. Scoop about 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese onto each cracker.

3. Cut bacon in half.

4. Carefully, so cheese (or sugar( doesn’t fall off, wrap each cracker completely in one half piece of bacon. Completely and snugly wrap the cracker, so no edges are showing.

5. Place the bacon-wrapped crackers onto a baking sheet that has a rack on it.

6. Place in a 250-degree oven for about 2 hours.

NOTE: Can be baked, cooled, and then stored in a Ziploc freezer bag for up to 1 month. Reheat for approximately 10 minutes in oven before serving.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
3 large ripe bananas
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour

Preparation:
1. Mash bananas in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add sugar and egg.

3. Add butter and blueberries.

4. Combine dry ingredients and gently stir into banana mixture.

5. Pour into 12 well-greased muffin cups.

6. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:
Fresh baby spinach
Sliced strawberries
Purple onion, diced
Honey roasted almonds, slivered
Goat cheese crumbles
Vinaigrette dressing, to taste

Preparation:
1. Mix first four ingredients and lightly toss with dressing.

2. Add goat cheese crumbles and serve immediately.

Homemade Pizza Dough

Ingredients:
1/2 Tblsp sugar
1/4 cup water (105 degrees)
1 pkg active dry yeast
3 cups Gold Medal Better for Bread enriched white flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp crushed kosher salt
2 Tblsp olive oil
1/2 Tblsp sugar
3/4 cup water

Preparation:
1. Combine 1/2 Tblsp sugar and 1/4 cup 105 degree water in a measuring cup. Mix to dissolve.

2. Add the yeast to the water and sugar, and mix to dissolve. Set aside.

3. In a mixer bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, olive oil and 1/2 Tblsp sugar. Mix well to blend.

4. When the foam on the yeast mixture reaches the 1/2 cup mark (10-15 minutes), add it to the mixer bowl and set mixer to stir (using dough hook).

5. Using the measuring cup, slowly add water until a tacky (not sticky) dough has formed.

6. Roll dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes).

7. Place in a lightly oiled (olive oil) bowl, roll to coat, and cover with a hand towel. Place in a warm spot and allow to rise until doubled in size (1-2 hours).

NOTE: Rising time can be shortened to 45-75 minutes by using a warmed oven. If oven does not have a dough proof setting, preheat the oven on warm and then turn off. Add the covered bowl to the oven only when you can grab and hold the oven grate with your bare hand without undue discomfort.

Unbelievable Chocolate Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 box devil’s food cake mix
1 small pkg Jello instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's preferred - do not use light mayo or dressing of any kind!
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups mini chocolate chips

Cake Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a very large bowl, mix together everything except chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Pour batter into two square layer pans lined with wax paper.

4. For cooking time, use the cooking times on the back of the devil’s food cake box as a guide and usually add 10 mins to whatever it says. You can use the toothpick check, but be careful to note if you are sticking it into a melted chocolate chip! You want the cakes to be soft and springy but not liquid looking in the middle. Don't over cook. This is a dense cake that you don't want to dry out.

5. Once the cakes are cooled in the pan, gently loosen edges with a knife.

6. Turn each cake out upside down on a sheet of wax paper, turn back right side up and let cool completely.

7. Once completely cool, gently pull off bottom wax paper, then replace it (you are keeping it from fusing into the cake).

8. Wrap each layer (top and bottom covered with wax paper) loosely in foil.

9. Place layers on a tray to keep them from cracking and place in fridge overnight to get cold.


Inside Icing Ingredients:
2 2/3 c sugar
3/4 c butter
3/4 c milk
1 c chocolate chips
Powdered sugar
Half and half or whipping cream

Inside Icing Preparation:
1. Mix sugar, butter & milk together and boil for 1 minute.

2. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.

3. Stir with a wooden spoon until all chips are melted.

4. Put chocolate mix in stand mixer and add powdered sugar slowly until light and fluffy. Add half and half or whipping cream if needed to thicken or thin. Make it a spreadable weight of icing.


Frosting Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or special dark cocoa powder)
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
6-7 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, depending on desired consistency
1 tsp sea salt

Frosting Preparation:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, just a few minutes until it becomes brown in color.
2. Place in a large mixing bowl and chill until set. (You want it set, as in not melted, but you want it soft enough to be able to mix. So make sure it's the consistency of room temperature butter when you start mixing in the powdered sugar.)

3. Once butter has set, mix in the powdered sugar and cocoa with a hand mixer until crumbly.

4. Add vanilla and 2 tablespoons cream. Mix.

5. Add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you’ve reached your desired spreading consistency.

Cake Assembly:
1. Remove cold cakes from fridge and gently slice each one into two layers, being careful to cut evenly and slowly around chocolate chips and preserving the shape of the cake.

2. Place first layer on plate. Frost gently, but not all the way to the edges, with inside frosting.

3. Repeat with all layers, but do not frost the top layer.

4. Gently straighten the cake to square it up and lightly press down to make sure all layers are firmly seated.

5. Sink four toothpicks into the corners of the cake.

6. Gently ice the outside of the cake with outside frosting, beginning with the sides.

7. After all the outside is frosted, run an offset spatula under hot water and smooth top and sides of cake. Continue wiping down spatula and running under hot water as needed.

8. While top of cake is slightly damp from spatula, sprinkle with multicolored sprinkles, gently pressing them into top of cake.

Steph's Macaroni and Cheese (Grumpy's holiday request)

Ingredients:
1/2 stick butter
2 cups elbow macaroni
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk, plus some
1 cup (roughly 1/3 of a big block, I guess) Velveeta, cut into small cubes
2 cups shredded cheddar (mild or sharp, depending on preference/availability)
Garlic powder
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Black pepper

Preparation:
1. Cook macaroni. Overcook it by about 3 minutes. It should be just slightly "mushy" on the outside, but not very much. Drain and put in a large mixing bowl.

2. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat.

3. Shake together flour and 1 cup of the milk. Pour into melted butter, stirring constantly.

4. Cook butter/milk/flour mixture until the consistency of gravy, adding milk as necessary to keep it from getting too think. Stir constantly as it thickens so that it doesn't get lumpy.

5. Add Velveeta cubes to mixture, stirring until all cubes are melted. If mixture is thicker than gravy, add some milk to thin it.

6. Add garlic powder, Cavender's and pepper to taste. Overseason slightly, since, the macaroni will be mixed with the sauce.

7. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni, and stir to coat. Add 1 cup of the shredded cheddar and mix.

8. Put mixture into 9x13 casserole dish (or similar). Top with remaining shredded cheddar.

9. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese on top is melted and casserole is a little bubbly.