Easter baking

Refrigerator rolls













 





+1 c. warm water
1 c. margarine
1/4 cup prepared instant mashed potatoes
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 pkg. dry yeast
1 c. milk, scalded and cooled to warm
6 to 7 c. flour

Sprinkle yeast in lukewarm water until dissolved.Blend in milk that has been cooled to warm,
add 1 cup flour, then add eggs and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 5 hours.
Dough will rise in refrigerator. Dough will keep about 10 days and can be used as needed.

About 3 hours before using rolls; shape using only enough flour to make them easy to handle.
Place in greased pan and allow to rise 3 hours at room temperature. Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes.
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 Greek Easter Bread
(tsoo-REH-kee)



Tsoureki is a traditional Greek Bread served at the Easter meal flavored with overtones of orange and anise. It's shaped into a twisted wreath or a braid and has red colored hard boiled eggs tucked into pockets formed between the twists.
Although the traditional color for the eggs is red, pastel hues of blue, yellow, light pink and lime green can help welcome the Easter bunny just as well!
1 pkg. yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (110°F)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tbsp. freshly grated orange zest (or a few drops of pure orange oil)
1 tbsp. anisette liquor
3 tiny drops anise oil
1 tsp. salt
4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 egg yolk (reserve the white for egg wash for top)
hard boiled eggs dyed red (1 for each person)
For the milk, use reconstituted non-fat dry milk or scalded fresh milk.To dye the hard boiled eggs, I add a tablespoon of cider vinegar to the liquid from a can of sliced beets in a small stainless steel pan. Add the eggs with enough water to cover and boil for 1 or 2 minutes, cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then cool. The eggs may also be dyed red using food colorings if you prefer a brighter color.
To prepare the dough, dissolve the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes. Heat the milk to scald, melt the butter add the honey and cool for about 15 minutes before adding to the yeast (about 100°F).
In a stand mixer, add 2 cups flour and remaining ingredients (except flour) and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining flour a small amount at a time, until the dough forms a ball and begins to leave the side of the bowl.
With the dough hook attachment, knead for 6-8 minutes. Remove to a floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic. Put into an oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil on all sides. Cover and let rise in a warm, draft free place until nearly doubled. Punch down, divide dough into two ropes; twist the two together, then form a ring or a wreath and pinch the ends together; tuck them under to hide. Let rise, again for about 30-40 minutes.
Tuck a colored egg at even intervals around the wreath by spreading a rope twist to fit around the egg. Cover and let rise another 20-30 minutes or so.
15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375°F.
To make an egg wash, beat the saved egg white with a tablespoon of water and brush it over the top. (Don't allow the egg to pool in the valleys and leave the boiled eggs without brushing.) Sprinkle sesame seeds over the bread.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the bread reads 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Cool on a wire rack.




The best WHITE CAKE EVER!



    Yield: Three 9-inch rounds


    Prep Time: 15 min


    Cook Time: 40 min


 This cake is absolutely perfect, nice texture and very moist., The flavor was really nice. This is the recipe I've hoped to find for years.


    Ingredients:


    1 box white cake mix (I use Duncan Hines Moist) (Confetti cake also, works well)

    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 cup granulated white sugar
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    1 1/3 cups water
    1/3 c vegetable oil
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
     5 drops almond extract
    1 cup sour cream (use regular or light) (I use home made yogurt and the cake is perfect),You can also use  whole milk with 2 tsp. vinegar.,
    4 large egg whites


    Directions:


    1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour your desired pans. It's easiest to get the cake out of the pan if you line them with parchment paper too.


    2. 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.


    3. Pour batter into prepared pans. Be sure to fill them 3/4 to 1-inch below the top of the pan. Bake about 35 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Watch closely- check after 35 minutes and then every 5 minutes until they test done. Time will vary based on which pans you choose to use.

    Tips:

    *Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract (in addition to the vanilla) if you wish to have a different flavor.

    *You can also use this mix to make cupcakes. Pour into cupcake liners and bake for about 18 minutes. It will make about 36 cupcakes.
    *The frosting used in the picture above was the Wedding Cake Butter cream.
 







    CHOCOLATE CAKE VERSION

    Ingredients:


    1 box Chocolate cake mix (I use Duncan Hines Moist)

    1 cup all-purpose flour
    1 cup granulated white sugar
    1/2 cup bakers cocoa
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    1 1/3 cups water
    1/3 cup vegetable oil
    1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup sour cream (use regular or light) (I use home made yogurt and     the cake is perfect.  You can also use whole milk with 2 tsp. vinegar.,
    3 large eggs


    Directions:


    1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour your desired pans.


    2. In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt  cocoa, Whisk.. Add remaining ingredients and beat with a mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.


    3. Pour batter into prepared pans. Be sure to fill them 3/4 to 1-inch below the top of the pan. Bake about 35 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Watch closely- check after 35 minutes and then every 5 minutes until they test done. Time will vary based on which pans you choose to use.

    Tips:
    *You can also use this mix to make cupcakes. Pour into cupcake liners and bake for about 18 minutes. It will make about 36 cupcakes.






 Carrot cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups finely grated carrots (I use a food processor)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (I use a food processor)

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda.
and cinnamon. Add grated carrot, oil, and eggs.
Beat well, pour into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes,
or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool, frost with cream cheese icing (recipe below).

Cream cheese icing

1 stick butter or margarine
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered)
1 tablespoon milk

Cream butter, (if you use margarine the icing
will be softer) and cream cheese. Add sugar and
milk, Beat on high speed until smooth and creamy.
Thin a little to base ice cake, use full strength
to do decorative borders.

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Easter Bunny Cupcakes



          Ingredients:                                                         Spoonful

  • A cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe)
  • White icing
  • Shredded coconut
  • Pink decorators' sugar
  • Jelly bean nose
  • Chewable Sweet Tart eyes
  • Large marshmallow
  • Mini marshmallows
  1. Frost a cupcake (baked from your favorite recipe) with white icing and sprinkle on shredded coconut fur.
  2. Cut a large marshmallow in half width wise. Squeeze each half slightly to give it an oval shape, then decorate the sticky side of each one with pink decorators' sugar and set them in place for ears.
  3. Add a jelly bean nose and either jelly bean or snipped Sweet Tart eyes, and mini marshmallows for  for cheeks. For a finishing touch, draw on decorators' gel pupils or whiskers if you like. 
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The pic shows regular crust but we used graham cracker crust.

My husband gave me this recipe. I had always used the old
standby cook book recipe but as he already bought the ingredients
I said I'd give it a try. Well, not going back to the old recipe
anymore. This was the best and easiest pie yet.It just shouts
"Spring time"!

INGREDIENTS:

1 graham cracker pie crust, (he bought a ready made)
but I will add the recipe below if you want to make your own.
1 box of Jello lemon pudding and pie filling (I used farm fresh
eggs for wonderful color).

Stir pudding mix, 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water, and 2 beaten egg yolks
(save the whites for meringue). Into a heavy saucepan.Stir well and add
*2 cups more water. Cook over medium heat, (stirring constantly) until
the mixture thickens. Cool 5 minutes stirring twice. Pour into prepared crust.
(9 inch).

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 3 egg whites with electric mixer (not a speck
of yolk). As it starts to get where it holds a peak when you remove the spoon,
start to add:
1/3 cup of sugar gradually and finally 1 tsp. vanilla. I also add a pinch of
cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Spread over pie filling making
sure you seal it to the edge so it won't "weep". Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until
tops of peaks brown.Cool at room temp for 4 hours, then refrigerate.

Graham cracker crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients; press over bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes.

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Purple Ombre Cake


Cake
2 boxes Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix (or use the white cake recipe)

    Water, vegetable oil and egg whites called for on cake mix boxes

    Betty Crocker® purple neon gel food color

Frosting

1 1/2  cups sugar

2/3  cup water

3 egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla


    1 Heat oven to 350°F. Generously spray four 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray with flour.
    2 Make cake batter as directed on boxes. Divide batter equally among 4 bowls. Add food color to make 4 different shades of the same color. Pour batter into pans. Bake and cool as directed on box for 8- or 9-inch rounds.
    3 In 2-quart saucepan, heat sugar and water to boiling. Cook to 245°F on candy thermometer.
    4 Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat eggs whites, cream of tartar and salt with electric mixer on high speed until peaks form.
    5 Reduce speed to low; slowly pour sugar syrup into egg whites. Increase speed to high; beat about 7 minutes or until sides of bowl are cool to the touch. Beat in vanilla.
    6 Spread 1 tablespoon frosting on cake plate to act as glue. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread with thin layer of frosting. Repeat to use all layers. Frost cake completely with remaining frosting.

 Wouldn't this look pretty with purple violets and small pink flowers?
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 Hot Cross Buns with Cream Cheese Icing



5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup currants, raisins or Craisins
1/3 cup candied orange peel or citron (optional)
2-3 drops orange oil or almond extract (optional)
1 egg yolk mixed with 2 tbsp. water
Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, heat milk and butter to very warm (120-130°F).Stir the liquid into the flour.
Beat on medium speed of mixer for 1 minute. Add eggs. Beat for 1 more minute.
Stir in currants, orange peel and enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as needed. Place in a buttered bowl, turning to butter top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from draft, until doubled in size (about 1 hour or however long it takes!).
When dough is fully double, punch down dough; turn our onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half, then divide each half into 9 pieces.
Form each piece into a smooth round ball. Place balls of dough into two buttered 8-inch square baking pans.
Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Brush lightly with egg yolk mixture.
Bake rolls in preheated 375°F oven, 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pans. Cool on wire rack.
Drizzle frosting across the top of each bun in the shape of a cross.
Makes 18 buns.
Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 oz (small pkg) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. milk
Beat cream cheese and sugar together in a small bowl until smooth. Add up to 1 teaspoon of milk or just enough so that the frosting is a good consistency for drizzling. If frosting is too thick to pour, add a few drops more milk; if frosting is too thin, add a few tablespoons more of confectioners sugar.Note: If you can't find the small cream cheese package, divide an 8 oz. pkg in half and use about 3/4 of one of the halves.

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