Cream Cheese Braids

 Cream Cheese Braid

(picture taken with camera phone...doesn't do it justice!)

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, melted


2 packages yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour

Heat sour cream over low heat; stir in sugar, salt and butter. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large mixing bowl, stirring until yeast dissolves. Add sour cream mixture, eggs and flour. Mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Cream Cheese Filling

2 8-ounces packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine cream cheese and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add egg, salt, and vanilla; mix well. Divide dough into 4 equal parts; roll out each part on a well-floured board into a 12x8 rectangle. Spread 1/4 of filling on each rectangle; roll up jelly roll fashion, beginning at the long sides. Pinch edges together and fold sides under slightly; plae the rolls, seam down, on greased baking sheets. Slit each roll at 2-inch interals about two-thirds of the way through dough so it will resemble a braid. cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Spread with glaze while warm (not hot!). Yields 4 12-inch loaves.

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
4 Tbs milk
2 tsp. vanilla
(sometimes I melt butter and mix it into the glaze. I add the milk last and adjust the amount based on the consistency).

Cream sugar and milk with a spoon. Add vanilla; mix well. Spread on warm loaves. 



(Taken from Down Home In High Style by Jack DeLoney, 2004)

Cream Cheese Crescent Squares

**This is what I've affectionately termed the "inverse of Cinnabon." It is a glorification of their cream cheese icing.

2 Cans Crescent Rolls
1 (12 0z.) container cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp-tbsp. vanilla flavoring (depending on how much you like personally)
1 cup (1 Stick) Melted Margarine (this is a TON of butter, so I usually do about 1/2)

Cinnamon and sugar for the top (about 1 cup sugar and enough cinnamon to make the mixture look like sand)

Spray brownie pan (9 X 13) with cooking spray. Spread one can crescent rolls in bottom. (If the crescent triangles are splitting apart, dip your fingers in water and just pinch them back together.) Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in separate bowl. Spread onto rolls in pan. Spread other can of rolls on top of cream cheese mixture. Pour melted margarine on top and sprinkle with mixed cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares.

--taken from a friend at Chi Alpha UGA.

High-Octane Pancakes

1/3 c. + 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. quick-cooking oats
3 Tbs. toasted wheat germ (can substitute all-purpose or self-rising flour or baking mix)
2 tsp. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 c. fat-free milk
1/4 c. yogurt (fat-free, sugar-free is good ;)
1 Tbs. oil (I substitute 1 tbs apple sauce)

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, and oil/apple sauce. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a hot nonstick griddle coated with nonstick cooking spray. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancake; cook until second side is golden brown.

Yields 4 pancakes.

(Since these pancakes tend to be dense and heavy, I sometimes add baking mix in place of wheat germs to make them a little lighter. Also, they are good even without syrup. There around 140 cal. a piece)

Taken from Taste of Homes: Cooking for 2

Apple Crisp

(Honestly, this is my most favorite fruit dish/dessert at the time. I could eat it at every meal if my husband would let me!)

4 medium tart cooking apples (Greening, Rome, Grany Smith..I use Gala), sliced
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (self-rising can be used, and I prefer that because it adds some salt)
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened (I use Brummel & Brown Yogurt butter- it's 1/2 the fat)
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
cream or ice cream, if desired

1. Heat oven to 375 F. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan.
2. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed (should resemble crumbles or peas); sprinkle over apples.
3. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.
   

From Betty Crocker Cookbook, New Edition.

Bran Muffins

2 cups bran cereal flakes, crushed (place in platic bag and crush with rolling pin)
1 1/3 cups milk
1/2 cup raisins, if desired
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1) Heat oven to 4oo degrees. Grease bottom of muffin pan.

2) In bowl, stir cereal, milk, raisins, and vanilla until well mixed. Let stand about 5 minutes or until cereal has softened. Beat in oil and egg with fork.

3) In another bowl, stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed; stir into cereal mixture just until moistened. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

4) Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand about 5 minutes in pan, then remove.

(These are super good!)

From Betty Crocker Cookbook, New Edition.

Banana Nut Bread

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 bananas
2 cup sifted flour
1 tsp soda
1 cup chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugar.
Add beaten eggs.
Cream banana until light and fluffy.
Add to the sugar mixture alternating with the dry ingredients.
Add chopped nuts.
Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Dad's Famous Homemade Pancakes

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbs shortening or salad oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

Beat egg; add other ingredients in order and beat.

From "Daddy" (Mark Wells)

Pumpkin Bread or Banana Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup salad oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 can pumpkin mix (16 oz.)
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
2/3 cup water

Cream sugar and oil together.
Add eggs and pumpkin. Mix well.
Sift dry ingredients and add.
Alternately add water.
Pour into well greased and floured 9x5" loaf pans.
Bake at 350 for about 1 hr. or until test done.
Let stand 10 minutes then remove from pan to cool.
Makes 2 loaves.