Easy Corn Bread Muffins

These are soft and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness.

Place all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine.

Dry ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2. 1 + 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3. 1/2 heaping cup white sugar
4. 1 tablespoon baking powder
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add remaining 5 wet ingredients in the center of the dry mixture. Mix on low until combined.

Wet ingredients:

1. 1/3 cup vegetable oil
2. 3 tablespoons of melted salted butter
3. 1 tablespoon honey
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 + 1/4 cups milk

Batter is quite runny. Fill muffin papers 2/3 full. 

Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes.

Makes about 15 muffins.

Bread-Machine French Bread

Adjusted recipe from BREADMAN- instead of using bread machine yeast and bread flour... 

Ingredients:

Water (80°F-90°F)	scant 1.5 Cup(s)
Sugar Quick Rise Yeast	1 Tbsp 1 ½ tsp
Salt	scant 1 ½ tsp
White Flour	4 Cup(s)
Vital Wheat Gluten	6 tsp

Directions:

Dump the first 3 ingredients into the bread machine bowl. Stir and then set aside to let yeast begin feeding, about 5 min. Add the rest of the ingredients. Place bowl in machine and select French Bread 2 LB, and light crust. Let the machine do it's thing! It takes a little over 3 hours to finish.

Eggnog Bread

The yumminess that was our neighbor gifts this year!

Ingredients:

Bread:
1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 cups regular eggnog at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (omit if using vanilla eggnog)
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup pudding mix
2 1/2 cups flour (add up to 1/4 cup more if it looks too runny. Mixture should be very thick)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbsp eggnog
1/2 tsp rum extract
a sprinkle of nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bread pans with cooking spray. Makes 2 medium-small loaves or one regular size loaf.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggnog, vanilla, and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add to egg mixture and mix just until moistened.
Bake in medium-small bread-pan for 38 min, or regular bread-pan for 55 min, or until toothpick in center comes out mostly dry. Edges will be very brown on regular size bread pan, but not the bread is not overcooked.
Combine ingredients for glaze and spread over cooled bread.

I altered the recipe I found online to use a lot less sugar and less pudding mix.
Original Recipe: http://kneadtocook.com/eggnog-bread/

Berry Cheesecake Muffins

MMMMM! Takes a little work, but they were really good!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup 2% milk
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup fresh raspberries
3/4 cup fresh blueberries

STREUSEL TOPPING:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk. Combine the flour, baking powder and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture just until moistened.
2. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups one-third full.
3. For filling, in a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth. Fold in the berries. Drop a rounded tablespoonful into the center of each muffin.
4. For topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. (Muffin cups will be full.)
5. Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 6. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers.
Yield: 21 muffins.
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Berry-Cheesecake-Muffins

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This is supposed to be bread, but I think it's cake. It's so moist and delicious!
Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt(I put a little less)
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• 3 cups zucchini, peeled, shredded
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips (or more if you want)
  

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, beat first 6 ingredients.
2. Stir in zucchini.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder; add to zucchini mixture and mix well.
   
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
   
5. Pour into greased pan(s).
6. Bake at 350°F
   

- 1 hour or until bread tests done in 2 bread pans.
- 40 minutes in cake pan
-25 minutes for cupcakes

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chocolate-Zucchini-Bread-220

Better Than Cake Banana Bread

We love this recipe in my family. Oaty banana goodness with a crunchy topping. How can you go wrong?
Ingredients:

1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 cups Flour
1 cup Oats
1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Salted Butter
3 Mashed Ripe Bananas
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla
2 Large Eggs

Topping:
1/3 cup Butter
1/3 cup Flour
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Oats

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350.
2. Mix first 6 dry ingredients well.
3. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.
4. Add remaining 4 ingredients, stir just until moistened.
5. Spoon into greased cake pan.
6. Combine all 4 topping ingredients with a fork, until crumbly.
7. Sprinkle topping over bread mixture.
8. Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered.
9. Can make 16 cupcakes, 16 min cooking time.
10. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

I got this recipe from Brent's mom. I tweaked it just a little and have noted down some helpful hints I have learned after making it so many times. I LOVE this recipe. We made it into calzones last night:
Ingredients:

1 cup warm water
1 tbsp yeast
3 cups flour
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup softened butter

Directions for Dough:
1. Mix yeast and water very well. Let mixture sit while mixing the other ingredients.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl.
3. Add softened butter and mix well with fork.
4. Add water/yeast. Mix with fork and then knead with hands, adding water or flour to get desired consistency. Should be very soft and slightly sticky.
5. Transfer to greased bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in bulk.
6. Punch down and let rise again.

Directions for Pizza:
1. Preheat oven with pizza stone inside to 450.
2. Divide dough into two equal parts.
3. Roll dough out to size of pizza stone.
4. Cook for 5 minutes only. Check for bubbles, and poke them with sharp knife if you see one.
5. Remove dough, add toppings, and bake another 10 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
6. Repeat with remaining dough.

Directions for Calzones:
1. Preheat oven to 450 with pizza stone inside.
2. Prepare desired meat ingredients. (We used sauteed 1 onion, 1 bell pepper, 3/4 pound sausage, 1/4 pound ham, and 1 chopped tomato. Add black pepper and 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning to meat.)
3. Add 1 1/4 cups mozzarela cheese and 1/2 cup marinara sauce to meat mixture.
4. Divide dough into 5 equal parts. Roll out to into 8 inch circles. Make sure there is plenty of flour underneath the dough after it has been rolled or it will stick to the counter when you try to move it to the stone later.
5. Place 1/5 of meat mixture on each dough circle, only on one side. Fold dough over filling. Wet the edges of the dough with finger and water. Use fork to press edges together to seal.
6. Cut 3 slits in top of each calzone. Place on pizza stone and cook 2 or 3 at a time for 13-15 minutes.
7. Serve with marinara sauce.

Can also use this recipe for scones, navajo tacos, or pretzels if you take out garlic, italian seasoning and 1/2 the salt. Yummy!!!!