Monkey Bread - A Holiday Tradition

Try this for a Merry Christmas Morning Treat.
Monkey bread, Sticky buns, Cinnamon rolls, whatever name you call it, these buns are delicious.

Other recipes for Cinnamon Buns in Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

Ingredients:
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
4.75 ounces whole-wheat flour (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon salt
1 package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup very warm fat-free milk (120° to 130°)
1/4 cup very warm orange juice (120° to 130°)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cooking spray
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 1/2 tablespoons fat-free milk, divided
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Weigh or lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached; mix until combined. With mixer on, slowly add 1 cup milk, juice, honey, and 2 tablespoons butter; mix dough at medium speed 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)
2. Combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Combine 3 tablespoons milk and 2 tablespoons butter in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk.
3. Punch dough down; divide into 8 equal portions. Working with one portion at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), roll into an 8-inch rope. Cut each dough rope into 8 equal pieces, shaping each piece into a 1-inch ball. Dip each ball in milk mixture, turning to coat, and roll in sugar mixture. Layer balls in a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with remaining 7 dough ropes. Sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until almost doubled in size.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden. Cool 5 minutes on a wire rack. Place a plate upside down on top of bread; invert onto plate. 

5. Combine powdered sugar, remaining milk, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Microwave at HIGH 20 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over bread.

Flourless Candy Cane Chocolate Cake

Forget the cookies. This may be what Santa wants with his milk this year.

Santa would also like the Chocolate Icebox Cake on page 80 in Tastes & Treasures.

Flourless Candy Cane Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
One 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/2 cup (about 4 large) egg whites 

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce 

1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/4 cup Truvia spoonable calorie-free sweetener (or another no-calorie granulated sweetener
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 

1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt 

1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
1 tbsp. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 full-sized candy cane (or 3 minis), crushed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" round cake pan with foil, and generously spray with nonstick spray. 


Place all ingredients except chocolate chips and candy canes in a food processor. Puree until completely smooth and uniform. 

Fold in chocolate chips.
Transfer mixture into the cake pan, and smooth out the top. 

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean, 35 - 40 minutes. 
Immediately sprinkle with crushed candy cane(s).

Let cool completely, about 1 hour. 

Refrigerate leftovers. (This cake tastes great chilled.) 

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Thanks to Hungry Girl for the recipe.

Sweet Christmas Trees made with Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey Kiss

Delightful treats and darling Thank You gifts, these will put a smile on your face as you create individual "Sweet" Christmas Trees.

Reeses come in mini, snack, and jumbo. The ones pictured here are mini and snack sizes.


Ingredients for one tree:
2 Miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
1 Regular Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
1 Hershey Kiss
Melted Chocolate (your choice of color) or Icing as "glue"

Directions:
Unwrap all of your Chocolate.
Melt your chocolate according to to package directions to use as "glue".  You can melt it right in a zip-top bag and cut the corner off. Or use icing to attach the layers.

Base: Upside Down miniature PB cup
2nd layer: Upside down regular size PB cup
3rd layer: Miniature PB cup upside down
Top layer:  Hershey Kiss

Repeat with as many trees as you plan to make.
Allow to set (in the fridge) for approx 30 minutes.
Drizzle with your chocolate around the edges in a pretty pattern and sprinkle with your favorite kind of sprinkles/jimmies/non-pariels

Hint:
Refrigerate all the candy before starting because the Reeses get soft and collapse. Keep cold and only pull out 3 or 4 at a time to work on...they thaw very quickly.
They freeze well.


Thanks to teacher-chef.com for the recipe.

Melted Snowman Cookies

Use your favorite sugar cookie recipe or get a package mix and get creative. You can even use Almond Crunch Cookies page 171 from Tastes & Treasures cookbook.

It's amazing how a marshmallow and some colored icing in a tube can make the most interesting cookies!

Happy to pose for the camera at Family Holiday Party

Tammy Frazier with mom, Delores Tomasek,
Chair Carolyn Mendoza, Norman Jean Coulter with granddaughter

Carol Vie brought 9 friends to enjoy Wizard of Oz

Patti Goss, Pat Christopherson, Aaron and Jackie Berkowitz

Ruth and Al McLeod

Family Holiday Party attendees keep smiling for the camera

3 generations: Abby Ulrich, Carol Vie and
granddaughters Zoe, Sophie, Julia

Cindy Tidwell-Shelton and sister, Debbie Taylor

Dianne Linthicum, Linda Cathey

The Phoenix Theatre was filled with happy folks attending The Wizard of Oz special performance for the Historical League's Family Holiday Party. Held annually in December, the event is geared to all ages with entertainment, food, festivities, raffle prizes and good cheer.

Debbie Beiser with granddaughter Allie,
Susan Neibergall, Jackie Mather

Happy family

Jackie Berkowitz created the raffle prize Wizard of Oz puzzle

Mary Garbaziak with Ivan and his son, Erick.

Banana Santa

 Want a healthy and fun idea for the little ones for Christmas? Just remember that bananas go brown quickly so make and enjoy right away!

Ingredients:
Bananas
Strawberries
Miniature Marshmallows for top of hat
Regular size Marshmallows cut into slices for hat
M & M for nose
Brown sprinkles for eyes
Wooden Kabob stick for handle

Note: a simple trick to keep bananas from turning brown is to splash lemon juice (fresh or bottled) over the fruit. Keep these in a plastic bag until ready to use the bananas. This works great on apples and pears also.

simply squeeze some lemon juice over them. You can use fresh, or bottled lemon juice (which I usually have on hand). No need to measure a certain amount, just squeeze a generous amount over the fruit and toss the fruit to coat. Make sure to cover the fruit tightly with plastic wrap, or place it in an air-tight container until you are ready to eat it.

Recipe: http://www.centercutcook.com/how-to-prevent-fruit-from-turning-brown/

simply squeeze some lemon juice over them. You can use fresh, or bottled lemon juice (which I usually have on hand). No need to measure a certain amount, just squeeze a generous amount over the fruit and toss the fruit to coat. Make sure to cover the fruit tightly with plastic wrap, or place it in an air-tight container until you are ready to eat it.

Recipe: http://www.centercutcook.com/how-to-prevent-fruit-from-turning-brown/

Thanks to cleanandscentsible for the idea.