Davey Dad’s Thanksgiving Dressing

About 10-12 cups dried bread cubes or stuffing mix (I use homemade bread, cubed and dried in the oven or 2 bags of 365 Organic traditional stuffing mix)

6 ribs of celery, chopped

1-2 cups chopped yellow onion

1 pound hot Italian sausage or sage sausage, cooked and drained

1 large or two small apples (tart is best), peeled and chopped

Fresh sage leaves (large handful), chopped or dried sage if you  don’t have fresh

Big bunch of fresh parsley (chopped)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Large pinch red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy)

Salt and pepper (adjust once it’s finished)

Fresh thyme leaves (small handful), can substitute 1tsp dried

1 1/2 sticks butter - more if you need it for frying the veggies 

4-6 cups unsalted or low sodium or homemade chicken broth (more if needed)

Melt butter in a large stock pot. Add celery, onion, and apple. Cook over medium heat until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Add herbs, cooked sausage, spices and stir well. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Now add bread cubes or stuffing mix. Mix until combined. Add more broth to completely soak the bread (you may need more broth than recipe calls for). Stuffing should be moist and a bit mushy. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes off the heat. Uncover and adjust salt and pepper. If dry, add more broth. 

Heavily butter or spray a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour stuffing evenly into the pan. Cover with foil and bake in 350 oven (or lower) for at least 30-45 minutes. Uncover and move to top rack of the oven. Cook in a hotter oven if you can until stuffing is crispy and brown. 

This makes enough for a large family gathering (10-15 servings). Makes great leftovers. Serve with gravy on top. 

Note: ingredient measurements are flexible. Use as much herbs and spice as you like. You can leave some out or add different herbs like rosemary and marjoram. You can add chopped pecans, walnuts, or roasted chestnuts to make it nuttier. You can use hamburger instead of sausage or leave out meat for a meatless dressing. Cut it in half for a smaller crowd. This is a staple for Thanksgiving and Dave always adds tons of celery so don’t hold back on that ingredient! 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1/4 cup softened butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c sour cream

Topping:

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 Tbsp light brown sugar

1/2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the topping in a separate bowl and set aside.

With an electric mixture, cream butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix again until fluffy. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and mix until combined and smooth. Add sour cream by either folding it into the dough by hand or mixing until blended in.

Grease an 8x8 square pan. Place half the dough in the pan, then sprinkle 1/3 of the topping over it. Place the rest of the dough on top (might need to plop it on by the spoonful. Smooth it out and then top with the remainder of the topping, making sure to cover the entire top of the coffee cake.

Bake for 25 minutes and check middle with a cake tester. It should come  out clean. It may take an additional 3-5 minutes more. Do not over bake or it will get dry.

 

Remove from oven and cool slightly. Cut into 9 pieces and serve warm. Can also cool and serve at room temperature. Store in a covered container for no more than 3 days (it shouldn't last that long though!).

 

Makes 4 generous helpings or 9 side helpings. If you make this with an egg dish, it's enough for 9, but otherwise double the recipe if you plan to serve more than 4 people.

Cheddar and Garlic Drop Biscuits

Do you like Red Lobster's cheddar biscuits? Then you will love this recipe -- made with real, wholesome ingredients instead of those mixes so many copycat recipes out there use. These are easy peasy and are done from start to finish within 20 minutes! Oh, and did I mention they are delicious?

2 cups flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp granulated garlic (garlic powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
1 cup whole milk
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Topping
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/2 tsp dried parsley crumbled finely
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, garlic and salt and stir together until well mixed. Add butter and milk and stir until flour is wet and ingredients are combined. Do not overmix (it makes tough biscuits). Add half the cheddar cheese and stir, add the rest of the cheese and mix again to make sure cheese is well distributed.

Drop heaping tablespoons of dough on parchment. Bake for 10-12 minutes, moving pans from top to bottom and visa versa so that the biscuits are evenly baked. Bake only until tops are lightly browns and bottoms are browned, but not burned. Biscuits will spring back when touched with your finger.

While biscuits are baking, combine the melted butter and parsley. Immediately  brush the baked biscuits with melted butter mixture while on the pan. If you want, you can sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt on top.

Remove biscuits from baking sheets and serve warm.

Makes approximately 18 biscuits.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze

I made these and they were very tasty -- not too sweet, but satisfied my hunger for a hearty harvest scone. I have never made scones before, so this was a first! There are a lot of recipes out there like this, but this one doesn't have the extra powdered sugar glaze which means it isn't overly sweet. I do recommend you eat them all up in one sitting or within a day or try one for dessert with pumpkin ice cream!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. sugar (I use evaporated cane sugar)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (I freshly grate this)
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6 Tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes about 1/2 inch each
1/2 cup canned organic pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp buttermilk or half and half (might need a smidgen more if your egg isn't big)
1 large (extra large is better) egg, beaten

Spiced Glaze
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp whole milk
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and flour lightly with a small amount of whole wheat flour. Set aside

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices. Add butter and cost it with the flour mixture. With a pastry blender (or your hands) mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse corn meal. Butter should be no larger than a petite pea.

In another bowl, mix wet ingredients: pumpkin, buttermilk or half and half and the beaten egg Stir until well blended, then add to the dry ingredients to form a ball. It should resemble biscuit dough. If too wet, knead a little on a floured surface. If too dry, try adding a touch more of buttermilk. The key is not to over mix the dough or your scones won't be light and fluffy.

Pat the dough onto the floured parchment paper into a 1-inch thick rectangle approximately 4 inches wide by 12 inches long (use a ruler, I did!).

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 equal portions (about 4X4 inch squares). Then cut each square into an "X" pattern so you end up with 12 triangular pieces of dough. Separate the triangles slightly or leave together if you want the scones to be less "crisp" around the edges.

Bake for 14-16 minutes or until lightly brown and when touched they spring back.

While the scones are baking, make the glaze.  Drizzle the glaze onto each scone in a zigzag pattern. Save about half of it to glaze again as the scones cool. You can cool the scones on a wire rack and wait to eat for an hour -- or serve warm with more of the glaze. Use up the glaze on the scones, but if you don't want them too sweet, you can allow the eaters to put more glaze on, depending upon personal preference.

Store any uneaten scone in a tightly sealed container. They taste best out of the oven or if eaten the same day they are baked. If you know you won't eat all of the scones, you can freeze the unbaked scones and then thaw and bake as directed above, maybe adding a few extra minutes if they are cold when you place them in the oven.

They are very filling and have a nice nutty flavor. Feel free to add pecans to the mix or put a few raw pumpkin seeds on top of them after you glaze them (that's what I will do the next time I make these).

5 ingredient 100% Whole Wheat Bread

I use a bread machine for this bread because I haven't a clue how to make bread without it. One thing you need to watch when it first mixes is that it is moist enough or it will turn out dry, so keep this in mind when making the bread in a bread machine. If you make it by hand, you can get a good feel for how moist it will be when you're kneading it.

1 1/2 cups warm water (I usually end up adding another 1/4 cup more)
2 Tablespoons olive oil or butter
1/4 cup honey
4 1/4 cups organic whole-wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 tsp. yeast or 1 packet

Place in the order your bread machine usually calls for ingredients. Set on Whole Wheat setting. Mine calls for wet ingredients on the bottom and takes a little over 3 hours. Remove loaf immediately and watch it disappear.

Make one loaf (1.5 pounds)

Since this has no preservatives, eat it right away or store in refrigerator or freezer after 3 or 4 days, We keep a paper towel in the plastic baggie to keep moisture at bay.

The Best Cornbread in the World

Who doesn't love warm cornbread right out of the oven? It's easy to prepare and takes only a little time to make. Mix and bake it after you get that pot of chili (chicken or beef) simmering. Serve warm for optimal enjoyment. This will serve 4-8 people, but if you're like me, you could eat the entire pan in one sitting.

1/2 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 c. flour
2/3 c. sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c. vegetable oil (not olive oil)
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 Tbsp honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. whole milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish.

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix oil, butter, honey, eggs and whole milk in another bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well mixed (but don't over mix). Let it sit for a few minutes and the batter will thicken a bit.

Pour the batter into the greased dish and bake 35 minutes. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't over-cook. The top will be brown and crispy and a few cracks will appear on the top. Check with a toothpick, which should come out clean. Do not overbake!

Allow to cool a few minutes, cut and serve warm with butter and extra honey. Or just eat it without anything on it -- it tastes great with chili or with ham and beans.

This is the most moist, sweet, and fluffy cornbread you'll ever eat!

Banana Nut Muffins

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 c evaporated cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine bananas, sugar, vanilla, egg and melted butter until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until smooth and well combined. Fold in nuts

Place 12 muffin liners in tins and grease the bottoms only of the muffin liners. Fill with batter until almost to the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool slightly and enjoy.

To make mini muffins, bake 10-15 minutes.

Makes 12 large muffins and approximately 24 mini muffins.

214 calories per muffin

Whole Wheat Sunflower Seed Bread

This recipe makes a 1.5 pound loaf in the bread machine. If you don't have a bread machine, you could probably make this by hand, but I'm not a breadmaker and so I don't know much more than putting the ingredients in the pan, push start and 3 hours later, voila! Baked bread!

9 ounces of warm water (about 80 degrees)
1 3/4 cups bread flour
1 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp sunflower seeds (I used unsalted)
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp bread machine yeast

Place ingredients in the order recommended by the manufacturer of your bread machine. Use Whole Wheat setting on your bread machine and when it is done, cool on a wire rack. Slice and slather with soft butter. Enjoy!

Mom Stefan's Zucchini Bread

My mom was the best cook - she could make anything smell and taste delicious. Zucchini bread was one of my favorites because she made it often when her garden yielded a multitude of zucchini (which was often). This recipe makes two loaves which is perfect for making one to eat now and freezing another to eat later. It freezes well. You can also make a few in mini-loaf size to give away to friends in place of one of the loaves. In any case, it's a favorite family recipe that needs to be handed down to many generations of the Stefan Clan. So without further ado -- here's to you mom!

Nathaniel made this!

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 c. oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. unpeeled and grated (and drained) zucchini (about 3 medium)
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins (I used golden)
1 c. chopped walnuts

Beat eggs slightly in large bowl. Stir in oil, sugar, zucchini and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into egg mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Put into two (2) well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Cool in pans 10 minutes and then on a rack until cooled completely. Wrap in plastic and keep in the refrigerator or put into a freezer bag and let all the air out to avoid getting ice crystals on it.

For best flavor, make the day before eating -- delicious with cream cheese!

Homemade Creamy Tomato Soup with Garlic-Cheese Floaters

Soup Recipe
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup minced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning or dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
46 oz. can tomato juice (I used Red Gold)
3-4 Tbsp. tomato paste (I used the double strength from the tube)
2-3 Tbsp. sugar
For creamy version add 1 c. warmed milk or 1 Tbsp sour cream per serving

Alternative: use fresh basil in place of the oregano or Italian seasoning mix.

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven. Saute onion and add garlic and cook until soft. Add flour one Tablespoon at a time and stir. Add Italian seasoning red pepper, salt and pepper, then add the tomato paste. Stir until mixed. Then add the tomato juice all at once. When almost boiling, add sugar. Adjust seasonings. Warm milk slightly, then add to the tomato soup for a creamy version. If you don't like creamy tomato soup, you can skip the warmed milk. Do not boil, but keep warm. Instead of milk: swirl in 1 Tbsp sour cream once you put soup in your bowl.

Garlic-Cheese Floaters
1 large baguette, cut into fourths and then in half
Butter
Granulated garlic
Asiago cheese, grated
Parmesan cheese, grated.

Place sliced bread on a baking pan. Butter generously and sprinkle with garlic. Add cheese on top -- as much or as little as you'd like.

Broil bread for a few minutes until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

Cut bread into squares (I use a pizza cutter) and float on top of the soup (like croutons). If desired, sprinkle additional grated asiago cheese on top of soup.

Apple Cinnamon Buttermilk Waffles

3 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk, warmed to take the chill off
3/4 cup milk, warmed to take the chill off
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 medium MacIntosh apple, peeled, cored and grated
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Heat waffle iron. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, milk and butter. Stir in apple.Add spices, baking soda, salt and sugar and whisk together. Next mix in the flour until almost smooth. It is okay to have some small lumps.

Sprinkle about a tablespoon of pecans on the bottom of the waffle iron, then pour about a cup of batter on top and then sprinkle another tablespoon of pecans on top. Close the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. The waffles will not be crispy, but should be firm. Keep waffles on a plate in a warm oven while cooking the others.

Serve with warmed maple syrup.

Swedish Pancakes (or crepes)

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt

Beat eggs until blended. Add milk and salt and stir. Slowly blend flour into liquid until smooth and well mixed. Batter will be very runny. If you get lumps, use a hand mixer until lumps are gone.

Heat small (8 inch) omelette pan sprayed with vegetable oil (not olive oil) on medium heat. Using a non-stick pan is best. When water skits across the top of the pan, it is hot enough. Add about 1/4 cup of batter to middle of pan and tilt pan until the batter completely fills the bottom of the pan evenly. It's okay for it to go up the sides of the pan slightly. When batter looks dry, quickly flip pancake over (you will have to loosen the pancake from the side of the pan, but it should easily slip out). Brown other side until small brown spots appear. Be careful not to overcook as they will burn. You must be very attentive to the pancakes as they cook very quickly.

Take pancake out of the pan and put on a plate. Continue process until all pancakes are made.

Have another person help you to butter cooked pancake, fill with apple butter, jam, cinnamon and sugar or just roll up and dip them in real maple syrup.

Makes approximately 8 or 9 8-inch pancakes. Cool any leftovers and then place between wax paper or parchment paper and place in a plastic gallon bag and keep in refrigerator. These can be used for sweet or savory dishes.

**I got this recipe from Henny Leonard who got it from Cathy Clark. Henny made these as a special breakfast often and called them "skinny pancakes" for her children. I lives with the Leonards when I went to college at UW-Whitewater. They made many special recipes that I still use today, but this is one of the easiest and most favorite of them all!

Autumn Apple Cinnamon Waffles

3 eggs
5 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 3/4 cups finely peeled and chopped apple (about 2 small Jonathan)

Heat waffle iron.

Beat eggs with a small electric mixer until fluffy. Add coconut oil, vanilla, spices, sugar, salt, sugar, baking powder and continue to beat on high for about a minute. Add milk and beat another minute. Add flour, one cup at a time, using the mixer to beat until well incorporated. Fold in chopped apples.

Place batter in hot waffle iron and cook until crispy.

Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Makes 4-5 Belgium waffles.

**Variation: Add chopped walnuts or pecans to batter when you add the chopped apple.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 c. butter, melted and cooled
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries (frozen can also be used)
coconut oil, for frying

maple syrup & butter

Melt the butter in a large enough container to hold all wet ingredients. Mix buttermilk, eggs and butter and set aside

Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and stir just until mixed. Batter will be lumpy. Do not over-mix or pancakes will be heavy. Batter will be very thick.

Heat a large frying pan or griddle and melt some coconut oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add pancake batter (about 1/4 cup) and spread slightly since batter is so thick. Drop a few fresh blueberries on top of pancake.

Cook pancake on one side until brown, then turn and continue to cook on the other side until pancakes are golden brown and cooked throughout. Keep heat low or they will burn.

Serve pancakes topped with butter and warm maple syrup.

Makes about 12-15 pancakes, depending upon the size.

Photo: Compliments of Nathaniel Cantwell

Coconut Oil Baking Powder Biscuits

I love biscuits, but dislike shortening, so I tried biscuits with coconut oil instead! Works great and has a slight hint of coconut if you know it is there. These also have whole wheat flour to make them a little more "whole" food. I found a great deal on organic cold-pressed coconut oil at Trader Joe's. If you've never worked with coconut oil, remember it melts at a lower temperature than shortening, and this recipe requires the oil to be in its solid form.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 c. + 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (solid)
3/4 - 1 c. milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pizza stone in the oven to preheat.

Mix dry ingredients, add coconut oil and use a pastry blender to cut the oil into the dry ingredients until oil is well blended. Add milk (start with smaller amount and add more so dough is moist, but not sticky) and turn out on a floured surfaced. Knead slightly and pat out dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Use biscuit cutter to make about 10 biscuits.

Place biscuits on a heated stone and bake about 9-11 minutes. If desired, brush with melted butter and serve warm.

For Buttermilk Biscuits - decrease the baking powder to 2 tsp. and add 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Use buttermilk in place of the milk. If buttermilk is very thick, you may need to add more.

Whole Wheat Pie Crust with BUTTER

I'd been looking for a pie crust that doesn't use shortening and my niece Angie sent this to me. We tried it and was it ever good. It wasn't as flaky as other pie crusts, but perhaps I didn't make it right. It was still delicious and had a nutty flavor because of the whole wheat flour.

2 cups whole white wheat flour (recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour)
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter, chilled
6-8 Tbsp. ice water

Directions
Combine flour and salt in a shallow bowl. Cut the chilled butter into the dry ingredients (I cut up the butter, then added it and used a pastry blender. I imagine you could use a food processor, but I didn't.) Be sure to cut the butter into the flour so it resembles coarse meal or has small pea-sized pieces.

Next drizzle ice water over the flour mixture one Tablespoon at a time. Knead slightly on floured board. Divide dough into two pieces and wrap each in a plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes before rolling. If you leave in the fridge too long, you may need to microwave dough about 15 seconds on 30% (or defrost cycle).
 Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Line your 9 inch pie pan and place in refrigerator while rolling out the second one or while making its filling.

Makes 2 pie crusts or 1 pie with 2 crusts.

Chewy Oatmeal Granola Bars

6 Tbsp. soft butter
1/4 c. raw honey
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2- 1 c. added flavorings, such as nuts: sunflower seeds, chopped pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, or dried fruit: raisins, chopped dates, dried cranberries, or even some sweet deliciousness: chocolate chips, vanilla chips, butterscotch chips, toffee. Try combining several together or use just one.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat an 8x8 glass pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine butter, honey, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add oats, flour and baking soda and any added "flavorings" and mix well until combined. You may find it easier to use your hands to mix this up.

Press mixture into the pan firmly and bake for 18-22 minutes or until slightly brown. Cook 10 minutes, then cut into 9-12 bars. Cool completely in the pan and store in a plastic storage bag.

These have chopped dates added.

Pecan Swirls

I made these when I first moved to Indiana. Twenty years later, I made these for my son, Nathaniel's 15th birthday breakfast. An instant hit! We decided they are better than Panera Bread's Pecan Spirals.

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar (I used organic cane)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter (1 stick) - slightly softened
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. milk
1 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. finely chopped pecans
3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, 2 Tbsp. sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender (yes, one of those handy things you put in your drawer and wonder why you have it), cut in 1/2 c. butter. Be sure the butter is hard and not too soft or it won't work. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The smaller the "peas" the better it will turn out. Combine the mil and egg and mix. Pour into the dry flour-butter mixture and stir quickly until it clings together. It should be soft, but not "batter." You will need to add a little flour as you knead it, so don't worry if it is soft.

Knead gently about 15-20 strokes on a floured surface. Roll or pat out dough into a 15"x8" rectangle. Brush with melted butter. Combine chopped pecans, dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture over the buttered dough.

Fold dough in half to make a 15"x4" rectangle. Cut into 1-inch strips (15). Holding each strip at both ends, twist in opposite directions, twice to form a spiral. Place on greased baking sheet and gently press both ends down to hold. Continue doing this until all strips are swirled.

Bake in middle of the oven for 8-10 minutes, just until tops are browned. While baking, combine powdered sugar and milk so that you have a drizzling consistency. Remove swirls from oven and cool for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle the swirls with powdered sugar mixture. Cool another minute and eat. They are quite tasty!

Naan Bread

This recipe is compliments of my sister, Dru Stone, who also took the beautiful photo. I will be trying this in the near future to go along with some yummy Indian food!
   
    * 2 tablespoons warm water (110 degrees F)
    * 1 teaspoon white sugar
    * 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
    * 1/4 cup warm milk
    * 1/4 cup plain yogurt, room temperature
    * 4 tablespoons melted butter
    * 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Directions

   1. Put warm water in a small bowl, add sugar and yeast and stir until dissolved. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until it foams.
   2. Blend in the warm milk, yogurt and melted margarine. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. Pour in the yeast/milk mixture all at once and work it into the flour, using your hands. Continue mixing, adding flour or water as needed, until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl.
   3. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand in a warm place to rise for about 4 hours or until doubled in volume. ( I used quick rise yeast and it did not take this long.)
   4. Preheat oven to 550 degrees F (285 degrees C) or your oven's highest setting and set a rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a large pizza pan or iron griddle on the rack and preheat.
   5. Punch the dough down and knead briefly. Divide into six pieces and shape them into balls. Place them on an oiled plate and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let balls rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Roll out and stretch each ball until it is about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. Remove the pizza pan from the oven, brush with oil and place one of pieces of bread on it.
   6. Bake at 550 degrees F (285 degrees C) for about 4 to 5 minutes until bread is puffed and has brown spots, then transfer to a wire rack, returning pizza pan to oven to keep hot. Place bread under broiler until 'charcoal' dots appear on the surface. (If your pizza pan is big enough, try baking two loaves at the time.)

I did not put them under the broiler and I cooked two at once on my pizza pans.

Be prepared for your smoke alarm to sound with the oven at such a high temperature.  Every time I opened the oven it would go off!!  :)

My note: Try adding some minced garlic clove to the dough for a different flavored naan bread.

Streusel-Topped Caramel Apple Muffins

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (freshly ground)
1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. apple cider
2 cups finely chopped apples
Caramel dip

Streusel-topping
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. very soft butter
1 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
(optional -- add 1-2 Tbsp. chopped walnuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside. In another bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cider until well blended. Add apples and stir well. Add the dry ingredients and blend until well mixed. Dough will be thick, but should be smooth. If not, add a little more apple cider.

Fill 12 muffin cups (use paper liners) plump full. Mix streusel topping and divide among the 12 muffins. Bake for 20-22 minutes until muffins are firm to touch and bounce back and top is golden brown. Cool and remove muffins from pan. Serve warm.

While hot, drizzle caramel dip on top. Or leave caramel off and serve "naked." Tastes like cake, but very yummy with any meal or breakfast.