Brown Sugar - Sugar Cookies

1 C butter

2 C brown sugar

2 eggs

3 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

FROSTING:

1 pound powdered sugar

1/2 C butter

Juice of 1/2 orange

Zest of 1 orange

Beat butter, sugar, and eggs. Add remaining ingredients and beat together until smooth. Roll the cookie dough out (1/2-1/4") on a lightly floured surface & cut into your favorite shapes. Bake @ 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes.


*adapted from www.cheekykitchen.com/2011/04/brown-sugar-cookies.html

Lemon Cream Cake (Olive Garden)

1 box white cake mix
1 1/4 C water
1/3 C oil
3 egg whites
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl lemon zest
Filling:
12 oz cream cheese
3 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
Crumb Topping:
1/2 C flour
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/4 C butter (cold)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Combine cake mix, water, oil, egg whites, lemon juice and lemon zest. Follow directions on box. Pour into greased and floured spring-form pan. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Cool.
For filling, mix softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Combine by hand with cream cheese mixture.
For crumb topping, combine flour and powdered sugar, cut in butter, vanilla, and lemon juice (pastry blender or food processor).
Slice cooled cake in half. Drizzle lemon juice on each cut side. Spread half of the cream mixture on bottom half of cake, put cake top on and spread the remaining cream on top and sides. Sprinkle crumb topping on top and pat on the sides.

Perfect Dinner Rolls

2 C milk
1/3 C butter
2 T yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 t salt
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2 - 5 C flour

Combine milk and butter and heat until warm and butter melts. Add the yeast, then sugar, salt, egg, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix on low until the ingredients are wet. Add 2 more cups of flour, mixing on low speed, then for 2 minutes on medium. Add 1/2 cup flour at a time until the dough is soft, not overly sticky, and not too stiff. (You may not need to use all the flour.)
Coat a clean bowl with oil and place dough in it to rise. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until double in size.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and flip the dough once to flour both sides. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 8 inches wide and 20 inches long and about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the dough with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough in half length wise so you have two very long strips each about 4 inches wide. Cut the strips every 2 inches to make 20 pieces of dough.
Starting with the short end, roll up one piece of dough with the butter on the inside. Place the roll on a greased pan seam side down. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all the rolls face the same direction on the pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double. Bake rolls at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the tops of hot rolls with melted butter.  Makes about 20 big rolls.

Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
2 T mayo
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t hot sauce
1 C cheddar cheese, shredded
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
dash of garlic powder
dash of onion powder

Combine, roll into ball and roll in pecans, almonds or parsley.  Chill and serve.

Perfect Biscuits

2 C flour
2 t sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/3 C butter
1 C cream

Whisk dry ingredients. Cut in butter (best in food processor).  Stir in cream until just moist.  Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth about 30 seconds.  Pat dough into 3/4" thick circle.  Cut into desired shape.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake for 13-15 minutes @ 450.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 C flour
1/2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
3 eggs
1 C w. sugar
1 C b. sugar
1 C vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
2 C zucchini, grated
1/4 C cocoa powder
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grease and flour 2 8x4 loaf pans.  Whisk dry ingredients. In separate bowl, beat eggs until foamy.  Add sugars, oil, vanilla, and cocoa powder.  Stir in zucchini.  Mix in dry ingredients until just incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.  Divide batter between pans.
Bake 45-50 minutes @ 325.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 T yeast
1 C warm milk
1/2 C sugar
1/3 C butter
1 t salt
2 eggs
4 C flour

Filling:
1 C brown sugar
2 T flour
2 T cinnamon
1/3 C butter

Icing:
1/2 C butter
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C cream cheese
1 t vanilla
1/4 t salt

Dissolve yeast in warm milk.  Add sugar, butter, salt, eggs and flour.  Knead dough into a ball.  Cover and let rise about 1 hour or double in size.  Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 21"x16" and about 1/4" thick. Brush with butter and sprinkle sugar/cinnamon mixture over.  Roll up and cut into 1 1/2" slices, place on greased baking sheet.  Bake 10 minutes @ 400.  Combine icing and spread over hot rolls.