Easy Pie Crust (makes 2)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup of really cold water

In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine.  Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water.  Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time).  To help ensure a flaky crust, do not over process.

Transfer half of the dough (still crumbly) in to a storage bag and form dough into a disk about 3/4" thick; wrap tightly in that storage bag and refrigerate until firm (about an hour and up to 3 days). Repeat with the remaining dough.  Disks can be frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months.

Makes 2!

Apple Pumpkin Muffins (Super Moist)

1 cup diced cooking apples or re hydrated dehydrated apples (to rehydrate, simmer apples in 1/2 cup apple cider, let sit for 1 or more hours)
2 cups white wheat flour (fine grind)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
3 t. pumpkin pie spice
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 cup applesauce
1 cup vanilla greek yogurt
4 large eggs, room temperature
chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl mix the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk till combined
Next, add the pumpkin puree, unsweetened apple sauce, vanilla greek yogurt and eggs.
Using a handheld electric mixer, mix until wet and dry ingredients are combined (scraping as needed)
Stir in apples
fill greased or lined cupcake tins 3/4 the way full.  Put pecans on top (optionsl)
Bake for 22 minutes until toothpick comes out clean when inserted into muffin
Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pans with liners.
In one bowl, sift together: flour and spices
In another bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, milk and sugars
By hand, pour the wet mixture into the flour bowl and stir till combined
Fold in the apples, nuts and zest.
Scoop batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top. 
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

Cranberry Orange Muffins

3 cups pancake mix
1 cup melted butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups milk, 2% or whole
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup dried cranberries (simmered in 1/3 cup orange juice till plump, cool)
OR,
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
zest of one orange

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, line muffin pans with liners.
In one bowl, sift together: flour and spices
In another bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, milk and sugars
By hand, pour the wet mixture into the flour bowl and stir till combined
Fold in the cranberries and zest.
Scoop batter into the paper liners, filling each one to the top.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean

BEST (so far) Cinnamon Rolls, and/or, Orange Rolls

Combine in your mixer bowl and let rest 15 minutes:
3 1/2 cups warm water (because the bowl is usually pretty cold, I use hotter water)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup oil
3 Tbsp yeast (I'm going to use less next time)

THEN, add:
10 1/2 cups flour (hold back the last 1/2 cup...to make sure you really need it)
1 Tbsp salt
3 eggs (room temperature)

Mix into the yeast mixture 5 cups of flour, eggs, and salt with an electric mixer. Add the remaining flour…(add a little more flour if needed till the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixer).  Let the mixer kneed the dough for 5 minutes.  Pour out onto floured board. Let rest about 15 minutes.

For Cinnamon Rolls:
Divide dough in half and roll each half out to approximately 12x30 inches. Melt 1/2 cup butter and spread evenly over each rolled dough (1/4 cup on each). Sprinkle each with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar (add a little brown sugar) and a generous amount of cinnamon. Roll up each half and slice (with thread) into 20 rolls (40 rolls total).

For Orange Rolls:
instead of cinnamon (as written above), zest one whole orange over the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Be careful not to zest the white part...just the outer orange layer. ;)

Place rolls in baking dishes and cover with a tea towel near the preheating oven or warm place.  Let rise about 20 minutes. Bake for about 15-18 minutes at 400 degrees (depending on how hot your oven is). Frost while still warm.

Butter cream frosting:
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 - ? Tablespoons milk (enough to make it spreading consistency)

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
6 ounces of room temperature cream cheese
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-? Tablespoons milk (just till you get the right consistency)

Orange Frosting
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
3-? Tablespoons fresh squeezed, strained orange juice

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (or white wheat, fine)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil (or part applesauce)
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded fresh pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips or toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and chocolate chips or pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. At this point a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf should come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely. For muffins temperature should also be 325 degrees F., but bake for 30 minutes.  Mini loaf pans...45 minutes

Cranberry Streusel Coffee Cake

A rich sour cream coffee cake which may be layered or simply topped with tart cranberries and spicy sweet streusel.  Wonderful served warm with ice cream or whipped cream or just plain.

Streusel
¾ cup of lightly packed brown sugar
½ cup of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ cup of butter

Cake
½ cup of soft butter
1 cup of granulated white sugar
2 eggs @ room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup white wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of dairy sour cream
2 cups of cranberries (fresh) OR, 1 can (14oz) whole cranberry sauce

To make streusel mix together sugar flour and cinnamon, blend in butter until crumbly.

To make cake cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.   Beat in eggs one at a time then vanilla.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream.

Spread half of the batter in a greased 10 “ spring form pan.  Sprinkle with half of the streusel mixture and then half of the cranberries.  Spread with the remaining batter.  Sprinkle evenly with the remaining cranberries and finally the remaining streusel.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about one  hour  (68 minutes) or until skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.  In my particular oven it takes longer than one hour.  With your elevation it may be different. Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cup white wheat (finely ground)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil

1 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup of milk

1 egg

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 baking dish

In you stand mixer, mix together the dry ingredients

Remove 1 1/2 cups of this mixture and put into a small bowl (this will be for your topping)

Add the finely chopped pecans to the topping mixture and add cinnamon, stir and set aside

Add to the dry ingredients in your stand mixer: milk, pumpkin egg and just mix till there are no more lumps

Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 pan and spread an even layer of the pecan topping over the batter

Bake for 35-40 or until a toothpick comes out clean)

Yam and Jam Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 17 ounce canned sweet potatoes, drained (about 1 cup)
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup fruit jam or preserves (such as plum, strawberry, peach, or apricot)
1/4 cup cooking oil (or applesauce)
1/8 cup honey

Jam Icing

1. Lightly grease twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups or line with paper bake cups; set aside.
2. In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, apple pie spice, and salt. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.
3. In another bowl mash the drained sweet potatoes with a fork. Stir in egg, milk, jam, oil and honey. Add sweet potato mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
4. Scoop (very thick) batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each about three-fourths full. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Cool slightly. Drizzle muffins with Jam Icing and, if desired, top with additional jam or preserves. Makes 12 muffins.

Jam Icing

Yield: 1/4 cup

3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1  tablespoon fruit jam or preserves (such as plum, strawberry, peach, or apricot)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 - 3 teaspoons milk
directions
1. In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar, fruit jam or preserves, vanilla, and enough milk (2 to 3 teaspoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency. Makes about 1/4 cup.