My Favorite Recipes

One of my favorite foods is pizza. While I realize that it is not even close to healthy I just dont care! Over the past few years I have worked on finding a recipe that tastes like take-out pizza and I think I have gotten pretty close with this one.

Homemade pizza:
Dough:
3C all-purpose flour (plus extra for kneading)
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg. quick rise yeast
1 C warm water
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 TBS olive oil (plus extra for coating bowl), corn meal

Sauce:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can petite diced tomatoes with all the italian seasonings already in it (oregano, basil, garlic)

Directions:
Dissolve sugar into warm water (I warm mine in the microwave) and add yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes or until it looks frothy.
Sift together flour and salt into a Kitchenaide mixer or food processer bowl.
Add olive oil to flour mixture.
Add yeast mixture to flour mixture.
Knead dough for about 5 minutes. You really can't over knead pizza dough so go ahead and clean everything up while you let the dough do its thing.
Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a towel and let rise. The longer the better!! (at least 1 hour)
Divide dough into 2 balls. Form them into pizzas (use hands not a roller!! A roller will pop all the bubbles).
Put on as much sauce cheese and toppings as you like. Cook in a 550 degree oven on a pizza stone for about 6 minutes...yum!!!

Now this one I got from my friend Meghan in high school. I have altered it a little, but people absoloutely love these when I make them (especially Matt's dad and brother).

Home made cinnamon buns:

Ingredients:
4-5 C all purpose flour
9 oz white cake mix (this is about 1/2 a box of the regular cake mixes at the store)
2 pkgs quick rise yeast
1 tsp salt
2 C warm water (again I heat it in the microwave it should be about 120-130 degrees)
1/2 C butter (the real stuff...not margrine)
2 C sugar
4 TBS cinnamon
Brown sugar for sprinkinlg (optional)

Directions:
In a Kitchenaide mixer or food processer mix; flour, cake mix, yeast, salt and water all at once and mix.
You will need to add quite a bit of flour. I stop when the dough no longer sticks to my fingers.
Roll out the dough into a large rectangle (about 1/2 in thick)
Sperad butter over dough
Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over dough (I usually wont use it all, but you can)
Sprinkle brown sugar over dough
Roll into a jelly roll starting with the shorter side
Cut with a piece of string
Place in pan greased with...more butter (I am feeling like Paula Dean)
Let rise for about 45 min
Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 18 minutes. The tops should be lightly browned to ensure they are cooked all the way through (that one comes from experience)

While buns are still hot spread icing (recipe below)

Icing:
1 pkg cream cheese (it helps if its softened, but its not necessary)
2 C powdered sugar
1 TBS milk
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp vanilla

**This recipe is not exact at all...you really will have to keep tasting it to see when you should stop adding powdered sugar**

Directions:
Mix together (with a hand mixer or whisk) cream cheese and powdered sugar until there are no lumps
Add milk and vanilla

I cant lie these are a heart attack on a plate, but tasty none the less...

I do have some healthier recipes that I plan to write about later