Flaky pie crust

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups butter
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 fluid ounces cold water

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Cut in the butter to pea sized chunks.
2. Place the egg and vinegar in a measuring cup and add cold water to measure 1/2 cup of total liquid. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix just until the dough can be made into a large ball.
3. Divide dough into four equal portions. Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator. Dough may be refrigerated for up to three days or frozen for up to three months.

Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 cups of milk
3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 egg
1 T salt
2 T yeast (2 packs)
2 cups of warm water
about 9-10 cups of flour
at least 1 cup of butter

To start out: Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture, they will melt.
We are going to add yeast to this hot mixture, but it will be too hot to just dump the yeast straight in (it would kill it!). To cool it down stir in 1-2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt, and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, in a measuring cup dissolve 2 Tablespoons of yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for a couple of minutes until it is bubbly.

**Keep track of how much flour you are adding!!!

Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier). I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.

At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour. Then smooth the dough out and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it raise.

When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside.

Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.

Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.

Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 3 rows, with 8 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan. Two balls of dough will fill 1 pan. You will get a total of 48 rolls!

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes, It may take longer depending on how hot your oven cooks. Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second.

While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.

I found this recipe here.

Pasta Salad

1 box bow tie pasta cooked
3 to 4 chicken breasts cooked, cooled & cubed
1/2 c. craisins
1 c. red grapes
3-4 green onions chopped
3/4 c. sunflower seeds

dressing

1 c mayonnaise
2/3 c sugar
1/4 c cider vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk them together & cover & place in fridge.
In the mean time, mix all of the salad together, except sunflower seeds, in a large bowl.  Toss together.  Just before serving mix in sunflower seeds & dressing.  ENJOY!

Pumpkin Pie

2 Cups fresh pumpkin puree

1 can sweetened condensed milk

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

streusel topping 

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, and egg yolks. Stir in 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold into pumpkin mixture. Pour filling into pie shell.
3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven. While the pie is baking, prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Blend in the cold butter with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Mix in the chopped nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the pie.
4. Reduce the heat to 175 degrees C. Bake an additional 40 minutes, or until set.

Pumpkin chocolate chip bars

2 c flour
1 & 1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t baking soda
3/4 t coarse salt
1 c unsalted butter, room temp
1 & 1/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 t vanilla
1 c pumpkin
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and side of 13x9" pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides.

Whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.

Cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high until smooth. Beat in the egg & vanilla. Beat in the pumpkin puree.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan.