Better Than Olive Garden Breadsticks

1 cup warm water
1 TBS active dry yeast
2 TBS butter, softened
1 egg
3-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt

Topping:
3 TBS butter, melted
Garlic Salt, to taste
Italian Seasoning, to taste

1.  Combine all breadstick (except topping) ingredients together in a stand mixer with a dough hook.  Mix on low until combined.  Continue mixing about 5 minutes, add a little more flour if needed.  Dough will be soft and slightly sticky.  It won't pull completely away from the sides of the mixer. (mine usually does and it's fine)

2.  Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead two or three times and form a ball.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let raise for an hour to an hour and a half or until nearly doubled in size.

3.  On floured surface, roll dough into a 12 x 16 inch rectangle.  Use a pizza cutter and cut the dough in half and then into 16 strips (32 total breadsticks) or how ever many you want.

4.  Place sticks on a greased cookie sheet.  Cover and let rise about 30 minutes.  Bake at 350℉ for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with seasonings.

From It's Always Autumn

Raspberry Crumb Muffins

1-3/4 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup plain greek yogurt (or use sour cream)
1-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries


Topping:

1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
zest of 1 lemon (or 1 orange)
8 TBS butter, melted


1.  Preheat oven to 350℉. Line muffin tins with paper liners. I got about 22 muffins.


2.  Make the crumb topping by stirring together flour, sugar, and lemon zest. Add melted butter and stir to combine.


3.  Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a larger bowl mix eggs, greek yogurt, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated (don't overmix).


4.  Fill muffin liners 1/2 full with batter.  Top with raspberries (about 4-5 raspberries each to cover the batter) and then distribute topping over the raspberries.


5.  Bake for 15- 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean (a few loose crumbs or bits of raspberry are okay but no wet batter). Allow to cool in muffin tins for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Serve warm, at room temperature, or store in airtight container. 

from Creme De La Crumb

Teriyaki Chicken Casserole

¾ cup low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp minced garlic
2 TBS cornstarch plus 2 TBS water
2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 4)
1 (12 oz.) bag stir-fry vegetables (Can be found in the produce section I used broccoli cauliflower, and carrots)
3 cups cooked brown or white rice

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

2.  Combine soy sauce, ½ cup water, brown sugar, ginger and garlic in a small saucepan and cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove lid and cook for one minute once boiling.


3.  Meanwhile, stir together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water in a separate dish until smooth. Once sauce is boiling, add mixture to the saucepan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat.


4.  Place the chicken breasts in the prepared pan. Pour one cup of the sauce over top of chicken. Place chicken in oven and bake 35 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from oven and shred chicken in the dish using two forks.


5.  *Meanwhile, steam or cook the vegetables according to package directions.Add the cooked vegetables and cooked rice to the casserole dish with the chicken. 

6.  Add most of the remaining sauce, reserving a bit to drizzle over the top when serving. Gently toss everything together in the casserole dish until combined. Return to oven and cook 15 minutes. 

7.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Drizzle each serving with remaining sauce. 

From life in the Lofthouse 

German Chocolate Poke Cake

Cake:

1 box dark Chocolate fudge cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) box chocolate fudge instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 TBS vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Filling:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Ganache:

4 oz German Chocolate, chopped (can use semi-sweet if you want)
4 oz heavy cream

Coconut Pecan Frosting:

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecan pieces
1-1/2 cups shredded coconut

1.  Preheat oven to 350℉.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2.  In a stand mixer, combine all the cake ingredients together until fully mixed.  Pour into the prepared pan.

3.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center of the cake.  Remove from the oven and poke holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon or skewer.

4.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake and allow it to soak in while the cake cools.

5.  Once the cake has cooled, prepare the ganache by placing the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and then heating the heavy cream in a small saucepan just until the edges begin to boil.  Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate and allow to set for about 4 minutes without stirring.

6.  After the 4 minutes have passed, whisk together the chocolate and heavy cream until a rich chocolate ganache forms, allow the ganache to sit and thicken for 5 to 10 minutes before spreading evenly over the top of the cake.

7.  Prepare the Coconut Pecan Frosting: Combine the evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, vanilla, and salt in a saucepan. 

8.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thicken, about 12 minutes.  Remove from the heat.

9.  Add the shredded coconut and chopped pecans to the mixture and beat with a hand mixer (or whisk) until cool and spreading consistency.

10.  Spread the Frosting over the top of the ganache covered cake.  Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge.


from Sugar and Soul