Poppy Seed Bread

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup poppy seed
1-1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottom of 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
2. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Mix 30 seconds with a spoon. Pour into pan.
3. Bake 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
   
4. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely (about 2 hours). Sprinkle with powdered sugar if you want.
   

Caesar Dip

1 package (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Caesar dressing
1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup Caesar croutons

• Beat cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and dressing with electric mixer until well blended.
• Spread onto bottom of 9-inch pie plate; top with lettuce and croutons.
• Serve with crackers.
  

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

We got this out of an old Family Fun magazine. We were almost out of bread-flour and were looking for an alternative recipe. I still like my cinnabon-clone recipe better, but this one is good if you want to use whole wheat.

For the dough:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups bread flour
1 package or 2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 large egg, beaten

For the filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1. Combine the milk, sugar, salt and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until it's hot (about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes). Set it aside and allow the butter to melt and the mixture to cool until it's just warm.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the flours, then stir in the yeast. Stir the egg into the milk mixture, then stir the milk mixture into the flours. Continue stirring until the mixture forms a soft dough.
3. Transfer the dough onto a floured surface. Sprinkle it with more flour and pat into an oval shape. Fold the dough in half and knead it. Give a quarter turn and repeat. Keep kneading, sprinkling with flour when necessary, until the dough is smooth, not sticky and elastic (it should bounce back when poked), about 10 minutes.
4. Oil a clean bowl, add the dough, turn to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth, place it in a warm spot and let it rise until it has doubled (about 45minutes to an hour).
5. Make the filling. Combine the soft butter, brown sugar and cinnamon with a fork until well blended.
6. Grease a 9x13-inch pan and set it aside. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and sprinkle it lightly with flour. Roll it out with a floured rolling pin into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
7. Using your fingers, spread the filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch strip uncovered at one of the short ends. Beginning at the opposite end, roll up the dough to make a cylinder. Pinch the ends and the seam closed with your fingers.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut the cylinder into 12 rounds. Place each in the prepared pan. cover the pan with a damp towel and let the rolls rise 45 minutes.
9. Heat the oven to 375. Bake the rolls until light brown, about 18-20 minutes. Allow them to cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes.
10. Frost using your favorite glaze or cream cheese frosting.
    

Coconut Cream Pie

Emerson really wanted me to make a coconut cream pie for his birthday. I found a recipe on allrecipes and I think it turned out great.

3 cups half-and-half
2 eggs
3/4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (9-inch) pie shell, baked (we almost forgot to do this)
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. In a medium saucepan, combine half-and-half, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
   
2. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cups of the coconut and the vanilla. Pour into pie shell and chill 2-4 hours or until firm. (We chilled our's overnight)
3. Top with whipped topping and the remaining coconut.

To toast coconut: Spread it in an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Glitter Candles

Materials:
candle
double-sided tape
glitter (any color you want)

• Cover the entire candle with double sided tape. If you want to get fancy you could so stripes instead. We kept it simple since 4-year-olds were making the candles.
• Put candle on a surface like a shoe-box lid that can catch excess glitter. Sprinkle glitter all over the tape. Shake all the loose glitter off. We used Christmas colors, but you can use whatever colors you want.
  
• Display or give as a gift.
  

Pecan Cereal Munch

1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 cups Cheerios cereal
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup slivered almonds

• Heat oven to 325. Spread 1 tablespoon melted butter in jelly roll pan.
• Mix brown sugar, corn syrup, 1/4 cup butter and the salt in saucepan. Heat over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal, pecans and almonds until well coated. Spread in pan.
• Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Loosen mixture with metal spatula. Let stand about 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container.
  

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

Mindy, Shannon and I made these at our December bake fest. Shannon described them perfectly, "These have everything I love about a brownie." If you love chocolate these are for you. The centers stay gooey and are so delicious.

1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 350. Spray two large baking sheets with nonstick spray.
  
• Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2minutes. Cool slightly.
• Using mixer, beat whites to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.
  
• Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Dough will be stiff.
• Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough; spacing 2 inches apart.
• Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes.
• Cool on sheet on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack. Cool.
• Makes 18 cookies.