Baked Cinnamon Pancakes

This was a huge hit today - I wanted to make something for breakfast that was not labor-intensive, since it's a Monday *and* a school day- and this fit the bill. The original recipe came across Pinterest a while back, and I made a few changes so it has a different appearance, but the taste was the same, I am sure -

ingredients:

Pancakes:
1 1/2 cups milk
4 T. melted butter
2 large eggs
I added 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 T. sugar
2 cups flour (I used half white whole wheat)
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease an 11×17 inch jellyroll pan. I lined my pan with parchment for ease of removal. In a large mixing bowl, beat together milk, butter, egg and vanilla, if desired. Add sugar, then gradually beat the flour in. Carefully stir in the baking powder and salt. Pour batter into prepared pan. Squeeze out swirls of Cinnamon Roll Filling (see below) over pancake batter- 4 swirls across, 3 down, for 12 pancakes. I used wooden skewers laid across the pan as a guide. You can vary the size if you like. I put mine in a crisscross pattern and then swirled with a knife, instead of individuals swirls. Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-9 minutes until center is set and does not give when pressed with your finger. Remove from oven and drizzle with Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle. Serve immediately. Makes 12 large pancakes.

Cinnamon Roll Filling:
4 T. melted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 T. cinnamon
In a small bowl mix filling ingredients together until blended well. Place in a pastry bag or plastic ziptop bag and snip corner to swirl over pancake batter.

Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle:
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. good maple syrup
milk
Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl until smooth, dripping in small amounts of milk until mixture is a drizzling consistency. I like to place mine in a pastry bag and drizzle that way.

instead of Maple Cream Cheese Drizzle, I made a vanilla drizzle - powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1-2tsp half and half, thinned out with milk as needed. YUM

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

This is an amazing recipe - so easy, and delicious! I don't usually have taco sauce on hand, so I just use more BBQ or ketchup. And the Liquid Smoke is pretty necessary, so don't forget that.

Ingredients:

3 lb. bag frozen chicken breasts (I've also used boneless, skinless chicken thighs)

1 onion, diced

2 cups of any combo of ketchup or any kind of bbq sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's)

8 oz taco sauce (Not salsa)

2 Tbs. brown sugar

1 Tbs. dry mustard

2 Tbs. vinegar

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. liquid smoke

 

Instructions

1. Toss all the ingredients into the slow cooker. You don't even need to stir. (I stir it up after it's all in the crock pot - at least smear it together. The first time I cooked it, there was a blob of unmixed stuff on top of the chicken.)
2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 7-8. (I've only cooked it on low) 
3. Shred the meat and stir it all up. (I kept the thighs whole, and served buns alongside.) 
4. Serve on buns.

Slightly adapted from here

Quick & Easy Pizza Crust

I got this off the Fleischmann's Pizza Crust yeast envelope - very tasty, and very easy!  I used it to make pepperoni rolls, and everyone loved it. I adjusted the ingredients a bit, and did it differently than directed.

Crust: (my changes are in bold)

1-3/4 to 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used half white whole wheat)

1 envelope Fleischmann's® Pizza Crust Yeast

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup very warm water (120 to 130°F)*

3 tablespoons oil (I used 2 tbsp.) Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine yeast and warm water; let sit while mixing other dry ingredients. In large bowl combine 1 cup flour, sugar & salt. Add yeast/water mixture and oil to flour; mix with spoon or mixer until combined. Add additional flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until dough is soft - it should form a ball and will be slightly sticky. Knead on a floured surface, adding additional flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes. I then placed it in a greased bowl, covered, and let it rise for about 30 minutes, only because I had other things to do. I think it would have been fine to use immediately. This makes 1 regular 12-inch or 2 thin crusts. **It states on the yeast envelope that this yeast is not suitable for bread baking.** Adapted from here

Honey-Spice Loaf Cake

I think this was from Bon Appetit, but not sure! It is from a magazine clipping, saved in my recipe box - and really good. It has pepper, which gives it a nice kick.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup hot water

Directions:
Position rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 350'. Butter & flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Beat butter & sugar in large bowl; add egg and beat to blend. Mix in honey and molasses. Combine all dry ingredients; gradually add to honey mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup hot water.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. (Cake will be very dark). Transfer to rak; cool 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack; cool completely.

Bread Pudding with Pineapple & Raisins

This is my mother-in-law's recipe that my husband loves -

4 Tbsp. butter, melted
10 slices bread, broken into large pieces
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 small can crushed pineapple with juice
3 eggs, beaten
dash salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup raisins

Grease 13x9 casserole with 1 Tbsp. butter, set aside. Into medium bowl, combine next 4 ingredients, including juice. Add remaining ingredients, including 3 tbsp. butter. Stire, pour into casserole. Bake @350' for 45-50 minutes.

Pudding Sugar Cookies

*we've never tried these, but I'd like to!*

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix or instant pudding mix of your choice

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, oil and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and dry pudding mix. Combine the flour, cream of tartar and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Yield: 7 dozen.
from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pudding-Sugar-Cookies

Spicy Oatmeal Crisps

This was originally published in Cooking Light magazine, December 2000. A very good recipe that included black pepper!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup regular oats
Cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 7 ingredients (flour through pepper) in a medium bowl. Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg; beat well. Stir in flour mixture and oats.
Drop by level tablespoons 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until crisp. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes or until firm. Remove cookies from pan; cool on wire racks.