Cream Cheese Braid

Make dough as instructed here. This makes 4 braids so you may want to half it. Spread out 1/4 of dough on a cookie sheet. Put cream cheese filling down the middle of the bread and then put a layer of jam over this. Braid edges of dough over the filling. Cover and raise for 25 minutes. Cook at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Cover with cinnamon roll frosting.

Broiled Nut Topping

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 Tbs half-and-half, light cream or milk (I omitted this and it still turned out fine)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1/3 cup flaked coconut

In medium saucepan combine butter and milk. Cook and stir until butter melts. Add brown sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Stir in nuts and coconut. Spread on Oatmeal cake and broil at 350 for 2 to 3 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Surprisingly Amazing Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 recipe Broiled Nut Topping (this is the best part of the cake!)

Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a small bowl pour the boiling water over the oats. Stir until combined; let stand 20 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour a 9 inch springform pan and set aside. (I use a bunt cake pan and it turns out great. Keeping the topping on is a bit tricky.) In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add eggs on at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add the flour mixture and oatmeal mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cook cake in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan; remove sides of pan. Cool on wire rack at least 1 hour more.

Transfer cake to a baking sheet. Spread Broiled Nut Topping over cake. Broil about 4 inches from heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Santa Fe Chicken with Veggies

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped red/green sweet pepper (1 large)

1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)-I use more than this

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup frozen broccoli florets

1 cup frozen corn

2 cups cubed, cooked chicken (10 oz)-I use two big chicken breasts

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained (I used Italian flavored)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (4 oz)

fresh cilantro (opt)

In a large skillet, cook sweet pepper and onion in hot olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (I salt/pepper chicken and then cook with veggies at this time, or you can cook previously as the recipe says). Stir in broccoli and corn. Cook for 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add cooked chicken (if not added previously), black beans, undrained tomatoes, and cumin to skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with cilantro.

Great over couscous (use chicken broth with a little water to cook it) or in a tortilla.

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Rosemary Bread

Made using a Bread Machine

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup water
3 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 tsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp garlic
3 1/4 cup flour
4 tsp yeast

Put all ingredients into bread machine on regular setting. Delicious dipped in oil and balsamic vinegar.

Best Chocolate cake

Cake

1 Devils Food cake mix

1 (3.9) package instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups sour cream

1 cup melted butter

5 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 10 inch bundt pan.

In a large bowl, stir together cake mix & pudding mix. Add butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla. Beat on low to medium speed about 2 minutes until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in oven for abotu 50-55 minutes. Take it out even if it looks moist and fudgy. let cool in pan about 10 minutes before turning in onto a plate. Let cool completely and then cover with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup chocolate chips (or chopped up chocolate bar)

Put chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream in a sauce pan until it starts to bubble. Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips in the bowl. Whisk together until smooth and shiny. Drizzle over cake.

Banana Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 5-6 bananas)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. For muffins, bake 20-25 minutes.