Never Fail Pie Crust

If you live in a country that does not have Shortening, then you need a pie crust recipe alternative that tastes just as good! And here it is! In fact, if I move back to the US, I think I will keep using this one! It is so much more flaky than my old shortening recipe!

(Note: I double it because I almost always do a lattice top on my pies!)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice water

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight if you are not making your pies until the next day).

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Trim the excess edges with kitchen scissors. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Fill with something YUMMY!

I usually choose APPLES since that is the best AMERICAN dessert around!

Christmas Dinner Rolls

I LOVE TO COOK, but I have never attempted to make my own rolls. I really and truly thought I could not! However, I tried this recipe as an option for our Christmas dinner rolls...and THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!!

And I assure you...these are so yummy you will want to make them more often thanjust Christmas Day!





It is a little bit of work, and takes 2 days to prepare, but I promise...the look on your family's faces when they eat them will make all the work worth it!

Ingredients:

• 1 package active dry yeast (or in DK, use a little more than 3/4 of the refrigerated "gær" blocks)

• 1/4 cup warm water

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup warm water

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4 cups flour

Directions:

DAY ONE:
In a large bowl, stir yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and a tsp. of sugar. In another bowl, beat eggs in 1 cup warm water; add oil and salt. Mix egg mixture into yeast mixture, and add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time. Cover with a damp cloth, and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Then place the bowl in the refrigerator (still covered) and allow to rise overnight. This dough is rather sticky, and will raise to at least twice its size!

DAY TWO:

Flour your hands and then divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each section out into a circle on a floured board. Cut into pizza slice shapes, and roll slices large end to small end. You can also roll these into small balls if you prefer "round dinner rolls" instead of the "crescent roll shape". Place on greased flat baking pans, and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 minutes. Serve WARM WITH BUTTER!

Empanadas!

Not only is it a fun word to say, but a fun thing to make and eat!

Empanadas can be made as an appetizer, a meal, a

breakfast pastry, or a dessert! The options are limitless!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

12 TBSP butter, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

12 TBSP cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

4 TBSP ice water

1 egg, beaten

FILLING-- this is up to you!! Read my suggestions* below!

Directions:

Mix the salt and the flour together in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter and cream cheese. You can use your food processor to do this, but I prefer to use my hands! Mix and mix and mix until the mixture resembles a course cornmeal. Sprinkle with the ice water and mix a little more until the dough forms a ball.

Flatten out, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Flour the dough and roll out until it is 1/4inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter or a large glass, cut out as many

circles as your dough allows.

Then roll up the "scraps" and cut out a few more circles. Then take your rolling pin and roll each circle just a bit, so it is a longer, oval shaped. This extra step allows you to fill them up a little bit more! Beat one egg in a small bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly paint the edge of the oval. This will help keep it sealed better when they are baking!

Place a spoonful of your Filling* in the middle of

each oval, fold the dough over and pinch the edges closed. Use the tines of a fork around the edge of the empanada to seal it and add a little flair to it before baking.

Bake at 425 for about 15 min (or until golden brown).

How you serve them will depend on what filling you chose. (see suggestions below)

EMPANADA FILLINGS:

*Taco meat & grated cheese (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*Spinach dip

*Crab Meat (or your favorite crab dip recipe)

*Breakfast sausage (cooked) and scrambled eggs (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*BBQ pork (like the kind you eat on a pulled pork sandwich) (serve with a dollop of BBQ sauce)

*Marmalade/Jam (pick your favorite flavor!) (sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving)

*Apple (or any other fruit) pie filling (serve with ice cream)

*"Strawberry Cheese Cake"--Spread cream Cheese on the dough & then place a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle of it before folding over

As you can see, the options are LIMITLESS!