Momma's Oatmeal Pancakes

The Secret to a Crispy Pizza Crust

I love to make pizza... I love to eat pizza! Good pizza that is, particularly pizza I've made myself. No greasy pseudo cheese and pepperoni on my plate! I've finally figured out the secret to having a nicely browned bottom crust. You will need a good pizza stone to preheat in your oven, and baking parchment. You can use this recipe if you haven't one of your own.
I wrote about it on my recipe blog, but thought I'd do so here, also with photos.

Preheat the pizza stone in a 450degree oven. This will take a while, so give yourself plenty of time to get that stone piping hot.


Roll the dough out onto a regular pizza pan, then sprinkle lightly with flour. The flour will help the dough not stick to itself. Fold it over once and ease it off the pan. Place a piece of parchment paper onto the pizza pan; make sure the parchment completely covers the pan. Ease the dough back onto the parchment and place whatever fillings you'd like on top. Can you guess what section of the pizza belongs to Cleo??

The pizza stone should now be heated through in the oven. Bring the pizza in its pan to the stone. Carefully pull one corner of the parchment paper, sliding it with the pizza onto the stone. Be sure the stone supports all of the pizza.

Turn the oven down to 425 and set the timer for 10-12 minutes. When done, the pizza should first have a pleasing aroma!and the side crust should be nicely puffed and browned. Bring the pizza pan next to the stone, and carefully pull the parchment paper toward the pan. If the bottom crust is baked properly, it may slip off the parchment onto other than the pan, so be careful. Pull the paper out from under the pizza; the hot pizza will quickly heat the pizza pan, and help keep the pizza hot.
Use a sharp pizza cutter to portion slices.

This is a recipe from King Arthur Flour. It's become my newest favorite. Dense, moist and wonderfully chocolatey, this bread is best served with a nice glass of milk.
I've tweaked the recipe a bit... you may want to visit King Arthur to see the original.
The recipe is easily doubled.

Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2 large eggs white sugar (1/3 cup) 3 1/2 ounces vegetable oil  (1/2 cup) 3 3/4 ounces brown sugar  (1/2 cup) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 ounce King Arthur All-Purpose Baking Cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa (1/3 cup) 7 1/8 ounces unbleached flour (1-2/3 cups) 12 ounces shredded, unpeeled zucchini (2 cups) 6 ounces chocolate chips  (1 cup) Broken pecan pieces (1 cup) Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F; lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan. 2) In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, oil, sugars, and vanilla until smooth. 3) Add the salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and flour, mixing until well combined. 4) Stir in the zucchini, pecans and chocolate chips. *This batter will be quite thick.* 5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan. 6) Bake the bread for 65 to 75 minutes, until the loaf tests done (a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean, save for perhaps a light smear of chocolate from the melted chips). 7) Remove the bread from the oven, and let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out of the pan onto a rack. 8) Cool completely before slicing; store well-wrapped, at room temperature. Yield: one 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf.

Recipe summary Hands-on time: 15 mins. to 25 mins. Baking time: 1 hrs 5 mins. to 1 hrs 15 mins. Total time: 1 hrs 20 mins. to 1 hrs 40 mins. Yield: one 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf

Christmas Candy

Buttery Peanut Brittle

THIS IS A TWO PERSON JOB. So have a friend there to help; use your hot pads to avoid the boiling mixture bubbling up to you. Your jelly roll pans will also become very hot.

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light colored corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup butter or margarine, softened and room temperature (2 sticks)
2 cups raw Spanish peanuts
1 tsp. baking soda (have this measured and ready to use)

Butter the 2 jelly roll pans (or large cookie sheets) and set aside
1 Candy thermometer
Long wooden spoon
Hot pads (preferably mitt type)

Using a heavy bottomed 3 qt. saucepan ~ heat and stir the sugar,syrup and water until the sugar dissolves.
When syrup boils, blend in the butter. Stir until the thermometer registers 280 degrees, and add the peanuts. Continue to stir constantly until the mixture reaches hard crack stage, or 305 degrees.
Remove from the heat, stir baking soda into the mixture immediately. The mixture will foam up; mix well.
Pour the candy carefully onto the 2 buttered sheets. Stretch the candy with a fork, until it is spread over the entire pan. Loosen from the pan (peanut brittle will still be very warm) as soon as possible, and break into pieces. Cool completely. This makes about 2 1/2 pounds.



Fudge 9x13" pan

4 cups granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1 can (12oz.) evaporated milk

1 cup softened, room temperature butter (2 sticks)
1 7 oz. jar of Kraft marshmallow creme
4 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips (24 oz.)

2 cups broken pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

In a stand mixer (I use a Bosch; a high wattage KitchenAid would work), place the butter, chocolate chips and marshmallow creme.

Using a heavy bottomed sauce pan, boil the sugar, salt and canned milk over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly and well. Pour this immediately into the mixer. Put a guard over the top of the mixer, to protect you from the boiling sugar. Turn the mixer on, and mix for 10 minutes.
Add the pecans and vanilla, and mix until the pecans are incorporated.

Pour into the pan, pushing the fudge out of the bowl into the pan. Do not pat the fudge down. Cool and then cut. If the fudge doesn't firm up well, place it in the refrigerator.

Potato Casserole

This is the potato dish known by many different names (and recipes). Funeral Potatoes, because generally makes an appearance at Mormon funerals. Mom's Potato Casserole because you kids have grown up on it at special occasions. It's quite good with ham, and is guaranteed to raise one's cholesterol exponentially to one's appetite.
Also good microwaved the next day... although there's rarely any left.

Potato Casserole

6 medium russet potatoes, skin on.
2 bunches green onions, sliced thinly with some green
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese. grated large
1 pint sour cream

Scrub potatoes well and cook in a pressure cooker for about 22 minutes, or according to your cooker's instructions. Let the pressure go down by itself. Remove potatoes carefully to a rack and let cool enough to handle. Peel carefully. (Never throw the peels into the garbage disposal; they're like glue!)

In a 4 quart sauce pan, place soup and half the cheese. Heat slowly and add green onions. Mixture should be hot, with the cheese melting. Add the green onions and stir well. Remove from heat and add sour cream; stir well.
Grate half the potatoes into a 9x13" pan, and pour in half the cheese mixture.
Stir. Grate the other half of potatoes, stir together. Add remaining mixture, stir to combine. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Bake at 350 until bubbling, about 35 minutes.
This can also be made ahead of time. Fix the entire recipe, putting the potatoes in the 9x13". It will keep for a few days. I generally bring the potatoes out of the refrigerator about an hour before baking, so the pan isn't so cold when I put it into the oven. Cover with foil, bake at 350 for about 40 minutes; remove foil and continue baking until bubbly around the edges, about 15 minutes.

Scottish Shortbread

Cleo asked for this recipe... one of her favorites!
I use a clay mold to bake this shortbread, but it can also be baked in an 8" round cake pan.

Scottish Shortbread

1 1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2# butter, softened to room temperature. (This should be soft enough to leave a fingerprint on the butter, but not soft enough to spread on bread.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Mix dry ingredients together. Cut in butter and mix well. Knead thoroughly until the consistency is doughy. Press firmly into the pan; make certain the dough touches the bottom, and sides. Score the dough into wedges with a sharp knife.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until shortbread is lightly browned. It should still be slightly springy to the touch. Let cool in the pan, and then run a knife around the sides to loosen the shortbread. Remove to a rack to cool.
To cut into wedges, use a sharp knife.

Peanut Butter Cookies

This makes approximate 5 dozen very tender cookies.

1 cup butter, cut up into small pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Beat the butter, sugars and eggs well in a large bowl.
Beat in the peanut butter until incorporated.
Mix the remaining ingredients in another bowl; add them to the butter mixture, beating until just mixed.

Bake in a preheated 350 oven, until lightly baked, about 12 minutes. These are very delicate while hot. Keep them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes until firmer, then move to cookie racks to cool.