Cheese Pups (no clue who made that name up)

1 pkg. yeast (1 scant Tbsp.)
1/2 cup warm water
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup warm milk
1 egg

20 pieces cheddar cheese (about 3 inches long and approx the size of a sharpie marker)

Soften yeast in 1/2 cup warm water.  Add 2 cups flour along with remaining ingredients and mix well.  Continue to add flour, 1/2 cup at a time till dough is soft but ready to knead.  Knead on a lightly floured board for 5-10 minutes.  Let rest about 20 minutes.  

Divide dough into 20 pieces.  Roll to shape each piece like a very fat, short snake.  Flatten slightly and place a slice of cheese on top, molding the dough around the cheese to completely seal it.  heat an electric skillet, fry pan or girddle (or all three if you want it done quickly) to medium/low heat and place rolls on hot pan, not touching each other.  As they start to brown on the first side, turn them to brown other sides.  I usually cook them on 3 or 4 sides depending on how well they balance.  Keep cooking till the dough is done all the way through (this means cutting one open at some point to check usually).  

12 Hour Butterhorns

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter 

1 scant Tbsp. yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, well beaten
4 to 5 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, softened

Heat milk to almost boiling then remove from heat.  Add 1/2 cup butter, cut in pieces.  Stir till butter is melted.  Set aside. Pour warm water into a large bowl.  Add a teaspoon or so of the sugar and the yeast.  When mixture is foamy, add the remaining sugar, salt, eggs and milk/butter mixture (make sure its warm, not hot).  Add 3 cups of flour and stir well.  Add more flour about 1/2 cup, stirring after each addition.  You want just enough flour to make the dough leave the sides of the bowl but still be soft.  Cover and let rise in a cool place (mine goes in the basement).  Let rise for 5-7 hours (or till you wake up in the morning if started the night before).

Stir dough down and dump out on lightly floured surface.  Knead lightly, keeping dough soft.  Divide in half and roll each half into about a 14 inch circle.  spread 1/4 cup softened butter on each circle. Cut circles pie fashion into 16 pieces each.  Roll each piece from big to small end and pinch closed.  Place on greased cookie sheets, cover and let rise for 5-7 more hours.  Sometimes they will get really puffy during this rising, sometimes not so much but its fine either way.

Heat oven to 375 and bake rolls for 12-15 minutes or till lightly browned.  Cool on racks or a towel.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter (margarine works, butter is better)
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pie filling, just pumpkin)
1 egg 
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups quick oats
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (12 oz. bag)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars together. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla.  Add salt, cinnamon and baking soda, mix thoroughly.  Stir in flour, mix well.  Add oats and chocolate chips, mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets (I usually put 12 on each baking sheet) and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on wire racks.  Makes 8-10 dozen depending on size (and how much dough gets snitched while I'm making them).

Sugar Muffins

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1 ½ tsp. Baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. Ground nutmeg

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup milk

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. Ground cinnamon

6 Tbsp. Butter, melted

Cream together sugar and shortening. Beat in egg, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Starting and ending with flour, alternately add flour and milk till mixed well. Fill 12 greased muffin tins and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Mix cinnamon and second amount of sugar together. Remove muffins from tin, roll in melted butter then in cinnamon sugar mixture.

If you want to make these slightly healthier so you feel better about yourself do the following: in the top ingredients use 1/3 cup sugar and 2 1/2 Tbsp. shortening, add 1/4 cup applesauce with the milk.  For the bottom ingredients cut the butter to about 1/4 cup and the sugar will probably be about 1/3 cup but I've never actually measured the difference there.  Mix as directed but when rolling the muffins just roll the tops in butter and sugar.

Cherry Candy

12 oz. milk chocolate chips

3/4 cups chunky peanut butter

12 oz. salted peanuts, chopped

1 16 oz. bag mini marshmallows

1 can cherry frosting

Line a 9X13 pan with foil and spray with non stick cooking spray. Put chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave safe bowl.  Microwave on medium power for 2 minutes or till chocolate is melted.  Add chopped peanuts and stir till well mixed.  Spread half of chocolate mixture in foil lined pan.  Put the pan in the fridge to cool slightly.  

Put marshmallows in large, microwave safe bowl.  Heat in microwave at medium power for 60 seconds.  Add cherry frosting and stir till well mixed.  Spread marshmallow mixture on top of chocolate mixture in pan.  Cool in fridge for 10 minutes.  Spread remaining chocolate mixture on top of marshmallow mixture.  If the chocolate is too stiff, heat in microwave for a few seconds to make more spreadable.  Chill in fridge for a few hours or overnight.

Turn candy out on to a cutting board, peel off foil and flip right side up.  Cut into bars.  Makes 64 or so depending on how big you cut them.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. baking powder

3 cups all purpose flour

48 (approx.) maraschino cherries, drained

1 1/2 lbs. (approx.) milk chocolate (chocolate chips, almond bark, dipping chocolate)

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and vanilla and mix well.  Stir in baking powder and 1 cup flour till blended.  Add remaining flour and mix well, use hands if necessary.  

Take a small amount of dough and wrap around each cherry, covering completely.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or till very lightly browned on edge.  Let cookies cool completely.  

Melt chocolate and dip cookies, covering completely with chocolate.  Place on wax paper to harden.  Store in covered container in a cool place.

Orange Rolls

Orange Rolls

Sweet Roll Dough

1 pkg. Yeast

½ cup warm water

½ cup lukewarm milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened

1 tsp. Salt

1 egg

3 ½ to 4 cups flour

Topping

3 cups powdered sugar

6 Tbsp. Margarine or butter

2 Tbsp. Grated orange peel

4 Tbsp. Orange juice

Soften yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, margarine, salt, egg and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a dough easy to handle. Knead on a flour covered surface for about 5 minutes, adding flour as needed. Place in greased bowl and let rise for till double. Punch down dough, roll to rectangle and spread with half the topping. Roll up tightly and slice into 24 pieces. Place on greased baking sheets and let rise till double (or close). Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes. Frost with remaining orange mixture while still warm.

This can easily be divided in half. Or you can make the regular amount of dough, half the topping and then have orange rolls and dinner rolls. For the gluten free version just replace the dough with a gluten free dough and shape as best you can :)