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CHAPTER 1
CINNAMON ROLLS
with Caramel Icing
Makes 3–4 dozen rolls
Cinnamon rolls, smothered with caramel icing, are a favorite of mine. Freeze them the same day you bake them — even if you are planning to serve them the next day. When frozen, they retain their freshness. A day-old cinnamon roll just isn't the same! Also, be sure not to overbake the rolls.
Rolls
2 cups warm water
¼ cup active dry yeast
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
¾ cup butter,
softened 1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon salt
8½ cups unbleached white flour
Filling
½ cup butter, melted
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
In a medium bowl, mix together water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip, cream butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla and salt. Add yeast mixture. Switch to the dough hook attachment on your mixer; add flour. Knead until smooth. The dough will be sticky. Place dough in a large, greased bowl and cover. Let rise until doubled.
Divide dough in half. On floured surface, roll out dough into a 12 x 24-inch rectangle. Spread half the melted butter on first rectangle and sprinkle with half the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up lengthwise and pinch seams well. With a string, cut into circles about 1 inch thick. Place rolls in a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish (or baking pan of your choice) and cover with a light cloth. Repeat this step for the remaining dough. Let rise until doubled, around 40 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 1520 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 190°. The baking time may differ with your choice of pan or how thick they are cut.
Caramel icing
¾ cup butter
1½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch salt
In a saucepan, melt butter, add brown sugar, and boil for 1 minute. Add milk and return to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Spread on warm rolls.
CRUNCHY BROCCOLI SALAD
Serves 6–8
This is a colorful salad packed with color and flavor. A great way to enjoy fresh broccoli from your garden.
6–8 cups chopped broccoli
2/3 cup dried cranberries
½ cup chopped spring onions
½ cup chopped pecans
Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
In a medium bowl, toss together broccoli, dried cranberries, spring onions, and pecans. In a liquid 2-cup measuring cup, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss just before serving.
CHICKEN AND SEAFOOD
We really enjoy chicken. I have tried many brands of chicken and have found an antibiotic- and hormone-free brand that I like. I like boneless, skinless chicken thighs that come in a tray of eight; it's the perfect amount for our little family. I stock up every couple of weeks and just freeze the trays of chicken. They are handy to pull out in the morning and place in the sink to thaw for supper that evening.
We don't eat lots of seafood, but we do enjoy it for special occasions. I do make sure I purchase wild-caught seafood. We grew up eating shrimp at Christmas, so it has special memories for me.
Creamy Italian Chicken and Pasta
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Marsala
Spring Roll Rice Bowls with Sweet Garlic and Lime Dressing
Fiesta Burrito Bowls
Honey Barbecue Boneless Wings
Chicken Potpie
Chicken Fajitas
Mango Chicken Curry
Cajun Chicken with Avocado
Grilled Spicy Peach-Glazed Chicken
Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
Grilled Maple Barbecued Chicken
Citrus Grilled Chicken
Classic Grilled
Chicken Grilled
Chicken Pitas
Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Tenders
Crispy Chicken Nuggets
Honey Roasted Chicken
Herb Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes
Whole Roasted Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Rice
Citrus Shrimp Kabobs
Shrimp Alfredo
Classic Steamed Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce
Baked Fish
Low Country Boil
Crab Cakes
Sour cherry picking
There is nothing quite like a sour cherry pie. You have the tartness of the cherries paired with the sweetness of the thickening. A layer of flaky pie crust ties all those wonderful flavors together.
There is also nothing quite like harvesting sour cherries. In our area they are usually ready at the end of June, when it's hot. Mom and I will head up the road to a neighbor's small orchard that has two sour cherry trees. Picking sour cherries requires either climbing a tall ladder or being lifted up into the top of the tree in a skid-loader bucket. I prefer picking from the skid-loader bucket, because you can stand and have both hands free for picking. While I am in the top of the tree, I try not to think about how high I am off the ground — or how cherry juice is dripping from my elbows. I think about that cherry pie my family will enjoy in the middle of winter.
After our buckets are full, Mom and I head to her house to pit each cherry by hand. It's a good time to prop up your feet and catch up with family. We use a hairpin (a clean one, of course!) to remove each pit. We can some in a sweet thickening (recipe on p. xx) so that it's ready to use in a pie or on top of a dessert, and then we freeze some plain in freezer bags.
I look forward to picking sour cherries each year. When someone comments on my sour cherry pie filling, I usually tell them that I touched each of those cherries twice: once when I picked it, and once when I removed the pit.
In other words, these cherries are filled with lots of love. When you gather and preserve something like this, it holds memories that cherries from the grocery store just can't.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Makes 1 (9-inch round) layer cake
I've made this chocolate cake for years. Joshua asks for this every time his birthday comes around. He never seems to get tired of it. It is very moist, so it's very important to line the cake pan with parchment paper. Sometimes I add fresh fruit on top for a colorful garnish, along with chocolate curls.
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
1½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup hot espresso or strong coffee
Using a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip, mix together ingredients in order listed. (I usually have the mixer on low the whole time I mix up this cake.) Line two (9-inch round) cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray (or use grease and flour). Pour batter equally between the two pans. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Do not open the oven door before 30minutes or the cake may fall. The cake is done when little cracks start appearing on the surface.
Cool 10 minutes and flip onto parchment paper and lay on cooling rack.
Chocolate buttercream frosting
½ cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract dash salt
¼ cup milk
Remove butter from the refrigerator 30 minutes before starting. (You want it to be room temperature but not too soft.) Using a stand mixer fitted with the wire whip, add butter to bowl and beat until smooth. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and milk. Beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes). After cake is cooled, frost between layers and on top. Refrigerate cake immediately after spreading on frosting.
TIP: I usually make this cake ahead of time and freeze it; I wait to frost the cake until after it partially thaws. If you prefer a white icing, use the cream cheese filling for Cream Cheese and Fruit Delight (p. xx). If I use that for frosting, I add sliced fresh fruit between the layers and garnish the top.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Hope's Table"
by .
Copyright © 2019 Hope Helmuth.
Excerpted by permission of Herald Press.
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