Monkey Bread

My mother-in-law makes this delicious breakfast treat called Monkey Bread. We ask her to make it for us every time she visits us or we visit her. It is very easy to make but be careful as its even easier to eat!

4 tubes of refrigerator rolls
cinnamon sugar mixture
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

Instructions:

Separate rolls and divide each roll into quarters. Roll quartered dough balls in cinnamon -sugar mixture, making sure to coat well. Place coated dough balls into four round 8-inch baking tins. Combine sugar, brown sugar and white sugar together in a small sauce pan on the stove until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Pour melted butter mixture evenly over each tin of coated dough balls. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and invert onto a plate. Best when eaten warm from the oven.

Yield: Serves about 8

Welshcakes

While in Wales over the weekend I had my first Welshcake at a little shop in Cardiff Bay called "Fabulous Welshcakes." The cake may appear to be a docile little ditty but don't be fooled- these little buggers are like a cross between a sugar cookie and mini doughnut, warmly melting in your mouth. YUM! If I were you I would make some as soon as possible!

1 lb. all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch allspice
1 pinch salt
4 oz. butter
4 oz. lard
7 oz. sugar
4 oz. raisins
2 eggs, beaten
milk to mix
finely granulated sugar for sprinkling

Instructions:

Stir together flour, baking powder, allspice and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter and lard. Add the sugar and raisins. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture, with a little milk, to make a fairly stiff dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut into 2 inch rounds. Cook on a greased griddle or heavy based frying pan for about 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Sprinkle with sugar and serve warm.

My Mom's French Toast

Pardon me while I take a short break from international recipes to share with you my mom's French toast which I had while visiting home earlier this month. This was hands down the best French toast I have ever had. My mom doesn't measure when she cooks anything so the measurements for this recipe are approximations.

4-6 slices of good bread (4 for bigger slices, 6 for smaller slices)
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
grated orange peel from 1/4 of an orange
a good squeeze of juice from 1/4 of an orange
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
powdered sugar for sprinkling
butter and oil for pan

Instructions:

Place a large skillet over medium heat with about 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil. In a shallow bowl combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and nutmeg; mix with a wire whisk. Dip each slice of bread into the mixture, giving it a good soak on each side before placing it in the skillet. Fry on each side until golden, remove to plate, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.

Variation: Try making this with different kinds of bread such as cinnamon swirl bread or home made thick-cut white bread.

Yield: Serves 2.

American Buttermilk Pancakes

Don't get me wrong, I love crepes, but they cannot hold a candle to the buttermilk pancake. I have tried a number of different pancake recipes over the years and this is the best one.




1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
butter

Instructions:
Preheat and grease a large skillet or electric griddle with butter. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Add the egg, and buttermilk; stir together lightly. The batter should look thick, spongy, and puffy (if too thick add about 1/4 cup water). Drop 1/3 cup of the batter onto the cooking surface, spreading lightly with the bottom of the cup. Cook until lightly-browned on each side, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with lots of butter and warm maple syrup.

Variation: Serve with sliced bananas, pecans, and whipped cream or nutella and strawberries or bananas.

Yield: About 8 medium-sized pancakes.