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Baked Ziti Recipe

Baked Ziti Recipe

Baked Ziti is an easy, saucy, and cheesy pasta casserole.  It’s easy to make in about 40 minutes — just toss everything together, bake, and enjoy!

Rice Pudding

Rice Pudding

This cozy Rice Pudding is perfect for dessert or a sweet breakfast. Only a handful of ingredients and a little patience are needed to make this old time favorite dessert. This Rice Pudding will quickly become one of your family favorites!

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is hands down the Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls Ever. The perfect soft, fluffy, gooey cinnamon rolls are right at your fingertips. There’s nothing quite like pulling these cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven and drizzling with icing. I’ve laid out a step by step guide so you can make the perfect rolls. This is the only recipe you’ll ever need.

Celina Swartz

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 52 minutes
Servings: 12 Cinnamon Rolls
Course: Dessert

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Cinnamon Rolls:
  • 1 Packet Instant Yeast (rapid rise)
  • 1 cup Warm Milk  (110-115˚F), not hot
  • 1 Egg, Room Temperature
  • 2 tbsp Unsalted butter melted
  • 4 tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 3 cups All purpose flour
For the Cinnamon Roll Filling:
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted butter  softened, plus more to for grease pan
  • 2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
For the Cream Cheese Icing:
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted butter  softened
  • 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp Vanilla Extract

Method
 

How to make the Cinnamon Rolls:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup warm milk (110-115˚F) and sprinkle with 1 packet instant yeast. Whisk in 1 egg, 4 Tbsp sugar, 1 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 tsp salt.
  2. Add 3 cups flour and stir in with a spatula. Add more flour 1 Tbsp at a time just until dough is no longer sticking to fingertips or the walls of the bowl. It should still feel slightly sticky but won’t stick to clean/dry fingertips. Knead dough by hand for 3 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  3. Place the dough onto a clean floured surface. Sprinkle dough lightly with flour and roll into even 17″x10″ rectangle, squaring off the sides. Dot the surface of dough with 4 Tbsp softened butter and spread it out evenly all the way to the edges.
  4. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp cinnamon and sprinkle ALL OF IT evenly over buttered dough. Roll the dough up starting with one of the longer sides and work in a typewriter motion, keeping a tight roll. Once it's rolled up, push ends in slightly to make them a little more uniform then slice into 12 equal-sized rolls.
  5. Butter sides and bottom of a 9×13 Baking dish with 1 Tbsp butter and arrange cinnamon rolls, evenly spaced with the cut-side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in room temp 50-60 min), until puffed. Do not proof too long.
  6. Brush tops with 1 Tbsp melted butter and bake at 350˚F for 22-25 mins or until tops are lightly golden. Let cool in pan 15 minutes then frost warm buns generously with the cream cheese glaze (instructions below).
How to Make Cream Cheese Icing:
  1. In a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream together 4 Tbsp softened butter and 4 oz cream cheese. Beat in 1/2 Tbsp vanilla then add 1 cup powdered sugar and continue mixing on high speed until fluffy (3-4 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.
Hot Chocolate Recipe

Hot Chocolate Recipe

A rich & creamy homemade hot chocolate ready in under 10 minutes! This is the best homemade hot chocolate recipe!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

An easy to follow recipe that produces the best mashed potatoes you’ve ever tried! Fluffy, creamy, and rich, this easy side dish is sure to become a family favorite!

Adorable Turkey Crust Pumpkin Pie

Adorable Turkey Crust Pumpkin Pie

 This easy and adorable Turkey Crust Pumpkin Pie will wow your family and friends at the Thanksgiving table. A delicious and smooth pumpkin pie, this is our favorite way to make pumpkin pie.

Celina Swartz

Adorable Turkey Crust Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 10
Course: Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Pie disks, unbaked
For the Filling
  • 15 oz Pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 3 Eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup Whole milk

Method
 

  1. On a clean floured surface roll out your first pie dough out to a circle. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer to the pie dish. Push the edge inward so the dough forms to the pan and press in.  Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with your fingers. Chill in freezer to 10 minutes.
  2. Cut a round of parchment paper and frill the edge then press to the pie pan. Fill the paper three-quarters full with pie weights or dry rice and bake the crust for 12 minutes.
  3. Remove the rice, and paper prick the crust all over, including the sides, with the tines of a fork, and bake for another 10-12 minutes and remove from oven. Crust should be dried out and just turning color. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  4. In a small mixing bowl stir together the sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger until combined. And place aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and heavy cream until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
  6. Pour the filling into the blind baked pie. Then partially bake the pie in a preheated oven for for 25 minutes.
  7. While the pie is baking roll out your second pie crust. Then use a small 5″ – 6″ bowl as the body of the turkey and use a knife to carefully cut around the bowl on the crust.
  8. Using the knife cut out a neck and head shape for the turkey, along with a small triangle for the beak, and also a long skinny piece for the turkey waddle.
  9. Wet a finger with water and use it to attach the turkey beak and waddle to the head of the turkey. Using additional water (as glue), transfer the turkey neck and head onto the bottom of the body of the turkey. Use your fingers to re-shape, if needed.
  10. To make the feathers, use a small piece of cardboard (from the back of a notepad) and draw out two sizes of feathers (one long, and one short). Or like I did can print out some feathers. Cut 6 long feathers and 5 short feathers from the remaining uncut pie dough. Gently use the knife to add the veins to each feather, making sure not to cut through the dough).
  11. Remove the partially baked pie from the oven and gently place the turkey body (including the neck, head, beak, and waddle) and on top of the pie, right up to the edge. Using the water as glue, place the feathers, one at a time, on the body of the turkey overlapping as needed, and to your liking. Use a toothpick or fork to add small holes for the turkey’s eyes.
  12. Return the turkey crust pie back to the oven and continue baking until the center of the pie is set, and the turkey crust is lightly golden (approximately 30-40 minutes)
  13. Set aside to cool completely. ENJOY!

Notes

If your outer pie crust is turning too brown before the turkey is golden, cover the outer rim of the pie crust with aluminum foil and continue baking until the pie is set and the turkey is golden.
Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie

This homemade Chicken Pot Pie is the ultimate comfort food! Made with a buttery, flaky homemade pie crust filled with shredded chicken, vegetables, and a creamy sauce. If you’ve never tried a homemade savory pot pie, this will impress everyone!

Apple Pie Recipe

Apple Pie Recipe

The only Apple Pie Recipe you will need! The Homemade Pie Crust is perfection and the filling will surprise and delight you. Your mouth will be watering when you smell this apple pie baking to perfection in the oven!

Homemade Pie Crust

Homemade Pie Crust

This homemade pie crust dough recipe yields a flaky tender crust with rich buttery flavor. This All Butter Pie Crust is the only pie crust recipe you’ll ever need.

Celina Swartz

Homemade Pie Crust

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 12 People (makes 2 single or 1 double crust)
Course: Dessert

Ingredients
  

Baking & Spices
  • 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Refrigerated
  • 1/2 lb COLD unsalted butter (2 sticks) diced into 1/4" pieces
Other
  • 6 Tbsp Ice Water

Method
 

  1. Place flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
  2. Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery. 
  3. Add 6 Tbsp of ice water and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between your finger tips and if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not, add more water a teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.
  4. Transfer dough to a clean surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using.

Can I make Pie Dough in Advance?

You can prepare the crust and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out.

To freeze pie dough: wrap and seal airtight then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely prior to rolling.

How to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blind bake):

Some recipes call for a pre-baked pie crust and this is how you blind bake:

1. Form your edge. The easiest methods are crimping the rim by pushing all around the edge with a fork, or forming a fluted rim (see tutorial below). Place pie crust in the freezer 30 minutes which will help the crust bake more evenly without sliding down.

2. Line the center with a 9-10″ ring of parchment paper and fill about 2/3 full with pie weights (see below). Preheat oven to 375˚F and bake for 20 minutes. Remove pie weights, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and place back in the oven without weights for 15 minutes or until golden.

What can I use Instead of Pie Weights?

When you pre-bake an empty crust a.k.a. “blind-bake,” the dough tends to puff up and rise. Using pie weights solves this problem. Here are some alternative to store-bought pie weights.

  • Dry Raw Beans – beans should not be used for cooking following a blind bake but can be re-used to blind bake pie crust.
  • Dry Raw Rice – If using rice, it becomes toasted and can be used for cooking in pilaf recipes after it is use to prebake a pie crust
Homemade Dog Treats

Homemade Dog Treats

These Homemade Dog Treats are made with peanut butter and pumpkin and are sure to be a hit! This easy recipe is made in one bowl with just 5 ingredients – simple and delicious! Homemade dog treats are a simple way to let your pups