Sour Cream Pie Crust

shared by Patty H.  (this is an easy to put-together recipe that turned out light and flaky; makes enough for a double crust pie; can be halved if making only a single crust pie)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar (for sweet recipes, otherwise skip)

2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup) cubed

1/2 cup sour cream (NOT light sour cream)

Instructions

1. Whisk together flour, salt, sugar: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt (omit if using salted butter), and sugar (if using)
2. Sprinkle cubes of butter over flour. Blend in until mixture resembles a coarse meal with some chunks of butter
3. Add sour cream to flour/butter mixture. Use a fork to incorporate into the mixture
4. Form dough into two disks  and wrap tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate for one hour or up to a day ahead. (If you want to freeze for future use, wrap again; thaw in refrigerator overnight before using)
5. After dough has been sitting in the refrigerator for an hour, remove and let sit for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before rolling out.
6. To roll out, sprinkle a clean flat surface with flour. Roll out to a 12 to 14 inch circle trying to keep an even thickness.
7. Put in pie pan and fill or bake as a pie shell according to recipe you are using,

To coat with a light egg wash, whisk one egg in a small bowl.  Add one teaspoon of water, mix and then brush lightly over the exposed crust with a pastry brush before baking.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

shared by Patty H. (I have been on a long search for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.  After much "sampling," I believe this is the one.  Hope you enjoy it!)

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar (granulated)

1 T. vanilla

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips (* I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Instructions

1.     Melt butter in microwave

2.     Combine dry ingredients in another bowl. Whisk to combine.

3.     Add brown sugar and white sugar to melted butter and beat until smooth.

4.     Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.

5.     Add about HALF of the chocolate chips to the dough now.  

6.     Put aside remaining chocolate chips in a small bowl to use for topping.

7.     Put the bowl of dough in the fridge for about an hour.

8.     Use a scoop to measure out balls which are uniform in size. This will prevent some from over-baking while others are undercooked.

9.     Dip the top of the ball into the bowl of reserved chocolate chips. Place a couple of inches apart on your baking sheet

10.  Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree for about 13 minutes. Remove them when the tops are just the tiniest bit shiny.

Homemade Sandwich Bread

shared by Patty H. (I have tried other bread recipes and this was by far the easiest and tastiest!)

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 to 2/3 cup hot water, enough to make a soft, smooth dough* (see below)

1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

*Mix cold milk with hot tap water to make lukewarm liquid before adding to remainder of ingredients

Instructions

1.     To make the dough: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. Or mix and knead the dough using an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine set to the dough or manual cycle.

2.     Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise until puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen. If you're using a bread machine, allow the machine to complete its cycle, then leave the dough in the machine until it's doubled in bulk, perhaps an additional 30 minutes or so.

3.     Gently deflate the dough and transfer it to a lightly oiled work surface. Shape the dough into an 8" log.

4.     Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it's domed about 1" above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly. Towards the end of the rise, preheat your oven to 350°F.

5.     Bake the bread for 30 to 35 minutes, until it is light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow)

6.     Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Yield: 1 loaf.