"I'm Bringing The Rolls" Dinner Rolls

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"Is there anything better than butter? Think it over, any time you taste something that's delicious beyond imagining and you say 'what's in this?' the answer is always going to be butter. The day there is a meteorite rushing toward Earth and we have thirty days to live, I am going to spend it eating butter. Here is my final word on the subject, you can never have too much butter."- Julie Powell, Julie & Julia

You guessed it, there is butter--lots of butter--in these rolls, and I must say, they are amazing.  They are everything you want in a perfect dinner roll: buttery, doughy, baked to a perfect golden brown, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!  You won't be able to eat just one.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 large egg                                                               
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 10 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter

Steps

Pour the milk, 3/4 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter cut into cubes into a microwave safe bowl.

Heat for 1 minute at a time until the butter is melted.

In another bowl pour water over the yeast, and the 1 tablespoon white sugar.

In another large bowl add the milk mixture, and add 1 cup of flour, egg, and salt.

When the mixture has cooled, add the yeast mixture, and the remainder of the flour one cup at a time.

When the mixture became too thick to stir, I used my clean hands to mix thoroughly.

Once all the flour has been added, kneed the dough until it forms a nice ball.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

When the dough has risen, split it into four equal pieces.

Pat one of the pieces out into 1/2" thick sheet.

In a microwave safe bowl melt (you guessed it) 1/4 cup butter.

With a pastry brush, generously brush the sheet of dough with the melted butter.

Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into nine squares.

Gather the corners of each square and bring to the center, and crimp together.

  

Flip over and use your hand to shape the roll how you would like it.

Place each roll on to a well greased cookie sheet.

Leave a tiny amount of space between each roll (this allows room for rising.)

Cover the finished rolls and let rise for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Melt 1/4 cup butter, and with a pastry brush, brush the tops of the rolls. 

Once the rolls have cooled, separate them and place them in a bowl (if you're planning to eat them right away, I would recommend making them this way), or into an air-tight container in the fridge.

Bring these to you next dinner party, you'll be the official roll maker from now on.

Enjoy!

   ~ Chef Megs 

A different twist on stew: Sweet Italian Sausage And Pumpkin Stew

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This unique take on stew is easy, and delicious!  With a chicken broth base, and a wonderful blend of herbs and spices, this stew is loaded with meaty sausage pieces, potatoes, and carrots.  This meal is sure to warm your soul on those chilly fall nights.  This dish will hold a permanent spot on the menu.

Ingredients:

• 4 sweet Italian sausage links
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, pureed 
• 1 tablespoon jarred garlic 
• 29 ounces (2 14.5 ounce cans) of chicken broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (make sure that it is 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 large potato, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup baby carrots, cut in half
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan, and add the Italian sausage links.

Brown the links on all sides.  It is not necessary to cook the links all the way through.

Remove the browned links from the pan, and place them on a cutting board.

Allow the links to rest for 5-10 minutes.

After the links have rested, cut the links into 1 1/2" pieces.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

While the olive oil is heating, puree the onion by chopping it into chunks, then pureeing in the blender.

Once the oil is hot, add the pureed onion, and the garlic saute for 5 minutes.

Pour the chicken broth into the sauteed onions and garlic.

Add the pumpkin, and mix the pumpkin and the broth well.

Add the carrots, potatoes, cannellini beans, cumin, and parsley to the broth mixture.

Bring the stew to a slow boil.

Once boiling, add the sausage links to the stew.

Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour.  This will cook the sausage the rest of the way.

Tortilla chips go great with this stew!

** A great thing about this stew, it is very adaptable.  If you wanted to add additional vegetables like yellow squash, you could do that.  Want to substitute cubes of chicken in for the Italian sausage?  Go for it!

Enjoy!
   ~ Chef Megs

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

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At the end of a stressful day, nothing beats a warm cookie (or two, or three) and a glass of cold milk.  These soft and chewy oatmeal cookies are packed with raisins and chocolate chips, and are sure to warm your heart, and put a smile on your face.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup bitter-sweet chocolate chips

Steps:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together the softened butter, the white sugar, and the brown sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Add the vanilla.

Add the flour 1/2 cup at a time.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda.

Add the oats 1/2 cup at a time.

Add the raisins and the chocolate chips.

Drop teaspoon fulls of cookie batter onto an un-greased cookie sheet.  

Make sure that the cookies are spaced at least an inch apart.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown.

Allow cookies to cool for a minute or two before removing them from the cookie sheet and transferring them to a plate or cooling rack.

Devour right on the spot, or store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

    ~ Chef Meg