These rolls are amazing, either fresh from the oven or frozen and microwaved. This is one of many wonderful recipes by Annalise G. Roberts, in her cookbook Gluten-free Baking Classics (which I highly recommend). It's every bit as good as regular rolls (and I have high standards!). The millet flour gives a nice, nutty flavor to the bread, and the texture is perfect.

Mix together the dry ingredients:

2/3 cups millet flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast (do not use quick-rise)

Now add:

2 large eggs
1 egg yolk (or substitute 1 tsp unflavored gelatin)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk (warmed)

Grease and dust with white rice flour or white cornmeal 8 cups of a regular muffin pan or 6 cups of a large muffin pan. Fill each cupcake form no more than half way.  Let rise for 30-40 minutes then bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees until lightly browned (about 20 minutes).  Can be frozen and enjoyed later.

NOTE:

The bread flour can be premixed, in which case the recipe above uses 2 cups.
Bread Flour Mix

2 cups millet flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch
1 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour

This is only one of many wonderful recipes by Annalise G. Roberts, in her cookbook Gluten-free Baking Classics (which I highly recommend).

Mix together in an electric mixer:

3/4 cup extra finely ground brown rice flour (only at http://www.authenticfoods.com/products/item/35/Superfine-Brown-Rice-Flour)
1/4 cup potato starch
1/8 cup tapioca flour (this is not the same as tapioca)
1/8 cup sweet rice flour (available at http://www.authenticfoods.com/products/item/27/Superfine-Sweet-Rice-Flour )
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt

Now add in:
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (I cut into small chunks)

Once the above becomes a crumbly mix, add in:
1 large egg
2 teaspoons orange juice

Roll between sheets of waxed paper and bake at 375 degrees until lightly brown.

This recipe was adapted from one in Bette Hagman's book The Gluten Free Gourmet Revised Edition. First: Preheat your oven with the angel food cake pan in it to 375 degrees.
Lightly froth:
3/4 cup (or a little more) fresh egg whites

Then add to the frothed egg white:
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ice water

Beat until it is well blended, then slowly add while still beating:
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Continue beating until it forms firm peaks (but not dry).
Now prepare the dry mix you'll eventually fold into the above. Sift together 5 times (note: if you stir these together with a spoon before sifting, it goes faster because the mix moves through the sifter easier):

1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mix above, then pour the batter into the pre-heated angel food cake pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.

After it's done, turn it upside down until completely cool (at least 4 hours). Cut out of the pan with a knife.

This recipe can be doubled for a larger angel food cake pan.

This is a recipe adapted from one by Annalise G. Roberts in her excellent cookbook Gluten-free Baking Classics (which I highly recommend). First, melt together in the microwave:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate (Note: for a darker chocolate taste, increase to 2 1/2 oz)
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate (this is about 2/3 cup of semisweet bits)
Now stir in (in this order unless you want to sift all the dry ingredients together first):
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xantum gum
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cups gluten free flour blend (which is available for purchase from glutenfree-supermarket.com/)
1 cup chopped pecans
Bake in a greased 9x9 pan at 325 degrees until done (about 45 minutes).

This is a recipe adapted from one by Annalise G. Roberts in her excellent cookbook Gluten-free Baking Classics (which I highly recommend). Start by preheating your deep fryer to 350 degrees (you can use two inches canola oil in a skillet with a thermometer, but the results are better with a real mini-fryer).

First, mix dry ingredients together with an electric mixer:

1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend (available from www.glutenfree-supermarket.com/flourblend.aspx)
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon xantum gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Now add into your mixer bowl:

2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk (or a little more if you need to use some up)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon chocolate extract
Use two long handled teaspoons to drop a heaping teaspoon of batter in the fryer at a time. (Note: I do NOT roll in rice flour as recommended in the cookbook). They'll tend to turn over on their own when a side is done. Take out when nicely browned using a slotted spoon or fork and lay on paper towels to soak up the extra grease. These are great hot but can also be frozen for later. You can dust them with powdered sugar if you wish.

This is another quick and easy recipe that relies on using a gluten-free puffed brown rice cereal. Melt together in the microwave:

1 cup semisweet chocolate bits
1/3 cup peanut butter

Then stir in:

4 cups gluten-free brown rice cereal

Press the rice mix into a buttered 9x9: pan. Let stand at room temperature until hardened, then cut and serve.

This is a recipe from Roben Ryberg's intriguing cookbook You Won't Believe It's Gluten-Free (which has variations of most recipes based on whether you prefer rice, potato, corn, or gluten-free oat flour). I liked the potato version best. Note: do NOT beat the egg whites first. Mix together with the whisk:

2-3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Pinch of baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon xantum gum
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons loosely packed potato starch

Drop a tablespoon at a time onto a really well-greased cookie sheet (don't forget or you won't be able to get the cookies off it) and bake in a preheated over at 375 degrees until the edges are medium to dark brown (not just golden). The bottoms should be brown or you'll end up with a chewie cookies instead of a crisp one (about 12 minutes). Quickly fold over (adding a prepared fortune if you wish) and stick the points upside down in a muffin tin until cool (it helps them hold their shape). It's not a bad idea to only bake about 4-6 at a time because they harden up fast on the sheet.

It's easy to make a gluten-free pumpkin pie. Start by making the shell using the gluten-free pie crust recipe above. Then use one of the two fillings below, depending on what ingredients you have on hand. I think the second filling recipe is tastier if you have what it needs.

Filling Recipe #1

Mix together:

2 eggs
16 ounce can pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cup cream

OR

Filling Recipe #2 (which I like better)

Mix together:

15 ounce can pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs

Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 40-45 minutes.

This is a quick and easy treat. Most marshmallows (including Kraft) are gluten-fee - the important thing is find a brown rice cereal that you like. Start by using one tablespoon of butter to heavily grease up a 9x13 inch pan. Then:

Microwave together:
1 stick butter (minus the 1 tablespoon used to butter your pan)
16 oz large marshmallows

Next, stir in:

1 15oz of puffed gluten-free brown rice cereal (about 1 1/2 boxes)
Spoon the mix into your greased 9x13 inch pan. Then, mash down on the top of it using the wax paper wrapper from your stick of butter to create a nice, flat look. Let harden. Cut into shapes as desired. Note: If you want to use cookie cutters, flatten the mix into a larger pan, so it is not as thick. Always pre-butter your knife or cookie cutter to make your life easier.

These are simply amazing -- every bit as good as my regular sugar cookies. Once again, the credit has to go to Annalise G. Roberts, who as this recipe in her cookbook Gluten-free Baking Classics (which I highly recommend).

Cream together in a mixer:

3/4 cup unsalted butter (do NOT substitute margarine or shortening)
1 cups sugar

Then add (mixing well after each):

1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xantum gum
1 3/4 cup brown rice flour mix (see below)
1/4 cup sweet rice flour

Brown Rice Flour Mix
2 parts superfine brown rice flour
2/3 part potato starch
1/3 part tapioca flour

For this recipe, this would be about:

1 1/2 cups plus 2 teaspoons superfine brown rice flour
3 Tablespoons plus 1/3 teaspoon potato starch
6 Tablespoons plus 2/3 teaspoon tapioca flour

For fast sugar cookies, drop round balls on a butter-greased cookie sheet, and flatten using the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar. Then sprinkle with colored sugar and bake.

If you want to use a cookie cutter to make shapes, roll the dough out to 1/4" thick between sheets of waxed paper. Then put the rolled out dough-sheets in the refrigerator or freezer, laying them flat. Let them chill for several hours, until hardened.

Take the sheets out to work with one at a time, leaving the others in your fridge to stay cold. Carefully pull one side of the waxed paper up off of the dough, freeing it up, then let the waxed paper lay lightly back down so you can flip the dough-sheet over. Repeat the process of freeing the other side of the waxed paper off of the dough, trying not to mess up your flattened shape. (NOTE: If you take too long to do this, the whole thing has to go back in the refrigerator or freezer to re-harden.)

The purpose of doing this maneuver is to make it easy to pull the dough off the waxed paper without distorting your shape when you cut it with your cookie cutter. So, with the dough both cold and not stuck to the waxed paper, you can quickly cut out your cookies and pop them onto a cookie sheet for baking. If you have problems with the dough still trying to stick to your waxed paper, or you need to roll out the dough again with the leftover pieces of dough from cutting out your cookies, try dusting the waxed paper lightly with a 50-50 mix of granulated sugar and flour before putting the dough on it. And remember to put your freshly rolled out leftover dough back in the refrigerator to re-harden.

Once the cookies are cut out and on your greased cookie sheet, you can decorate them generously with colored sugar. It's easy to make your own colored sugar by simply adding powdered or liquid food coloring to granulated sugar and shaking it up. However, if you use liquid coloring, you'll need to make it at least a day in advance to give it some time to dry (which is just one reason why I only buy powdered food coloring). If possible, chill again on the cookie sheet before baking.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Caramels are a lot of work, but the end result is worth it, especially since it can be kept, frozen, for a year if need be. However, I find it touchy. Sometimes they come out a bit hard, others times too soft. There's a solution to this--use the caramel in different ways. Too soft and it is great for making Turtles or caramel apples. Too hard, and you end up with toffee (just add a coat of chocolate and some finely chopped blanched almonds on top). Of course, if you get it just right, you can cut it into squares for caramels, and even dip them in chocolate if you wish.

A word of warning. You need a good candy thermometer and a really BIG heavy saucepan to make this. As it cooks, it expands about 10 times or more in size. This recipe comes from an old Joy of Cooking cookbook (something that should be in every cook's kitchen).

Mix together in a large pan:

2 cups sugar
2 cups dark corn syrup
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream

Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until just under the firm ball stage at 244 degrees Fairenheit. Then remove and gradually add:

1 cup heavy cream

Return to the heat and cook to the firm ball stage of 244 degrees Fairenheit. Pour out only a heavily buttered pan (it will need at least a half inch edge on it). Allow to cool for three hours. Invert onto a wood board and cut with a sharp knife.

Chocolate Covered Caramels

Cut your caramel into squares and place on waxed paper in the refrigerator or freezer to harden. Meanwhile, melt your preferred type of chocolate (whether milk, semi-sweet, dark, or bitter) in a glass dish in the microwave. This is best done in bursts of 15-20 seconds, stirring in between so as not to burn it. Once it is a smooth, liquid consistency, dip the chilled caramel squares into the chocolate using a fork. Allow excess chocolate to drain back into the glass dish, then place your chocolate coated caramels on waxed paper to harden.

     

This is a recipe that you can find all over the internet. It's fast and easy and can keep in the refrigerator or freezer for months. These can also be molded into shapes using rubber molds, colored with food dye (powdered is better than liquid), or flattened like a cookie by stamping balls of dough with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar. My best advice is to use a 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a dish to dip both your molds between every use and the balls of dough that you squish into them (re-coating the mold every time you finish dumping out a mint will greatly improve how easily the mints pop out).

Knead together:

8 oz gluten-free cream cheese
2 pounds powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (cut this way down if you are using peppermint oil)

Divide into small balls the size of a cherry and squish into molds or flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in granulated sugar. Put onto sheets of paper towels for 24 hours, then remove and store in a sealed container in your refrigerator or freezer. These are a great sweet to make ahead of time for parties because they store so well.
Variations
For chocolate-covered mints, make the mints as described above, then freeze until hard. Melt whatever chocolate type you prefer (milk, semi-sweet, or bitter) in a microwave. Using a fork, quickly dip the frozen mint patties into the chocoate and hold it up again to let excess chocolate drain back into your bowl. Then set on waxed paper to cool. When hard, store in a cool location.

For fondant, use only the cream cheese and powdered sugar, leaving off the peppermint flavor. Form into balls and add nuts of whatever type you prefer (such as almonds or pecan halves) before dipping in chocolate.

This is the best of all worlds: fast, simple, tasty, and easy to clean up afterwards. It only uses one pan - a glass 8 cup measurer.

Stir together:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1 cup raw spanish peanuts (Note: if substituting roasted nuts of any kind, make sure they were roasted to be gluten-free and add after cooking the sugar and corn syrup for 4 minutes)

Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Stir in:

1/8 teaspoon salt

Microwave on high for 3-5 minutes or until light brown. Then add, blending well:

1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Microwave 1-2 minutes. Gently stir in:

1 teaspoon baking soda (for fluffier brittle, this can be increased to 1 1/2 teaspoons)

When stirring in the baking soda has turned the mix light and foamy, gently pour out onto a well-buttered cookie sheet. Cool and break into pieces. This can be used to make any kind of nut brittle, although I probably like the peanut brittle best.

You really can't get any easier candy to make than this. The only hard part is to get your nuts uncontaminated by gluten (which often dusts conveyer belts or is used in roasting) Simply melt chocolate (milk, semi-sweet, or dark chocolate depending on your preference) in a microwave, stir in whatever unsalted nuts you prefer (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, toasted peanuts, or almonds). Drop by spoonfuls onto a sheet of waxed paper and allow to cool.

Honest. It's just that easy.

The only hard part of this is first making your caramel. Use the recipe above.

Lay out groups of 3 pecan halves on a sheet of waxed paper. One end of each pecan half should stick out, while the other end touches that of the other pecans. Squish a small ball of caramel over where the pecan ends come together. Then, melt milk or semi-sweet chocolate in a glass container in the microwave. Use a spoon to drop a dollop of melted chocolate over the caramel, swirling it slightly for a nice, round, smooth shell. Allow to harden at room temperature.



(This picture shows the stages for making your turtles)

I love crispy roast duck, which is easy to make. Start with one fresh or thawed duck. Empty the cavity of gizzards, necks, or anything else the grocery store stuffed in it to up the weight and increase the price and throw them out. Rinse the duck well, inside and out, with water. Then rub the inside of the cavity with several teaspoons worth of salt (I just pour a small pile into the palm of my hand). Next, rub the outside of the duck throughly with butter. Lightly dust with rice flour (can use white rice flour or sweet rice) and place on a raised roasting rack.

Generously spinkle:

Crushed rosemary
Thyme
Parsley flakes
Salt (if desired - I usually leave it off)

Roast if possible in a convection oven at 350 degrees until done. This is often 3 - 3 1/2 hours. The duck's crust is best enjoyed hot from the oven.

This goes well with mandarin orange slices, fresh cranberry salad, fresh cherries, and wild rice.

Lasagne can be tricky to do gluten-free, but the results are worth it. The texture can sometimes be improved if you freeze it and pour off extra water as it thaws. I recommend baking it in portion-sized glass dishes that can go straight into the freezer once cool. This is created in layers.

Tomato Mix
In a saucepan, brown and then drain:

1 1/2 pound ground beef

Saute together:

1 chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced

After five minutes, add the browned, drained, and crumbled ground beef. Then mix in:

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
One 28 ounce can gluten-free whole tomatoes, undrained
One 28 ounce can gluten-free crushed tomatoes, undrained
One 8 ounce can gluten-free no-salt-added tomato sauce
One 6 ounce can gluten-free tomato paste
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground savory
1 pinch sage


Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes (cover for the first half). Set aside.

Cheese Mix
Now, mix together in a bowl:

4 cups gluten-free cottage cheese
3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Noodles

In a large pot of water, boil until tender:

A few drops of olive oil
1 box Ener-G gluten-free lasagna noodles (they hold their texture the best)

Cheese Layer

12 oz (3 cups) sliced provolone cheese (for layering with the meat, cheese mix, and noodles)

Final Cheese Topping

1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded asiago cheese
2 cups shredded parmesian cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 3/4 cup tomato mixture in bottom of a 13"x9" baking dish greased with butter. Arrange noodles over tomato mixture; top with half of cottage cheese mixture, 2-1/4 cups tomato mixture, and 2/3 cup provolone. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles then add cheese topping. Finish with a layer of provolone and other cheeses.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

A simple recipe for quick icing is:
1 teaspoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Milk

Alternate adding the powdered sugar with small amounts of milk for a smoother texture. It generally works best to create a stiff paste with the powdered sugar, then stir in milk for better consistency. Repeat adding the powdered sugar and milk several times. You'll notice the icing getting smoother.

This freezes well if you want to make a batch ahead and save it.

Melt together in a microwave:

5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup sour cream
pinch of salt

Mix together. If you find the icing too thick (too much like fudge), add more sour cream to the mix for a softer, more malleable frosting.

Another variant of this (if you don't like the taste of sour cream) is to melt together:

1 cup semisweet chocolate bits
1 Tablespoon butter

Add milk or more butter to make your desired thickness and you can have a great fudge topping for ice cream.

This is a quick and easy recipe, which is perfect for Thanksgiving. I prefer hand chopping to using a blender. Stir together:

1-1 1/2 cup sugar or splendida (fewer calories but less juicy)
1 package (4 cups) chopped cranberries
2 peeled apples chopped up into small bits
1 orange (with rind - may need to use a grinder)
Green grapes, cut in half
Chopped pecans and/or English walnut pieces

Where you don't see an amount given, it's because you just add whatever you desire. Likewise, the sugar is added to taste.

This can last for up to about a week in the refrigerator, but is best eaten fresh. It can be garnished with Mandarin orange slices.

Start by mixing together the dry ingredients:

1/4 cup potato flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Now mix in:

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon parsley
4 oz shredded cheese
1 tsp chives
2 cups raw shredded potato

Spoon out into flattened disks in a well-greased electric skillet at 350 degrees until brown, flipping once the first side is done.

It's a lot of trouble to make an angel food cake from scratch, but I'm here to tell you it's worth it. I've never tasted a bakery cake or mix half as light, moist, and delicate as this one. This is a recipe that my Grandmother handed down to me, which she in turn got from a woman who baked Angel Food Cakes professionally in the late 1800s. It is a lot of work, but the result is incredible. However, be warned it's also very touchy--a lot can go wrong with it, from under-baked to over-cooked. Also, do not substitute any powders or pasteurized egg whites for the fresh egg whites straight from a real egg, and forget about regular flour--it has to be cake flour.

First: Preheat your oven with the angel food cake pan in it to 425 degrees.

Lightly froth:

1 1/2 cup fresh egg whites

Then add to the egg white froth:

1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat until it creates firm peaks (but not dry).

Now prepare the dry mix you'll eventually fold into the above. Sift together 5 times (note: if you stir these together with a spoon before sifting, it goes faster because the mix moves through the sifter easier):

1 cup sugar
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup sifted cake flour (NOTE: Do NOT substitute All-purpose flour)


Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mix above.

Gently spoon the batter into the pre-heated angel food cake pan.

Lightly cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil (it doesn't need to be tightly sealed, just lay the aluminum foil over it) and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then remove aluminum foil from top and bake another 15 minutes.

After it's done, turn it upside down until completely cool (at least 4 hours). Cut out of the pan with a knife.

(This goes great with fresh strawberries.)

Start by making the sweet bread dough listed below.

Once you have the bread dough ready, rolled it out into a rectangle about 3/8-1/4 inch thick.

Mix the topping for your butterscotch rolls by adding together:

1 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
Chopped pecans (as many or few as you like)

(Note: This amount for the topping can be cut in one-third if you want to save some bread dough for other purposes, such as plain rolls, cinnamon twists, or a small loaf of bread.)

Pour the butterscotch mix over the rolled out rectangle of dough. Then, starting from one of the long sides, roll it up like a jelly roll. Slice off 1 inch sections and place flat side down in a well-buttered 9x13 inch pan, a little bit apart (not quite touching). Let rise until double before baking at 350 degrees until done.

Put out a stick of butter at room temperature to soften as you make your basic sweet bread dough listed below.

Once you have the bread dough ready, roll it out in a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

Use a knife to spread softened butter generously over the rectancle of dough. (Note: if it's not soft, lay the butter slices out for a bit on the dough before trying to spread it so you don't tear the dough up).

Mix cinnamon with granulated sugar to the amount desired. This isn't rocket science and doesn't need to be precise. Just toss in the amount of cinnamon that gives you a nice, light-brown color and stir it a bit before shaking or spooning it out over the dough.

Now you have a choice:

• For regular cinnamon rolls, starting from one of the long sides, roll it up like a jelly roll. Slice off 1 inch sections and place flat side down in a well-buttered pan, a little bit apart (not quite touching). Let rise until double before baking at 350 degrees until done.


• For cinnamon twists, flop one half of the dough over the other half and cut in 1 inch strips. Starting from one end, twist each strip several times before laying it down on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees unitl lightly brown.

Let cool, then frost with icing.

This is a quick and easy pie crust recipe my mother created, which anyone can get decent results with. The amount listed here will only make one layer, so if you want to bake something like an apple pie, you'll need to double the recipe for a top and bottom crust.

Stir the following dry ingredients together:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt


Then whisk together until well mixed:

1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon oil (which is the same as 4 1/2 tablespoons)
1/6 cup cold water

Pour the liquid mix into the dry ingredients and stir them together just enough for them to be blended (over-mixing will make your crust tough).

Roll out the dough between two sheets of waxed paper. Chill in the refrigerator to harden it. Then, take out of the refrigerator and carefully peel off the top sheet of waxed paper, then turn the remaining dough-paper upside-down over the pie pan and let the dough fall gently off the paper into your pan. You can pinch a curved decorative edge to the top of the dough using your fingers before baking.

If you need a pre-baked shell for your pie, bake it at 375 degrees until light brown. Otherwise, fill with your pie mix and bake as per that recipe's directions.

This is a Polish dish. I've heard of different ways to do it. Some simply indent the bread with their thumbs and put the filling on top, but I like to create balls of thin bread dough with the filling inside.

First start by making your basic sweet bread dough.

Then, make the filling. You have two choices, depending on which you like best.

Choice 1

Mix together:
1 cup chopped dried prunes
1/3 cup chopped apple (peeled first so it's without the skin)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Choice 2

Mix together:

Chopped dried apricots (I like the tartness of California ones)
Chopped dried cherries

Now it gets a bit different from before. The dough should be rolled out to about 3/16 inch thick. Cut it into 3 inch squares.

Put a dollop of prune filling in the middle of each square. Pull the corners up over the filling and pinch them together. Then, pinch together all of the other dough edges so none of the filling is visible.

Turn the dough ball upside down (so you see only the nice smooth surface, not the pinched-together dough) and allow to rise a bit (don't expect it to get double - that won't happen).

Bake at 350 degrees until light brown.  When done, move while still hot to a rack for cooling. These rolls are good when iced.

This is a great no-fail recipe I got from the Science Center Secretary when I was in High School. It's the best of all worlds--fast, easy, looks fancy, and tastes good even to the pickiest eaters. It's perfect to bring to work over the holidays. You can sometimes get away with substituting 2 yolks for 1 egg if you need the egg whites for your Angel Food Cake. The only time I ever screwed this recipe up was by trying to substitute a French Vanilla Cake mix for the Yellow Cake mix and French Vanilla Pudding mix. Take my advice. Don't do it.

Dump into your mixer:

1 package yellow cake mix
1 French vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Then add:

2/3 cup less 1 Tablespoon oil
2/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon boiling water
1/4 cup poppy seeds - which is half of your typical bottle. It is important to soak your poppy seeds for one minute in the boiling water before adding them to your batter.

(NOTE: This isn't as tricky as it sounds. The easiest way is to put a tablespoon of water in the 2/3 cup measuring cup and fill the rest up with oil. I tend to use a light Canola oil or corn oil, but any light-tasting oil will probably work).

Mix together well using an electric mixer (a couple minutes on a medium setting will usually do the trick).

Pour into a greased and floured Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees until done (anywhere from 35-50 minutes).

Cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before removing. Allow to finish cooling, then sift powdered sugar over the top for a nice decorative touch.

This basic dough can be used in a variety of ways to create plain bread or rolls, butterscotch rolls, cinnamon rolls, or fruit-filled Kolatches. The basic dough is simple. Mix together:

1 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cake fresh yeast (NOTE: You can substitute 1 tablespoon of the powdered yeast)
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
Flour as needed

You'll notice there's not an exact amount on the flour. It's usually around 3 to 3 1/2 cups, depending on the type of flour you use. You just want to add enough that you can work with it enough to knead it, but is still a little sticky. Too much flour will make the bread come out tough and tasteless instead of nice and delicate. Knead the dough until it returns briskly when punched. Let rise twice before either baking in a loaf pan, putting as balls into cupcake tins for rolls, or rolling out to a rectangle about 316 - 1/4 inch thick to make parkerhouse rolls (cut into large circles, put 1/2 tablespoon butter in the center and fold over). Bake at 350 degrees.