4 to 4 1/2 C. flour

1/2 C. sugar

1 cup warm milk/soymilk

1/4 cup warm water

2 sticks butter/margarine softened

4 egg yolks

2 t. salt

1 t. vanilla

4 t. yeast

Filling: 1 jar/can poppy seed filling or jar/can of nut filling.

1 egg beaten with 1 t. water

Combine in a large non-metal bowl: water, milk, vanilla, egg yolks, yeast and butter.  Stir to blend.  Combine 4 C. flour, sugar and salt and gradually add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture.  Stir in flour with a sturdy spoon till it is too stiff to stir.  Flour a cutting board or the clean counter and put the soft dough on the flour.  Knead gradually adding up to 1/2 C. more of flour till it is soft but not too sticky to handle.  Grease a large non-metal bowl and place dough in it turning the dough to grease the top then cover the bowl with a clean cotton towel.  Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and turn off the heat.  Place the bowl in the oven for the dough to rise till doubled-about and hour.

Punch down dough and place on floured surface.  Divide the dough in two and roll out each piece till a 5″X10″ rectangle.  Spread a generous layer of filling almost to the edges and fold into thirds to make a log.  Place on greased cookie sheet.  Prepare the second roll the same as the first.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Allow the rolls to sit  on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes to rise.  Brush each roll with the beaten egg mixture and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown.  Cool, slice and serve.

2 sticks butter/margarine

4 squares unsweetened chocolate (are you smiling yet?)

2 1/2 C. sugar

4 eggs

1 C. flour

1 1/2 t. vanilla

2 Hershey bars with almonds

Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave or a double boiler

Stir in sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla.  Pour into a greased and floured 9X13″ pan.  Break the Hershey bars into small pieces and scatter over the top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

6 sheets of Matzo

3 eggs-beaten

3/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 T. dried onion

1 T. milk/soymilk

2 T. butter/margarine

2 T. cooking oil

Place the sheets of matzo in a square baking dish and cover with water.  Allow the matzo to soften for 5 minutes.  Drain the water and squeeze the excess water from the matzo, breaking up the crackers, return them to the baking dish.  Combine beaten egg, salt, pepper, dried onion and milk/soymilk. pour over matzo.  Stir to coat the matzo evenly.  In a large frying pan melt the butter/margarine and oil.  The butter gives it more flavor and the oil browns it.  Cook over medium heat stirring often until well browned.  Serve with maple syrup.

1 C. water

2 T. margarine/butter-melted

1 egg-beaten

3 1/4 C. Bread flour

1/2 C. Sugar

1 t. salt

1 T. yeast

For a food processor, or by hand- place flour, sugar, salt and yeast in bowl.  Measure warm water (warm to touch-too hot will kill yeast) in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup.  Add beaten egg and melted butter and mix.  Add to flour mixture and process until dough is smooth and elastic.  By hand stir in liquid with a wooden spoon until it is too stiff to stir.  Then flour a cutting board or the counter and dump dough on flour.  Knead by hand adding flour as necessary to keep from sticking to surface.  When dough is smooth and elastic, oil a non-metal bowl and place the dough in it turning the dough to coat it with grease on top.  Cover with a clean cotton towel and place in a warm area.  I preheat the oven to 150 degrees and then turn the oven off and place the bowl inside.  Allow the dough to double in size-about an hour.  Punch down and place on a floured board. Knead lightly.  Break off palm sized pieces and place them on a greased cookie sheet spaced 2″ apart.  Cover with towel and allow to rise 30 minutes.  Brush with 2T. melted butter/margarine.  Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 12-15 minutes till light brown.

8 Yukon Gold Potatoes peeled and grated

1 egg

1/2 t. black pepper

1 t. salt

2 T. minced dried onions

3/4 to 1 cup Matzo Meal (available in the Jewish food section of grocery store)

I make them in a food processor first grating the potatoes and then removing them to a bowl.   Insert the processor blade into the food processor bowl and put the grated potatoes back into processor.  Add egg, salt, pepper and onion flakes.  Process till blended.  Add 3/4 cup Matzo Meal and process.  If mixture is watery, add 1/4 cup more of Matzo Meal.

Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick fry pan to medium and spoon in heaping tablespoons of mixture, flattening slightly.  Cook till starts to brown and turn them over to cook other side.  Drain on paper towels and keep warm in oven while make remaining pancakes.

Serve with sour cream and/or applesauce.

3/4 cup shortening for crispy cookies or margarine/butter for softer cookies

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

crystallized sugar crystals

Cream together shortening/butter, brown sugar, molasses and egg.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Stir into wet mixture. Roll into small balls and place on greased baking sheet.  Flatten slightly and sprinkle on crystalized sugar crystals.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

3 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

1/3 cup poppy seeds

3 cups flour

Beat eggs, sugar and oil.  Mix in all dry ingredients, add vanilla and mix well.  Make 2″ balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten lightly.  Sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

1 Cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 Cups sugar

2 eggs

3 1/2 Cups flour

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1 tsp white vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and sugar till well mixed.  Add other ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate dough at least 3 hours, better if overnight.  Roll out dough about 1/2 cup at a time.  I roll them on a cloth pie crust mat.  The thinner the cookies, the crispier they come out.  The trick is to find a happy medium between thin and manageability of the dough.  I use cookie cutters that do not have small extensions to them-just makes it harder to have it all hold together.  Cut with cookie cutters and transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  They can be decorated with colored sprinkles, if desired.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes till lightly browned.  Let cool a couple of minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

1  16 oz. bag of Pepperidge Farms Herb seasoned stuffing (not cornbread)

1 large chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 stick butter/margarine

2 1/2 cups low salt canned chicken broth

dash pepper

1/8 tsp. apple pie spice or cinnamon

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. chili powder to taste

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (washed)

Melt butter/margarine in large sauce pan.  Add chopped onion and celery.  Cook on med-low heat till translucent.  Add pepper, apple pie spice and chili powder saute together till vegetables are evenly coated and begin to brown.  Add dry stuffing mix and stir.  Pour chicken broth over stuffing and stir.  Add chopped parsley, and stir.  Let sit to allow the stuffing to absorb the liquid.  May be served like this, but I transfer it to an oven-proof bowl and dot with extra butter/ margarine and bake it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to get a crusty top.  Serve with gravy.

1  12 oz . package of fresh cranberries (picked through for bad ones)

1 cup sugar

1 cup Chambord or Chateau Monet raspberry liqueur

Heat liqueur and sugar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Stir till sugar dissolves.  Add cranberries and bring to a boil stirring frequently.  You will begin to hear cranberries pop open, turn down heat to med-high to avoid boiling over.  Cook for 3 minutes.  Leaving the cranberries in the sauce pan, mash about 1/3 of the berries to release the juice, using a potato masher or large fork,   Stir and let sit to solidify.  Refridgerate and serve cold.