These recipes were supplied by Kathleen J. Morrison, and are reprinted with permission from the Meal Master List Serv. Eventually, we will convert the measurements in these recipes to metric. Until then, the FAQ (Frequently asked Questions list) for Rec.Food.Cooking will help you.

Easy Soft Pretzels By Valerie Whittle

Makes: 10 Pretzels

• 10 oz Package refrigerated pizza-dough
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 tb Water
• Poppy seed
• Sesame seed
• Coarse salt
• Garlic or onion salt

Unroll pizza dough onto an 18-inch piece of lightly floured waxed paper.
Roll dough into a 16 by 10 inch rectangle.
Cut dough lengthwise into 10 1 inch-wide strips.
Shape each strip of dough into a circle, overlapping about 4 inches from each end and leaving ends free.
Take one end of the dough in each hand, twist at the point where the dough overlaps.
Carefully lift each end across to the edge of the circle opposite it.
Tuck ends under to seal.
Place pretzels 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Stir together egg and water.
Brush pretzels with egg mixture.
Sprinkle with sesame seed, poppy seed, coarse salt, garlic salt or onion salt.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden.
Serve warm.

Pretzels

Makes: 12 Pretzels

• 1 pk active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water 110-120 degrees F
• 1 ts Salt
• 1 tb Sugar
• 4 cups unbleached flour
• 1 large egg, beaten
• Pinch coarse salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add salt and sugar to yeast mixture.
Blend in flour and knead dough until smooth - about 7 to 8 minutes.
Cover and let dough rise until double in bulk.
Punch down.
Cut dough into small pieces and roll into ropes.
Twist ropes into pretzel shapes and place on greased cookie sheet.
Brush pretzels with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Allow pretzels to rise until almost double in bulk.

Bake @ 425 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned.
Best if eaten immediately. If not, store in airtight container.

Big Soft Pretzels (From Bread Mix) by Fred Ball

Makes: 12 Servings

• 1 tb Dry yeast
• 5 cups Bread mix,
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 2 tb Coarse salt
• 1/2 cup Butter, melted

Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets.
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
Blend in 2 eggs and butter.
Add 5 cups bread mix.
Stir well.
Add additional bread mix to make a soft, but not too sticky dough.
Knead for about 5 minutes until dough is smooth.
Roll pieces of dough into ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter and 18 to 24 inches long. Form into pretzel shapes.
For pretzel sticks, cut dough into 5 to 6 inch lengths.
Place on prepared baking sheets.
Preheat oven to 425F.
Brush tops of pretzels with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake immediately for 12 to 15 minutes, until brown and crisp.

Variation:

For a chewier pretzel, drop pretzel-shaped dough into a pan of boiling water. When dough floats to the top of the water, remove it.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake for about 30 minutes at 400F.

Soft Whole Wheat Pretzels

Makes: 24 pretzels

• 2(16 oz) loaves frozen whole-wheat bread dough, thawed
• 1 Egg white, slightly beaten
• 1 ts Water
• Coarse salt

Thaw bread in the refrigerator overnight.
>From each loaf, shape 12 1-1/2 inch balls.
Roll each ball into a rope approximately 14 inches long.
Shape into pretzels by forming a knot and looping ends through.
Arrange pretzels one inch apart on well-greased baking sheet.
Let stand for 20 minutes.
Brush combined egg white and water on pretzels, then sprinkle with coarse salt.
Place in a shallow pan containing one inch of boiling water on a lower rack in the oven.
Bake pretzels on a cookie sheet on a rack above the water at 350 for 20 minutes or till golden brown.

Variation 1:

Pretzel Sticks can be made by beginning with balls rolled into 8-inch sticks. Try pretzel letters, which is something small children will enjoy helping you make.

Variation 2:

Roll sticks 4-6 inches long in mixture of melted butter, cinnamon and sugar before baking.

Kids Popcorn Balls

Makes: 6 Servings

• 1/2 cup Molasses
• 1/2 cup Corn syrup
• 1 1/2 inch Cubes butter (3/4 cup)
• Salt
• 8 cups Popped popcorn (measured after popping)

Cook 1/2 cup molasses with corn syrup until thermometer reaches hard crack stage - about 270 degrees.
Stir in butter and salt.
Have the popcorn in a large bowl.
Slowly stir in the mixture with a wooden spoon.
Coat all the popcorn.
IMPORTANT! Butter your hands lightly and shape the popcorn into balls.
Set them on wax paper and let them harden.
Wrap the ones you don't eat with wax paper.

Popcorn Balls by Rodgers

Makes: 6 Servings

• 2 qt Popped popcorn
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup light or dark corn syrup
• 1/3 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Butter/margarine
• 1/2 ts Salt
• 1 ts Vanilla extract

Keep popcorn warm in 200F oven while preparing coating.
In 2-quart saucepan stir together sugar, corn syrup, water, butter and salt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.
Continue cooking without stirring until temperature reaches 270~ on a candy thermometer or until a small amount dropped into very cold water separates into threads which are hard but not brittle.
Remove from heat.
Add vanilla; stir just enough to mix through hot syrup. Slowly pour over popcorn, stirring to coat every kernel.
Cool just enough to handle.
With greased hands, shape into balls.

VARIATION:

Use almond, pepermint or other flavor extract instead of vanilla. For colourful popcorn balls, stir a few drops of food colouring into syrup before adding to popped popcorn.

Popcorn Marshmallow by Fred Ball

Makes: 6 Servings

• 6 cups Popped popcorn
• 1 cup Salted peanuts
• 1/2 cup baking gumdrops
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 500g marshmallows

Melt the margarine, oil and marshmallows in a pan, stirring constantly. Do not allow to boil.
Mix with popped corn, gumdrops and peanuts.
Press into greased tube pan.

Honey Cups by Gail Shipp

Makes: 12 Servings

• 6 tb Butter or margarine
• 2 tb Honey
• 4 cups Cornflakes

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Heat butter and honey until bubbling.
Stir in the cornflakes.
Spoon mixture into muffin tins lined with pleated paper cups.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Cool and serve.

Chocolate Snack Blocks by Annette Johnsen

Makes: about 72 squares

• 3 Envelopes Unflavoured Gelatin
• 3/4 cup Cold Water
• 1 c Boiling Water
• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 cup(12 Ounces) Semi-Sweet-Chocolate Mini Chips

In a blender, sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let stand for 5 minutes.
Add the boiling water and sugar, cover and blend on low speed until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Continue to blend, gradually adding small amounts of the chocolate chips until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour into an 8- or 9-inch square pan.
Refrigerate until firm and cut into 1-inch squares or shapes with cookie cutters.

Peanut/Marshmallow Sandwiches

Makes: 3 Sandwiches

• 1/2 cup Peanut butter
• 1/4 cup Orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup grated mature Cheddar cheese,
• 1 ts Lemon juice
• 6 slices Bread

Combine all the filling ingredients - mixing well.
Spread the filling over half the slices of bread and top with remaining slices of bread.
Wrap in freezer plastic sandwich size bags.
Freeze up to four months.
Remove sandwich from the freezer at least four hours before serving.
If sandwich is packed in a school lunch it will have defrosted by the time lunch period comes around.

All-Star Fudgy Baseballs and Bats by Gail Shipp

Makes: 18 Servings

• 1 cup carob powder
• 1 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1/4 cup Peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 3/4 cup Wheat germ
• 3/4 cup Rolled oats
• 2 tb milk powder
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened grated coconut
• 1 ts Cinnamon (optional)
• 1/2 ts Grated orange rind (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the carob and water. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Add the honey and peanut butter and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until syrup is smooth and slightly thickened.
In a large bowl, mix together the wheat germ, oats, milk powder, coconut, cinnamon, and orange rind (if desired).
Pour about one cup of the carob syrup over the dry mixture, or as much as is needed to make a pliable, dough-like consistency.
Store the remainder in the refrigerator and use as an icing or to make great milk shakes.
Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll each piece between your palms into 2-inch-long tubes about the circumference of a fountain pen, tapered at one end in the shape of a baseball bat.
Roll the rest into marble-sized balls.

Micro Caramel Apples

Makes: 4 Servings

• 4 Or 5 medium apples
• 4 Or 5 wooden sticks
• 1 pk 14 oz Caramels
• 2 tb Water

Wash and dry apples, and insert stick into stem end of each apple.
Microwave caramels and water in small deep microwave safe bowl on high for 2 1/2 - 3 minutes or until sauce is smooth, stirring after each minute. If caramel sauce is too thin, let stand about two minutes before dipping apples.
Dip apples into hot caramel sauce, turn until coated. Scrape excess sauce from bottom of apples.
Place on greased wax paper.
Decorate with candy if desired.
Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to two days. (Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving to allow caramel to soften.)

Variations:

Use pears instead of apples or
Add 2 tb creamy peanut butter with caramels, and water, roll in chopped peanuts or
Dip caramel coated apples in chopped nuts of flaked coconut.

Lunch-Box Oatmeal Raisin Bars

Makes: 24 Bars

• 2/3 cup Packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup Butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup Golden corn syrup
• 2 1/2 cup Rolled oats
• 1/4 cup All-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Raisin or chopped dried-apricots
• 1 Large egg
• 1 ts Vanilla extract

In a glass bowl, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup.
Microwave for 2 minutes, stir until smooth.
Microwave 1 minute more or until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a full boil.
Stir in rolled oats, flour and raisins.
In a small bowl, beat egg with vanilla essence.
Stir into rolled-oats mixture.
Spread evenly in greased, foil lined pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden around edges.
Let cool for 10 minutes in pan.
Lift out foil, cut into squares.
Transfer to a rack to complete cooking.

Ice Cream Tacos

Makes: 8 Tacos

• 8 Frozen round waffles, thawed
• 1 qt Chocolate ice cream,softened
• 1/2 cup Miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup Hot fudge sauce
• 8 Maraschino cherries

Warm waffles according to package directions.
While the waffles are still warm, gently fold each in half, like a taco shell.
Place them in a 7 by 11 inch baking dish, squeezing them into 2 rows so that they retain their shape.
In a large bowl, combine ice cream and marshmallows until well mixed.
Place two small scoops of the ice cream into each "taco shell".
Spoon fudge sauce over the ice cream and top each with a cherry.
Cover and freeze until firm.

Gingerbran Cream Muffins

Makes: 12 Muffins

• 4 oz Cream cheese, softened
• 2 tb Granulated sugar
• 1 ts Finely grated orange peel
• 2 lg Eggs, fork-beaten
• 1/4 cup Cooking oil
• 1/2 cup Buttermilk (or reconstituted from powder)
• 1/3 cup Molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1/2 cup Natural bran
• 1 3/4 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• 1 ts Baking soda
• 1/2 ts Baking powder
• 2 ts Ground ginger
• 1/2 ts Ground allspice

Place the oven rack in the center position.
Turn the oven on to 350øF.
Place the muffin papers in the pan.
Combine the cream cheese, sugar and orange peel in the small bowl.
Mix until smooth. Set aside.
Combine the next 5 ingredients in the medium bowl.
Stir.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Combine the next 6 ingredients in the large bowl.
Mix well.
Make a well in the center.
Pour the milk mixture into the well.
Stir just to moisten. Do not stir too much.
Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups.
Gently spoon a rounded teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into the center of each muffin.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden.
A toothpick inserted in the center of 2 or 3 muffins should come out clean.
Use the oven mitts to remove the muffin pan to the wire rack.
Let stand for 10 minutes.
Remove the muffins from the pan to the rack to cool.

Cheerio Bars

Makes: 6 Servings

• 1/2 cup Peanut butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 3 cups Cheerios
• Salted peanuts

Bring sugar and honey to the boil in 2 qt saucepan.
Remove from heat,stir in peanut butter until blended.
Pour in cheerios and mix until well coated.
Spread in buttered 9 x 13 pan and let cool.
Cut in squares.

Fruit Tacos

Makes: 6 Servings

• 1/3 cup toasted coconut
• 1 cup strawberries, sliced
• 1/2 cup seedless green grapes, halved
• 1 med Apple, pared, cored and chopped
• 1 sm Banana, sliced
• 6 Taco shells
• 2 tbsp fruit puree - any flavour
• 1/3 cup Vanilla yogurt

Spread coconut on baking sheet.
Toast in 350 F oven for 7 to 12 minutes, stirring often.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together strawberries, grapes, apple, banana and fruit puree.
Fill taco shells evenly with fruit.
Top filled tacos evenly with yogurt.
Sprinkle with toasted coconut.

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