Pepperoni Bread

Dear Mom,

I tried a new recipe, which I got from Aunt Chris, which is a prize-winning recipe in Texas. It. Was. Awesome. I don't think we'll be able to go back to my pizza again. I think my before tonight pizza is going to be just average. Only okay, even! Audrey Kay gave me a fantastic deep dish pizza dough recipe and this Pepperoni Bread is better. Way better. Just sayin'.
David is already planning other things to do with this Pepperoni Bread; like ham and cheese. Or roast beef and green peppers.

It made a lot--4 loaves. We only ate 1 1/2 of the loaves. David will be eating Pepperoni Bread for lunches this week at work. Maybe.

Pepperoni Bread

1 cup water

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening

3 oz. sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

6 cups flour

1 Tbsp. yeast

1/4 cup lukewarm water --110 degrees

FILLING:

2 pounds pepperoni, sliced

1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 pound asiago cheese, grated

4 tsp. Italian herbs (garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary)

Mix together the yeast and 1/4 cup of water. Set aside.

Mix together milk, water, butter, sugar and salt. Heat to lukewarm.

In large mixing bowl, measure flour. Add milk and yeast mixture. Knead for 8-10 minutes, until dough is no longer sticky.

Lightly grease large bowl. Put dough in and cover. Let rise 1-2 hours or until double in size.

On a floured surface, roll out dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a rectangle.

Layer each rectangle with pepperoni, mozzarella and asiago cheese. Sprinkle with herbs. Roll up into a tight loaf.

Cover and let rise for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Slice and serve by itself or with pizza/marinara sauce.

Mmmmmmmm! Enjoy!

Love, Wendy

A Sunday Afternoon

Dear Mom,

We had a delicious meal with the Eggberts this afternoon. The tasty smells of pot roast and potatoes greeted us on arrival, along with our energetic 4-legged nephew. It was one of those dinners that you have to force yourself to stop eating even when you are full, because everything tastes so good. We saved room for dessert, though, and the Pineapple Upside Down cake was nice and moist- one of those things that taste better the next day, you know?



Pineapple Upside Down Cake



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 1/3 c margarine in an 8-in baking pan.
Sprinkle 1/2 c brown sugar over melted margarine.
Arrange Pineapple slices and maraschio cherries on brown sugar.
Set aside.



Cream together 6 T. margarine and 1 1/4 c sugar. Mix thoroughly. Add 1 egg and beat until fluffy. Sift 2 c flour, 1 1/2 t baking powder and 1/2 t salt together. Add to egg mixture alternately with 1 c milk. Add 1 t vanilla.

Pour gently over pineapple.
Bake 35- 45 min. Cool 5 minutes.

Turn upside down on serving plate. Sugar mixture will soak in and run down over cake.
mmmmmmmm....a scrape the moist bits stuck to the pan kind of gooooooood.


Love,
Kim