Baking Contest Winners!

Savory Cheese Pull Apart Rolls
Grand Prize Winner

1 package Toro Whole Meal Bread Mix
1 packet (1/4 oz.) active dry yeast
1 2/3 cup lukewarm milk
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine in bowl.
4 tablespoons melted butter.

Brush Bundt pan interior with the melted butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, yeast and milk in stand mixer's bowl. Mix at high speed for 3-4 minutes.

Using an ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoons, gather balls of dough. Drop each ball into cheese mixture, rolling to cover all sides. Place the balls into the Bundt pan, in a single layer. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture. Continue to create balls of dough, roll in cheese mixture and place in valleys between the balls for second layer in pan.

Continue this way till dough is used up. Top with any remaining cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 20-25 minutes. Bake on center shelf of oven for 30-35 minutes or till crust is golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes then turn out onto platter.

Serve with tongs to pull apart rolls. Spices can be changed to better reflect other components of meal e.g. chili powder, tarragon or dill.

Strawberry Sponge Cake Trifle
Winner: Best Dessert

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray an 9x13 pan with Pam.

Mix:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 large package Jell-O Brand Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 large package Jell-O Brand Strawberry Jell-O Mix
1 large tub of thawed Cool Whip

In a food processor or mixer, blend the condensed milk, frozen strawberries, pudding mix and Jell-O mix together. After blended well, fold in 1/2 of the large tub of Cool Whip. (Save the other 1/2 of Cool Whip for topping the trifle.) Put pudding mixture in refrigerator to chill.

1 1/2 Cups Toro Sponge Cake Mix
6 eggs
3/4 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries + 1 cup thick sliced strawberries.

In large mixing bowl, blend cake mix, eggs, sugar, baking powder and vanilla together. Beat on high for 6-8 minutes. Fold in 1 C finely diced fresh strawberries. Pour into pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

Cut cake into cubes. Pour 1/3 of the pudding mixture into a trifle bowl. Add 1/2 of the cubed cake on top of the pudding mixture. Top with some of the thick sliced strawberries. Add next 1/3 of the pudding mixture, rest of cubed cake and some of the thick sliced strawberries on top of that. Top with remaining pudding mixture, strawberries and top that with Cool Whip. Garnish with a few fresh strawberries. Serve chilled.

Blueberry Buckle Cake
Winner: Best Use of Sponge Cake Mix

3/4 c sugar
1/4 c softened butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk (or more if batter is too thick)
2 cups Toro Sponge Cake Mix
2 tsp baking powder 1/ tsp salt 2 cups blueberries

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 Toro Sponge Cake Mix
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 butter, cold

Grease 9-inch square pan. With electric mixer, combine softened butter, sugar and egg. Mix in milk and then stir in dry ingredients. Gently fold in berries and spread batter in pan. Make the topping by cutting in the topping ingredients and spread over batter. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Stuffing
Winner: Best Use of White Bread Mix

Bake loaf of Toro White Bread Mix, cool on cooling rack and set aside.

1 stick butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sage
1 tsp poultry seasoning
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup chicken broth
6 cups bread cut in cubes

Saute chopped onion and celery in butter until just soft. Do not brown. Put the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl. Put in dry ingredients of baking powder, sage, poultry seasoning, and salt. Mix up so it is evenly distributed. Beat up the egg and add. Mix again. Add the sauted onion and celery. Mix up so that everything is evenly distributed. Moisten with chicken broth, mixing again. Place in a quart baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees until top is browned.

Now enjoy!

Calzones
Winner: Best use of White Bread

3 cups Toro White Bread Mix
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons fast rise yeast (one small packet)
2 tablespoons butter melted
3 egg whites, beaten slightly
1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions for bread

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, place flours, xanthan gum and salt. Blend together. Dissolve the sugar in the water in separate bowl and add yeast. Wait until the mixture foams slightly, then blend into the dry ingredients. Add the butter, egg whites, and vinegar. Mix on high for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle cookie sheet with flour and roll out dough. Separate into two sections. Down the middle of each section, add whatever pizza toppings you’d like, not including sauce. For example, you can add cheese, meat, veggies etc. Then fold dough over to seal in toppings, pinching at the top.

Cook at 375 for 45 minutes. Take out of oven and top with sauce and eat!

Drop Biscuits
Winner: Best Use of Whole Meal Bread

Preheat oven to 425 F

1 1/2 cup of Toro Whole Meal Bread Mix
1/2 cup of corn starch
2 tsp xantham gum
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk, soy milk or rice milk
2 large eggs

1. Grease cookie sheet well.

2. In medium size bowl, add the dry ingredients and mix well with a fork. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, blend in the butter, milk and egg until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and blend the dough until well blended. Mixture will be sticky.

4. Dip spoon in water and drop dough onto cookie sheet leaving enough room for biscuits to rise and spread while baking. (I use a cookie/ ice cream spoon with a release. Forming a 1 inch drop biscuit seems to bake the best.)

5. Bake in pre-heated 425 F oven for 12 - 20 minutes depending on the size of the biscuits. Biscuits are done when they have a nice brown look on the top.

6. Cool and enjoy.