National Margarita Day - February 22nd

did you know???
February 22nd is National Margarita Day
here's a recipe to help you celebrate... ENJOY!!

Sweet"Tart" Margarita

This Margarita has a tart yet sweet appeal. With sugar rimmed glasses this cocktail will dress up any event.

Juice of 4 limes (reserve one half of juiced lime peel)
3/4 cup orange juice (without pulp)
1 shot of Grand Marnier
1 1/2 shots of Tequila
1 shot of Raspberry Licquer
1 shot of Rose's Grenadine syrup
Strawberry flavored course sugar
Lime wedges/curls
Sprig of mint

2 Margarita Glasses
Serves 2

Garnish with sugar rimmed glasses. You can purchase strawberry flavored/colored sugar, or tint your own course sugar by shaking 1/2 cup in a titly closed jar with one drop of red food coloring... shake well to produce the color evenly.

To rim the glass, pour sugar onto a flat saucer, use one of the limes that was squeezed and moisten the rim well. Turn the glass upside down and gently coat the rim edge in the sugar. Chill for 15 minutes in the freezer.

In a pitcher, juice 4 limes. Add 3/4 cup orange juice, 1 shot of Grand Marnier, 1 1/2 shots of tequila, 1 shot of Raspberry Licquer, and 1 shot of Rose's Grenadine syrup. Stir. Pour into a cocktail shaker that is 1/2 filled with ice. Shake well to chill.

Pour cocktail into chilled Margarita glass. Add garnish of lime twist and mint sprig.

... for photo and printer-friendly recipe go to: http://www.homebakedmemories.com/pf_pages/pfSweetTartMargarita.htm

Find more great tips, ideas, and homemade, homebaked memories at http://www.homebakedmemories.com
Feel free to join us and share your own ideas...

Homemade Napoleons

Your tip for February 22, 2006 - HOMEMADE NAPOLEONS

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 cups vanilla pudding
1 cup confectioners' sugar
Water

Unfold puff pastry sheet carefully. Cut into thirds vertically. Place on a greased cookie sheet, and, using a fork, prick each pastry section all over (this will ensure even rising). Place cookie sheet in the refrigerator, and allow dough to chill at least 30 minutes.

While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake pastry until it is puffed and golden, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven.

Let pastry cool completely before assembling Napoleon.

Place one section of pastry on a large cutting board or cake plate. Top with a layer of pudding. Top pudding with second sheet of pastry, top that layer with pudding. Top pudding with third sheet of pastry. Press down gently on Napoleon to sandwich layers together.

Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl. Add just enough water to make a thick, spreadable paste. With a spatula, ice top of Napoleon with a thin layer of icing.

Set Napoleon aside in a cool place to allow icing to firm up. Then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Can be served with chilled chocolate sauce topping.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Like these tips?
Please forward Susan's "Tip of the Day" to your friends.

You are also welcome to sign up for Susan's Daily Tips at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SusansDailyTips/
Find more great tips, ideas, and homemade, homebaked memories at http://www.homebakedmemories.com
Feel free to join us and share your own ideas...

National Sticky Buns Day - February 21st

did you know???
February 21st is National Sticky Buns Day
here's a recipe to help you celebrate... ENJOY!!

Quick and Easy Sticky Buns

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Rhodes prepackaged frozen cinnamon rolls (uncooked)
2-3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/4 cup or more corn syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon plus, cinnamon

1.Open the package, allow the rolls to thaw and while thawing prepare the pan.
2. Butter a 10 inch round cake pan thoroughly with butter.
3. Fill the buttered pan with corn syrup until to 1/4 inch thick across the entire bottom.
4. Add and sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar all over the corn syrup, then sprinkled with 1 tablespoon or more of cinnamon and place the thawed rolls in prepared pan.
5. Allow to rise to almost double and bake, according to package directions.
6. Remove from oven, invert pan onto a large plate, cool for a short period of time and enjoy

Submitted by The Muffin Lady ~ Randi Levin – author of Baking at High Altitude – The Muffin Lady's Old Fashioned Recipes

* since I love butterscotch... I took the liberty of adding 3/4 cup of butterscotch baking chips along with the brown sugar.. in step 4 - try it you'll love the taste.. and how quick and easy it is.

... for photo and printer friendly recipe go to http://www.homebakedmemories.com/pf_pages/pfStickyBuns.htm

Find more great tips, ideas, and homemade, homebaked memories at http://www.homebakedmemories.com
Feel free to join us and share your own ideas...

The Various Types of Flour and Their Uses

Your tip for February 21, 2006 - THE VARIOUS TYPES OF FLOUR AND THEIR USES

This information comes via Marla Hudgins from her friend David in Florida.

All-purpose flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat; it may be bleached or unbleached. Flour that is bleached naturally as it ages is labeled "unbleached," while chemically treated flour is labeled "bleached." Bleached flour has less protein than unbleached. Bleached is best for pie crusts, cookies, quick breads, pancakes and waffles. Use unbleached flour for yeast breads, Danish pastry, puff pastry, strudel, Yorkshire pudding, éclairs, cream puffs and popovers.

Bread flour is white flour made from hard, high-protein wheat. It has more gluten strength and protein content than all-purpose flour. It is unbleached and sometimes conditioned with ascorbic acid, which increases volume and creates better texture. This is the best choice for yeast products.

Whole-wheat flour is made from the whole kernel of wheat and is higher in dietary fiber and overall nutrient content than white flours. It does not have as high a gluten level, so often it's mixed with all-purpose or bread flour when making yeast breads. I

nstant flour (Wondra from Gold Medal) is granular and formulated to dissolve quickly in hot or cold liquids. It will not work as a substitute for all-purpose flour, although there are recipes on the container for popovers and other baked goods. It is used primarily in sauces and gravies.

Cake flour is fine-textured, soft-wheat flour with high starch content. It has the lowest protein content of any wheat flour. It is chlorinated (a bleaching process), which leaves the flour slightly acidic, sets a cake faster and distributes fat more evenly through the batter to improve texture. When you're making baked goods with a high ratio of sugar to flour, this flour will be better able to hold its rise and will be less liable to collapse. This flour is excellent for baking fine-textured cakes with greater volume and is used in some quick breads, muffins and cookies.

Pastry flour also is made with soft wheat and falls somewhere between all-purpose and cake flour in terms of protein content and baking properties. Use it for making biscuits, pie crusts, brownies, cookies and quick breads. Pastry flour makes a tender but crumbly pastry. Do not use it for yeast breads. Pastry flour (both whole-wheat and regular) is not readily available at supermarkets, but you can find it at specialty stores and online.

Self-rising flour, sometimes referred to as phosphate flour, is low protein flour with salt and leavening already added. Its most often recommended for biscuits and some quick breads, but never for yeast breads.

Semolina flour is used in making pasta and Italian puddings. It is made from durum wheat, the hardest type of wheat grown. The flour is highest in gluten.

Durum flour is grown almost exclusively in North Dakota.

Organic flour is used in the same way as regular flour. It must follow U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations to be labeled "organic." Using this flour is a matter of personal preference.

ANOTHER FAVORITE SANDWICH This favorite sandwich was sent in by James Parker. Thank you James, it sounds like a perfect choice for cheese lovers everywhere.

TOASTED CHEESE AND GUACAMOLE DIP Brush thick white bread with melted butter and dust with parmesan cheese Add cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese and Monterey jack cheese and grill. After cheese is melted, remove from heat and top with lettuce, tomato, cucumber slices, red onion and Jalapeno slices. Top with mayo based Cole slaw and serve with a side of guacamole for dipping.

Like these tips?
Please forward Susan's "Tip of the Day" to your friends.

You are also welcome to sign up for Susan's Daily Tips at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SusansDailyTips/
Find more great tips, ideas, and homemade, homebaked memories at http://www.homebakedmemories.com
Feel free to join us and share your own ideas...