The Garage Plan Shop Blog

Pita breads are those delicious rounds of bread with a pocket that you can stuff with sandwich fixings. Here is a recipe that is especially easy for the beginning baker. The hardest part, is cutting the pocket which if you find too challenging, just skip it and fold the round in half when making your sandwiches. Or just as tasty, skip the sandwich and spread some butter on them while still warm and enjoy. You can also visit https://goodfoodblogph.com for the best kitchen gadgets.

Pita or Pocket Bread

Ingredients – Group A

2 ½ cups of flour

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Ingredients – Group B

1 ½ tsp sugar

1 pkg of dry yeast

1/8 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup of warm water

In a large bowl, mix together the ingredients group A. Then make a depression in the middle of the mixture and add the rest of the ingredients in Group B to it. Stir it together starting at the center and work your way out to the edges incorporating all of the ingredients. Knead it with your hands for a minute or two until it’s a nice doughy ball. Cover the bowl with a clean damp towel and let it rise for 30 minutes. Divide into 8 pieces and roll or press out dough on a floured surface. Rounds should be about 6 inches in diameter. Place rounds on greased cookie sheets and let them rise again for 15 to 30 minutes. Place sheets on bottom rack in oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-11 minutes.

To cut a pocket, carefully poke a serrated knife in the edge of the bread pointing toward the center and carefully cut through half of the bread.  You will usually hit some air pockets that will open the bread up nicely to hold whatever you decide to stuff it with.

Tags: Recipes

Every region has its own special foods that you don’t find everywhere else in the nation.  In my area, we have a coffee cake with its own legend of being created accidentally and of course a rivalry as to which bakery actually sold it first.  These cookies are an adaptation of it.  Even if you are not familiar with the rich buttery gooey goodness of that cake, give these cookies a taste, and meet me in St. Louis sometime to try their inspiration.

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cookies

½ cup butter

¼ tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 pkg cream cheese(8 oz)

1 box butter recipe cake mix

Powdered sugar

Beat the butter, vanilla, egg and cream cheese.   Once it is light and fluffy, pour in the dry cake mix and mix it well.  Chill for thirty minutes.  Roll into balls about teaspoon size and coat with powdered sugar.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Tags: Recipes

The holidays are here. Amid the hustle and bustle of the season, we are often asked to bring a dish, snack or appetizer to a holiday gathering. These recipes are simple to make and tasty to eat. Try one of these the next time you’re asked to bring something to a gathering.

Ranch Salsa Dip

Ingredients:

1 16 oz carton of sour cream

¾  cup thick and chunky salsa

1 packet of Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dip Mix

1 bag of nacho chips

1.    Mix sour cream, salsa and ranch dip mix in a medium bowl.

2.    Chill or serve immediately with nacho chips.

Hummus

Ingredients:

1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

1 cup roasted red peppers drained and rinsed

½ cup sour cream

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 garlic cloves minced

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Crackers, veggies or pita chips

1.    Add chickpeas to food processor and puree.

2.    Add roasted red peppers and remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth.

3.    Refrigerate.

4.    Serve with crackers, veggies or pita chips

Tags: Recipes

While the kids are off school for the holidays, serve this breakfast favorite. Everyone at The Garage Plan Shop has been enjoying this tasty breakfast treat for years.

Monkey Bread Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 (7.5 oz) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup butter or margarine, melted

1.    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a plastic food-storage bag.

2.    Separate dough into 30 biscuits and cut each one into quarters. Shake in bag to coat and arrange in pan.

3.    Mix brown sugar and melted butter and pour over biscuits.

4.    Bake 28-32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.

5.    Cool in pan 10 minutes.

6.    Turn upside down onto serving plate. Pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Makes approximately 12 servings.

Visit our blog next week for more holiday recipes.

Tags: Christmas, Recipes