Monkeybread

3⁄8 cup of milk stirred with 1⁄3 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

11⁄8 teaspoon yeast, regular or fast-rising

3 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

21⁄4 cups flour

1⁄4 cup brown sugar

2⁄3 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon topping

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons melted butter

dash salt

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla

21⁄2 tablespoons milk or as needed

Warm milk with vinegar in a saucepan. Make sure it is only lukewarm or it will kill the yeast. Stir yeast into milk in a large bowl.

Let mixture sit for 5 minutes, until it bubbles.

Then stir in the other ingredients. You may need to use your hands at the end, to knead the dough. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down dough and divide it into 40 small balls.

Combine cinnamon and brown sugar from the topping ingredients (above.)

Dip each dough ball in the melted butter, and then dip it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Put the balls in a greased 8 or 9-inch glass pie pan or in a papered muffin tin (2 or 3 per cup.)

Let rise again until doubled.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes for the muffin tin monkeybread or for 30 to 40 minutes for the glass pie pan monkeybread.

Let cool for 10 or 15 minutes and then drizzle with glaze ingredients that have been stirred together.

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Chocolate Coffee

Almond Heaven

Fast tarts with only 7 to 10 minutes of baking!

You also need to chop almonds, unless you buy them finely chopped or buy almond meal.

2 cups finely chopped almonds or almond meal (take out about 1⁄8 cup and reserve for topping)

1 tablespoon ground coffee (reserve 1⁄2 teaspoon for topping)

11⁄2 tablespoon sugar

dash salt

21⁄2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Combine and press into the bottom of papered muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.

2 cups chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter

Melt butter and heavy cream. Pour over chocolate in a large bowl. When chocolate is melted, stir. Pour into baked crusts.

Top each with a little more chopped almonds and a tiny pinch of ground coffee.

Chill to firm up.

Chocolate

Lunchbox Cookies

Like many lunchboxes, they have peanut butter inside!

13⁄4 cup flour

2⁄3 cup cocoa

dash salt

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

11⁄3 cup sugar

2 sticks of butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1⁄4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1⁄2 cup peanut butter or as needed

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Beat butter with eggs. Add vanilla. Add apple cider vinegar.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, then pour in beaten butter-egg mixture. Beat until just combined.

Make flattened discs of 11⁄3 inch. Chill them for 15 minutes. Put a tiny spoonful of peanut butter in the middle of half the discs. Place a flattened disc of chocolate cookie dough on top. Pinch edges carefully.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 11 minutes.

Cooking Class

I have had a request for fast, easy recipes for those learning to cook. (This recipe must have an experienced adult supervising if kids want to try it and the adults need to take care of the boiling water and hot pan, etc.) Good luck!

Buttered Noodles

Your favorite pasta, angel hair cooks the fastest

2 tablespoons butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

olive oil

water

large pan

optional: Parmesan or other shredded or dried cheese

Boil water with a pinch of salt and a little bit of olive oil in it.

Put in pasta in boiling water, carefully, so you don’t splash yourself with boiling water. You can use tongs and stand very far back if you like (and other people can show you or help you.) Cook pasta almost as long as it says on the package, but take it off the flame 2 minutes early. Carefully pour out all but 1⁄2 cup or so of the water. (The extra water with the starch in it from cooking helps make a butter sauce.) Add the butter and put the pot back on the flame. Let butter melt, stirring frequently. Add cheese, if desired. Serve hot. May need tongs or a set of forks to serve. This is simple and delicious and used in many cultures. You may serve it as a main dish, especially if the noodles have enough protein, or with cheese, or as a side with chicken or tofu, etc.

— Mel Baker is an experienced chef, caterer and cafe manager. Email her a [email protected].