Apricot Raisin Hot Cross Buns

Stephanie's 16th birthday (thanks Jannet!)

Today is Stephanie's birthday, so I asked her to share some 'foodie' thoughts with us. Happy Birthday Stephanie!! 

"Foods? I love so many! Favorite restaraunts are Big Bowl (Thai food) in Reston, Colors (a wide variety of flavors from around the world) in Hilton Head, and Tropical Smoothie. You can't go wrong with any of their smoothies; I think I have tried almost all of them. I love anything pasta and am really excited to eat Italian for two weeks in April. It's only 10 a.m. and you have me thinking about dinner. I think I will have to make alfredo tonight.... I love pies instead of cake, but Brittany is in love with cupcakes. I gave her a cookbook from Georgetown Cupcakes (D.C. Cupcakes on TV) and she has made the best cupcakes I have ever tasted. I would not be surprised if she makes some for my birthday. The kids have given up bringing me breakfast in bed; the few times they tried they had to honestly con me back into it after my run and shower."

 "I tried a new recipe yesterday that turned out great. Here it is:

Apricot Raisin Hot Cross Buns

4 - 4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 c. warm water (110 degrees F)

1/8 t. sugar

3/4 c. milk

1/2 c. (stick) butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

1/2 c. finely snipped dried apricots

1/2 c. raisins, coarsely chopped

1 egg white, beaten

1 T. water

Dried apricots cut into strips (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl place 2 c. of the flour; set aside. In a small bowl combine the yeast, warm water, and 1/8 t. sugar. Stir until yeast is dissolved; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the milk, butter, 1/3 c. sugar, and salt until warm (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F) and butter almost melts. Add to flour mixture along with the yeast mixture and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in snipped apricots, raisins, and as much of the remaining flour as you can with a wooden spoon.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately soft (not sticky) dough that is smooth and elastic (3 to 5 minutes total). Shape dough in a ball. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease surface of dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about 1-1/2 hours).

3. Punch dough down. Turn out onto a floured surface. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Grease two baking sheets; set aside. Divide dough into 20 portions; shape each into a smooth ball. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Cover; let rise until nearly double (45 to 60 minutes).

 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Make a crisscross slash across top of each bun with a sharp knife or scissors. In a small cup combine beaten egg white and water. Brush mixture over buns. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking. Top with apricot strips. Serve warm. Store remaining buns in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, place 1 or 2 buns at a time on a microwave-safe plate and heat 15 to 20 seconds. Makes 20 buns.

by Stephanie, wife of Barbara's son Brandon

Chocolate Pudding, Tapioca Pudding

A few years ago, our friends the Kammeyers gave us a family cookbook for a gift. We've used some of the recipes, but the most frequently used are for the comfort foods. After having Matt's Chocolate Pudding—topped with Dreyer's Natural Vanilla Bean Ice Cream—with James and Kathleen one Sunday evening, we were hooked. We really try not to have it too many Sunday evenings, but sometimes we 'cave'. We also shared it with the Ayers to celebrate our anniversary at the cabin after our last Island Park reunion. (Again, I cheated and scanned the recipes! You can click on the images and get a bigger view if you want to try them.)

One of Dee's favorite treats is Tapioca Pudding made by Dad. We'll have to get Dad's recipe, as his is always perfect. In the meantime, she uses the one from Kathleen's mom in the cookbook.

 What is your favorite comfort food?