Doug's Pizza Crust

Recipe courtesy of Doug Gallup, Matthew's cousin.

1 T sugar
1 t salt
1 T shortening
1 c boiling water
1 pkg (2 1/4 t) yeast dissolved in 1/4 c warm water
3 c flour
olive oil

Dissolve yeast. Put sugar, salt, shortening and boiling water in a large bowl. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool to luke warm. Add yeast. Stir. Add 1 1/2 c of the flour and beat until smooth. Add remaining flour or enough to make dough barely firm enough to handle. Knead until smooth. Flatten into pan. Let rise for 15 minutes. Brush lightly with olive oil. Use your favorite pizza toppings. Bake 425 degrees until crust is lightly brown and cheese is melted.

Turtle Popcorn

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen 2008. Untried.

Ingredients:
6 quarts freshly popped popcorn
1 cup butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
6 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200.
2. Place popcorn in a large roasting pan; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in chocolate, salt, and vanilla. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour over popcorn, tossing gently to coat well. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour popcorn in an even layer onto parchment paper. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Chocolate Orange Angel Food Cake

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, “Paula Deen’s Chocolate Celebration” Check out her recipe collection at the Food Network site. Untried.

12 egg whites at room temperature
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. orange extract
1 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar
1 c. cake flour
3 Tbsp. Dutch-processed cocoa

Sweet Orange Glaze (recipe follows)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in orange zest and orange extract.

3. In a small bowl, sift together confectioners’ sugar, flour, and cocoa; gradually fold into egg white mixture. Spoon batter into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. Bake for 30 to 32 minutes or until lightly browned. Invert cake onto the neck of a bottle and cool completely. (Jen’s note: cooling upside-down allows an angel food cake to keep it’s structure and not deflate.) Gently run a knife around edge of cake to release sides. Remove cake from pan. Drizzle with Sweet Orange Glaze.

Sweet Orange Glaze

1 1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. orange extract

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cream cheese, milk, and extract. Beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth.

Paula Deen's Dreamy Chocolate Mousse Cake

This recipe is from Paula Deen's Magazine 2008. Untried.

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk
1 cup strong brewed coffee
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
Dreamy Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Fudge Frosting
Garnish: grated chocolate, chocolate curls

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) square or round cake pans. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add mik, coffee, oil, and eggs. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.
Pour evenly into prepared pans and bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
Using a serrated knife, cut cake layers in half horizontally to make 6 layers. Place 1 layer, cut side up, on a cake plate, spread with one-fifth of Dreamy Chocolate Mousse. Repeat procedure with remaining cake layers and mousse. Freeze cake for 1 hour. Spread Chocolate Fudge Frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. Garnish sides of cake with grated chocolate. Garnish top of cake with chocolate curls if desired.

Mousse (Makes about 4½ cups)
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tablespoons cold water
¼ cup boiling water
1 cup sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl, soften gelatin in 3 tablespoons cold water. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add boiling water, stirring until gelatin dissolves; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cocoa powder.

In a medium bowl, beat cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar mixture, beating until stiff peaks form. Stir in gelatin mixture. Cover and chill for 4 hours.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting (Makes about 3 cups)
1 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
10 tablespoons butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; add chocolate and butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes. Whisk in confectioner's sugar. Let mixture cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency.