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Weekend Recipe

Want to add some yummy to your iced tea this summer?  Need a mixer for a cocktail?  Try this:

Lemon Flavored Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

-zest and juice from 2 lemons (or 4 limes for lime flavored syrup)
-1 cup water
-1 1/2 cups sugar

Zest the lemons or limes and then squeeze the juice.  You want equal parts liquid and sugar so if the juice and water equals more than 1 1/2 cup add more sugar to equal the same measurement. 
Put zest and juice in a small sauce pan with the water and sugar.  Heat on medium high heat until sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute then remove from heat.
Strain the syrup through a fine strainer or a cheese cloth into a clean jar or bottle.  Let cool and enjoy!  It will keep for 1 month in the fridge.

Use this syrup in place of sugar in iced tea or hot tea.  Pour it hot over a bundt cake still in the pan just out of the oven (let it cool in the pan with the syrup) for a super moist cake.  Use this syrup along with some fresh lime juice, triple sec and tequila for a great margarita.  Add it to some rum and coke, or just coke:).  It also makes a great hostess gift or house warming present packed in a cute jar along with some green tea bags.

Weekend Recipe

Hamburger Buns (or hot dog buns or rolls or whatever kind of bun type shape suits your purpose)

These will elevate any ground beef or pain old hot dog to gourmet level- promise!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup butter

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast or 2 tsp of yeast

2 tablespoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 egg

Instructions:

In your mixing bowl ( I use my kitchenaid) put 1 3/4 cup of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.  Mix together and set aside. 

Heat milk, water and butter to 120-130 degrees.  Doing this in a saucepan on the stove top vs. microwave makes it easier to control the temp. Temperature is important because if the liquid is too hot it will kill the yeast.

Add the liquid mixture to the bowl with the flour mixture and mix well.  Add the egg and continue mixing until combined.  Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl.   This will be a soft, sticky dough and you may need a bit more flour to get the dough to stop sticking to the sides of the bowl.

The dough needs to be kneaded for 8 minutes- I use my mixer to knead- you can do it by hand if you want.  The texture should be smooth and elastic.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape as desire  for hot dogs or hamburgers.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and sit in a warm place covered until they double in size.

bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.  Remove when done and brush tops with butter.

Notes on flour variations- I tried these with bread flour and they came out a bit heavier and tougher- chewy- not bad but not as tender as a hamburger bun should be.

I have NOT tried these with part whole wheat flour- but if you do, let me know how they come out!