Baked Potato Wedges (Betty Crocker's Cooking Basics)

Ingredients:

3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, if desired
3 medium baking potatoes,, 8 to 10 ounces each
Cooking spray

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425°. Mix the salt, sugar, paprika, mustard and garlic powder in a small bowl or measuring cup.
Scrub the potatoes thoroughly with a vegetable brush, but do not peel. Cut each potato lengthwise in half. Turn potatoes and cut sides down, and cut each half lengthwise into 4 wedges. Place potato wedges, skin sides down, in a pan.
Spray the potato wedges with cooking spray until lightly coated. Sprinkle with the salt mixture.
Bake uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork. The baking time will vary, depending on the size and type if the potato used.

Stuffed Apple - Cinnamon Rolls (Our Best Bites)

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated pizza dough or 1 recipe breadstick dough

Filling
2 cups shredded apples (about 3 large apples)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour

Topping
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1-2 teaspoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to temperature specified on pizza dough or breadstick recipe (depending on what you used)
Spray a pie plate or similar dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. (you might need 2 pie plates)
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 12 x 18 inches. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 3-inch squares.
In a mixing bowl, combine the shredded apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour. Divide evenly by putting a spoonful on each square of dough. Use your fingers to close each square of dough, wrapping dough around filling and pinching to seal shut forming a round ball. Place balls seam-side down in pie plate.
Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle on top of the dough (because of the butter we had to brush it on which is fine to do). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
While the rolls are cooling, whisk the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle on top of the rolls and serve.

Bananarama Soft Cookies (8th Ward Classics)

Ingredients:

1 med. ripe banana
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, oil, half of the cake mix and the nutmeg. Blend with an electric mixer on med. high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until smooth. Stir in the remaining cake mix and nuts with a wooden spoon until all the dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by teaspoonfuls two inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes or until set around the edges. Do not overcook. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Beignets (Our Best Bites: Savoring the Seasons)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 scant tablespoon active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm (about 105 degrees F.) water

3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1 egg

Peanut oil for frying

Powdered sugar

Directions:

Combine milk, 1/4 cup sugar, vegetable oil, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Remove from heat.

While the milk mixture is heating, combine yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar with warm water. Allow to stand 10 minutes or until its very bubbly.

Combine heated milk and 2 cups flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix, scraping the bowl occasionally, until smooth (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and mix until well combined. Add yeast mixture. Add enough flour to make a soft dough that sticks slightly to your finger.

At this point, you can either place the dough in a bowl sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and cover with a piece of sprayed plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough up to 1 day or you can roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface. When ready to use, roll it into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into about 3 x 4-inch rectangles. Slightly separate the dough pieces and cover with a clean cloth. Allow to rise 30 minutes.

When the dough has about 15 minutes left to go, heat 2-3 inches peanut oil in a large skillet or saucepan to 325 degrees F. (use a candy thermometer). When oil is heated, fry dough pieces for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side or until they are golden. Carefully remove beignets from oil and allow to drain on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.

Place some powdered sugar in a fine-mesh strainer and sprinkle powdered sugar generously over the beignets. Serve immediately.