Week of 5/31/1999

Shortcut Cinnamon Buns

3 Tbls. granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbls. cold unsalted butter
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 Tbls. confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbls. granulated sugar and cinnamon. In a large bowl sift together flour, remaining Tbls. granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut butter into small pieces and with your fingertips or a pastry blender blend into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. In another small bowl whisk together egg and 3 Tbls. milk and add to flour mixture, stirring until just combined.

Transfer mixture to a lightly floured surface and gently knead, 3 or 4 times, until it forms a dough. Pat dough into a 10 by 6 inch rectangle (about 1/2 inch thick). Brush dough with some remaining milk and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon sugar. Beginning with a short side, roll up rectangle to form a 6-inch log and cut crosswise into 4 pieces. Arrange pieces on a baking sheet, cut sides up, with seams touching. Bake buns in middle of oven until pale golden and cooked through, about 18 minutes.
In another small bowl stir together confectioners’ sugar and water until smooth and drizzle over warm buns. Makes 4 buns, serving 2.

Barbecue Hobo Supper

1 1/2 pounds ground round
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb. baby carrots
1 lb new potatoes, cut in half
1 med. onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 large red or green bell pepper, cut into 8 wedges

Tear off 4 (18 x 12 inch) heavy-duty aluminum foil sheets. Combine ground round and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce; shape into 4 patties. Place 1 patty in center of each foil sheet; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Top evenly with remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce, baby carrots and remaining ingredients. Bring up 2 sides of each aluminum foil sheet and double fold with about 1 inch-wide folds. Double fold each end to form a packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside packet.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over med-hi heat (350 to 400 degrees) 12 to 15 minutes on each side or until ground beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Yield: 4 servings. If oven baking is preferred, bake at 450 degrees for 3-5 minutes longer than grilling recipe requires. Open packets carefully to prevent burns from the hot steam.

Tequila Lime Marinated Shrimp

1/4 cup Tequila
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon, quartered
1 small onion, quartered
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
1 (1 lb) bag frozen salad shrimp
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Jalapeno pepper, chopped

In a small saucepan combine tequila, lime juice and honey. Bring just to a boil to melt honey and evaporate most of the alcohol. Set aside.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add lemon, onion, bay leaves and peppercorns to boiling water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salad shrimp and simmer until shrimp are thawed, about 2-3 minutes. Drain shrimp and place in bowl. Add Tequila mixture, cilantro and jalapeno to shrimp and toss. Chill in refrigerator, covered until ready to use or for a quick chill, place bowl over ice. Serve on platter with crackers or alone with toothpicks for spearing.