Catalina Dressing

This is from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook and tastes especially delicious with (spicy) arugula and grated sharp cheddar cheese and tomatoes (mixed in with the other lettuce if you're not a big arugula fan). I also like to add chopped green olives and/or hard-boiled egg. This tastes very similar to the Russian Salad Dressing that I posted but is a lot less trouble! Sweet and tangy--if you don't forget the vinegar like I did last time! Also, you must use white wine vinegar--don't try to substitute anything else.

2/3 cp vegetable oil
1/4 cp ketchup
1/4 cp sugar
1/4 cp white wine vinegar
1 T grated onion (the recipe recommends using the large holes of a box grater, but I just use powdered onion)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Tobasco

Shake all the ingredients together in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and allow to sit for 1 hour, shake vigorously to recombine before using. The dress can be refrigerated for up to 7 days.  Bring to room temperature, then shake vigorously to recombine before using. (I'm sure I've had this longer than a week in the fridge and it was fine. What is in there to go bad? Just the oil and it's refrigerated so...)

Hot Cross Buns

This is from an old Fleischmann's cookbook. Mom sent me this recipe when I lived in Germany, and I've been making it ever since, so about 16 years. I go a little heavier on the spices. If you knead as Betsy Oppenneer recommends, you will only need about 4 - 4 1/2 cups of flour and they will be soft and moist.

5 1/2 - 6 cp all-purpose flour
1/3 cp sugar
2 packages of yeast (ca. 2 T)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cp evaporated milk
1/2 cp water
1/3 cp butter, cut into pieces
2 eggs
1 cp chopped dates or raisins (I prefer currants.)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Powdered Sugar Frosting (recipe follows)

In a large bowl, combine 2 cp flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and nutmeg. Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130F). Gradually add to dry ingredients; beat well, scraping bowl occasionally. Add 2 eggs and 1/2 cp flour; beat well again. With spoon, stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.

Punch dough down. Remove dough to floured surface. Knead in dates/raisins (currents). Divide dough into 18 equal pieces (about 75g each); shape into smooth balls. Place in/on greased pan/sheets. Cover; let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Brush egg white over rolls. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes or until done. Remove from pans; let cool on wire racks. Drizzle or pipe Frosting onto each roll to make a cross.

Powdered Sugar Frosting: In small bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted; 1 to 2 tablespoons evaporated milk; and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.