4 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon salt

2 cups hop water

1 tablespoon (1 package) active dry yeast

3 cups unbleached white flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

2-4 cups additional flour

Start the dough mixture about 2 – 2 ½ hours before serving.

Mix together the honey, oil and salt.  Stir in the hot water.  Mix well.  Sprinkle yeast on top of mixture.  Cover with a cloth and allow to stand about 10 minutes or until yeast bubbles.  Add flour and baking powder.  Stir well.  Add more flour until mixture is firm and cleans the hands.  Use from 2-4 cups flour for this step.

Place dough in greased bowl.  Turn dough over to grease top.  Cover and allow to rise until double (about an hour).  Punch down and divide first in half, then each half into 8 parts.  Form each piece into a ball and permit to rise until ready to cool.

Heat deep fat to frying temperature.  Take ball of dough and flatten with hands, using stretching action.  When dough is very thin and about 6-8 inches in diameter, drop into hot fat and cook until golden (about 1 ½ minutes on each side).  Drain on paper towels and serve hot with honey and powered sugar.

2 quarts cooking apples, pared and cut fine
4 ounces nuts, chopped
1 cup raisins
¾ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 package large flour tortillas
½ cup melted butter
½ cup crushed cornflakes

Mix apples, nuts and raisins. Stir in sugar mixed with cinnamon. Place tortilla on a flat surface and spread with melted butter, using brush. Sprinkle some crushed cornflakes lightly over buttered tortilla and then spread with some apple mixture. Fold 1/3 of tortilla over mixture, brush with butter; fold both sides of tortilla to center, brush with melted butter and then roll. Brush entire outside with melted butter. Repeat for each tortilla. Place rolled tortillas on buttered baking pan and bake at 350 degrees until brown and crisp. They can be frozen after baking.

1 cup water
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sherry wine
1 cup cooking oil
Powdered sugar

Bring water to boiling point in a saucepan. Remove saucepan from fire and gradually add sifted flour with salt. Beat vigorously until fluffy and smooth. Add egg with wine and continue beating until batter is smooth and shiny. Heat oil in a deep pan until medium hot. Pour batter in a pastry tube and drop small amounts of batter, about 4 – 5 inches long, in the hot oil. Fry both sides until golden brown and remove Churros to absorbent paper to drain. Roll each one in powdered sugar while still hot. Serve with hot cocoa.
Yields 12

5 oz. bittersweet (60%cacao) chocolate, coarsely chopped
¾ C all-purpose flour
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Dash black pepper
Dash of ground red pepper
1 ¼ C. sugar
¼ C. butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place chocolate in a small glass bowl; microwave on High 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients. Stir well with a whisk.
4. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Add egg; beat well. Add cooled chocolate and vanilla; beat just until blended. Add flour mix; beat just until blended. Drop dough by level tablespoons 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until set. Remove from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

Makes 32 Cookies

For the Tamales
12 large dried corn husks, soaked in warm water to soften
2 C. masa harina
½ C butter softened
½ C brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 ¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 C. mango nectar
2 large ripe mangos, peeled, pitted and chopped. ( makes about 2 ½ C, use ½ C. for tamales and save 2 C. for mango topping)

For the Mango Topping
¼ C orange liqueur or orange juice
¼ C. brown sugar
1 Tbs. butter
1 pinch cinnamon
2 C. chopped mango
Lime wedges

Tamales: Remove husks from water and pat dry. In medium bowl, beat together masa, butter, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon until fluffy. Beat in mango nectar until smooth. Spread equal amounts of mixture in the center of each corn husk; top each with 2 Tbs. chopped mango. Bring in the sides of the corn husks so that the edges of the masa meet, then fold in both ends to enclose filling. Steam for 1 hour, then let cool slightly.

Mango Topping: Combine orange liqueur or orange juice, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in 2 Cups chopped mango and cook for a few minutes more. Serve warm sauce over warm tamales with lime wedges on the side.

Makes 12 Tamales